Fall asleep on Imhotep Charter at your peril.
With city supremacy on the line Friday night at La Salle University, the Public League champion Panthers overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to stun Catholic League champ Father Judge, 58-54, in the District 12 6A championship.
“This was big,” said 5-foot-8 junior point guard R.J. Smith. “[People] thought it was a down year for us, and we just came out and showed the city that [we’re] still Imhotep at the end of the day.”
Whether the Panthers — who claimed their fifth straight Pub title last week against Samuel Fels — have been overlooked or underrated is debatable.
What’s undeniable, however, is the resilience shown by coach Andre Noble’s team, which avenged December’s 53-51 loss to Judge.
“This team’s been through a lot of adversity,” Noble said. “Losing three starters [to injuries] throughout the year … and then to be down 16 to a team that good, never stop believing in ourselves, take the lead, and then close out the game, I told [my team] that I’m just ultra proud of them. It would have been real easy at different points to not finish the year off the way we want to. They’ve just been extremely resilient, and I’m really proud of them.”
The Panthers’ fifth straight Pub title tied West Philly’s run from 1974 to 1978 for the longest stretch of Pub crowns. It also was the program’s 12th Pub title since 2009.
On Friday night at John Glaser Arena, Judge took early control and led, 14-5, after the first quarter and 33-17 at halftime.
Smith, who finished with 18 points, made just one first-half field goal before coaches calmed his nerves at halftime.
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“‘Just keep rallying your troops,’” Smith recalled hearing. “‘You’re the leader. They’re going to follow you.’”
Judge (20-7), which carried a 17-point lead in the third quarter, was led by junior guard Derrick Morton Rivera, who finished with 15 points.
However, poor shot selection, costly turnovers, and missed free throws ultimately sank the Crusaders. The Panthers (23-5) took advantage and cut the deficit to 42-38 heading into the fourth quarter.
Imhotep freshman Rezon Harris Jr. hit a late three-pointer that ignited the Panthers.
Smith also scored 11 points in the final frame, including a left-handed scoop with 4 minutes, 31 seconds remaining that gave Imhotep its first lead.
“I wasn’t worried about him at all,” Noble said of Smith. “Things like this don’t faze R.J. He’s been like that from when he was a freshman playing on our really good team with Justin [Edwards] and them making big shots and big plays as a freshman. So we expect him to be a big-time player, and the career that he’s putting together is becoming a special one at 21st [Street] and Godfrey [Avenue].”
Judge had ample opportunities late in the game, but missed free throws and turnovers proved costly.
After trailing, 52-51, with about 44 seconds left, Smith snatched a rebound and darted down the sideline as Judge’s bench erupted. It appeared that Smith’s left foot stepped out of bounds with 41 seconds left, but that was missed by the sideline official.
Imhotep, now the top-seeded team from District 12, could meet Judge, the district’s No. 2 seed in the PIAA Class 6A playoffs, again in the semifinals on March 22.
Friday’s win, Smith hopes, will propel the Panthers toward glory.
“I think it just gives us a lot of confidence,” Smith said. “We just try to get a triple crown, try to get a state championship.”