City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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The District 1 playoffs get underway on Friday with elimination games in the 5A and 6A brackets. The girls’ 5A bracket has four games, all of which will see one team move into the quarterfinals and the other done for the season.

Here’s a look at Friday’s first-round matchups:

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Quarterfinals: Tues., Feb. 18
Semifinals: Fri., Feb. 21
Championship: Tues., Feb. 25 @ West Chester Univ. (7:00 PM)

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8) Sun Valley vs. 9) Marple Newtown (Feb. 15, 1:00 PM)
Winner gets 1) Gwynedd Mercy

The Vanguards and Tigers haven’t played this season, but a number of similar results against common opponents lead one to think this should also be competitive: both teams lost close games to Ridley, beat Academy Park and beat Avon Grove in similar ways, and both had bigger wins over Renaissance Academy as well. Sun Valley (15-7) only had a 4-6 record in Ches-Mont American play but otherwise had its best season in at least a decade, and certainly since a 17-win season in 2012-13. Senior guard Brielle Wright, a three-year starter, is one of their leaders along with junior forward Lucy Damico, who’s in her second year as a starter. 

Marple (10-12) closed the season strong to qualify for districts, shaking off a five-game mid-January losing streak to win four of its last five, including a quality win at Strath Haven on the last day of the regular season. Sophomore guard Olivia Gicking is one to watch and will be their centerpiece for the next few years, and junior forward Rowan Hilden gives them size inside. 

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5) West Chester Rustin vs. 12) Harriton (7:00 PM)
Winner gets 4) Unionville

Rustin (14-9) is coming off a Ches Mont League semifinal loss to league runner-up Downingtown East, 48-27, though the Knights did stay with East for a half. Rustin’s 5-foot-2 junior guard Jenna Kraft is hard to stay with. She can single-handedly break a press, and despite her height, is a baseline-to-baseline player, unafraid to grab a rebound. The Knights also feature 6-foot senior center Sara Betchyk, who coupled for Kraft give the Knights a sound inside-outside combo. Watch out for sophomore Claire Rydel and freshman Mackenzie Stakchouse, who’ve contributed more as the season’s gone on.

Harriton (10-12) has its own guard-forward to watch for in junior Addison Levensten and senior Anna Chimento. Levensten, a 5-9 combo guard, is a strong defender and rebounder who’s the best on her team at creating her own shot, while Chimento, a 5-11 forward, is an Ursinus commit who gives them a quality post presence. Chelsea Poli, Maddie Bacine and Maddie Nielson make up the rest of the top part of the Rams’ rotation. 

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7) Strath Haven vs. 10) Academy Park (7:00 PM)
WInner gets 2) Radnor

No way for Strath Haven and Academy Park to know that when they scheduled a game on Feb. 8, it would end up being played again just six days later. Academy Park took the first one, 52-50, leading almost the entire way on the Panthers’ court. That actually gave Academy Park (12-10) the better record on the season than Strath Haven (10-12), but Haven’s strength of schedule from playing in the Central League has it hosting this first-round game. 

Haven’s rotation starts with senior and four-year starter Olivia Voshell, a tough 5-8 wing and TCNJ commit, one of three starters in the lineup along with Kate Fox and Maryella Gill. And keep an eye on twin freshmen Kenzie and Maddie Fanning, who already won a PIAA state title on the soccer field this fall; the two 5-foot-tall guards are both full of energy. Academy Park counters with senior wing Emani Banks, who scored 26 points in the teams’ first matchup, with senior guard Alaysia Kinlaw adding 16 of her own; senior wing Kiala Bright, sophomore Shaniyah Hopkins and junior Saiyda Hooper round out the starting lineup for a group that likes to play uptempo and downhill.

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6) Villa Maria vs. 11) West Chester East (7:00 PM)
Winner gets 3) Lower Moreland

Coach Kathy McCartney’s Hurricanes (13-11) are coming off an upset AACA title win over Gwynedd Mercy, looking to roll that into a fourth straight District 1 5A title game appearance (won in 2022). Junior 5-6 guard Sophia Tray, a standout lacrosse player as well, carries the squad. Senior 5-7 guard Abby Ferry is a steadying presence on both ends, while freshman 5-11 forward Erin Urbanski showed she could be a big piece in the AACA championship win.

West Chester East made it to the second round of the state playoffs a year ago after a district semifinal appearance, but the Vikings (11-12) have some work to do to get back there. Senior forward Sofia Keith and senior guard Annalise Kubasko lead the returners, along with junior wing Lauren Horan, and sophomore wing Kayla Cochran has been productive in her first year in the starting lineup. Erin Listrani’s squad has improved as the season’s gone on, going  7-4 in their last 11 overall.