Upper Dublin will take on the Mount in a District One AAAA semifinal game Wednesday while Souderton will attempt to keep its season alive. North Penn, Pennsbury and CB West will be in action as well.
By Mary Jane Souder
The Flying Cardinals and their Bird Gang.
It’s been a perfect combination during an impressive playoff run for the Upper Dublin girls’ basketball team, which has played to a packed house in its last two district wins.
“The fans are just ridiculous these days,” senior Lauren Rothfeld said. “We post on Facebook the theme for the night, and they go above and beyond what we expected. Their screaming, their energy just makes us more excited and makes us get off to a better start.
“They are half the reason why we have been doing so well in the playoffs so far. It’s the kind of thing you see in the movies. You walk through the hallways, and people are high fiving you, saying ‘good game, great shooting’ and stuff like that. It’s really cool to see a girls’ sport getting that much attention.”
The Flying Cardinals have certainly merited the attention they’ve been getting. After dropping their first game of the season, they have reeled off 25 wins in a row, and none have been more impressive than their playoff wins over Abington (58-28) and North Penn (42-26).
“When I first met with the girls in late July after I found out I got the job, they had a quiet confidence,” coach Morgan Funsten said. “You wouldn’t call it cockiness, but they had a confidence about them.
“I felt going into the season it was my job to keep them as level-headed as possible and to understand that nothing is going to just be given to us. What I thought was maybe going to be an issue of overconfidence – I found the opposite was true. I don’t need to stay on them about being level-headed because they are an even-keeled group of girls who don’t get too high and don’t get too low when situations come up.”
While Funsten was a new face at the helm, Regan Gallagher, a junior transfer from Mount St. Joseph Academy, was a new face on the team.
“Regan was able to play 15 fall league games with the girls, and by the time the season started, Regan didn’t feel so new to us, and I didn’t feel as new to everybody,” Funsten said.
For Gallagher, the transition to a new school and team was relatively seamless.
“From the first day of school, we had open gyms a few times a week,” she said. “That made it really easy to get to know the girls. Everyone was really welcoming.
“At the same time – since it was a new coach, everyone was trying to adjust at the same time, so it wasn’t very difficult.”
It didn’t take long for Gallagher to realize she was part of something special.
“Even at the (first) tournament, I thought we were way better than everyone thought we were going to be,” she said.
Along the way, the Flying Cardinals developed that all-important intangible known as good chemistry.
“It just happened,” Rothfeld said. “The seniors on the team have been playing together forever. Having Regan come into it – we just lost a big post in Jen Myers, and we thought, ‘This will be great.’
“We weren’t going to leave Regan hanging out to drive, and we welcomed her 100 percent. She fit in perfectly. It wasn’t like she was new. We definitely needed someone like her to come in, and it’s been perfect ever since.”
The team’s chemistry, according to Gallagher, has been especially important in recent outings.
“We’ve had a lot of fans, and it’s really hard to hear on the court,” she said. “Knowing each other has really helped. Just in general – I can tell when Tuga (Curtrena Goff) is going to pass it to me, or I can tell when Lauren is going to shoot, so I start to box out. Different things like that.
“The fans are amazing. They’re easily the best fans I’ve ever played in front of. They definitely get us completely pumped. The Abington game I honestly think it made the difference in the game. We were so ready when we came out.”
The ever-growing student fan section – the Bird Gang - has been a playoff phenomenon.
“They first came out at the Ridley playoff game,” Funsten said. “It was a nice basketball crowd. The student section got into it a little bit. There were some chants.
“It was nice. The girls finally felt like, ‘Hey, people are starting to notice us a little bit.’ Then Abington last week was when it got out of control – in a good way. The kids came dressed up. They had a ‘silent night.’ They packed the student section that is normally pretty empty.
“Now there’s a buzz about us around school. A lot of teachers and administrators have come out to support us. A lot of community members are coming to games to the point where our game against North Penn was pretty much a sellout, and we don’t have a small gym. It’s really neat. It’s bringing kids together in the school that normally wouldn’t come out to a basketball game and wouldn’t support the girls basketball program.”
Wednesday night’s district semifinal promises to be an especially interesting one for Gallagher as she takes the court against her former Mount teammates.
“I always knew there was a slight chance this could happen because we played Upper Dublin when I was a freshman, but I never thought it would happen,” Gallagher said. “And if we did, I didn’t think it would be this important of a game.
“We are completely prepared. It should be interesting. I’ve never had to play against any of those girls before.”
“She might be a little timid at first,” Rothfeld said of Gallagher. “But she has to know we’re her team now. We 100 percent have her back.”
Tip-off for Wednesday’s showdown against the Mount. is 6 p.m. at Norristown High School.
#2 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY vs. #3 UPPER DUBLIN (Norristown High School, 6 p.m.)
