PW defeated CB West in a classic non-league battle Saturday. Photos of the game provided courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for a gallery of photos.
Non-league
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 62, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 51
Less than 24 hours after a hard fought win over archrival Upper Dublin, the Colonials were back on the court for another SOL war. They were more than equal to the task, finishing strong and earning the impressive win.
“What I was really proud of the team for was not having that emotional letdown after beating Upper Dublin,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “That’s what we’re looking for. If we want to take that next step, we can’t celebrate one playoff win and come out flat the next day. That was the goal of this schedule-wise.
“This was a great game, it really was. Obviously, everybody is happy to play games, but we looked at the schedule, and said – let’s follow our Upper Dublin game with a really high level game, and that’s exactly what we got today. CB West came out pumped up. The game just had a district playoff kind of feel to it.”
At the end of a high octane opening quarter, the Colonial held a 20-19 lead with Erin Daley, who had seven points in the frame, Anna McTamney and Abby Sharpe each connecting on a three. Paige Gilbert’s seven points led the Bucks. Tai Henkels and Anna Blue each buried a three.
“A lot of credit to them,” Dougherty said. “They really had a well-designed plan to handle our pressure defense to start the game out. It’s one thing to have a plan, and it’s another thing to make the shots.
“Their kids hit a couple of corner 3s against it, and they were able to finish over our bigs against it. The first quarter was a track meet. It wasn’t like it was bad defense. It was contested shots both ways. In the second quarter and third quarter, both teams really dug in defensively. It was high level. “
The pace slowed down considerably in the second quarter, and the Colonials took a 30-25 lead into halftime. McTamney had eight points to lead the Colonials, and Emily Spratt’s eight points led the Bucks.
“We were able to handle the pressure, we were able to score,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “We told the girls going in, ‘If you can beat it over the top, you’re going to have a 2-on-1, and if you can be physical, you can get some points.’
“We had a 20-19 first quarter, and then the pressure kind of came off. They went with a little bit of a zone pressure, which we had to adjust to. It was like one of those old school boxing fights where somebody opens up with a jab and maybe a one-two combo, and it looks like things are opening up, but then the other boxer starts fighting back. That’s what it felt like the whole game.”
The Bucks – sparked by a pair of Blue 3-pointers – edged the Colonials 17-16 in the third quarter. Kaitlyn Flanagan’s seven points led PW.
“It was 42-42 with a minute thirty left in the third quarter, and we were going toe to toe with them,” Sibel said. “They’ve got so much size, and I think that got the best of us.
“Thirty-four (Jordyn Thomas) made some huge baskets down the stretch with some hard post-ups and tough finishes. I thought we were playing great defense, and they made good plays and just finished. You have to give them credit for that.”
The Colonials – connecting on 8-of-12 at the foul line – outscored the Bucks 16-9 in the final frame. Flanagan had nine points in the quarter. The Colonials’ standout point guard was unstoppable in the second half, scoring 16 of her 18 points after the intermission.
I love the way (Kaitlyn) Flanagan plays, and I like what they do,” Sibel said. “She was on fire coming off dribble hand-offs and getting to the rim, but we fought back.”
“Kaitlyn Flanagan was just really impressive,” Dougherty said. “She was 6-for-6 from the foul line – they had to start fouling us in one-and-ones and she was super impressive.
“Anna McTamney was Anna McTamney again today with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Gabby Cooper was outstanding defensively. Erin Daley really, really played a smart game for us. She was guarding quicker, faster players and just played well. Erin Daley’s finishes under the basket – she made a really important reverse layup.
“Abby Sharpe and Lainey Allen came off the bench and they each had one basket. Abby Sharpe hit a three and Lainey Allen had a finish. It’s such a high level game, and our subs are able to give us quality minutes so that our starting five was fresh coming down the stretch.”
The Bucks had some noteworthy performances of their own. Spratt led all scorers with 19 points – 11 in the second half.
“Emily Spratt was just such a handful for us,” Dougherty said. “Every move that she made was very impressive, and we just had a hard time stopping her.”
“Emily Spratt played out of her mind,” Sibel said. “She’s coming off back-to-back 19-point games and is finishing in different ways. Today she hit a three.
“Katie Finnan played well, Paige Gilbert did her thing. Anna Blue had a great game coming off a tough night last night, and that was huge. She made some big shots.
“This is a game that, win or lose, you’re going to get better from. We went in knowing they were going to pres. That’s what they’re known for, and it’s relentless.
“It’s constant pressure, and you’ve got be smart. We told the girls – ‘If you can take care of the ball in the full court, you can make this a game. You can play with anybody, you’ve proven that. Now you just have to do it.’ You have to do it against one of the best teams – I think – in the state, without a doubt. Their lineup top to bottom is a match-up nightmare. They’ve got size, they’ve got speed, they’ve got physicality, they’ve got shooters, but that was a good game. It was a game we got better with, and you have to give credit to them – they’re the real deal.”
While Flanagan led the Colonials, she had plenty of help. McTamney added 14 points, and Gabby Cooper had nine – seven in the first half. Jordyn Thomas added seven points.
For the Bucks in addition to Spratt, Blue finished with 11 points and had three 3-pointers. Gilbert added nine points while Henkels and Katie Finnan both had six.
“It was a fun game,” Sibel said. “This season is kind of whacky because it’s really tiring. The girls are playing more than they’re practicing. Some of our toughest games are being played on Saturdays with no days of prep, so you’re trying to prep for two games in one practice or two practices, and that’s tough.
“Against a team like PW, you have to really trust your girls to do what you talk about, and they did that. Down the stretch, it came down to a fouling game. The score is what it is, but it was a battle. It was a nice Saturday afternoon dogfight.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-0, 4-0 SOL) will travel to Abington on Tuesday, and Central Bucks West (5-4, 4-2) will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
Central Bucks West 19-6-17-9 51
Plymouth Whitemarsh 20-10-16-16 62
Central Bucks West (51) – Tai Henkels 2 0-0 6 Katie Finnan 2 2-2 6; Anna Blue 4 0-0 11; Emily Spratt 78 2-4 19; Paige Gilbert 4 1-2 9; TOTALS 20 5-8 51.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (62) – Kaitlyn Flanagan 6 6-6 18; Erin Daley 3 2-2 9; Abby Sharpe 1 0-0 3 Gabby Cooper 4 1-1 9; Anna McTamney 4 4-5 14; Lainey Allen 1 0-0 2; Jordyn Thomas 3 1-5 7; TOTALS 22 14-19 62.
3-point goals: CBW – Anna Blue 3, Tai Henkels 2, Emily Spratt, PW – Anna McTamney 2, Abby Sharpe, Erin Daley.
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