submitted by Scott S.D. Weiss for Plymouth Whitemarsh
WARMINSTER (PA)- Twentieth-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh lost to host thirteenth-seeded William Tennent, 50-63, in PW’s first playoff game since 2004 on Saturday February 19,2011, in the first round of the PIAA, class AAAA, District 1 Girls Basketball postseason.
“This team has it in them to fight back and they just want to go out there and play basketball and that’s what I’ve been trying to tell them the whole year,” Colonials head coach Becky Duffy said. “Don’t worry about anything, don’t worry about the scoreboard, [and] don’t worry about any of that. Just go play basketball.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh had to face a tall line in Tennent, whose average height was five feet, eight inches tall per Panther. Ashley Alden, a six-foot senior guard, led the Panthers with twenty points, twelve rebounds, and six steals. Although Plymouth Whitemarsh was able to stay within Alden’s style, the Panthers’ still rolled with their offense, which also includes stifling defense.
“We were able to control the boards and that was a defensive key for us,” Panthers head coach Paul Veltre said. “Yeah, I do think we didn’t give them too many second chance shots and yes that did help.”
William Tennent advances to the second round to visit fourth-seeded Cheltenham on Wednesday February 23,2011. While the Panthers will enter that game with a 17-6 record, Plymouth Whitemarsh will empty their lockers with a record of 15-8.
“ That gym was crazy, especially the Panther Pound,” said a dejected Alyssa Butcher, a PW senior guard who could not play due to a shoulder strain. . “I really wanted us to win because if we would have been victorious, doctors could have possibly cleared me to play against Cheltenham.”
The first quarter of this playoff contest featured plenty of open looks by the Panthers, and a surplus of first time jitters by the Lady Colonials. Tennent scored the game’s first basket around one minute and thirty seconds into the game, before PW’s Gabby Schumacher, who led the Lady Colonials with 15.9 points per game, connected on a lay-up to knot the score at two. That was the closest the Lady Colonials would have in the game to catch the Panthers. William Tennent ended the first quarter leading 13-5, after PW’s Maya Thomas made one of three free-throws since she was fouled at the three-point line when time expired.
In the second quarter, PW’s defense made Tennent look frivolous, as well as the Panthers already committing their tenth foul of the contest, which put PW in the double bonus late in the first half. However, Alden, along with Melissa Horn and sophomore Allison Chatbum were making their contested lay-ups and three-pointers. After one half, the Lady Colonials found themselves trailing, 17-32.
However, the third quarter sawed better offense and defense by PW, plus Schumacher and Maya Thomas made key free-throws and three-pointers, in which the Lady Colonials outscored the Panthers,21-17.
Unfortunately for PW in the fourth quarter, Alden and her teammates proved too much for the Lady Colonials, continuing to collect offensive rebounds and cashing them into points.
PW senior center Alexa Borkowski was knocked hard to the ground with one minute and two seconds remaining in regulation. Borkowski, wincing in pain, was checked by A.J., PW’s athletic trainer, and was removed from the game. After Borkowski’s injury, the Lady Colonials could not make their shots, and were forced to foul the Panthers. When the final buzzer sounded, it was the host thirteenth-seede Panthers that were victorious, 50-63, over the twentieth-seeded Lady Colonials.
“ It is disappointing that we could not get the job done this season,” said a disappointed Duffy. “The first time we were here this season, they [Tennent] pressured us, and we were definitely not ready, considering that Gabby [Schumacher] did not see action.”
The Lady Colonials previously played Tennent in December 2010, which was the Panthers’ season and home opener, but the Lady Colonials were trounced, 37-74.
“ This time, we had a little fun, and since [Tennent] did not know Schumacher, we were able to bring some momentum, but we could not find our stride,” Duffy concluded.
“I thought we played a really good game,” Schumacher said. The junior forward, who also led all PIAA, class AAAA scorers with 2.5 three-pointers made per game, finished with a game high twenty-two points. “The problem was we couldn’t buy a basket, the ball would not go in the hoop. I know personally I missed a lot early on. I usually make more three-pointers.”
Even though the Lady Colonials did not win, they did finish with ten more victories (15-8) than they had during the 2009-2010 season (5-15). Kelly Hackenbrack, Butcher, Borkowski, Lindsey Wacker, and Kayla Helton will not return in 2011-2012 due to graduation. However, Schumacher, Thomas, and Martin will return to possibly earn a higher playoff seed, and maybe deliver PW’s first Girls Basketball District 1 Championship crown since 1983.
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