Upper Dublin’s Ryan Mulroy celebrates with fans Wednesday night after beating Penncrest in the District 1 Class 5A quarterfinals. (Photo: Andrew Robinson/CoBL)
By Andrew Robinson
In the span of about 85 feet, Ryan Mulroy felt all of it.
The doubt, the statements that Upper Dublin boys basketball was still at best a year away, the emotions of back-to-back first-round playoff losses — all of it and more raced through his head as he poked the ball free for a steal and made like a rocket down the floor. What’s been a special year for the Cardinals needed a special moment, so Mulroy delivered it Wednesday night by soaring high and throwing down a thunderous dunk to seal a state playoff bid.
Mulroy might’ve stayed on the court all night — the fans certainly wanted him to — but he and UD had a celebration to get to as the No. 2 Cardinals earned their way past No. 10 Penncrest 44-30 in the District 1 Class 5A quarterfinals.
“That was probably one of the first dunks I’ve had all year,” Mulroy said. “Last year I had more dunks, but to have that one going downhill at the end of the game to win a district playoff game here, with our crowd, it was just so cool.