Delcohoops.com

By Matthew DeGeorge

Garnet Valley’s boys basketball team has already felt its season end.

The Jaguars walked off the court in last Thursday’s Central League first-round game having stomached a draining double-overtime loss at Conestoga. When Ryan Mackey’s go-ahead free throws hit, the Jaguars sat 26th in the District 1 Class 6A rankings – better than the 28th they’d been a week earlier but still shy of the 24-team field.

In the coming 48 hours, mathematical machinations around the district would have to go the Jags’ way to prolong their season. It would be the final, hair-raising turns on a roller coaster they’d ridden for the last two weeks.

“It was a little nerve-wracking to be honest because we were right on the edge,” coach Mike Brown said. “The numbers seemed to change every couple of hours, every time somebody’s score comes in.”

(click on this link for the full story for all the boy’s playoff reviews)

Archbishop Carroll made quick work of West Catholic in the quarterfinal round of the Catholic League playoffs. Taylor Wilson poured in 19 points as the Patriots rolled to a 57-19 win Thursday.

Grace O’Neill produced 15 points and four assists and Maggie Grant added eight points for the top-seeded Patriots (18-4). Carroll plays Neumann-Goretti in the semifinals Tuesday at Conwell- Egan.

Wilson and O’Neill were selected to the All-Catholic League first team Thursday.

In the other PCL quarterfinal:

CARDINAL O’HARA 55, ST. HUBERT 25 » Maggie Doogan provided 14 points and Sydni Scott finished with 10 to pace the No. 2 Lions, who led 41-6 at halftime. Doogan and Scott were named firstteam All-Catholic earlier in the day.

Molly Rullo tallied eight points for O’Hara. Joanie Quinn, Greta Miller and Maria McCallen added seven points each.

O’Hara will meet Archbishop Wood in the semifinals Tuesday at Conwell-Egan.

In the Inter-Ac League:

NOTRE DAME 47, BALDWIN 27» Chloe Knox and Grace Hannah each scored nine points for the Irish, who outscored Baldwin, 26-11, in the second half. Katie Halligan contributed eight points.

By Matthew DeGeorge

 In short order, Izaiah Pasha has become central to the plan for Cardinal O’Hara. Even on a night like Wednesday, when the game wasn’t coming to him quite as easily as it has during the junior guard’s All-Catholic season, the presence of Pasha opened space for others.

It also went a long way toward opening up a 49-47 win for the eighth-seeded Lions in a Catholic League playoff affair with Bonner-Prendergast.

On a night when the Friars hung tough despite missing two starters, O’Hara needed everything it could get. And often that meant making the most of what Pasha can do, particularly when defenders flocked to him and opened space in behind for others to fill.

“With his length and his speed, he really opens up the floor,” forward Pearse McGuinn said. “He makes everything a lot easier for everyone else. You can always get an easy bucket when he facilitates.”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Jerome Taylor

Even though it’s only his second time in the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs, IV Pettit plays with a confidence that suggests he’s been in the league his whole high school career. 

In the first PCL playoff game ever at Devon Prep, the senior dropped 24 points, scoring with crafty finishes, dribble pull-up mid/long-range jumpers and catch-and-shoot threes. And the seventh-seeded Devon Prep needed every ounce of Pettit’s scoring to hold off tenth-seeded Archbishop Carroll for a 70-67 win in the first round of the PCL playoffs. 

The scoring started early for Pettit as the Tide jumped out to a 13-9 lead in the first quarter. But in the second frame, Blake Deegan checked in for the Patriots, and his energy played a huge role in Carroll taking a 31-30 lead into halftime.

“I told them that they need to calm down a little bit, they were really hyped with the crowd and environment,” Devon Prep head coach Jason Fisher said about what he said in the locker room at halftime. 

(click on this link for the full story)

Riley Cassidy shot 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to help Episcopal Academy hold off Harriton, 49-43, in nonleague girls basketball action Wednesday night.

The Churchwomen were 11-for-13 from the line in the final period. Cassidy paced the offense with 14 points. Amanda Purcell chipped in with 10 points.

Maretta Smith topped Harriton with 11 points. Olivia Kanzinger added 10.

The Upper Darby girls basketball team went out in winning style Tuesday.

Senior guard Aubrey Ennis produced 20 points, six assists, five steals and five rebounds as the Royals ended its season with a 52-10 victory Interboro.

Kareemah McCafferty supplied 14 points, four steals and three assists for Upper Darby (4-17). Alliyiah Jean-Baptiste contributed 12 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.

In the Inter-Ac League:

PENN CHARTER 63, EPISCOPAL ACADEMY 32 » The Quakers wrapped up the league title behind Aleah Snead’s 21-point performance.

Amanda Purcell led the Churchwomen with 10 points. Riley Cassidy

added nine.

Boys Basketball

Josh Parks got to his 1,000th career point in style Monday night. The Delco Christian senior guard scored 27 points to lead Delco Christian to a 50-35 win over Calvary Christian in the first round of the Bicentennial Athletic League playoffs.

Parks hit three 3-pointers and got past the mark in the third quarter.

Jace Kees and Caleb Jameson hit three 3-pointers each for nine points for the Knights (11-12).

Also in the BAL tournament:

COLLEGIUM CHARTER 86, DELCO CHRISTIAN 31 » A 24-5 disadvantage in the second quarter ended the Knights’ run in the tournament in Tuesday’s second round. They allowed Collegium to hit 14 3-pointers.

Jameson led the way with 10 points. Parks scored eight for the Knights (11-13).