Delcohoops.com

By Zach Drapkin

Coming into Conestoga on Monday night, Upper Darby’s situation was simple: win, or you’re out of the Central League playoffs.

No pressure, right?

Actually, that’s exactly what Royals head coach Bob Miller told his team.

“Believe it or not, I told them tonight that the pressure is on Conestoga,” Miller said. “I told my guys just play loose because we’ve got nothing to lose tonight. It seemed to work.”

Upper Darby marched into Conestoga’s gym and executed the fast-paced, loose style of basketball Miller wanted to see, thoroughly outplaying the Pioneers for a 52-39 victory.

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By PAPrepLive

Danny Roe scored 20 points Monday, including a critical late 3-pointer, lifting Haverford to a come-from-behind, 63-62 victory over Garnet Valley to introduce a little chaos into the Central League standings.

Roe drained four 3-point shots. J.T. Smyth added 17 points, including three 3-pointers. The Fords (8-12, 6-9) made 11 3-pointers and outscored the Jags, 22-14, in the fourth quarter. Garnet Valley shot 1-for-4 from the line in the final eight minutes.

Austin Laughlin tabbed 34 points for Garnet Valley, which fell to 16-6, 10-5 in the Central League and a three-way tie for third place with Upper Darby and Conestoga. The Jags play Conestoga Wednesday.

Greg Vlassopoulos added 14 points, and Cade Brennan provided 11 for Garnet Valley.

Also in the Central League:

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By Michael Bullock

Appearing below are all six of our top 10s, with PIAA district and this season’s record displayed in parentheses. Only those schools competing for PIAA state championships are eligible for ranking purposes.

CITY OF BASKETBALL LOVE STATE BASKETBALL RANKINGS

(records through games of Feb. 4/OW-others to watch/NR-not ranked)

By Matthew DeGeorge

A day after clinching a share of a first Inter-Ac title in 19 years, there was no hangover for Haverford School, which used 23 Christian Ray points to steamroll Peddie School, 75-54, in nonleague action.

Kharon Randolph scored 17 points, and Nasir Smith and Gavin Burke contributed 10 apiece for the Fords (18-5). Haverford flashed its roster depth barely 12 hours after routing Malvern Prep, 83-58, Friday to move to 8-0 in the Inter-Ac.

In the Ches-Mont league:

Sun Valley 74, W.C. Henderson 61 >> Vinny DeAngelo scored a game-high 25 points, and Isaac Kennon followed him with 20 as the Vanguards won their third straight game. Shahir Brown-Morris added 11 points for Sun Valley (13-6).

In nonleague action:

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

By Matthew DeGeorge

There are two high school programs in Chester once again this season, and both prominently bear the name Taylor.

Keith Taylor is in his first season as the head coach of his alma mater, Chester High, which clinched at least a share of a Del Val title Thursday night with its 12th consecutive win. Taylor’s nephew, Akeem, is the leading scorer at Chester Charter School for the Arts, which in its first season of PIAA competition has a chance of qualifying for the District 1 Class A playoffs with an 8-12 record and two games left.

Both say that the prospects of those two uniting at Chester High, though, is slim.

“It was crazy,” Akeem said after a win over Interboro Jan. 27. “A lot of people expected me to go there, but I decided to stay here.”

Akeem, a sophomore guard who is averaging more than 20 points per game this season, was drawn to the challenge at CCSA, part of the first generation of players on the Sabers team. The program, which played as an independent outside the PIAA last year, has grown from the elementary ranks up. As such, coach Donnie Dodds’ roster has no seniors this season, relying on the cohort of underclassmen that has grown up with the school.

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By Matthew DeGeorge

Chester had the ball, down two, but still with a chance to keep its winning streak alive.

It was not meant to be.

A turnover by the Clippers led to a breakaway dunk by West Chester Rustin’s Jake Nelson that sealed a 64-58 win by the Knights that brought Chester’s 13-game winning streak to an end. It was Chester’s first loss since a 58-47 setback to Penncrest Dec. 30.

Brice Barrouk tallied seven of his 13 points in the third quarter and Brice Pew had five of his seven in the frame to help Rustin open up a 51-43 lead. The Clippers (14-6) fought back to make it a see-saw battle in the fourth quarter before Nelson’s dunk sealed it for the Knights. Nelson finished with 19 points.

Brian Randolph scored 19 points and Michale Smith added 16 to lead Chester.

In other nonleague action:

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)