Gillespie hits a milestone for Villanova
Wood grad scores 1,000th point for Villanova
Almost nine months after the 2019-20 season was shut down right on the cusp of tournament time, college basketball made its long-awaited return this week.
While COVID-19 is still a factor with games being played in arenas with no fans while coaching staffs and players on the bench are masked up, the season has begun. In a strange year where teams are changing their schedule on the fly and some programs aren’t starting until after the holiday season, numerous local alumni are trying to perform to the best of their ability under the circumstances.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Villanova senior Collin Gillespie (Archbishop Wood) had a strong start to the season as the No. 3 Wildcats won the Empire Classic this week. Gillespie scored 11 points with four rebounds and four assists in Thursday’s title game as Villanova topped No. 18 Arizona State 83-74.
On Wednesday, Gillespie had 15 points with three rebounds and seven assists in a 76-67 win over Boston College. Gillespie also surpassed the 1,000-point mark in the effort, making him a milestone scorer at both the college and high school level.
The former PCL MVP and PA Class 5A all-state player of the year, Gillespie has earned plau
dits from national media and is on watch lists for the 2021 Bob COusy Award and 2021 Naismith Trophy, a preseason second team AllAmerican and preseason first team All-Big East.
After redshirting last season, Eric Dixon (Abington) made his debut for Abington. The two-time PA Class 6A state player of the year had a rebound against BC in his first game, but was able to score his first collegiate basket against Arizona State while adding a rebound and several tap-out plays to extend possessions.
Villanova added a game Thursday and will face Virginia Tech on Saturday night in an 8 p.m. tip on ESPNNews.
For the f irst time in nearly a year, St. Francis PA freshman Zahree Harrison (Cheltenham) stepped on a basketball court in uniform. The guard chalked up four points, a rebound, an assist and two steals in 16 minutes as the Red Flash beat Pittsburgh 8070, breaking an 0-29 streak against Pitt.
Harrison, who injured his knee in the first quarter of his first game as a senior at Cheltenham and missed the rest of the season, showed no ill effects from recovery in preseason and is expected to be a rotation piece for St. Francis.
On Thursday, La Salle opened its season with an 82-65 loss to St. John’s. Jack Clark (Cheltenham) made his return to the floor after a medical redshirt in 201920, scoring three points with four boards and two steals. Clark tore an ACL
as a senior at Cheltenham then played nine games as a freshman at La Salle before complications with his injured knee forced him out of action last season.
Debuting for the Explorers on Thursday was Clifton Moore (Hatboro-Horsham),
who tallied three points, four rebounds and three blocks after sitting last season following a transfer from Indiana.
Quinnipiac opened its season on Wednesday with an 84-66 decision over Fairleigh Dickinson. Ty Pickron (Archbishop Wood) tallied eight points, three rebounds and four steals while Seth Pinkney (Wood)
notched 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting, three rebounds and a block.
The duo were teammates for four years at Archbishop Wood and were part of the 2017 PCL and PIAA champion team with Gillespie. Pinkney did a prep year at Montverde Academy in Florida before joining Pickron on Quinnipiac’s roster last season.
In Navy’s season-opening 78-71 win against George Washington on Wednesday, Sean Yoder (Pennridge) provided three points and four rebounds off the bench.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Penn State freshman Maddie Burke (CB West) had a strong college debut, scoring eight points off the bench as the Nittany Lions topped Coppin State 84-45 on Wednesday.
The 2020 PA Class 6A player of the year, Burke came off the bench for Penn State, connecting on 2-of-3 from 3-point range while adding two rebounds and a block. A 1,000-point scorer at West, Burke figures to
be an important building block for an extremely young Nittany Lions roster.
Delaware senior Lizzie Oleary (Abington) had a career day in the Blue Hens’ season-opening win against Salem on Wednesday. The forward posted a personalbest 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting while also grabbing eight rebounds as Delaware set several records in a 111-54 win.
Villanova’s Sam Carangi (North Penn) made her return to the floor with two rebounds in the Wildcats’ 70-37 win over Rider on Wednesday. The redshirt
junior played nine minutes off the bench in her first game action since an injury ended her season last March.
Neshaminy graduate Brooke Mullin made her first star t, scoring five points. Villanova will next play Sunday at Quinnipiac after Saturday’s planned game with Manhattan was called off due to COVID-19.
FOOTBALL
Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (Archbishop Wood) is expected to return on Saturday after missing the last two weeks due to a concus
sion. The junior, an Abington resident, has 24 receptions for 414 yards and eight scores in his five games played.
A preseason first-team All-American, Pitts is a projected first-round NFL Draft pick should he declare after this season.
Saturday ’s game between Temple and No. 7 Cincinatti will not be played due to COVID-19 and injur y concerns in both programs. Last week, Temple freshman Kamal Gray Jr (PJP II), a walk-on freshman, made his first start throwing 10-of-21 for
95 yards.
Despite the team’s myriad struggles with injury and coronavirus, the Owls have gotten solid contributions from senior receiver
Braden Mack (Cheltenham) on offense with 26 receptions for 291 yards and three scores and defen sively f rom sen ior
George Reid (Abington), who moved to linebacker and has 24 tackles and a sack in his first year as a starter. Mack, who played quarterback at Cheltenham, was Gray’s backup last time out but left that game with an injury.