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GIRLS BASKETBALL: Teams Stepping Up for Final Victories as the Friends Schools League Regular Season Comes to a Close

By Marc Narducci, 01/27/23, 10:15PM EST

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Photos: Colleen Claggett, Donna Eckert & Westtown Jr. Photographer Dylan Precious '24 (Instagram: @dylan_precious_media)

By: Marc Narducci

Senior Grace Sundback has traveled a successful path to Westtown

Grace Sundback should be more than ready for college when she concludes her career at Westtown. The 5-10 senior guard made a big decision after her freshman year at Xaverian in Brooklyn. She had just completed a standout season at Xaverian, averaging 18 points per game, but she decided to transfer to Westtown, the boarding school in Chester County. Her sophomore year was difficult simply because that was the shortened season due to COVID.

Last year she played a major role in Westtown winning the Friends League title and she is having a similar impact as the Moose are again the favorite to earn the league crown.

“It was a big adjustment because when I came to Westtown I was 15 and most kids don’t live on their own that young,” Sundback said. “That first year, with COVID was difficult but I have become pretty good at living on my own.”

She’s also been pretty good on the basketball court. She has earned a scholarship to Delaware and earlier this season scored her 1,000th career point, which included her freshman season in New York.

Sundback is among the premier shooters in the area, but her gave has developed so much more over the years.

“She can really shoot, but Grace has really worked at developing the other parts of her game,” Westtown coach Fran Burbidge said. “She is also such a tough kid and just a great teammate.”

Sundback, who is from Staten Island, said she enjoyed Xaverian, but the commute was difficult. She said it would take her about an hour and a half each way. Plus the idea of attending Westtown was appealing.

“I wanted to go to Westtown to be ahead of the game,” she said. “This is a prestigious boarding school with a great basketball program so you get the best of both worlds and the coaching staff is outstanding.”

She committed to Delaware in July and said she the coaching staff, led by first-year head coach Sarah Jenkins, played a big role in her decision.


Westtown senior Grace Sundback #23 will play at Delaware next season - PSD Photo by Donna Eckert


On Friday, Jan. 13, Grace Sundback scored her 1,000th career point against Academy of the New Church - PSD Photo by Donna Eckert

“It’s a similar feeling I got with the coaches at Westtown, the belief in me they have as a person and a player,” she said. “Coach Sarah has that winning mindset and she cares deeply for her players.”

Now she is looking forward to helping Westtown defend its Friends League crown. First off, is retuning to the court. She recently suffered a sprained ankle and says she is looking to return to action on Friday.

“We are very focused on winning and that is important,” she said. “To be able to accomplish that the final two years of my high school career would be really cool.”

Game of the week:

Westtown plays a highly challenging non-conference schedule and the Moose faced one of New Jersey’s best last Saturday in one of the games of the year. In a nail-biting affair, South Jersey’s No. 1 team Paul VI defeated host Westtown, 72-69 in overtime.

The fact that Westtown came so close with Sundback sidelined, gives and indication of how talented the Moose are. Paul VI won 14 of its first 15 games, losing only 63-60 to Long Island Lutheran. The Eagles feature one of the top players in the country 5-7 guard Hannah Hidalgo, a Notre Dame commit. Hidalgo played on the Under-17 national team this summer that won the gold medal at the FIBA U-17 championships. She was also just named a McDonald’s American.

And against Westtown, she clearly lived up to the hype, scoring 48 points.

“Paul VI is really good and I have known Hannah since she was a sixth grader and she is the best guard in the country and one of the best players in the country,” Burbidge said. “It was a really good game and a lot of people who watch high school girls basketball over the years said it was probably the best girls game they have seen.”

The bright spot for Westtown was 6-1 eighth grader Jordyn Palmer, who scored 31 points.

“You have to remember that Jordyn just turned 14 in November and she has a great pace to her game, is very smart, very talented and work hard at the game,” Burbidge said. “She has great poise and her basketball talent is really good and will surely keep getting better.”

Despite earning the L, Burbidge said a game like this will benefit Westtown in the future.

“If we as a team choose not to learn from this as a team and an individual, then it is a really hard loss,” he said. “If we all learn from it, it will benefit the heck out of you.”

Big win for the Cougars

George School earned an impressive 74-53 win over Academy of New Church on Tuesday.

Leading the way for the George School was 6-3 sophomore Priyanka Ponnam, who had 26 points and 11 rebounds. She also hit four three-pointers. Ponnam has emerged as one of the area’s top sophomores.

Gianna Johnson, a 6-5 junior, added 12 points and 10 rebounds, her fourth consecutive double-double. Sophia Martinez, a 5-6 junior added 13 points as did 5-9 junior Basha Harrington.

“It was a total team effort for a much-needed win over a well-coached ANC team,” George School coach La’Keisha Sutton said. “I love when our inside and outside game comes together. Fun game.”

A Friends League First for Moorestown Friends

Moorestown Friends earned its first Friends League win of the season with a 37-31 victory against Germantown Friends on Jan. 20. Sophia Rutherford, a 5-7 junior, led the way with 16 points and six rebounds.

Macey Wilkins, a 5-11 senior, had a double-double, 10 points and 13 rebounds, along with three blocks, two assists and a steal. A fine all-round game was provided by Ava Blumberg, who had six points, three rebounds, two assists and a team-high four steals.

“This win was great for our team,” said Rutherford, who returned earlier this month following a season-ending knee injury suffered last season. “It was my first win since I came back and there was a lot of energy.”

It was the Foxes first win since an opening 24-22 victory over Collingswood.

That that Friends League win raised our spirts and helped team morale,” Rutherford said. “We always come excited and ready to work hard in practice but this win brought it to the next level.”

Shipley taking aim from beyond the arc

In Tuesday’s convincing win over Friends Select, Shipley shot 11-for-24 from three-point range (.460). Taylor Lasky, a 5-6 freshman and 5-4 junior Evyn Stone both had career highs. Stone scored 20 points and Lasky added 17.

Before that, the Gators defeated the Perkiomen School, 47-40, using a balanced attack. Lasky and Sanai Johnson each scored 11 points, Anna Pascale added right points along with thee rebounds and three assists. Other key contributors include 5-10 sophomore Mallory Farr, who had six points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals and 5-4 junior Ani Proper with four points, 10 rebounds four assists and two steals.

Friends League Standings (Through Tuesday Jan. 24)

Westtown 6-0

Friends Central 5-1

George School 4-2

Academy of the New Church 4-2

Shipley 4-2

Abington Friends 2-3

Moorestown Friends 1-5

Germantown Friends 1-5

Friends Select 0-7