Loss takes luster off milestone for O’Hara’s Scanlon

01/22/2006

By HARRY CHAYKUN hchaykun@delcotimes.com MARPLE -- Heather Scanlon was surrounded by family and friends in the Cardinal O’Hara gymnasium late Saturday afternoon. Scanlon had scored the 1,000th point of her career in O’Hara’s game against defending Delaware state champion Ursuline Academy in the Scholastic Play By Play Classic.

"Mostly what I’ll remember was that we lost," said the Villanova-bound Scanlon, who got 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and two steals as the Lions dropped a 56-49 decision to the Raiders.

Ursuline’s 6-5 sophomore All-American Elena DelleDonne (9 for 19 from the floor, including 2 for 2 on 3-point attempts, and 8 for 8 at the foul line) scored 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked one shot and had one assist as she put on a show for those who packed the stands, including a number of college coaches.

Deana DiAmico, the 5-3 senior guard who played a key role in Ursuline’s overtime victory at O’Hara after DelleDonne was hurt last season, got all seven of her points in the second half, claimed 10 rebounds, made five assists and had two steals.

"Elena’s a great player," said O’Hara head coach Linus McGinty. "But their kids from the perimeter killed us again."

DelleDonne and DiAmico combined for 16 of Ursuline’s 20 points in the final eight minutes. When the Lions cut a 10-point deficit to four, DelleDonne couldn’t miss and DiAmico wouldn’t give in to the Lions’ pressure.

"Meghan (Gardler) and Heather wore themselves out trying to keep up with (DelleDonne)," McGinty said. "They have a good team, and that (DiAmico) is a tough little player."

Scanlon had three points and two rebounds at halftime and O’Hara trailed, 20-17. She was 3 for 3 (including a 3-pointer) from the floor in the final period. With 5:04 left in the game, Scanlon got open in the lane, took a pass from Kim Benton and made a short jump shot to become the ninth female player from O’Hara to score 1,000 points.

Kristen Clement (2,256), Chrissie Donahue (1,446), Kate Dessart Mager (1,405), Theresa Shank (1,200), Trish Juhline (1,106), Stacie Keffer (1,058), Brandi Batch (1,022) and Carol Larkin (1,013) are the other O’Hara girls players in the 1,000 point club.

"This was supposed to be a surprise," Scanlon said. "I thought I was still pretty far away, but then someone in school the other day said they heard I only needed nine more points.

"I really don’t think a lot about how many points I’ve scored. It really doesn’t matter to me if I get 20 points or I don’t score. What’s important is if we win or lose, and we lost this game today."

O’Hara (14-3), which began the week ranked 12th in USA Today’s Super 25 -- Ursuline was 14th -- lost at home for the second time in four days. The Lions dropped a 55-54 Catholic League Southern Division decision to Neumann-Goretti Tuesday night.

"We’ve got to get a winning streak started," said Scanlon, who knows how tough the Lions’ visit to Archbishop Carroll Tuesday night will be.

"My teammates have been so important in helping me (reach 1,000 points) and I really appreciate what they have done. Now I want to try to do what I can to help us start winning again."

McGinty believes she can do that.

"Heather’s been a warrior for us since the first day she stepped on the court here," McGinty said. "She’s the leading rebounder in O’Hara history and her (shooting) touch has improved so much. She’s going to be a great college player."

Gardler scored 15 points and point guard Kim Benton added 10 points, two steals and two assists for O’Hara.

DelleDonne took home the award as Ursuline’s outstanding player, but some Raiders fans thought DiAmico deserved recognition.

"We’re just happy when we come up here and win because the teams here are very tough," said DiAmico, whose mother, Sheila DiNardo, is Ursuline’s head coach.

"Defense is the most important part of the game for me. I don’t worry about scoring points. We have people who can do that if I make sure they get the ball."

Ursuline will be back in Pennsylvania Saturday to face host Carroll in the Blue Chip Classic.

In other Scholastic Play By Play action:

Archbishop Carroll 62,

Upper Dublin 56

Katie Holzer scored 10 of her 16 points in the second half and got nine rebounds as the Patriots (13-2) earned their seventh straight win.

"(Coach Barry Kirsch) just told us to go out there and play basketball in the second half," Holzer said.

Freshman Kerri Shields, who hit three 3-point shots, added 15 points and sophomore Meg Pearson scored 12 points.

