The girls’ basketball team at Penn Charter last Wednesday recorded its third victory over an opponent from the Mid-Atlantic Prep League, turning away visiting Mercersburg Academy, 50-41. The Quakers’ other wins against MAPL teams came against Hill School (48-46) and Lawrenceville School (56-33).

PC’s lone loss thus far occurred two days before Thanksgiving, when the Quakers rambled down School House Lane to Germantown Friends, where they lost to the Tigers, 48-33.

Penn Charter is in its second season under head coach Erin Martin and assistant coach Lauren Gold.

The two returning seniors for the Quakers this winter are guard Molly Dougherty and guard/forward Marleigh Jackson. Jackson will continue her basketball career at Johns Hopkins University, while Dougherty has signed with the University of Michigan to play lacrosse.

Another lacrosse player on the hoops squad, junior guard Mia DiBenedetto, has made a verbal commitment to Penn State. DiBenedetto was on the varsity basketball roster last season, along with classmates Laila Sharp and Katie Shoup, and current sophomore Aubrei Smith.

Among the new additions to the Quakers’ varsity squad are seniors Peyton Doran, Cailyn O’Brien, and Maddie Wray (Wray is also a softball standout for Penn Charter). The other newcomers are sophomores Eloise Oberfield and Leah Tyler, and freshman Sakti Kramer.

Mercersburg, which has a 6’4” center and a quick, aggressive point guard, led 8-4 at the end of the first quarter in Wednesday’s game. PC’s points came on two driving layups by Sharp. A pair of three-point field goals helped the Blue Storm enjoy a 17-11 advantage midway through the second period, but then the Quakers began to turn things around.

PC held the visitors to two free throws while Jackson and Dougherty each bagged a three-pointer and Jackson put in a jumper from near the foul line. Smith, who had six points in the period, hit a jumper from the left wing just before halftime to nudge the Quakers ahead, 21-19.

Smith and Dougherty each netted one trey and one shorter jumper in the third quarter, and a bucket by Jackson and two made free throws by Smith had the hosts a little farther ahead by the end of the period (35-31).

Dougherty would drain two more threes in the fourth frame, both from the left corner. PC held a 44-41 edge over Mercersburg with a little over two minutes left to play. The Blue Storm didn’t score after that, while Charter widened the gap by shooting six-for-eight from the foul line.

Finishing in double figures for the winners were Dougherty (16 points), Smith (14), and Sharp (12). Seven points from Jackson and a free throw by DiBenedetto completed the Quakers’ total.