Fencor 1989s

Fencor looks at trophy after winning national championship.

Monday, August 5, 2002 Matera keeping family tradition By KEVIN CALLAHAN Courier-Post Staff Christine Matera never really had a chance. There was no way the young girl from Moorestown wasn't going to fall head over high-tops for basketball. After all, her grandfather Leon Matera, who passed away a few years ago, was a legendary basketball player at Camden High School and is a member of the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame. And her father, Mark, starred in basketball and football at Pennsauken in the early 1970s before sticking to playing quarterback at Widener. Plus, her older brother Anthony was the starting point guard for the Camden Catholic freshman team last season. He scored more points for the Irish freshmen than anyone has in over 20 years. Athletic talent also blessed her bloodline. Her late uncle Brian was one of the top linebackers to ever play for Pennsauken. He played in the mid-70s before starting for two years at Maryland. Even though she comes from such a notable South Jersey sports family, Christine has already carved out a name for herself. Earlier this month, the 5-foot-4 guard played a major role for the Fencor AAU basketball team that won the national 12-and-under championship in Amarillo, Texas. She was the only girl from New Jersey on the Holland, Pa.-based team that became the sixth in the last 27 years from the Mid-Atlantic Region (from Harrisburg, Pa., east and Trenton south into Delaware) to win a national title in AAU, which includes age groups from 10 to 18. It was Matera's first season with Fencor after playing for the Bucks County Renegades the previous two seasons. ``She really is one of the biggest difference-makers for us and why we finished fifth last year and first this year," said Fencor coach Keith Webster, who is also the head girls' basketball coach at Germantown Friends (Pa.) High School. ``She is probably the best pure shooter on the team." Besides her shot, Webster was impressed with Matera's work ethic. ``She comes early to practice and leaves late,'' Webster said. ``She is what every coach wants in a player." Matera scored 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and dealt five assists without a turnover in the 71-64 championship game win over Texas Express. Fencor finished 11-1 in the eight-day tournament. The following day, her picture was on the front page of the Amarillo Globe-News going for a loose ball - another example of her all-out hustle on the court. For the 12-game national tournament, Matera was fourth on the team in scoring and first in assists. She scored a personal tournament-high 15 points in the second game of the 68-team event. ``I always thought we could win it,'' she said of her team, which finished the season 48-6 and lost only once in its age group. ``However, when it was over, it didn't feel like it was real." Matera is entering eighth grade at Our Lady of Good Counsel grammar school in Moorestown. Her junior high team has four starters back from her CYO team, which won the championship last season. Last year, she was named MVP of the 15-team Ralph Shaw Tournament. Matera, who is considering attending Camden Catholic or Bishop Eustace, started playing basketball against her brother Anthony at such a young age that she can't remember how old she was. ``I always thought it was fun, and I used to go to watch him play with the Marlton travel team that my dad coached," she said. Sometimes her dad even let her practice with the older boys. ``I would get beat up a lot, and they would block my shots," she said. Now, Matera not only gets her shots off, but she makes them thanks to countless hours of shooting in the driveway. She practices shooting rapidly from a crate of a dozen basketballs stored in the garage and a few more lying around that her mother, Donna, and younger brother, Brian, must dodge to get into the house. ``She is almost automatic from the 3-point line," Webster said. ``Whenever our opponents tried to pack the lane to shut down our post players, we could always count on Christine to make them pay by banging a big two-or 3- pointer from the outside." Christine and her father credited a dramatic improvement in her game to working out this past season with Bill Burr, a former All-South Jersey selection from Camden Catholic. And, she has undoubtedly been blessed by her talented family. ``My dad always tells me that my granddad would be proud of me," she said. ------------------------------------------ Reach Kevin Callahan at (856) 486-2424 or kcallahan@courierpostonline.com