Notre Dame 50,

Archbishop Prendergast 32

Freshman Devon Kane scored 12 points (3 for 5 from the floor, 5 for 5 at the foul line), grabbed two rebounds, made two steals and had one assist to earn outstanding player honors for the Irish.

Andrea Muth came off the bench to drop in three 3-point shots for Notre Dame (11-7), Julie Phelan chipped in with eight points and Ashley Teti had five points, two steals and two assists.

Kathleen Tarzwell and Kristina Kuddar both scored six points for Prendergast (4-12). Karla Abello (four points, two rebounds, one steal) took home the outstanding player award for Prendie.

©The Daily Times 2006

September 3, 2005

Dear Fellow Community Member,

The Penn State University Delaware County Athletic Department is pleased to announce the First Annual 2005 Women's Varsity Basketball Holiday Tournament on December 27th and December 28th 2005 and a Women's Junior Varsity Basketball Holiday Tournament on December 29th and December 30th 2005 to be held at the Penn State Delaware County Campus.

We are expecting a high turnout for the tournament, the Junior Varsity participants include Sun Valley, Academy Park, Strath Haven, Cardinal O'Hara, Archbishop Prendergast, Neumann-Goretti, Ridley and West Chester East High Schools. The Varsity tournament will include Ridley, Penn Wood, Strath Haven and Harry S. Truman High Schools.

If your company would be interested in becoming a program booklet sponsor for the Junior Varsity and Varsity holiday tournaments, please review the attached sponsor form. If you do participate as a sponsor, your company will be seen by many potential customers from a large geographic area. If you would like to be a tournament booklet sponsor, please submit the attached sponsor form with the donation by December 15th, 2005. Please email a copy of your company logo to Rob Dudley, rbd119@psu.edu so we may include your company in the booklet.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Athletic Director Joseph R. DiAntonio at 610-892-1331. Send email inquiries to JRD21@psu.edu.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. DiAntonio

Athletic Director

Penn State Delaware County

PHILLY METRO BASKETBALL LEAGUE 2005

Summer is almost over!!!! Get ready for next season ..

PLAY FALL BASKETBALL !!! LEAGUE OPEN TO AAU/YBOA/PAL/CYO & COMMUNITY TEAMS

5TH - 8TH GRADES - Boys & Girls teams..... (10-11U, 12-13U & 14U)

Games on Saturday, Sunday * October - December, 2005

ALL GAMES TO BE PLAYED AT LOCAL GYMS CONSOHOKEN & NORRISTOWN, PA

(GREAT HARDWOOD COURTS)

1 hr travel time from Central NJ, 45 min Lehigh Valley, 45 min South NJ & Delaware area teams, 25 min from Philadelphia

Standard Amateur Athletic Union rules will apply with age exceptions allowed as defined by AAU rules. 8 game guarantee. This is a NON-sanctioned event.

Entry fee: $500.00 per team includes ref's fees. Please fill out the Registration form provided. Mail certified check or Money order payable to

"P.S.J. "

MAIL TO: P.S.J./Philly Metro Fall League

102 C W. Germantown Pike

Norristown, PA 19401

Please submit the attached team registration form with your entry fee by September 20th, 2005 to register. Pairings, game times and locations will

be provided to you as soon as they become available. Coaches should check-in with rosters and forms prior to their first scheduled game with the site

coordinator or tournament director to verify players with mailed in rosters.

For additional information, contact: (484) 919-7501.

Ages: 9-14. NOTE .. NO PLAYER 15 YEARS OLD WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!!

Rules: Stopped Clock, 16 min. halves for 12/U and older otherwise 14 min 3 Timeouts/Game, One and One on Tenth foul Deadline: September 20, 2005 Dead line is drawing near!!!

VOLUNTEER BASKETBALL COACHES NEEDED– Do you have the patience and interest of coaching and instructing young basketball players? Preferably, experienced junior high - high school assistants (AAU l and development level) coaches for a top level AAU and college prep program in lower Montgomery County team (15 minutes of King of Prussia Mall). Excellent gym facilities - great team support and players. If interested, please e-mail bballcoach@aol.com or call 484-919-7501 – you must reside in the Philadelphia metro area. Note - ALL prospective coaches are subjected to background search of known State child protective and criminal databases.

