PW captured the program’s first PIAA 6A state title with a 60-40 win over District 7 champion Mount Lebanon. Photos provided courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for a gallery of photos.
This was a team – and game - for the ages.
Less than two minutes remained in the Colonials’ state title game against Mount Lebanon when the PW faithful behind their team’s bench began chanting “I believe that we will win, I believe that we will win.”
In truth, that fact was established almost as soon as Saturday’s PIAA 6A title game in Hershey’s Giant Center began. If there were doubters before the game - and there shouldn’t have been after 33 straight wins, there were none after it.
The Colonials didn’t just win the state title, they put an exclamation point on it, dominating play for 32 minutes in a win that was every bit as decisive as the final score suggests.
“It’s honestly insane,” PW senior Kaitlyn Flanagan said. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet at all, to be honest. It’s hard to wrap my head around what we just did. There was some pressure heading up to it obviously, and the fact that we just did it – it’s crazy, it’s just crazy.”
“Incredible,” junior Erin Daley said. “It is the most incredible feeling I’ve ever felt. I still don’t think it’s sunk in.
“There are no other girls I’d rather be here with in this moment. We studied, we worked hard, we got in the gym, we did exercises, we did everything to deserve this, and I don’t think it should have gone any other way than it did tonight.”
So decisive was the win over the District 7 champion Blue Devils – who brought a 27-1 record into the game – that it surprised even the players.
“It was definitely hard work, but looking up and seeing the score and that we were winning by 20, I was honestly in disbelief,” senior Lainey Allen said. “It was like, ‘Wow, we’re about to win states,’ and it was a really great feeling. To be on the court and with my team, I’m in shock, but we worked hard so we deserve it.”
The Colonials send an all-star lineup onto the court every game, boasting a starting five no one has been able to match this season, and Mount Lebanon became just one of 34 teams that had fallen victim to a Colonial squad that looked every bit the part of its national ranking – PW was 25th in the last MaxPreps rankings and looked even better than that.
With 39 seconds remaining and the Colonials leading 60-34, the team’s five starters – Flanagan, Daley, Allen, Jordyn Thomas and Abby Sharpe - left the court together for the final time to a standing ovation from the partisan crowd.
“I’m a pretty emotional person in general, but honestly, I just love this team so much,” Sharpe said. “We’re like family. I’ve looked up to all of our seniors as I was growing up.
“The thing that was kind of sticking out to me was – this was my last game ever playing with Kaitlyn Flanagan, Jordyn Thomas, Lainey Allen and Fiona Gooneratne, so I wanted to give my all for them and for us, and I wanted to win our last game together. We won, and all this hard work we did throughout the season – we did it, and we’re state champions. It was just an overwhelming, incredible feeling. I get emotional just thinking about it.”
“It was a ton of emotions,” Thomas added. “I’m sure it’s going to hit me way harder later. Just the fact that this was my last high school game, but I experienced it with some of the best teammates I’ve ever had in my life, so I’ll never forget it.”
Less than a minute into the game, Daley scored on a shot off the dribble on her team’s second possession of the contest. After a Lebanon Valley miss, Thomas nailed a 3-pointer that gave the Colonials a 5-0 lead and a dose of confidence.
“Erin’s (two) and Jordyn’s three to start the game were special,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “I thought (those shots) just took the lid off the game.”
The Blue Devils rallied to knot the score 7-7, but Sharpe scored on an easy basket cutting to the hole to give the Colonials a lead they would not lose. At the end of one quarter, PW had a 15-7 lead with Daley accounting for eight of the Colonials’ points.
“I was hitting my shots in warmups, so I was feeling it,” Daley said. “I came into the game thinking I was just going to leave it all out there on the court, and I had absolutely nothing to lose. It was my last game with the seniors, and I just wanted to give them my everything because they deserve this win.”
The Colonials led 19-9 after Fiona Gooneratne found Allen for an easy bucket in close, but the Blue Devils answered with a basket at the other end. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Sharpe and Daley - with Daley’s from well beyond the arc - sent the Colonials into halftime with a 25-11 advantage. Daley led the way with 11 points and seven rebounds, and Sharpe had seven points.
After Thomas scored a fast break layup off a Mount Lebanon miss and Flanagan found Daley for an easy bucket, PW led 29-11 less than two minutes into the third quarter. By the end of the frame, the Colonials had a 41-17 lead, and the state title was one quarter away from becoming a reality.
Twice in a third quarter that saw PW go on a 16-6 tear, Flanagan found Sharpe for easy baskets in close. The junior sharpshooter also buried a 3-pointer and had 10 points in the quarter. She added nine more in the fourth quarter and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor in the second half.
“The thing I remember is I looked at the scoreboard, and it was (5-0) us, and I was like, ‘We’re not going down from here,’” Sharpe said. “We took it one quarter at a time. We wanted to win each quarter and we did that. That was our main focus throughout the game.”
Asked whether the thought of losing ever crossed their minds, Daley and Sharpe had immediate responses.
“No, it wasn’t an option, not in our book,” Daley said. “We took it home.”