Note: click on headline for team picture Fencor wins national AAU championship 07/10/2002 Winning five games in 30 hours against the top teams in the country, the Fencor "A" girls basketball team captured the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 12-and-under national championship, held June 28 to July 6 in Amarillo, Texas. Fencor is the sixth team from the Middle Atlantic Association to ever win a national basketball championship in any age group. The previous was the Delaware County Comets when they won the 12's five years ago. Fencor's roster includes: Caroline Doty, Elena Delle Donne, Erin Edwards, Shannon Ferguson, Colleen Magarity, Christine Matera, Megan Marcinkowski, Shannon O'Hanlon, Kathryn Stockbower, Rosie Tarnowski and Michele Brokans. The coaches are Keith Webster, Stuart London, Keith Gwynn and Missy Pentima. The road to the championship contained many challenges for the gritty Fencor squad. After going 3-0 in pool play, Fencor advanced to the 34-team double-elimination championship round. In its opener, Fencor trailed the Fairfax Stars by five points with two minutes to go. Doty, who had sat on the bench most of the second half with four fouls, came into the game and hit two 3-pointers, the final one with six seconds left, to give Fencor a 60-57 heart-thumping victory. After easily handling Baton Rouge (62-37) and the No. 3 seeded Monterey Park Heat (57-42), Fencor went up against a tall, extremely athletic Texas Express squad that boasted a 56-2 record on the season going into the game. Texas got on top early, 14-2, and held on for a 67-63 victory. This loss put Fencor in the loser's bracket. They would have to win three games in one day just to get another chance at Texas. Fencor accomplished the feat with victories over the West Virginia Thunder (57-53), the Central Kentucky Angels (47-30) and the Tulsa Swoosh (51-45), ending a 13-hour odyssey for the team. When Saturday dawned, only two teams were left, Fencor and the Texas Express, and Fencor would have to beat them twice to win it all. In the first game , Fencor held the lead most of the game but Texas rallied and held a 50-48 lead when Fencor got the ball back with eight seconds left. Delle Donne was fouled with .1 of a second remaining and she drained both free throws to send the game into overtime, where Fencor triumphed, 62-55. This set up the rubber match between Fencor and Texas Express for all the marbles. The game was almost never in doubt. Delle Donne poured in an amazing 37 points, center Shannon O'Hanlon and guard Christine Matera each scored 12 points and guard Caroline Doty had 10 points as Fencor held as much as a 17-point lead in the second half en route to a 71-64 victory. Although this was the first time they won the title, the team had been close in the past, coming in fifth last year as 11's and third as 10's. Fencor finished with a 10-1 record in the tournament and is now 35-7 on the season. ©News Gleaner 2002

Youth team on top KEV HUNTER , Staff Writer 07/08/2002 The Fencor’s 12-and-under girls basketball team‚ based in Fort Washington‚ joined an elite list Saturday. Defeating the Texas Express 73-61‚ the local team became only the sixth Mid-Atlantic squad to win an AAU National Championship. Fencor has sure earned the accomplishment‚ going 11-1 in the 10-day tournament. “It was a lot of fun. A lot of us thought that we would win it‚ and we did‚” said one of the team’s versatile performers‚ Michele Brokans of Ambler. “We thought that we could beat every team out there.” “It was totally amazing‚” Lansdale’s Megan Marcinkowski said. “It was so emotional – everyone was crying.” Until this weekend‚ there had been only five AAU Girls Basketball National Champions from the Mid-Atlantic AAU Region in the last 27 years – the Mid-Atlantic includes all of Central and Eastern Pennsylvania‚ South Jersey and Delaware. Fencor’s joins the 1997 Comets (12-and-under)‚ the 1993 Philadelphia Belles (16-and-under and 13-and-under)‚ the 1982 Hawks (12-and-under) and the 1979 Philadelphia Belles (18-and-under) as the only Mid-Atlantic teams to win the title. The Fencor girls – all born in 1989 – have never lost in Mid-Atlantic AAU competition in three years and finished third and fifth in the country at the AAU National Championships in 2000 and 2001. This year in Amarillo‚ the Fencor girls dominated their first three games against teams from Missouri‚ Roanoke and D.C. to advance to the 64-team championship double-elimination final. Fencor then defeated Fairfax (Va.)‚ Baton Rouge (La.) and Monterey (Cal.) along the way to the winner’s bracket semi-finals‚ where the locals lost to the Texas Express (67-63) to drop into the loser’s bracket. The spot in the loser’s bracket forced Fencor to win three games Friday against West Virginia (57-53)‚ Kentucky (47-30) and Tulsa (51-45) in order to earn a rematch against the Texas Express. The rematch‚ Fencor knew‚ would be different than the first matchup. “We made a lot more of our shots‚ and we played really good defense‚” said Brokans‚ a 13-year-old who is going into eighth grade this fall. “We all stepped it up when it counted.” The first championship game saw Fencor fall behind by eight at halftime but battle back to take the lead with five minutes left in the back-and-forth struggle. Fencor was again behind 50-48 when the team’s Most Valuable Player‚ Elena Delle Donne (Wilmington‚ Del.) drove to the basket and was fouled with one second left. Delle Donne sank both free throw to force overtime. Using those baskets as a turning point‚ Fencor ran off the first seven points in overtime to win 62-55 and force a second championship game – it was Texas’ first loss. The second game was much easier for Fencor – Texas had some players stand out but Fencor was more deep in earning the 71-64 victory. Fencor’s roster also includes Caroline Doty (Collegeville)‚ Erin Edwards (Willow Grove)‚ Shannon Ferguson (Fort Washington)‚ Colleen Magarity (Oreland)‚ Cristine Matera (Morristown‚ NJ)‚ Megan Marcinkowski (Montgomeryville)‚ Shannon O’Hanlon (Wilmington‚ Del)‚ Kathryn Stockbower (Fort Washington)‚ and Rose Marie Tarnowski (Southampton). The Fencor coaches are Keith Webster‚ who is also the Germantown Friends High School girls coach‚ Stuart London‚ Keith Gwynn and Missy Pentina. All of those players and coaches now belong to an elite group. “It feels really good‚” Brokans said. “We are all really proud of ourselves and our coaches.” ©Reporter online.com 2002

