Month: January 2020

By Mike Mayer, Delcohoops.com

It was expected that the best strategy for Chichester to stay with Chester was to match their speed when playing defense but slow the game down when the Eagles had the ball.  Not exactly.  Chi decided that running with the Clippers was their best chance to beat a surging power house.  The game seemed more like a track meet than a basketball game. The action was sometimes so quick that Delcohoops Play-by-play announcer, Dave Burman, wouldn’t have a chance to write down a basket before possession changed and another basket was scored.

The play was so fast and furious that our box score shows over 30 turnovers (14 for Chi and 16 for the Clippers).  Players were running so hard down the court that simple lay-ups were missed as the shooter miscalculated his speed when approaching the rim. Although Chester was always in control of the score and was never threatened with a loss, the pace of the game was maintained by both teams through out the game.

Chi found itself in trouble in the third quarter when Chester decided to execute a punishing full-court press which resulted in numerous Chi turnovers and several baskets for Chester.  As the score separation increased to 25 points the Clippers backed-off of the full-court press and both teams began mass substitutions to give their respective bench players some varsity court time.  However, even the substitutes coming into the game kept up the pace of the game with great speed and aggressive play.

Karell Watkins continued his recent tear, scoring 15 of his 32 points in the third quarter and adding 14 rebounds in another douible-double performance for Chester (15-3, 7-0). Zahmir Carroll (12 points), Fareed Burton (11) and Akeem Taylor (10) joined Watkins in double-figures.

Josh Hankins led Chichester (8-10, 2-4) with 14 points, and Jasir Shaw chipped in 11 and Andrew Monroe with 10 as Chi’s three-game winning streak ended.

Webmaster’s note: Missed the game? Listen to the entire game on our archive file listed below. Go to our Broadcast Archives page for all game archives.

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By Andrew Hayn & Josh Verlin 

When thinking of Conestoga’s season up to this point, one word comes to mind: streaky. The Pioneers, who only returned one player with varsity minutes last season –– senior Connor Steele –– started off the season with a win, followed by a six-game losing streak. The young squad then benefitted from the turn of the new year, as they won seven of the next eight, including a five-game winning streak within the Central League in January.

Mike Troy, head coach for Conestoga, complimented his young group for maturing throughout the season, though they’d lost three of four headed into Thursday night’s Central League matchup at Ridley.

“You know, you look at some of our early games and our youth really showed,” Troy admitted. “When your top seven guys all graduate…we’re a good team, there’s a difference between being a good team and an experienced, varsity team. So we learned a lot of tough lessons early in the year, and hopefully now they’re coming into fruition.”

Webmaster’s note: The Central League Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball Championships on February 11th will be audio broadcast LIVE right here on Delcohoops.com! 

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matthew DeGeorge

It’s a rare night in the Central League that features intrigue at both ends of the standings, but Thursday delivered.

Garnet Valley walloped Lower Merion, 77-32, to claim the regular-season title, and Springfield bested Marple Newtown, 66-57, to end to a 44-game losing streak.

First, the pinnacle of the Central League, where Garnet Valley (18-1, 14-1 Central) ran out to 24-8 lead after one quarter and 51-10 at half to avenge its only loss of the season and clinch its first Central League crown.

The Jaguars hit 14 3-pointers on the night. Chris Coyne led the onslaught with a career-high 18 points. Neel Beniwal supplied all 16 of his points in the first half. Valantis Apstolopoulos added 14 points, and Carl Schaller made the operation run with nine points and 10 assists.

Also in the Central League:

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

By Mitchell Gladstone

Garnet Valley had gone more than three years without a win against Lower Merion. Six games, six losses, including a 13-point defeat on the Aces’ home floor more than a month ago.

But with a Central League regular-season title for the taking, the Jaguars put that streak to bed and did so with a performance that will undoubtedly grab the attention of everyone in District 1.

Garnet Valley smashed Lower Merion 77-32 Thursday at home, starting out the night on fire and never cooling off in winnings its first-ever Central League regular-season crown. The Jags led by 16 at the end of the first quarter and extended their lead to 51-10 by halftime, knocking down nine of their 17 3-point attempts before intermission.

Four different Garnet Valley players put up double-figure points, led by senior Chris Coyne’s game-high 18, and although the Jaguars knew the crown was theirs almost from the get-go, there was still plenty to celebrate afterward.

Webmaster’s note: The Central League Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball Championships on February 11th will be audio broadcast LIVE right here on Delcohoops.com! 

(click on this link for the full story)

By Mitchell Gladstone

Matt Shuler often gets a relatively straightforward task from coach Chris Conlan: shut down the other team’s best offensive player. 

It’s something that Shuler does well. As a cornerback for Strath Haven, he’s used to going up against a wideout 1-on-1, with the sole objective of ensuring his man can’t make a play.

But according to Conlan, Shuler’s offensive game on the hardwood is still a work in progress.

You just wouldn’t have known that by watching Tuesday night.

With a pair of offensive outbursts in the second and fourth quarters, Shuler racked up 16 of his 19 points to lead the Panthers to a vital 55-46 win against Marple Newtown. Strath Haven, which entered the night looking to at least stay in a tie for one of the final Central League playoff spots, closed things out by shooting 12-for-17 from the charity stripe in the final eight minutes. 

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matthew DeGeorge

The Chester locker room wasn’t the happiest of places at halftime Tuesday evening. But any displeasure carried a substantial caveat.

