Plymouth Whitemarsh clinches share of SOL Liberty title with win over Upper Dublin

WHITEMARSH >> Success is measured differently at Plymouth Whitemarsh than it is at other schools when it comes to boys basketball. The Colonials qualified for the District 1-6A playoffs in 2019 and 2020 and advanced to the second round both times, but the seasons are looked at as “down years” for one of the top programs in the area.

After winning 13 of a possible 15 league championships from 2004 to 2018, PW finished third in the Suburban One League American Conference in 2019 and fourth in 2020.

They’re back on top in their first season in the SOL Liberty Division in 2021. The Colonials clinched a share of the league championship with a 68-31 win over Upper Dublin Friday night at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.

“It feels great,” PW senior Luke DiCianno said. “I was telling all these guys we’re a part of history now. That number is going to be up there forever. It feels great, especially being here for two years and going through the two years and not really seeing anything out of it and then finally getting a chance to put a mark on the school – that feels great.”

None of the PW seniors were on the varsity roster when the team last won a league championship in 2018. DiCianno, who was on the freshmen team that season, remembers watching past teams make history, such as the four-year stretch where each team earned a trip to Temple University for the District 1 final four from 2015 to 2018. His first two years on varsity were “down years,” but now he and the Colonials are 10-0 with a league championship.

“It’s a completely different vibe around the team when you feel like you’re going somewhere instead of having this back and forth season,” he said. “It feels completely different. Growing up I always watched the good PW teams at Temple. I remember running onto the floor when they were going to Temple and stuff like that. It feels good to be slightly a part of that history.”

“Luke has been on two teams in a row that rebuilt and didn’t win anything,” PW head coach Jim Donofrio said. “I think that’s going to be a great drive for him.”

DiCianno got off to a fast start during Friday night’s win. He scored 12 of the Colonials (10-0, 8-0 SOL Liberty) first 14 points in the first four minutes of the game. He finished the opening quarter with 12 points while Qudire Bennett added seven to give PW a 26-14 lead.

“I went out there and played hard and let the game come to me,” DiCianno said. “I got a lot of shots up today. I was just trying to get myself ready. My main thing when I go out there is I just play. I try not to think. As soon as you start thinking the game gets 10 times harder. I was trying not to think and just let it come to me.”

The lead expanded in the second quarter. Zuri Jerman scored eight points in the frame as the Colonials outscored Upper Dublin (5-5, 2-4 SOL Liberty) 18-4 to take a 44-18 advantage into halftime.

It was more of the same in the third. Jerman matched the Cardinals by himself with six points and PW scored 16 to take a 60-24 edge into the fourth.

DiCianno led the way with 17 points while Jerman added 16 and Bennett 13.

PW’s defense also deserves plenty of credit in the win. The unit forced 21 turnovers – 13 in the first half – and focused on stopping Upper Dublin center Drew Stover, who scored 27 points against them two weeks ago.

“Stover is a big body dropping 28 a game,” Donofrio said. “I was so proud of how Luke and Zuri really, really advanced their post defensive efforts. That was some serious defensive effort following a gameplan.”

“We had a similar gameplan from last time except we definitely executed it way better this time,” DiCianno said. “Our gameplan was pretty much just to take him away. Last time we weren’t playing the way we usually we play – we were all over the place, I think we had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter. The gameplan didn’t really change, it was more about the execution that changed.”

Stover led the Cardinals with 12 points. Anthony Fatiga added seven and Griffin Pensabene had six.

Plymouth Whitemarsh can clinch the league championship outright with a win over Abington at home Tuesday night.

Plymouth Whitemarsh 68, Upper Dublin 31

Upper Dublin 14 4 6 7 – 31

Plymouth Whitemarsh 26 18 16 8 – 68

UD: Pensabene 3 0-0 6, Ceresier 1 1-2 3, Stover 5 2-3 12, Lee 0 1-2 1, Gress 0 0-0 0, Fatiga 2 2-2 7, Kukla 1 0-0 2, Snead 0 0-0 0, Boutilier 0 0-0 0. Total 12 6-11 31.

PW: Z Hubbard 3 2-2 8, Colzie 3 1-1 8, Baker 1 0-0 2, West 0 0-0 0, T Hubbard 0 0-0 0, Jones 0 0-0 0, Harris 1 0-0 2, Benson 0 0-0 0, DiCianno 6 3-4 17, Forchielli 0 0-0 0, Bennett 6 0-0 13, Harris 0 0-2 0, Flynn 0 2-2 2, Jerman 8 0-1 16. Total 28 8-12 68.

Three-point goals: UD: Fatiga. PW: Colzie, DiCianno 2, Bennett.