Top-seeded W.C. Henderson makes easy work of Upper Moreland

“We’ve just got to keep on keeping on,” Henderson head coach Greta Neff said after a 52-29 home blowout win over Upper Moreland in the first round of the D1 5A Girls playoffs. Her team is now slated for a Friday evening matchup with No. 9 seeded Radnor, who blasted Pope John Paul III in their first game of the postseason on Tuesday evening as well.

“We’ve got to continue to stay disciplined. Do the little things right: continue to rebound, play solid defense and let the chips fall.”

Despite shooting 1-8 on the evening, Henderson guard Erin Thompson set the tone for the Warriors on both ends of the floor, much to the satisfaction of Neff.

“Erin’s energy is always contagious… when she comes out and goes 190 miles an hour on both ends of the court it’s contagious for everybody else. They didn’t want her to score tonight and that’s fine because we have other kids that can do that.”

A host of Warriors did pick up the scoring slack, with Erin Torrance’s 13 points (including three three-pointers) leading the way for Henderson. Abbey Shea also added 13 points, proving to be a handful down low for the Golden Bears. Maddie DePrisco dropped six.

Henderson attempted 30 free-throws in the victory, and their parading to the charity stripe can be accredited to their sharp offensive execution and their interior size advantage.

One of the Warriors’ most admirable traits as a team was their ability to free each other up with screens, and each girl displayed a willingness to put their body on the line to create open looks for their teammates.

“We just like to take easy shots,” said Neff. “We know at some point if we continue to stay disciplined we’re going to get a good look at the basket a take a high percentage shot.”

Upper Moreland’s issues in the turnover department led to a ton of easy buckets for the Warriors, and allowed them to race out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

Henderson forced Upper Moreland into ten first-quarter turnovers, which led to easy looks at the basket in transition with either got converted or earned a Warriors player a trip to the foul line.

The Warriors unleashed a stout full-court press on the Golden Bears, which stymied them from the gate. Upper Moreland was unsure of how to handle the pressure, which led to miscue after miscue in the early going.

When asked if the full-court press was something they employed frequently throughout their regular season campaign or if it was a special wrinkle added to fluster the Golden Bears, Neff said it was “a combination of both.”

“We rely on the defense to create some offensive opportunities for us, and the kids executed well tonight.”

Henderson will now shift focus to Friday night’s matchup with Radnor, where they hope to keep their playoff hopes alive and their perfect season intact.

“We’re excited about it,” a beaming Neff stated after the game.

They should be. Life for Henderson Warriors Girls Basketball has never been so sweet.

W.C. Henderson 52, Upper Moreland 29
W.C. Henderson: DePrisco 2 2-2 6, Thompson 1 6-7 7, Torrance 4 2-6 13, Shea 5 3-3 13, Ferguson 1 4-5 6, Smith 1 2-6 4, Amarant 0 1-2 1, Campbell 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 20-31 52.
Upper Moreland: Murphy 2 0-2 2, Longstreth 2 0-0 4, Hughes 6 1-2 13, Corr 2 0-0 5, Stainbeck 1 0-0 3. Totals 13 1-3 29.
W.C. Henderson 15 11 14 12 – 52
Upper Moreland 2 4 13 10 – 29
3-point goals: DePrisco 3, Torrance 3, Longstreth, Stainbeck.