Box Score
PHOENIXVILLE, PA - Crimson Eagle women's basketball coach Drew Watson knew it would take a special effort to dethrone top-seeded Valley Forge Christian College during the East Region Championship in the Patriots home arena, simply referred to by most as "The Pit".
Fueled by a near-flawless performance at the charity stripe, Watson watched his team rise to the occasion Monday evening.
The Crimson Eagles clawed to a 56-55 victory over the Patriots during the title bout, claiming their third straight regional title in the process.
But it didn't come without a fight.
Facing a hostile environment with a crowd that could probably be defined as borderline fanatical, the women's basketball team somehow fought through the atmosphere and past their regional rival, avenging a nine point loss to the Patriots nearly a month ago.
"The atmosphere was absolutely unbelievable tonight," Watson concluded following the final horn. "The crowd was unreal and it was just a fun environment to play in. I thought we did a great job of handling our surroundings and we were able to focus on just playing ball."
And focus they did, at least for the opening 15 minutes.
Riding on the coattails of long range sniper Dani Norton, the visitors helped suppress the Patriot faithful by sprinting out to a 27-11 edge fifteen minutes in the opening period. But that's when momentum swiftly shifted directions.
Valley Forge ended up closing out the stanza on a 10-0 spurt, bringing the majority - if not all - of the The Pit faithful to their feet. Things would only get more interesting to open the back end of play as a Patriot triple on their first possession would bring the host squad to within three at 27-24.
Following a back-and-forth affair for much of the second half, PBU would battle back from a four point deficit late - despite a deafening crowd - to secure a four point edge down the stretch.
Forced to foul, the Patriots helplessly watched as the Crimson Eagles knocked down eight straight charity strip attempts in the waning moments to help keep the host squad at arms length the remainder of the way, despite the best efforts of Valley Forge's enthusiastic fan base behind the bucket.
"I couldn't be prouder of our group and how we handled the atmosphere and the pressure down the stretch," Watson reflected. "I think it's really a testament to how far we've come and to the resiliency of each one of our players. That type of game is what you live for as an athlete."
Playing a game that many times comes down to who makes the least amount of mistakes, the Crimson Eagles escaped due to their efficiency on the free throw line. With both squads hitting 16 field goals from the floor while knocking down six threes for the game, the difference proved to be PBU's marksmanship while shooting their freebies.
The visitors hit 18 of 20 free throws on the night. Valley Forge? Despite an admirable effort, the Patriots connected on 17 of 22, a mark that proved to be an enormous difference during the one point final outcome.
Senior Dani Norton led all scorers with a game high 30 points on the evening, signaling the second time this year she's reached the 30 point barrier this season.
With the championship banner officially secured, the Crimson Eagles will begin looking ahead to the NCCAA National Tournament, scheduled to be played during a three day period from March 11-13 in Langhorne. PBU's first round opponent is yet to be determined.
