Duffey brilliant in Lower Moreland’s PIAA AAA quarterfinal loss to Neumann-Goretti

PHILADELPHIA >> Playing the underdog is nothing new to Lower Moreland. Being the smaller team, the less athletic team is nothing new. Friday night’s PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal with Neumann-Goretti made Lower Moreland an underdog that even it was not used to.

The final score dictated what most probably would have predicted what happened. A 78-52 Neumann-Goretti win.

Were it not for a tragic shooting night for the Lions, they might have had a chance. If you ask Lower Moreland coach Seth Baron they would have won.

“We’re proud of what our boys brought to the table but we know that our shooting performance is not what we’re capable of doing,” Baron said. “You do that math if we shoot an average shooting night, we won that game by eight.”

Unfortunately for Lower Moreland, it was normally reliable shooters, Nick Smolda, Dickey Rhoades and Tyler Millan that picked a bad game to go ice cold. As a team the Lions were 1-of-16 for three in the first half and 5-of-30 for game.

“I thought we got every look we wanted,” Baron said. “Why were they not falling? Was it cloudy out, we didn’t eat our vegetables. We shoot great most of the time. Go back to the last two years with this group the games that we haven’t won have been nights that we haven’t shot well.”

Lower Moreland senior guard Danny Duffey was not cold. He was white hot — the best player on the court Friday night. The senior did every thing he could to keep his team in the game as he finished with a game-high 33 points.

Duffey continuously attacked the Saint defense as he dove into the lane giving up significant size to not only the forwards waiting in the paint but the guards assigned to sticking him.

“They like to pressure you, pick you up 94 feet,” said Duffey of the Saints defense. “If a guy’s out on me that far away from the basket I’m pretty confident I can get a around him.”

By the time Duffey checked out of the game with 54 seconds left, he got a standing ovation from everyone in the gym and maybe even a couple of golf claps from the Neumann-Goretti bench.

For the last time in his high school career, @danny_duff_IV exits a basketball game @PaPrepLive @LMBasketball1 pic.twitter.com/AcZhc5ggXT

— Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3) March 12, 2016

Being the ultimate competitor he is, it’s the result of the game that will stick Duffey but his great performance even in a losing a effort epitomizes a great high school career for a guy that really epitomizes the Lower Moreland program.

“I’m proud of what we did for this school,” Duffey said. “Today in school we had a pep rally and it was something you’ve never seen a Lower Moreland, definitely not in my four years and from my understanding not in the past 10 to 15 years. So what we did for the school is pretty unbelievable I think the two best seasons in school history the last two years.”