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Haddonfield girls top Moorestown in battle of unbeatens

The scene before the game, like the game itself, was clunky and a bit awkward before the real leaders intervened.

The scene before the game, like the game itself, was clunky and a bit awkward before the real leaders intervened.

"We're sorry, everyone," someone yelled - without the help of a microphone - from the scorer's table, "but there won't be a national anthem today."

Saturday afternoon at Moorestown, the PA system malfunctioned with fans standing and players lined up on the court waiting to properly start the Quakers' matchup with visiting Haddonfield.

But just as spectators started to sit down, a couple of voices on the court piped up.

They were singing. And it caught on.

Players from both teams joined forces for an impromptu rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"I've never done anything like that before," Mary Kelly said with a smile after her Bulldogs topped Moorestown, 39-31, in a battle of undefeated teams.

Kelly had no voice to sing with Saturday morning. She missed school Friday and had been on antibiotics battling strep throat.

But she sang anyway. Which, it turned out, was a nice, symbolic way to sum up her performance in the game.

Kelly, who also happens to be just four months removed from surgery to repair torn cartilage in her right knee, battled injury and illness to lead her team to victory.

The junior forward scored a game-high 15 points despite not scoring in the first quarter.

Haddonfield struggled to find a flow offensively in the opening quarter and was down, 9-8, at the buzzer. So Kelly took it upon herself to keep her team in the game. She scored all six of the Bulldawgs' points in the second quarter and the first four in the third quarter of a game that was within one point for most of regulation.

In the fourth quarter, Kelly and senior CC Mooney (11 points) combined for 10 of Haddonfield's 11 points to help keep a scrappy Moorestown at bay.

"This win is a big confidence-booster for us," said Kelly, whose Bulldawgs entered with a 6-0 record but had rarely been challenged like they were Saturday. "To play out of conference against good teams like Moorestown is big for us."

The game was a coming- out party for Mooney and Kelly. Last year, in close games against talented teams, Haddonfield leaned on now-graduated Taylor Sehdev, one of the most talented scorers and best outside shooters in South Jersey.

So in a tight game, this was an opportunity for Mooney and Kelly to establish their new roles.

"Our leadership showed up, and that helped us hang on in the end," Haddonfield coach Jackie Mulligan said.

Mooney was resilient against a strong defensive effort by Moorestown's Faith Bonett, a tough inside presence who held Mooney - who entered the game averaging 12 points - to just one point in the first half.

"This was a tough game for all of us, it was scrappy," said Mooney, a senior stretch forward. "I just told myself I had to step up and play tough."

Quakers coach Chris Hill was pleased with her team's effort against one of South Jersey's top teams.

Moorestown was led by Bonett, who had seven points and 10 rebounds, and Grace Hill who chipped in 15 points.

"I couldn't be prouder of my kids," Chris Hill said after her team fell to 5-1. "We were battle-tested tonight. We just give tons of credit to Haddonfield."

Haddonfield 8 6 14 11 - 39

Moorestown 9 4 8 10 - 31

H: CC Mooney 11, Maura Enright 2, Ashley Campo 3, Meghan Smart 3, Mary Kelly 15, Annie Stanton 5.

M: Colette Smith 4, Grace Hill 15, Faith Bonett 7, Amanda Allen 5.