Rustin tops Kennett; creates logjam atop division standings
WESTTOWN – It’s particularly difficult this winter to tell the West Chester Rustin and Kennett girls’ basketball teams apart. Each side plays a similar zone defense and both rely on perimeter shooting to score.
But on Tuesday, the host Golden Knights distinguished themselves just enough against the Blue Demons, and the resulting 54-45 victory created a logjam atop the Ches-Mont American standings. At 5-1, Rustin inches out to a half-game lead over Kennett and Great Valley (both at 4-1).
“We are a mirror-image of each other. Both teams are athlete, can shoot the 3 and can get up and down the court,” said Rustin head coach Jim Powers.
“It felt like we were playing ourselves, to be honest,” added Kennett head coach Vince Cattano. “And Rustin was a better version (Tuesday) night.
“They move the ball well and they can spread you out with shooters and beat you a number of different ways. And when they didn’t hit shots, they tended to get many of the (offensive) rebounds and get another opportunity.”
The Demons (9-4 overall) head to Great Valley on Thursday, and then there are a lot of battles after that. It wouldn’t be surprising if it all came down to the regular season finale on Feb. 7th.
“We are at Kennett for the last game of the regular season,” Powers reported. “I expect it to go to the end. It’s competitive and it’s exciting.
“We had to win this game. It got us back into the fight. If we would have lost (Tuesday), it would have been tough.”
The two title contenders went toe-to-toe until Rustin (9-4 overall) staged an 11-2 rally midway through the third period to provide a little breathing room. Becca Magrone and Julie DiCampli each hit big 3-pointers in the run.
“We talked beforehand about how big this game was,” said Magrone, who led the Knights with 16 points.
“We were just on tonight. We’ve never played like that as a team before. We killed it.”
It wasn’t over yet, however, until Magrone connected on another from the perimeter, and then finished a fast-break with an assist to Laney Costin to make it 51-42 with about a minute to go.
“It came down to execution. Tonight was just our night,” Powers said.
“Rustin did what they needed to do to win,” Cattano added. “They shot it better and rebounded better than we did. They deserved to win the game.
“At times we just didn’t make wise decisions.”
The zones defenses by both sides were successful early until each side started connecting from distance. The Knights used a scoring run to take a 13-6 lead early in the second quarter, but the Demons fired back to pull within 26-15 at the half after Ellie Matthews buried a trio of 3-pointers in succession.
In all, the two combined to score 40 and knock down 11 3-pointers in the quarter alone.
“We finally got (Kennett’s) shooters a little under control in the fourth quarter, and it was enough,” Powers said.
Dakiya Daniels was effective going to the middle of the Kennett zone and finished with 14 points. DiCampli came off the bench to chip in 12 for the Knights.
Andrea Prestianne and Matthews scored 20 and 19, respectively, for the Demons, but the rest of the squad managed just six points combined. Junior guard Gina Lusvardi shot 1-for-a bunch just five days after scoring a career-high 22 against Unionville.
“But if you would have told me we’d be 4-1 in this league, I’m not sure I would have believed it,” Cattano explained. “We were feeling good about ourselves and now we got humbled a little bit. So we’ll see how we respond.
“There is no doubt that (the Ches-Mont American) is going to be a battle.”
West Chester Rustin 54, Kennett 45
KENNETT – LaCosta 1 0-0 3; Lusvardi 1 0-4 3; Prestianne 7 2-2 20; Matthews 7 0-0 19. Totals 16 2-6 45.
WEST CHESTER RUSTIN – Shivers 1 0-0 3; Plona 3 1-2 7; Magrone 5 2-3 16; DiCampli 4 0-0 12; Daniels 5 3-6 14, Costin 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 6-11 54.
Kennett 6 20 12 7 — 45
West Chester Rustin 7 20 18 9 — 54
Three-pointers: LaCosta, Lusvardi, Prestianne 4, Matthews 5, Shivers, Magrone 4, DiCampli 4, Daniels.
