Henderson holds on, tops Bishop Shanahan to win District 1 opener
WEST CHESTER >> West Chester Henderson already had one foot in the second round of the District 1 Class 5A girls basketball tournament, or at least it felt that way.
But as Ches-Mont rival Bishop Shanahan made a late charge, it was up to the reigning champs to hit their free throws and hold on to the win.
Henderson defeated Bishop Shanahan, 38-31, to advance to the District 1 Class 5A elite eight. The Warriors escaped a late run by the Eagles, thanks largely to some clutch free throw shooting down the stretch from sophomore Molly Manion, who led the game with 19 points and scored half of Henderson’s total points.
“I just saw it as another basketball game,” Manion said. “It really helps that I have such great teammates that help me get the ball. Everyone contributes in one way or another.”
The first quarter did not showcase much offense from either team, with the first field goal not connecting until after the halfway point of the quarter. The first make, a 3-pointer from Shanahan sophomore Maggie Grant, came after Grant stole the ball and finally got her team on the board with a three. Senior Samantha McCarter hit an elbow jumper to give her team the 5-4 lead with 2:30 left in the opening quarter; it would be the last time the Eagles held a lead in the game. Henderson’s Grace Ferguson answered with a fancy post hook with 2:12 remaining, and the first quarter ended tied 8-8, with Henderson making all six of their free throws.
Henderson strung together a 10-1 run late in the second quarter, with Manion scoring the final six of the quarter, giving her 12 points, equaling Bishop Shanahan’s first-half total.
The second half began as the first ended. Manion hit a mid range jumper to score her eighth straight point and extended the Warriors’ lead to eleven. The Eagles were not done yet, as they fought back to answer Manion’s run with a 9-4 run of their own, with Kathryn Greenhut hitting a trey to end the third quarter and cut the lead to just six.
Shanahan scored four points to begin the final quarter, including McCarter’s ninth point of the night to cut the Warrior lead to just two. The Warriors responded by making nine foul shots in the quarter, with five from Manion, who made 11-12 from the charity stripe on the night. Henderson limited the Eagles’ opportunities down the stretch with solid defense in order to achieve the seven point victory.
“This year I probably improved most with my confidence, I didn’t shoot as much but when Erin Thompson went down I stepped into her shoes,” Manion said. “We shoot at least 100 free throws at practice everyday, I haven’t been making them but I stayed poised and did my thing and hoped they went in.”
Shanahan coach Zachary Ray was proud of how his team battled the No. 3 seed in the District 1 tournament.
“They played hard, nothing to hang your head about. You either win some or you learn,” Ray said. “I thought we stayed composed, and I am proud of them today. I thought all of our players played well, we’re not really a stat sheet team. We had Maggie Grant who probably had about eight offensive rebounds and just other little things like that made a difference, but if we make a couple more shots and have better communication on defense and we win that game.”
Henderson coach Greta Neff was happy with her team, as well.
“I’m really proud of them, they stepped up, they stayed positive throughout the game,” Neff said. “I thought our composure was really good. Having Erin Thompson back was a real steadying force for us. To take care of the ball and get some quality possessions down towards the end was a big step for some young steps. Molly Manion had a phenomenal game taking care of the ball and going to the basket, and Grace Ferguson always trolls defense and kept her cool; I’m really proud of them,”
Coach Neff’s only critique of the game was, “We could have pushed the ball a little bit more, but we were really trying to be deliberate and take care of the ball. We can always rebound better.”
Henderson improves to 18-6 on the season and will play Pope John Paul II on Friday where they will hope to punch their ticket to the District 1 final four.
WC Henderson 38, Bishop Shanahan 31
Henderson 8 13 6 11 – 38
Shanahan 8 4 9 10 – 31
Bishop Shanahan: Udo 0 1-2 1, Grant 2 0-0 5, McCarter 4 3-4 11, DiMarco 2 0-0 4, Harlan 2 0-0 4. Totals 10 5-10 31
Henderson: Thompson 2 4-6 8, Nanni 1 0-0 2, Meredith 0 4-4 4, Manion 4 11-12 19, Ferguson 2 1-2 5. Totals 9 20-24 38
Threepoint goals: Grant, Greenhut
