Check out the results for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. To view photos of the CB West/North Penn and CB East/CB South games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 60, NORTH PENN 50
Central Bucks West – second in the latest state rankings – hasn’t faced a whole lot of competition so far this season.
Heading into Tuesday night’s eagerly awaited showdown at North Penn, the Bucks had won their last four games by an average of 37 points. Last Friday’s 24-point win over Souderton was as close as any SOL team had played them.
The Maidens – debuting the starting lineup coach Maggie deMarteleire had planned to open the season with – gave the Bucks a run for their money, but the Bucks would not be denied and hold the early edge in the race for a conference crown the Maidens own.
“I love playing in this gym,” West senior Corrinne Godshall said. “It’s always intense, it’s always a good game, the energy is always so high, you always get sweated. It’s fun.”
Godshall scored seven of her 12 points in an opening quarter that saw the two teams battle to a 15-15 tie. Sophomore guard Sam Carangi – back in the lineup after being sidelined with an injured finger – had five to lead the Maidens.
The Bucks took a 28-23 lead into halftime and then outscored the Maidens 20-15 in a spirited third quarter to open up a 48-38 lead heading into the final frame.
Early in the fourth quarter, Godshall buried a pair from the foul line, and the Bucks led 50-38, but the Maidens refused to go down quietly. Sophomore Jess Huber turned an offensive rebound into a basket, and when Carangi buried her fourth trey of the night, the Maidens trailed 50-43.
A West turnover set the stage for a bucket after a baseline drive by Irisa Ye, and the Bucks’ lead was trimmed to five with 2:40 remaining in regulation.
Mackenzie Carroll, who finished with 14 points, turned a steal into a layup to put the Bucks back on top by seven, and when Nicole Munger sank one-of-two from the foul line, the Bucks led 53-45.
Another Carangi bucket from beyond the arc made it a 53-48 game with 1:40 remaining, but Munger connected on both ends of a one-and-one, and then Godshall turned a steal into a three-point play, icing the big win for the Bucks.
How big was the win?
“Oh my god, I would take this win and literally nothing else for Christmas,” said sophomore Maggie Rakowsky. “This is huge.
“It almost means our whole season. I would say it’s as big as our (CB) East game.”
The sophomore guard, who finished with six points, was a factor on defense and under the basket, finishing with 10 rebounds and nine deflections despite battling the flu.
“I was a little concerned about our conditioning,” coach Terry Rakowsky said. “We have a bunch of kids sick. We want to go up and down the floor, and I was a little concerned that maybe we weren’t going to be able to.”
Munger led all scorers with 19 points, which included an 11-for-14 effort at the foul line. Makenzie Mason scored all seven of her points in the pivotal third quarter. She also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.
On the other side of the court, Carangi was making her presence felt, finishing with 17 points – which included five three-pointers – five steals and seven assists.
“She just makes everyone around her better,” Maiden coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “I felt like she really picked it up in the second half, getting steals and all that kind of stuff.
“She can still shoot, but you can see when she goes to pass she’s having a little bit of difficulty. We’re going to give the kids three days off, so hopefully they will heal a little bit.”
Mikaela Giuliani had a big night under the basket, finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. Taylor Thames and Jess Huber both had eight points. Huber also had four assists. Ye had five points and five rebounds.
“This is Irisa’s first game back in over a week, and Jess Huber – it was her second,” deMarteleire said. “Overall, I was very pleased with the efforts the kids made.
“We just couldn’t hit shots. In the first half, we didn’t shoot well, and some layups were going in and out on putbacks. We’ll have to do a better job the next time on transition defense.”
While the Maidens are 2-2 in league play (4-3 overall), the Bucks improved to 4-0 in the league (6-0 overall).
Central Bucks West 15-13-20-12 60
North Penn 15-8-15-12 50
Central Bucks West (60) – Mackenzie Carroll 14, Makenzie Mason 7, Corrinne Godshall 12, Nicole Munger 19, Maggie Rakowsky 6, Meghan Tillger 2.
North Penn (50) – Irisa Ye 5, Taylor Thames 8, Mikaela Giuliani 11, Jess Huber 8, Sam Carangi 17, Mia Melchior 1.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 51, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 41
Jordan Vitelli had herself a night for the Titans.
The junior guard scored 23 points and was all but unstoppable from beyond the arc, connecting on 4-of-6 shots from three-point land.
“She had a nice game,” South coach Beth Mattern said. “Things fell her way tonight.
“I would classify her as a scorer. Today her defense helped her create offense. When she was open, she took the right shot. Today was her day. She played a really well-rounded game.”
Tricia DeCesare and Taylor Dunn both added six points. Emma Gardy added five and Chloe Entenberg, four points. Dunn and Sam Clevenstine both had five rebounds.
For the game, the Titans buried 8-of-14 three-point attempts (60 percent), and senior Kaley Smith got the ball rolling when she buried a trey on the Titans’ first shot of the game.
