City of Basketball Love

By David Comer
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Diane Decker was unsure of what to expect when she was hired as the Arcadia women’s basketball coach in May. She was taking over a team she didn’t recruit to the school and didn’t know all that well. 

Sure, Decker knew several of the players from coaching against them - she was the head coach of MAC Freedom rival Lebanon Valley for the last three years - but she had never actually coached them. So, understandably, there was some uncertainty for the veteran coach.

Now, nearly seven months later, Decker could not be happier at her new school.

“They’re just great kids,” she said. “They welcomed me unbelievably. They’ve been so good to me. They really, really want to win. They’re receptive to everything. There’s no attitude. There’s no jealousy. They’re just all-in. They just want to win.”

The Knights are off to a 4-2 start, with their losses to nationally ranked teams - No. 16 Amherst and No. 20 Christopher Newport.

Decker, a 1989 Villanova grad, takes over for Jackie Hartzell. Hartzell’s teams at Arcadia enjoyed the program’s best two-year stretch (39-14) during the last two seasons. Hartzell left to become the head coach of the women’s team at Rider, a Division I school in Lawrenceville, N.J., that competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

“I’ve been friends with Jackie for a long time,” said Decker, who lives in the Lehigh Valley, about a 50-minute drive from the Arcadia campus in Glenside. “She actually recommended me for the job. We run similar styles.”

Decker said that she not only inherited the roster from Hartzell, but she also inherited the schedule.

“She really, really challenged us with the schedule this year,” Decker said. “I’m hoping that come conference time we’ll be ready.”

Decker, who was the head coach at Division II East Stroudsburg from 2015 to 2019, has a familiar face next to her on the bench this season. One of her assistants is her coach from her playing days at Villanova, the legendary Harry Perretta, who compiled a 783-489 record during his 42 seasons with the Wildcats.

“I learn from him every day,” Decker said. “He’s so basketball smart. He looks at basketball in a totally different way.”

That roster that Decker inherited does include several talented players, led by senior Delaney Bell, a 5-foot-8 wing from Bensalem, who became the first MAC Freedom Player of the Year in program history last season and has scored over 1,000 points in her career. Bell leads the team in nearly every offensive category this season and is averaging 17.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

“Delaney is like the silent assassin,” Decker said. “You could watch a whole game and be like, ‘I don’t know how much Delaney did.’ And then you get the box score, and she had 22 and 12. She’s smart. She makes good decisions. You know what you’re getting from her - probably a double-double most nights. She’s tough to guard because she’s quick and can get to the basket and she can post a little bit and she can shoot.”

Senior Hanna Rhoades, a 5-foot-5 junior guard from Abington Friends, was the leading scorer in the MAC Freedom last year and a first-team all-league selection. She also is a 1,000-point career scorer. She is averaging 13.0 points per game this season.

“She’s one of those shooters who when she’s feeling it, she’s feeling it,” Decker said. “When she’s feeling it, watch out. Teams this year have really been keying on her a lot. She has to deal with everyone’s best defensive player because she’s getting that each game.”

Taylor Koenig, a 5-foot-9 sophomore guard out of Governor Mifflin, has increased her scoring output from 6.0 to 13.3 points per game from last season to this season. She is 14-of-30 (46.7%) from beyond the arc.

“She just seems way more confident in her game this year,” Decker said. “She just worked on her game all summer and has come back with a different type of game.”

Freshman Abby Arnold, a 5-foot-8 guard who had a sensational career at Methacton, is playing nearly 20 minutes per game off the bench and is averaging 8.3 points per game.

“She’s a very, very confident offensive player,” Decker said. “She’s not afraid to take a big shot. I really like what she gives us off the bench and that spark. She’s going to continue to get better and better.”

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Cottrell a shooting star for Alvernia

Robert Cottrell, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard for Alvernia, is off to a phenomenal start this season for the Golden Wolves. 

Cottrell, a key part of Roman Catholic’s 2024 Philadelphia Catholic League championship team, is a member of the elite 50/40/90 club so far this year - shooting 50% from the field, 40.7% from three-point range and 97.8% from the foul line. 

“When we saw him at Roman, he didn’t shoot that many threes,” Alvernia coach Mike Miller Jr. said. “I was actually surprised at how well he shot when he got here.”

Miller said that Cottrell has worked tirelessly at his game since arriving on campus in August of 2024.

