Delcohoops.com

By Andrew Robinson

Gabby Casey and Olivia Boccella were there for the lows, so they were going to be there to lead Lansdale Catholic to new heights.

Their first year playing together — when Casey was a sophomore and Boccella a freshman — ended with a 2-11 record at Lansdale Catholic. Two years later, they were the top seed in the league and needed one more win to deliver the Crusaders to their first berth in a Catholic League girls basketball title game, so once they got going, nothing was going to stop them.

LC’s core duo combined for 38 points as the No. 1 Crusaders downed No. 4 Archbishop Carroll 53-39 at St. Joseph’s University City campus — formerly the University of the Sciences — Tuesday night in the league semifinals.

“It’s great, we’ve got a great group of girls and everybody loves each other and has each other’s back,” said Casey, a senior. “I think that’s really what pushes us, even when we’re down, and even when we’re up, just in all aspects together and just playing LC basketball, just nothing compares.”

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By Mike Cabrey

Casey Harter kept Garnet Valley at bay until she and the Souderton girls basketball team put it together offensively in third quarter of Wednesday night’s District 1 Class 6A second-round contest.

Harter collected 13 points to send the host No. 4 seed Indians into halftime up four. But after the break, Big Red clamped down the No. 20 Jaguars’ offense while Harter scored the first five of the 9-0 run to push Souderton’s lead into double digits, which would blossom into a 53-31 victory.

“I think we were more focused on offense and defense,” Harter said. “We weren’t playing as a team on defense which is something that we really have to do and I think we were all focused on the same page in the second half and we all brought it together.”

Harter, a Northwestern commit, finished with a game-high 25 points while Erin Bohmueller added 10 points as the Indians (22-4) earned a berth in the PIAA Tournament for the second straight season and the sixth time in seven years.

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By Matthew DeGeorge

Basketball is a game of runs, players tell you often.

There’s a pertinent addendum down Chichester way: Once in a while, it’s a game of zones. And the one the Eagles deploy is as pesky as any around.

Chichester eventually shot its way past the dogged zone defense Holy Ghost Prep employed, then turned on what is becoming a signature 1-3-1 to pull away in the District 1 Class 5A quarterfinals, 71-61, Wednesday night.

The win books Chichester (20-3) its second consecutive trip to the state tournament – otherwise known as its second ever trip to states – and a District 1 semifinals Saturday afternoon at 1 against Unionville. No. 7 Holy Ghost enters playbacks to vie for the remaining two states spots.

A two-point game at halftime, Zaiyin Keys shot over the zone on the first possession of the third to give Chichester a 36-31 edge. He canned a triple early in the fourth, as did Vince Wildrick, off a behind-the-back feed from Maz Sayed to put Chic ahead, 54-45.

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By Bob Grotz

It wasn’t a masterpiece, but Haverford’s 47-29 win over Methacton Wednesday kept the Fords perfect this season and on track to claim the District 1 Class 6A girls title.

Caroline Dotsey scored 18 points to lift the Fords, who take on Springfield Saturday at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinals at Juenger Gymnasium.

“It wasn’t pretty, especially the second half,” Fords coach Lauren Pellicane said. “But I thought we had a really good second quarter that helped us separate ourselves a little bit. We didn’t turn the ball over, we got shots and I think we put 18 points up in the second, and that was the difference in the game. We held on in the second half. It wasn’t clean, we missed some shots but hey, it’s the district tournament. Sometimes that happens. It’s how we respond to it.”

The scrappy Warriors worked hard throughout the first quarter to grab a 12-10 lead on a 50-footer by Cassidy Kropp at the buzzer. Warriors pivot Mairi Smith got the Fords’ attention by blocking their first two shots and scoring five points, including a 3-pointer.

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By Missy Dougherty

“That was the most nervous I have ever been in my life,” Springfield (Delco.) senior Anabel Kreydt said as she described her trip to the free throw line with a tie score and half a second left on the clock in Wednesday night’s District 1 6A second round girls basketball contest between the host Cougars and visiting Conestoga. 

Asked if she had any calming thoughts running through her head with the outcome of the game essentially on her finger tips, Kreydt shared the contents of her internal pep talk.

“I was telling myself you have the whole community behind you,” she said. “Everyone on the bench is into it. You just have to kind of block everything out … think to yourself – confidence, you got this – you only need to make one.” 

Kreydt did indeed come up with the one shot that Springfield needed, as she drained the first of two shots at the line to cap off a 32-31 stirring come-from-behind victory by the hosts.

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By Pete Digiovanni

It is a tried and true mantra of basketball teams in the post season and it is “Survive and Advance.” That could sum up the Downingtown West boys basketball team Tuesday night at Wagner Gymnasium.

The fifth seeded Whippets had complete control of their District 1 6A second round game with Haverford, leading by 17 points after three periods.

But the visiting Fords suddenly got hot from the outside and had a chance to tie the game with three seconds to play but Googie Seidman’s jumper did not fall and Downingtown West survived with a thrilling 45-42 win.

The Whippets will now travel to Central Bucks East on Friday at 7 p.m in the quarterfinal round while Haverford will go into the playback round hoping to qualify for the PIAA 6A tournament.

“I thought our energy was sky high for the first there periods but for some reason it was not as high in the fourth period,” Downingtown West senior center Kelly Bell said. It got really tight at the end and we missed some big free throws but we got out of here with a win and we are going to the state tournament and it is a great feeling to go back two years in a row.”

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