One of the best-kept secrets in Delaware AAU is the PAL Wildcat 13U team.  They're not flashy.  They're not acrobatic.  They just play basketball really well.  ...And they win.  (4 - 0 this tournament / 14 - 1 overall)  The bench is deep and there seem to be no weak links in the lineup.  Solid, competent players up and down the roster.

 

One of the big treats at this tournament was the all-Delaware match-up between this team and the Tigers 13U.  I made it a point to be there.

 

I found the two teams to be so evenly matched it wasn't funny.  Girl for girl, it was really close.  Neither team really had an advantage.  So, it came down to other factors.  And typically, when teams are even, it comes down to effort.  In this game, the Wildcats prevailed because they wanted to.  Or more accurately, they wanted to more than the Tigers. 

 

The Wildcats got out to a 14 - 9 lead at halftime in what was shaping up to be a defensive struggle.  Baskets would be less rare in the second frame.  When time ran out, the Wildcats were up 39 - 30.

 

No one girl dominated the boxscore for the Wildcats.  Holt Querey led the victors with 10 points, while Julianne Lambert contributed 7 and Lauren Baker 6.

 

For the Tigers, Sara Weiss led all scorers with a strong 16 points (including 3 threes), 8 rebounds and 4 steals.  Katie Desmond and Jill Lyons tallied half a dozen points each.

 

Once again, the Wildcat coaches were kind enough to send in their take on the tournament, and here it is:

 

Wildcat girls again went 4-0 in their latest tournament up in West Chester.  They are now 14-1 on the year.  What makes this team special is the depth of this team and the desire for all the girls to contribute.   Every girl on this team wants to be on the court and contributing but even more notable, and something that speaks loudly about the makeup of the team, is that even when girls are hurt and can not play, they are still coming to practice and suited up on the bench for games cheering their teammates.  It is a very athletic team whose strength lies in their ability to defend. 

Saturday, the Wildcats defeated both the Tarheels and the Great Valley Hawks.  13 girls contributed to each win and the depth of the team wore down their opponents in the second half.    Against the Tar Heels, a 30-24 win, Leigh Ann Lennon and Lauren Hess led the team with 6 points each.  Holt Querey, Julianne Lambert, and Natalie Stella added 4 points each.   Against the Hawks, Holt Querey and Julianne Lambert scored 8 points each to lead the Wildcats.  Amanda Vaile added 6 points. Catherine Herron added 2 points and great defense.

The game of the weekend was against the Wilmington Tigers AAU 13 U team.  Most of the girls on the two teams know each other from the Delaware CYM league and have played against each other for years.  For that reason, there is a built-in rivalry between the two teams.  The intensity at these games is at another level for all involved vs. other AAU games.   These two programs and the games between the two teams is a great showcase for Delaware girls basketball.    Last year, in their inaugural year, the Tigers beat the Wildcats in both of their meetings so the Wildcats were looking forward to this game as a way to exact some revenge.  A tremendous team defensive effort by the Wildcats sparked them to a 9 point win.  There were very few unchallenged offensive opportunities for the Tigers.   Elsye Andrews, Lauren Baker, Paige Cornelius, Courtney Cox, Julianne Lambert, Leign Ann Lennon, Mekayla McAdoo, Jacklyn Purzycki, Holt Querey and Natalie Stella all contributed in some manner to the win.  Again, it was the defensive effort and hustle that stood out most to the coaches.

The final game of the weekend for the Wildcats was against an overmatched Cyclone team.   The Wildcats avoided a letdown after their win against the Tigers and rolled to a 55-23 win. 

The Wildcat team is looking forward to the regionals this upcoming weekend coming off back to back 4-0 showings in West Chester. 
 

John Stella

Asst. Coach

 

Tourney Pics

 

Tiger guard, Katie Desmond, manages to pass the ball out to safety just beyond the grasp of Wildcat, Mekayla McAdoo.

 

Leigh Ann Lennon controls the tempo during the "Battle of Delaware."

 

Holt Querey is one of those girls who, in height-starved Delaware, plays a lot of frontcourt, but would probably be a guard for a lot of the Pennsylvania teams.  She'd be successful no matter where her coach plays her.

 

Mekayla McAdoo prepares to pass while a teammate picks out Katie Desmond of the Tigers.

 

Check out this amazing extension!  Holt Querey puts up a shot underneath while Tiger Kasey Kirker doesn't want to concede an inch.

 

 

 

Other Delaware Teams:

Delaware Lady Sharpshooters 15U, 1 - 3

Wilmington Tigers 13U, 1 - 3

Delaware PAL Wildcats 13U

 

Delaware Pal Wildcats 14U (#2)

Wilmington Tigers 12U

Crossover Elite 11U

 

Delaware Lady Sharpshooters 11U

 

 

DelGirlsHoops@aol.com