North Penn girls’ basketball advanced to the PIAA 6A semifinals while Pennsbury earned a berth in the PIAA 6A Tournament. Neshaminy/Pennsbury photos courtesy of Jesse Garber: https://jsgarber.zenfolio.com/p194266100
Class 6A quarterfinals
#5 NORTH PENN 46, #4 HAVERFORD 41
Caleigh Sperling was on some kind of offensive tear.
The Knights’ senior set the tone for a dazzling performance, putting 12 points on the board in the opening quarter. For good measure, she was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe with time winding down in the fourth quarter and the game on the line. Sperling led all scorers with 28 points.
“Just her versatility on offense and her experience as a senior definitely helps, but she takes games like this very personal and puts it on her back,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “This is something that she wanted and found different ways to score, and she was moving well off the ball. They face guarded her most of the game. We were doing a good job of setting screens to set her up, but once she got the ball, she was making the right decisions.”
The win did not come easily. The Knights trailed 36-32 with just 3:40 remaining. Olivia Stone buried a 3-pointer with a minute remaining in regulation to give the Knights a lead they would not lose. The game was far from over, however, and it took some heroics by Sperling at the foul line to seal the deal.
“It could have been really easy to give up, especially when we were down in the fourth quarter,” Sperling said. “But we worked really hard to get back, driving to the basket and getting to the foul line in the fourth quarter. Liv (Stone) hit a really big 3 to put us up. It was just exciting.”
Added Stone, “They had the lead in the fourth quarter, and I feel like they had the momentum in the second half. The first half both teams were competitive, but the second half was going to decide the game, so I think us working together, Caleigh obviously hitting those free throws and being dominant the whole game and us keeping our composure through their run in the fourth quarter was really important for us.”
The Knights, according to Cullen, are battle tested.
“We were 7-for-8 from the foul line in the last minute, which was huge,” the Knights’ coach said. “I would absolutely say that the strength of our conference, the games we see and the excellent coaches we see along the way – it’s prepared us for these situations. A year ago, two years ago, I would have been pretty confident that we wouldn’t pull it out, but after years of situations like this against very good teams, I don’t think they were ever rattled.
“That’s a hard place to play. I’d never been there. It’s a small gym – it was packed for a Saturday afternoon game, and the girls never seemed rattled, which was nice because even at the beginning of the year, I think that would have broken us quickly.”
Early on, the Knights and Fords were deadlocked at 13 after one period, but the Knights took a 23-19 lead into the break. The Fords rallied to knot the score 30-30 heading into the final quarter.
The emotions when the final horn sounded were mixed – but all were good for the Knights.
“It kind of just felt like a relief since the game was so back and forth at the end,” Sperling said. “It was pretty close, but we were up the majority of the game.”
Added Stone, “Oh my gosh, I was so excited. The whole season we’ve been talking about getting to this point, getting to this place, and for it to finally happen for us to get this big win against a good team – Haverford is a great team. They’re so talented. For us to come back and win this game, it was so exciting.
“After the Kennett game, that gave us some confidence because a couple games before were pretty rough. Even going to Haverford, our whole team felt pretty confident. We knew we weren’ going to just walk in there and win, but we knew it was a winnable game, so that also helped with some confidence.”
Included in Sperling’s 28 points was an 11-for-12 effort at the foul line. She scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.
“It feels really good because we’ve been working so hard this season,” Sperling said. “I think not allowing ourselves to give up the whole game was really important for us.
“I don’t know if I ever pictured going this far, but I feel like we came together so much as a team. We’ve just been playing so well together.”
Stone added eight points for the Knights, whose 24th win might have been their biggest.
“This is what we do the whole season for – this is what we work towards,” Cullen said. “So to get to this point, it just shows how hard they worked was worth something.”
A lesson in ‘sticking together’
Not to be lost in the shuffle was an assignment Cullen gave her team prior to Saturday’s game.
“Our coach made us read this book, which sounds cheesy,” Stone said with a laugh. “We had to read the book before our game on Wednesday, and it was all about playing as a team, coming together, sticking together.
“Even though it was corny, and it’s a cheesy book, I think it did really kept us together, and the message in the book really worked.”
