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Shorthanded Fencor makes fifth appearance in national finalThe 7-time state champion Comets Red AAU team finally captures the crown.Buddy CollingsSentinel Staff Writer July 19, 2006 LAKE BUENA VISTA -- With parents poised to take pictures, Brooke Thomas gave a trophy shaped and sized like a basketball a playful kiss. Then the shortest player on the FBVA Orlando Comets Red girls basketball team hugged the shiny treasure symbolizing national age-group supremacy. Krystal Thomas, the tallest Comet, looked down, laughed, and said with palpable satisfaction, "Finally, we got one." Who said kids these days need instant gratification? The Comets, an all-star squad of girls who have chased titles since they were 8 and 9 years old, made state history Tuesday by dethroning Fencor of Philadelphia as national champions in the 16-and-under age group final at Disney's Wide World of Sports. The Comets came from behind in the second half to win 71-65 and become Florida's first AAU girls basketball champion. "We've been trying to win this since we were 8 playing up in the 10-and-under division," said Brooke Thomas, a rising junior at Edgewater. "It feels so good because Fencor killed us when we were little [in a 12s matchup]." The Comets, who went 11-0 in the weeklong tournament, have exchanged some parts every season -- winning seven consecutive state AAU championships along the way. But the puzzle fits almost perfectly now, with Thomas in the middle of a team that has all the pieces. "Each person brought something different," said Jaimie Givens, who delivered 15 points, eight rebounds and three crucial 3-point shots. Krystal Thomas, a 6-foot-4 senior bound for Duke, struggled to score early but finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots and was voted tournament MVP by coaches. Alexa Deluzio, a junior who plays alongside Krystal Thomas and Givens on First Academy's high school state title team, had a team-high 19 points. Deluzio and Sthefany Thomas (14 points) of Wesley Chapel made the 15-girl all-tourney team. Fencor, which won the 14s title two years ago and the 15s in 2005, got 24 points from Caroline Doty, who put up big numbers all week. But they had to go without injured phenom Elena Delle Donne, a 6-5 junior. "Elena averages 28 points and 12 rebounds, and she's a matchup nightmare," said Veronica Algeo, the Fencor coach. "But you still have to play the game, and I'm proud of my girls. Credit the Comets. Their defense was very tough." The Kenner Angels of Louisiana won the third-place game, 67-64 against a Dayton (Ohio) Stars team that included Carlee Roethlisberger, sister of Ben, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. Buddy Collings can be reached at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com. UConn is watching Article published Mar 17, 2006 Recruits are watching UConn NCAA games could impress future stars By ARTHUR SHERMAN Norwich Bulletin Geno Auriemma decided to surprise one of his prized recruits on one of her biggest nights. Sprinkled into the crowd of George Washington's Smith Center was the UConn women's basketball coach, there to see Kaili McLaren of Good Counsel High in Tuesday night's Washington, D.C., girls title game. McLaren, one of two UConn recruits selected to play in the McDonald's High School All-American game along, with highly-touted Tina Charles, had been in contact with the Huskies' assistants, but the presence of Auriemma caught her off guard. "I talked to Tonya (Cardoza) and Jamelle (Elliott) actually before, and I was thinking maybe one of them were going to come," said McLaren, who totaled 20 points and 17 rebounds in a 62-34 win over H.D. Woodson. "And I ended up seeing Coach there in warm-ups and it was real special and I thanked him for coming." March is typically a big month for future college players, especially those who are fortunate enough to compete in state tournaments and title games. The year's third month is also significant because it gives these players a chance to watch their school of choice -- or the many suitors vying for their services -- compete in the NCAA tournament. McLaren said she'll be paying close attention to UConn, which begins its pursuit of a record-tying sixth national championship Sunday against 15th-seeded Coppin State. While the Huskies' recent success in March and early April weren't huge factors for McLaren -- "I always wanted to go to Connecticut ... I think Diana Taurasi walks on water," she said -- many players still uncertain of their college destination keep a close eye on the happenings of March Madness. Elena DelleDonne of Delaware looks specifically at what coaches do on the season's biggest