The Titans, who led 10-8 after one quarter, took a 26-18 lead into halftime. Vitelli exploded for 12 points in a third quarter that saw the Titans outscore the Patriots 18-14 to go into the final frame with a 44-27 lead.
“I thought in general we shot the ball pretty well,” Mattern said.
Bri Talbot led the Patriots with 10 points while Grace Stewart and Bridget Birkhead both had eight points.
The Titans remain perfect in conference play with a 4-0 mark (6-1 overall) while the Patriots are 2-2 in the league (4-4 overall).
Central Bucks South 10-16-18-7 51
Central Bucks East 8-10-9-14 41
HATBORO-HORSHAM 47, QUAKERTOWN 36
The Hatters earned their first conference win of the season. They took a 10-9 lead into the second quarter when they stretched their lead to 24-16 by halftime. They still led 33-26 heading into the final quarter when they had a 14-10 scoring advantage.
Cassidy Quattro led a balanced Hatter attack with 14 points while Hannah Mallon had 10. Julia Thornton had seven points, and Haley Seifert and Erin Wingen both had six points.
For the Panthers, Meghan Klee led the way with 15 points. Spenser Gray and Jillian Martin both had six points.
Hatboro-Horsham 10-14-9-14 47
Quakertown 9-7-10-10 36
Hatboro-Horsham (36) – Rachel Helton 3, Bergen Sims 1, Haley Seifert 6, Hannah Mallon 10, Erin Wingen 6, Julia Thornton 7, Cassidy Quattro 14.
Quakertown (36) – Brooke Alwine 2, Spenser Gray 6, Joelle Simeu 3, Olivia Morano 1, Marina Cooke 3, Meghan Klee 15, Jillian Martin 6.
PENNRIDGE 41, SOUDERTON 38
Lydia Konstanzer scored a game-high 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five steals in a superb showing.
"That was critical for us, and we're a smaller team," coach Lindsey Tennett said. "They have a really good post player, and Lydia played really well on both the offensive and defensive end."
Devan Rimmer added 12 points, two steals and one assist to lead the Lady Rams to the important win over their neighboring rival.
"A couple of games this season that were close could have gone either way," Tennett said. "This game, which was only a three-point win – now we have that win, and we have to bring that into the next game and know we can hang in the conference.
"The past couple of years we would win one or two games in the conference whereas this year – we can compete."
The Lady Rams opened the game with a 7-0 run, but the Indians rallied to knot the score 12-12 at the end of one quarter. The two teams were deadlocked 18-18 at halftime and 28-28 heading into the final quarter when the Rams edged the Indians 13-10.
"It could have been anyone's game," Tennett said. "Even though Shelby Schoonver only had a three-pointer, she's our captain, and she's a big leader out there.
"Monika Brill comes off the bench and mixes things up and gets scrap baskets. To me it was a combined effort, all the girls did things right. They all played defense well. They work well with each other, and they know where each other will be. They're just meshing."
Noelle Noble led the Indians with 14 points, and Marissa Sandone added 13, which included three treys.
The Indians connected on five three-pointers while the Lady Rams made just one, but the Rams held a decided advantage at the foul line where they buried 13-of-16 shots. The Indians took just four trips to the charity stripe and made only one.
The Rams are now 1-3 in league play (4-3 overall) while the Indians are 2-2 in the league (3-6 overall).
Souderton 12-6-10-10 38
Pennridge 12-6-10-13 41
Souderton (38) – Tori Dowd 4, Krista Schneider 6, Olivia Kaunert 1, Noelle Noble 14, Marissa Sandone 13.
Pennridge (41) – Shelby Schoonover 3, Monika Brill 4, Brooke Bachtle 2, Jenna Dominic 3, Devan Rimmer 12, Lydia Konstanzer 17.
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 61, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 36
The Flying Cardinals won the battle of the conference’s lone unbeaten squads, turning a 19-18 lead early in the second quarter into a 24-19 halftime lead, converting three PW turnovers into a 5-0 run.
The Cardinals – led by nine points from Julie Cross – exploded for 19 points in the third quarter while allowing just four to seize complete control of the game on their way to the big win.
“There were no major changes we made – we just started playing better,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said of his team’s surge. “We were switching up defenses on them, and from mid-second quarter to the end of the third quarter, they really struggled to get a rhythm, and I think a lot of it had to do with our defense.
“It was a major team effort.”
Cross finished with another double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
“She shot 6-for-21 from the field, which is very unlike her, but to speak to the kind of player she’s become right now, she would tell you she had the worst game of her life, but she had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds,” Funsten said. ‘I don’t know how many people could say they had the worst game of their life and had a double-double, but that’s the level she’s at right now.”
Josie Barrett had 13 points for the Cardinals, and Allison Chernow added 12.
“Josie Barrett stepped up and made some big shots as she’s been doing all year,” Funsten said. “Allison Chernow continues to be solid.
