Boyd, Gabriele carry Ridley past Sun Valley

RIDLEY TWP.  >> Senior guard Paige Gabriele sees a lot of potential in her freshman and sophomore teammates.

One player who catches everyone’s attention is Lindsay Boyd, a sophomore guard who thrives in multiple positions.

“I just think the team is better with Lindsay,” said Gabriele, whose all-around solid performance helped Ridley to a 54-32 victory over Sun Valley at the Green Raiders’ annual Christmas Tournament Thursday. “She usually runs all the plays … and it’s good to have her. She knows what she’s doing.”
Boyd set the tempo with her crisp passing and run-and-gun style. The team certainly feeds off her skill and athleticism, which was evident Thursday.
“I think me and (freshman) Shea (McNamara), and some of the younger players, we just want to bring the energy to the team,” said Boyd, who scored seven points and posted game highs in rebounds (eight) and assists (five).

Lindsay Boyd for 3 @Ridleygirlsball pic.twitter.com/jMS7HIbt7b

— Matt Smith (@DTMattSmith) December 28, 2018

Boyd played in her third game of the season. At the Methacton High School Tip-Off Tournament earlier this month, she suffered a concussion and was sidelined the next four games. Boyd returned to the lineup last week, but felt more like her regular self Thursday.

“It wasn’t great having to sit out and (getting injured) the first game like I did,” Boyd said. “I was hoping to get back out there soon.”
With Boyd running the offense, the Green Raiders sprinted out to a 9-0 cushion in the first quarter. By the end of the opening period, Ridley (2-5) held a 21-8 advantage and forced 13 Sun Valley turnovers.

“We like to run the ball at the start. Hopefully we can get the other team tired and we can keep running the ball,” Boyd said. “That’s what we tried to do.”

Gabriele scored six of her 10 points in the second quarter, when the Green Raiders outscored the Vanguards, 18-10. She finished with six rebounds, five steals and a pair of assists.

“We have a lot of people who were injured and are starting to play more,” Gabriele said. “We have a lot of young players, so obviously we haven’t been playing together very long. But we’re getting better.”

Shannen Hinchey added 12 points, four rebounds and an assist for the Green Raiders, who received scoring contributions from nine players. Morgan Chapman chipped in with six points and eight boards, while Daniele Simister came off the bench to get five points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

“We were able to execute and continue to move at a quicker pace, which is really important,” Ridley coach Bryant McCombs said. “We want to establish our offense and we were able to continue to do that tonight.”

Erin Michael led the Vanguards with 12 points. Sun Valley finished with more turnovers (33) than points (32) , while shooting 5 of 29 from the floor and 22 of 42 at the free-throw line.

Ridley plays Pennsbury in the championship game Friday at 5 p.m. Sun Valley takes on Oxford in the consolation round at 1 o’clock.
At the Interboro Tournament:

Interboro 57, Freire Charter 52 >> Sophomore Gianna Frangelli made three free throws down the stretch to seal the championship victory for the Bucs. Madison Diehl (14 points) and Riley Szatny (10) each scored in double figures.

At the Palm Beach Holiday Classic:

Haverford 52, North Clayton (Ga.) 47 >> Erin Doherty poured in a season-high 22 points and connected on six 3-point field goals to lead the Fords to victory in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Lindsey Lane scored all seven of her points in the fourth quarter after being forced to sit on the bench for a large chunk of the game due to foul trouble. Annalena O’Reilly contributed six points in the win.

At the Colonial Invitational:

Springfield 60, Oscar Smith (Va.) 26 >> The Cougars dominated in their first showing in Williamsburg, Va. Jordan D’Ambrosio had 21 points and three assists, while Belle Mastropietro tallied 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Alexa Abbonizio pitched in with 11 points and four steals for Springfield, which takes on Christian Academy (Ky.) in the championship game Friday at 1:30.

At the Garnet Valley Varsity Club Tournament:

Garnet Valley 52, Great Valley 18 >> All-Delco forward Emily McAteer totaled 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals for the Jaguars (6-0). Brianne Borcky had seven points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks, and Morgan Falcone finished with nine points and three steals. Garnet plays Central Bucks East in the championship game Friday at 6:30.

At the Unionville Tournament:
Academy Park 54, Avon Grove 51 >> Taylor Flore went off for a career high in points (25) and 3-pointers (six). Taylor Smith also had a personal high in treys (four) en route to a 16-point performance.

At the St. Pius X Christmas Classic:

Bonner & Prendergast 62, Charlotte Latin (N.C.) 28 >> The Pandas rushed out to a 40-12 lead in the first half and cruised in their opening game in Atlanta, Ga. Alexis Gleason netted a game-high 11 points for the Pandas (4-2). Dakota McCaughan had nine points, four assists and four steals, while Alexis Eagan chipped in with nine points, six rebounds and five steals. B&P plays Holy Spirit Prep (Ga.) in the semifinal round Friday at 1 p.m.
At the Downingtown West Tournament:

Nazareth 59, Chester 37 >> Monique Colbert posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the Clippers fell. Chester plays Cheltenham in the consolation round Friday at 6 p.m.

At the Wildwood Classic:
Wildwood Catholic 58, Penncrest 29 >> Kylie Chelo paced the Lions with eight points.