Strath Haven coach Tom Dougherty didn't take too kindly to a reported assertion that his team's exit from a local holiday tournament caused it to fold up shop for the year.

In an article that appeared in Tuesday's editions of the Bucks County Courier Times, Strath Haven is implicated as a reason for Bensalem backing out of hosting its annual holiday tournament. According to Dougherty, he told Bensalem coach John Mullin during the summer basketball season that the Panthers would not be participating.

"I told him a couple times during the summer season," Dougherty said Tuesday at Ridley, where Strath Haven dropped a Central League game. "I made it very clear that we weren't going to be a part of it this year. (Mullin) wasn't even sure the place would be ready by then."

Bensalem, which had played its games at Neil Armstrong Middle School, built a $15 million facility on its campus. Because of woes with the clocks and lighting, it was unknown whether the facility would be good-to-go for its season opener or the Dick Dougherty Tournament in the days following Christmas. So Strath Haven and Nazareth Area bowed out.

In no way did Mullin take a jab at either Strath Haven or Nazareth Area, but he did list both schools as primary reasons for the Owls throwing in the towel on their yearly tournament.

"We're going to be in the Downingtown West tournament this year," Dougherty said. "We won the (Bensalem) tournament two years ago by beating them, and we beat them last year. So we're just trying to spread it out."

You can read more about the Bensalem gym and its abandoned holiday tournament here.