By Matt Smith
Shyne Hall heard the calls from her Chester coaches all night.
“I didn’t know what was going on with her for a minute,” coach Marvin Dukes said. “I just said to her, ‘Keep shooting, keep playing.”’
If the Clippers wanted to leave Interboro with a victory Tuesday evening, they needed their junior shooting guard to do what she does best. Dukes’ positive reinforcement only underscored what Hall already knew.
It was her time … to Shyne.
“In the locker room at halftime, I said that in this half I’m going to go off,” Hall said. “I knew I had to make my shots and I knew we had to play better.”
Hall hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter to spark a big second-half run by the Clippers. Hall led all players with 20 points as Chester won its first Del Val League game of the season, 53-40 over Interboro.
Hall scored 13 points after halftime and junior forward Ja’Mya Muhammad tallied 11 of her 16 points during that span. Meanwhile, Chester’s defense pressed the Bucs the majority of the half, causing 14 turnovers in the final 16 minutes of regulation. Chester outscored Interboro after halftime, 33-17.
“I look for keeping the ball out of middle … and not giving up once the ball came across half court,” Dukes said. “That’s where most of the turnovers came from. They tried to advance the ball, but we got a lot of steals in the middle, things like that. … For us, it’s about making the all-out effort on defense and then making them pay on the (offensive) end. We were able to do more of that in the second half.”
Interboro was in foul trouble from the word go. With 25 calls against the Bucs, the Clippers lived at the free-throw line in the second half. Chester did not put on a clinic by any means (13-for-30), but the constant whistles seemed to take the proverbial breath out of the Bucs. They would attempt only eight shots from the charity stripe in the half.
“No matter what it’s very important to keep our energy up, keep our motivation up so that we can succeed and keep going,” said Muhammad, who had 16 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists.
Dukes hopes the youthful Clippers (4-8,1-2) are beginning to hit their stride. After snapping their six-game losing streak last week, they have won back to back games for the first time this season. And they are pushing forward without a deep bench. The Clippers had only seven players available Tuesday. It’s on the starting five — Hall, Muhammad, Zaniahe Grandberry, Imani Dorsey and Zay’Yonna Clark — to carry the entire team.
The freshman Dorsey is the Clippers’ point guard. She showed her potential in flashes Tuesday. She can dribble, drive and pull up and shoot. Although foul shooting proved to be a challenge (5-for-17), Dorsey made her impact elsewhere on the floor. She finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists and six steals.
The future is bright for Chester girls basketball.
“I have one more year … and I hope that while I’m still here, we can win the Del Val,” Hall said. “That’s one of the main things I have wanted to do during my time here.”
For the Bucs, freshman guard/forward Madilyn Mae came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points. Alaina DeAngelo added nine points.
In other Del Val League action:
Academy Park 56, Chichester 24 » Alaysia Kinlaw had a career night in leading the Knights past the Eagles. The sophomore guard poured in 25 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists and made five steals. Kiala Bright racked up 11 points, eight boards, two assists and one steal for AP (6-7). Rayne Edwards paced Chi with 10 points.
In the Catholic League:
Archbishop Carroll 60, Archbishop Ryan 29 » The Patriots (7-8) improved to 4-0 in the league behind Taylor Wilson’s 22- point performance. Alexis Eberz added 11 points and Olivia Nardi tallied eight in the winning effort. Brooke Wilson had a solid all-around night with two points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Cardinal O’Hara 64, Conwell-Egan 38 » Joanie Quinn scored all 16 of her points after halftime as the Lions (10-2, 4-0) recorded their ninth consecutive victory. Molly Rullo netted 16 points, too, and Megan Rullo pitched in with eight.
In the Central League:
Ridley 62, Lower Merion 37 » Kyla Carney began the game on fire for the Green Raiders. The junior guard scored eight of her 14 points in the opening quarter. Peyton Berger also tallied 14 points, while Abbi Hinchey and Adria Kitzinger had eight apiece. Lindsay Galliston had a team-high nine points for the Aces.
Marple Newtown 43, Harriton 35 » Mary O’Brien did it all for the Tigers. The senior guard scored 18 points, pulled in 10 rebounds and supplied seven assists. Elbe DiBona made four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points.
In the Inter-Ac League:
Penn Charter 65, Agnes Irwin 47 » Simone Harvey scored 20 points in the Owls’ loss to the Quakers. Gabrielle Seibert added eight points. Ryan Carter (20 points) and Aleah Snead (19) led the way for Penn Charter.
In the Ches-Mont League:
West Chester Rustin 65, Sun Valley 34 » The Vanguards trailed by two points after one period, but host Rustin outscored them 53-24 the rest of the way. Brielle Wright made a trio of 3-point baskets for nine points for SV. Rory Tiedeman also had nine points and Luci D’Amico chipped in eight.