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By Andrew Robinson

Grace O’Neill wasn’t thinking about payback.

Revenge isn’t a valid motive, it’s an emotional response, so the Archbishop Carroll senior wasn’t thinking about the agonizing loss she and her team suffered last year in Archbishop Wood’s gym in the PCL semifinals. Well, maybe it did cross the Drexel recruit’s mind once or twice, but it was more the feeling of being on the other side as she and Brooke Wilson led a ferocious fourth-quarter charge.

This wasn’t vengeance, it was just a really good win over a really good team as the Patriots delivered an early haymaker to the PCL standings with their 44-38 win over the defending champion Vikings on Thursday night.

“Just being focused on this game was all we were trying to key in on,” O’Neill, who scored 18 points, said. “I know the feeling being, I think we were up two, so I know that feeling of seeing it slip away but that can’t be where you focus. Brooke did a great job finishing off her foul shots and that definitely helped us get the win.”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Josh Verlin

Springfield (Delco.) already had to replace two 1,000-point scorers coming into this season, with Alexa Abbonizio and Rachel Conran both beginning their college careers at West Chester. Then Ky McNichol’s program suffered a major blow in December, when junior Lexi Aaron went down in the Cougars’ game against Strath Haven, lost for the rest of the season to injury.

“When Lexi went down, it was really sad for the whole team,” McNichol said. “She’s a great kid, she’s a great leader for us.

“We actually all kind of put our heads down for a second,” fellow junior Mia Valerio said. 

Not just one of McNichols’ leaders, Aaron was also the Cougars’ primary offensive option, averaging around 13 ppg. 

(click on this link for the full story)

ACADEMY PARK 55, CHICHESTER 22 » Semaji Young led the defensive charge that powered the Knights to their second straight win.

Young had nine steals to go with 13 points and four assists as the Knights held the Eagles to 12 points over the final three quarters. Avianna Williams pitched in with nine points.

Boys Basketball

Delco Christian turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 66-54 victory over Valley Forge Military Academy.

The Knights outscored the Cadets, 15-5, in the final period to secure the win. Josh Parks led DC with a gamehigh 24 points. Lincoln Palmer added 14 points and Josh Dell’Arciprete chipped in with 10.

Dujwana Jones led Chi with nine points.

Nikki Mostardi and Mary O’Brien’s clutch free-throw shooting in overtime propelled Marple Newtown to a 52-48 Central League win at Garnet Valley.

The Tigers (9-2, 8-1) have won seven consecutive games.

Mostardi and O’Brien each made four shots from the charity stripe in OT. Haley Levy and Brooke Impriano, both of whom recorded double- doubles, each connected on 3-point baskets in the extra session.

Mostardi led the Tigers on offense with 16 points. Levy (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Impriano (13 points, 14 rebounds) also had big performances. O’Brien added nine points.

Garnet Valley sophomore Emily Olsen scored a game-high 24 points. Ava Possenti netted nine points for the Jaguars (8-6, 5-4).

In other Central League action:

SPRINGFIELD 41, CONESTOGA 35 »

Mia Valerio led a balanced effort by the Cougars, who maintained their grip on first place in the league. The junior guard ended with 10 points, two assists and two assists.

Kaitlyn Kearney scored 11 points and Taylor Hunyet added nine points. Hunyet drilled a 3 in to put the Cougars up seven with two minutes to go. Anabel Kreydt chipped in seven points and seven boards.

Kearney and Valerio made free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

RIDLEY 46, STRATH HAVEN 36 »

Peyton Berger connected on three 3-pointers and poured in 17 points for the Green Raiders, who led 1911 after the first quarter. Kailyn Bell, who also made a trio of treys, produced 12 points in the winning cause.

Rose Henry had nine points and Maryella Gill chipped in eight for the Panthers.

RADNOR 52, UPPER DARBY 40 » Paige Yurchak managed 15 points and six rebounds to pace the Raptors to victory on senior night. Yurchak did most of her scoring damage (13 points) in the second half.

Mary Sareen netted 12 points and Caroline Monahan added eight. Radnor’s 15-5 run in the third quarter proved to be the difference.

Aubrey Ennis led all Royals with 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. Alliyah Jean-Baptiste (10 rebounds, three steals) and Rachel Fitzpatrick scored six points apiece.

HAVERFORD 44, HARRITON 22 » Caroline Dotsey went for 18 points to lead the Fords, who held the host Rams to no more than six points in every quarter. Mollie Carpenter tossed in eight points and Maddie Williams finished with seven for Haverford.

PENNCREST 46, LOWER MERION 27 » Bailey Garrison scored 12 points and Alex Bruce had nine for the Lions.

In the Inter-Ac League:

PENN CHARTER 59, NOTRE DAME 45 » The top two teams in the Inter-Ac battled in the first of two regular season meetings.

The Irish (10-3) trailed 20-12 after the first period and could never close the gap. All-Delco guard Maeve McErlane netted a team high 15 points and Julia Dever, who stuck three 3-pointers, contributed 12 points.

Bella Toomey posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Quakers. Aleah Snead managed 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

The Haverford High boys basketball team has had a flair for the dramatic this season. The Fords kept the late-game magic going Wednesday evening.

