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By Kev Hunter

Cheltenham got to within two points of Lower Merion with about two minutes to play Friday night, but the Aces were clutch from the foul line and tough defensively, holding on to defeat the Panthers 59-50 in the quarterfinal round of the District 1-6A Playoffs.

The win sends ninth-seeded Lower Merion to Tuesday’s semifinals, at No. 4 Garnet Valley, a 63-38 winner over No. 5 Perkiomen Valley.

One team advances to states out of District 1-6A.

Top-seeded Cheltenham finished a fine season at 14-2.

“I’m really proud of this team,” Panthers coach Patrick Fleury said. “We had a lead early but just have to learn that in the playoffs, every possession matters. Overall, this will be a good experience for the guys moving forward.”

The Panthers blew out to a 19-10 advantage early on their home court, but Lower Merion chipped away by halftime, cutting the deficit to 30-26, and then stormed ahead for good in the third.

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By Terry Toohey

Anabel Kreydt wasn’t sure where she was supposed to be when teammate Rachel Conran stepped to the free throw line with 4.2 seconds left and Springfield clinging to a precarious one-point lead Wednesday night.

Should she set up for a possible rebound in the event of a miss or go back on defense and help prevent Mount St. Joseph’s from getting a potential game-winning shot off before the buzzer?

“Usually, when there’s that much time left, they tell me to get back,”Kreydt said.

Kreydt, a sophomore, didn’t want to leave anything to chance. So she asked head coach Ky McNichol for some guidance, just to be sure. McNichol told Kreydt to set up for a possible rebound.

The decision to keep Kreydt in for a rebound turned out to be a wise move. Conran missed the free throw but Kreydt tipped the ball enough that when MSJ’s Kiersten Pumilia tracked it down and tried to make a play, she stepped on the sideline to give the ball back to the top-seeded Cougars with just 1.4 showing on the clock.

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By Kev Hunter

Bliss Brenner’s free throws fell through clean, the Upper Dublin defense stood firm one more time, and the Cardinals extracted a 23-18 victory out of an evening that was not their best.

“It was a rough game,” said Upper Dublin’s Amy Ngo, who scored timely baskets and contributed to the defense. “We had to stay calm and composed.

“We’re trying to put this game behind us – we missed a lot of easy shots. I think in the beginning of the game, we were excited and nervous because we hadn’t played in a week. We won, and that’s really important.”

The fourth-seeded Cardinals (19-3) advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday, and a home game against either Downingtown East or West Chester Rustin.

No. 13 Haverford finished a fine season at 7-3.

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By Austin Hertzog

Hailey Hudak heard the yell from Spring-Ford assistant coach Dan Brittingham to come to midcourt following Wednesday night’s district playoff game.

The Rams senior forward strode over, assessed the situation and went to help the handful of people folding and reracking chairs from the sideline.

Though she was actually called to be interviewed by a reporter, she was apparently still in game mode, which meant doing what Hudak and her teammates had spent the past hour-and-a-half doing: assisting.

With Hudak and freshman guard Anna Azzara playing major roles in the ball-sharing effort and senior guard Lucy Olsen striking for 24 points, No. 1 seed Spring-Ford cruised by No. 16 Penn Wood, 67-36, in a District 1-6A second round game.

Spring-Ford ran its record to 20-0 with a ball-moving clinic that featured assists on nearly every basket. It set up a quarterfinal matchup with No. 8 Abington – a 68-56 winner over Methacton – on Saturday.

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Ridley’s season was dealt a fatal blow Wednesday in the second round of the District 1 Class 6A tournament.

The sixth-seeded Green Raidrs relinquished an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter as No. 11 Pennsbury rallied for a 23-21 victory.

Kylie McNicholas hit one of two free throws with 5:08 left to play. The Falcons scored the game’s final 10 points en route to handing the Green Raiders a crushing defeat.

Pennsbury junior Ava Sciolla made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1;36 to play. The play was extended after officials missed a travel violation on the baseline by Pennsbury’s Layla Matthias.

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Sally Austen’s career game wasn’t enough to keep Radnor’s season alive.

Austen scored a personal-high 14 points Wednesday night, but No. 10 Radnor suffered a 36-31 loss to No. 2 Harriton in the second round of the District 1 Class 5A tournament.

“Harriton made seven 3s tonight. It was a one-point game late, but then they hit two long balls, which were big shots,” coach Mark Jordan said. “Mary Calhoun hit three 3s for them. They went up 34-27, we made it 34-31. Couldn’t get closer. The girls battled. They fought hard and I’m really proud of them.”

Cierra Hopson added seven points and seven rebounds for Radnor. Calhoun led the way for Harriton with 11 points.

This loss marked the end of the road for longtime coach Jordan, who is stepping away from coaching high school basketball. Before taking over at Radnor, where he will continue coaching the varsity baseball team, Jordan was the basketball coach at Sacred Heart Academy. Jordan won District 1 championships at both schools and a Central League title at Radnor, where he spent the last 15 years.

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