Yes, Chester had shot barely north of 30 percent in the first half. Yes, it had frittered away 11 turnovers against an Academy Park team that hadn’t even thrown its best full-court pressure the Clippers’ way. And yes, the Clippers’ three starting guards had as many points as fouls (six) in allowing the Knights to grab a four-point intermission edge.

But the Clippers have proven to themselves this season that they are capable of more than they showed in the first 16 minutes Tuesday. And in the second half, particularly one scorching stretch of it, they proved it to AP as well.

Chester unleashed a hellacious run after the break, scoring 48 points in 10 minutes, 34 seconds to turn a deficit that was as large as seven into an 82-56 victory to clinch the Del Val League title.

Chester (14-3) has won all six of its Del Val contests. With AP (12-6, 4-3) and Penn Wood carrying three losses each in the league, Chester can’t be passed, since the five-team conference plays only eight games in its first season without Glen Mills.

Webmaster’s note: Tomorrow, January 30th, Chichester visits Chester for our Game-of-the-Week broadcast. Our broadcast begins at 7:15 PM.

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

By Matthew DeGeorge

A 10-point deficit after one quarter left Sun Valley undaunted Tuesday.

Billy Fisher hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left as the Vanguards came from behind to top Kennett, 41-40.

Fisher (12 points) and Dom Valente (14 points) hit three 3-pointers each. Nick Giannakopoulos added eight points for Sun Valley.

In the Central League:

Haverford 38, Conestoga 36 >> Sean Reynolds’ only points of the game were a tip-in at the buzzer as the Fords (10-8, 6-7) scored a thrilling win on the road.

John Seidman led the way with 11 points. Nick Colucci scored a season-high 10, and Hunter Krazia added eight.

Strath Haven 55, Marple Newtown 46 >> Matt Shuler scored 19 points, and Luke Edwards added six of his 11 in the fourth quarter as the Panthers (12-6, 7-6) won for a third straight outing.

Eric McKee led Marple Newtown with 16 points. Mike Tansey added 12 and Ben Davis chipped in 10 for the Tigers, who hit nine 3-pointers.

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

By Matthew DeGeorge

For the first 80 percent of the fourth quarter and the first half of overtime Monday night, it would’ve been easy to confuse which team held which pedigree at Cardinal O’Hara High School.

The team that went nearly seven minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter, that bricked three of four free throws to start overtime – surely that had to be the nine-win team last year. And the team that made clutch shots, leading by six with 1:28 to play in regulation and by four in overtime, wasn’t that the team that made a state final last year?

The roles were temporarily reversed Monday. And if not for a couple of veteran moments provided by Malik Edwards and Connor Eagan, it might have finished that way.

Instead, Edwards, the Bonner-Prendergast junior guard, scored seven points in the final 70 seconds of regulation, then Eagan provided both a knockdown 3-pointer to put Bonner up for good and a block to keep them up in a thrilling, 66-64 overtime win before a raucous, packed house at O’Hara.

Edwards stepped to the fore first. Bonner (13-4, 8-2 Catholic League) had led by as many as 15 points in the first half, including a 16-2 margin after one quarter. But it found itself down six points with less than two minutes to play in regulation, thanks to going 6:51 without a field goal to start the final quarter, leading to a 17-4 O’Hara run.

Webmaster’s note: Missed the game? Listen to the entire game on our archive file listed below. Go to our Broadcast Archives page for all game archives. Matthew DeGeorge was our halftime guest (59:10) and #3 Malik Edwards was our post game interview (2:12:40).

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

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By Josh Verlin

Connor Eagan grew up a huge fan of Monsignor Bonner basketball.

The son of former Bonner hooper Tom Eagan remembers watching Friars’ games from the time he was “five or six” years old, going to the Palestra to serve as water boy during Bonner’s 2008 Catholic League semifinals appearance. Ever since then, he’d dreamed of one day donning the Friars uniform, to follow in his dad’s footsteps and play for the school he’d been cheering for from his early years. 

A dozen years later, Eagan’s finally getting his chance. 

Now a senior at the school now called Bonner-Prendergast, Eagan has finally gotten his time on the varsity squad. And there’s no bigger regular-season game on the Friars’ schedule than their annual Delco date with Cardinal O’Hara, whose latest iteration came by Monday night.

“I’ve been watching this game since I was five years old,” Eagan said, “always rooting for Bonner.”

Webmaster’s note: Missed the game? Listen to the entire game on our archive file listed below. Go to our Broadcast Archives page for all game archives. Matthew DeGeorge was our halftime guest (59:10) and #3 Malik Edwards was our post game interview (2:12:40).

(click on this link for the full story)

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By Matthew DeGeorge

Darryl Reynolds couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.

Not when his agent texted him with what he hoped was a hoax. Not when the Villanova basketball team, for which Reynolds won a national title in 2016 and is the director of basketball operations, went their separate ways on an off day Sunday. Not as he and his family descended with dozens of mourners on Lower Merion High School to pay their respects to the player for whom the gymnasium is named.

“It’s the last thing we thought that we would be here for today,” Reynolds said. “… It doesn’t feel real.”

Though Reynolds was closer than most to the epicenter of the legend of Kobe Bryant, he felt the same shock as was reverberating throughout the sports world Sunday at news of the basketball player’s death, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in Southern California.

Bryant was in many ways a colossal figure, his one-named moniker often invoked far from its flesh-and-blood context. The last tweet he sent Saturday night congratulating LeBron James for passing him for third on the all-time NBA scoring list, in Philadelphia no less with James wearing “Mamba 4 Life” on his sneakers, spoke to the idea of Kobe, the 17-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion.

(click on this link for the full story)