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Strath Haven's mix of youth and experience has Panthers on verge of postseason

02/01/2025, 11:30pm EST
By Josh Verlin

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)

ROSEMONT — Olivia Voshell could all-too-easily put herself in Kenzie and Maddie Fanning’s shoes. 

The Strath Haven senior and four-year starter remembered what it was like being a freshman starting on the Panthers varsity roster. She recalled how helpful it was to have a senior, in her case Rose Henry, showing her the ropes, sending her ‘good game’ texts, giving her confidence.

“It’s so intimidating,” Voshell said. “(Being in that position) helped me see that it is intimidating to approach an upperclassman and ask questions. (I’m) putting myself out there in a position and explaining things when I see a look of confusion here or there or make it known that I’m someone they can come to to ask a question if they don’t want to ask a coach, or they don’t want to repeat something.”


Olivia Voshell (above) is a four-year starter for Strath Haven. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

It’s an important mindset to be in, because Voshell — along with fellow senior starters and four-year varsity members Kate Fox and Maryella Gill — are directly responsible for setting the tone for the next three years of Strath Haven basketball and beyond. The Panthers’ rotation consists of nothing but seniors and freshmen, the Fanning twins in the starting lineup with Ellie O’Connor coming off the bench for second-year head coach and Haven alum Brandi Johnson.

It’s a group that’s gelled as the year’s gone on, something which has Haven on the verge of the postseason after a 53-44 win at Harriton on Saturday night. 

Maddie Fanning, like her sister a 5-foot-tall ball of energy, led the way with 24 points, scoring 18 of them in an outstanding first half. She hit three consecutive step-back 3-pointers and then knocked down a confident floater in the second quarter to help the Panthers (10-10, 7-8 Central League) open up a 30-23 halftime edge on the Rams (10-11, 6-9). Kenzie scored three points but added five rebounds, four steals and some excellent ball-handling. 

The pair fit in well on a squad that doesn’t have anybody taller than 5-foot-9 in the rotation but make up for it with their defensive energy. 

“Our team’s small,” Maddie Fanning said, “but we found a way to work together and it works out.”

The two arrived at their first hoops practice in November already seasoned varsity athletes. The two got their high school careers going by helping Strath Haven to the PIAA Class 3A state championship in soccer this fall, Maddie starting at left striker and Kenzie coming off the bench in the midfield in the 1-0 win over Central Dauphin. 

That helped them avoid the typical freshman jitters that come with the first few games on the hardwood. 

“We knew what we were getting into, we knew what the crowds were like, we knew what we were doing, we had the experience, so we’re good,” Maddie Fanning said. “[As] freshmen coming into varsity, we want to bring energy, communication, keep everyone together.”

The win over Harriton was the fifth in seven games for Strath Haven, which opened with losses in five of its first seven games before starting to put things together. Voshell, a 5-9 wing and TCNJ commit with dreams of becoming an Army doctor, said it was a 54-53 overtime loss to Lower Merion on Jan. 9 that was a key inflection point. 


Maddie Fanning (above) had 24 points in the win. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

“Going into our next practice after that game is when we really started putting in the work, and it started to click for our chemistry a lot,” Voshell said. “We really decided we don’t want to lose any more games like that, we don’t want to feel like that anymore.’

Even when Maddie Fanning encountered some foul difficulties in the second half on Saturday, the Panthers didn’t fold. Haven opened up an edge as large as 12 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter thanks to the second 3-ball of the game from senior Madison Benzing (8 points), before Voshell knocked down a turnaround jumper to make it 45-31 with 4:35 to play.

Harriton tried to mount a comeback behind junior guard Addison Levensten (21 points, 12 rebounds) and senior forward Anna Chimento (11 points, eight rebounds, four blocks), but the senior day rally only got as close as six with less than a minute to play.

Fanning knocked down four free-throws in the last minute to seal the win.

The Rams, who entered the night No. 9 in the District 1 5A rankings, will be facing a desperate Springfield (Delco.) squad which is right on the District 1 6A bubble. Harriton coach Brian McCloskey wasn’t worried about the postseason picture, his mind focused on Tuesday.

“Focusing on Springfield and hoping Feb. 4 ain’t the last one,” he said. “Everybody keeps telling me [we’re in the district field]; I won’t believe it until I get the call that we’re in there.”


Addison Levensten (above) had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Harriton. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

With the win, as well as Springfield’s upset over fourth-place Radnor (14-7, 10-5) earlier in the evening, Strath Haven moved into a tie with Springfield for sixth place in the Central League. Haven has the tiebreaker, having won both of their matchups this season.

A win against Marple Newtown in the season finale on Tuesday would not only secure the sixth and final spot in the Central League playoffs, it would secure Strath Haven’s first winning record in a regular season since going 14-8 in the 2018-19 season. That year, the Panthers lost to West Chester East in the first round. 

The last time they made it out of the district tournament? That was before anybody on the current roster was alive. 

First, they have to beat the Tigers, which only have four Central League wins — one of which was a 52-35 win over the Panthers on Jan. 3. Exact revenge on another loss, and Strath Haven’s got at least a couple more games left in its season for the first time in a long time. 

“We learned a lot, just about being poised and patient,” Voshell said of the first meeting with Marple. “We took so many rushed shots that game, and I think that going into the second half of the season, when we slow the ball down, when we pull it out, if our transition isn’t working, we can still run our sets and get those looks. Having that poise and that patience, playing at our speed instead of playing to their speed will allow us to get into that game.”

By Quarter
HHS: 10  |  13  |   7   |  14  ||  44
SH:   12  |  18  |  10  |  13  ||  53

Shooting
HHS: 15-42 FG (1-9 3PT), 13-20 FT
SH: 18-43 FG (6-13 3PT), 11-17 FT

Scoring
HHS: Addison Levensten 21 Anna Chimento 11, Maddie Bacine 5, Chelsea Poli 5, Maddie Nielson 2

SH: Maddie Fanning 24, Madison Benzing 8, Kate Fox 7, Olivia Voshell 6, Maryella Gill 5, Kenzie Fanning 3


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