No Rest, No Problem: Plymouth Whitemarsh goes 3-0 to start busy stretch of games
After having 16 days off between games due to a player testing positive for COVID-19, the Plymouth Whitemarsh girls basketball team is making up for lost time. The program shut down for 10 days and had three days of practice prior to returning to the court last Thursday against Souderton for their first of eight games scheduled over a 10-day period.
During the time away, the players stayed in touch with each other and worked out on their own. So far, the work has paid off as the Colonials won the first three games to improve to 4-0 overall.
The busy stretch started with a 45-31 win over Souderton. Kaitlyn Flanagan led the way with 14 points and Anna McTamney added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“Go home and rest immediately,” Flanagan said after the Souderton game. “Part of it is taking care of your body, but we’re just excited to get as many (games) as we can.”
The following night the Colonials honored their seniors with a 73-8 Suburban One League Liberty Division win over Quakertown. Senior Ally Zolty (Arcadia) hit four threes and tied McTamney (USciences) with a game-high 12 points. Other seniors Gabby Cooper and Lily Belle McGrorty scored five and three points, respectively.
“I said to the girls, ‘Saturday morning we were going to practice anyway, wouldn’t it be more fun to just go play a game?’” PW coach Dan Dougherty said.
Saturday’s game was a fun one as PW finished its first three-game set with a come-from-behind win over Central Bucks South, 51-40, before a day off Sunday. The Colonials trailed 29-22 at halftime, but dominated the third quarter, 18-2, to take control. Cooper led the team in scoring with 13 points and Erin Daley added 12.
The one day off Sunday turned into back-to-back rest days when their game against Wissahickon Monday was postponed due to inclement weather.
PW is scheduled to play Hatboro-Horsham Tuesday and North Penn Wednesday, weather permitting, before another day off Thursday.
The busy stretch ends with possibly the two toughest games – Upper Dublin Friday and Central Bucks West Saturday.
The Plymouth Whitemarsh-Upper Dublin games are two of the most anticipated matchups of the season this year. The rivals went 2-2 against each other in 2019-20, splitting regular season meetings while the Cardinals won in the SOL Tournament and the Colonials won in the District 1-6A playoffs. PW returns its entire rotation this year while Upper Dublin brings back seniors Jess Polin, Dayna Balasa and Sarah Eskew and junior Bliss Brenner. Follow Mike Cabrey on Twitter @mpcabrey for updates during the game Friday starting at 7 p.m.
Paige Gilbert and Emily Spratt lead CB West, the defending District 1-6A champions. the two combined for 17 points and 18 rebounds in a close loss to Upper Dublin over the weekend.
“Our main focus is our division games,” Dougherty said, “but when you get a chance to play a Souderton, a CB South, a CB West you jump at that opportunity. You can’t simulate that in practice.”
Depending on which date Monday’s postponed game against Wissahickon gets rescheduled to and other potential postponements this week, PW settles into a normal schedule for the final two weeks of the regular season with six games scheduled from Feb. 9 to Feb. 20. The rematch with Upper Dublin is Friday Feb. 12.