stage. "Adjustments throughout the game, their ways of winning and their techniques," said DelleDonne, a 6-foot-4 sophomore who has been called the LeBron James on women's hoops. Coming off a record 50-point effort in leading Ursuline to a second-consecutive state title, DelleDonne said she's cut her prospective schools down to about 10 and lists UConn as, "high." A member of the two-time defending AAU national championship Fencor team, which is based in Philadelphia, DelleDonne is not the only member of her program drawing the Huskies' attention. Sophomore guard Caroline Doty, who attends Germantown Academy near Philly, is also high on UConn's radar and attended Senior Night in Storrs against Marquette last month. The notion of DelleDonne and Doty playing together in college is not unlikely, and there are a handful of schools competing in the recruiting process that both are interested in. "We talk about that all the time, how it would be great to stick together," DelleDonne said. If the duo remains intact and UConn is not the destination of choice, Big East rival Villanova is a potential beneficiary. A local school for both, Villanova is also a finalist for another one of their Fencor teammates, high school junior Lindsay Kimmel of Harpursville in upstate New York. "I think that they are going to look separately, making individual, separate decisions," Fencor coach Veronica Algeo said of DelleDonne and Doty. "Those individual, separate decisions could put them on the same path." Another member of the 2008 graduating class that has been linked to UConn is Heather Buck, also a 6-4 sophomore, who helped guide Stonington to a state title last Saturday. Like the others, Buck will be watching how the NCAA tournament unfolds, but she's keeping the results in perspective. "I look at the tournament and I pay attention to who's making it to the final and who's doing well, and who's losing," Buck said. "But it doesn't really play into my thoughts about a school because teams change every year." A lot of that change is based on whatever makes a kid like Buck, DelleDonne or Doty decide which school is right for them. Acker verbals to St. Joe's
Fencor heads to Oregon
Fencor repeats as champs! By JAMES D. HORNE, 07/28/05 The Leaf-Chronicle Top-seeded Fencor (Pa.) left little doubt who was the best team at this year's AAU 15U Girls National Basketball Championships. It wasn't easy, but Fencor got it done by topping the third-seeded Fairfax (Va.) Stars 78-67 in the championship game at the Dunn Center on Wednesday afternoon. The win marks Fencor's second consecutive national championship and third overall Fencor won the 12U title in 2002 and its fourth straight trip to an AAU final. Fencor played the Stars in the 13U championship game, which the Stars won in 2003. "It's really a special moment for these girls," Fencor coach Veronica Algeo said. "No core group of girls have ever won three national titles, and we're going to try to make history by winning three. They challenged themselves a lot to get better the whole tournament. Really, anything less than winning a national title was going to be a failure." And it certainly helps to have an athlete like Fencor's Elena Delle Donne leading the way. The No. 1-ranked player in her age group showed why she's received such billing by dropping a game-high 40 points. Caroline Doty added 14 points and Lindsay Kimmel had 12. "It's a great feeling," Delle Donne said. "Each win felt great, and none was better than the other. It feels amazing to repeat also." Delle Donne's worth was really displayed as she scored 18 of Fencor's last 28 points. "I just did what I had to do," Delle Donne said. "That's pretty much it. When my team needs me, I want to step up for them, and thank God I was able to." But Delle Donne wasn't the only scorcher on the court. Fairfax's Jasmine Thomas, who was the 2005 Virginia high school basketball player of the year as a sophomore, did what she could for the Stars with her team-high 29 points. Chalysa Shegog had 16 points for the Stars and Taneisha Harrison chipped in eight. Thomas scored 21 of the Stars' final 31 points, including a pair of 3-pointers at the end of the game. "We came in with a game plan, but they were too tough," Thomas said. "We tried to bring our A-game. We both had two games before this, so there were some tired legs. But we're a good team and we'll be back." Both coaches enjoyed watching the show Delle Donne and Thomas put on. "It was a lot of fun," Fairfax coach Aggie McCormick-Dix said. "They're two completely different players, too. The kids and players who were watching in the stands got to see the best. If you are trying to reach a goal or have a dream, you have to understand this