The name of the book: Sticking Together: A Simple Lesson to Build a Stronger Team.
“I did make them read the book,” said Cullen, noting that her entire team read it. “It’s a fun little book. I just know this time of year – the girls are tired, the bench is tired, you’re practicing, and you might not be playing. I tried to give them a reminder that every single person is equally important even if you don’t play and got us here just as much as the five on the floor. In that moment today, I said, ‘This is why we read the book – for this moment right here.’”
Successful teams invariably talk about good chemistry, and this team, according to Stone, has it.
“Our coaching staff has really done a great job of instilling in us this desire to win and keep winning,” Stone said. “The past two years – even though we struggled, that has motivated us more – not to prove everyone wrong – but show everyone that we’re a good team and want to win and go as far as we can.
“It’s literally such a great senior year – I can’t even…”
A tall order
North Penn’s reward for winning Saturday’s game is a trip to top-seeded Perkiomen Valley. The Vikings boast a 25-1 record and – by all accounts – are as good as their record. They are heavy favorites to win the District 1 6A title, and finding themselves in the role of underdog is just fine with Cullen.
“I’d prefer to go into a game like that,” Cullen said. “This entire year now that we’ve had a pretty decent season – people expect us to win. We’ve put the pressure on ourselves, so to go in an environment where there’s no pressure – we’ve secured a spot in states, we’re coming off a great win, that’s the best-case scenario.
“I think today’s game was a reminder to them that they’re a competitive team. You’re not just winning games because the other team isn’t as strong. You’re winning games because you’re earning it. Today’s game we had to earn. Haverford was very well prepared, and they’re very talented.”
The players say they’re looking forward to the opportunity to play the best.
“I’ve been telling everyone – they’re the ones everyone says are supposed to win,” Stone said. “If we walk in there with nothing to lose, you never know what can happen.”
“We have nothing to lose,” Sperling said. “It’s so exciting.”
North Penn (23-3, 18-1 SOL) will travel to Perkiomen Valley on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game.
North Penn 13-10-7-16 46
Haverford 13-6-11-11 41
North Penn (46) – Caleigh Sperling 7 11-12 28; Lily Brown 2 1-2 5; Leah Mikulski 2 0-0 5; Olivia Stone 2 3-4 8; TOTALS 13 15-18 46.
Haverford (41) – Aniya Eberhart 2 2-2 6; Ashley Wright 5 3-4 13; Natalie Wright 2 0-0 4; Rian Dotsey 7 4-5 18; TOTALS 16 9-11 41.
3-point goals: NP – Caleigh Sperling 3, Leah Mikulski, Olivia Stone.
#6 SPRING-FORD 44, #3 UPPER DUBLIN 39
As beginnings go, the Flying Cardinals got off to a good one in Saturday’s District 1 6A quarterfinal, opening up a 17-8 lead after one quarter. But then came the second and third quarters when they scored just seven points in the two quarters combined, and although they battled gamely, they came up just short.
“The start couldn’t have been any better,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “The Neshaminy game (in the SOL Tournament title game) – we shot a terrible percentage, but we also weren’t getting great shots. I liked the shots we got today. Unfortunately, they just weren’t dropping in the second and third quarters.
“I thought we gave up on a couple of possessions defensively in the second quarter that got us. It was just compounding mistakes we made on the offensive end and then not getting back on defense or not boxing out. That’s something we’ve got to get better at. The effort in the fourth quarter and the second half in general – I’m very proud of the girls.”
Senior Amy Ngo was the catalyst in UD’s fast start, burying a pair of 3s and scoring eight points in the opening quarter. The visiting Rams took advantage of the Cards’ shooting woes to outscore their hosts 18-4 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 26-21 lead.
Things didn’t improve offensively in a third quarter that saw the Cards score just three points on a 3-for-6 effort at the foul line. The Cards shot a combined 0-for-20 in the middle two quarters, but despite their offensive woes, they trailed by just a 33-24 score heading into the final quarter when things got very interesting.
