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By: Kate Harman
Kassondra Brown ripped the basketball out of the air after it bounced off the rim.
Immediately, she put the ball on the ground for Abington and took it the length of the floor at Colonial Elementary. Up, and in.
The 6-foot-2 forward stood at the top of the key and without hesitating, took it to the basket. It fell for two points.
What about from inside the paint? The left block or right block? Good and good.
She fought for rebound after rebound, placing the follow off the backboard and in.
It didn’t matter how Brown tried to score on Monday night, as the Ghosts defeated Plymouth Whitemarsh, 64-51, she made it look easy, with the ball almost always finding its way through the net.
“The sky is the limit for her,” coach Dan Marsh said. “She’s only a junior and she’s getting better and better. She’s a great kid too – hates to lose, is motivated, a great captain – I can’t say enough good things about her.”
With a night like Brown had – a game high of 31 points, 20 rebounds, and two blocks – you can’t blame Marsh.
“When I see the height advantage, I know I have to dominate whoever is guarding me, whoever is in my area,” Brown said. “I think of it as my paint – defensively and offensively.
“I knew I had to dominate – coaches were telling me all game,” she added. “I just had to take advantage of it.”
Take advantage she did, as the only plays where her presence wasn’t felt were the ones where she was taking a breather on the bench.
Still, there was a pattern to the contest, as the Ghosts (15-5) surged at the start of each quarter, only to see the Colonials (18-2) get within striking distance thanks to the dynamic guard play of Taylor O’Brien.
But the combination of Brown and Sam Brusha was too much for PW.
“I feel like I’ve changed a lot,” Brown said, of the difference in her game this season compared to her sophomore year. “I worked so hard over the summer because I knew coming into the season that I’m a target – that we all are targets. I knew I had to work hard for what I want.”
With less than five minutes left in the third quarter, Brown put one up from beyond the three-point line.
It looked good. Would it be nothing but net?
No, it was an air ball.
Everything else was going in, Brown figured she’d try it. As she jogged back on defense, she looked over to the assembled crowd and smiled.
It was the only blemish on the evening for an otherwise dominant performance.
Everything else – that was easy.
At least, that's how it looked.
@Ka_Harman
Abington 16 11 16 21 – 64
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11 13 13 14 – 51
A: Kassondra Brown 31, Sam Brusha 22, Cam Loxow 8, Miranda Liebtag 7, Britney James 2
PW: Taylor O’Brien 25, Lauren Fortescue 13, Sydney Kesselman 5, Ali Diamond 5, Anna McTamney 3