SOL Boys/Girls Basketball District Final Preview (3-4-17)

The Abington boys and girls teams as well as the PW girls’ squad will vie for District One 6A titles Saturday night at Villanova University.

Abington basketball is the talk of the town. And with good reason. For the second time in three years, the Ghosts are sending both their boys and girls teams to the district final – this time to Villanova University for the District 6A title games on Saturday night.

“I teach in the school, and when I got in (Friday) morning, people were buying tickets already,” boys’ coach Charles Grasty said. “The girls and the boys are all pretty tight, and they’re high fiving in the hallways.

“I live in the community, so I go to the store, and it’s like, ‘I can’t wait until Saturday. Good luck.’ It’s just a lot of fun right now, and the community is having a good time.

“When we won down at Temple, our focus was let’s get to Villanova and do whatever we need to do to beat Coatesville. Then when our girls won, it was like, ‘Let’s just go enjoy it and have fun.’”

Added girls’ coach Dan Marsh, “The whole community is into it and so is the school. I’ve said all along – I love Abington, I love the school district, I love the people in it. They’re always very supportive.

“It’s a lot of fun, and this makes it double special. There’s no getting around it that this is a special day for our kids.”

The boys’ team captured the District One 4A title in 2015 but learned firsthand how difficult the journey can be after last year’s early exit from districts at the hands of Upper Dublin.

This time around, there were no missteps as the third-seeded Ghosts defeated 19^th-seeded Norristown, 11^th-seeded Penn Wood and second-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh.

“We tell the kids – ‘Embrace it, don’t hide from it, have fun. You see people buying tickets, you see people lining up for the fan bus. Just enjoy it,’” Grasty said. “You never know if you’re ever going to get back.
“Enjoy it, but we have another goal that’s ahead of us that we’re really close to. We had a pretty good practice. They were loose and goofy. They were cracking jokes, and I asked our assistant coach Gary Massey, ‘Do you think they know the significance of the game.’ Our seniors might, but we’re still kind of young. I don’t think they understand the impact they’re having on the community.
“We had our elementary kids over at the school today. They’re like –‘He’s on the team.’ That’s huge for the program and community because someday they may want to be a part of it.”

In 2015, the girls’ team fell to eventual state runner-up Central Bucks West in the district final at Temple University.

“I tell them, ‘You guys have worked really hard to get here. Don’t come in not focused because there are going to be a lot of distractions, and if you come in not focused against a 25-1 team, you’re going to be in trouble,’” Marsh said.

The girls’ squad – seeded ninth entering the tournament – survived a minefield to get to Villanova, upsetting eighth-seeded Souderton, top-seeded North Penn and fifth-seeded SOL champion Central Bucks West.

“No one can say we don’t deserve to be here,” Marsh said. “I think most people would have picked North Penn or CB West to be in the district final, and we had to beat both of them to get here, and Souderton was a very difficult game. They’re a very good team.

“I’m super proud of my team, and I’m also glad that we’ve been tested along the way. We were tested from day one. I told them – everything happens for a reason. At the beginning of the season, I told them, ‘Strive for five,’ and if we had gotten the eight seed or below, it would have been four games (to the district title game).

“We said at the beginning of the year that we’re going to try for five wins for a district championship, and here we are the nine seed where we get an opportunity to do that. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re the nine seed. Everything we do is in fives.”

The Abington girls will face Plymouth Whitemarsh at 6 p.m., and at 8 p.m., the Abington boys will face Coatesville.

Seniors lead Colonials – Lauren Coscia and Laurel Suchsland stood outside their team’s locker room after PW’s win over Central Bucks South trying to let the significance of their semifinal team’s win sink in.

“It was such a happy experience for us – we really didn’t know how to react,” Coscia said. “The hard work paid off – all of the practices.

“We’ve had bad days, but it’s all come together, and it’s all worked out.”
“Some people were just so happy, some people were surprised,” Suchsland said. “Some people were just full excitement – we actually get to play at Villanova. It’s the best kind way to end our senior season,”

Suchsland and Coscia haven’t been headliners on a squad that features one of the area’s premiere players in junior Taylor O’Brien. Both came up big in Wednesday’s semifinal win as Suchsland scored a team-high 11 points, which included three clutch three-pointers. Coscia added eight points, but it’s their leadership that has been even more significant.