Upper Dublin
- 14-0 SOL, 25-1 overall
- SOL American Conference Champions under first-year coach Morgan Funsten
- Only loss was in season opener to Central Dauphin East (56-62) at the Upper Darby Royal Classic
- Highlights of regular season include a convincing non-league win over #31 Bensalem (63-37) and topping 17th-seeded Norristown by double-digits twice
- Take a 25-game winning streak into Wednesday’s semifinal game.
How they got here: The Flying Cardinals defeated 30th-seeded Ridley 46-32 in the opening round. Curtrena Goff (18 points, four assists), Lauren Rothfeld (11 points, four steals) and Regan Gallagher (seven points, seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks) had big games for the Cards. In second round action, the Cards jumped out to a 22-6 lead at the end of one quarter and led 32-11 at halftime on their way to a 58-28 win over 14th-seeded Abington. Gallagher led the Cardinals with 17 points (7-of-8 from field), 11 rebounds and six 
blocked shots. Goff had 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Brianna Specter had 13 points and six rebounds. Rothfield had 11 points, which included three three’s. In Saturday’s quarterfinal 42-26 win over North Penn, senior point guard Curtrena Goff scored a game-high 14 points to go along with seven rebounds while Rothfeld connected on three three-pointers in the first half.
Players to watch: Curtrena Goff (14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.6 assists, 2.2 steals), Brianna Spector (7.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 assists), Lauren Rothfeld (6.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 steals), Regan Gallagher (10.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.3 steals), Kayla McAneney (6.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals)
Coach Morgan Funsten says: “The key will be containing Alex Louin, a six-foot guard that does it all. She’s such a tough matchup because of her length, her ballhandling. Every aspect of her game is excellent. She obviously is the key to their success, but they also surround her with very, very good basketball players. It’s not a fluke that they’re 25-2. She obviously leads the way. If we’re able to contain her, then we have a chance of winning. If we’re unable to contain her, we’re really going to have trouble winning the game.”
Mount St. Joseph’s
- 25-2 overall
- Highlights of the season include a 45-40 win over Merion Mercy in the Catholic Academies semifinal and a 57-41 win over Villa Maria to capture the Catholic Academies title.
- Only losses have come at the hands of top-seeded Spring-Ford and Cumberland Valley
- Led by the dangerous Alex Louin, a 6-foot junior guard
How they got here: The Mount downed 31st-seeded Bensalem 73-37 in an opening round game. Meg Geatens (23 points) and Louin (18 points) led the way. In their 49-44 second round win over Central Bucks East, Louin had 19 points and nine rebounds, and Libby Tacka added 10 points. The Mount destroyed Boyertown in Saturday’s quarterfinal 62-24. Louin had 17 points, Adrienne Cellucci added 16 and Geatens had 10.
#11 SOUDERTON at #10 GARNET VALLEY
Souderton
- 11-3 SOL, 18-7 overall
- Third in the Continental Conference behind co-champs CB West and North Penn
- Highlights of the season included a come-from-behind victory over eighth-seeded CB West 44-41 and non-league wins over fourth-seeded Neshaminy (38-31) and 19th-seeded Perk Valley (41-38)
How they got here: The Indians downed Central Bucks South 51-37 in an opening round game. Junior Bianca Picard scored 22 points, which included 14 in the first half. Junior Allison Gallagher added 14 points, six steals and four rebounds. In Wednesday’s second round, Souderton fell to sixth-seeded North Penn 35-34. Libby Wetzler and Katie O’Connor led the Indians with eight points each. The Indians rebounded to defeat Abington 43-34 in last Friday’s playback. Gallagher led all scorers with 16 points, which included an 8-for-8 effort at the line. Picard (12 points), O’Connor (seven points) and Sarah Derstein (six points) also contributed.
Players to watch: Bianca Picard (11.9 PPG), Allison Gallagher (12.0), Katie O’Connor (6.2), Libby Wetzler (5.8), Sarah Derstein (7.4)
Coach Lynn Carroll says: “This is an exciting position to be in. We're not ready for our season to end yet, and we plan on going out and working hard against a well-coached team with a very good point guard. This is a special team and it would be great to extend our season a little further.”
Garnet Valley
- 17-8 overall
- Top-seeded team out of Central League
- Highlights of regular season include wins over Conestoga (44-38) and Springfield-Delco (44-30).
- Winners of eight of last 10 games.
How they got here: Garnet Valley defeated 23rd-seeded Downingtown East 50-48 in opening round game. Coley Ricci, the Jaguars 1,000-point scorer, led the way with 21 points. In second round action, the Jaguars fell to seventh-seeded Boyertown 47-38. Ricci scored 15 points, which included three three’s. In a playback game last Saturday, the Jaguars ousted Central Bucks East, thanks to their 40-32 win. Ricci led the way with 10 points while Maddy Ireland had nine and Jordan Ireland, eight points.
