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By Matthew DeGeorge

Akhir Keys called it Chichester’s “statement defense.” The Eagles, however, would make a statement or two on the defensive side Tuesday night against Penn Wood, and Keys was just one of a host of Eagles doing the talking.

Keys kept Delaware County’s leading scorer Nasir Washington to just two points in the second half, the Eagles turned Penn Wood over 21 times in its 3-2 half-court trap and Maz Sayed assembled an otherworldly stat line in a 62-51 win that keeps open Chichester’s path to a Del Val title.

Let’s get the mind-numbing numbers out of the way. Chichester (16-3, 5-1 Del Val) capped a season sweep over Penn Wood (12-5, 5-2). If Chi beats Academy Park Thursday and wins at Chester (10-9, 4-2) next week, the Eagles win the Del Val crown outright. A win at AP clinches at least a share of the title for the Eagles.

Penn Wood’s only hope is to win out (the Patriots play AP next week) and hope Chester tops Chichester for a second time to ensure a three-way split at 6-2.

(click on this link for the full story)

Penncrest was out for revenge Tuesday at home against Strath Haven. After losing to the Panthers in December, the Lions needed to win in order to maintain one of the final playoff spots in the District 1 Class 6A power rankings. Bailey Garrison made sure the Lions wouldn’t have a letdown. The junior scored game-high 19 points as Penncrest earned a 67-51 win. The Lions were in control from the tip. leading 14-5 after the first quarter. Kathryn Harding tallied 13 points and Makayla Johnson finished with 10 in the victory. Chloe Hunold and Sierra Felder both scored 12 points for Strath Haven.

Elsewhere in the Central League:

Springfield 59. Marple Newtown 27 » Kaitlyn Kearney scored a team-high 11 points for the Cougars, who jumped out to a 20-6 advantage in the first quarter. Lexi Aaron (10 points) and Taylor Hunyet (nine) each hit on three 3-point shots. Mia Valerio andAlyssa Estep collected eight points apiece.
Brooke Impriano tallied a game-high 14 points for the Tigers.

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

A strong defensive performance in the first half powered Strath Haven to a 46-40 victory over rival Penncrest in Central League boys basketball action Tuesday night. The Panthers held the Lions to nine points in the first half, one in the second quarter, to take a 25-9 lead into the break. Jaden Jauregui paced the offense with 15 points. Jack Edwards chipped in with nine points. Brendan Hemphill topped Penncrest with a game-high 17 points.

Elsewhere in the Central League:

Upper Darby 65, Haverford 56 » The Royals shot 19-for-26 from the free throw line to hold off the Fords. Niymere Brown led four Upper Darby players in double figures with 19 points. Yassir Joyner added 14. Khysir Slaughter chipped in with 13 and Nadir Myers had 10. Googie Seidman paced Haverford with a game-high 23 points. Tommy Wright added 15 points and Brian Weiner added 10.

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)

By Josh Verlin

We’re in the final two weeks of the PIAA regular season, meaning the various league races around the area are ready to wrap up, teams fighting for regular-season titles and postseason berths all over the Delaware Valley.

Here’s a look at which games will (or could) make a difference in the next fortnight on the girls’ side, broken down by league (If we don’t have a preview on a league, it’s because we didn’t have accurate enough information on schedules and standings to preview the playoff race):

Central League
The only unbeaten team left in District 1, Haverford High (13-0 Central) has a two-game lead on the field with three games to play, with remaining games at home against Upper Darby (0-13) on Tuesday and then at Ridley (6-7) on Thursday and at Garnet Valley (9-4) next Tuesday. 

(click on this link for more the complete league updates)

By Neil Geoghegan

The notion of turning defense into points is nothing new to basketball. But what the Sun Valley boys did to Kennett at the start of the second half on Monday in Ches-Mont American action proved that when it’s done with precision, it can very quickly turn a tight battle into a blowout.

Following a lackluster first half, the visiting Vanguards cranked up the defensive pressure and intensity, and went on to a 47-33 triumph. Sun Valley opened the second half with a 15-0 surge, and that loomed huge in what ended up as a 14-point final margin.

“You can see what we are capable of, in spurts,” Vanguards head coach Steve Maloney said. “It wasn’t necessarily what (Kennett) were doing in the first half. We needed to wake up. And just playing that style wakes us up.”

Now 6-3 in the league (12-6 overall), Sun Valley has won six games in a row and has moved into the top-10 of the District 1 Class 5A power rankings. The undermanned Blue Demons fall to 1-7, 2-17.

(click on this link for the full story)

Delco Christian’s Ashanti Harris exploded for 31 points, but it was Sacred Heart’s stifling defense that proved to be the difference on the way to a 54-41 victory.

The Lions (9-6) applied a full-court press in the third quarter and outscored the Knights, 22-4. Keara McCaffrey led the way with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Megan Donohue (13 points) and MJ Donahue (11) both made a trio of 3-point baskets. Harris scored 14 points in the fourth quarter for the Knights (11-5).

In other nonleague action:

Chester 61, Martin Luther King 21 >> Shyne Hall produced 23 points, six assists, five rebounds, five steals and one block for the Clippers (7-10), who led 21-4 after one quarter.

(click on this link for more game stories and scores)