EAST WHITELAND — They say the race is usually won by the team that gets out of the gate fast. That axiom could apply to Friday night’s opening round District 1 6A boys basketball between visiting Upper Darby and host Great Valley.

The 18th-seeded Royals scored the first 19 points of the game en route to a 58-48 win over 15th-seeded Great Valley. The win puts Upper Darby (13-10 overall) into the second round next Tuesday against Methacton. It also ends the Patriots (17-7) season.

Upper Darby shot a torrid 10-for-16 from the field in the first period and drained its first five three-pointers on the way to a commanding 26-6 advantage at the end of the quarter. The Royals’ defense forced eight Great Valley turnovers in the period and 19 miscues for the game.

“We have been working on our press defense all week,” Royals’ guard Artemis Sirleaf said. “We turned them over a number of times in the first period. We wanted to start fast and we did that. Even when they made it close in the second half we never felt we would lose the lead to them.”

Sirleaf led the Royals with 12 points while Musa Kamara chipped in with 10 points and Jude Ennis added nine points on three long three-pointers, including two in the first period onslaught.

Great Valley played even with the rampaging Royals over the last three periods but could never climb out of the giant hole it dug for themselves in the first period. The Patriots shot just 20-for-51 from the field for the game and could not get a big shot late in the game to cut into the Upper Darby lead any further.

“We just dug ourselves a deep hole and we could not fight out of it,” Great Valley coach CJ Savage said. “We just had too many turnovers to win a playoff game. We just did not come out ready to play in the first period for some reason. We showed how we can play in the second half but it was too late.”

Upper Darby shot 21-45 from the field for the game. That number even accounted for three missed slam dunks by the Royals. Upper Darby led 46-30 with 4:21 to play in the third period, but the Patriots would not quit. When Marlon Boreland scored in tight midway through the third period, the Royals were up 44-20 with 2:56 to go in the third period, and looked like the rout was on.

The Patriots, however, roared back to close the third period on a 10-0 run. John Jacobs scored two quick baskets off Upper Darby turnovers. Fouda Ismaila scored on a follow and Chris Woodard – who led Great Valley with 13 points – hit a long three-pointer. Jensen Ng added one free throw and at the end of three periods, the Royals lead was down to 44-30.

“Give Great Valley and their staff credit,” Upper Darby coach Bob Miller said. “A lot of teams would have wilted at halftime  being down so much but they are very well coached and they are a very disciplined team.”

The fourth period saw Great Valley showing some more of the fight they showed in the third period. Ng scored in the lane to make it 46-38 with 6:21 to go in the final quarter. The Royals helped the Patriots by turning the ball over nine times in the second half, which really helped the Great Valley comeback attempt. The Pats scored 10 points off of those turnovers.

The Royals hung tough, however, when they had to and maintained their lead. Sirleaf went strong to the basket to make it 53-42 with 1:19 to play. After a Patriots’ miss, Kamara scored inside to up the lead to 13, and that was it for the valiant Patriots’ comeback attempt.

“We played them early this season and that really helped us,” Kamara said. “We wanted to come out quick and take control of the game and we did. We have a lot of seniors who have played together since we were freshmen and we are starting to put things together at this time of the season.”

Miller was pleased with his team’s quick start, and said that things went as planned for the Royals early in the contest.

“We wanted to play up and down and fast,” Miller said. “We know they like to play half court offense so we wanted to make things as uncomfortable for them as we could. That worked out for us in the first period. You always want a fast start but I never thought it was going to be 19-0. The guys did a really good job tonight.”

Upper Darby 58, Great Valley 48

UPPER DARBY – Sirleaf 5 1-3 12, Lewis 0 1-2 1, Rothley 0 0-0 0, Cambell 0 0-0 0, Markel Boreland 2 3-5 7, Marlon Boreland 2 3-4 8, Kamara 4 1-3 10, Ennis 3 0-0 9, Riley 1 0-0 2, Murray 3 1-2 7, Precia 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 10-19 58.

GREAT VALLEY – Oswald 1 0-0 3, Gal 0 0-0 0, Jacobs 4 0-0 8, Ng 4 1-2 9, Ismalia 4 3-6 11, Sharma 2 0-0 4, Woodard 5 0-0 13. Totals 20 4-8 48.

Upper Darby 26 8 10 14 – 58

Great Valley 6 8 16 18 – 48

Three-point goals: Sirleaf, Ennis 3, Kamara, Marlon Boreland, Oswald, Woodard 3.