Plymouth Whitemarsh’s starting 5 aces 1st test, routs Haverford in District 1-6A 1st round

WHITEMARSH >> Plymouth Whitemarsh had its full compliment of starters on the court for the first time this season in Friday night’s playoff opener.

The Colonials looked like they’ve been playing together for years.

Each member of the starting five made a meaningful impact in a 62-37 win over Haverford in the first round of the District 1-6A playoffs at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School’s Gym West.

Senior guard Anthony Straface was the missing piece for most of the season, dealing with a Grade 3 high ankle sprain. He knocked down his first three-pointer of the game and hit three total from beyond the arc, posting 13 points in his first action in a few weeks.

“I had all the confidence in the world,” Straface, who returned for four games a month ago before needing to sit out again, said. “I work on my game all the time.”

“Injuries can obviously alter things,” PW coach Jim Donofrio said. “A season is a season — take what it gives you — but in many ways the younger guys have benefitted from all the opportunities, but you can see when a guy who’s a pretty good high school basketball player can put the ball in the basket. There’s a lot of kids who can play the game, work hard at the game, play well but there’s only so many guys that can actually put the ball in the basket consistently. When you lose that kind of guy on a team that was in a rebuild anyway — it’s been that much more of a challenge to try to figure out pieces.”

Straface’s three-point shooting spread the defense out enough for the Colonials forwards to find success inside.

Senior center Naheem McLeod finished with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds without playing in the fourth quarter and senior forward Jason Cherry had eight points, five rebounds and three blocks.

“It helps space because they can’t all single on Nah,” Straface said. “It opens up space for Caelin (Peters) and everyone else. They can’t sink in the lane and leave me open.”

Joining Straface in the backcourt were Peters and senior Kyree Pendleton. Peters finished with three points, three rebounds and seven assists while Pendleton posted five points, two rebounds and an assist.

The No. 11 seeded Colonials shut down the No. 22 seeded Fords offense, but only forced 12 turnovers. They held Haverford to 13 points through three quarters.

“They’re so long and fast,” Haverford coach Keith Heinerichs said. “I think you’re not used to that. We had open threes but the closeout with the length — the kids were nervous instead of just shooting the ball. I really felt like when they were closing out we were open, but their length led us to be hesitant on our shot. If we just let it fly, maybe some go in.”

Danny Roe hit four 3-pointers to tally a team-high 14 points, and Canaan Curry added nine for the Fords.

PW will face No. 6 Chester in the second round of the playoffs Tuesday at Chester.

Haverford’s season comes to an end with the loss.

“Our goal was to get into the district playoffs,” Heinerichs said. “Obviously we wanted to win a district playoff game. When we got our seed 100 things changed and we ended up with PW. We knew they were a tough, tough out. We know they played a tough schedule. I don’t really think they’re an 11 seed in our district, kind of the problem with the power system. They are a top six team. The fact that they are sitting not with a bye this week is crazy.”