Playoff Preview: Upper Dublin basketball

It took 44 games, 176 quarters, and 1,408 minutes, but the real season will finally begin for the Upper Dublin basketball teams this weekend.

It's playoff time.

Both the girls and boys basketball teams were selected to participate in the District 1 AAAA playoffs. However, their path to get there has been very different. Before the games tip off this weekend, let's take a look at the match-ups for each team.

Upper Dublin boys (25) at North Penn (8); Friday, 7 p.m.

By the numbers:

Upper Dublin: 11-11 overall, 50 points for, 50 points against

North Penn: 14-3 overall, 50 points for, 40 points against

The breakdown:

The Upper Dublin Flying Cardinals qualified for the playoffs by the skin of their beaks. After running their record to an impressive 9-4, the Cardinals tripped up on the way to the finish line, losing four of their last five games. While the team was competitive in losses to powerhouses Plymouth Whitemarsh and Norristown, defeats to Upper Merion and rival Wissahickon really hurt them in the playoff standings. 

The Cardinals now must face North Penn, who finished the season at 14-3, including wins in their last six. North Penn outscored their opponents by almost 10 points per game this season.

The good news for the Cardinals is that North Penn is only 3-3 at home. But Upper Dublin has struggled on the road this season, going 1-4 away from the Nest. Their lone win came against a lowly Upper Moreland team. 

Numbers and statistics, however, will not decide this game. In the Cardinals' wins this season, one thing has been consistent: They have shot the ball well. When Upper Dublin is shooting the ball well, the Cardinals have shown they can play with some of the best teams in the league.

The Cardinals are going to need a strong game from three-point specialist John DeCamara if they want to stay in the game. It would also help if Tyreek Magruder can play the way he did in the midpoint of the season. Magruder stepping up and carrying some of the load on offense gave the Cardinals another weapon on a team that sometimes struggles to score.

Beating North Penn will be no easy task, and the gambling man would have his money on the Knights. But, that's why they play the game. 

Upper Dublin girls (7) vs Coatesville (26); Saturday, 2 p.m.

By the numbers: 

Upper Dublin: 19-3 overall record, 54 points for, 50 points against

Coatesville: 14-7 overall record, 42 points for, 35 points against

The breakdown:

Ask anybody who watched the Lady Cardinals play this season, and they will all tell you one thing: the Upper Dublin girls basketball team is a championship contender. 

The Lady Cardinals have all the pieces you look for in a champion. They have an absolute floor general in Curtrena Goff, who leads the team in rebounds (6), assists (4.5) and steals (4). They have a scorer who can shoot it from anywhere on the floor in Taylor Bryant, who leads the team in points per game at 16. The Cardinals have a legitimate center in Jen Myers, a tenacious rebounder in Tori Waters, and a sharpshooter in Sarah Hallowell. Add in seasoned coach Vincent Catanzaro, and all signs point to one thing: a deep playoff run.

But anybody who follows sports knows that once the playoffs start, team records are thrown out the window. While the Cardinals will be the higher seed in the first round match-up, they did not receive an easy draw in Coatesville. The Red Raiders have an impressive record of 14-7, and are winners of their last six games. They have given up less points than the Cardinals did this season, surrendering only 35 a game. But Coatesville has struggled on the road this season, with a record of 3-4. 

The outcome of the game will be decided by one simple factor: Will the Lady Cardinals bring their "A" game from the start? Make no mistake about it — this team can make a run all the way to the championship. But the Lady Cardinals have showed during this season that they can start a game flat and fall behind early.

The Lady Cardinals were able to dig their way out of an early hole against weaker teams, but it will not be as easy against Coatesville. However, if the girls come out firing early, the game could be over quickly. 

Make sure to check in all weekend for up-to-the-minute scores and a breakdown of both games this weekend. 

Special note: Warm wishes go out to Upper Dublin's girls assistant basketball coach Stephanie Sample on the birth of her son. Sample has been on the sideline all season for the Cardinals through her pregnancy. No word yet if the newborn will be eligible to help out the boys team this Friday.