Fencor 1989s

Doty, Fencor do it again By BRENDA SENIOR 08/23/05 The Intelligencer Most people will never know what it feels like to be named a national champion once in their lifetime, let alone twice or three times. However, if you'd like to know what it feels like, just ask one of the girls on the 15-and-under Fencor basketball team, who recently earned their second national championship title in a row and third overall. Fencor became the first Middle Atlantic team to win consecutive championships. The girls and head coach Veronica Algeo, along with assistant coaches Maggie deMarteleire and Stuart London, traveled to Clarksville, Tenn., to compete in the Amateur Athletic Union Girls' National Basketball Championships in late July. The field consisted of 95 teams from around the country. Fencor glided through the first few rounds in the AAU tournament, defeating the host Clarksville Net Force, and several other teams during the beginning of the seven-day tournament. It had a 26.2-point average margin of victory during the pool play portion of the tournament. In the playoffs, Fencor played the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the championship games all in the same day. Archbishop Wood sophomore Rosie Tarnowski said Algeo prepared the girls for that schedule with her tough practices. "Our practices and conditioning were pretty intense," Tarnowski said. "(Algeo) would make us run for 20 minutes; it was hard. But, we realized it would help us in the end, and it did." Algeo said the girls knew what they were in for. "We knew that going in as a team," Algeo said. "We looked at it like, 'It is what it is and let's make it work for us.' Our approach was that it was going to be a test of conditioning and mental toughness. And if that's the case, we like our chances. Our kids are tough." Fencor proved its toughness by beating the third-seeded Fairfax (Va.) Stars, 78-67, in the championship game. The success of the team can be partially attributed to how much the players care for each other. "It's amazing how close these girls are, especially growing up in a (sports) culture that is so individualistic," Algeo said. The team is made up of nine local girls who are entering either their sophomore or junior year in high school. Five of them have been playing together since they were 10 years old, and thus have established a family-like bond. Germantown Academy's Caroline Doty, a Doylestown native, has been with the team since she was 11. "When we played in another tournament, one of the (opponents') coaches came up to me and said the difference between their team and our team is chemistry," Doty said. "You can't teach that." Another longtime teammate is Wilmington, Del., native 6-foot-5 Elena Delle Donne, who was listed as the top freshman guard in the country by USA Today this past season. Delle Donne contributed 40 points in the championship game against the Stars. The team competed in numerous prestigious showcase tournaments en route to its championship. It played against mostly 16- and 17-year-old teams in the elite bracket. "The girls always play up in the higher age groups," Algeo said. "They need that type of competition because the girls want to get better." During the middle of their season, Delle Donne was out for six weeks with an infection and couldn't play at tournaments in Oregon and Chicago. The other girls had a chance to showcase their talents and prove they could hold their own. "For years, the girls were so used to playing with (Delle Donne), so they knew they had to step up their play," Algeo said. "They really did step up their game." Delle Donne's absence gave Doty her time to shine. She averaged 17.5 points over the nine games played in Oregon and Chicago and contributed 22 3-pointers. "It was difficult (playing without Delle Donne), because (she) is an unbelievable player and we all rely on her because we know her game," Doty said. "I thought I'll step up and play my game better for her and for our team, so my team can have someone to look up to (in her absence)." "This has been a huge summer for (Doty)," Algeo said. "She does so many things on the court. She is everywhere and gets us so many more possessions in a game. She's fast, athletic, controls floor boards and loose balls and can jump. She has developed so much over the last three months. She's maturing and has a great work ethic." Algeo says there are many college coaches calling about Doty now. "The attention for her is fresh, new and exciting, but well-deserved," Algeo said. "All of our girls are being recruited by Division I schools at some level. All nine girls are very good. You couldn't be happier for them because they are talented, but they work hard and keep their egos in check." The girls will have one more season together because some on the team will be graduating from high school the following year. Six-year Fencor veteran Michele Brokans, a junior at Lansdale Catholic, said the team is really excited for next year. "Next year will be really sad," Brokans said. "But we want to end on top and go out with a bang."