Girls Basketball: New Covenant’s Historic Season Ends in State Second Round Against Delco Christian

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After winning the first State Playoff game in school history with a come-from-behind win in the 4th quarter to defeat Northumberland Christian on Saturday, the Flames advanced to the 2nd round of the PIAA State Championship Tournament. On Wednesday, they met Delco Christian, the District 1 Champion that eliminated the Flames a season ago.

The game was held at Coatesville High School, giving New Covenant a chance to flip the script. However, defeating Delco Christian was always going to be a tough task, as the Knights entered with a 27-2 record and their sights set on improving upon last year’s quarterfinal finish. They also looked every bit like a Delco team, bringing the toughness and edge Delaware County programs are known for.

The game got off to a decent start, with the Flames getting scoring production from four players, led by 4 points each from McKenna Kantner and Laney Zimmerman. At the end of the quarter, New Covenant trailed by just one score, 15-12.

In the 2nd quarter, Delco tightened up defensively and turned that into offensive production. Zimmerman scored 4 points and Qynne Demler hit her first bucket of the night, but Delco still took a 29-18 lead into halftime.

Out of the break, the Flames kicked it up a bit on the offensive end, with Kantner and Qynne Demlerconnecting on 3-pointers in the 3rd quarter. Even with that, Delco Christian still tacked on a point to its lead.

Entering the 4th quarter, the Flames trailed 46-34. This time, a late rally would not be in the cards, as two 3-pointers by Delco sophomore guard Mary O’Donnell helped put the game away despite 5 more points from Kantner in the final quarter.

Qynne Demler finished with 12 points to lead the Flames, while the trio of Kantner, Zimmerman, and Adrianna Yeagley each scored 9 points.

Throughout the game, Delco benefitted from the solid play of sophomore Ella Stinger, who finished with 24 points.

With the loss comes the conclusion of the most successful season in New Covenant history. The Flames finished 25-4, posted the most wins in a season, captured their first District 3 Championship, and earned the program’s first State Playoff victory. They did all of it without any seniors in the starting lineup and with just one senior, Akaiya Hershey, on the roster.

Look for the Flames to learn from the experience and burn even brighter next season.

Delco Christian 58, New Covenant 41

NC Scoring: Q. Demler 12, M. Kantner 9, L. Zimmerman 9, A. Yeagley 9, A. Hershey 2

New Covenant Rallies Late to Earn First-Ever State Playoff Win

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