Bowser, Worley help Abington snap Plymouth Whitemarsh’s 36-game win streak

ABINGTON >> Abril Bowser’s shooting sent the Abington girls basketball team out to an early lead against Plymouth Whitemarsh Thursday night.

The senior guard’s defense in the game’s final moments helped preserve it.

With the host Galloping Ghosts holding just a two-point edge, the Colonials had one last chance on an inbounds with 3.5 seconds remaining. PW’s Angelina Balcer got the ball and drove into the lane but Bower came over to knock it free as Balcer tried to get off a shot.

“All I remember was I got my fourth foul, I got to stop her from going to the basket,” Bowser said. “Cause that would’ve just brought us to overtime and I didn’t want that.”

The loose ball was corralled by the Ghosts’ Piper McGinley under the basket and Abington came away from the clash between SOL Liberty Division rivals with a 55-53 victory, snapping defending District 1 and PIAA Class 6A champ PW’s 36-game win streak.

“I think this means a lot even though it isn’t the same team because we don’t want to continue to lose to the same people even though we going to have the potential to play them another three times,” Abington senior Cire Worley said. “But I think getting this one under our belt prepare us for the next one at their house.”

Abby Sharpe finished with a game-high 26 points for the Colonials, whose last loss came in the 2021 district final to Spring-Ford. PW went 34-0 last season and began this year with wins over Berks Catholic and Delone Catholic.

“It definitely hurts having that first loss after an undefeated season,” said Sharpe, a Penn commit. “Especially going 2-0 to start our season but like I said it kind of takes the pressure off a little bit, you know the undefeated pressure. So at the point we’re going to go out and play, we’re not worried about being undefeated.”

Bowser knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in collecting the Ghosts’ first 11 points as Abington led by as much as nine in the first quarter.

She connected twice more from beyond the arc to go into halftime with 17 points and while she did not add to her total in the second half her play on the game’s final possession helped Abington (3-0, 1-0 division) ended a seven-game losing streak to the Colonials – its last win in the teams’ series coming in 2019.

“Big games I feel like I got to step it up and I think I did that” Bowser said. “I made the first three baskets and I was just like it’s go time, I’m ready.”

Worley took over the Ghosts’ scoring after halftime, recording 17 of her team-best 21 points in the last two quarters, the senior UMass Lowell commit providing clutch baskets off drives to hold off PW’s comeback bid.

“Cire basically said ‘I need the ball,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said. We’re like ‘Give her the ball.’”

Erin Daley added 11 points for the Colonials (2-1, 0-1), who never led but pulled to within a point after a Daley free throw made it 47-46 with 3:43 left in the fourth.

Worley scored off a drive to extend the Ghosts’ lead to three before Balcer foul shot had PW down 49-47 at 3:04. Worley, however, made a pair at the line for a 51-47 advantage at 1:51.

“After I don’t touch the ball for a while, at least if I can’t shoot it, I got to try to get to the free throw line cause I know I can knock the free throw down.”

A Sharpe basket had the margin at 51-49.  With 38.8 seconds, McGinley hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to put PW back up four. But AJ Avery drained a three from the right side off a McKenna Winland assist and the Colonials called time out at 16.7 seconds.

McGinley returned the line for another 1-and-1 with 11.3 seconds and again hit both ends for a 55-52 advantage.

The Ghosts fouled Balcer before her 3-pointer attempt with seven seconds – Balcer made the first then shot her second short and off the front of the rim. Abington saved the rebound from going out on the endline but in the ensuing scramble, the ball went off the Ghosts on the right sideline.

However, PW”s final chance came away empty due to Bowser’ swipe prying the ball free.

“We were trying to use me as a little bit of decoy to get Angelina into the paint, trying to get fouled or just have her go up for the layup,” Sharpe said. “So, I mean, she got the shot up, I think we executed it well but we just didn’t get the call and the layup didn’t go in. But she played a great game, it’s not her fault.

“Like I said, just a team learning experience and we’ll be ready for next time.”

PW has one more game this week, visiting Garnet Valley for a nonleague game 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Abington next plays Tuesday at Hatboro-Horsham in a 7 p.m. division matchup. The Colonials and Ghosts meet again Jan. 24 at PW.

“I’m proud of our team cause we kept our composure, we were able to knock down free throws down the stretch,” Marsh said. “And I think we led pretty much wire-to-wire so I was pretty proud of them for that. We thought that our pressure could bother them a little bit and it did, maybe I thought it would be a little bit more but that’s something that we’ll have to continue to work on.”

Bowser connected on a three to start the game’s scoring before converting on a drive to make it 5-0. Her third 3-pointer gave the Ghosts an 11-4 lead with a Worley basket putting the hosts up 13-4.

“I just felt it,” Bowser said. “Caught it in a rhythm, got it up. Same thing every time and it just worked for me.”

Abington led by nine twice more before two from Sharpe in transition had PW trailing 17-10 after a quarter.

Sharpe got her offense going in the second quarter, recording 11 of the Colonials’ 13 points in the period. She posted five straight points – on a jumper then a 3-point play at 4:37 – to get PW within 19-17 before Bowser hit a triple. A Sharpe basket made it 22-19 only for Bowser’s fifth trey of the half to put Abington up six.

“In the first quarter I think we came out a little slow,” Sharpe said. “I think we were, I don’t want to say intimidated, but obviously they were hitting big shots right away which obviously that can kind of stop you in the beginning. So I just try to come in and kind of like you said just ignite us a little bit, bring us some momentum, get us back into the game.”

Two Sharpe free throws and a Daley basket had PW again within two before Maya Johnson scored on a drive had Abington leading 27-23 at halftime.

A Worley 3-pointer in the third gave the Ghosts a 40-32 advantage. Abington was up eight again after Worley basket off an offensive rebound made it 42-34. Daley’s putback in transition made it 42-36 heading to the fourth.

After Worley scored on a drive for a 44-37 lead, Sharpe hit a jumper then buried a 3-pointer to have PW down 44-42.

Two from Worley off a drive put the Ghosts up four at 47-43 but a pair of Avery free throws at 4:13 then a Balcer foul shot 30 seconds later had Abington’s lead down to 47-46.

Abington 55, Plymouth Whitemarsh 53
Plymouth Whitemarsh 10 13 13 17 – 53
Abington 17 10 15 13 – 55
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Abby Sharpe 10 5-7 26; Erin Daley 4 3-4 11; Angelina Balcer 2 2-6 6; AJ Avery 1 2-2 5; Azzareya Crumpton 1 2-2 5; Totals 18 14-21 53.
Abington: Cire Worley 8 4-4 21; ABril Bowser 6 0-0 17; Maya Johnson 4 0-0 9; Pipe McGinley 0 6-8 6; Florance Ajunwa 0 0-2 0; Totals 19 10-14 55.
3-pointers: PW-Avery, Crumpton, Sharpe; A-Bowser 5, Johnson, Worley.