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By Matthew DeGeorge

The attention of Haverford’s defense Thursday night, Ryan Keating knew, was always going to be tuned primarily to the threat of Matt Gardler.

While Gardler is uniquely capable of persevering with multiple hands in his face, the challenge on the night and on the season for his Marple Newtown teammates has been to punish opponents that fixate on Gardler.

Keating stepped to the fore in the second half of a tight affair Thursday, saving 15 of his game-high 22 points for the second half as Marple Newtown pulled away from Haverford, 55-38.

“Matt’s a great player and obviously he’s been doing great this season,” Keating said. “At halftime, they were playing Matt really well, and coach (Sean) Spratt told us, someone else has to step up. I think as a team, we did a really good job of that.”

Haverford did an outstanding job on Gardler. The high-powered guard scored 12 points in the first half. But the Fords (2-9, 0-6 Central) still led 28-26 at the break. With Keith Heinerichs as the primary defender shadowing Gardler from just about the instant the layup lines concluded, Gardler didn’t have a basket in the second half. He only attempted two shots, both forced 3-pointers, and none in the first seven minutes of the third, with the game up for grabs.

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By Andrew Robinson

With the first month of the high school season wrapped, and some teams already close to having played half their allotted regular season contests, it was a good time to scan records and power rankings.

Certainly, a lot of teams that were expected to be strong have demonstrated it thus far. On the other hand, there are quite a few surprises across the board with some teams expected to rebuild instead finding themselves among the early top teams in the standings.

Conference play has started for some leagues while others are about to get into the thick of it starting this week. There are still a handful of marque showcases on tap for the girls’ side this month with prime matchups yet to be played as well.

Here’s a quick look at a handful of teams that could qualify as surprises after a month of games:

(click on this link for the teams)

Megan Donahoe and the Sacred Heart Academy basketball team leaned on a balanced offensive attack in Wednesday’s 42-33 win over visiting Academy Park.

Donahoe scored a game-high 12 points, but she had plenty of help from her teammates.

Keara McCaffrey, who grabbed 10 rebounds, and Grace Brown, who made two 3-point goals, netted eight points apiece for the Lions, who held AP to 19 total points over the final three quarters.

Maya Walker contributed seven points and 10 rebounds, and Dani Jeffries notched seven points and five assists for SHA (5-4)

Emani Banks tallied a team-high 11 points for the Knights (0-8).

In other nonleague action:

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Kevin Rucker Jr. was unstoppable during Bonner & Prendergast’s 78-48 boys basketball victory over La Salle Tuesday night.

Rucker, a sharp-shooting senior guard, drained six 3-point field goals on the way to a game-high 34 points. Reggie Seldenn also banked six treys for 18 points, while Deuce Ketner (14) also reached doubles figures in scoring for the Friars.

In other Catholic League action:

Neumann-Goretti 84, Archbishop Carroll 57 >> The Patriots had no answer for Torrey Brooks, who hit seven 3-point baskets en route to a game-high 23 points for the undefeated Saints (8-0). Larenzo Jerkins, a Chester High transfer, added 14 points and 20 rebounds in the winning effort.

Following a 7-0 start, the Patriots are now mired in a three-game losing streak.

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By Joseph Santoliquito

Saaid Lee is looking for a little stability at West Catholic.

This is the explosive 6-foot-1 junior point guard’s third school in three years, starting at Bonner-Prendie his freshman year, then MCS last season, and now with the defending PIAA Class 3A state champion Burrs.

It’s been a bit of a culture adjustment for Lee. A new school, new faces to get used to and a new role as someone on the quiet side expected to be a vocal leader on a team that is still searching for an identity.

Tuesday night in West Catholic’s bandbox, Fenway Park of a high school basketball gym, Lee and his teammates took a nice first step together, opening the Philadelphia Catholic League season with a 66-55 victory over Cardinal O’Hara (5-5, 0-1).

Lee dropped in a career-best 17 points, six coming in the fourth quarter when the game was yet to be determined. The Burrs (3-6, 1-0) got a balanced attack, getting 10 points each from Jaasin Sabb and Micah Waters and nine from athletic sophomore Kingston Wheatley.

(click on this link for the full article)

By Owen McCue

Last season, Jalen Harper likely wouldn’t have been in the position. 

A rebound in the air and the Catholic League’s best big man trying to grab an offensive board for the other team in a one-possession game… the 6-foot-8 Tristen Guillouette would have been there to clean it up for St. Joe’s Prep instead.

There’s no Guillouette this season for the Hawks, leaving the 6-foot-3 Harper to fend off the Philadelphia Catholic League’s giants by himself. Late in Tuesday night’s PCL opener against Archbishop Ryan, Harper boxed out Georgetown-bound big man Thomas Sorber and skied for the ball. One possession later he was in defense on the game sealing steal before knocking down the put-away free throws in a 57-52 win.

He finished with 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter of the victory, coming up “big” on both sides of the floor for an undersized Hawks group.

(click on this link for the full article)