Freshman Tamia Clark went on a personal 9-3 tear to open the third quarter, burying a 3-pointer, two foul shots, a turnaround in the paint and a putback that made it a 36-33 game. The Rams stretched their lead to 39-33 after a three-point play, but Ngo connected on a 3-pointer to make it a 39-36 game. A 3-point attempt for the tie by Clark went in and out.
Spring-Ford upped its lead to 41-36, but Brighid Brady connected on a a 3 to make it a 41-39 game with a minute remaining. The Cards would get no closer.
Funsten was not surprised by his team’s resiliency.
“It all comes down to your leadership,” the UD coach said. “I think we have great senior leadership with Amy and the Bradys. I thought they did a great job of staying positive with the rest of our team today through some tough times.
“I don’t think Tamia has a breakout fourth quarter like she did if she doesn’t have the support of those older girls. You lean on your seniors a lot every year, and you hope that they can pull you through tough times. They’ve done a great job all year, and in these playback games and when we get to states, I expect them to do the same.
“We know we’re not done playing yet. We’re really disappointed. I know Spring-Ford is one of the top teams in the state, and we were right there.”
The team’s two freshman – Clark and Bridget DiMartile – dominated the backboards with each pulling down 11 rebounds. Clark also had nine points – all in the fourth quarter. Nora Brady added five rebounds.
Ngo led the team in scoring with 16 points, and she also had five assists. Brighid Brady added eight points. Underscoring the Cards’ shooting woes is the fact that they were 3-for-19 from 2-point range for the game.
Upper Dublin (24-3, 16-0 SOL) will host #7 Garnet Valley in a playback game on Tuesday.
Spring-Ford 8-18-7-11 44
Upper Dublin 17-4-3-15 39
Spring-Ford (44) – Kareena Preuss 3 2-2 8; Aaliyah Solliday 2 0-0 4; Anna Azzara 3 5-7 11; Katie Tiffan 5 4-5 15; Christina Tiffan 1 1-4 3; Mac Pettinelli 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 15 12-18 44.
Upper Dublin (39) – Brighid Brady 2 2-2 8; Bridget DiMartile 1 0-0 3; Tamia Clark 3 2-4 9; Amy Ngo 3 7-8 16; Nora Brady 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 10 12-15 39.
3-point goals: SF – Katie Tiffan, Mac Pettinelli; UD – Amy Ngo 3, Brighid Brady 2, Tamia Clark, Nora Brady.
Class 6A playbacks
#16 PENNSBURY 33, #9 NESHAMINY 28
They were singing in the postgame locker room. Whether it was “Unwritten” or “Murder on the Dancefloor” or any one of the countless songs in their repertoire – they insist it was nothing unusual.
“We always sing – before games, after games, halftime, at practice,” Layla Matthias said. “We do it all the time.”
“In the huddle – sometimes I’ll let loose,” Sofia Vitucci said.
On Saturday, it was their way of celebrating, and the Falcons certainly had reason to celebrate after their huge win over their archrival in a high stakes playback game in front of a full house at Neshaminy.
“It was do or die,” Matthias said.
The Falcons won and earned a coveted berth in the state tournament because they threw some serious let’s-create-havoc defense at the Redskins, who twice had defeated them during the regular season.
“In all my years here, our main point has been defense,” Matthias said. “It’s always defense first, and we went away from that for a couple of games.
“We knew we had to lock in for this game because of the great players on Neshaminy. Defense is our go-to. Defense or nothing.”
“Everyone was locked in defensively and really did what they had to do,” Vitucci said. “They have great players over there. They’re hard to take out, they’re going to get away and do what they do because they’re good, but I think we kept our composure and were on them for the most part.”
The Redskins threw some defense of their own at the Falcons, who managed just 13 first-half points, but that was enough to go into halftime with a six-point lead as the Redskins scored just seven.
“Our games against them in the season were much higher scoring game, but this was more in our ballpark, and we were more in control,” Vitucci said. “In a way it reminded me of last year how we just took everything away from them. We took away their sets – we rarely lost people, we were in help when we should have been, and that’s huge for us. They had runs, but we just had to stay composed.”
A bucket by Neshaminy’s Grace Weyler made it a 19-13 game late in the third quarter, but Ava Jordan answered with a bucket for the Falcons. A three-point play by Vitucci upped the Falcons’ lead to 24-13, but a three by freshman Mia Raivich made it a 24-16 game after three quarters.