just doesn't happen. These girls have been playing since they were 9 years old, and their work paid off here." "I'm sure ESPN was sorry they weren't here to see that," Algeo said. "Really, when you think about it, you have two great teams going against each other. And each team has two girls who were selected in the top 20 in the nation by Nike for all high school players in the nation. So there are the marquee names for each side. And then you step up and each team is playing great and each marquee player is playing well, it's great for the fans and players to watch." Fencor took control of the game with a 16-4 run in the second half, that put Fencor up 68-52 on Shannon Ferguson's putback with 3:56 to play. James D. Hornecovers prep sports for The Leaf-Chronicle and can be reached by e-mail at jameshorne@theleafchroincle.com.
After wake-up call, Fencor rolls in semis By MATTHEW KOEWLER, 07/28/05 The Leaf-Chronicle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fencor (Pa.) defeated the Dayton Lady Hoopstars 59-35 Wednesday afternoon to advance to the finals of the AAU National Championship game. The Hoopstars started the game with a 10-0 run in the first two minutes that was capped off by a 3-pointer from Stephanie Bambeuger and then another 3-pointer by Carlee Roethlisberger. After Fencor head coach Veronica Algeo called a timeout, Fencor responded with a 13-0 run and they never looked back. Caroline Doty said the message during the timeout was simple, but it worked. "Pick our heads up. Play defense and just play our game," Doty said of the message during the timeout. "We came into the game happy that we won our first game this morning; we knew we had to wake up. It was like a wake-up call." Doty was able to go the length of the court with 8.6 seconds left before halftime to take a 29-20 lead into the break. The Hoopstars' Sarah Schulze helped cut the lead to four as she got five of her team-high 13 points on consecutive trips down the court. Fencor, though, wouldn't have a second-half letdown and was led by Elena Delle Donne's 26 points despite Roethlisberger's strong defense. "I was going to do what it took to win," Delle Donne said. Algeo knew Doty and Delle Donne would come up with big performances for their team. "The bigger the stakes, the bigger they play," Algeo said. "They are just tremendous basketball players and are terrific teammates as well. They are great to coach and are just wonderful kids." Hoopstars coach Jerry Rex knew his team was up against a tough team and wants his girls to remember playing a team of their talent. "It's nice that they got to play a team of that caliber, it's something they will remember for a lifetime," Rex said. CARING FOR TEAM: Defending Champions Have Gift, Which Lies in Love for Each Other Caring for team 07/23/05 James D. Horne Staff Defending champions have gift, which lies in love for each other By JAMES D. HORNE The Leaf-Chronicle Yes, Philadelphia-based Fencor is the top seed at this year's AAU 15U Girls National Basketball Championships. Sure, they come into this year's tournament after most of the same group won the AAU's 14U title last year in Monroe, La. And most people in the basketball world know that Fencor is led by Elena Delle Donne, who is listed as the top freshman guard in the country by USA Today. But here's the essence that makes Fencor such a dominating team. "It's amazing how much this team cares for each other," Fencor head coach Veronica Algeo said after the team's 72-40 opening game win over the Clarksville Net Force at the Dunn Center on Friday. "Caroline Doty fractured her fibula right before Nationals last year, and we went with eight healthy players. The girls were so awesome to her. And Caroline was so awesome to them during the games, she was like an assistant coach on the bench. All the girls went out and got T-shirts with Doty's No. 5 and wore them as warm-ups. "It's hard to say how these girls have become so close. But it's a unique thing, particularly the way sports in our culture have become so individualistic." In the team members' eyes, the reason why Fencor is so tightly bonded is easy to explain. "We always have so much fun," said Doty, 15, a sophomore who attends Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pa. "We're always working hard, but we always have smiles on our faces. Like, Shannon (Ferguson) is always picking everybody up. Elena always makes sure we're focused, but having fun and loving the game." "It is a lot of fun," said Ferguson, 16, a junior at Upper Dublin High in Fort Washington. "It's been a lot of work, because we do a lot of traveling. We've been to Virginia, Oregon and Chicago. It's tiring, but I love it because it's always fun. I