Abington and Central Bucks West will meet in Friday night’s District One AAAA title game at Temple University. To view photos of the Abington/Spring-Ford and CB West/Downingtown East games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Central Bucks and Abington left no doubt that they are the class of District One this season. The Bucks rolled to a 69-44 win over Downingtown East while the Ghosts made easy business of Spring-Ford, cruising to a 66-43 win in the second game of a doubleheader at Council Rock South High School.
The two SOL teams will do battle in Friday’s District One AAAA game at Temple University (6 p.m.).
#2 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 69, #11 DOWNINGTOWN EAST 44
Late in the first half of Wednesday’s district semifinal contest, Mackenzie Carroll came down with an offensive rebound and – with the defense converging on her – found teammate Nicole Munger on the opposite side of the basket. The senior guard – despite being fouled – laid the ball in the basket. Her three-point play gave the Bucks a 16-10 lead.
The play was just a glimpse of the clinic the district’s second-seeded team would put on against the Cougars.
Moments later Munger pulled down a rebound on the defensive end and buried a short pull-up jumper, and in the closing seconds of the quarter, Munger came up with a steal that she turned into a layup, giving the Bucks a 20-10 lead.
“I think we came out on all cylinders firing, and we had a lot of fun together,” Munger said. “We’re seeing the court really well as a team, and our shots fell. You can’t ask for much more.”
A block by Meghan Tillger – who also came up with the ball – set the stage for a nifty baseline drive by Corrinne Godshall that gave the Bucks a 32-20 lead. After a Godshall steal, Peyton Traina buried a pair from the foul line, putting the Bucks on top 34-20. East’s Aryah Aungst connected a trey to make it a 34-23 game heading into halftime.
Munger had 19 points in the opening half.
Godshall scored on a putback to open the third quarter, and then it was Munger scoring after a Carroll steal. When Carroll connected on a three-pointer, the Bucks led 41-23, and this one was all but over.
Godshall scored six points in the third quarter and Tillger – who was on the receiving end of a pair of superb passes from Makenzie Mason – added five as the Bucks outscored the Cougars 18-8 to open up a 52-31 lead.
“Coming into the season, coach Terry put so much stress on defense,” Godshall said. “That’s what we worked on preseason, that’s what we worked on midseason, and that’s what we still work on in practice because he knows we have offense.
“If we play ‘D’ really aggressively, it makes it hard for teams to do anything against us.”
No one played defense better than Maggie Rakowsky in Wednesday’s win. The 5-5 sophomore was assigned the task of containing 6-0 point guard Paige Warfel. Despite giving up seven inches, Rakowsky won the battle. Warfel did not score a point until she connected on one-of-two from the foul line with 2:35 left in the third quarter. By that time, West led 48-28.
“Our defense was extraordinary on (Warfel),” coach Terry Rakowsky said. “She’s a good player. She’s tall and could throw over the top.
“I sort of felt we might have a little bit of an advantage. Maggie is pretty good on kids like that. When you’re tall, it’s a little harder to cross on that kid without getting the ball taken. I think she kicked it away three or four times, but more than anything, they couldn’t run their offense. They’re a very disciplined, organized type of team, and I think we made them do some stuff tonight that wasn’t in their make-up.”
The Bucks were led by the double-figure efforts of Munger (23 points, six rebounds, three steals), Godshall (12 points, six rebounds) and Carroll (10 points, five rebounds, two steals). Tillger added seven points.
West (27-1, 14-0) will face Abington in Friday’s district title game at Temple University. It is the Bucks first ever trip to the district title game after disappointing quarterfinal losses in each of the last two years.
“Last year it really stunk – we lost by one (to Spring-Ford), and my sophomore year the same exact thing happened,” Carroll said. “We lost to Spring-Ford in the quarterfinals again, so just being able to make it to this game was huge.
“Now that we won this and we’re going to the finals is really great. It’s a momentum builder for states coming up.”
Downingtown East 10-13-8-13 44
Central Bucks West 20-14-18-17 69
Downingtown East (44) – Aryah Aungst 3 3-3 11; Paige Warfel 1 7-9 9; Lindsay Kent 4 2-2 10; Laura ochsner 3 2-2 8; Kaelyn Johns 2 2-2 6; Totals 13 16-18 44.
