Delcohoops.com

By Jack McCaffery

Their regular season over, their willing or available players down to seven, their challenges still heavy, the Penn Wood girls basketball players recently faced two decisions.

The first was difficult, but they did agree to gather 10 players and enter the PIAA District 1 Class 6A tournament.

The second was not: They would play as hard as possible, once that postseason began.

With those commitments in place Saturday, the 16th-seeded Patriots recovered from a nine-point second-half deficit to eliminate No. 17 Perkiomen Valley, 63-60, in an entertaining struggle capped by three critical Lashanda Smith plays in the final 20 seconds.

With their record at 7-4, the Patriots will travel to 18-0 and top-rated Spring-Ford for a Round of 16 game Tuesday night at 7.

“I think we can go far,” said Smith, who scored 26 points. “Spring-Ford is a good shooting team and they are going to be disciplined. So we’ve got to play at our pace, not at their pace, and keep our heads.”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Bruce Adams

Haverford used a second-quarter burst to earn a 56-44 win over  Kennett in the first round of the District 1 Class 6A girls basketball tournament Saturday.

The 13th-seeded Fords (10-5) held No. 20 Kennett scoreless for the first five minutes and limited the visitors to one field goal in the quarter. With its second-quarter burst, Haverford led, 29-15, at halftime.

“I think our intensity level picked up in the second quarter.” Haverford’s Caroline Dotsey said. “I felt like, personally, I was on my toes ready to go.

“I felt like we were able to communicate as a team (defensively) – knowing when to switch, knowing when to stay with our girl. I think we were able to jump to the gaps. I know that if I mess up on something, my team’s right there behind me, ready to pick it up.”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Josh Verlin

Drew Stover knows the deal: the Upper Dublin senior is going to face every defense’s best shot. 

That’s what happens when you’re a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward who can score inside and out; when you’re committed to play on a basketball scholarship at D-II Millersville. When you’ve topped the 40-point mark in a game, even with all that attention. When there’s no doubt you’re the main reason your team is in the district playoffs to begin with.

So as Haverford High threw everything it could at Stover, trying its best to prevent the Cardinals’ big man from catching the ball with any room to maneuver, Stover knew someone needed to step up. Sophomore guard Colin O’Sullivan knew it, too.

“Coming into the playoffs, I knew they were going to be all over Drew, I knew someone had to step up,” O’Sullivan said. “And after I started hitting a few shots in the first half, I was like ‘yeah, it’s going to have to be me.’”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matthew DeGeorge

A year ago, Haverford made a storybook run to the Central League title but couldn’t parlay the momentum of 11 straight wins beyond the second round of the District 1 Class 6A tournament.

This year, after falling in the Central League quarterfinals, the Fords are hoping things reverse in the postseason.

The Fords start their quest Saturday afternoon, the No. 13 seed hosting No. 20 Upper Dublin at 3 p.m.

Last year’s districts run was blighted by an injury to John Seidman, who took control in the Central League playoffs. But the 1,000-point scorer leads a veteran contingent this year.

“It’s tough but we’ve got to move past it,” guard Nick Colucci said after a last-possession loss to Strath Haven last Sunday in the Central League playoffs. “We’ve got to focus on our next opponent. We think we can make a big run in districts, so that’s our focus now.”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

Anabel Kreydt’s rise as a varsity starter for undefeated Springfield shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Although she’s only a sophomore, one might say she was born to ball.

Kreydt’s tough defense and rebounding have helped Springfield to a perfect 16-0 record. Her lockdown coverage of Ridley’s top scorers in Thursday’s Central League final played a factor in the Cougars winning, 59-44.

Oh, and Kreydt was effective on the offensive end, too, using her quickness and savvy to cut inside the paint and score on layups. She recorded all 10 of her points in the second half. Kreydt also rebounded well, blocked shots and forced turnovers. You could say she was the unsung hero who did it all Thursday, but she’s been delivering all year for the Cougars.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

The Cougars avenged their 2020 championship loss to the Green Raiders and will begin their quest for a second straight District 1 Class 5A title next week as the top seed in the tournament.

But Thursday night, it was all about Central League glory. Springfield’s seniors made it to the final all four years, but hadn’t won since they were freshmen. Conran and Abbonizio were key players on that 2017-18 Cougars squad. On this night, they played like the veterans they are, combining for 38 points.

Abbonizio scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half and went 11-for-12 at the free-throw line.

“It’s amazing,” said Abbonizio, who last month became the program’s all-time leading scorer. “We had the crowd behind us in our new gym, undefeated on the floor, and we were the first team at Springfield that won a championship in the new school. That’s something to be proud of and I think everybody on the team, all 13 of us, should be proud of that.”

(click on this link for the full story)

Click on our Schedule page for the PIAA District One girl’s basketball playoff brackets.