On his way home following Upper Perkiomen's first Pioneer Athletic Conference victory last week, Armani-Avant Brown admitted to wondering why his

Manny Northern, center, is surrounded in the lane by four Southern Lehigh defenders duing Upper Perkiomnen's non-league loss on Monday.

team couldn't have performed like that sooner. He concluded that defensive effort has been the issue.

            "We need to bring more energy when we are behind," Brown said.

            The Indians had rallied from a five-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Pottsgrove, 49-46, on Senior Night as Brown led them to victory on Thursday, Jan. 26.  "We decided that we were going to stop the losing, at least on Senior Night," the East Greenville resident said.

            A strong defensive effort fueled the comeback that snapped a 12-game losing streak, noted head coach Michael DeCarolis.

            Against the Falcons, the Tribe (3-18 overall, 1-10 PAC) rallied from a 32-27 deficit at the end of the third quarter.

            Brown scored eight of his game-high 14 points during the final eight minutes. Manny Northern delivered 12 second half points, including seven in the fourth quarter.

            Evan Bosler added eight points for the Tribe, which scored 22 points in the final eight minutes. Braden Rieg tallied five points in the fourth, including three free throws.

            DeCarolis said he liked the way his team's offense attacked the basket against Pottsgrove, earning 26 free throws and converting six 3-pointers.

            Four days later, the Tribe suffered a 74-35 non-league loss to Southern Lehigh in its final home game of the season on Monday. Max Pristas finished with a game-high 24 points.

            The Indians couldn't contain senior forward Pristas, who exceeded his 15-points-per-game average midway through the second quarter.

            Pristas, 6'5, against whom the Tribe tried a box-and-one defense, triggered a 13-0 run with a 3-pointer from the right wing midway through the first quarter. Jonah Shaw added four points, including a basket on an offensive rebound just before the end of the period to put the Spartans ahead 20-5.

            Pristas finished the first quarter with 12 points and had 19 by halftime to help Southern Lehigh build a 36-18 advantage.

            "We have a tendency to allow the opposing team's best player to have a big game, and it's frustrating," DeCarolis said.

            According to the coach, the Indians are at their best when their defense is active. In three wins this season, they are allowing only 44 points per game. In the losses, the number increases to 60.  "That's a big difference," said DeCarolis, whose team concludes its season Thursday at Pottstown.

            The Indians shooters struggled from the field against Southern Lehigh. They converted less than 20 percent overall and less than 15 percent on 3-point attempts and earned just 12 foul shots.

            Sean Badea delivered a team-high 15 points – including nine in the second quarter – for the Tribe, which trailed 36-18 at halftime and 56-25 after three quarters. Dan Carpenter added nine points, while Brown contributed six.

            On Tuesday, the Tribe lost 63-49 on the road against Pope John Paul II. Owen Williams and Carpenter each delivered a team-high 16 points for the team, which never recovered from a 17-8 deficit at the end of the first quarter.