Archbishop Wood’s Greenberg, GMA’s DeCandido to face off in PIAA Class AAAA quarters

Erica DeCandido and Bailey Greenberg are the best of friends.

When they can, they go to each other’s basketball games. They’ve played together since the fourth grade. They might as well be a part of each other’s family.
Saturday, they’ll be trying to end each other’s seasons.

“It’s going to be different, I’ve never played against her,” DeCandido said. “I’ve only played with her since fourth grade. I don’t think it will be hard because we’re so competitive and both athletes so we’ll be able to focus on the game and be friends off the court.”

Greenberg, a senior at Archbishop Wood and DeCandio, a senior at Gwynedd Mercy Academy, will lead their respective teams into a PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal game at 4:30 p.m. at Archbishop Ryan. Only one of them will leave with their goal of a state title still intact.

Both of them have had stellar senior campaigns and there’s a ridiculous amount of similarities between them. This year, both forwards scored their 1,000th high school points, both had their team win its league tournament, the PCL for Greenberg and AACA for DeCandido and both won district titles in District 12 and District 1 respectively.

They even wear the same number, 21.

“It is kind of weird,” Greenberg said after Wood’s 58-30 win over Danville in the second round Wednesday. “We both don’t want our seasons to end. It doesn’t matter after, but it’s going to be intense.”

From their first time on a court together as fourth graders to their freshman year when Greenberg and DeCandido both played at GMA, they were a fearsome and dynamic duo. Greenberg, committed to Drexel, was a dominant force on offense while DeCandido, who is continuing her career at Tufts was a defensive workhorse.

Then Greenberg left for Wood and things changed for both of them. Greenberg raised her defense to match her scoring and rebounding prowess while DeCandido found confidence in her offense and brought her scoring up.

“It helped me find my own game,” DeCandido said. “When she left, I didn’t have to step into her place, but I had to be more of an offensive weapon for the team. It helped me evolve into a different kind of player, I think I still would have been evolving with her but it was good for us to go our separate ways.”

That fourth grade CYO team was coached by Greenberg’s father, Chip and even then, DeCandido was already looking up to what a young Bailey could do. After dropping in 26 against Danville, Greenberg said the two probably know each other’s games inside and out given the amount of time they’ve shared a floor together.

Often, they would guard each other in practice, DeCandido saying it was a good matchup for both of them. While DeCandido tried to take a few of Greenberg’s post moves, there was one thing she took from her friend that really helped her burst onto the scene.

“Bailey’s just one of those people that just plays,” DeCandido said. “She doesn’t really overthink things and I’ve really tried to take that into consideration because I do tend overthink things. She has that mindset of just going out there and playing with heart and hustle.”

With both seniors being of that relentless, driven mold, their battle will surely be a highlight of what’s shaping up as a tremendous quarterfinal game. Inevitably, one of them will probably foul the other and DeCandido said if it comes to that, she’s going to try not to say anything to Greenberg but expects Greenberg won’t be as quiet.

They’ve talked about a potential meeting since the brackets came out, so Greenberg was prepared when it came up on Wednesday.

“I knew this question was going to come,” Greenberg said. “I’m actually really excited. It’s going to be a case where whatever happens on the court stays on the court. We’re really good friends and she knows how I play and I know how she plays. It should be very interesting.”

When the prospect of the meeting came up a few days ago, Greenberg wasn’t sure where her family loyalties were going to be.

“She was more nervous that her dad would cheer for me instead of her,” DeCandido said. “She’s like ‘My whole family loves you so much, they’re going to cheer for you.’ I had to say ‘No they won’t, you’re fine.’

“Honestly, I think she’s one of the best players in the area and that I’ve ever played with or against. It’s going to be a challenge.”

While only one of them will win Saturday, whoever doesn’t will go right back into best friend mode and be in the stands for the other’s next game.

As she left the gym at Central Dauphin East on Wednesday, Greenberg summed up their storied history together.

“She’s one of my favorite people that I’ve ever played with,” Greenberg said before being reminded of her friend’s remarkable prowess on the court.

“It’s also why she’s the last person I want to play against.”