Souderton, Central Bucks South and Upper Dublin were winners in Friday’s PIAA 6A quarterfinals and will represent the SOL and District One in Monday’s semifinals. Upper Dublin/Abington and Souderton/Neshaminy photos provided courtesy of Donna Longacre Photography. Check the Photo Gallery for game action shots.
It was March Madness SOL style at Bensalem High School on Friday night when four SOL teams met in the PIAA 6A quarterfinals. An upstart Upper Dublin squad, the ninth place team in District One, defeated Abington in a nail biter, and Souderton prevailed against a pesky Neshaminy squad that hung tough until the finish. At Spring-Ford, Central Bucks South put a beating on (11-4) William Allen, and when the dust had settled, three SOL teams were still standing. Souderton, CB South and Upper Dublin will be joined by defending state runner-up North Allegheny in Monday’s state semifinals.
#1-1 SOUDERTON 54, #1-8 NESHAMINY 43
With time winding down and a win assured, the Indians were perfectly content to do nothing more than pass the ball until the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard clock. It gave the large crowd of Souderton faithful who made the trip to Bensalem High School an opportunity to show their appreciation with a rousing standing ovation.
There were plenty of reasons to celebrate.
For the second time in as many years, the Indians advanced to the PIAA 6A semifinals. In the first half, senior Kate Connolly put her name in the record books when she became just the sixth female in program history to surpass the 1,000-point mark. For good measure, senior Alana Cardona celebrated her 18th birthday.
All told, not a bad night for the Indians, but in a postseason that has seen the Indians roll to some lopsided wins, this one was hard earned.
“I’m really, really impressed with how Neshaminy played,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “They executed, they made shots, role players made shots for them. Their kids they rely on made big plays as well. Defensively, they were tough like we knew they would be. It didn’t matter what was going on - they didn’t quit, they kept playing. Look out for that team next year.”
“They really didn’t let up,” junior Megan Walbrandt said of the Redskins. “They had pretty good in-your-face defense. I know a couple of times – you’d catch a ball, and there was someone with a hand right in your face. It’s hard to keep your composure, but I think we did a good job of staying calm and not making too many turnovers.”
Cardona scored off the opening tap, but moments later, Brooke Mullin answered with a basket at the other end. The two teams were still even at the end of one quarter, 13-13.
Connolly broke a 15-15 tie when she hit nothing but net on a three-pointer at the 4:44 mark of the second quarter, a basket that vaulted her to the 1,000-point mark.
“It was exciting,” Carroll said. “The coaches knew, Kate and her family knew, but nobody else was really aware that it was going to happen.
“I think it was probably a relief to her to get it out of the way, and then she played great. She played great all game. She didn’t let that impact the way she played the basketball game. I’m really happy for her. She deserves it. She has been very much – ‘I don’t care, I want to win, I want to win,’ and she’s the kind of kid that very much means that, which makes it even more special.”
“I was just focusing on winning the game,” said Connolly, who finished with a game-high 19. “If it happens, it happens. If not, that’s fine. It was just mainly focus because it was such a high intensity game from start to finish.”
Connolly’s basket marked the beginning of a 10-0 Indian run that included seven points from the senior forward. The Redskins trimmed that lead to 27-21 at the intermission and trailed by just four after a Scotti bucket early in the second half. Cardona and Connolly scored on back-to-back possessions, and then it was Connolly turning a steal into a layup that put the Indians on top 35-25.
“They were making really big shots, and we just had to keep our composure and really get on defense because our offense will flow from that,” Cardona said. “That’s eventually what happened, but they still were making good shots. We just had to keep passing it around and looking for the open girl, which we did.”
The Indians took a 42-30 lead into the final quarter, but any thoughts that they could coast to the finish line were put to rest in a hurry when the Redskins reeled off three straight baskets to open the fourth quarter. Scotti scored on her team’s opening possession, and then it was Emily Tantala connecting. An Indian turnover – their second of the quarter - led to a bucket by Mullin, and just like that it was a 42-36 game, prompting the Indians to call a timeout and - moments later - a second timeout when a player was caught in a trap on the inbounds.
Out of the second timeout, Megan O’Donnell buried a baseline three to put the Indians on top 45-36.
“Megan never really knows how many minutes she’s going to get,” Carroll said. “For her to stay ready every game is hard to do, and she hit a big three for us.”
Twice the Redskins pulled to within seven, but they would get no closer.
