GFS eighth-grader Desiree Norwood (with ball) watches for a teammate's cut while guarded by Helene Tang of the Perkiomen Panthers. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

The girls of Germantown Friends took a break from their Friends Schools League schedule to play a non-league bout against Perkiomen School last Friday, and it proved to be a beneficial arrangement for the host Tigers.

Both teams are regrouping this season after graduating a strong senior class in 2016 and they came into last week's match-up with similar records; GFS was 4-9 overall, and the Perkiomen Panthers arrived with a 3-8 mark.

GFS seems to be a little farther along in the rebuilding process, and after edging ahead 9-8 right at the end of the first quarter, the Tigers proceeded to a 24-12 halftime lead and eventually to a 41-22 victory.

Eighth-grade forward Jessica Moore deposited a dozen points to lead a list of nine GFS scorers that also featured junior Corin Grady, with seven points, and senior Lilly Dupuis, with six.

The Tigers credited four points to junior Maya Keren, three apiece to sophomore Gigi Guida and eighth-grader Desiree Norwood, and two points each to senior Ajai DeBose and freshmen Tsega Afessa and Cece McLaughlin.

GFS began the new year with a big-ticket win over International Christian Academy, then succumbed to two of the toughest squads on their Friends Schools League schedule, Westtown and Friends Central. Still, the Tigers (1-3 league) stayed reasonably close to FC to trail by seven points at the half before the Phoenix pulled away in the third quarter.

Overall, the Tigers appear to be playing with more confidence and with better communication on the court than they did early in the season.

In last Friday's contest a lay-up by DeBose got the scoreboard rolling, and later the Tigers tacked on a score on a baseline drive by Keren and a three-pointer from the left wing by Grady. That put the hosts in front, 7-5, with the visitors receiving a lay-up and a trey from Nikki Ciocari.

Ciocari pushed Perk ahead 8-7 with another three-point bucket, but the Tigers had now identified her as a scoring threat and were able to shut her out the rest of the game. Norwood scored the last field goal of the first period off of a rebound to give Germantown a 9-8 edge.

Moore swung into action in the second quarter, scoring on a drive, putting in three short-to-medium-range jumpers, and knocking down a pair of free throws for a 10-point period. Dupuis also drained a pair of foul shots, and Guida guided in a three-pointer to put GFS in command by halftime, 24-12.

During the second stanza, the Panthers had been held to one three-point basket by Maddy Parisi and a lone free throw by Helene Tang.

Parisi took over most of the Panthers' scoring chores after the intermission, providing all of her team's points except for one that came on a second free throw by Tang. In the third quarter Parisi produced a three-pointer and two shorter jumpers, but with GFS ninth-graders Afessa and McLaughlin joining in on the scoring with the veterans, the Tigers still tacked three more points onto their margin to begin the fourth period with a 35-20 advantage.

They allowed no field goals and just two points altogether the rest of the way for a comfortable victory.

CAPTION - GFS eighth-grader Desiree Norwood (with ball) watches for a teammate's cut while guarded by Helene Tang of the Perkiomen Panthers. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

The girls of Germantown Friends took a break from their Friends Schools League schedule to play a non-league bout against Perkiomen School last Friday, and it proved to be a beneficial arrangement for the host Tigers.

Both teams are regrouping this season after graduating a strong senior class in 2016 and they came into last week's match-up with similar records; GFS was 4-9 overall, and the Perkiomen Panthers arrived with a 3-8 mark.

GFS seems to be a little farther along in the rebuilding process, and after edging ahead 9-8 right at the end of the first quarter, the Tigers proceeded to a 24-12 halftime lead and eventually to a 41-22 victory.

Eighth-grade forward Jessica Moore deposited a dozen points to lead a list of nine GFS scorers that also featured junior Corin Grady, with seven points, and senior Lilly Dupuis, with six.

The Tigers credited four points to junior Maya Keren, three apiece to sophomore Gigi Guida and eighth-grader Desiree Norwood, and two points each to senior Ajai DeBose and freshmen Tsega Afessa and Cece McLaughlin.

GFS began the new year with a big-ticket win over International Christian Academy, then succumbed to two of the toughest squads on their Friends Schools League schedule, Westtown and Friends Central. Still, the Tigers (1-3 league) stayed reasonably close to FC to trail by seven points at the half before the Phoenix pulled away in the third quarter.

Overall, the Tigers appear to be playing with more confidence and with better communication on the court than they did early in the season.

In last Friday's contest a lay-up by DeBose got the scoreboard rolling, and later the Tigers tacked on a score on a baseline drive by Keren and a three-pointer from the left wing by Grady. That put the hosts in front, 7-5, with the visitors receiving a lay-up and a trey from Nikki Ciocari.

Ciocari pushed Perk ahead 8-7 with another three-point bucket, but the Tigers had now identified her as a scoring threat and were able to shut her out the rest of the game. Norwood scored the last field goal of the first period off of a rebound to give Germantown a 9-8 edge.

Moore swung into action in the second quarter, scoring on a drive, putting in three short-to-medium-range jumpers, and knocking down a pair of free throws for a 10-point period. Dupuis also drained a pair of foul shots, and Guida guided in a three-pointer to put GFS in command by halftime, 24-12.

During the second stanza, the Panthers had been held to one three-point basket by Maddy Parisi and a lone free throw by Helene Tang.

Parisi took over most of the Panthers' scoring chores after the intermission, providing all of her team's points except for one that came on a second free throw by Tang. In the third quarter Parisi produced a three-pointer and two shorter jumpers, but with GFS ninth-graders Afessa and McLaughlin joining in on the scoring with the veterans, the Tigers still tacked three more points onto their margin to begin the fourth period with a 35-20 advantage.

They allowed no field goals and just two points altogether the rest of the way for a comfortable victory.