love all the girls on this team. We always just have a good time, even while we are playing." Admittedly, it does help to have an athlete like Donne on the team. The 6-foot-5 sophomore, who goes to Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del., is fully aware all eyes are on her when she steps on the court. In Fencor's win on Friday, in which Donne led all scores with 22 points - most of which came in the first half - college coaches from Tennessee, Duke, Temple, Stanford, Virginia and a host of others were there to see her. But Donne doesn't sweat the pressure. "It doesn't really bother me," the 15-year-old said. "I just play my game. I don't really even think of them being there while I'm playing. I see them when I walk in and when I leave. But while I'm playing, I don't even know they are there." And, sorry, coaches - so far, Donne hasn't decided where she wants to attend college. "I have no idea," she said. Really and truly, Donne is just as focused on making sure Fencor wins as the rest of her teammates are. Mainly, because it's a family affair. "We're like nine sisters," Donne said. "It's not really like a team. Most of us have been together since we were 10 years old. It's just great that we're that close, because some teams have their ups and downs. But we never have to worry about that. We always have a great time together." However, while Fencor is a tightly knit group, the team has only one accomplishment in mind. "We're here to put all our hard work into the game and regain our title," Doty said. Fencor knows it won't be easy, especially since it walks in with the notoriety that comes with winning the 14U championship last year. "That actually makes it harder, because you see other teams when you walk in and they're like, `Oh, that's Fencor,'" Ferguson said. "You just know everyone sees you as the team they want to beat. And they are going to play against us as hard as they can, because they know we've won before. And they know we are coming back to win again." But clearly, the two-fold bottom line for Fencor is ... "We're here to win a championship," Donne said. "But we can still have fun doing it. But once it's game time, we're focused on winning because that's always been our goal." Matera sparks Fencor past Western Lakers By JAMES D. HORNE, 07/26/05 The Leaf-Chronicle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christine Matera understands her role and knows what she's supposed to do for top-seeded Fencor (Pa.). It's just with Fencor's stacked roster, opponents may be surprised with what Matera can accomplish. "They look for me to shoot the ball," Matera said. "So, if I get a chance to shot the ball, I'm shooting the ball." Matera, with 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half, did her part in helping Fencor take a 78-41 win over the Western Lakers (Mich.) in the second round of the Championship Bracket of the AAU 15U Girls National Basketball Championship at the Dunn Center on Monday after noon. "Chris is one of those extremely hard workers we have on our team," Fencor coach Veronica Algeo said. "People may not remember her from last year. But because she's made herself develop so much, people know her now. She played real well at the Oregon and the Chicago Nike Tournaments earlier in July. She's capable of putting together runs of 12 or 15 points in a matter of six minutes. That's how well-skilled she is." Fencor's Elena Delle Donne was the game's top scorer with 22 points. Shannon Ferguson added 11 and Lindsay Kimmel chipped in with 10. The Lakers were led by Elyse Schlump's 10 points and Erika Bruinsma and Maddie Burnett added eight a piece. The Lakers (2-3, fourth place Pool H), who were hampered by poor shooting for most of the game, missed their first eight shots and fell behind 11-0 in the first seven minutes. "That's something about playing the number-one team in the country," Western Lakers head coach Dan Geelhoed said. "That's what that's about. Our girls were a little nervous coming out. Once they settled down, they started playing basketball. But Fencor is a good team. It was a tough game." Top-seeded Fencor (5-0, first place Pool A) took control of the game with two runs. The first, a 13-3 run, came at the end of the first half as Fencor took a 34-14 lead at halftime. The second run was a 15-4 streak that helped Fencor build a 51-18 advantage with 13:14 to play. "We just played really great as a team," Donne said. "We're just trying to prepare for the better games that are to come. We just wanted to make sure we played real well as a team, went on runs and do all the good stuff we're supposed to do." No. 1 seed smothers Clarksville in AAU nationals opener Nation's top player scores 22 