“We did a couple things,” Pennsbury coach Frank Scoilla said. “We started Ava Jordan tonight, and we haven’t started her before this year. We did that because of her length and athleticism, and we thought we could make things difficult for them. Neshaminy sets more fade screens than any team in District 1. We made a decision to switch on all fade screens and come out high, so Reese Zemitis wouldn’t get that look from the 3-point line.”
Jordan, according to the Falcons’ coach, wasn’t guarding Zemitis.
“She was out there as another person in the switches,” Sciolla said. “We had Ava on Lola (Ibarrondo). We thought her length would make things difficult for Lola because she’s such a good player with her left hand getting downhill. I thought we did a really good job – we wanted to make it about the other kids. The other piece was we rebounded the ball well in the first half.
“The other adjustment – we put Maggie Burns, who’s our best athlete, on Alena Cofield. They play on the same AAU team together. We literally designated a person to try and keep her off the boards because she’s so effective, and we were solid with that. She didn’t get the normal offensive rebounds she killed us with in game one.”
Things got real interesting in the fourth quarter, and when Zemitis buried a 3 from the top of the circle midway through the frame, the Falcons’ lead was trimmed to 26-21. Vitucci took the inbounds coast to coast for a bucket and a seven-point Falcon lead.
“A few of their girls were in foul trouble, so I was like – here’s the lane, I’m going to take it, I’m going to go with confidence,” Vitucci said. “There are a few situations where you do pull it out, but this was one where I was like – I can take this, and I can do it.”
A three-pointer by Ibarrondo made it a 28-24 game with 2:12 remaining, and that score stood until Vitucci buried a pair at the foul line a minute later. A putback by Zemitis pulled the Redskins to within four with 58 seconds remaining. Jordan sank 1 of 2 at the line, to make it a 31-26 game with 38 seconds remaining. Cofield scored on a drive to pull the Redskins to within three with 16 seconds remaining. Again, Vitucci was ice at the foul line, burying a pair to seal the Redskins’ fate.
“We had a lot of layups – if those layups go down, obviously, it becomes a different game, but it was a night where they were not going down, but I was proud how we played through that,” Sciolla said. “We kept getting stops, we never lost Reese. We kept finding Lola. That’s the type of intelligence you’ll have with a senior-dominated team.
“We also have one of the best players in the league, and you’re normally going to be in the mix if you have that. In the last couple of minutes of the game, she made plays breaking their pressure, she knocked her free throws down, she made big shots. Sofia is elite. What she does in terms of how she has to play – she elevates us.”
Vitucci’s 22 points led all players and included a 6-for-7 effort at the foul line.
“It is a great win – we’re going to states again,” Sciolla said. “This is the third year in a row we’ve been at this point, and it’s exciting – we don’t take it for granted. Win or lose, you hate to play these guys because one of us has to go home.
“I was happy about the crowd. You knew we were going to bring people. We made the call, and the call was answered. In my time here, Reese and Lola have had two of the best careers anyone’s had. Ava Irizarry, a senior, was really good for them too. They won our league, and they won our league tournament. They had a great year. It hit me this morning – it’s very sudden when it’s over. You don’t get to be with these kids. As hard as it was to play against Reese and Lola – God, I respect how good they are, how they play and their class. We’re really going to miss them, and I hate the fact that they’re not in it because they deserved a state run. It’s tough.”
When it comes to rivalries, there are few – if any – better than the Pennsbury/Neshaminy rivalry.
“It goes back – I’ve been playing them for as long as I can remember,” Vitucci said. “I think I was playing those girls before middle school. There was the Maple Point rivalry. It’s kind of embedded in us from a young age.
“We went to the high school games when we were younger,” Matthias said. “I went to a different middle school, but I still came to the Pennsbury games to see that intensity and that drive.”
On Saturday, that intensity was on full display in front of a full house.
“It’s awesome,” Vitucci said. “Whether they’re cheering for us or against us – it’s just amazing.”
Zemitis led the Redskins with 10 points, and Ibarrondo had eight points.