Fencor sweeps Texas squad, grabs AAU title By Steve Brannan sbrannan@amarillonet.com Note: Click on headline for pictures. From 15 feet away, Elena Delle Donne had to feel like she was stuck in the middle of the loneliest spot in the world. Hopes of a championship rested in her hands, and for a brief moment, time stood still. Even later, Delle Donne still was not sure if it all was real. "This feels like a dream," Delle Donne said. Her dream began to show life when a pair of free throws found their mark, keeping the dream of her Fencor teammates alive, as well. The two shots were only a preview of things to come, as Delle Donne poured in 37 points later to give the Pennsylvania team the AAU 12-and-under girls' basketball national title with a pair of wins over TSS Texas Express. Fencor rallied behind Delle Donne's free throws with one-tenth of a second left in regulation during the opener, taking a 62-55 win in overtime. But her heroics only continued in Fencor's 71-64 victory in the second game, completing the team's improbable run to the championship. "We had a big-time player step up and play big," Fencor coach Keith Webster said. "I had the best player in the country for her age group on the court." Everybody at Cal Farley Coliseum just had the privilege to watch. Delle Donne put shot after shot over the top of the Texas defense, seemingly willing each one into the basket. She scored 22 points in the first 16 minutes of the second game to help set the tempo for Fencor's title run. "I just wanted to win so bad," Delle Donne said. "I had been here the last two years when we hadn't won. We just wanted it this time." Just getting to that point, though, was not without controversy. Despite leading for much of the second half, Fencor found itself down 50-48 with 16 seconds remaining after Ashlee Mells made the second of two free throws for Texas. Fencor worked the ball inside to Delle Donne, who was fouled going up for a final attempt by Jori Davis of the Express. With the championship on the line, both teams looked to a clock that seemed to be frozen - 0.1 seconds remaining. Delle Donne, though, was unfazed. She rattled in the first of two shots, then waited through a pair of Texas timeouts before draining the second to tie. "I was so nervous," Delle Donne said. "I did this last year against the Wichita Spooks. I think it really helped give us a boost." Fencor would score the first 10 points of overtime, and what the Express viewed as a questionable call to finish regulation came back to hurt them. "It took everything out of us," Texas coach Joey Simmons said. "I could tell by the way we played in overtime. But I have to give Fencor credit, they played exceptionally well." Delle Donne again proved to be the difference-maker later, as Fencor repeatedly went to her on the outside for open shots or drives through the lane. For the game, Delle Donne was 5-of-9 from 3-point range. She had help, too. Both Caroline Doty and Shannon O'Hanlon remained vital parts of the Fencor offense, scoring 10 and 12 points, respectively. Fencor even got 12 points off the bench from Christine Matera, who also drained a pair of 3s to give the team a much-needed outside presence. "I thought we worked well together and played as a team," Matera said. More so, Fencor found a defensive game plan that worked against the Express. Although Texas' outside trio of Ebony Alexander, Davis and Mells combined for 49 points in the second game, the Express often was unable to find open shots in the paint. The result was much different from Fencor's 67-63 loss to Texas on Thursday. "The difference today was our intensity," Webster said. "Halfway through the tournament, we were scoring so many points that we were letting up on defense." But the day largely belonged to Delle Donne, who had the fans in attendance on their feet to watch Fencor's comeback from near-elimination. After Thursday's loss, Fencor needed five wins in less than two days if it hoped to win the national title after finishing fifth last year. Winning all five games against some of the best teams in the nation isn't just improbable. It's the stuff of dreams. (story courtesy Amarillo Globe-Times)