Germantown Academy, Fort Washington, PA – For three quarters, it was a slugfest.  Shots were blocked, players hit the floor, and baskets were lucky to fall.  But in a game Tuesday night that eventually came down to who could just make more plays, the Germantown Academy Patriots made a lot of them in the fourth quarter, en route to a 69-51 win over Chestnut Hill Academy Blue Devils.

 “It’s always a big game [when we play Chestnut Hill Academy]; always high intensity,” Patriots junior Jeff Holton (21 points) said after the game. 

That intensity started in the defensive form.  Both teams struggled to make a basket until Chestnut Hill’s Gary Lawrence, who scored a strong 19 points in the game to lead his team, scored on a left side drive 1 minute and 25 seconds into the game.  Germantown Academy didn’t score until 4:30 left in the quarter, thanks to a layup and foul shot by Cameron Ayers (who led all scorers with 22).  The first quarter, with its defensive eye-for-an-eye struggle, ended with the Blue Devils leading 10-8.

The intensity completely changed in the 2^nd quarter to an offensive shootout, with both teams running the floor more efficiently.  Mike Rhoads, who scorched Germantown Academy for 21 points in the last meeting, came alive with three point shots and drives to the basket.  He finished with 15 in this one.  The two teams traded the lead numerous times, and the half ended on a buzzer beating three by Holton, which tied the game at 30-30.

The crowd became very vocal in the third quarter, the effects of a scrappy game that looked like it would come down to the wire. Germantown Academy’s Joe Hill (15 points) turned it on in this frame, scoring 5 straight at one stretch that made it an 8 point GA lead with 1 minute left in the period.  Although Chestnut Hill cut the lead to 6 by the end of the quarter, it seemed that the tide was turning completely to GA’s favor.  One reason was Holton’s continuous strong play and energy, which seemed to be the emotional catalyst for the team. “I try to lead by example, and play hard every play,” he said. 

That hard play and emotion ran through the Germantown Academy squad and their fans right through to the fourth quarter, where the Patriots pulled away.  Their defense closed up the middle, making it extremely hard for Chestnut Hill to finish any baskets inside. With the Patriots' defensive effort tightening, their offense provided the finishing touches.  Holton provided a backbreaking three at 6:31 to make it a 52-41 game.   A good majority of the 4^th saw Holton and Cameron Ayers shooting free throws, including four straight free throws for Ayers due to a foul and technical foul called on Chestnut Hill’s Mike Lonergan at the 2:25 mark.  These four free throws made it 66-47 and effectively put the game out of reach.

GA sweeps the season series over their Inter-Ac foe by winning their third in a row, and 10^th out of their last 11.   They improve to 15-8, and are hot on the tail of now 16-6 CHA for the overall division lead.