Springfield coach Kevin McCormick assures that, during a two-game stretch earlier this year, his team shot less than 25 percent from the field.

Based on what I saw Friday night, I find this hard to believe.

The Cougars shot 25-for-52 in a blowout win over Marple Newtown, a 64-46 decision that left things a little more dicey in the Central League standings ... assuming one team (Upper Darby) doesn't finish the season unbeaten.

Springfield was spot-on from the floor against Marple Newtown. The Cougars made seven consecutive shots to start the second half, rolling to a huge lead.

And they got contributions from everyone. Brendan McNamee picked clean the offensive glass, going for five of his 10 boards on the scoring end. That led to easy buckets. Outlet passes from Steve Baker and Dave Carpenter made things easy for wingers Adam Washington and Zack DeVito.

That explains the 48-percent shooting night had by Springfield. It doesn't explain how McCormick's crew could possibly have had 25-percent shooting nights in the past.

"It's a work in progress," McCormick explained afterward.

Well, everything looked A-OK from my vantage point.

If you stopped out to Acme last night - or decided to stay in and avoid the apocalyptic-type snow that was forecast - you probably missed this one.

It was a doozy.

Springfield knocked off Penncrest, 57-48, Friday in a night game-turned-matinee in the Cougars' home gym. Snow kept the game, part of the Central League's Coaches v. Cancer fundraiser, from being played after dark, but it couldn't keep the Cougars from pulling the upset.

With the win, Springfield (15-6, 11-4) locked up a spot in next week's Central League championship tournament. Also, the Cougars have won 11 of their last 12, after dropping five in a row from Dec. 22 to Jan. 5.

Senior forward Wally Rutecki, pictured, had the big game for the Cougars, with 22 points and eight rebounds. Brendan McNamee and Zack DeVito tossed in 18 and 11, respectively, for the victors.

How bad did things get for visiting Penncrest (18-3, 12-3)? The Lions trailed, 24-13, at halftime and 41-21 entering the fourth quarter. Andrew Radomicki scored 22 for Penncrest.