Delcohoops.com

By Bob Grotz

When the bombs stopped falling, there was no trace of the bumpy start Garnet Valley weathered Tuesday to reach the quarterfinal round of the District 1 Class 6A boys basketball tournament.

With Carl Schaller taking it to the rack and Justin Langan throwing shots in from the parking lot, the Jaguars rolled to a 69-41 victory over an Upper Dublin squad good enough to have ended the postseason of Central League competitor Haverford.

Hard to believe the Jaguars trailed the Cardinals 6-0 and 8-2, much of the damage coming from 6-7 center Drew Stover, who scored a game-high 27 points, including all of his team’s points in the third quarter.

“He’s a really good player,” Jaguars coach Mike Brown said. “Our Achilles heel is we’re not very big. But we finally triple-teamed him and gave him a hard time.”

More than that, the Jaguars (15-3) gave the Upper Darby defense fits. Schaller scored 19 points, Langan 17 to lead the Jaguars, who now oppose Perkiomen Valley, which defeated Pennridge 56-52.

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By Matt Smith

Ainsley Davis had to step away from the Sacred Heart Academy basketball team in January, days after the start of her junior season.

She had tested positive for COVID-19.

“It was really hard,” Davis said. “I had it pretty bad for a few days, but (then) I started to feel a lot better. It was really difficult to not come back and play right away because of protocol, even though I was feeling fine. So, when I was able to come back it was really nice to be able bring so much energy and motivation to the team.”

Davis returned in late February and helped Sacred Heart earn the No. 1 seed in District 1 Class 2A. The Lions won their fifth straight district championship Tuesday with a 47-11 victory over No. 2 Dock Mennonite.

“I felt like I took it all for granted,” Davis said. “I never really expected to have to sit out and not be able to play, but I was glad to be back on the team.”

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By Matthew DeGeorge

Mike Tansey knew that the District 1 Class 5A first-round game against Chichester could be his last at Marple Newtown.

The senior guard played like someone determined to make sure that wouldn’t happen Saturday night.

Tansey scored 27 points, was 8-for-9 from the field and made all four of his looks from 3-point range, staking Marple to a 56-39 win over No. 10 Chichester.

Marple Newtown, the seventh seed in District 1, advances to Tuesday’s quarterfinal at No. 2 Chester

At halftime, Tansey had 16 points. Chichester only had 13. His ability to hit long-range shots frustrated Chi’s aggressive, half-court trap that sought to run the Tigers off their usual perimeter spots.

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By Matt Smith

Sally Austen ensured Radnor’s survival in the District 1 Class 5A tournament.

The senior guard/forward’s play was aggressive in crunch time Saturday at Marple Newtown. She delivered all five of her squad’s points and came up with a big defensive rebound in overtime.

Austen had a basket and went 3-for-4 at the free-throw line to lead No. 10 Radnor to a dramatic, 43-42 victory over seventh-seeded Marple Newtown.

Austen was cool in crunch time for Radnor, which travels to another fellow Central League opponent, sixth-seeded Harriton Wednesday for a second-round contest.

“I think everybody just brought the energy today and that helped us,” said Austen, who totaled 11 points, including six in the first period. “We were excited to play and get the win.”

Down the stretch, Austen ran the point. It’s not her natural spot on the floor, but coach Mark Jordan entrusted her to engineer the offense with Radnor’s season on the line.

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By Kev Hunter

Josh Jones’ long-reaching rebound and putback set North Penn on its fourth-quarter charge.

Moments later, Jones buried a three, and the Knights were digging in.

“That three at the beginning of the fourth quarter was pretty big,” Strath Haven coach Chris Conlan said. “That made it a two-possession game, which, to that point, made it feel like 10 or 12.”

In what was a back-and-forth battle for three quarters, North Penn gained firm control in the fourth and secured a 68-62 victory in the opening round of the District 1-6A Playoffs.

The win sends No. 18 North Penn to No. 2 Conestoga Tuesday night. No. 15 Strath Haven, led by Luke Edwards’ 32 points, finished its season at 8-5.

“We were playing free and like our normal selves,” Jones said of the Knights’ critical push.

Jones poured in 24 points, including nine in the fourth quarter.

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