SAT. JAN 24

4TH ANNUAL GIRLS SCHOLASTIC CLASSIC

tickets

at Cardinal O'Hara High School-Springfield, Delaware County (PA)

University City-Cardinal Dougherty 12:00

Archbishop Wood-Council Rock 1:30

Germantown Academy-Archbishop Prendergast 3:00

Central-Lincoln (NY) 4:30

Archbishop Carroll-Council Rock 6:00

Cardinal O’Hara-Downingtown 7:30

Cheltenham-Coatesville 9:00

The title game of the Season's Restaurant Holiday Classic at Indian Valley High School in Lewistown. Below is a write-up from from WRTA (Altoona) radio's Charlie Weston, who broadcast the game.

12/31/03

Ups and downs

The Altoona Lady Lions defeated previously unbeaten Hempfield to take that school's tournament championship, 61-50. The Mountain Lions suffered another heartbreaking defeat, 63-61 against Harriton.Mandy Pierce scored 20 to lead the girls to their win. Altoona outscored Hempfield 36-17 in the second and third quarters. The Lady Lions had foul trouble throughout and had to hang on to win in the end. They re off until Friday afternoon, when they host Norwin.The Mountain Lions game could have gone either way.

Girls hoops: Chichester earns its share of Del Val crown By HARRY CHAYKUN,

February 07, 2003 UPPER CHICHESTER -- Mike Carrafa knew it might be one of those days. "We come out, there’s only one official and we find out the (start of the) game is delayed," the Chichester High girls basketball coach said. "You could tell something wasn’t right."Kristin (Lees, the county’s third-leading scorer at 17.7 points per game) can’t make a shot. Interboro’s playing a great game. And that shot at the end wasn’t from any play that was diagrammed."The shot, a 3-pointer by Lees with 1:39 to play, put the Eagles ahead of Interboro in the teams’ last Del Val League game, which Chichester (18-6, 10-2) had to win to earn a share of the Del Val League championship with Sun Valley. The Eagles hung on to earn a 38-37 decision, but it wasn’t easy.That final minute and 39 seconds included a blocked shot by Lees, an Interboro turnover on a play on which the Bucs had a player alone in the lane headed toward the basket but misfired on a pass, and a Chichester turnover on a 2-on-1 break.Just before the buzzer sounded, Interboro senior Dana Johnson (13 points, four rebounds, four steals, three assists) got open for a shot that bounced off the rim and into the arms of Chi freshman Vivian Melvin (four points, three rebounds, five steals, two assists, one block), who dribbled toward her Youth Interlock AAU teammates from Chester High, who were watching from the stands near the basket, as the game finally ended.The league title was the first at Chichester since coach Lou Tosti’s 1983-84 and 1984-85 teams won back-to-back championships "before any of the girls on this team were born," Carrafa said."It’s great to get this win," said Carrafa, who will represent the Del Val League with Sun Valley coach Frank Ridpath at the District One tournament seeding meeting Sunday. "Interboro played a great game. They played hard. We were playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. "Everybody knows that as Kristin goes, our team goes. She started missing shots and we were looking around wondering what was going to happen. Stephanie Bixby (11 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, one assist, one blocked shot) really had a good game. Vivian did the job for use when we needed it. Katie Martin (seven points, seven rebounds, two steals) played well and Kelly Repko, who’s had a broken foot, comes off the bench today and gets four points for us. "Katie Walls played well the other day but she was sick and didn’t get in the game today. And Nicole Cinaglia, who also has been sick, gave us what she could today even though she still didn’t feel well."Lees (3-for-17 shooting for eight points, seven rebounds, five steals, two assists, two blocked shots) admitted that she and her teammates let their nerves get the better of them."Everybody was thinking too much instead of just playing," said Lees, who had two of her three baskets in the fourth period. "I knew I had to keep shooting and that eventually they would fall."Johnson’s basket gave Interboro a 35-34 lead with 4:06 to play. Martin’s free throw with 3:38 left tied the score, then Bucs sophomore Katie Johnson (10 points on 5-for-6 shooting, four rebounds, two steals, one assist) hit a 12-footer to put Interboro back on top with 3:24 to play.Lees got the final three points of the game, but none of the Chichester coaches or fans could relax during the 1:39 that was played after Lees’ basket."Since we started practice, every player on this team and on our junior varsity team worked very hard to make sure we could do this," said Lees, who was honored with Bixby before the game as Chichester celebrated "Senior Day."Bixby was the last Chichester player to leave the gym. She spent some time after the game talking to recruiters from several Division III schools."Kristin and I have wanted a championship very badly," Bixby said. "I think what we’ve done this season proves that this team can really (play well)."Interboro (11-11) needs a win at Sacred Heart tomorrow afternoon to have a winning record heading into the Class AAAA district tournament."A game like this can only help us next week," Bucs head coach Greg Reichard said. "A packed gym, the crowd getting into it. Those are the things they’ll see in the playoffs."I’m sure (the Interboro players) won’t be happy with the result today. But they can’t be disappointed with their effort." Catholic League - Card. O’Hara 61, St. Maria Goretti 36The host Lions outscored Goretti in the second period, 20-8, and rolled to their third straight victory.Arch. Carroll 75,West Catholic 46Enonge’ Stovall scored 14 points and Andrea Peterson got 13 points and eight assists for the host Patriots. Nonleague Sacred Heart 48, Springside 13 Megan Clary scored 11 points and made five steals and Rosemary Dixon got 10 points and eight steals for the visiting Lions (8-13), who snapped a seven-game losing streak. ©The Daily Times 2003

