Penn Charter

THERE'S A REASON Sean O'Brien primarily rubs elbows - almost till they bleed - with Uncle Chris at all family gatherings. They share the hoops kinship, folks. The O'Brien brothers displayed skill and variety while starring at La Salle High in the late 1970s/early 1980s, with the chain extending from Neil (baseball, shortstop at Temple) to Chris (point guard for '81 Catholic League champs, Drexel) to Doug (rowing, Arizona State). Sean tried to mirror his dad, Neil. Really, he did. But one day as a fifth-grader, though he was having success as a shortstop and pitcher, he came home and made an announcement that could have been a bombshell.

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.

Boys' Basketball CENTRAL LEAGUE FINAL Lower Merion 57, Ridley 50 PA. INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS 1st ROUND Kiski Prep 58, Shipley 48 Abington Friends 86, Phelps 69 Haverford School 76, Acad. of New Church 58 TRI-COUNTY LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS Del-Val Friends 53, Barrack Hebrew 42 Phelps 74, West-Mont Christian 36 TRI-COUNTY QUARTERFINALS Collegium Charter 62, Kimberton Waldorf 29 BICENTENNIAL CONSTITUTION Christopher Dock 51, Phil-Mont Christian 48 BICENTENNIAL INDEPENDENCE New Hope-Solebury 47, Bristol 38 SUBURBAN ONE AMERICAN Upper Dublin 53, Upper Merion 52 SUBURBAN ONE NATIONAL William Tennent 67, Truman 50 NONLEAGUE Masterman 55, GAMP 53 Devon Prep 81, Friends Select 62 Christian Academy 56, Pilgrim Christian 39 Girls' Bowling CATHOLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS Archbishop Ryan 1791, Hallahan 1488 Girls' Basketball CENTRAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Radnor 47, Conestoga 39 PA. INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS 1st ROUND Shipley 51, Penn Charter 38 TRI-COUNTY LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS Mercy Vocational 42, Collegium Charter 34 TRI-COUNTY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Kimberton Waldorf 38, Del-Val Friends 20 BICENTENNIAL LEAGUE New Hope-Solebury 41, Calvary Christian 33 BICENTENNIAL CONSTITUTION Jenkintown 65, Faith Christian 20 CATHOLIC LEAGUE Cardinal O'Hara 60, Little Flower 27 INTER-AC LEAGUE Episcopal Acad.

Germantown Academy captured its ninth consecutive Inter-Ac League wrestling championship by decking Episcopal Academy, 62-15, at home Thursday on senior day. The Patriots won 11 of the 14 matches - eight by pin, two by major decision, and one by forfeit - in improving to 18-4 overall and 5-0 in the Inter-Ac. Germantown Academy dominated the lighter weights, as Trevor Shirakawa (106 pounds), Evan Shirakawa (120), Brady Riley (126), and Kristian Kergides (132) posted falls and Barrett Connor added a major decision at 113. The Churchmen's points came on a pin by Luke Brooman at 138 pounds, Peter Cusack's fall at 170, and Cody Russell's 11-7 decision against Harrison Sammak at 182. Miles Anthony (145)

TAKE AWAY 17 points from visiting Germantown Academy and give them to Penn Charter and there's a different winner Tuesday in an entertaining Inter-Ac League basketball contest. That scenario is mentioned because James Drury applied to both schools back in the day. PC put him on a waiting list. GA did not. That helped to simplify matters, Plus, Drury's brother, Dennis ('05), had been a very successful winter athlete at the latter. Not in hoops. Not in swimming. Not in ice hockey.

With a few fortunate bounces, Mike McGlinchey's three-pointer finally fell through the net on Tuesday afternoon as Penn Charter turned back host Episcopal Academy, 51-48, in Inter-Ac League boys' basketball. After Episcopal took its first lead midway through the fourth quarter, McGlinchey stepped out and hit a three to give the Quakers a one-point lead. His shot hit both sides of the rim, bounced straight up, fell back down, and hit the rim again before dropping through the net. McGlinchey, a 6-foot-9, 275-pound senior bound for Notre Dame on a football scholarship, scored a game-high 20 points.

With a few fortunate bounces, Mike McGlinchey's three-pointer finally fell through the net Tuesday as Penn Charter turned back host Episcopal Academy, 51-48, in Inter-Ac League boys' basketball. After Episcopal took its first lead midway through the fourth quarter, McGlinchey hit a three to give the Quakers a one-point lead. His shot hit both sides of the rim, bounced straight up, fell back down, and hit the rim again before dropping through the net. McGlinchey scored a game-high 20 points.