RADNOR — There was that feeling, you can only say what it is in French, watching Radnor hemorrhage basket after basket in the first quarter of Friday’s District 1 Class 5A playback game.
Last season Kate Gallagher, Anna Reger and the Raptors were bounced in the first round of the tournament in shocking fashion. The team responsible – a Phoenixville squad with a lot of frontcourt size and strength – was back for an encore.
The Phantoms were cruising along early Friday night. One of their two imposing bigs, Maliyah Warren, was having a field day inside the paint. It was the same old story, play after play, over and over. She scored every time. For Radnor, it was déjà vu.
“We had to start playing our game,” said Gallagher, the Raptors’ dynamic senior guard. “We didn’t forget how they ended our season a lot sooner than we would have liked. We didn’t want that happening again.”
Gallagher, Reger and senior forward/center Blayse Jennings spearheaded an amazing turnaround. Trailing by 13 points in the second quarter, Radnor led by as many as 26 in the second half and won 66-57 to secure a berth in the PIAA Class 5A tournament next month.
Blayse Jennings with the moves…@Radnorgbball is rolling up 62-39 3:43 4Q pic.twitter.com/MZEdYWmA4I
— Matt Smith (@DTMattSmith) February 24, 2024
Gallagher poured in 19 points, including 12 in the second quarter. Radnor hit five 3-point shots in the stanza, three by Gallagher.
After trailing 21-8, the Raptors (19-6) went on a 21-4 second-quarter run to take a four-point advantage. The teams ended the first half deadlocked at 32.
Radnor outscored Phoenixville 17-5 in the third quarter.
“I think they knew this was going to be it if they didn’t get their act together,” Radnor coach Rob Baxter said. “(Phoenixville) is a big, strong team and they gave us all kinds of fits in the first half. Blayse picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and with the time off I’m sure she was pressing a little bit. But she had a great second quarter.”
Jennings was unavailable to play during Radnor’s first-round loss to Villa Maria Tuesday due to issues concerning PIAA transfer eligibility. Fortunately for Jennings and her teammates, everything was sorted out in time for Friday’s win-or-go-home game. And she was a big factor, scoring 13 points (all in the final three quarters) to go with seven rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists.
Reger was a sparkplug for the Raptors. The sophomore guard had three assists in the second quarter and three steals in the third. She finished 14 points.
Radnor held a 65-39 lead – a 57-18 run – with four minutes left in the fourth quarter when Baxter decided to empty his bench. Phoenixville closed the game on an 18-1 run with Radnor’s starting five on the bench.
Sophomore Kayden Baratta scored a game-high 25 points for Phoenixville (18-9). Warren netted 15 points in the first half, but she was held to two points after halftime.
Radnor will play at Gwynedd Mercy for District 1’s third-place seed Tuesday at a time to be determined.
