Springfield stakes its Central League claim against Ridley

RIDLEY TWP. — There was a buzz inside the Ridley High gymnasium Saturday afternoon.

A regular season game between the Central League’s best squads received the appropriate attention from the schools’ fan bases. Even players from other teams in the conference showed up for this one.

There was an atmosphere in the building that was unlike most high school girls basketball games you’ll see in Delaware County. But when it’s Ridley and Springfield, and both teams are undefeated in the Central League, people are going to come out and watch.

“We knew there was going to be a lot of people here. I guess that got us really going,” said Springfield junior guard Alexa Abbonizio, who poured in a game-high 26 points to lead the Cougars to a 64-51 triumph.

“When the crowd is getting loud, that gets us fired up and I think we had a big section on our side, which is what really helped us put it together,” she said. “That helped with the bench energy as well, and everyone really stepped up today.”

Springfield is the veteran team that has been there and done that before. The Cougars are perennial Central League contenders and PIAA tournament participants, so this type of big-game feeling was nothing new.

Ridley, meanwhile, has taken the league by storm. Winners of 10 in a row entering the day, the Green Raiders are enjoying their best start to a season in 13 years.

All Springfield did was remind everyone that it is still a team to be reckoned with in the Central League and District 1.

“A Springfield-Ridley game on its own is a big deal, then you add the fact that they have (transfer) Dakota (McCaughan) now and they’re winning games and are in first place in the Central League. It just makes this game so much more special,” said senior guard Alyssa Long, who knows a thing or three about performing in big games (she helped the lacrosse team win a PIAA championship last spring). “To go through this with the team is pretty awesome. You look around the gym and you see Penncrest, Marple and Garnet Valley players here. Everyone was here to watch and it’s a fun way to spend a little Saturday afternoon.

“That’s the enjoyment of high school sports. It doesn’t get much better than this.”

Two days after beating reigning Central League champion Garnet Valley in blowout fashion, the Cougars (7-4, 7-0) handled Saturday’s test with the confidence and intelligence of a group that has years of experience. The Cougars withstood the pressure and played their brand of basketball. They excelled on defense, receiving contributions from just about everyone who saw action, and their shooters came out firing. A perimeter-shooting club, the Cougars connected on six 3-point baskets and shot a cool 58.3 percent (21-for-36) from the floor.

“We came into the week seeing that we had Garnet Valley on Thursday and Ridley today,” Long said. “I think we showed that we can handle it, and it’s only going to take us up from here. We might have lost two starters and two 1,000-point scorers (Jordan D’Ambrosio and Belle Mastropietro), but I think this week showed that we are back and we’re ready to play.”

Abbonizio was feeling it from the get-go. Springfield’s best offensive weapon was money throughout the game. She scored no fewer than six points in each quarter and connected on 10 of 16 field goals.

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