Two of the very best players in the tournament:  10U Wildcat standout Julia DiMarco being closely shadowed by Tiger mainstay Ashlynn Skowronski.

 

Coverage this week will be a bit more informal and relaxed over prior efforts.  Most of the teams are done with Regionals and for those who advanced, Nationals will be starting up in a month or so.  We find ourselves in a curious place of what can only be called a "June Lull."  Still, there was some great basketball on display at WCU.  Let's get into it!

 

In covering the tournament, I tried to pick up on which of the four entrants was going to have a good run over the weekend, and then more or less follow that team.  I dropped in on the Delaware Lady Panthers 15U.  This is a team of talented, "name" players at the high school level.  It seemed that there were players missing both days as the bench never went deeper than three sitting.  Regardless, the team was competing as best they could, but seemed to be coming up on the short end Saturday morning. 

 

In contrast, the Wilmington Tigers 10U team won their first game, a nail-biter over the West Chester Sparks, 34 - 30.  I hadn't seen this team at all this year.  What I discovered was a real fun team to watch!  First off, every girl can play.  There is no girl that doesn't belong on the roster.  In fact, in this first game of the tourney, 8 of the team's 9 players scored.  Leading the way was Tiger standout Ashlynn Skowronski with 9 points, Morgan Grubb with 8 and Aonyae Easterling with 5. 

 

Skowronski is the real deal.  She is playing right now at an 11 or 12U level, especially on the offensive end.  She can hit from the arc as well as drive the ball hard inside.  While she's wonderful as a shooting guard or wing player, I'd like to see her play a little point.  Just every now and again.  At any rate, it wouldn't hurt her to be able to add that position to her résumé. 

 

For all the crying that Delaware coaches do about there being a shortage of good, capable tall girls in the State, I have just two words for them:  Morgan Grubb.  This girl rocks!  Yeah, maybe she's a little rough around the edges and some aspects of her game could use a little polish, but at 10 years old, name me a player who is perfect.  All I know is she's a real presence in the post and is a serious threat to score every time she touches the ball.  Morgan bears more than a passing resemblance to Padua Academy JV player, Krista Panella.  Both girls' games are also eerily similar.

 

On this team, there are several "role players."  These are players with a specialty -- that one skill that they are really, really good at.  In Aonyae Easterling's case, her role is Rebounding with a capital R.  She's a rebounding machine!  Like Grubb, Aonyae reminds me of a young Asha Jones.  Asha runs point for Hodgson Vo-Tech these days, but when she was a 10U AAU player, she was a forward and a rebounding magnet.  Once her shot develops a little more -- watch out!  She will be a true force.

 

For their second test, the Tiger Tens would handily defeat the WNGB Blue Demons, 30 - 17.  Ashlynn Skowronski went off, scoring a game high 18 points.  This was one of the best individual scoring performances I've ever seen out of that age bracket.  Her next-closest teammates were Morgan Grubb and Nina Budishak with 3 each.

 

Next up on the Orange-and-Black hit list:  The tournament host team, the Chesco Lightning.  While the game had its interesting moments, the Lightning never really challenged the Tigers.  They went down, 31 - 20.  High scorers were Courtney Wallace with 10, Ashlynn Skowronski with 8, and the ever-steady Morgan Grubb with 5.

 

Courtney Wallace splits the point guard duties with Ashlynn's younger sister, Alena Skowronski.  Both players are quality athletes.  I haven't ever seen Courtney play until this weekend.  Alena I've seen once or twice before.  Alena can dribble the ball between her legs without looking and make it look easy as pie.  I've also seen her dribble two balls running full tilt baseline to baseline without losing either ball.  I don't know many high school players that can do this.

 

I next saw the Delaware PAL Wildcats 10U team.  DGB.com has featured this team earlier in the season, and Coach Colella has sent in fantastic reports.  Anyway, it was great seeing them just take apart the West Chester Sparks.  Although the final score would reveal a 5-point win, 20 - 15, it can be said that the Wildcats dominated most of the game.  At halftime, the score was 5 - 0.  Yes, five to nothing.  While "Coach Cee" surely must've been praying for a little more offense, he had to be tickled pink with his teams stifling defense.  The Sparks would not score until the 12:03 mark in the second half!  The Wildcats owned the key. 

 

Next up was a 13U game featuring the Delaware PAL Wildcats against the Allentown Attack.  This game was a very last-minute addition to my viewing itinerary.  The only reason I got to see it was that the big showdown "Battle of Delaware" 10U game got moved to the 13U gym.  And how lucky I was!  I got to see a great, iPOW-winning performance (16 points) from Padua-bound Julianne Lambert.  Maddy Lang wasn't far behind with 11 while Natalie Stella threw down 10.  Amanda Vaile had 7 points, but every time she hit, it seemed to be just at the right time for her team.  I call these "momentum baskets."