“(Tuesday) I had to throw the kids out of the gym for how distracted they were,” coach Daniel Dougherty said. “The two kids that get it are Laurel Suchsland and Lauren Coscia because they don’t have another season, they don’t have another year to get back here.

“The two of them are the steadying forces. We try to give the kids what we need from them each game, and we constantly tell Lauren Coscia to be loud. She’s that back line of defense, and she’s telling everyone what to do. The growth of that kid from her freshman year having not played basketball to where she is now – and she’s going to play college basketball – is fabulous.

“Laurel Suchsland is the kind of kid you need to win championships. You need a kid that loves her role, and sure enough, tonight when the team needs her – she steps up and makes big shots.”

Coscia and Suchsland both point to their team’s second win of the season over four-time defending American Conference champion Upper Dublin as the point in the season when they knew their team could do something magical.

“I knew the season was special all along, especially after the Upper Dublin win,” Suchsland added. “We won the league championship, and initially, that was our goal for the whole season. As the games went on, one game at a time – there was a realization that we can contend with all of these tough teams, and we have a shot of going as far as we want to take ourselves.”
“When we beat Upper Dublin for the second time at their place, I knew we were going to go far,” Coscia said. “I knew this was a crazy experience we were going to have our senior year.”

#3 ABINGTON vs. #4 COATESVILLE (Saturday at Villanova University, 8 p.m.)
Abington

23-4 overall
Suburban One League National Conference champions (12-0)
Sophomore forward Eric Dixon (18.6 ppg, 7 rpg) and junior guard Robbie Heath (16.1 ppg, 3.5 apg) combine for 34.7 points per game
Senior point guard Robert Young, who leads the team in steals, rarely turns ball over, and senior center Joseph O’Brien (6.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.3 bpg) cleans glass, blocks shots and defends high-scoring big guys well. Guard Lucas O’Brien (5.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.9 apg) also is an important contributor.
Earned fifth trip to the state tournament in six years for the Ghosts.

How they got here:

Abington had an opening round bye and then defeated #19 Norristown 48-32 in a second round game. The Ghosts were led by the dangerous one-two punch of Eric Dixon (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals) and Robbie Heath (18 points, 6 steals, 4 assists).
In a quarterfinal game, Abington defeated #11 Penn Wood 67-49. The Ghosts led 41-37 heading into the final quarter when they outscored the Patriots 26-12. Robbie Heath, who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, led the Ghosts with 21 points. Eric Dixon added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Lucas Monroe also finished in double figures with 12.
In the district semifinal, Abington upended #2 Plymouth Whitemarsh 71-67. Eric Dixon turned in a monster performance, finishing with 29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in a contest the Ghosts led 37-22 at halftime and still led by 15 heading into the final quarter when the Colonials rallied. Robbie Heath added 15 points and Joseph O’Brien had 13 points.

Coach Charles Grasty says: “They play extremely hard, they have some really talented players, they’re well coached, and they make really good basketball plays, so we definitely have to match their intensity. We just have to stick with the way we play. If we get caught up in their style, we could be in trouble. If we can get them to play the way we want to play, I think we have a good chance.”

Coatesville

22-4 overall
11-1 Ches-Mont National Division regular season champions
Defeated Bishop Shanahan 43-37 to capture their second consecutive Ches-Mont title
Swept regular season series with #13 Downingtown West (47-33 & 51-38) and #14 Downingtown East (45-36, 49-29)
Young lineup includes just one senior starter
Coach Chuck Moore led Plymouth Whitemarsh to a state title in 1997 and came back to coach the junior varsity at his alma mater for eight years before taking over the helm of the Red Raiders in 2013.

