Month: January 2025

Haverford senior Rian Dotsey reached the 1,000-point milestone during the Fords’ 49-33 win over Springfield late Tuesday.

The All-Delco forward and Saint Joseph’s commit finished with a career-high 32 points against the Cougars. She got her 1,000th on a turnaround jumper with three minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Dotsey became the 11th player in Haverford girls basketball history to score 1,000 points, joining her sister Caroline, who accomplished the feat in December 2022.

Dotsey knocked down 11 field goals, including two from beyond the arc, while shooting 8-for-13 from the line. Her performance powered the reigning Central League champions to their 10th win of the season.

In the Del Val League:

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By Dan Arkans

The Chester Charter Academy boys basketball team isn’t about making statements yet.

The Sabers are just trying to mesh as a group and bring a city-type energy to the Bicentennial Athletic League.

As far as statements go though Chester Charter made a big one on Wednesday night with a 62-56 win over Dock that put an end to the Pioneers’ BAL win streak at 52 games.

“I was at Math, Civics and Sciences for 19 years,” said Sabers head coach Lonnie Diggs. “We are used to playing in big games, winning big games. We are trying to bring that same winning culture here. I want to get it to the point like these are the wins we are supposed to get.”

(click on this link for the full article)

Ja’Mya Muhammad scored 19 points and Imani Dorsey chipped in 10 as Chester High edged Academy Park, 45-42, in a Del Val League girls basketball showdown Tuesday night.

Muhammad was 5-for-6 at the foul line, including two free throws with 2:15 remaining to extend the Clippers’ lead to four.

Kiala Bright paced the Knights with 19 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Alaysia Kinlaw finished with nine points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the loss.

In the Catholic League:

Cardinal O’Hara 57, Nazareth Academy 40 >> BrigidAnne Donohue poured in 21 points for the Lions. Molly Rullo, the reigning Daily Times Player of the Year, finished with 19.

Archbishop Carroll 66, St. Hubert 16 >> Alex Eberz registered 24 points and four steals as the Patriots (8-6, 4-0) led 21-3 after the first period.

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By Matt Smith

The potential for star sophomores Riley Davis and Grace Nasr at the Academy of Notre Dame appears to be limitless.

Together they have powered the Irish to a 17-1 record, including a lopsided 57-30 victory over Agnes Irwin in an Inter-Ac League matchup Tuesday.

Davis, a versatile guard, and Nasr, a smooth power forward/center, have been the driving forces behind a team with goals of winning the Inter-Ac title outright – after sharing it in a three-way tie last year – and making a deep run in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) championship, the state tournament for non-PIAA schools like Notre Dame.

Davis and Nasr have developed chemistry, beginning with their days as teammates on the AAU Comets’ eighth-grade team, and are playing with a maturity that belies their age on a young Irish squad that features only two seniors in co-captains Catie Kelly and Sophie Hall.

(click on this link for the full article, subscription may be required)

Ja’Mya Muhammad scored 19 points and Imani Dorsey chipped in 10 as Chester High edged Academy Park, 45-42, in a Del Val League girls basketball showdown Tuesday night.

Muhammad was 5-for-6 at the foul line, including two free throws with 2:15 remaining to extend the Clippers’ lead to four.

Kiala Bright paced the Knights with 19 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Alaysia Kinlaw finished with nine points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the loss.

In the Catholic League:

Cardinal O’Hara 57, Nazareth Academy 40 >> BrigidAnne Donohue poured in 21 points for the Lions. Molly Rullo, the reigning Daily Times Player of the Year, finished with 19.

Archbishop Carroll 66, St. Hubert 16 >> Alex Eberz registered 24 points and four steals as the Patriots (8-6, 4-0) led 21-3 after the first period.

(click on this link for more game stories and scores subscription may be required)

By Josh Verlin

The area’s high school league conference races are in full swing, so we’re taking a look around the Delaware Valley’s various high school basketball leagues to see where things stand at the moment and what games will determine regular-season champions and postseason spots down the stretch. 

Read ahead for the Central League update.

