Upper Dublin, Perk Valley set for physical matchup in District 1-AAAA semis
UPPER DUBLIN >> When two teams get together and play a hard-fought, intense game in a tournament a month before the regular season starts, you look forward to their next meeting.
That’s exactly what happened between No. 2 Perkiomen Valley and No. 6 Upper Dublin a few months ago.
When they play this time, there is a little more at stake.
The two teams will face Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Council Rock South with a trip to the District One-AAAA championship game on the line.
“Even a scrimmage a month before the practice for the season even started,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “When something is that intense — I can just imagine what Wednesday night is going to be.”
Upper Dublin knocked Perk Valley out of the district playoffs in the second round last season.
“We played them in the playoffs last year and it was a battle,” Funsten said. “We ended up beating them in overtime in the second round of the playoffs. The game was very intense. They are very physical and they didn’t really lose anybody from last year … We feel like we know them pretty well.”
To reach the semifinals this year, the Vikings knocked off No. 7 Conestoga, 57-46.
The Cardinals got here by edging Garnet Valley, 35-28. UD’s Demi Balasa hit a three-pointer to give her side the lead with less than two minutes left in the seven-point win.
Balasa averages just 5.3 points per game, but that has been consistent for the Cardinals — it’s always a different player getting the job done on the offensive end.
“I keep telling my girls that is what’s so special about this team — that every single game it’s a different girl that steps up and has a great offensive game,” Funsten said. “Defensively they all have been playing well, we need everybody to play well. Offensively, we just need somebody to step up and somebody always does. It’s been really cool how it’s a different girl every night.”
What has been consistent is Upper Dublin’s defense, which has not allowed a team to score 30 points since Jan. 17. The Garnet Valley team they beat in the quarterfinals had scored 60 and 66 points in its first two district playoff games before scoring just 23 against UD. Perk Valley comes in after scoring 63, 52 and 57 points in its three playoff game.
“Each team has to establish their own identity,” Funsten said. “I didn’t necessarily — and I don’t think our girls necessarily thought that we were going to be an absolute shutdown defensive team this year. We graduated Julie Cross last year, who was a 6-2 all-state center and was such a presence in the middle, I actually thought our defense was going to take a step back this year. The other girls are a year older and a year stronger. Offensively there have been times where we struggled to put the ball in the basket and we’ve had to play the type of defense that we’ve been playing. We had to play it just to stay in games and hope that the offense comes around.”
Funsten thinks the key to the game is limiting Perk Valley’s second-chance opportunities on offense.
“The best thing that Perk Valley does is they offensive rebound better than any team we’ve played this year,” he said. “They’re relentless on the boards, they’re very athletic, they’re big and physical. They have everything you would want if you look at being an offensive rebounding team. When you have a point guard who is 6-2 and pretty much 5-11 across the board, and the physicality and ability to finish down low, they are such a tough matchup for any team.”
The winner will face the winner of No. 12 Downingtown East/No. 8 C.B. South in the district championship Friday at Temple University at 6 p.m.
PLAYERS TO WATCH >> Upper Dublin’s Josie Barrett, Perkiomen Valley’s KT Armstrong
No. 1 North Penn vs. No. 13 Neshaminy
The top-seeded Knights will host the No. 13 seed Redskins Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a playback game. The winner will face the winner of No. 3 Garnet Valley/No. 7 Conestoga for fifth place in District One-AAAA Friday. The losers of those two games will play for seventh place.
North Penn lost an absolute heartbreaker in the district quarterfinals. The Knights held a three-point lead over No. 8 C.B. South as time was running out. South hit a half-court buzzer-beater to send the game to overtime and the Knights lost, 57-54.
Neshaminy got off to a fast start in the district quarterfinals against No. 12 Downingtown East, but couldn’t hold on. The Redskins jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter but lost the game, 51-46.
Both teams were Suburban One League champions and faced in the SOL Tournament. North Penn won the game, 44-39, earlier this month.
PLAYERS TO WATCH >> North Penn’s Sam Carangi, Neshaminy’s Brooke Mullin.
No. 1 Gwynedd Mercy Academy vs. No. 5 Pope John Paul II
No. 1 seed Gwynedd Mercy Academy and No. 5 Pope John Paul II will face in the District One-AAA semifinals Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Harriton High School.
Gwynedd Mercy defeated No. 8 Springfield Montco, 56-14, after having a first-round bye. PJP also had a bye and reached the semifinals by beating No. 4 Villa Joseph Marie, 52-48.
Gwynedd has been winning with its defense as of late. Over its last four games — all wins — it has allowed an average of less than 25 points.
GMA will need to be conscious of PJP’s Gabby Troisi and Stephanie Petery, who score 16.3 and 11.9 points per game, respectively.
The winner of this game will face the winner of No. 6 Villa Maria/No. 2 Merion Mercy in the district championship game Saturday at Council Rock South at 6 p.m.
PLAYERS TO WATCH >> Gwynedd-Mercy’s Erica Decandido, Pope John Paul II’s Gabby Troisi
No. 6 Christopher Dock vs. No. 2 Delco Christian
No. 6 Christopher Dock will face No. 2 Delco Christian in the District One-A semifinals at Cheltenham High School Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Dock won its first-round game, 56-40, over No. 3 Faith Christian. Delco Christian advanced after beating No. 7 Friends Select, 59-40, in the opening round.
The two Bicentennial Independence rivals faced twice this season. The teams split their meetings, with Christopher Dock winning, 52-37, in December and Delco Christian winning, 46-35, in January.
The winner will face the winner of No. 1 Phil-Mont Christian/No. 8 Morrisville Saturday at 10 a.m. at Council Rock South for the district championship.
PLAYERS TO WATCH >> Christopher Dock’s Lane Hunsberger, Delco Christian’s Emma Ellsworth
