By Joseph Santoliquito
Mary O’Brien remembers it well. The Marple Newtown junior guard lived through all of the Senior Nights her freshman year. O’Brien recalls specifically the time the Tigers visited Springfield when the school was awarding its state championship rings to its lacrosse team.
That’s where the Tigers were—the team under the welcome mat that opposing teams could shovel out for special occasions and guaranteed victories.
O’Brien, a three-year starting guard, had been waiting three years for this. The Marple Newtown girls’ basketball community more than doubled that time, stretching back to 2015—that’s the last time the Tigers beat perennial Central League powerhouse Springfield (Delco).That long wait ended on Saturday afternoon in a raucous, rousing Springfield gym, where Marple Newtown dealt the two-time defending PIAA District 1 Class 5A champs and defending Central League champs a 45-40 overtime defeat in the Central League semifinals.