“They’re cool customers,” Neshaminy coach Joe Lally said of the Indians. “You can see they’re been there, they’ve played in big games. You can’t say enough things about them, but I was really proud the way our kids battled. They didn’t give up – that’s for sure, and that’s definitely the makeup of this team.
“I told them – we can use Souderton as a role model. Next year we’re going to bring back everybody on our team except one senior, and next year could be a really good year if everyone stays healthy”
Souderton (29-2, 11-1 SOL) will face Upper Dublin in Monday’s state semifinal. Neshaminy (10-2 SOL) closed out its season with a 20-9 record.
EXTRA POINTS: Late in Tuesday’s win over Easton, Walbrandt was helped off the court after injuring her ankle. She did not return but was back in the starting lineup on Friday. “I wasn’t going to sit out of a game, especially a game like this,” said Walbrandt, who finished with 12 points. “It’s feeling a lot better. I’ve been doing a lot of rehab with the trainer.”…For the second consecutive year, Cardona celebrated her birthday with a state.jpg)
win. “I guess you could say it’s a tradition,” said Cardona, who last year celebrated the Indians’ state playoff win over Central Bucks South on her birthday. “Going into this, I wanted a win for my birthday. It’s a pretty good birthday present, probably the best one I could ask for.”…While Mullin led the Redskins with 16 points, point guard Kristin Curley added nine…“I think you saw another step for Kristin tonight,” Lally said. “I was really proud of her. She likes to distribute the ball, but I thought tonight she did an excellent job of making herself an offensive threat, which she needed to do. Brooke’s been honestly carrying us through the playoffs. She’s playing tremendous. She’s on the boards, she’s on the defensive end, she’s making plays on the offensive side. She’s playing phenomenally.”
Neshaminy 13-8-9-13 43
Souderton 13-14-15-12 54
Neshaminy (43) – Emily Tantala 2 0-0 5; Olivia Scotti 3 0-0 6; Brooke Mullin 6 3-4 16; Kristin Curley 3 3-3 9; Kelli Kowalick 1 0-0 2; Allison Harvey 1 2-2 5; Totals 13 8-9 43.
Souderton (54) – Tori Dowd 1 0-2 2; Megan Bealer 2 2-4 8; Alana Cardona 5 0-0 10; Megan Walbrandt 4 3-4 12; Megan O’Donnell 1 0-0 3; Kate Connolly 6 6-8 19; Totals 19 11-18 54.
3-point goals: Souderton – Megan Bealer 2, Kate Connolly, Megan Walbrandt, Megan O’Donnell; Neshaminy – Emily Tantala, Brooke Mullin, Allison Harvey.
#1-2 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 60, #11-4 WILLIAM ALLEN 40
The Titans continued to make history, earning the program’s first ever trip to the state semifinals with their no-doubt-about-it win over William Allen.
“To see the kids on the bus on the way home tonight was just something that you dream of as a coach - the pure joy,” coach Beth Mattern said. “We realized today that it’s been literally four months of basketball - six days a week, seven days of preparation and thinking about it.
“Just to still be in the mix – there are four teams left in 6A – is an absolute accomplishment, but we can’t settle for this. Monday night we’re going to play a really good team who was in the state final last year (North Allegheny) and see what we can do and really test ourselves and see what kind of basketball we can play.”
The Titans took the suspense out of Friday’s quarterfinal against William Allen before fans had settled in their seats at Spring-Ford High School. Haley Meinel scored 11 first-quarter points, propelling the Titans to a commanding 20-8 lead after one quarter.
“We played fantastic tonight,” Mattern said. “I thought our offensive ball movement was fantastic, just reading what the defense was giving us.
“We made a couple of adjustments to our normal defense, and I thought they really paid off. We opened it up at 12-0 and it carried us through the entire game.”
The Titans’ lead grew to 39-17 by halftime, and they weren’t finished yet, outscoring the Canaries 19-10 in the third quarter to go into the final frame with a 58-27 lead. Meinel accounted for 12 of those points.
“I actually thought we played great in the fourth quarter even though we only scored two points,” Mattern said. “We gave up some points, but they’re not a bad team.
“Number 24 (Kion Andrews) has a beautiful shot – she can drive and stop and pop. We did a great job on the boards, and our defense allowed us to play the way we wanted to. They’re a very drive-heavy team. When you play a team like Souderton, you want to take away their shooters. This team – you need to protect against the drive. We just really tried to make sure we were in our good help defense and protected the paint.”
Meinel led all scorers with 25 points.
“I saw things from Haley tonight that I actually haven’t really seen her do in a game,” Mattern said. “I think she had like six points in a matter of 20 seconds tonight.
