Central Bucks East notched an impressive road win in Saturday’s opening round District 1 6A game at West Chester Henderson. (Photos courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball)
CLASS 6A
#17 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 56, #16 WEST CHESTER HENDERSON 51
Anna Barry is a dangerous offensive weapon, and teams hoping to defeat the Patriots know that first and foremost they must contain the junior sharpshooter.
The Warriors knew all about Barry, but they really couldn’t do anything to stop her. The junior guard scored seven first-quarter points to spot the visiting Patriots an early lead. It turned out to be a preview of good things to come.
By halftime, Barry had nine points and the Patriots led 33-22, and she was just getting started, scoring 15 second-half points for a game-high 24 to lead East to a first round win.
A win in the opening round of the District 1 6A Tournament is an especially big one since it guarantees the Patriots at least two more games with 12 of the 16 teams remaining earning a ticket to the state tournament.
“Any win is a good win,” East coach Liz Potash said. “And it’s always good to win this time of year, so we’re grateful to still be playing.
“Anna led the way for us offensively, but we had nice contributions from Kendall (Gregor) and some timely shooting by others to get the team win.”
Sparked by the hot hand of Barry, the Patriots raced out of the gate to a 17-10 lead after one quarter. Barry had seven points in the frame, and Gregor added five points while Shayne LeRay buried a 3-pointer. In a 16-point second quarter, the Patriots began what would be a productive afternoon at the foul line, burying 9 of 10 in the quarter and 13 of 14 for the half. Chantal Van Dongeren led the way, connecting on 5 of 6 at the foul line – all in the second quarter.
The Warriors’ offense came alive in the third quarter, and behind a pair of 3s from Lilli Bertrando, they outscored the Patriots 16-9 and trailed by just a 42-38 score heading into the final frame.
Henderson trimmed East’s lead to two, but once again, the Patriots were clutch at the foul line. Barry led the way in the fourth quarter, burying 4 of 5 and scoring eight points to help the Patriots maintain their lead until the final horn.
“We shot really well from the foul line, connecting on 21 of 25 attempts,” Potash said.
Included in Barry’s 24-point performance was a 10-for-11 showing at the foul line, a reward for her willingness to attack the basket. She had a pair of threes and also scored on some mid-range shots. Gregor added 13 points, which included a 6-for-6 effort at the foul line.
The Patriots’ reward for Saturday’s opening round win is a date with top-seeded Perkiomen Valley in Wednesday’s second round.
“We certainly will have our hands full on Wednesday when we take on Perk Valley, but we’re excited to buy our five seniors at least another week of practice and games,” Potash said.
With Saturday’s win, the Patriots are 16-7 overall, underscoring their improvement since last year’s 10-win season and a first round district exit at the hands of Spring-Ford.
Central Bucks East (16-7, 10-6 SOL) will travel to Perkiomen Valley on Wednesday.
Central Bucks East 17-16-9-14 56
WC Henderson 10-12-16-13 51
Central Bucks East (56) – Erin LeRay 2 0-0 4; Sydney Ralph 0 0-1 0; Natalie Berndt 2 0-1 5; Shayne LeRay 2 0-0 5; Anna Barry 6 10-11 24; Chantal Van Dongeren 0 5-6 5; Kendall Gregor 3 6-6 13; TOTALS 15 21-25 56.
WC Henderson (51) – Kaitlyn Miller 1 0-0 3; Lilly Person 1 0-0 2; Whitney Evans 5 4-6 16; Rivera 3 1-2 7; Jackie Shea 2 1-2 5; Lilli Bertrando 5 1-2 13; Bailey Schalleur 1 3-4 5; TOTALS 18 10-16 51.
3-point goals: CBE – Anna Barry 2, Natalie Berndt, Shayne LeRay, Kendall Gregor; WCH – Whitney Evans 2, Lilli Bertrando 2, Kaitlyn Miller.
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