Delcohoops.com

By Matt Smith

Garnet Valley had one quarter to figure everything out.

Council Rock North’s run-and-gun offense had left the District 1 champion Jaguars catching their breath for three periods Friday night at Norristown Area High School. They were getting beaten down the floor. The fifth option in CR North’s offense was cutting to the basket uncontested and scoring.

On the other side of the court, GV had put up eight points in the third quarter. A 3-for-10 shooting effort from the floor wasn’t good enough. The District 1 champion Jags trailed the District 1 seventh-place finisher by seven points.

But it almost felt like an insurmountable deficit.

Garnet Valley, a team consisting of five senior starters, didn’t panic, even when the Jags were frustrated to the point of screaming. That’s what guard Morgan Falcone nearly did when she was clearly hacked in the process of shooting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that fell short.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt Smith

Cardinal O’Hara’s surprising run in the PIAA Class 6A tournament was halted in the quarterfinal round Friday night.

The District 12 champion Lions couldn’t quite contain Neshaminy senior Brooke Mullin, who collected 11 of her game-high 15 points in the second half to lead the Redskins to a 47-35 victory.

“Brooke Mullin is so good,” O’Hara senior guard Kerry Patterson said. “Alli (Harvey) is a good shooter and their point guard, Kristin (Curley), is a real good player. They have a lot of girls who can shoot and score. They all work really good together, so to guard them was kind of hard.

“Overall, I thought we did a pretty good job, it was just toward the end of the game when we started to get down on ourselves a little bit.”

Which is what happens with young teams sometimes.

(click on this link for the full story)

By Matt DeGeorge

It’ll be a Catholic League building hosting two Catholic League teams Friday night. The only thing that changes when Archbishop Carroll and Bonner & Prendergast collide in the PIAA Class 4A tournament at Cardinal O’Hara High is the stakes: One will advance to the state quarterfinal, one will have its season end.

In a rivalry that doesn’t need extra amplitude, Friday’s date (7 p.m.) provides some.

“You have the rivalry factor,” Friars coach Kevin Funston said. “You always have bragging rights. I think it becomes a little more of a strategy game than a game of, we are who we are and have we taught them enough. Knowing the competition will make it a little more exciting for us.”

The teams met in the regular season at Carroll, a 61-44 win for Bonner & Prendie Jan. 18. But both coaches apply significant caveats to that encounter. Injuries have narrowed Carroll’s roster, burnishing it to a heightened focus that has led to wins in eight of 10. The two losses were to teams still alive in states: An overtime setback to Class 5A squad Archbishop Wood and the PCL quarterfinal loss at 6A side La Salle, where Carroll led by 18 in the second half.

Even so, Funston is careful to point out that the regular-season meeting was a six-point affair after three quarters. So how much of a lesson can be drawn?

(click on this link for the full story as well as other playoff game reviews)

Webmaster’s note:  The Archbishop Carroll vs Bonner & Prendergast PIAA 4A quarter-final game will be LIVE audio broadcast tonight right here on Delcohoops.com.  Our broadcast will begin at 6:45 PM.

By Matt Smith

Cardinal O’Hara’s Erin Welde will never be the player who scores 20 points a game and wows everyone with her offensive wizardry.

Instead she brings so much more to the Lions.

Once a backup to Division I players such as Maura Hendrixson (Drexel), Kenzie Gardler (Villanova) and Hannah Nihill (Drexel), Welde worked to find her niche and earned a starting job on the team her senior year.

O’Hara coach Chrissie Doogan said recently that she cannot take Welde off the court because of her strong defense, energy and leadership. So what if Welde doesn’t bring much on offense — without her, it’s hard to imagine the Lions would still be alive in the PIAA Class 6A tournament.

“I know that I’m not going to be beneficial on offense, it turned out,” Welde said, laughing. “So, I know the only way I can stay on the court is if I’m playing good defense. If I’m not playing good defense, it doesn’t matter if I help out on the offensive end, I won’t be on the court. And I want to play. I just try to bring my best.”

(click on this link for the full story)

By Corey Sharp

The PIAA state basketball quarterfinals have arrived, and the District 1 girls are dominating the Class 6A bracket.

 

By Tom Ignudo

Lynn Greer III stood at the corner of the court and chucked three-pointers during pregame warmups Wednesday night before Roman Catholic’s PIAA Class 6A basketball playoff against Lower Merion at Cardinal O’Hara High School.

 

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