Central Bucks West (69) – Dana Zimmerman 0 0-0 0; Mackenzie Carroll 4 0-0 10; Peyton Traina 0 2-2 2; Corrinne Godshall 4 4-4 12; Nicole Munger 10 1-1 23; Maggie Rakowsky 1 0-0 2; Meghan Tillger 3 1-1 7; Abby Spratt 1 0-0 2; Makenzie Mason 2 1-3 5; Maddie Maio 0 0-0 0; Laura Roth 0 0-0 0; Mari Casale 0 0-0 0; Molly Rodenbaugh 2 0-0 6; Totals 27 9-11 69.
#5 ABINGTON 66, #16 SPRING-FORD 43
With one second remaining in the opening half of Abington’s semifinal game against Spring-Ford, senior Gabby Nolan buried a foul shot to turn her steal into a three-point play.
Right around that time, the Abington fans – who had cheered their boys’ team on to a victory over Pennsbury in a district semifinal at Temple University – made their entrance.
“We knew they were coming – it was just a matter of when,” Nolan said. “We were sitting there like, ‘When are they going to come? When are they going to come?’
“They were all hyped when they came in, and it just made everything more exciting for us. They gave us a lot of momentum in the second half.”
Not that the Ghosts needed any momentum.
Nolan’s three-point play sent the Ghosts into halftime with a 34-23 lead, well on their way to a win that vaulted them into Friday’s district title game against CB West at Temple University.
When the final horn sounded, the court was a sea of maroon and white as the players were lost in the middle of the throng of students who stormed the court.
“I was just in disbelief,” senior captain Deja Rawls said. “I couldn’t believe we were one game away from what we’ve wanted all year, which is a championship.
“I’m just excited for Friday, especially since our boys are playing too.”
Rawls scored 16 points, pulled down six rebounds and handed out four assists. Sammy Lochner led all scorers with 20 points, which included three three-pointers. Senior Bre Bermel added 10 points.
“That’s Bre’s potential,” coach Dan Marsh said. “We’ve seen it in flashes, but when she’s focused and ready to play, she’s a very, very good basketball player.”
Early on, it didn’t look as though things were going the Ghosts’ way. Fifty seconds into the game, sophomore center Lizzie O’Leary was whistled for her second foul and took a seat on the bench, and when Amy Roth scored with just over three minutes remaining in the quarter, the Rams led 12-6.
A Lochner three-pointer made it a three-point game, and when Rawls scored after a Leah Simmons steal on the ensuing inbounds, the Ghosts trailed by just one. Lochner scored on a drive, and the Ghosts had a lead they would not lose.
“We knew when Lizzie fouled we were in trouble, but Bre played amazing, and Lizzie didn’t have any more fouls after that, so we were all back in the game,” Lochner said. “We just worked together.”
A trey by Rawls was followed by an O’Leary bucket, and the Ghosts took an 18-12 lead into the second quarter.
The Rams made it a 19-16 game after a Roth bucket, but Nolan buried a three-pointer and then it was Nolan finding Bermel for a basket and a 24-16 Ghost lead.
“As a team, we know our roles,” Bermel said. “If you start or if you don’t, you come out on fire. Coming out and helping the team – I feel good.
“I helped start something, and we all got it together.”
Another Lochner three-pointer gave the Ghosts a 27-16 lead. They still led by 11 at halftime.
“Lizzie gets two quick fouls, but I have confidence in these kids,” Marsh said. “I have confidence in Leah (Simmons). She came in and blocked (Maggie Locke’s) shot right off the bat, and I think that gave us a spark – Leah can handle her, we’re okay.”
The Ghosts were more than okay. They owned the third quarter, outscoring the Rams 17-4 to go on top 51-27.
As a result of their win, the Ghosts have earned the rematch they were hoping for with Central Bucks West. The Bucks handed the Ghosts a loss in the SOL Tournament title game.
“It’s a rematch,” Rawls said. “We just have to go out and give our all. We’ll see them on Friday.”
