Boykins shows tough love after Penn Wood win
PROSPECT PARK — Something unusual happened Friday night after Penn Wood wrapped up a 53-40 victory over Lincoln High on the first day of the Del Val League Holiday Challenge, hosted by Interboro.
Instead of heading to the locker room, coach Monique Boykins instructed her players to line up on the baseline for post-game wind sprints.
“Coach Mo” means business. She is a strict, no-nonsense, old-school coach who preaches discipline and hard work on the basketball court.
At all times, even in a game the Patriots won by double digits.
Boykins returned to the head coaching position at Penn Wood after a three-year hiatus. Her goal is to reinstall a winning culture and attitude. Earlier in the decade, under Boykins’ guidance, the Patriots won several Del Val titles and played in the District 1 and PIAA tournaments. Boykins spent two years in the Central League at Lower Merion before returning to Lansdowne after her former coaching assistant, Kareem Wright, stepped down from the head post after the 2018-19 campaign.
Boykins was not happy with how her players finished a game they should have won relatively easy, but instead made it difficult on themselves. Lincoln had five players make the trip to Interboro, one of whom was injured with two minutes left in the fourth quarter and unable to return. Lincoln ended the game with four players on the court. Boykins did not understand how a Lincoln player was able to hit a 3-point shot in the waning minutes of regulation.
“It’s important for them to understand that there has to be discipline, that you have to do what you’re supposed to do,” Boykins said. “There’s not a reason when you’re playing five against four and somebody shoots a 3 at the end. That shouldn’t happen.”
Boykins loves her players, but isn’t afraid to show tough love. It was needed Friday. Put simply, the Patriots had no business letting a short-handed Lincoln squad hang around for as long as it did.
The Patriots were not resistant to Boykins’ harsh approach. It’s rare to see any team at any level being forced to run the full length of the floor, over and over, after a game. That is more common before or after a practice session. But the Patriots know they put it on themselves.
Junior guard Racquel “Rocky” Curry is one of the team’s leaders. She would be the first to admit that the Patriots had those surprise wind sprints coming to them. They won, but could have played much better. They have to bounce back and put forth a more inspired effort Saturday against Constitution High.
“I feel like it definitely pushes us and makes us realize that there is no room for games, that it’s strictly business,” said Curry, who registered eight points, eight rebounds, three steals and one assist. “Coach tells us all the time that it’s strictly business, no playing around. And they (Lincoln) shouldn’t have even had that many points and we know that. We need to make sure that next time, that doesn’t happen again. It’s just her disciplining us and making sure that our standards are always high.”
Penn Wood raced out to a 7-0 advantage and led 29-14 at halftime. They appeared to be on cruise control, but Lincoln gave the Patriots a fight in the second half.
Penn Wood led 30-14 in the opening minute of the third quarter, but ended the period clinging to a 39-33 lead. Brianna Henderson made a bucket to trim Lincoln’s deficit to four points in the early moments of the fourth. After a long malaise, the Patriots were able to create turnovers and run the floor. After struggling to a 3-for-17 shooting performance in the third quarter, they went 5-for-7 from the field in the final eight minutes and 4-for-4 at the foul line. Curry had a steal and a layup and LaShonda “Shay” Smith made a three-point play to give the Patriots some breathing room. Ashley Cyrus had a steal and a layup to make it 47-35 with less than minutes to play.
Jada Hutt kept the Patriots from collapsing in the third period when she scored eight of her 11 points. The senior forward added eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
Freshman forward Xenia Gillis tallied 10 of her 12 points in the first half and added five rebounds and two steals.
“Coach definitely cares for the game and is willing to do anything,” Hutt said. “When she makes us run at the end, that’s only because she cares and wants us to win. We have to keep getting better now.”
In other action at the Del Val Holiday Challenge:
Interboro 56, Collegium Charter 35 >> Aniya Boland recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds to pace the host Bucs to victory.
Madison Diehl scored 13 points and Jill Bucci contributed six points, six rebounds, an assist and one steal.
Academy Park 51, Mastery Charter 16 >> Gabrielle Jackson netted 22 points to pace the Knights, who led 29-6 at halftime. Samaji Young chipped in with 10 points and Jereiah Martin had six points.
Motivation 59, Chester 22 >> The Clippers had no answer for Motivation’s Janiyah Victor, who poured in 37 points.
Chester trailed by one point after eight minutes, but was outscored 20-3 in the second quarter and never recovered. Tone Taylor led the way with eight points.
