“Try, fail, learn, and execute.”
Head coach Brandi Johnson’s four-word mantra for the Panthers varsity girls basketball team was a guide for this season—and especially the second round of playoffs on Wednesday, March 12.
The Panthers stood 0-3 against their local rivals this season going into this game. With four minutes left to go in the second round of the PIAA 5A state playoffs at Bensalem High School, the Panthers were down nine points against the Radnor Raptors.
The crowd, as well as the bench, watched in anticipation as freshman Maddie Fanning’s three-point attempt went up, and the whistle blew. The bench was ready to jump out of their seats.
The ball hit the backboard, fell into the rim, and the crowd exploded into excited cheers. A magnificent bank shot put the Panthers back in the competition to keep their season alive.
“It felt good, but still, we were down a couple points so I wanted to stay composed, stay calm, and just keep moving on to make the foul shot,” Fanning said, reflecting on the shot after the game.
The varsity girls basketball team ended the second round of playoffs in overtime, victorious 53-44. They advanced to the state quarterfinals, a feat that hasn’t been reached at Haven since 1992.
During overtime, the Panthers locked down on defense, forcing turnovers and scoring off of them.
Throughout the game, freshman Ellie O’Connor played consecutive quarters of outstanding defense.
“She stepped up when we needed her,” Johnson said. “We were in foul trouble, Kenzie [freshman Mackenzie Fanning] was in foul trouble, and she’s one of our top defenders, but so is Ellie. She stepped in exactly when we needed her.”
Senior Maryella Gill blocked a last second shot that forced the game into overtime. She also had an electric three point play that iced the game.
“I was so proud of myself and my team… I was ecstatic, I couldn’t believe myself,” Gill said.
Apart from individual performance, the whole team chipped in on both sides of the ball.
“We’ve never played better, and we wanted to win this game more than anything else. We lost three times [to Radnor], the fourth time it was ours,” Gill said.
The Panthers prevailed on a 23-5 run to end the game, dominating in overtime.
“It feels amazing, it’s so incredible, just this run that we’re on right now. They won it… They’re clicking, everybody’s happy,” Johnson said.
The Panthers’ historic victory pushes them to the state quarterfinals to play the Crestwood Comets on Saturday, March 15, 1:00 p.m. at Easton Area Middle School.
