Nazareth Area High School boys basketball team knocks off Liberty High School

By TOM HINKEL
The Express-Times

NAZARETH | The Nazareth Area High School boys basketball team has re-established itself as a force in the Lehigh Valley Conference.

Chuck Dibilio scored 21 points and Bryce Higgs added 19 Friday night as the Blue Eagles rallied to hand Liberty its first league loss, 62-53, before a near-capacity crowed at Ray Nunamaker Gymnasium.

There was a ceremony before the game in honor of former Nazareth player Derek Kehoe and ex-Liberty coach Todd Rothrock. Kehoe died of a rare form of cancer in 2006 and Rothrock passed away several days after suffering a stroke in 2008.

Nazareth (12-2 overall, 6-2 conference) trailed most of the way but took the lead for good when Higgs converted two free throws to put his team in front 47-46 with 5:51 remaining.

The partisan Nazareth crowd, energetic all night, rose to its feet and cheered wildly as the Blue Eagles gradually pulled away in the final minutes.

"The crowd was awesome," Higgs said. "You could feel the energy on the court."

"The crowd tonight was unbelievable," Nazareth coach Joe Arndt said. "It was a packed house and they really got into the game."

Liberty coach Chad Landis had high praise for the support from both teams.

"The crowd was terrific," he said. "The fans were into it on both sides. There was a lot of energy in the building. Every Friday night should be like this."

Liberty (13-2, 8-1), the top-ranked team in the Express-Times region and the last of the unbeatens in the LVC, led for most of the first three quarters before Nazareth seized control.