“It was such a great season, a historical season for Neshaminy, and the fact that it came down to this – this isn’t the way we wanted it to end,” Zemitis said. “The atmosphere and the teammates we have – it just makes everything so much better and makes you want to show up every day and be better. I’m going to miss it so much, but I’m so grateful we got to have the type of season we did.”
Pennsbury (18-8, 11-5 SOL) will travel to Kennett for a playback game for state seeding purposes. Neshaminy – winners of the SOL Patriot Division title and the SOL Tournament crown – closed out its season with a 22-6 record overall.
Pennsbury 8-5-11-9 33
Neshaminy 2-5-9-12 28
Pennsbury (33) – Layla Matthias 1 0-0 2; Maggie Burns 1 0-0 2; Sofia Vitucci 7 6-7 22; Dnaiella MacDonald 1 0-0 2; Ava Jordan 2 1-4 5; TOTALS 12 7-11 33.
Neshaminy (28) – Grace Weyler 2 0-0 4; Alena Cofield 1 0-0 2; Lola Ibarrondo 3 0-0 8; Mia Raivich 1 1-2 4; Reese Zemitis 4 0-0 10; TOTALS 11 1-2 28.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Sofia Vitucci 2; Neshaminy – Lola Ibarrondo 2, Reese Zemitis 2, Mia Raivich.
#10 WEST CHESTER HENDERSON 57, #18 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 56 (OT)
The Golden Hawks broke a halftime tie with a 21-point third quarter and took a 43-35 lead into the final quarter when the Warriors rallied to knot the score and then won it in overtime.
“We played really well offensively and built an eight-point lead going into the fourth quarter,” Rock South coach Jesse Krasna said. “Kathryn O’Kane, Lil Metrick and Fiona Reckner stepped up to lead us on that end. I think we got a little tight late in the game and stopped looking to score, which is tough when your opponent is pressuring and trapping to get back in the game because they’re basically daring you to go lay them up. We weren’t able to take advantage, but Henderson deserves a ton of credit because they didn’t quit and hit big shots to claw their way back and to send the game to overtime. They showed why they are the Ches-Mont champs.”
Kathryn O’Kane’s 19 points led the Hawks. She scored 10 points in the first half that saw the Hawks battle the Warriors to a 22-22 halftime tie.
Fiona Reckner and Liliana Metrick both added 14 points. Reckner scored 10 of her points after the break. Included in Metrick’s 14 points were three 3-pointers.
“We scored more than enough to win this game but had trouble executing defensively and stops were hard to come by,” Krasna said. “Their point guard Whitney Evans was tremendous. We really didn’t have an answer for her, and when she wasn’t scoring, she was setting up her teammates for easy scores.
“Our girls played with a lot of heart all season long which is why we were able to compete versus strong teams despite our lack of size, and all you can ask from your players is to battle. I feel bad because I think I could’ve done more to help this group play smarter and as a more cohesive unit, which ultimately held us back from closing out more of these wire games like this one today.”
Evans led all scorers with 28 points, 19 after halftime.
Council Rock South closed out its season with a record of 15-10 overall.
Council Rock South 11-11-21-7-6 56
West Chester Henderson 12-10-13-15-7 57
Council Rock South (56) – Liliana Metrick 4 3-4 14; Lily Bross 2 0-0 5; Haley Thompson 1 0-0 2; Miranda Cantor 0 2-2 2 Kathryn O’Kane 7 5-6 19; Fiona Reckner 5 3-7 14; TOTALS 19 13-19 56.
West Chester Henderson (57) – Grace O’Loughlin 1 0-2 3; Whitney Evas 8 9-12 28; Ari Rivera 2 2-5 6; Mary Kate Killoran 1 0-0 2; Gabrielle Nanni 0 0-2 0; Jackie Shea 4 2-4 10; Bailey Schalleur 2 2-4 8; TOTALS 18 15-27 57.
3-point goals: CRS – Liliana Metric 3, Lily Bross, Fiona Reckner; WCH – Whitney Evans 3, Bailey Schalleur 2, Grace O’Loughlin.
