Young Haverford turns to multi-talented Doherty in rout of Upper Darby
HAVERFORD >> Haverford’s Erin Doherty is just beginning to scratch the surface of her potential.
The sophomore forward displayed her athleticism and basketball know-how Tuesday night in the Fords’ 61-19 Central League victory over Upper Darby.
Doherty missed only one shot en route to scoring a game-high 15 points. She was 6-for-7 from the field with four steals and a blocked shot.
On a team loaded with underclassmen, Doherty has been one of the team’s bright, up-and-coming stars.
“I’ve worked on my game a lot,” Doherty said. “I’ve worked on my shot and also just driving and my dribbling. It’s a lot of different things.”
Doherty showed off her good range on defense — all of her steals came in the first quarter — as well as an ability to score from long distance. A solid No. 3 who can run the floor, shoot, post-up and play defense, Doherty is the sort of do-everything player most teams would love to have.
“I like to help my team in any way,” she said.
Senior forward Brianna Blair had six points, four steals, two rebounds and one assist for the Fords, who went on a 14-0 run in the first quarter after the Royals scored the first basket.
“We’ve been struggling with turnovers all season and this game we really didn’t have a lot of mistakes,” said Blair, who will play soccer and basketball at Cabrini College. “We really needed a game like this.”
The Fords (6-11 overall, 4-7 league) made 25 field goals and outrebounded the Royals, 38-28. Lindsay Lane came off the bench to score eight points and grab 12 boards.
The Royals (0-17, 0-12), who remain in search of their first victory in two years, were led by Emma Blewett’s nine points and Angelina Koskinas’ eight rebounds.
“I’ve seen some really good signs of improvement,” first-year coach Tony Zambino said. “We were in the Academy Park game and against Ridley we played really well. We’ve had some games where we’re in it and then we’ll have a game like tonight every once in awhile.”
In other Central League action:
Penncrest 45, Strath Haven 14 >> Grace Harding scored 13 points and Julia Eckles added 10 for the Lions (8-8, 5-6), who snapped an eight-game skid. Kat Mullaney grabbed seven defensive boards and dished eight assists, while Megan Arndt tossed in eight points.
Springfield 53, Marple Newtown 38 >> Defense was the name of the game for the Cougars, who came away with 20 steals on the way to their 13th straight win. Jordan D’Ambrosio paced Springfield (15-1, 10-1) with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Alyssa Long added 12 points, seven steals and three assists, while Belle Mastropietro finished with nine points, six steals and four assists. The Cougars outscored the host Tigers, 28-10, in the second half.
Devon Adams led the Tigers (9-7) with 16 points.
Garnet Valley 63, Lower Merion 38 >> The Central League-leading Jaguars (15-1, 11-0) cruised to their 15th win of the season as sophomore forward Brianne Borcky posted a double-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and three assists. Emily McAteer contributed 12 points and Nicole Barnes added six points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Harriton 37, Radnor 35 >> Nicole Massimino and Audrey Rosenblum led the way for Radnor with nine points apiece. The Raiders (11-5, 7-4) played without second-leading scorer and senior forward Allison Lanzone due to illness.
Caroline DiPillis scored 17 points and Sophie Grady added 15 for the visiting Rams.
Conestoga 35, Ridley 26 >> Maria Brown, a junior center, scored a career-high eight points off the bench for the Green Raiders (7-10, 4-7).