“No,” echoed Sharpe. “Just because I’m so confident in this team, and we are always so prepared coming into games, and that’s where our confidence comes from.”
Sharpe and Daley – the two juniors who join three seniors in the starting lineup – certainly did their part to make sure the Colonials would be victorious. Sharpe led all scorers with 26 points while Daley added 17 points and 13 rebounds.
“I could talk so much about everyone,” Flanagan said. “Lainey finishing around the rim was a huge boost for us and also using her height in mismatches.
“Jordyn coming back for this game was such a morale boost. Having her at practice this week – I don’t think many people understand how much she brings to our team. So just having her out there to rebound and block shots and she hits a three as a post player – it’s insane.
“Abby finishing at literally every level. Get her the ball, and it’s probably going in. It’s not magic – she’s one of the hardest working people I know. She’s such a hard worker, shooting after every practice, putting in all the extra hours. I’m going to be so excited to watch what happens to her.
“And Erin has to guard the other team’s best player and still comes out and is such a threat on the offensive end. It’s honestly mind blowing that I have these people that I play around. I’m just so lucky. It’s going to be hard not to play with them again because they are just all so amazing, they’re amazing.”
And just how good was this team that closed out the season with a perfect 34-0 record?
“Really good,” Flanagan said with a smile. “We’re really good. The record shows.
“Leading up to the game, I was nervous, but once we got here, I was pretty calm. Once we step on the floor, I have so much trust in my teammates. I think we all knew this was going to be the outcome. It happened, and we’re just really excited.
“(When it was over), I couldn’t stop hugging – I don’t even know who it was – everyone. I can’t explain in words how proud I am of everyone individually on the team. Every single person on the bench, every coach – I’m so, so proud of them. I’ve seen the work they put in that other people don’t see, and I just respect all of them so much because of how they all bought in this season, and to walk off like that (at the end of the game) was just an amazing feeling.”
Extra points: In addition to Sharpe and Daley, Allen contributed eight points and eight rebounds, and Thomas had seven points, five assists, four rebounds and one blocked shot. Flanagan scored just two points but was a catalyst at both ends of the court. She had seven assists, four rebounds and one block. “Have you ever seen a kid dominate a state championship game by scoring two points like that?” Dougherty asked. “Flanagan was insane.”…The Colonials connected on 23 of 36 shots from the floor for an impressive 63.9 shooting percentage while the Blue Devils were 15-for-52 (28.8 percent)…The Colonials had a 36-19 rebounding advantage…The Colonials made it a clean sweep, capturing the SOL Liberty Division title, the SOL Tournament crown, the District One 6A championship and – on Saturday – the coveted PIAA 6A state crown.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 15-10-16-19 60
Mount Lebanon 7-4-6-23 40
Plymouth Whitemarsh (60) – Kaitlyn Flanagan 1 0-0 2; Erin Daley 5 6-6 17; Abby Sharpe 10 3-4 26; Lainey Allen 4 0-0 8; Jordyn Thomas 3 0-2 7; Azzareya Crumpton 0 0-0 0; Angelina Balcer 0 0-0 0; Remiah Stripling 0 0-0 0; Fiona Gooneratne 0 0-0 0; Haley O’Hara 0 0-0 0; Briana Minick-O’Donn 0 0-0 0; Rhianna Gooneratne 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 23 9-12 60.
Mount Lebanon (40) – Anna Streiff 0 1-2 1; Gina Smith 1 1-2 4; Brooke Collins 7 0-0 17; Ashleigh Connor 5 1-3 12; Reagan Murdoch 1 0-0 3; Chloe Desnain 0 0-0 0; Jenny Smith 1 0-0 3; Payton Collins 0 0-0 0; Riley Collins 0 0-0 0; Tori Pettko 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 15 3- 40.
3-point goals: PW – Abby Sharpe 3, Erin Daley, Jordyn Thomas; Mount Lebanon – Brooke Collins 3, Gina Smith, Ashleigh Connor, Reagan Murdoch, Jenny Smith.
Sharpe & Daley double trouble for Blue Devils – Abby Sharpe and Erin Daley are highly skilled basketball players for the Colonials. They’re also the very best of friends off the court.
In Saturday’s win, the juniors both played starring roles in their team’s state title win. While Sharpe was putting on an offensive clinic, scoring a game-high 26 points, Daley was shutting down Mount Lebanon’s star player, Ashleigh Connor, while scoring 17 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
“Me and Abby have been playing with each other our whole lives,” Daley said. “We’re best friends, we’re the duo, everybody knows it. We’ve done everything together.
“We’ve gone through basketball camps, basketball workouts, we go to the gym together all the time. Overall, we just have the most amazing relationship I can describe.”
Both entered the season with lofty expectations.
“We came in to PW together, and we really looked up to this organization and the players that came out of it,” Sharpe said. “We were so excited to be a part of it, and from the very first practice our freshman year, the older players said – state championship is the main goal, so this is something that’s been on our mind since freshman year.
“Obviously, COVID shut us down my freshman year, and then sophomore year, the state brackets got cut short (due to COVID), so this year we were ready. We knew this team was going to be special, so we just said from the beginning – we’ve got to put the work in, and we did that and we’re here. To finish it is amazing.”
