Central Bucks East’s Jess Lockwood gave an outstanding performance Friday night, scoring a game-high 24 points to propel the Central Bucks East Patriots to a 47-43 win over Upper Dublin.
The thrilling victory in Bucks County girls basketball showcased Lockwood’s skill and determination, particularly in the second quarter, when she scored all 16 of the Patriots’ points.
Her defensive instincts are what sealed the game’s outcome in the final seconds.
With East clinging to a three-point lead, Lockwood intercepted a crucial inbounds pass at midcourt and found teammate Haley Moran, who drew a foul with 4.4 seconds left.
Moran’s free throw stretched the lead to four, and that cemented the Patriots’ win in this Bucks County high school matchup.
“I saw her looking at my girl and I watched my girl flash, so I just got it,” Lockwood said about the decisive steal. “We needed it, and it felt like a big play.”
Lockwood’s offensive outburst included six 3-pointers, her last coming in the fourth quarter to give the Central Bucks East Patriots a 45-40 lead.
“The last few games I haven’t been hitting a lot of my shots,” Lockwood admitted. “But tonight, if I was open, I took the shot.”
Moran contributed 13 points, eight of which came in the second half. The Patriots improved to 11-3 overall and remain undefeated in the SOL Colonial Division at 5-0.
Upper Dublin (14-3, 4-0 SOL Liberty) fought hard, led by Emelia Coleman’s 20 points, including four 3-pointers.
The Cardinals, who entered the game ranked first in District 1-6A, saw their six-game win streak end in one of the season’s most intense Bucks County high school sport matchups.
“We pride ourselves on defense, but Jess Lockwood was unconscious from outside,” said Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten. “We’ll use this as motivation to regroup.”
Central Bucks East next hosts Central Bucks South on Tuesday at 7 p.m., while Upper Dublin looks to bounce back when they host Wissahickon the same evening.
