James Hubert Blake High School vs Paint Branch High School

Photo courtesy of @e.goody.photos (Instagram). After falling by two points to Magruder and putting an end to its unbeaten start to the campaign, Blake — the presumptive state title frontrunners — needed a response. The opportunity in front of it came in the form of then-undefeated Paint Branch. The Bengals pounced on it, ultimately taking the Panthers in a four-quarter, comprehensive showdown, 79-65. It was Eli Konkler who got the Bengals started, hitting a midrange jumper and a 3-pointer in response to Kahlil Fountain’s deep-range shots. Konkler was Blake’s engine during the first frame, helping his team open up a four-point lead through his lane-driving acrobatics and physicality. The Bengals interior size and leaping ability allowed them to garner an advantage on the offensive glass — Abder Ouattara found room for a layup early while being hounded by two Paint Branch defenders. But that added emphasis in the paint only created more opportunities for Blake outside the arc — and the likes of Konkler and Christian Kennard didn’t miss much. Once Blake got some buckets on the fast break in the second period of play, the Bengals increased their lead even further. A Konkler fast-break layup with seven minutes until half put Blake up 26-17. Paint Branch had virtually no answers for the remainder of the half, as a Konkler 3-pointer on Blake’s next offensive possession began to demoralize the Panthers’ efforts. A layup from the guard minutes later — once again on a fast break — put the Bengals up by 12, forcing Paint Branch to call timeout. From there, Blake went on a 13-10 run to end the half, putting it up 45-30 with 16 minutes still to play. But those 16 minutes didn’t end up working in Paint Branch’s favor, as it was hardly able to make inroads or cut into Blake’s deficit with any substantial run. Ryan Bobb, who hit a three with time expiring in the first half, was able to get off and sink some really quick-release downtown shots. But his efforts still couldn’t make a dent in Blake’s advantage. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Bengals led by 17, and the contest was essentially all but over. A deep Bobb 3-pointer with 4:30 remaining cut Blake’s lead down to nine points, but that was as close as the Panthers found themselves late Friday night. Next up on the docket, Blake is set to take on Westtown on Dec. 29.