Dallas Wilder and Ralph Saint-Fleur push Dock past Collegium Charter, into BAL semifinals

LANSDALE >> No. 2 Dock Mennonite overcame a slow start and handled No. 10 Collegium Charter, 58-47, in the Bicentennial Athletic League quarterfinals Tuesday night at Dock Mennonite Academy.

The Pioneers took control of the game in the second quarter behind guards Dallas Wilder and Ralph Saint-Fleur. The duo combined for 14 of the team’s 18 points in the second quarter to turn a 13-11 deficit after one into a 29-26 lead at halftime.

“Dallas has this defensive push that really gives us energy,” Saint-Fleur said. “Our bench, too. Our bench brings a lot of energy, which feeds our intensity and gives us the drive to bring our best.”

The Pioneers defense forced five turnovers in the second quarter and blocked four shots. Devon Jainlett rejected three shots in the frame and Darius Ellis denied another.

It was the third quarter when Dock gave itself a comfortable lead. After Collegium cut its deficit to one on the first basket of the half, the hosts went on a 16-8 run to take a 45-36 lead to the fourth. Wilder and Ellis each scored six points during the dominant stretch.

Wilder did a little bit of everything in the decisive third quarter. The junior grabbed two offensive rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked a shot to go along with his six points. He closed the frame with a steal and beat the buzzer for a layup at the other end.

“I knew I had to do something,” Wilder said. “I had to at least get a steal, push the tempo, get my team hyped. That’s what I did.”

Wilder kept his teammates and the home crowd energized in the fourth quarter, scoring another six points to keep the Pioneers comfortably ahead until the final whistle, 58-47.

Wilder scored a team-high 21 points while Saint-Fleur added 16 and Ellis had 14.

Duce Jackson, DiNero Washington and Maasai Harris scored all of Collegium’s points. Jackson scored a game-high 22 points, Washington added 18 and Harris had seven.

Jackson and Washington were giving the Pioneers trouble early. Jackson had six points in the first quarter and Washington added five to help the Cougars to an early lead. Jackson scored seven more in the second while Washington chipped in six to keep the Cougars within three, 29-26, at the half. Washington scored the first basket of the third quarter to get within 29-28 before the Pioneers went on their 16-8 run.

Dock will host No. 3 Holy Ghost Prep in the semifinals Thursday.