Evan Fisher-Oley Valley

Evan Fisher couldn’t buy a bucket in his previous two games. In fact, he was 0-for-12 in Oley Valley’s losses to Lancaster Catholic and Brandywine Heights. On Thursday, the 5’8 senior guard couldn’t miss. Fisher drilled five 3-pointers in the first half as the Lynx rolled over Fleetwood 66-47. “He works so hard. He’s had a lot of stuff to deal with off the court. This is why I coach, for kids like that, to see them have moments in big spots. That’s something he’s gonna remember for years,” said head coach Chad Walters. Fisher hit back-to-back triples in the first quarter to put the Tigers in a 17-5 hole. “I don’t think they really respected my game. They sagged off me. I’m so glad I could contribute to my team in a way that I haven’t been able to in the past couple games,” replied Fisher.

Oley Valley was on top 21-11 after the opening quarter. Fisher’s third trey made it 24-11 with 5:40 remaining in the first half. His fifth and final 3-pointer came with 3:30 left in the second period and gave the Lynx a 32-19 cushion. “We need him to score. When he doesn’t produce, it puts a lot of burden on our top two scorers. I’m proud of that kid, proud of them all,” noted Walters. Fisher has connected a team-high 23 times from beyond the arc. He sank seven shots from long range against Tulpehocken on December 19th.

Oley Valley was almost flawless in the first half. The Lynx splashed six treys, went 6-for-6 from the foul line, and only committed one turnover. Fleetwood, which had won five of its previous six contests, trailed 38-21 at halftime. The (7-6, 3-2) Tigers didn’t look comfortable against Oley Valley’s intense man-to-man defense. Fleetwood had 19 turnovers, including eight in the second quarter. A three-point play by Luke Turchi gave the Lynx a 45-25 edge midway through the third period. Gryffin Cappellano added a three-point play of his own with 2:30 to go in the third quarter. Cappellano, who opted not to play basketball a season ago, is committed to Lackawanna College for baseball. Oley Valley had a 54-37 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

Turchi and Nick DeBalko finished with 21 points apiece. They both came into the night averaging nearly 16 ppg. “They’re great players. They always get downhill well. Nick is a three level scorer. They pass the ball really well too. They can do everything on the offensive end,” explained Fisher. DeBalko was limited to one game last year due to a broken foot. The 5’10 guard also plays soccer and baseball. Turchi, a 5’10 lefty, provided 13 points in the second half for the (7-5, 4-2) Lynx. They ended up 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, while the Tigers were 7-of-10. Mason Senna poured in 21 points, including ten in the third period. “Senna is such a great player, but he had to work for every single one of those points,” emphasized Walters. The 6’2 senior guard is averaging 25.6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Josh Szilli contributed ten points off the bench. The 5’11 sophomore hit both of Fleetwood’s 3-pointers. CJ Sallee, a 5’7 junior, was limited to two points. Senna and Sallee were both voted to the All-Division soccer team this past fall.

The Lynx and Tigers have already won more games than the 2024-25 campaign. Oley Valley was (6-16) and Fleetwood went (5-17) last year. The Lynx have five seniors in the starting lineup. “We’ve played [together] since middle school, some even elementary school. We’re all close. We’re all family off the court,” said Fisher.