By Matt Smith
Freshmen Kayden Barrata and Riley Ford-Bey couldn’t say for certain the last time a Phoenixville girls basketball team won a District 1 tournament game.
“It’s been a long time,” Barrata said.
It had been at least 15 years. Despite its dubious streak of postseason misfortune, No. 11 Phoenixville walked into sixth-seeded Radnor feeling pretty good about its chances.
“We believed we could do it,” Ford-Bey said.
With Ford-Bey and Maliyah Warren taking care of the low post against a smaller Radnor team, and Barrata delivering several clutch baskets, the Phantoms indeed pulled off the upset and ended their lengthy playoff drought.
With their 46-37 victory, the Phantoms (14-9) advanced to the quarterfinal round of the District 1 Class 5A playoffs. They will play No. 3 Villa Maria (21-3), which is the Catholic Academic League champion.