#12 KENNETT 49, #13 ABINGTON 48
The Ghosts lost a heartbreaker in Saturday’s playback game that wasn’t decided until the final horn.
“It was a tough ending to our season, but I am super proud of the girls and our season,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said.
Kennett opened up a 16-12 lead after one quarter, but the Ghosts trailed by just two at the break, 27-25. They trailed by one after three and still trailed by one at the final horn.
Jordyn Reynolds and Piper McGinley shared team scoring honors with 12 points each. Reynolds connected on four 3s for her 12 points – two in the second quarter and two in the fourth. McGinley scored five points in the first quarter, and she led the Ghosts with nine rebounds.
Maya Johnson turned in another strong outing, finishing with nine points, nine assists and six rebounds. Mikiaya Durham added six points.
Abington closed out its season with an 18-8 record overall.
Abington 12-13-9-14 48
Kennett 16-11-8-14 49
Abington (48) – Ava Teich 1 0-0 3; Maya Johnson 4 0-0 9; Mikiaya Durham 2 0-0 6; Jordyn Reynolds 4 0-0 12; Piper McGinley 4 3-6 12; Sarah Oleary 2 0-0 4; Zyn McClain 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 18 3-8 48
Kennett (49) – Laki Frazier 1 0-0 3; Mary Carroll 0 4-6 4; Quinn Simmons 3 3-4 12; Greta Burns 2 0-0 6; Sarah Mullin 3 2-3 9; Maeve Wells 0 1-2 1; Mia Matthews 5 3-6 14; TOTALS 14 13-21 49.
3-point goals: Abington – Jordyn Reynolds 4, Mikiaya Durham 2, Ava Teich, Maya Johnson, Piper McGinley; Kennett – Quinn Simmons 3,Greta Burns 2, Laki Frazier, Mia Matthews, Sarah Mullin.
Class 5A playback
#2 GWYNEDD MERCY 51, #5 LOWER MORELAND 32
The Monarchs wasted little time before taking control of Saturday’s playback game, opening up an 18-4 lead after one quarter and never looking back.
“We knew that going into this game we were going to have our hands full,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “Gwynedd was 18-4, won their league championship and was the number one seed for a reason. The game did not go as we had hoped it would, but it wasn’t for lack of effort. The better team won and sometimes there’s not too much you can do about it, and today was one of those days.
“Gwynedd is long, quick, athletic and very well coached. (GMA coach) Tom (Lonergan) is a class act, and I hope that they can make a nice run in the State playoffs.”
Sparked by three 3-pointers from Emilia Coleman, the Monarchs led 18-4 after one quarter and took a 34-14 halftime lead. Coleman’s 20 points led Gwynedd.
Dani Brusha’s 10 points led the Lions. Sydney Santora added eight points, and Briana McFerran had six points.
“After our game, we pointed out to the girls that only six girls teams get to finish the year with a win, and even though we’re not going to be one of those teams, our girls should be proud of what they accomplished this year,” Becker said. “We won our conference championship, made a run in the districts and were one win away from making the state playoffs. The girls showed flashes of what we can be and moving ahead, we have a lot to look forward to. Next year we’ll return our top six scorers and eight of our top nine players.
“We’ll miss Amelia Brown’s leadership. She was a great role model for our younger players. She was a model for our younger players about what it means to be a team player who is not only selfless but is a true student athlete. Holy Family’s soccer program is getting someone who will be a great asset to their team.”
Lower Moreland – winners of the SOL Freedom Division crown – finished the season with an overall record of 17-9 overall.
Lower Moreland 4-10-6-12 32
Gwynedd Mercy 18-16-12-5 51
Lower Moreland (32) – Briana McFerran 2 2-3 6; Dani Brusha 3 2-2 10; Sydney Santora 3 2-5 8; Mollie Martin 2 0-0 4; Emma DiJoseph 1 0-0 3; Maddie Broderick 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 11 7-12 32.
Gwynedd Mercy (51) – Lauren Drakeley 2 0-0 4; Cara Lapp 1 0-0 2; Bailey Balkir 3 1-2 7; Megan McDonnell 3 0-1 6; Emilia Coleman 7 2-3 20;; Allison Kaltenbacher 0 2-2 2; Dylan Burke 1 0-0 2; 19 9-14 51.