JR Newman’s layup with three seconds to play lifted Haverford to a 38-36 Central League win over Harriton.

Newman led the way with a game-high 17 points. Nick Colucci added 10 points for the Fords.

RADNOR 56, UPPER DARBY 42 » Cooper Mueller had 15 of his game-high 20 points in the second half as the Raptors (13-0) extended their undefeated streak. Jackson Hicke recorded 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Danny Rosenblum and Cliff Smith added eight points apiece.

Niymire Brown had 11 of his team-high 17 points in the first quarter for the Royals. Moussa Sore and Nadir Myers contributed 11 points each.

By Jack McCaffery

The season flipping to a serious point, Sun Valley basketball coach Steve Maloney had an idea of what to expect from West Chester Rustin Tuesday night.

He also had a solution: Wait it out.

What the Vanguards braced for, and what they would see, was the latest in a recent series of gimmick defenses against Chris Kwaidah, the smooth-shooting junior guard. So it would be, a box-and-one, played well enough to keep the Golden Knights competitive in a critical Ches-Mont American game.

What Sun Valley eventually enjoyed as a reward for its patience was two second-half three-pointers and a 6-for-6, never-hit-the-rim fourth-quarter foul-line display from Kwaidah to seal a 66-57 victory likely to have an impact on the District 1 Class 5A power ratings.

“He’s a game-changer,” Maloney said. “This is two games in a row that teams went to a box on us. We were able to push the basketball and get him a look. It was a momentum swing when he hit a three from the corner, and his three out of an inbounds play, and his free throws.

(click on this link for the full story)

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By Rob Rose

When Jim Larrañaga first watched Isaiah Wong while recruiting him he recalled seeing a skinny kid that could score the ball and loved playing basketball.

The University of Miami head coach needed to add a guard that could put up points with a pair of key players headed to the NBA at that time, and envisioned Wong working his way into a leader for the program.

While Wong’s talent was always evident, Larrañaga credits the Bonner-Prendie graduate’s work ethic for why in 75 games the 6-foot, 3-inch guard is 28 points away from reaching 1,000 points at Miami halfway through his third season and looks on the way to an NBA career of his own.

“I don’t think you can ever under-estimate the amount of passion that someone has for the game,” Larrañaga said.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

As she lay on the court writhing in pain, Bridie McCann had the worst thoughts in mind.

She wondered how bad her knee was injured, or if she would be able to walk off the floor under her own power.

“I was scared,” McCann said after the Pandas’ 63-45 loss to St. Hubert. “I had to take a few breaths.”

After a few minutes, with help from her coaches and training staff, McCann hobbled off the court. All St. Hubert players in the game at the time — this was midway through the fourth quarter — came over to wish her well.

With a minute left in the game, McCann walked gingerly back to the Bonner-Prendie bench. The heart and soul of the Pandas, McCann would be OK.

(click on this link for the full story and more game scores)

It took a little time, but once Delco Christian got its shooting touch dialed in, there was no stopping the Knights.

Josh Dell’Arciprete hit four 3-pointers on the way to 17 points, and the Knights connected on 10 3-pointers in a 74-56 win over Calvary Christian Academy Tuesday night.

Delco Christian (5-4, 4-2 Bicentennial League) pulled away via a 25-11 margin in the third quarter.

Lincoln Palmer scored 14 points. Jace Kees hit three triples for 12 points. Beau Lyren added 12 points.

In the Inter-Ac League:

SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL 78, EPISCOPAL ACADEMY 72 » Kevin McCarthy hit six 3-pointers and was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, but it wasn’t enough for the Churchmen.

McCarthy hit three triples in the third quarter to stake EA to a 34-28 edge at halftime.

But a 21-10 margin in the third quarter put SCHA in control. TJ Lamb added 19 points for EA, including 13 in the fourth quarter.

GERMANTOWN ACADEMY 46, HAVERFORD SCHOOL 44 » Dave Kearney scored 13 points and Billy Rayer hit three 3-pointers to get to 11 points, but the Fords came up just short on the road. Dan Springman added 10 points for Haverford School.

Sharing was caring for Academy Park Tuesday night. It also proved to be a winning strategy.

Jade Wilson led the scoring parade with nine points as Academy Park made quick work of Interboro, 42-21, in a Del Val League game.

Nine Knights scored. Emani Banks chipped in eight points. Halayjah Solis-Morgan added six points. Defense was the real key: AP outscored Interboro, 20-0, in the first quarter and limited the Bucs to two first-half points.

Grace Bright led Interboro with eight points.

Also in the Del Val League:

PENNWOOD 47, CHICHESTER 30 » Laila Johnson led the Patriots with 15 points, and Ani Roscoe chipped in 14. Penn Wood limited to Chi to 12 second- half points to pull away.

Dujwana Jones led Chichester with 13 points. Maiah Madison chipped in nine.

In nonleague action:

CHESTER 54, WEST PHILADELPHIA 11 » Ja’Mya Muhammad led the way with a seasonhigh 18 points plus six rebounds, five assists and five steals. Shyne Hall chipped in 12 points.

Taliyah Smith was also in double figures with 11 points plus five assists for the Clippers, while Ta’Nijah Bost (nine points, seven rebounds) also challenged for a double-double.