Vargas, Upper Dublin zone in to top Plymouth Whitemarsh
WHITEMARSH >> The bigger a factor Jackie Vargas is, the better things go for Upper Dublin.
The Cardinals’ senior center was most certainly a factor on Saturday as UD traveled to SOL American leader Plymouth Whitemarsh for the teams’ second meeting this season. In the first meeting, a one-sided PW win, Vargas tried to play through an ankle injury but wasn’t enough of a factor.
Armed with an aggressive mindset, Vargas set the tone on both ends as Upper Dublin handed the Colonials their first conference loss with a 39-26 result.
“The first game we played, I got hurt but I always feel like you can do more to help your team win and this time, I just had to do more,” Vargas said. “I have the ability to drive and get past people and getting foul shots helped. Those foul shots count.”
Upper Dublin’s (14-6, 10-2 SOL American) defense flatly wasn’t good enough the first time the teams played and PW (18-2, 11-1 SOL American) had its way with drives to the rim and finishes, something the Cardinals usually work hard to take away. Given the Colonials thrive on attacking the basket and crashing the glass off misses, it wasn’t a secret what UD had to close off.
What stuck out to Cards coach Morgan Funsten was how distracted his team seemed when one or two things went wrong in the first meeting. Lately, Upper Dublin has started to regain its identity but Saturday was the true test if it was back.
“I don’t think we were in a great mental state the first time, (the Colonials) were rolling and I think they felt like there was no way they could ever lose,” Funsten said. “At that point in the year, we were getting disconnected defensively and the straight-line right hand drives to the lane, when we watched video this week, it was embarrassing on all levels.”
PW opened up with a 10-4 lead built on a pair of 3-pointers by Gabby Cooper but Vargas picked up a pair of first quarter blocks and finished with three straight points to cut the lead to 10-9 at the quarter break. The visiting defense would then take over in the second.
After two free throws by Vargas and a three from Jess Polin put UD ahead 13-10, Jordyn Thomas got a bucket through contact to get PW back within a point. That would be the only score of the quarter for the Colonials, who were out-scored 15-2 in the frame and 10-0 over the final 5:45.
“We need to focus more, we’ve been getting really startled when teams go zone on us and I think the pressure got to us,” PW junior co-captain Anna McTamney said. “We kept turning the ball over and a few times, we went to catch the ball and thought about what we were going to do with it before actually catching it.”
McTamney felt like her team’s energy wasn’t high enough to start the game Saturday and Upper Dublin’s lockdown second quarter took more out of them.
Vargas was the maestro of the half-ending drive, starting it with a 3-pointer, scoring seven of the 10 points and assisting the other score, a three by Polin. She also ended the half with a kicker, hitting a buzzer-beater after a miscommunication almost broke down the play.
“I don’t know what came over me,” Vargas said. “Sometimes I just find that confidence.”
While the offense was a nice perk, and welcomed for a Cardinals team that’s also been slumping a bit there, the defense was the difference including the four blocks Vargas had in the opening half.
“We were excited to come out today and prove to everyone who we really were,” Polin said. “We’ve really been stressing communication and at the beginning of the year, it wasn’t great. We really focused in on that and today, we communicated well and I think we’re getting back into our groove so I’m excited about that.”
Polin credited her team’s ability to keep the game at their pace as a major factor in the outcome. PW thrives at an uptempo, which opens up a lot of those full-speed ahead drives to the rim, while UD is a decidedly halfcourt type of team on both ends of the floor.
By forcing Plymouth Whitemarsh into more set offense, the Cardinals were able to use their zone more effectively as well as their accrued knowledge of what the Colonials like to do. McTamney noted UD expected a lot of what plays were coming and in the future, she and her teammates need to be quicker to adjust and punish teams that try to cheat on their tendencies.
PW still has a one game lead in the SOL American heading into the final week of the regular season, so their focus is on trying to lock up an outright title.
“Our game Tuesday, we have to come out strong and take one step at a time,” McTamney said. “Each game, we’re getting better but like today, we see these little things we’re going to have to fix.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh came out aggressive in the third, drawing five quick team fouls on UD and using and 8-0 run capped by a Thomas three to cut the lead to 25-20. The Cardinals only scored five points in the frame, but a three by sophomore Bliss Brenner late put the visitors up 28-20 in a shot Funsten dubbed maybe the most important of the game.
Polin scored on a drive to open the fourth, Vargas hit two more free throws and Polin found Dayna Balasa for a three off an inbound play to put the Cardinals up 35-20 midway through the fourth.
Vargas all but iced the game with a layup in the final 90 seconds, giving her 18 points for the game.
“We need Jackie engaged at all times and she was fantastic tonight,” Funsten said.
Saturday’s win will only help bolster UD’s case for a first round district bye and could help them grab the wildcard spot in next weekend’s SOL final four. But, Polin wasn’t going to look that far ahead and simply wants her team to keep building on their late-season surge.
“If we get in, it was a great opportunity and practice last year and if we don’t, there’s nothing else we can do but win,” Polin said. “All together as a team, I know it’s late in the year, but I think we’re really starting to click.”
UPPER DUBLIN 39, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 26
UPPER DUBLIN 8 15 5 11 – 39
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 10 2 8 6 – 26
Upper Dublin: Jess Polin 4 0-1 10, Dayna Balasa 2 0-0 6, Jackie Vargas 5 7-9 18, Anajae Smith 0 1-2 1, Bliss Brenner 1 1-2 4. Totals: 12 9-14 39.
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Kaitlyn Flanagan 1 0-0 2, Gabby Cooper 3 1-2 9, Anna McTamney 2 2-2 6, Jordyn Thomas 3 2-5 9. Totals: 9 5-9 26.
3-pointers: UD – Polin 2, Balasa 2, Vargas, Brenner; PW – Cooper 2, Thomas.
