With half of their 12 games in the books, the Patriots are 5-1 and have already battled all but one of the league’s top teams – a regular-season finale February 5 at West Catholic. Victories over Neumann-Goretti, Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Wood, and Archbishop Ryan were offset by a 47-40 clunker versus pesky Bonner-Prendergast – although that defeat was way back on December 18, when most teams weren’t even certain about their starting lineups.

“Our win against Goretti took a lot of hard work that my team and I did over the course of many defense-based practices,” said senior guard Mary diSimone. “That win was based off of the whole team one through 12, because we all came to practice to get this win. We were very focused in the game with shutting down their guards first, and once we did that, we were able to get good shots on offense. I would say that our defense definitely dictated our offense, and we all played a good all-around game. 

Carroll vs. O'Hara - PSD Photos by Chip Frenette

In the win over O’Hara, junior Erin Sweeney netted a game-high 22 points. 

“It was an important win because we knew they were going to be good and we would have to play really hard,” said Sweeney. “After the first half, we knew we had to step it up and just play our game and give everything we had. Once we did that, things started to flow better.”

Carroll senior Harlem Jennings said the Patriots’ method of victory over Neumann-Goretti provided a solid blueprint moving forward.

“It was definitely a great team win,” said Jennings. “We worked together to get stops on the defensive end, and we worked through our offense to get great looks. We limited our turnovers, were patient, and focused on the little things to pull through with the win.”

According to Cardinal O’Hara senior Kerry Patterson, the Lions (4-3 with key wins over Archbishop Wood and Archbishop Ryan) could benefit from the Carroll defeat if they overcome their mistakes, starting with a huge contest January 18 against visiting Neumann-Goretti. 

“It was a tough loss because we were up the whole game until the fourth quarter,” said Patterson. “We did everything we were supposed to in the first half, but in the second half something happened and they started making shots. 

“This is all a learning process and we can build on this for the future. Now we have to move on and get ready to come out strong against Goretti.” 

At 3-2, Archbishop Wood still must face Archbishop Ryan, Neumann-Goretti, and West Catholic. A 75-62 win over Bonner-Prendergast and close defeats against Archbishop Carroll (43-33) and Cardinal O’Hara (38-35) means the Vikings will be a dangerous playoff team in early February.

“Our chemistry has really helped us a lot on the court,” said Wood sophomore Kaitlyn Orihel. “We’ve spent so much time together off of the court that we’ve become really close, and I think that’s helped us on the court. The only thing that has hurt us a little so far in the beginning of the season is that we’re really young and inexperienced. 

“We’ve also had to battle through some key injuries. However, with all the preseason tournaments and the national competition we’ve played, it’s given some of the newer players more experience and prepared them for what’s to come this season.”

Wood vs. Carroll PSD Photos by James Williamson

Wood vs. MBAP - PSD Photos by Kathy Leister 

Lansdale Catholic is coming off a 62-36 triumph at Bishop McDevitt, which might prove particularly beneficial since McDevitt is now 3-3 and still face five of the league’s top squads over while the Crusaders are 3-4 and tied with St. Hubert’s, whom they visit on January 29.

Sophomore Timaya Lewis-Eutsey and junior Riley DeVitis both poured in 16 points for the victorious Crusaders, who outscored the Lancers in every period. 

“We played really good,” said senior LC Emily Smith. “On offense we worked the ball to get the wide open shot, but our shots wouldn’t fall in the first quarter. We didn’t give up and continued to work the ball until our shots started to fall. We pushed the ball every time we got a rebound and found the person for the open layup, which helped a lot. 

“On defense we knew we had to be in help at all times to stop the post which we did a great job at. We talked and were able to get steals off defense and convert into baskets for us. When we pressed them they almost turned it over each time, which helped us get even more points. 

Lansdale Catholic vs. Little Flower - PSD Photos by Patty Morgan

Bishop McDevitt vs. St. Hubert - Photos by Mike Gray

The game also featured two first-year head coaches in Little Flower’s Maureen Buchter, who has been in the Sentinel’s basketball coaching system for 21 years and Hubert’s Dave Schafer, a Conwell-Egan Hall-of-Famer and Bambies head softball coach. 

“It’s definitely a better environment. He (coach Schafer) considers more about how us players feel and puts us in a better direction to succeed in the coming years,” said Hartigan.