Photos/Videos: Geanine Jamison, Lou Rabito, Lennie Malmgren & Donna Eckert
By: Marc Narducci
Kyleigh Kilpatrick taking charge at Abington Friends:
Kyleigh Kilpatrick is certainly in charge when playing for Abington Friends.
The 5-foot-6 senior might be the team unofficial leader in floor burns because she definitely leads in an important and often overlooked statistic– taking charges.
This season she has taken a team-high 16 charges. That includes five games with multiple charges taken.
It’s not the most glamorous job, but Kilpatrick is one of those players who will do anything to try to help her team win. Even if it smarts a little bit.
“It hurts a little bit,” she said, laughing. “I do go against a lot of girls who are stronger and taller than I am.”
Few are tougher or a better teammate..
“She has never been a big scorer but always does the little things, defend, make the extra pass, will cut hard, everything that makes a team go forward,” Abington Friends coach Jeff Bond said. “She is just a great teammate and a great person to be around.”
As for adding the charge element to her game, that really began during her AAU season playing for Team Fencor.
“It started then and is something I have taken into this season,” she said.
Abington Friends School senior Kyleigh Kilpatrick. (PSD-Photo by Geanine Jamison)
A player like Kilpatrick is invaluable, somebody who doesn’t demand the ball on offense and denies it to others on defense.
“I really love playing defense and spend most of my time helping my team on the court any way I can,” she said.
Kilpatrick often has to defend against much taller players.
“She won’t back down against anybody,” Bond said.
Kilpatrick averages 3.6 points, but has shown she can’t be left alone from beyond the arc and can score when needed. In a few games this year she has hit multiple three-point field goals.
During a 45-17 win over Friends Select on Senior Day, Kilpatrick scored 10 points, second to leading scorer Hanna Rhoades, who had 14.
Kilpatrick has been on varsity four years. She began seeing appreciable playing time as a key reserve during her sophomore season when Abington Friends won the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) state championship.
During the last two seasons she has been a key veteran for the Kangaroos.
Kilpatrick has not yet chosen a college. She hopes to play intramurals. More importantly she is looking to study biology, with the hope of attending dental school.
In addition to basketball, Kilpatrick has been a member of the Abington Friends golf team.
“It’s a completely different sport,” she said. “Basketball is more a team effort and golf offers such different ways to challenge yourself.”
Abington Friends School vs. Friends Select School. (video highlights/Geanine Jamison for PSD)
Abington Friends vs. Friends Select, (PSD photo gallery by Geanine Jamison)
And she has a simple philosophy that has paid huge dividends in hoops.
“My goal is to go out there and play every game as hard I can and do what I can and leave it all out on the court,” she said.
Kilpatrick will miss basketball, mainly for the competition and the camaraderie with her teammates.
“I love basketball and as long as I am out there with my team I am having fun and something I really enjoy,” she said. “Playing together is important to me.”
Emotional Senior Day at Westtown:
On Tuesday’s Senior Day at Westtown Friends coach Fran Burbridge started all five seniors in a 73-16 win over George School.
The seniors were Kaylene Smikle, Olivia Wiggins, Meliah Van-Otoo, Mara Donnelly and Josie Boyer.
Smikle and Van-Otoo are usual starters, while Wiggins is often the first player off the bench.
“She does such a great job with her toughness and energy and she has had a really good year,” Burbridge said about Wiggins.
He also praised Donnelly and Boyer for their leadership.
Senior Day is always emotional and this was no exception.
“It really was,” Burbridge said. “They (the five seniors) did a really good job and it is a credit to them, how they were able to step right in even though those five don’t play a tremendous amount together.”
Westtown vs. George School - Game Highlights by Lennie Malmgren:
It helps that Smikle the 6-1 Rutgers commit was there to lead the unit, scoring 31 points.
Now it’s time for Westtown to prepare for the playoffs. There was no playoff last season, but Westtown, which won in 2020 is the defending champ.
Westtown vs. George School - Game Photos by Lou Rabito
Westtown vs. George School - Senior Day Photos by Lennie Malmgren
Academy of the New Church strong in non-league play:
As we have mentioned before, when Friends League teams play non-league competition, they often prosper. That is the case with Academy of the New Church in a 49-20 win over Freire Charter. Guard Xola Wade continued her strong sophomore season with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, six steals and for good measure, a blocked shot.
Sophomores Te’a Richards and Arianna Frank, freshman Omega Wade and senior Rebecca Clark all had seven points in an extremely balanced effort.
Season ending momentum for Friends Central:
Friends Central closed out its season on a high note with a 61-27 win over Academy of the New Church.
Jordyn Adderly 5-9 freshman, led the way with 14 points. Junior guard Sanaa Garrett and junior center Amani Savage each had 13 points.
“The balanced scoring from Jordyn, Amani and Sanaa along with complete team defense helped the team secure the victory,” coach Phil Annas said.
ANC vs. Friends Central - PSD Gallery by Donna Eckert
Good Tune-up:
Even though Germantown Friends suffered a 55-37 loss to a talented Penn Charter team, the game will be good to prepare the Tigers for the Friends League tournament.
Germantown Friends is the No. 2 seed.
In the game, 6-3 Clare Meyer continued her outstanding senior season with 21 points while classmate Martina Kiewek added 11.
The game before in a 51-23 victory over the George School, Meyer had 20 points and Kiewek added 15.
Foxes stealing some victories:
Moorestown Friends has enjoyed a late-season two-game winning streak against South Jersey competition.
The Foxes beat Maple Shade 31-26.
One could suggest that Moorestown Friends stole the victory – with 15 steals.
Senior Roni Kennedy had a team-high six steals along with eight points.
The leading Moorestown Friends scorers in this defensive struggle were seniors Blythe O’Connor and Janiah McRae with nine points each. Junior Macey Wilkins added a team-high 10 rebounds.
Moorestown Friends then beat Gloucester Township Tech, 54-29. In this win, the Foxes had 19 steals.
Kennedy had a monster game – 16 points, nine rebounds and yes, four steals.
Sophomore Hanilyah Williams had 11 points and three steals.
Playoff field set:
The Friends League playoff field is set with the postseason beginning on Friday.
Here are the matchups. The higher seed will host each game until the championship, which will be played at La Salle University.
Friday Feb. 11
(8) Moorestown Friends at (1) Westtown
(7) Abington Friends at (2) Germantown Friends
(6) George School at (3) Friends Central
(5) Shipley at (4) Academy of the New Church
Semifinals are Tuesday Feb. 15 at the higher seed
Championship is Friday Feb. 18 at La Salle University as part of a doubleheader. The girls championship game is 6 p.m. followed by the boys title contest at 8 p.m.
Friends League Standings (through Tuesday Feb 8th):
Westtown 8-0, 16-4
Germantown Friends 7-1, 18-4
Friends Central 6-2, 13-8
Academy of the New Church 4-4, 10-7
George School 3-3, 9-7
Shipley 4-4, 5-10
Abington Friends 2-6, 5-14
Friends Select 0-6, 2-14
Moorestown Friends 0-7, 4-11