Ben DeBalko sets Oley Valley record with torrid shooting display
2023 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Ben DeBalko saw his streak of 33 straight games with a 3-pointer end earlier this week.
The Oley Valley junior started a new streak Saturday, and in a big way.
DeBalko set an Oley Valley record with nine 3-pointers and scored a career-high 29 points as the Lynx defeated Pequea Valley 71-61 in a non-league game at Oley.
DeBalko hit eight 3-pointers and scored 24 points in the first half, leading the Lynx (8-8) to a 40-24 halftime lead. He was scoreless in the third quarter before hitting his final 3-pointer and scoring five points in the fourth quarter.
DeBalko was good on 9-of-13 shots from 3-point range; his missed his only two shots from within the arc. He made both his free throw attempts.
The nine 3’s smashed the program record of six, which DeBallko shared with Rob Mosser (1988-89) and Tom Hoshall (1993-94). DeBalko hit six 3’s last season against Upper Perkiomen.
DeBalko fell just one 3-pointer short of the league record of 10, shared by Reading High’s Myles Grey (2021-22), Tulpehocken’s Charlie Copp (1997-98) and Conrad Weiser’s John Richardson (1997-98).
Ryan Vanderboegh of High Point owns the county record of 11, against Lebanon Christian in 2002-03.
DeBalko led the Berks Conference with 65 3-pointers in 26 games as a sophomore.
He’s leading the league again this season with 48 in 16 games. He’s closing in on the program career record of 162, set by Joe Murphy (2001-05). DeBalko has 120.
Johnny Turchi scored 16 points and David Turchi had 13 as Oley Valley snapped its two-game losing streak. Pequea Valley fell to 6-8.
DeBalko’s previous career-high was 25 points earlier this season against Upper Perkiomen. He leads the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game. He scored just three points in his previous two games, against Schuylkill Valley and Wyomissing.
