Delco Girls Basketball Notebook: Sophomore sharpshooter Blomstrom already a role model at Agnes Irwin
Alex Blomstrom has been one of the top shooters in Delaware County and the Inter-Ac League in her two seasons at Agnes Irwin.
The sophomore guard notched her 100th 3-pointer in Tuesday’s win against Baldwin. Blomstrom, a Collegeville resident who plays AAU ball with the Montgomery Fusion, also has developed into a strong leader on and off the court.
“I have always aspired to be someone that younger kids can look up to,” Blomstrom said at practice Monday. “I know coach Don (Ciminera) would be bringing in new freshmen so I would have more of a leadership position. One of the seniors last year was such a great role model to me so I aspired to be like her this year. One of our new eighth graders, Katie (Anderson), I feel like I’ve helped her get better. I just like being a leader and being that person you can talk to. If you’re confused on something, you can be able to go to me.”
Blomstrom, whose father and cousin both played at the collegiate level, has loved the game for as long as she can remember. When she was younger, Blomstrom was always the tallest kid on the floor.
“I was always a center because of my height,” she said. “My dad was a 3-point shooter in his basketball career. People would tell me, ‘Oh, you have
your dad’s shot.’ As soon as I started balancing out with other players height-wise, I became more of a guard. Shooting has always kind of been my favorite thing to do. My dad played at Ursinus. My cousin played at Eastern and recently coached there. I always looked up to her as an athlete.”
Through Tuesday, Blomstrom is Delaware County’s top 3-pointer shooter. As a freshman, she ranked seventh. Blomstrom has continued to improve that area of her game, while working on her ball-handling, driving and defense.
When Ciminera came out of retirement to take the Agnes Irwin job prior to the 2014-15 season, he was excited for the opportunity to coach Blomstrom, whom he followed at the AAU level.
“I stayed on her and made sure she ended up at Agnes Irwin. I knew we were getting a shooter,” said Ciminera, who coached several great teams at Archbishop Prendergast for 12 years before stepping down after the 1993-94 season. Agnes Irwin is his first high school coaching job since that time. “I didn’t expect her to play nearly as much as she did last year, but she fit with that team well and we needed some outside shooting. That was a good marriage there.”
Blomstrom poured in a season-high 25 points Tuesday and is averaging 13.3 points in 24 games. The Owls (9-15) have progressed in Ciminera’s second season at the helm due in large part to Blomstrom’s development.
“She’s probably the best pure shooter I’ve coached,” Ciminera said. “She’s 37 percent from 3 and 44 percent from 2 and 84 percent from the foul line. She’s a flat-out scorer. Her mentality is, if she misses four or five in a row, she’s going to come right back and shoot six and seven.”
The Owls have played a tougher nonleague schedule in 2015-16, competing in top showcases in the area, including last Sunday’s Blue Chip Super Showcase. Blomstrom hopes it’s a sign of great things for the Owls program. With Blomstrom to build around, the future is bright for Agnes Irwin basketball.
“The program is getting good talk and if we’re in these tournaments and playing these good teams, we’re getting our name out there,” Blomstrom said. “Coach Don always says that it’s good playing teams you might lose to than playing a team that you’re going to crush. If you’re playing GA (Germantown Academy), you’ll learn from the mistakes you make. It’s better to be challenged. I’d rather take a loss that was a challenge than win a game that was easy. It’s going to make us better in the long term.”
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District One Power Rankings >> In Class AAAA, North Penn holds the No. 1 spot. Garnet Valley (No. 5) discovered first-hand how good the Maidens are when the Jaguars dropped a 75-41 decision at the Blue Chip Super Showcase Classic last Sunday.
Springfield (No. 13) has a shot at earning a first-round playoff game, while Haverford (No. 22), Penn Wood (No. 23), Radnor (No. 27) and Penncrest (No. 31) all jockey for position. It should be noted that Penncrest defeated Radnor Tuesday, so it’s very possible that Penncrest would be seeded higher in the 32-team tournament, which begins next Friday.
In Class AAA, Sun Valley entered the week holding the 10th and final spot in the tournament. Meanwhile, in Class A, Delco Christian is No. 3 and The Christian Academy is No. 5. TCA is playing its first season as a member of the PIAA.
The District One seeding meeting is scheduled for Sunday morning at Upper Dublin.
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The Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs begin next week. Cardinal O’Hara, provided it wins out, will be the No. 2 team in the tournament behind undefeated Neumann-Goretti. Bonner & Prendergast and Archbishop Carroll also will qualify. The PCL championship games (boys and girls) take place Feb. 22 at The Palestra.
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The Central League playoffs start Saturday and conclude Monday night at a neutral site. The top four teams advance.
Garnet Valley, with one loss, is the No. 1 seed. Conestoga and Springfield are second and third, respectively, while Harriton has locked up the fourth seed.
To contact Matt Smith, email msmith@delcotimes.com or follow him on Twitter @DTMattSmith.
