Abington in good spot ahead of PIAA tournament
Ghosts open with Wyoming Valley West on road
Every game in the state playoffs is a challenge, but some paths through the bracket can be easier than others.
After Abington beat Plymouth Whitemarsh, 46-38, in a District 1-6A playback game to clinch a spot in the state tournament, the Ghosts set two goals — continue to play at a high level and secure District 1’s ninth seed. The Ghosts beat Conestoga, 61-49, and Unionville, 67-56, to earn the coveted ninth spot.
On paper, the ninth seed has a more favorable schedule than the 10th, 11th or 12th seeds.
Abington opens the PIAA-6A state playoffs with a two-hour trip to District 2 champion Wyoming Valley West, which is 16-8 this season. The 10th, 11th and 12th seeds are matched up with District 11 champ Easton (27-1), District 12 champ Cardinal O’Hara (20-5) and District 3 champ Cedar Cliff (26-0), respectively.
“I think that’s perfect for us,” Abington senior Cire Worley said after the Unionville game. “We wanted to be (the best seed) we can. For us, nine is the best.”
The Ghosts (21-5) started their current three-game winning streak with one of their best performances of the season. They built a 13-4 first-quarter lead over Plymouth Whitemarsh, a rival they’d already played three times earlier in the season, and maintained a two-possession advantage over the final three quarters.
That momentum carried over into their next game against Conestoga. Abington led by 11 points after the first quarter, 12 points at half and 19 points late in the third quarter. They let the margin get trimmed to nine points, 5142, early in the fourth and eight twice later on, 55-47 and 57-49, but that’s as close as it would get.
It was a similar performance in the ninth-place game against Unionville. The Ghosts led by 12 after the first quarter and 13 at halftime. Unionville got within five points in the third quarter and four points in the fourth, but
Abington hit enough timely baskets and free throws to close out the 11-point win.
“The 10th seed (gets) a really difficult game,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said after the Ghosts clinched the ninth seed. “Not that (the ninth seed) won’t be and it’s very far…. I’m imagining we should be OK, but you have to go there and you never know. If we do what we did in the second half (against Unionville), who knows what will happen.”
Worley averaged 27 points per game over the three-game winning streak. She scored 16 against Plymouth Whitemarsh, 35 against Conestoga and 30 against Unionville. The program’s all-time leading scorer hit eight three-pointers across the three games.
Worley and classmate Abril Bowser were named to the first team All-Suburban One League Liberty Division last weekend. Sophomore Maya Johnson earned a second team selection and juniors Piper McGinley and Jordyn Reynolds were honorable mentions.
The District 1 ninth seed has had recent success in the state playoffs. Upper Dublin won the state championship from the same spot in 2018.
Abington visits Wyoming Valley West at 7 p.m. Friday night. A win would send the Ghosts to the round-of-16 and a matchup with the winner of District 12 runner-up Central (18-4) and District 1 eighth-place finisher Springfield Delco (19-7).