“She’s changed from a scorer to a scorer and a playmaker, and she’s what keeps things under control.”
The story of the night, according to Funsten, was the Cardinals’ ability to handle the Colonials’ pressure defense.
“They love to pressure fullcourt, and we thought if we were able to handle their fullcourt pressure, we would be okay,” he said. “We did a great job.
“We always set a goal of 10 turnovers or less a game, and we actually hit it tonight. We had 10 right on the spot. If you just told me that stat at the end of the night, I could tell you right away whether we won or loss. Getting pressed fullcourt the entire game and only having 10 turnovers kind of told the story.”
The Colonials were led on both ends of the court by senior Alynna Williams, who led all scorers with 18 points. Khadijah Hickson added seven points.
The Cardinals upped their league mark to 4-0 (6-0 overall) while the Colonials are 3-1 in the league (4-2 overall).
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11-8-4-13 36
Upper Dublin 8-16-19-14 57
Plymouth Whitemarsh (36) – Taylor O’Brien 4, Alynna Williams 18, Alison Spinelli 2, Khadijah Hickson 7, Laurel Suchsland 3.
Upper Dublin (57) – Alissa Klammer, Nicole Kaiser 4, Josie Barrett 13, Julie Cross 13, Allison Chernow 12, Demi Balasa 4, Maggie Weglos 5, Nancy Decamara 2.
CHELTENHAM 55, METHACTON 46
The Lady Panthers travelled to Methacton and avenged a pair of losses at the hands of the Warriors last season – including a season-ending 54-46 loss in the opening round of districts after falling behind 14-0 to open the game.
“They lost two 1,000-point scorers, so they don’t have the expectations they had last year, but we’re also a year older and more mature,” coach Brendan Nolan said. “I think we’re really learning how to win games now.
“We just have more experienced kids, and I’ve learned a lot of lessons in a short time too.”
The two teams were deadlocked 13-13 at the end of one quarter, and the Lady Panthers took a 30-28 lead into halftime. The story of the game was their ability to maintain their lead despite serious foul woes.
“We fell behind early,” Nolan said. “Their big girl (Gabby Falcone) and Ryan DeOrio too were doing a good job, and our bigs were in foul trouble.
“Nashira Brown and Gabby Wright had to sit the entire third quarter. Dejah China and Norreal Robinson – who didn’t score a point – played unbelievable defense for the entire third quarter and portions of the second and fourth.”
The Warriors scored just six points in the third quarter as the Lady Panthers opened up a 39-34 lead. Falcone and DeOrio had just two points between them in the frame.
“We’re really thin and shorthanded, and those two girls just went in – I couldn’t have asked them to do a better job,” Nolan said of China and Robinson. “Talk about accepting your role – you just go out and play interior defense and stop the ball from getting to the post, and they just went out and did it. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. It was great.”
The Panthers iced the win by outscoring the Warriors 16-12 in the fourth quarter.
“When we have the lead in the fourth quarter with (Ashley) Jones and (Amarri) Trueheart, we’re very hard to come back on because they’re very good with the ball, and they just make free throws, and we can kind of seal it away,” Nolan said.
Jones led all scorers with 25 points – nine in a big second quarter and nine more in the fourth. Trueheart added 14, and Monet McGorda had nine.
Cheltenham is 5-1 overall (3-1 SOL) heading into the holiday break.
Cheltenham (55) – Ashley Jones 25, Monet McGorda 9, Amarri Trueheart 14, Gabrielle Wright 3, Nashira Brown 4.
Methacton (46) – Ryn DeOrio 17, Jenna Cooper 5, Jackie Cerchio 4, Brianna LaCurts 11, Gabby Falcone 9.
National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 45, WILLIAM TENNENT 38
Allison Taub had a monster night for the Golden Hawks. Not only did she lead all scorers with 28 points, she also pulled down 23 rebounds and had three steals and two blocks. Thirteen of Taub’s rebounds were offensive.
“She hit the offensive boards,” coach Monica Stolic said. “She did a great job on the boards.”
The Golden Hawks, who trailed 8-7 after one quarter, found themselves on the short end of a 21-15 halftime score. They owned the second half, outscoring the Panthers 13-5 in the third quarter and 30-17 in the final 16 minutes.
“I don’t think we played too well in the first half,” Stolic said. “I don’t know if it was the 3:30 start. We were getting shots, but we weren’t hitting our shots.
“We picked up the intensity in the third quarter and started getting the ball inside.”
Shannon Taub added eight points. Also coming up big for the Golden Hawks under the basket was Kasey Schlupp, who had 11 rebounds.
“We dominated the boards tonight,” Stolic said.
The Golden Hawks improved to 3-1 in conference play (4-2 overall) while the Panthers are 1-3 in the league (4-4 overall).
Council Rock South 7-8-13-17 45
William Tennent 8-13-5-12 38
PENNSBURY 46, HARRY S TRUMAN 38
About the Author
