Imhotep rolls over Exeter

Exeter ran into Imhotep Charter in the PIAA-5A championship game last year. It didn’t go well for the Eagles. They lost to Justin Edwards and company 78-40. Exeter got another shot at the Panthers on Tuesday night at Coatesville. Once again, the powerhouse from Philadelphia proved to be too much for the boys from Reiffton. Imhotep used a dominant second half performance to cruise to a 83-40 victory in the second round of the state playoffs. The Eagles hung tough in the first half. They trailed 14-11 after eight minutes. Brady Murray, a 6’1 junior, drained a 3-pointer to pull Exeter within 19-18 in the second quarter. The Eagles were down 30-23 at the break. The Panthers scored the first eight points of the third period, including treys by UConn commit Ahmad Nowell and sophomore RJ Smith. Imhotep went on a staggering 25-to-2 run over the first six minutes of the third quarter. Nowell, a 6’2 senior, had eight of his game-high 15 points in that period. Sophomore forwards Zaahir Muhammad-Gray and Latief Lorenzano-White came alive in that quarter as well. They combined for a dozen points in eight minutes. Exeter found itself in a 62-31 hole entering the final period. The Panthers outscored the Eagles 53-to-17 in the second half. 6’8 freshman Zion Green finished with 12 points off the bench. Smith added 11 points and Lorenzano-White chipped in with 10. Andre Noble picked up his 498th career win. He’s guided Imhotep to nine PIAA titles over twenty seasons. The Panthers are (26-3) this year. Alex Kelsey led Exeter with 12 points. He’s one of five seniors on the Eagles’ roster. That group includes All-County pick Kevin Saenz who was limited to six points. The 6’4 guard entered the night averaging 16 ppg. Exeter ends up (19-10) under first-year head coach Jeff VanGorder. “All five seniors competed every time they stepped on the floor. They showed the underclassmen in our program how to compete and do things the right way every day. I’m going to miss seeing each one of them every day greatly,” said VanGorder. Sophomores Aidan Dauble and Jayden Ware, along with Murray, will be key figures next season. Meanwhile, Imhotep marches on to face District 2 champion Abington Heights in the quarterfinals on Friday.