'She just knows where the ball is going'

By Bruce Adams, SPECIAL TO THE NEWS OF DELCO January 29, 2003

The Haverford High School girls' basketball team, tied for the Central League lead with an 11-2 record, has relied heavily on the all-around talents of 5-foot-7 junior point guard Margaret Elderton this winter.

Elderton, who is averaging 10 points, five assists, seven rebounds and two steals per game this season, was a first team All-Central League selection as a sophomore point guard.

Haverford coach Bobbi Morgan said, "She's really become an all-around leader. She plays hard, she's vocal when she has to be."

Asked what she like about playing point guard, Elderton responded, "Not the feeling of running the team, but feeling like I'm helping it out, helping to direct the play. I like the idea of feeling [that] I can control the ball and [that] I help control what happens in the game - the tempo."

Elderton has been one of the Fords' leading rebounders, snaring more than a half-dozen per game. On Friday, she scored 20 points to help beat Upper Darby, 62-36, enabling Haverford (15-4 overall) to retain a piece of first place in the Central League with a 12-2 record.

Coach Morgan said, "She might be the most athletic player on the team. She's also smart, and she knows where the ball's going to be - some kids just know, they just get there, the ball goes up, and she'll be at the top and she'll come up with it. She is very instinctive."

Elderton, who averaged 15 points per game last year, is noted for her solid ballhandling and great court sense, and is considered an excellent passer: she dished out 10 assists in one game last season.

Morgan said, "Last year, we had to depend on her way too much (for scoring) - it was Margaret, Margaret, Margaret. This year, with Kate Finfrock, Annie McMahon, Lindsay Cull helping her out at the guard spots, and with Jackie [Daley], Mary Alice [Duff] and Karen [Berk] inside scoring more, her job is completely different. She knows that, for us to win, she doesn't have to score, she just has to make sure we score...whether that's her, or a teammate, that changes from game to game."

Elderton said, "I'm surrounded by awesome teammates - they do a wonderful job, we all really work hard. I have to give them a lot of credit. Without them, I really wouldn't be anything. We play well together.

"Our team chemistry has been a big plus this season. Generally, we just like each other, not just as players but off the court as well. With every team, you have your tiffs, but we don't really have many of them, and if we do, we try to resolve them as soon as possible and move on."

Elderton, who participated in gymnastics at the Philadelphia Gymnastic Center in Con-shohocken as a youngster, started playing organized basketball in fifth grade at St. Denis in Havertown because her friends played.

Elderton, who comes from an athletic family - her mother Winifred played basketball at St. Denis and her father Brian played high school football in Kansas - said, "My parents are really into athletics. If I wanted to go shoot baskets, they would do things like rebound for me."

An all-around athlete, Elderton plays soccer for Haverford in fall, and played lacrosse as a freshman, although she had to give up lacrosse because of time demands of playing AAU basketball with the Comets.

Elderton played last year for the Lady Rebels, and helped Charles Friel Contractors win a championship over the summer in the Narberth Girls' Basketball League.

She would like to attend college not too far from home. "I don't relay want to go far from home. Two or three hours away would be stretching it,'' she said. Academically, she is leaning toward the field of science. ©News of Delaware County 2003