City of Basketball Love

Jake Adams (@jakeadams520)
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The last time Father Judge boys basketball made a Catholic League Tournament quarterfinal was 2017. The last time it made the semifinal was 1999.

So this seven-game winning streak the Crusaders are riding, which continued Friday night with another impressive 75-57 win over another league contender, St. Joe’s Prep, is further confirmation some lengthy droughts might be close to ending.

Third-year coach Chris Roantree was a senior on that 1999 team. He knows the history. He’s spent his three years in charge of his alma mater building a three-win team into a legit PCL contender.

“We’ve built the last two years and we’ve progressively gotten better,” he said over the phone Friday night. “There’s a lot of excitement around the program.”

The latest home win only adds to that.

Roantree was impressed most by his team’s defense. After allowing 23 points in the first quarter, Father Judge (13-4, 7-1) did a better job the final 24 minutes of “communicating, defending their sets that they run,” Roantree said. The Crusaders got into passing lanes, switched on screens and were better in transition.

Credit went to sophomore guard Derrick Morton-Rivera, who knocked down six 3-pointers for a game-high 21 points and guarded SJP’s Jaron McKee all night, and senior LaQuan Byrd, who was tasked with slowing Jalen Harper, Roantree said. McKee finished with 14 points on 5 of 17 shooting, and Harper was held to 11 points. 

Morton-Rivera shot 7 of 11 from the field, Byrd was 7 of 14 for 17 points, and Nazir Tyler and Kevair Kennedy added 13 and 15 points, respectively.

Father Judge’s last loss was Jan. 2 against Archbishop Wood. Roantree said a two-minute stretch “where we didn’t keep our composure and they were able to push (the lead) from two to 10 (points)” cost them that game. Since then, the defense has been locked in, he said. 

The Crusaders are firmly in the race for a regular season crown — Neumann-Goretti, Roman Catholic and St. Joe’s Prep (12-4, 6-2) all came into the night with one loss or less. They have another big one Monday at 7 p.m., when they face Archbishop Ryan before closing out the season with four straight road games.

Gwynedd Mercy hands Villa Maria first league loss

The race for the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies girls title got a little more interesting Friday night.

Gwynedd Mercy knocked off previously league-unbeaten Villa Maria 38-34 despite scoring just nine points in the first half.

Senior forward Dylan Burke scored seven points, five of them in the second half, as she continues to build up her minutes following an ACL tear during last year’s postseason. Her performance can be a “big difference,” head coach Tom Lonergan said. Her leadership as the Monarchs (15-2, 4-1 AACA) were forced to rally from a 17-9 halftime deficit was huge.

Since returning to the lineup a few games ago, Burke has slid from her starting center spot to power forward, which she feels more comfortable with and allows breakout freshman center Ali Kaltenbacher to stay on the court and give Gwynedd Mercy two imposing bigs.

“I talked to (Burke) after tonight’s game, and she’s just thrilled and feeling confident,” he said. “I think our team will just be getting stronger.”

Emilia Coleman led the Monarchs with 14 points while Burke added seven and Bailey Balkir six. Carly Catania paced the Hurricanes (12-6, 6-1) with 20. 

Lonergan said he went with three sophomores, Burke and Kaltenbacher (five points) much of the second half, which provided a much-needed energy he’s been preaching in practice after Villa Maria pushed his team “back on their heels in the first half.”

“Hopefully that’s a positive moving forward that others will recognize that,” he said. “If we can harness that, I really believe this team has a lot more room to grow.”

Inter-Ac boys standings blown wide open

A league undefeated also fell in the Inter-Academic League boys standings.

Germantown Academy, the only team without a league win entering Friday night, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the area Friday night, popping Springside Chestnut Hill 69-64 to hand the Blue Devils (15-5, 4-1) their first Inter-Ac loss this season. GA improved to 1-5 in league play.

That created an opening for Episcopal Academy (4-1), which is now tied atop the suddenly wide-open league standings after beating Malvern Prep 74-61.

Kevin McCarthy led all comers with 25 points in EA’s victory, backed up by Timmy Dennis’ 17. Marvin Reed had 24 points, 18 of them in the second half, for Malvern Prep (3-3).

Penn Charter’s hopes of climbing back into contention also took a big hit after a 51-50 loss to Haverford School. Silas Graham scored 19 points for the Fords (2-3), while Jamal Hicks scored 15 for the Quakers (2-3).

Council Rock South girls upset Neshaminy

Jesse Krasna doesn’t think his defense could’ve played much better.

Council Rock South held Neshaminy’s potent offense in check, winning 36-32 to snap the visiting team’s five-game win streak.

It’s a second straight win for the Golden Hawks (10-6, 7-4 Suburban One League Patriot Division) under their new coach and a potential sign some new lineup changes might set up a strong finish into the postseason.

“I think this could be a really good momentum-changing win for us,” Krasna said.
The win belonged to the defense. Fiona Reckner held Reece Zemitis, who had 30 points in the last meeting, Krasna said, to just 12 points, and Lola Ibarrondo was limited to seven points for division-leading Neshaminy (13-4, 9-2).

Reckner finished with 11 points herself, while Kathryn O’Kane chipped in 11, eight of them in the fourth quarter. Haley Thompson was “huge” for CR South with some big rebounds, Krasna said.

“I think really from the start our staff believed this group of girls could beat anybody,” Krasna said, before suggesting this win could change their momentum.