 

I received a kind email from 13U assistant, Coach Stella.  He informed me that his team played the 13U Tigers earlier this season and won that game.  I certainly do not want to diminish for the Wildcats their achievement.  However, DGB.com wasn't there.  So, for website purposes only, we'll refer to the June 1st 10U game in West Chester as.....

 

The Battle of Delaware, Part Two (...but kinda Part Three, too)

 

The first Battle of Delaware featured an all-14U contest between the Wildcats and Tigers.  It was won, fair and square, by the Wildcats.  The second Battle of Delaware took place on June 1st, and was a 10U event, but featuring the same two clubs.  It would result in evening up the all-Delaware scorecard at a game apiece.

 

The first half was as tight as can be.  Both teams are so stocked with talent.  After 16 game minutes, the scoreboard read Tigers 13, Wildcats 11.  The fact that several of the players had friends on the other team really added to the emotion of the game, and, it can be truthfully added, the place was packed!  Huge crowd.  This was THE GAME of the weekend for all the Wildcat and Tiger girls.

 

In the second frame, the Tigers got a little breathing room just at the right time.  The Wildcats mounted a comeback, but fell just a little short.  Final score:  31 - 22.  The really great thing was how everybody cheered at the end of the game.  It was very touching and sincere tribute from all the parents, family and friends meant for both teams. 

 

For the Tigers, not only did they come out with a 4 - 0 record, they also managed to score 30 or more points in all four of their games!  That's remarkable consistency.

 

The big offensive weapons this time for the Tigers were Ashlynn and Courtney who each had 10 points, six of Ashlynn's coming on two 3-pointers.  Morgan chipped in 5.  Lindsay Russell had 4.

 

In attempting to get stats for the Wildcat 10U, I had a great discussion via email with Coach Colella, who is in all ways a friend of this site.  Coach Cee holds to the philosophy that in the 10U age group, the use of statistics is either counterproductive or "a wash" at best.  While I fully respect his views on this -- there really is no "right" or "wrong" way to treat the subject -- I, myself, am of the belief that using stats in this forum, more or less just as I would for the high school teams, is a sign of respect to the 10U teams.  It puts them on the same footing (on this website) as the older girls.  Besides, in school, they get grades on tests and report cards, which are academic "stats", so by their age, the girls have already been exposed to numeric and qualitative reports of their actions.  And, to be fair, this site tries, as much as it can, to devote itself only to the positive aspects of the players and their accomplishments.  I like Coach Colella, and I fully believe that his way is perfect for his own situation and for what he is trying to accomplish.  I also believe just as firmly that this website has been responsible and positive in its presentation of all the players' accomplishments, from high school seniors all the way down to the youngest of players.  'Nuff said!

 

One last word or two about this Tiger team.  They love bombing the three-ball.  Many coaches would discourage that.  I'm so glad that this team is given the green light to "let it fly."  More important, I love how every girl is an aggressive shooter.  I saw so much great catch-and-shoot basketball from them that I went nearly giddy.  They will even shoot in crowds.  I saw Aonyae and Morgan shoot when they were double and triple teamed!  Again, a lot of coaches would yell at them for doing that.  I couldn't be happier that the Tiger coaches actually seem to support it.  All of these things are why they scored 126 points on the weekend.  You can't score if you don't shoot the ball.

 

Tourney Pics

 

Judy Ramirez protects the ball from her defender.  Judy played school ball for me as a 6th grader and scored 167 points in 14 games in the St. E's League.  These days, she plays for St. George's.

 

Megan Chudzik looks over her options.  Megan plays for St. Mark's High School.

 

Attending Padua Academy is athletic point guard Kristen Marbury.

 

Devon Arcieri directing traffic for the Lady Panthers.  Devon is a talented point guard out of St. Mark's.

 

Alexa Webb releases a jumper from the wing.  Alexa plays school ball for Sanford.

 

Alena Skowronski looking to pass for the Tigers' 10U team.

 

Alena's partner-in-crime at point, Courtney Wallace.

 

I don't know if Aonyae Easterling is related to Dennis Rodman, but I do know she rebounds like him!

 

Ashlynn Skowronski taking it hard to the hoop.

 

The ball is in the basket (as you can see) for the Tigers, but will be ruled no good due to a questionable traveling call.

 

Anna D'Eramo in the blocks watching the flight of a free-throw.

 

Elizabeth Marcin and a Sparks player battle a loose ball.  Elizabeth has a great shooting touch.

 

Caelyn Brabson on the run during the "Battle for Delaware" game with the Tigers.

 

Jasmyn Parker ready to defend against her West Chester Sparks opponent.

 

Left to right: Ayanna Thompson and Lindsay Russell in the blocks.

 

Coach Skowronski and Coach Grubb look on as Courtney Wallace advances the ball.

 

Miscellaneous action in the Wildcats/Tigers game.

 

 

 

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