“She had a basket, they inbounded, and all of a sudden she had a steal and a putback, and then we got a turnover on the defensive end, and it was two points for her. She just was all over the place - whether it be rebounding, whether it be scoring, whether it be defensively. She was fantastic tonight, and it was also a credit to the other players on the court because they got the ball to her in the right position to score. She had a big game for us in a big moment.”
Lindsay Scott added 11 points, and Mackenzie Ehresman had eight. Alexa Brodie chipped in six points.
Central Bucks South (27-4, 10-2 SOL) will face North Allegheny in a state semifinal on Monday.
William Allen 8-9-10-13 40
Central Bucks South 20-19-19-2 60
William Allen (40) – Miriam Rodriguez 2 2-4 7; Aslyn Toleda 1 0-0 3; Kion Andrews 6 3-4 16; Jakayla Wise 3 2-2 9; Asha Talib 2 1-1 5; Totals 14 8-11 40.
Central Bucks South (60) – Caroline McSorley 1 0-0 2; Lindsay Scott 4 2-3 11; Haley Meinel 12 1-4 25; Natalie DiSandro 1 2-2 4; Alexa Brodie 2 1-2 6; Maddie McShane 1 2-2 4; Mackenzie Ehresman 2 4-4 8; Totals 23 12-17 60.
3-point goals: CB South – Alexa Brodie, Lindsay Scott; William Allen – Miriam Rodriguez, Aslyn Toleda, Kion Andrews, Jakayla Wise.
#1-9 UPPER DUBLIN 36, #1-5 ABINGTON 31
The Flying Cardinals’ magic carpet ride through the postseason continued on Friday night when they once again played the role of giant killer, sending a Ghost squad that finished fifth in the district and owned a shared of the SOL National title home for the season.
They did it in typical Upper Dublin fashion. They didn’t put up big numbers – their top scorer, Jackie Vargas, had just nine points, but they made sure their opponent put up even smaller numbers, limiting the Ghosts to their lowest offensive output of the season.
In a contest that saw both rookies and veterans deliver, it was a veteran that, according to coach Morgan Funsten, was the difference maker.
“I thought we took our lead tonight from Maggie Weglos,” the Cardinals’ coach said. “Defensively, she held (Sam) Brusha to one, and mentally, she is what kept us in it in the fourth quarter, and she happened to make the game-winning shot when we got down one.
“Not much else could go wrong for us in the second half, but just to be able to understand the magnitude of the game and to be mentally tough enough – if you could hear what Maggie was saying to the girls out of timeouts we were taking out of necessity to save a possession – her staying positive, she didn’t guarantee victory, but I felt very comfortable that we were going to win the game because of how she was acting.”
The Cardinals, according to Weglos, are not the same team that finished second in the SOL American standings and ninth in districts.
“I think we got frustrated in districts,” she said. “We really thought we had a good chance of winning districts, so I think that honestly brought us more fire.
“(For the seniors), this is our last year playing ever, so we’re like, ‘We’re not going out without a fight.’ We want to show everyone that we might not be the most talented, biggest, strongest team out there, but we have the most heart, and I think that means a lot.”
If Weglos was the glue that kept the Flying Cardinals together, it was Vargas who set the tone when she connected on a three-pointer to spot the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
“Jackie Vargas hasn’t really attempted a three all year,” Funsten said. “I was half joking, half serious yesterday at practice, I said, ‘First play of the game we’re going to run a three for you,’ and all the girls just went crazy.
“We see at practice – she can make the three. We’re like, ‘Let’s do it, ‘ and of course, she drains it. She set the tone early that we were loose, we were ready to play.”
Vargas connected on another outside shot to put the Cardinals on top 5-2, and they led 5-4 after a low-scoring opening quarter. That was followed by a second quarter that saw the Cardinals take control of the game. They led 12-6 after Weglos scored on a drive, and a putback by Kara Grebe upped that lead to eight. A pair of Nicole Kaiser foul shots were followed by a Dayna Balasa three, and the Cardinals led 19-7. Kassondra Brown scored for the Ghosts, but another Balasa three sent the Cardinals into halftime with a 22-9 advantage over the stunned Ghosts.
“I don’t think it was nerves – I think we were ready to play,” Abington senior Cam Lexow said. “I think it was just their defense, their pressure. Our offensive plays weren’t being put together as efficiently as they could have been, and I think that threw us off.”
“We missed some shots that changed that game,” coach Dan Marsh said. “Vargas comes out and hits (a three) and a jump shot, and that set the tone for them. And then we missed a bunch of shots, and we tighten up. If we make a couple of those shots, I think it’s a different game.”