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, Coatesville defeated #13 Downingtown West 56-46. The two teams were deadlocked 24-24 at the intermission and were still tied heading in a fourth quarter that saw the Red Raiders close out the game with a 20-10 tear. Freshman Jhamir Brickus scored 21 points, which included an 11-for-14 effort at the foul line.
In a quarterfinal game, Coatesville defeated #5 North Penn 62-51, rallying from a 28-19 halftime deficit to outscore the Knights 42-23 in the second half. Freshman Jhamir Brickus had a game-high 28 points.
In a semifinal contest, Coatesville defeated #8 Cheltenham 79-58, turning a 27-27 tie into a 36-27 halftime lead. The Raiders went on to outscore the Panthers 43-31 in the second half. Freshman Jhamir Brickus was a difference maker at both ends of the court with 22 points to go along with six steals. Dapree Bryant (17 points) and Tyrel Bladen (11 points) also finished in double figures.

#2 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH vs #9 ABINGTON (Saturday at Villanova University, 6 p.m.)
Plymouth Whitemarsh

25-1 overall
14-0 SOL American Conference champion
First solo championship for program since 1983
Won 22 straight before falling to #5 Central Bucks West in SOL Tournament semifinals (73-63)
Junior Taylor O’Brien, who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, is the SOL’s top scorer, averaging 21.6 points a game.
Junior Lauren Fortescue (10.5 ppg), junior Ali Diamond (8.0 ppg) and senior Lauren Coscia (7.3) add to a dangerous attack.

How they got here:

After an opening round bye, Plymouth Whitemarsh earned a 59-48 win over #14 Coatesville in the second round. Taylor O’Brien scored 17 of her game-high 28 points in the first half as the Colonials used an 18-6 second quarter to go into halftime with a 34-16 lead. Lauren Fortescue added 15 points.
In a quarterfinal game, Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated #11 Council Rock North 56-48, rallying from a six-point halftime deficit to outscore the Indians 34-20 in the second half. Taylor O’Brien – who had 12 of her team’s 22 points in the first half – led all scorers. Ali Diamond (15 points) and Lauren Fortescue (12 points) also came up huge.
In a semifinal contest, Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated #7 Central Bucks South 43-42. The Colonials, who led 23-19 at halftime, took a 35-26 lead into the final quarter when the Titans staged a late rally. Lauren Fortescue buried a foul shot to give the Colonials a 43-42 lead, and the Titans misfired on a pair of shots for the win. Laurel Suchsland, who had three three-pointers, led a balanced attack with 11 points while junior Taylor O’Brien had 10. Fortescue added nine and Lauren Coscia had eight.

Abington

21-5 overall
10-2 SOL National Conference second place behind Council Rock North
Led by University of Delaware-bound Lizzie O’Leary (13.7 ppg), junior Sam Brusha (11.4 ppg) and sophomore Kassondra Brown (11.1 ppg)
Ghosts have won 16 of their last 17 games with only loss to #2 Boyertown (49-54).

How they got here:

In the opening round, Abington raced to a 45-9 halftime lead on its way to a 66-23 rout of #24 Kennett. Lizzie Oleary (16 points), Sam Brusha (13) and Kassondra Brown (10) all finished in double figures while Britney James (7), Tamia Wessels (6) and Camryn Lexow (6) also contributed.
In the second round, Abington defeated #8 Souderton 44-36, outscoring the Indians 13-4 in the fourth quarter. Point guard Britney James led the Ghosts with 11 points while Kassondra Brown and Jordyn Allen had eight each.
In a quarterfinal game, Abington defeated #1 North Penn 51-44, opening up a one-point halftime lead and closing out the game with a 26-13 run. Sam Brusha’s 16 points led the Ghosts while their bigs, Lizzie Oleary (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Kassondra Brown (10 points, eight rebounds), dominated the paint.
In a semifinal game, Abington defeated #5 Central Bucks West 55-48. The Ghosts, who trailed 13-8 after one quarter, used a 23-11 seconds quarter to go into halftime with a 31-24 lead, and they led the rest of the way. Kassondra Brown (16 points, 17 rebounds), Lizzie Oleary (12 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Sam Brusha (16 points) led the way.

Coach Dan Marsh says: “PW is very well coached. They can be very good at running their stuff if we let them, but we can’t let them. We need to make sure we dictate the pace and go from there. It’s nothing new. We want to get after it from the very beginning.”