points; Net Force play well during first half By JAMES D. HORNE 07/23/05 The Leaf-Chronicle Mookie Jackson and the rest of the Clarksville Net Force are happy they got their opening game of pool play in the AAU 15U Girls National Basketball Tournament out of the way. It's just because of the luck of the draw, or lack thereof, that the host-qualifying team had to take on top-seeded Fencor (Pa.), which took a 72-40 victory at the Dunn Center on Thursday. "I think we had a lot of confidence in the beginning of the game," said Jackson, a sophomore Northeast transfer. "As they took off and the score got higher, we hung our heads down and started to give up a little. If we would have kept our heads in the game, I think we could have won." But the Net Force (0-1, Pool A) gained some insight about how to play from here on out. "We learned a lot from the game," Jackson said. "We learned what the team can do and what we can't do. We just have to give it our all. We've got to go out and play hard every game. Now that we've gotten a hard team out of the way, we can pick it up." Jackson and Clarksville High junior Valerie Bronson led the Net Force with 10 points each, followed by Dickson County junior Brittney Stanford with eight points and Todd County (Ky.) Central junior Millie Deason's six. Fencor's (1-0, Pool A) talented sophomore Elena Delle Donne ranked the nation's top player in her class by USA Today led all scorers with 22 points. Lindsay Kimmel chipped in 18 points and Christine Matera added nine. And for a while there, the Net Force gave Fencor all they could handle. "Defensively to start, we were flat," Fencor coach Veronica Algeo said. "... To the credit of the Clarksville Net Force, they made us pay. They really executed well. But once we buckled down ... everything else kind of took care of itself." That point came when Fencor blew open a 27-20 game with 4:35 left in the first half, and ended the half on a 15-2 run to take a 42-22 halftime lead. "We came out and played hard the first 14-15 minutes," Net Force and Rossview boys coach Fred Harper said. "We were still in it when it was 27-20. But they went on that run. I thought we missed some bunnies and didn't use the glass on some putbacks. Those might not have made a difference in the outcome, but it would have helped in the spread of the game." Fencor Wins Historic Third National AAU Title They're the tops - again By: Stuart London 08/04/2005 Fencor wins historic third national AAU title The Fencor girls basketball team leveled the opposition, winning a total of 11 games by an average margin of 22 points, en route to winning the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 15-and-under championship last week in Clarksville, Tenn. Fencor won the title game, 78-67, over the Fairfax (Va.) Stars on Thursday in a game played at Austin Peay University's Dunn Center. Fencor finished first in a field of 95 teams. It is the third AAU national title for Fencor in this age group, having won it three years ago in Amarillo, Texas as well as last year in Monroe, La. Fairfax defeated Fencor two years ago in the 13-and-under final held in Dayton, Oh. Fencor becomes the first girls basketball team in the history of the Middle Atlantic AAU Association (which includes Eastern Pennsylva-nia, South Jersey and Delaware) to win two national titles in a row. The coach of the team was former Northeast resident Veronica Algeo, which gives her family another title. In the past year, her father, Jim Algeo, won the PIAA Class AAA football championship at Lansdale Catholic and her brother, Dan Algeo, won the Philadelphia Catholic League title at Cardinal O'Hara. Fencor was led by 6-foot-5 Elena Delle Donne with 40 points. She will be a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del. in the fall. Delle Donne scored 38 points for Ursuline in a win over Archbishop Ryan last season. Ursuline is scheduled to play at St. Hubert's this upcoming season. Caroline Doty, a sophomore-to-be at Germantown Academy, added 14 points and Lindsay Kimmel, the daughter of former NFL player Jamie Kimmel, added 12 points for Fencor. Another starter for Fencor was 6-foot Rosie Tarnowski, a sophomore-to-be at Archbishop Wood and the daughter of former Father Judge player Ray Tarnowski. Erin Edwards, whose father Bob Edwards also played for Judge, was a guard on the team. Also playing for Fencor were Michele Brokans (Lansdale Catholic), Shannon Ferguson (Upper Dublin), Hanna Halteman (Owen J. Roberts) and Christine Matera (Camden Catholic). Fencor won the Middle Atlantic championship for the sixth-straight time before a packed gym at Northeast High School in May with a 72-52 win over DBL, who ended up 5th at the AAU nationals in Clarksville. The