City of Basketball Love

Joey Morozin (@JoeyMorozin2)
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KENNETT SQUARE — In what could have been her last game in a Kennett uniform, Mia Matthews delivered when it mattered most. 

The senior forward poured in a game-high 14 points, none more important than the free throw she knocked down to give her team the lead with 5.4 seconds left in regulation.

She added eight rebounds along with several key blocks down the stretch to ensure the Blue Demons’ 49-48 victory over Abington in Saturday’s District 1 6A playback. The win secured Kennett a spot in the PIAA Class 6A state tournament for the first time ever and earned Matthews and her teammates at least three more games.

“I had to take a couple deep breaths,” Matthews said. “I was really amped up. I know I needed to make both but honestly needed just one to win. I didn’t think about it, just shot it, and it went in.”

Kennett (19-8) led Abington 27-25 at halftime, but Kennett 22nd-year head coach Vince Cattano thought some poor free throw shooting (4-for-11) prevented his team from building a larger lead on the Ghosts (18-8). It’s something Kennett has struggled with throughout the season, allowing teams to stay in games.

The Blue Demons entered the fourth with a 35-34 lead and went back up 45-43 on a 3-point shot by senior Greta Burns with 1:31 remaining. They ironically exercised their free throw shooting demons when junior guard Quin Simmons sunk two free throws with one minute remaining, extending their lead to 48-45. Simmons, a Mount Saint Mary’s lacrosse commit, finished with 12 points during Saturday’s contest. 

“We’ve been in these games, I feel like so many games have been just like this,” Cattano said. “We’ve been here before, we aren’t new to the moment of the game being close at the end and it all comes down to how we execute.”

Abington’s dynamic duo of junior Maya Johnson and senior Piper McGinley were responsible for keeping this a back and forth affair and keeping their team in the game. They combined for 21 points including a game tying layup in transition by McGinley to tie the score at 48 with about 40 seconds left.

“We were doing a 3-2 zone,” Matthews said. “The goal was to slow them down at the top of the zone so they couldn’t drive easily. They did drive a couple times but really just tried to keep  (Maya Johnson) from getting in the paint because she is a good passer.”

Kennett had a chance at the last shot after Abington tied things up. Matthews was fouled around the 3-point arc with 5.4 seconds left, sending her to the line for arguably the most important two shots of her entire career. The first one was no good, but after those deep breaths, the second went in.

Matthews has been a key cog in Kennett’s machine all season and has made life rather enjoyable for her teammates along with her coach — especially when helping them make school history.

“Mia’s a solid basketball player,” Cattano said. “She makes my life easy. You can just count on her to be in the right spot, to knock down a shot, and make the right decision on offense. Defensively, she’s solid too. Mia’s just the type of player that makes me look good.”

With this loss, Abington’s season officially comes to an end along with the careers of Piper and Harper McGinley, Jordyn Reynolds, Sarah O’Leary, Kara Slavin and Kaylia Rice. First-year head coach Allison Lawson will look to retool and build off of a 14-8 overall record and a third place finish in the Suburban One Liberty Division. 

The Blue Demons meanwhile still have two more games in the playback bracket for state seeding before they make their PIAA tournament debut on March 8.

“We’re happy to be here,” Cattano said. “It’s for the senior group and the juniors who play a big part in this too. It’s been a long time since there’s been this level of success this year. It’s just really good leadership combined with kids that respond to leadership and sometimes you get a year like you’re having here so it’s cool.”

By Quarter

Kennett: 16 | 11 | 8 | 14 || 49

Abington: 12 | 13 | 9 | 14 || 48

Scoring

Kennett: Mia Matthews 14, Quin Simmons 12, Sarah Mullin 9, Greta Burns 6, Mary Carroll 4, Laki Frazier 3, Maeve Wells 1

Abington: Piper Mcginley 12, Jordyn Reynolds, 12 Maya Johnson 9, Mikiaya Durham 6, Sarah O’Leary 4, Ava Teich 3, Zyn Mcclain 2