Austin McCaughan, Ridley show fast progress in OT win over UD

RIDLEY — You might not look at what Ridley’s boys basketball team had endured the last two years and expect them to come up with winning plays away from home.

But the underclassmen that toiled through a five-win season last year and a 2-18 campaign in 2021-22 are better for those tribulations. And with a change of voice, a program that won just one of its last 32 Central League games the last two years already has two this young season.

Behind Austin McCaughan’s shooting and Luke Showalter’s half-court headiness, Ridley outlasted Upper Darby, 66-61, Thursday in a battle of teams finding their footing early.

There’s still plenty on that to-do list for Ridley (2-4, 2-3 Central) under first-year head coach Allen Brydges. But the Green Raiders’ ability to navigate a fourth quarter in which neither team led by more than one possession and overtime without a turnover speaks volume to the value of experience.

Brydges, the long-time head coach at Academy Park and a former assistant of Upper Darby boss Bob Miller, only took over in the fall, with little time to install new concepts. Much of the early development owes to a refreshed mindset and strengthened bonds in a senior-laden huddle, in a league where most teams are building anew.

The offense showed the cohesion. McCaughan led the way with 21 points, including 5-for-5 from 3-point range, the senior a bright shooting talent who didn’t always stand out as an underclassman. Showalter tallied 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including eight points and two assists in the fourth. Chris Sizemore, a sophomore point guard, added nine points. Jake Bovell had five points and five assists, and Bryant Cauthorn paired seven points with nine rebounds. Ridley dished 16 assists on 24 made baskets against just seven turnovers.

It’s high-level stuff from a team for which that was in short supply last year.

“We’ve gotten older, we’ve played together a long time,” Showalter said. “We have a good feel for each other on the court.”

Defense remains a challenge on both sides. Ridley shot 11-for-20 from 3-point range, most of the attempts quality looks. Short of TJ Jackson, Upper Darby’s shot-blocking big, the offenses had their way. Even with Jackson, Showalter was proactive at attacking him off the bounce.

“He’s a great player and a good shot blocker, but you always try to figure out a way to finish around him,” Showalter said. “Luckily I did today.”

Upper Darby, which lost 92 percent of its scoring from last year’s 21-win states-qualifying team, is likewise reconfiguring. Gary Bonner, as an early scoring threat, is out with injury. Defensive sparkplug Lovo Mulbah, the only significant returning contributor, is slowed by an ankle injury.

That’s a recipe for the kind of uneven start that includes wins over Garnet Valley and Conestoga and losses to Ridley and Interboro (the latter sans Mulbah and Elijah Gunther).

“We can be one of the best teams,” guard Alex Brown said. “Other teams all have their hype and their seniors, but we’re young and we’re hungry.”

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Ridley's Luke Showalter, left, runs up court after a basket against Upper Darby in a game last season. (Pete Bannan - MediaNews Group)