Malvern

The last of junior forward Jeffrey Hagen's 15 points was the most important, as his final-second free throw sent 14th-seeded Malvern Prep to a 40-39 upset at third-seeded Friends' Central in the first round of the state Independent Schools boys' basketball tournament Tuesday. The Friars hung around thanks to a stifling defense, holding Phoenix top scorer Karonn Davis to 11 points and 6-foot-4 freshman De'Andre Hunter to nine. After forcing a Hunter miss, Hagen was fouled with 0.9 seconds remaining and hit 1 of 2 from the line for the winning margin.

The developer calls Malvern "the town that time forgot" - its main street lined with Victorian-style houses, small boutiques, and local watering holes like the Flying Pig Saloon. But Eli Kahn and his partners are betting that a $45 million apartment and retail complex on East King Street will help satisfy urban appetites in one of the region's most venerable suburbs - and entice empty nesters and young professionals looking for a citified environment outside the city. Construction on the East King Street redevelopment project began in June and includes two large apartment buildings with 190 units, plus first-floor retail space that Kahn envisions renting to restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques.

Levan Alston provided all of Haverford School's overtime offense on Friday afternoon as the Fords rallied at Malvern Prep, 61-58, in an Inter-Ac League basketball game. The sophomore guard scored all 12 of Haverford's OT points to finish with a game-high 17. Alston also dished out five assists. Chris Morgan chipped in with nine steals. The senior guard scored six points in the second half. Eric Anderson, a senior forward, had 15 points and eight rebounds. Will Powers led the Friars with 16 points, six of which came in the first quarter.

Derek Mountain was in the right place at the right time for the Haverford School basketball team Tuesday. Mountain tipped in a missed three-pointer as time expired to give the host Fords a 39-37 victory over Malvern Prep in an Inter-Ac League game. Shawn Alston scored 15 points, and Eric Anderson, who took the final three-point attempt, had 11. Mountain finished with eight. Sam Ramagano (15) and Jimmy Gordon (14) combined for 29 points for Malvern Prep. Also in the Inter-Ac: Penn State-bound center Julian Moore blocked a shot at the rim with two seconds remaining to secure Germantown Academy's 44-42 win over Episcopal Academy.

Amar Stukes collected nine assists Monday, leading visiting La Salle past Malvern, 59-42, in a nonleague boys' basketball game. Stukes also had 13 points and made all eight of his fourth-quarter free throws to seal the game. Steve Smith added nine points on a trio of threes in the third quarter and pulled down nine rebounds for the Explorers. Jimmy Gordon scored a game-high 17 points in a losing effort for Malvern Prep. In other nonleague play, host Father Judge cruised to a 57-32 win against Springside Chestnut Hill behind 15 points from Sean Hanna.

Terry Larrier wasted little time making an impact Tuesday afternoon in his first basketball game with Phelps, as he led the Lions to a 43-38 win at Malvern Prep in a nonleague game. The 6-foot-8 junior guard poured in a game-high 18 points, and Phelps built an eight-point halftime lead en route to the victory. Larrier transferred to Phelps from Our Saviour Lutheran in New York and has offers from Delaware, Drexel, and Fordham. Marcus Floyd, a sophomore point guard, chipped in with 11 points.

Terry Larrier wasted little time making an impact Tuesday afternoon in his first basketball game with Phelps, as he led the Lions to a 43-38 win at Malvern Prep in a nonleague game. The 6-foot-8 junior guard poured in a game-high 18 points, and Phelps built an eight-point halftime lead en route to the victory. Larrier transferred to Phelps from Our Saviour Lutheran in New York and has offers from Delaware, Drexel, and Fordham. Marcus Floyd, a sophomore point guard, chipped in 11 points.

A couple nearing retirement who had already owned several large homes while raising their family might be expected to downsize to a modest residence. But, no, Ann and Ed Gunning weren't having any of that. One thing is pretty much crystal clear when meeting these empty-nesters: They relish being surrounded by loved ones. Which is why, when the Gunnings bought their 5,500-square-foot two-story single in Malvern, their legendary parties - filled with hearty dishes and steins of robust beer - figured significantly.

There was a chance that St. Joseph's Prep, less than two weeks after a heartbreaking loss to archrival La Salle, would have little left in the motivation tank for its Thanksgiving Day game against Malvern Prep. "You would think that would be the case, but that's not the way we function," senior defensive tackle Paul Johnson said. "The guys on this team are freak competitors. " With a lights-out defensive effort that produced two touchdowns and six sacks, the still-driven Hawks easily downed the overmatched Friars, 35-6, at Plymouth Whitemarsh.