UPDATE: In the PAIS semifinals, both Inter-Ac teams fell to Friends Schools League opponents. Friends Central edged GA, 54-49, and Westtown dispatched Notre Dame, 66-41.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
UPDATE: In the PAIS semifinals, both Inter-Ac teams fell to Friends Schools League opponents. Friends Central edged GA, 54-49, and Westtown dispatched Notre Dame, 66-41.
Third-seeded Germantown Academy advanced to the semifinals of the Pa. Independent Schools tournament last Tuesday, cruising to a 59-39 home court victory over the sixth seed, Shipley School. GA jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the early minutes and was up 19-8 at the end of the first quarter. The victory raised the Patriots' season record to 24-5.
On the same afternoon 2023 PAIS runner-up Penn Charter, the fourth seed for this year's tourney, hosted number five Academy of Notre Dame. Remaining on a late-season roll, the Irish defeated PC, 45-40, ending the Quakers' season.
GA, Penn Charter, and Notre Dame had finished in a three-way tie for the 2024 Inter-Ac league championship.
Now the Patriots would move into a PAIS semifinal contest against second-seeded Friends Central, a squad that defeated GA, 54-51, back on December 5. In the other half of the bracket, Notre Dame was slated to play the formidable top seed, Westtown School, the two-time defending Indy Schools champion.
In last Tuesday's quarterfinal at GA, senior Jessica Aponik got started on her game-high 19-point performance by depositing three lay-ups in the first three minutes. Her classmate Sam Wade had begun the game with a basket in transition, and after Aponik's early burst fellow senior Izzy Casey (11 points total) scored a breakaway basket off a pass by junior Jessica Kolecki, putting the Pats up 10-3.
As junior Gabby Bowes joined in with a lay-up and a three-pointer from the top of the key, Germantown continued on to a 19-8 lead at the quarter. By halftime, Aponik and Casey had accumulated 12 and 11 points, respectively, and the Patriots were ahead 36-17.
As the second half progressed, Ga was able get all of its reserves involved in the action. Freshman forward Jo Owens, who'd put in a lay-up late in the first half, scored four more field goals from close range in the second half, finishing with 10 points.
The hosts led 59-32 late in the fourth quarter before the Shipley Gators scored the final seven points of the evening.
Wade wound up with eight points, Bowes with five, and Kolecki with four, while sophomore Anna Weber, back in action following an injury, scored two points.
Rikai Williford led Shipley with 10 points, and Mallory Farr added seven.