#7 BOYERTOWN at #6 NORTH PENN
North Penn
- 12-2 SOL, 21-4 overall
- Co-champs of SOL Continental Conference for the first time since 1996
- 2012 District 1 AAAA runner-up to Spring-Ford
- Highlights of the season include winning the championship of their own tournament and a key victory over 8th-seeded CB West to clinch a share of the league title (69-62)
- Opened the season 10-0
How they got here: The Maidens defeated Upper Merion 47-28 in the opening round. Lauren Crisler led the Maidens with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Vicky Tumasz added 10 points. In the second round, the Maidens edged 11th-seeded Souderton 35-34. Crisler (13 points, six rebounds), Erin Maher (11 points, eight rebounds) and Mikaela Giuliani (six points, nine rebounds) led the Maidens. On Saturday’s quarterfinals, the Maidens fell to third-seeded Upper Dublin 42-26. Crisler’s eight points led the Maidens.
Players to watch: Lauren Crisler (15.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG), Vicky Tumasz (11.5 PPG, 38 three-pointers), Mikaela Giuliani (7.0 PPG), Erin Maher (6.2 PPG), Jenn Halcovage (4.5 PPG)
Boyertown
- 10-3 Pac-10, 18-8 overall
- Finished third in the Liberty Division after losing PAC-10 semifinals to top-seeded Spring-Ford (58-61)
- Highlights of season include double overtime victories over 14th-seeded Abington (58-54) at the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic and also 5th-seeded Methacton (66-65)
- Led by the PAC-10’s second-leading scorer Kaitlyn Eisenhard (16.0 PPG with 15 three-pointers)
How they got here: Boyertown defeated Wissahickon 52-33 in the opening round. Kaitlyn Eisenhard led the way with 13 points, and Kaitlyn Dehaven added 10. In the Bears 47-38 win over Garnet Valley in the second round, Eisenhard had 22 points and Dehaven added eight. The Bears were humbled by Mount St. Joseph 62-24 in last Saturday’s quarterfinals. Eisenhard scored six points to become the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,368 points. Dee Terry led the Bears with seven points.
#20 PENNSBURY at #8 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST
Central Bucks West
- 12-2 SOL, 18-6 overall
- Co-Champions of SOL Continental Conference for first time since 1999
- Highlights of the season include winning the Abington Lady Ghosts Tournament after defeating 17th -seeded Norristown (49-36) and 14th-seeded Abington (51-43) as well as victories over 6th-seeded North Penn (58-47) and 11th-seeded Souderton (47-44)
How they got here: The Bucks defeated #25th-seeded Great Valley 62-30 in an opening round game. Mackenzie Carroll (14 points) and Nicole Munger (13 points) led the offense. Maggie Gratz added eight points and eight rebounds, Cait Mautz had seven points and Corrinne Godshall added six points and 11 rebounds. In their 52-45 come-from-behind second round win over Springfield (Delco), the Bucks were led by Carroll (13 points) and Calypso Carty (11 points). In Friday’s 60-45 quarterfinal loss to top-seeded Spring-Ford, the Maidens fell behind early, trailing 24-9 late in the first quarter. They played the Rams even the rest of the way. Sophomore point guard Nicole Munger shared game scoring honors with 19 points.
Players to watch: Seniors: Kat Bahner (4.2 PPG), Calypso Carty (4.5), Maggie Gratz (8.1), Cait Mautz (4.0), Katie McLaughlin (injured reserve), Junior: Taylor Moylan, Sophomores: Corrinne Godshall (6.4), Mackenzie Carroll (11.6), Nicole Munger (11.4), Peyton Traina (6.3)
Pennsbury
- 8-6 SOL, 14-11 overall
- Finished fourth in National Conference
- Highlights of the regular season include a pair of league wins over 13th-seeded Council Rock South (45-28) and fourth-seeded Neshaminy, handing them one of only two league losses (52-42)
- Won five in a row to start the 2012-2013 season
How they got here: Pennsbury upset 13th-seeded Council Rock South 54-48 in its district opener. Junior Sajanna Bethea turned in a stellar 30-point, 19-rebound effort that included four three-pointers, including a trey to knot the score in regulation. The Falcons pulled off another upset in their second round game with a 48-41 win over fourth-seeded Neshaminy. Bethea, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark early in the game, led the Falcons with 22 points. In last Saturday’s 40-31 quarterfinal loss to West Chester Rustin, Kaitlin Kelly led the Falcons with 12 points while Bethea had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Players to watch: Starters: Sajanna Bethea (16.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG), Kaitlin Kelly (9.0 PPG, 39 three-pointers), Carly Kovin, Courtney Kruscavage, Alexa Lukas, Key reserves: Taylor Ferguson, Catherine Silvernail, Emily Edwards, Sarah McDonald.
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