Nzeh, composure lead Upper Darby past Souderton in District 1-6A first round

FRANCONIA >> Size matters, but so does composure.

Upper Darby big man Kachi Nzeh made his presence felt in the first half, all but exiling Souderton to the 3-point line after halftime in Friday’s District 1-6A opening round playoff game. The sophomore, playing his first season of high school ball, didn’t let his focus wane even as the Indians all but stopped challenging him down low.

Likewise, his teammates stayed composed, enduring a hot streak from the hosts before putting the game away in the fourth quarter for a 52-40 win Friday night.

“It’s all about keeping your composure, because the game can flip at any time,” Nzeh said. “If just because something else is happening, you switch off your original plan, that’s when everything comes crumbling down. At the end of the day, just keep your head in the game, stay patient and everything will work out.”

The No. 19 seed Royals advance to face No. 3 Cheltenham in Tuesday’s second round while the season ends for No. 14 Souderton.

It’s been a year beset by injuries for the Indians, who lost senior leaders Andrew Vince and Dom Natale in December and essentially had to reshape their identity twice. Neither started on Friday, but Natale and Vince were able to get back on the floor one last time, giving their team a boost of morale.

“They continued to trust each other and believe in each other throughout the entirety of the game just like we have all year long,” Indians coach Tim Brown said. “No matter what we get hit with, we just play the same way and play for each other. It’s pretty typical of what we’ve done all year.”

Upper Darby, which is playing shorthanded due to leading scorer Shareef Jones Jr being sidelined for the postseason, needed a balanced effort. Nzeh, who had a nearly three-inch growth spurt between freshman and sophomore year, was asked to be mainly a defender and rebounder during the regular season, but that wouldn’t be enough for the postseason.

The 6-foot-8 sophomore, who is a standout track athlete in the 400m and has drawn interest from Temple, needed to give a little more and finished with 11 points, 12 rebound and six blocks. His late decision to play basketball this season after not playing as a freshman made his fit into the Royals offense a work in progress since November.

“It’s been a lot of practicing post entry and moving the ball enough to get it inside,” Nzeh said. “When I do get it, I’m working to get it back to them for open shots. I’m 6-8, 6-9, defense isn’t a problem for me, I’m just working to time my jumping and my blocking, even disrupting shots and not having to block them.”

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