The Ghosts threw a fullcourt press at the Cardinals to open the second half. The result was two quick steals and buckets by Cam Lexow in the opening minute.
“We were less conservative,” Marsh said. “We wanted to pressure them and turn them over. I honestly thought we could play straight up with them a little bit without having to pressure them so much.
“We were a little afraid of 32 (Balasa) in a trapping situation getting open looks, but at that point, when you’re down 22-9, you’ve got to do something, and we did. And our kids responded.”
A Lexow three pulled the Ghosts to within five (22-17) before the Cardinals scored their first and only basket of the quarter by Grebe with an assist from Weglos. Brown answered with a three-point play, and that was followed by a baseline three from Britney James. Just like that, the Ghosts were within one heading into the final quarter, 24-23.
“Coming out of the half, we got a little flustered when they started to pressure us,” Kaiser said. “Coming into the fourth quarter, we refocused and tried to play our game and not let their pressure get to us. We knew the key to the game was going to be handling their pressure.”
Tamia Wessels connected on a three that gave the Ghosts their first lead, 29-28. Weglos broke a scoring drought for both sides when she sank a short jumper with 2:50 remaining to put the Cardinals on top 30-29. Just over a minute later, freshman Jess Polin calmly buried a pair at the foul line. The Ghosts turned the ball over, but James got it right back, stripping the UD ball handler and converting a layup that pulled the Ghosts within one. Lexow, whose 11 points led the Ghosts, came up with a steal, but a costly Abington turnover resulted in Balasa burying both ends of a one-and-one. The Ghosts’ shot for the tie fell short, and Polin put the finishing touches on the big win when she connected on a pair at the line. The Cardinals connected on 8-of-9 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.`
“We go into every game where we don’t want to leave anything behind,” Weglos said. “We just have to focus, stick together. If we believe in ourselves, we can accomplish anything.”
“Earlier in the season, we had some really close losses,” Kaiser said. “Now we know what it takes to win at the end. I think this group of girls really loves the game and wants to be here every day and work hard, and I think that’s kind of what’s been working so well for us. It feels amazing. I’m in shock that we’re here. It’s awesome.”
The Cardinals stymied the high-scoring duo of Brown and Brusha, who combined average close to 35 points a game. Brown finished with nine and Brusha had one in a contest that saw the Ghosts connect on just 22 percent of their shots.
“For defense, we just prepare really, really well,” Weglos said. “We know the players’ strengths and weaknesses. We knew that those two girls were very dominant, and if we could stop them and stay connected on defense, the game would be over.”
Vargas led the Cardinals with nine points and also had two blocks Balasa had eight points, three rebounds and a block. Polin added seven points, four rebounds, two steals and a block. Weglos had a team-high eight rebounds to go along with six points, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
“Jackie Vargas is starting to take a leadership role,” Funsten said. “She actually sent me a long e-mail last night of how she wanted to defend Kassondra Brown. That’s a sophomore based on watching an hour-and-a-half of tape last night decides – ‘Hey, I know we were talking about defending her this way. I want to do this.’ The players are the ones playing. The story again was defense, finding a way to win.”
Upper Dublin (25-5, 12-2 SOL) will do battle with Souderton in Monday’s state semifinal. Abington (10-2 SOL) closed out its season with a 22-8 record.
“I’m really proud of my kids for responding the way they did,” Marsh said. “Maybe we dug too big a hole and got a little tired at the end from the energy we spent to get back in it. I tell these kids all the time – if you can walk off the court on your own terms, you can never put your head down. I think these kids left it all on the floor. They don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”
Abington 4-5-14-8 31
Upper Dublin 5-17-2-12 36
Abington (31) – Britney James 2 0-0 5; Tamia Wessels 1 0-0 3; Cam Lexow 4 2-2 11; Kassondra Brown 3 2-3 8; Miranda Liebtag 1 0-0 3; Sam Brusha 0 1-2 1; Totals 11 5-7 31.
Upper Dublin (36) – Nicole Kaiser 0 2-2 2; Jess Polin 1 4-5 7; Kara Grebe 2 0-0 4; Maggie Weglos 2 2-2 6; Dayna Balasa 2 2-2 8; Jackie Vargas 4 0-0 9; Totals 11 10-11 36.
3-point goals: Abington – Britney James, Tamia Wessels, Cam Lexow, Miranda Liebtag; Upper Dublin – Dayna Balasa 2, Jackie Vargas, Jess Polin.
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