Spring-Ford 14-9-4-16 43
Abington 18-16-17-15 66
Spring-Ford (43) – Julianna Alessandroni 0 0-0 0; Abby Beyer 2 0-0 4; Alyssa Conway 1 0-0 2; Kali Gill 0 0-0 0; Maddie Haney 1 0-0 3; Lauryn Hart 0 0-0 0; Molly Hynes 0 0-0 0; Maggie Locke 4 3-7 11; Delaney Lynam 0 0-0 0; Jill Mariani 1 2-2 4; Lauren Mensch 0 0-0 0; Lexie Nugent 0 0-0 0; Julia Roshelli 2 1-2 5; Amy Roth 3 0-0 6; Sydney Wagner 3 0-0 6; Emily Walker 1 0-0 2; 18 6-13 43.
Abington (66) – Jordyn Allen 1 0-0 2; Bre Bermel 5 0-0 10; Raylor Deal 0 0-0 0; Mauve Hughes 0 0-0 0; Britney James 1 0-0 2; Sammy Lochner 8 1-2 20; Gabby Nolan 2 2-2 8; Lizzie O’Leary 2 0-0 4; Shelly Pierela 0 0-0 0; Deja Rawls 6 2-5 16; Leah Simmons 2 0-1 4; Totas 27 5-10 66.
3-point field goals:
PLAYBACKS
#7 UPPER DUBLIN 38, #3 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 30
The Flying Cardinals used a 13-0 fourth quarter to put away the Mount in Wednesday’s playback game. Allison Chernow, who had a game-high 16 points, scored eight points in the frame.
The Cardinals led 11-6 after one quarter and took an 18-13 lead into halftime. It was still a five-point game entering the final quarter (25-20) when the Cardinals outscored their hosts 13-10.
Julie Cross added 10 points for the Cardinals, who will face Garnet Valley in Saturday’s fifth place game.
Upper Dublin 11-7-7-13 38
Mount St. Joseph 6-7-7-10 30
Upper Dublin (38) – Julie Cross 10, Allison Chernow 16, Josie Barrett 5, Demi Balasa 3, Alissa Klammer 4.
Mount St. Joseph (30) – Caitlyn Cunningham 9, Kristin Lucas 4, Libby Tacka 3, Mary Kate Ulasewicz 8, Sarah Wills 6.
#4 GARNET VALLEY 44, #8 NORTH PENN 37
The Jaguars used a late game surge to earn the come-from-behind win over the Lady Knights.
North Penn appeared to be in command early, opening up a 14-8 lead after one quarter. The Lady Knights took a 23-18 lead into halftime. They scored just five points in a third quarter that saw the Jaguars go on top 29-28. Things didn’t improve a whole lot in a fourth quarter that saw Maddie Ireland score eight points – including two three’s – as the Jaguars outscored the Lady Knights 15-9.
Mikaela Giuliani led the Lady Knights with 12 points. Taylor Thames and Irisa Ye both scored six.
Maddie Ireland led the Jaguars with 17 while Jordan Ireland had 14.
North Penn will face Mount Saint Joseph in a seventh place game on Saturday.
North Penn 14-9-5-9 37
Garnet Valley 8-10-11-15 44
North Penn (37) – Mikaela Giuliani 12, Jess Huber 3, Jess McKenzie 4, Taylor Putnam 3, Taylor Thames 6, Irisa Ye 6, Sam Carangi 3.
Garnet Valley (44) – Jordan Ireland 14, Maddie Ireland 17, Macy Goldbach 8, Sydney Fall 5.
#1 BOYERTOWN 51, #12 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 44
The Titans appeared poised to pull off an upset of the top-seeded Bears, opening up a 19-8 lead after one quarter and taking a 30-18 lead into halftime. Then came a third quarter that saw the Titans score just two points while the Bears exploded for 17. The Bears went on to outscore the Titans 33-14 in the second half to bring an end to CB South’s successful season.
Taylor Dunn led the Titans with 15 points while Jordan Vitelli added 13. Sam Clevenstine had six.
Abby Kapp, who led all scorers with 18 points, scored nine points in the fourth quarter.
Central Bucks South 19-11-2-12 44
Boyertown 8-10-17-16 51
Central Bucks South (44) – Sam Clevenstine 6, Taylor Dunn 15, Chloe Entenberg 4, Emma Gardy 3, Kaley Smith 3, Jordan Vitelli 13.
Boyertown (51) – Ali Bauman 7, Jordan Webb 5, Sarafina Valenti 4, Allie Marcus 9, Abby Kapp 18, Maria Garafolo 6, Sam Brensinger 2
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