AAU nationals were the end of a long month for Fencor. It started in Portland. Oregon as it played in the End of the Trail tournament going against teams from Texas, New Mexico and even Alberta, Canada. Fencor finished seventh playing in the elite division. Next up was the Nike Cup in Chicago, Ill. where Fencor finished with an impressive 4-1 record and placed fifth overall in an elite field of mostly 17-and-under teams. Fencor played both tournaments without Delle Donne, who was sick with an infection but she came back with a vengeance for Tennessee, averaging 22 points a game despite playing little more than a half as most games were blowouts. The Clarksville media showered attention on the Fencor players. Almost every day a reporter from the local newspaper, The Leaf-Chronicle, covered one of their games and the local TV station did a report on the team at its first and last games of the tournament. The fan support was also strong. At a game against the Georgia Metros played at Clarksville High, the crowd was so large it spilled onto the court and referees had to clear the baseline under the basket of fans who had lined it as the stands were full. The final day was a testament to Fencor's fitness and dedication as the quarterfinal, semifinal and final were all played on the same day with only an hour-and-a-half between games. The day began at 8:30 a.m. with Fencor dispatching the Michigan Pistons by 32 points. Next up were the Dayton Lady Hoop Stars in the semifinals. Dayton came out firing and took a quick 10-0 lead on Fencor. As one observer put it 'that just woke up the 800-pound gorilla' as Fencor outscore Dayton, 59-25, to advance to the national championship game. Fairfax had to play from behind the entire way as a hail of 3-pointers from Doty, Delle Donne and Kimmel gave Fencor a 14-4 lead. Fairfax would never get closer than four points. The only down note seemed to be that the team would not have time to celebrate its history-making day as they had to rush to make a 6 p.m. flight in Nashville, 45 miles away. But that even worked out as the flight was cancelled and the team was put up at a Marriott and got time to enjoy the victory before heading home the next morning. Stuart London is a News Gleaner Sports Writer, and a coach with Fencor. For more information on Fencor and the 15-and-under championship team, go to www.fencor.org. ©News Gleaner 2005 Delle Donne Leads Fencor to Back-to-Back Championships DelleDonne leads her team to AAU national title BY DOUG LESMERISES / The News Journal 07/30/2005 Another basketball season, another championship for Elena DelleDonne. The 15-year-old, 6-foot-4 star from Centreville led her AAU team to a second consecutive national title on Wednesday in Clarksville, Tenn., scoring 40 points in Fencor's 78-67 victory over the Fairfax (Va.) Stars. According to AAU officials, DelleDonne's 40 points were a record for a girls championship game. Fencor, based in Fort Washington, Pa., won the 15-and-under title after taking the 14-and-under championship last summer. DelleDonne also led Ursuline to state titles in her first two seasons of high school ball. "It's pretty much the same feeling every time," DelleDonne said of playing on four championship teams in two years. "It's amazing and you can't describe it unless you've been through it." Other tournament teams made a point of sticking around to watch DelleDonne play. And opposing players asked DelleDonne to sign autographs and pose for photos as Fencor dominated the 95-team event at Austin Peay University. Fencor, which also includes Ursuline guard Erin Edwards, finished 11-0. DelleDonne averaged 22 points per game while sitting out much of the second halves. Only one Fencor victory was by fewer than double digits. In that game, with her team trailing by four with 1:45 to play, DelleDonne scored eight of her team's final 10 points in a 65-61 win. In the championship, Fencor faced the Fairfax team that beat them in the final of the 13-and-under tournament two years ago. Facing Jasmine Thompson, the Virginia high school player of the year, DelleDonne went off. "She was unstoppable," said Fencor coach Veronica Algeo. "They threw different people at her -- little people, big people -- and none of it worked. Elena was hitting from all over the place." The title helped make up for a rough summer for DelleDonne, who missed a month of play while fighting an infection and a fever. She attended a prestigious 22-player Nike camp, the only sophomore there, but couldn't participate. She's back now. Algeo said University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt watched nine of DelleDonne's 11 games, while Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma