Phantom girls bank on court experience

PHOENIXVILLE - The Phoenixville girls basketball team is banking on some experienced players to help them have a successful season in 2012-13.

Head coach Michele Dunleavy and assistant coach Jack Sturgeon will be relying on the court experience of seniors Aubree Flagg, Annie Rubino, Mary Sinnott and Bailey Stover to help carry the Phantoms in the competitive Pioneer Athletic Conference.

The Phantoms finished 7-6 in the PAC-10 a year ago and 10-12 overall with a 43-25 setback to PAC-10 foe in the District 1-AAA playoffs. Phoenixville finished as the second-place team in the Frontier Division and thus advanced to the Final Four playoffs.l

Starters graduated from that ballclub include forward/guard Chandler DiFebbo (Gwynedd-Mercy College) and guard Gabby Stokes.

Flagg at 5-8 will be counted upon for work inside scoring and rebounding at forward while Rubino at 5-5, Sinnott at 5-6 and Stover at 5-6 are guards.

Junior Jada Boyce, who stands 5-10, saw a lot of time last year at the center/forward position.

“She is our go-to girl,” said Dunleavy. “She has improved a lot.”

Help will come from Rachel Miller, a 5-6 junior guard; Gabby Duda, a 5-9 sophomore forward; Taylor Jefferis, a 5-7 sophomore guard; and sophomore guard Bailey Quinn. Freshman guard McKenzie Smith will figure in the mix as the season progresses.

Junior point guard Kristen Habbel has transferred to Bishop Shanahan High School. Gianna Bliss, a 5-10 senior forward who missed last year with a torn ACL, has decided to concentrate on spring softball this year.

Phoenixville will open its season in the George Rocco Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-8. The Phantoms will face Southern Lehigh in the first round. The other competing squads are Council Rock South and Villa Joseph Marie.