“I give him a lot of credit,”Miller said. “He shoots every day before and after practice. He’s putting in as much time as anyone on the team, and it’s showing. 

During Alvernia’s 3-3 start, Cottrell is averaging 20.5 points per game and hit for a career-high 40 in a 93-91 loss to a nationally ranked Montclair State team that includes Cottrell’s former Roman Catholic teammate, Kabe Goss.

“I think that gave him a little extra motivation,” Miller said. “He’s a big-game player and hits big shots. He’s ready for those big moments.”

Cottrell has played all 40 minutes three times this year and has made an astounding 44-of-45 from the foul line. He is also averaging 4.5 assists per game.

Miller said that Cottrell is excelling both on and off the court, as he has a 3.3 GPA in his business management major.

“He’s about as low maintenance as you can get,” Miller said. “He’s a pleasure to coach - on and off the court. I just like being around him.”

Cottrell was an honorable mention All-PCL selection as a senior for Roman Catholic before heading to Alvernia, a private school founded in 1958 and located in Reading. Cottrell was terrific as a freshman, when he averaged 11.6 points per game and was named the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year. He has been even better as a sophomore.

“The PCL really helped him be ready for college right away,” Miller said. “We thought he was a good recruit, but I’ll admit I didn’t think he’d be this good right away. He’s a basketball junkie through and through. He puts in the work, and that is why he’s having the success he’s having.”

If you would like to see Cottrell play in person, he and Alvernia visit Gwynedd Mercy for a non-league contact at 6 PM on Wednesday, December 3.

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DuPont reaches milestone for Neumann

Emily DuPont, a 5-foot-9 senior forward for Neumann, scored 22 points, including the 1,000th of her career, in a loss to Haverford earlier this season. DuPont, a Great Valley graduate, is averaging career-bests with 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.

DuPont has enjoyed a terrific career for the Knights with career averages of 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Last season, as a junior, she was named the Atlantic East Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-AEC honors. As a sophomore in 2023-24, she earned second-team All-AEC honors.

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Gwynedd Mercy off to “Speedy” start

First-year coach Darnell “Speedy” Artis has his alma mater, Gwynedd Mercy, off to a 5-1 start. The Griffins are playing a fast-paced style of basketball with a toughness reflective of their coach. In their five wins, they are averaging 83.8 points per game. Their only loss is a 75-55 setback to Arcadia. 

Four Gwynedd Mercy players — including three locals — are scoring in double figures. Bruce Smith (Neumann Goretti)  leads the way at 13.5 points per game, followed by Jalen Snead (Archbishop Ryan) at 12.7, Dylan Harris (Central Columbia) at 12.3 and D.J. Johnson (Norristown) at 11.5.

Gwynedd Mercy will continue with its non-league schedule for the rest of calendar year 2025. The Griffins begin AEC play on January 7 at Pratt Institute.

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Layups

The Penn State Abington men’s basketball team is still looking for its win of the season, but JoJo Kelly, a 6-foot-2 senior guard from Strawberry Mansion, has been doing all he can for the Nittany Lions. Kelly, a transfer from Penn State Wilkes-Barre, is averaging 19.0 points per game and has surpassed 20 points in four of his team’s eight games. Kelly reached 1,000 career points in a loss to Rutgers-University Camden earlier this season . … Delaware Valley senior forward Alexis Wright scored her 1,000th career point in a game against Montclair State earlier this season. The 5-foot-11 senior from Berne, N.Y., is averaging a career-best 16.8 points per game this year for the 1-4 Aggies. … Former Immaculata standout Brandon McCullough, an Avon Grove graduate, is in his first season as the Director of Basketball Operations for the men’s team at Rider. McCullough, who finished his career with the Mighty Macs as the sixth all-time leading scorer in program history with 1,319 points, spent three seasons as an assistant at Immaculata after graduating from the school in 2022 before landing at Rider. … Haverford senior Caroline Orza ranks 8th nationally in Division III scoring at 24.0 points per game. The 5-foot-9 guard, who began her collegiate career at Division I Loyola Maryland before transferring to Haverford. … Look for big things from 6-foot-7 forward Brian Mordi at DelVal. The junior, who started his collegiate career at Rosemont College, showed what he is capable of doing in a win over Rowan when he had 11 points and 6 rebounds in just 7 minutes before fouling out. Mordi, who is from Cherry Hill, N.J., had two highlight reel dunks in his limited action that night. “He has a ton of upside,” DelVal coach Muhamadou Kaba said after the game.