Ridge closes in on 1,000 career points as Calvary Baptist rolls past Phil-Mont Christian

TOWAMENCIN >>  With a strong opening quarter, Calvary Baptist’s Aubryn Ridge put herself on the doorstep of 1,000 career points Monday night.

“I knew how many I had,” Ridge said. “Each score I was like ‘All right, this many more.’”

Coming into the nonleague contest with visiting Phil-Mont Christian 21 points shy of the milestone, Ridge quickly scored 14 points in the first eight minutes to help the Warriors girls basketball team race out to a 20-2 lead.

“It looked like it was going to happen in the first quarter,” Calvary Baptist coach Tim Hampton said. “I thought in the first quarter maybe we were going to have a stoppage of play.”

A basket in the second then another in the third had Ridge finishing with a game-high 18 points, a total putting her three away from quadruple digits as the Warriors rolled to 50-18 victory.

“I’m excited,” Ridge said. “I mean, honestly without my coaches I wouldn’t of been able to do any of it. Especially Mr. (Tim) Hampton he’s really helped me in my game.”

Ridge does not have to wait long for her next chance to become the second player in program history to reach 1,000 points as Calvary Baptist is back on the court Tuesday starting Atlantic Coast Christian Atlantic Conference (ACCAC) play at home against Salem Christian 6 p.m. Tuesday.

“I was trying to get points up there,” Ridge said. “So for (getting) close tomorrow, just to be able to get it hopefully in the beginning and then be able to go.”

Grace Leader added 10 points for the Warriors (5-2), who have won their last three – two wins over Phil-Mont Christian sandwiching last Saturday’s 30-23 victory over Jenkintown.

“It’s a group that’s been together since they’ve been in seventh grade so they’re getting to be very familiar with each other,” Hampton said. “It is nice to see some of the success that they’re now having.”

Ridge, a four-year varsity player who is looking to continue her basketball career in college, began Monday’s game by scoring the first five points – putting in a layup then knocking down a 3-pointer from the wing.

“I was trying to get points up there,” Ridge said. “So for (getting) close tomorrow, just to be able to get it hopefully in the beginning and then be able to go.”

The senior’s next two baskets came off steals, drawing the foul on the second then converting the free throw for the three-point play to make it 14-0 Warriors at 2:24.

“Her defense is so strong, so her defense creates a lot of fast breaks and layups,” Hampton said. “And the nice thing about her is she can shoot from outside so each game she has a couple threes and then we can also put her down low as well depending on mismatches. So she can really score from anywhere on the court which really helps.”

Katie Tipton connected on a jumper to put Phil-Mont Christian on the scoreboard but Ridge responded with a basket. After Jahdah Destinas scored inside off a pass from Aubrey Hampton, Ridge added two more – spinning by a defender to put her at 14 points and give the Warriors a 20-2 advantage.

“I would say my shot’s definitely gotten better and especially my defense, also, which I mean I know that doesn’t really correlate with 1,000 points but I guess my defense I’m able to get steals then and then breakaways, easy layups.”

Ridge ended the first half with 16 points, draining a jumper off an inbounds pass in the second quarter to make it 24-2.

“She’s a great player,” said Hampton of Ridge. “Four years of consistency so whenever it was going to happen – today or tomorrow – very excited for her.”

A Jenna Carmichael jumper pushed Calvary Baptist’s lead to 28-2 before Tipton went on a personal 8-0 run, capping the first half with back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Falcons to within 28-10 at halftime.

Tipton went on to score 16 of Phil-Mont’s 18 points. The Falcons have another nonleague road game 4 p.m. Wednesday at Friends Select.

Ridge recorded her final two points on a jumper in the third that made it 42-10.

Aubrey Hampton followed with a 3-pointer that capped a 17-0 Warriors run. Tipton hit her fourth trey of the net before a Destinas basket put Calvary Baptist’s lead at 47-13 heading to the fourth.

Calvary Baptist 50, Phil-Mont Christian 18

Phil-Mont Christian 2 8 3 5 – 18

Calvary Baptist 20 8 19 3 – 50

Phil-Mont Christian: Katie Tipton 6 0-0 16; Zoie David 1 0-1 2; Mary Haviland 0 0-2 0; Totals 7 0-3 18.

Calvary Baptist: Aubryn Ridge 8 1-1 18; Grace Leaders 5 0-0 10 ; Aubrey Hampton 3 0-0 7; Jahdah Destinas 3 0-0 6; Jenna Carmichael 2 0-0 4; Genesis Olaleye 1 2-2 4; Sophia Kessler 0 1-3 1; Hannah Rosenzweig 0 0-4 0; Totals 22 4-10 50.

3-pointers: P-Tipton 4; CB-Hampton, Ridge.