Brandywine clinches 1st division title since ’02
Don Vinciguerra looked up at the banner earlier this week and reminded his players of the potential history that could be made.
Brandywine Heights had a chance to capture the first division title in girls basketball since before these Bullets were born.
At the end of Saturday’s game, the banner needed a longawaited update.
Ashlyn Clark scored a seasonhigh 21 points and Brandywine knocked off Oley Valley 49-25 in a Berks IV game at Mertztown.
Brandywine (6-4, 7-7) has won six of its last seven and has clinched a spot in the county playoffs for the third time in five seasons.
“All those years we’ve been building the program and working with the youth have paid off,” said Vinciguerra, who’s in his fifth season as coach. “That’s what it means.”
This was the second time Brandywine and Oley clashed in the span of six days and this meeting went in a different direction. The Lynx won 46-37 Monday.
Brandywine led 24-11 at halftime and by 20 points heading into the fourth quarter of the rematch.
Clark, the team’s only senior, ranks third in the league in scoring at 14.4 points per game. The guard drilled three 3-pointers and had 13 points before intermission.
“She had what I would call a quiet 21,” Vinciguerra said. “She was using her teammates today. She was spreading the ball around. She was being that leader.”
Emily Savitz added eight points with Olivia Moyer and Avery Pottieger each contributing seven.
Three of Brandywine’s top six players are freshmen. The Bullets have suffered some hardluck losses. They fell by four points against Muhlenberg, two against Schuylkill Valley and one to Exeter. Their record could be a lot shinier.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of freshman mistakes and we had a lot of close games early,” Vinciguerra said. “I think we’re playing better now because of those games. I told the girls, ‘You’re not freshmen anymore. You’re not allowed to use that excuse.’ “
As of Saturday, the Bullets were champions. For the first time in a long time.