watched the final five. "When I walk in, I see them," DelleDonne said. "I know it's good that they're taking the time to come and see me. But when I'm on the court, they don't exist." DOTY, FENCOR DO IT AGAIN 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." Matera Makes Most of AAU Summer Chance Matera makes the most of summer AAU chance Tuesday, September 6, 2005 By KEVIN CALLAHAN Courier-Post Staff ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHRISTINE MATERA Position: Guard High School: Camden Catholic Grade: Junior AAU summer basketball team: Fencor Accomplishments: Helped Fencor win its second straight AAU national title Family tradition: Her father Mark and late uncle Brian each played college football; brother Anthony was a two-year starting guard at Camden Catholic. Quote: "She makes herself develop, not from year to year, but from month to month," said Fencor AAU coach Veronica Algeo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christine Matera spent the summer continuing to make a name for herself on the national girls' basketball circuit. Matera, who will be a junior at Camden Catholic High School, played a major role in helping Fencor become the first girls' team from the Mid-Atlantic Region to repeat as AAU National Champion. "She is so completely driven, so goal-oriented, so competitive, so intelligent -- and she's a leader," Fencor coach Veronica Algeo said. "I am fortunate that I get to coach someone who possesses the basketball skills, possesses the mental fortitude, and possesses all of the intangibles which true champions possess." Matera comes from strong athletic bloodlines, which couldn't have hurt with the developments of these impressive intangibles. Her father, Mark, was a quarterback at Pennsauken High School and Widener University and her late uncle, Brian, was a linebacker at Pennsauken and Maryland. Her brother, Anthony, was a two-year starting guard for Camden Catholic, graduating this past season. "I am fortunate for the opportunity to coach Christine," Algeo said. "She's just a great kid from a great family." Fencor, the top seed, won the 15-and-under championship in late July in Clarksville, Tenn., beating the third-seeded Fairfax (Va.) Stars 78-67 in the title game. Matera scored 13 points -- 11 in the second half -- in a 78-41 win over the Western Lakers (Mich.) in the second round of the championship bracket played at Austin Peay University's Dunn Center. "Christine played a significant role in the team's success this summer," Algeo said. "Consequently, she has received attention from Division I college coaching staffs, ranging from Princeton University to Duquesne University. And this is only the beginning." College coaches were able to start contacting Matera through written letters, e-mail and text messages on Sept. 1. Algeo also said Matera played well at the Oregon and the Chicago Nike Tournaments earlier in July. "She works so hard at developing her ballhandling skills, her shooting skills, her shooting range, and her athleticism all year round," Algeo said. "She makes herself develop, not from year to year, but from month to month." Matera helped Fencor win not only its second consecutive national championship, but also its third in the last four years. Fencor won the 12U title in 2002 in Amarillo, Texas. The Fairfax (Va.) Stars defeated Fencor two years ago in the 13-and-under final held in Dayton, Ohio. Last year, Fencor won back the title in Monroe, La. "Seven of the nine of us have won all three," Matera said proudly, "and another girl has won two." Matera played on Fencor's local rival AAU team as a 10- and 11-year-old before being asked to play for Fencor. Most of the same group won the AAU 14U title last year. "They already had a good tradition," Matera said. In this latest championship run, Fencor won a total of 11 games by an average margin of 22 points with only one win coming by fewer than double digits. Matera played in front of some of the best-known coaches in the country, as many came to see Fencor's Elena Delle Donne, who is listed as the top freshman guard in the country by USA Today. The 6-foot-5 Delle Donne, who will be a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del., scored 40 points in the championship game, which is believed to be an AAU record for a title game. Matera plans to play for Fencor next year. Fencor has won the Middle Atlantic championship (which includes Eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware) six straight years. "It has been unbelievable, we go all over the country to play basketball," Matera said. "We are all so close." Before that, however, Matera has a sizable goal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
