Tournaments highlight weekend girls' schedule

Area girls' basketball fans will get two opportunities this weekend to watch 6-foot-11 Marvadene Anderson play, as the Rutgers Prep senior and her teammates will compete in showcase tournaments at Philadelphia University and Upper Dublin High.

On Saturday, 28 teams will be in action at the Philly.com/Rally Scholastic Play by Play Classic at the university.

St. Basil, which pulled off an upset Tuesday night by knocking off Villa Maria Academy, will open the showcase by facing Chester at 11:15 a.m. on Court 2. The Hurricanes are ranked eighth in Southeastern Pennsyslvania by The Inquirer.

Overall, five teams ranked in The Inquirer's Top 10 are in the Play by Play showcase.

At 11:30 a.m., Notre Dame will play Radnor on Court 1. Two-time defending PIAA Class AAA champion Archbishop Wood will meet Red Lion of District 3 in the second game on Court 1, at 1 p.m.

Archbishop Carroll, The Inquirer's top-ranked team, will meet an old foe, Mount Lebanon, at 4 p.m. Mount Lebanon is the two-time defending Class AAAA champion.

Anderson will lead her team against Boyertown at 7 p.m.

In the Blue Star Classic on Sunday, at 5 p.m., Prep Charter, ranked No. 2 by The Inquirer, will have the task of trying to stop Anderson.

The game will match up Anderson and Prep Charter's 6-2 Kahleah Copper, one of the top players in southeastern Pennsylvania. Copper, who led her team into the PIAA Class AAA tournament last season, is averaging better than 20 points.

In another interstate game, Hill School will face Cicero, a perennial New York power, at 7 p.m.

Contact staff writer Don Beideman at 267-815-0733 or dbeideman@phillynews.com.