3-point goals: LM – Dani Busha 2, Emma DiJoseph; GMA – Emilia Coleman 4.
Friday, Feb. 23
#1 PERKIOMEN VALLEY 54, #8 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 25
It was a mixed bag for Anna Barry and her East teammates Friday night.
The Patriots faced the daunting task of taking on the district’s top team on their home court. They also knew that Barry was just four points away from the 1,000-point milestone.
And while the Vikings did what they’ve done to every team before them except one (their only loss in 26 games is to Gill St. Bernard’s School back in December), Barry did score her milestone basket, connecting on the second of two foul shots in the fourth quarter.
It turns out that it’s not only next to impossible to keep the top-seeded Vikings from scoring, it’s also difficult to score against them.
“They’re all super, super long,” said Barry. They can give you a step and still are able to block your shot, especially Grace Galbavy – she’s really long. It’s crazy that they’re all just juniors mostly. I can’t see anybody beating them.”
Barry reached the milestone on her sixth of six foul shots in the game in the fourth quarter, and even foul shots didn’t come easily Friday for the always reliable foul shooter.
“In the first half, I had four, and I made the first three and then I missed the last one,” Barry said. “Then I drove to the basket in the fourth quarter, and I got fouled. I missed the first one and then made the second one. I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to get this.’”
Reaching the milestone was always secondary to the Patriots’ point guard, who needed four points and scored four points to put her name in the program’s record books.
“When you look back at her career, her freshman year – we won the league, it was the COVID year, it was a shortened season, and she had a big role for us off the bench, but she played maybe 10 minutes a game,” East coach Liz Potash said. “I looked it up. She scored 57 points her freshman year – that’s it, so this is a kid who as soon as she was a sophomore, she played pretty much 32 minutes a game for me for the next three years.
“Every team defended her so tough especially her sophomore and junior year because there weren’t a lot of shooters around her. This year she actually has a little bit more space because with Nat (Berndt), Jess (Lockwood) and Syd (Ralph), people have to play kids differently. It’s amazing to me how she has expanded her game from someone who could come in and hit some 3s to having to be our point guard and pretty much do everything we need her to do and be so selfless and so team oriented. It’s incredibly special.”
And special is what Friday night turned out to be for Barry despite the outcome.
“It’s just really great,” the East senior said. ”I’m super grateful for all of my support with my team, my coaches and my family and my friends.
“My friends drove out there to watch me play, and it’s a pretty long hike, and they came to watch it. I’m really grateful for all the support. It just feels really great.”
Barry also had high praise for the Vikings.
“They’re just a special team,” Barry said. “It’s really rare to have a team that has all five players that can (shoot), and you can’t really help off one because they all can hit shots, they all can drive, and then they have that big girl in the middle. They’re just a really well-rounded team.
“So, we knew there wasn’t going to be someone who you could just sit off and help right away, so everyone had to be on their best game. I feel like to win against a team like that – you have to catch them on an off day, and you have to have your best day. We knew going into it that it was going to be a really, really tough game and that they’re just a really amazing team. We obviously tried to play as hard as we could, but sometimes you just come up short.”
Jess Lockwood’s eight points led the Patriots. The Vikings were led by Galbavy (16 points) and Quinn Boettinger (15 points).
Central Bucks East 6-9-4-6 25
Perkiomen Valley 14-18-16-6 54
Central Bucks East (39) – Marley Metz 1 0-0 3; Haley 0 1-2 1; Natalie Berndt 2 0-0 5; Anna Barry 0 4-6 4; Jess Lockwood 3 0-0 8; Chantal van Longeren 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 8 5-8 54.
Perkiomen Valley (54) – Anna Stein 2 2-2 6; Bella Bacani 3 1-1 7; Julia smith 3 0-0 6; Lena Stein 0 2-2 2; Grace Miley 1 0-0 2; Quinn Boettinger 6 3-3 15; Grace Galbavy 7 2-2 16; TOTALS 22 10-10 54.
3-point goals: CBE – Jess Lockwood 2, Natalie Berndt, Marley Metz.
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