The seniors were not the least bit surprised to see the junior duo deliver in a big way on Saturday.
“I feel like they put so much trust and support in us, and we put a lot back into them,” Jordyn Thomas said “I think that’s what makes us so good is that we all trust each other and we support each other and push each other.
Thomas a welcome return to lineup – After watching from the sidelines for three straight games due to an injury, Jordyn Thomas was back in the starting lineup for Saturday’s state title game.
“It felt great,” Thomas said. “Being back out here with my teammates playing for a state championship with them is the best feeling in the world. I couldn’t ask for a better team or a better experience. I felt amazing, amazing.”
The Jefferson University bound senior acknowledged that watching from the sidelines gave her a new perspective.
“Sitting those games, I actually got a moment to take in the crowd and the energy on the bench,” she said. “I wanted to go out there and make everyone proud the way they made me proud those last three games that I was watching them.”
Thomas took just three shots in Saturday’s state title win. She made all three, and none loomed larger than her three on the heels of Daley’s pull-up to open the game.
“They were very crucial,” Lainey Allen said of the early scores. “They got us hyped. Especially from Jordyn – her first game starting back. Her first shot of the game – she shoots a three and she makes it. We were all just hyped.”
In an emotional postgame celebration, Thomas tried to sum up her emotions.
“Happiness and I would say extremely proud,” she said. “Going through all those practices and everything over the past four years – just being proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve accomplished it. I think it’s amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the season.”
No Giant Center shooting woes for Colonials – It’s hardly a secret that the Giant Center has made more than a few otherwise sharp shooters look very ordinary and sometimes downright dreadful.
The Colonials had heard all about the freestanding baskets with lots of open space on all sides, and they were unfazed.
“In my head, I just imagined we were right back at that Temple game, and I just played like I played at Temple,” Lainey Allen said of PW’s District One 6A title game. “I didn’t let the stadium bother me.
“What our coach tells us to do – during the anthem, we look at the stadium, we look at the crowd, and then as soon as the anthem is over, we’re in game mode. We don’t care about anything around us. We’re on the court and our heads are on the court, and I think that’s what got us through this game too.”
“It was a little bit like Temple” Erin Daley added. “So we had gotten a feel for the floor before, and I know that type of rim.”
The Colonials even surprised their coach with their dazzling offensive display.
“I was a little surprised,” the PW coach said. “It’s hard to shoot in this gym.
“Honestly, the size and athleticism of this team – the bigger the floor, the more it plays to their advantage.”
Getting defensive – All but lost in the shuffle of the team’s machine-line precision on offense was the Colonials' defensive effort.
In the opening half when the tone for the game was established, St. Louis University commit Ashleigh Connor – shadowed by Erin Daley or Kaitlyn Flanagan - had seven of Mount Lebanon’s 11 points, but the senior standout was struggling to find any kind of rhythm.
“We came in with a game plan – stop Ashleigh Connor and make their role players make 3s for four quarters,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said.
The game plan worked to perfection. Connor finished with just 12 points, 10 below her season average of 22, and with their go-to player struggling, the Blue Devils didn’t stand a chance.
“I think we all take pride in our defense, and our defense is where our offense comes from,” Thomas said. “Erin Daley is a lockdown defender. Lainey Allen – you don’t want to go against her in the paint especially. Abby Sharpe has great court awareness, and she can anticipate passes from all over the place, and Kaitlyn Flanagan can destroy you on defense. Kaitlyn is the type of person that will rip your heart out on defense. You do not want to go against her with the ball.”
Flanagan returned the compliment to her teammate.
“Having Jordyn’s presence out there, no one wants to drive in the lane against Jordyn, no one,” the Colonials’ point guard said.
This one’s for you PW community – It’s hardly a surprise that the Colonials filled their gym during a magical postseason run, and on Saturday, it was apparent that PW fans travel. The stands in the Giant Center were a sea of red. The 6A girls game had the largest attendance of the 12 state title games (2,105).
“All the red shirts you saw – one of our senior’s parents put together 500 shirts,” coach Dan Dougherty said.
The standing ovation from the throng of PW fans started early as the five starters left the court to the roar of the crowd.
“Indescribable,” junior Erin Daley said. “Not only did we do it for ourselves, but we did it for this huge, huge community that has supported us so much. Throughout the whole school week, we have gotten so much support, and it has just been an incredible ride. We had our supporters from the beginning all the way to the end, which meant the most.
“We received multiple videos this week from PW alumni and all the Colonial School District staff wishing us luck. We knew how much support we had going in, and they were proud of us no matter what was going to happen. Not only did we want to do it for ourselves tonight, but we wanted to do it for them.”
“It’s amazing to see that kind of support,” Kaitlyn Flanagan said. “Teachers I see every day in class – they’re all here. To feel that support this whole week leading up to this and to know that we were able to bring it home for them – it means so much to us because that was a part of it.
“We wanted to bring this back for our school. We have a lot of pride going to Plymouth Whitemarsh.”
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