Westtown is seeking its fifth consecutive Friends League girls’ championship since 2020. (There was no championship in 2021 due to COVID).

The Moose, who were 8-0 in the regular season in Friends League action, advanced with Tuesday’s 68-48 semifinal win over Shipley.

Jordyn Palmer, the 6-1 sophomore who has already surpassed the 1,000-point career mark, led Westtown with 21 points. Fellow sophomore, 5-10 Jessie Moses, added 19. These two are not only two of the best sophomores in the area, but nationwide.

Atlee Vanesko, a 5-11 junior, who has garnered a high level of Division I interest, added 12 points.

Westtown took command from the outset, earned a 26-9 first quarter advantage and a 38-18 halftime lead.

“Shipley competed and we were happy to get through and set ourselves up for Friday,” Westtown coach Fran Burbidge said.

Now it’s another matchup with Friends Central, whose only league loss this season came in a 63-54 defeat against visiting Westtown on Dec. 13.

As far as being the four-time defending champs, Burbidge says none of that matters when preparing for Friday’s title game.

“The year before is over with and that is history,” he said. “We don’t look as if we are defending anything and just like anybody else looking to win this one.”

Friends' Central advanced to the title game with a 65-45 semifinal win over the George School. Kaiya Rain Tucker, a 6-0 senior, who is a Sienna commit, scored her 1,000th career point. She finished with six points.

“We will prepare well and do our best to be motivated to win,” Friends' Central coach Vinny Simpson said. “I feel we can win the game, but we have to give our all for 32 minutes.”

In the semifinal win, it was a typically balanced effort for Friends' Central. Leading the way was 6-3 senior Logyn Greer, the Colorado commit who had 13 points.

“She missed a few games, but overall, she has had a great senior year with her leadership, and she has really picked up her intensity,” Simpson said.

Faith Watson, a 6-0 freshman, added 11 points, while 5-8 senior Nal’la Bennett scored nine and 6-2 sophomore Zya Small added eight points.

So now in this third straight championship matchup, the game is expected to be more competitive than the last two title games.

Westtown won, 64-33 in last year’s title matchup over Friends Central after beating the Phoenix, 75-35 in the 2023 championship game.

Westtown’s 9-point regular season win was a competitive matchup.

In that game, Westtown’s Moses exploded for 30 points, while Vanesko added 17. Palmer missed the game due to injury, but it was a credit to Westtown’s depth that the Moose were able to prevail.

The two teams arrived to the championship game by different routes. Top seeded George School defeated Friends' Central, 84-68. ANC earned a 64-62 nail-biter at Westtown.

George School trailed Friends' Central 38-35 at halftime, but turned things around with a 29-8 third quarter, providing an 18-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

“That was the difference in the game,” George School coach Ben Luber said. “We were down at halftime and our guys had to refocus and stick to the game plan.”

Junior guard Peyton Miller scored 15 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter. Fellow junior guard Kasey Fleming added 24 points.

Luke Melniczak, a 6-4 senior, was George School’s other double-figure scorer with 13 points.

“Our guys are so resilient and never are down and out and have always been fighters in the course of the season,” Luber said.

Miller was the player who ignited the second half turnaround.

“Peyton is a great player and at halftime he was probably the one I got on the most and his response was impressive,” Luber said. “That is what great players do, they respond when they are challenged.”

Meanwhile third seeded Academy of the New Church advanced with that 64-62 semifinal thriller at No. 2 seed Westtown.

“We played hard, physical and rebounded the ball,” ANC coach Kevin Givens said. “We also hit foul shots down the end, which was a real key.”

The junior trio of 6-2 Bryce Rollerson, 6-4 Dior Carter and 6-7 Cam Smith paced ANC. Rollerson had 20 points, including two key free throws down the stretch. Carter also scored 20 points while Smith added 14.

Carter shot 9 of 10 from the field while also grabbing 10 rebounds. Rollerson had a team-high six assists.

Westtown had earned homecourt advantage following a 64-48 home win over ANC on Jan. 17.

Givens said both teams could feel the playoff atmosphere in Tuesday’s semifinal at Westtown.

“It was a great crowd, standing room only,” he said. “Our guy came in and weren’t affected by the crowd and we stuck to what we do best, attack the basket.”

Now ANC will attempt to reverse the aforementioned 78-72 regular season loss to George School.

In that game, Carter had 18 points, shooting 8 of 9 from the field, and 12 rebounds.