Girls: Midway through the league slate, there are three front-runners as expected: Conestoga (7-1), Garnet Valley (7-1) and Haverford (6-1) are all at the top, the three 6A schools also the three squads with committed Division I players. In their first meetings, Haverford beat Garnet but lost to Conestoga, who lost to Garnet. Both ‘Stoga and Haverford High have also beaten Radnor (5-2), the only two loss team, which plays Garnet Valley at home on Jan. 21. 

Boys: There’s only one unbeaten team left in all of District 1, and it’s Penncrest. The Lions are 13-0 (8-0) heading into the back half of the league slate, having already beaten the three teams behind them in Conestoga, Garnet Valley and Springfield (Delco.), all 6-2. The top half of the league is really strong, with Lower Merion and Marple Newtown currently tied for fifth at 5-3; Haverford (3-4) is alone behind them, but the Fords haven’t beaten anybody ahead of them in the standings and face an uphill battle against six quality teams to qualify for the postseason. 

(click on this link for the full article and for links to other League synopsis)

By Matthew DeGeorge

Clashes in style may create intrigue in boxing, as the adage goes. But on the basketball court at Chester Charter Scholars Academy Monday night, there were only slight differences in approach to be found between the Sabers and Delco Christian.

Both teams want to move fast. When that doesn’t work, they try moving even faster.

“To be honest, this game was really fun and really interesting to play, because a lot of teams want to slow it down early,” Delco Christian point guard Khamai Orange said. “But I think this helped us even more, because we were able to play as fast as we can. When they speed up, we’re going to get sped up. So making the game faster just helps us.”

Orange might have had fun even if he hadn’t scored 35 points in leading Delco Christian to an 85-75 win in a battle of teams that entered unbeaten in the Bicentennial League. But the win to move the Knights to 11-1 on the year adds a little extra to a speedy day on the hardwood.

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By Matt Smith

The future looks bright on the court for Strath Haven freshmen twins Kenzie and Maddie Fanning, who are making a name for themselves in multiple sports.

After playing pivotal roles in the soccer team’s run to the PIAA Class 3A championship this fall – Maddie recorded a hat trick in the state quarterfinals – the duo has seamlessly transitioned to basketball, becoming integral members to coach Brandi Johnson’s squad.

“I call them Thing 1 and Thing 2,” Johnson said with a smile. “They have an engine that can’t be taught.”

Maddie shined in the Panthers’ 43-30 win over Ridley Saturday, leading all scorers with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field. Running the point, she also topped every player in assists (three) and steals (seven).

Kenzie, coming off the bench, made her presence felt on the defensive end with two steals and set up one of Maddie’s buckets in the first quarter.

“We’re each other’s biggest fans, and we always keep each other up,” Kenzie said.

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By Owen McCue

Megan Ngo and Emilia Coleman have been teaming up together since third grade.

There was travel ball for Fencor in Fort Washington, and CYO hoops for Saint Alphonsus in Maple Glen. More recently the two have played together in the summer for the Comets Girls Basketball Club.

Coleman arrived at Upper Dublin this year after spending her first two years of high school at Gwynedd Mercy Academy, and she and Ngo are playing together at the high school level for the first time this winter. The years of chemistry are paying off.

The junior duo combined for 17 fourth-quarter points in Sunday’s 50-44 comeback win over Cardinal O’Hara to give the Cardinals another marquee victory to start the new year.

“Having that history has been really good,” Coleman said. “We both know how we both like to play, and we both have a high IQ, so I think we’re able to read each other and we know where we’re going to be and how to get the ball there.”

(click on this link for the full article)

By Andrew Robinson

It’s been a common occurrence in recent years.

Kayla Eberz and Faith Watson have faced off against each other on a basketball court more times than either freshman could count but their matchup on Sunday was one both could take plenty of positives from. Eberz, off to a stellar start at Archbishop Carroll, and Watson, who has picked up her play lately on a deep Friends Central team, were both efficient and effective as their teams met at the CoBL Girls’ Winter Classic.

Thanks to 30 points from Eberz, it was Carroll topping Watson and her 20-point, 11-rebound double-double in a very competitive 60-57 game.

“We’ve played her so many times and she’s gotten so much better,” Eberz said. “It definitely motivates you. You get, not angry, but you’re telling yourself ‘let’s go, you have to bring it.’”

(click on this link for the full article)