Check out the results for SOL girls' basketball teams in action Wednesday.
William Tennent Holiday Tournament
WILLIAM TENNENT 56, QUAKERTOWN 30
The Panthers – under first-year coach Laura Whitney – have made defense a point of emphasis, and scoring points has sometimes been a struggle. Through seven games, they’ve averaged just 30 points a contest.
In Wednesday’s title game, the Panthers exploded for 20 points in the first quarter, opening up a 20-11 lead and stretching that to 36-19 by halftime.
“We were able to jump out early, create some turnovers,” Whitney said of her team’s fast start. “Today was a great team win.
“Everyone stepped up. Even the girls that were struggling lately stepped up and played really well. Offensively, we really just executed. We moved the ball well, got some wide open shots. It helps if you make shots.”
Fifty-six points represented the Panthers’ highest offensive output of the season.
“The last couple of games we’ve been honing in on the defense, and that’s what has kept us in the games,” Whitney said. “I told the girls – I’m so happy for them to get the win.
“We did a lot of great things, but as a coach, there are things you always want to improve and think you can do better. Even though it was a convincing win, the defense wasn’t up to where we’d like it to be, but it was still good enough to get the win. I’m even more happy with the way we played on offense. That was really the biggest encouragement that came out of the game.”
Three Panthers finished the game in double figures – Emma Stanfield led all scorers with 18 points while Kyla Gibson added 11 and Brianna Broccardi, 10 points. Stanfield and Gibson both were named to the all-tournament team.
“I’m hoping this gives the girls some confidence,” Whitney said. “I know they were definitely excited after the game.
“Now that we’re heading back into league play with two big games – I’m hoping that we can carry this into next week and use it as momentum. I think they’re finally starting to believe in themselves. They’re having success, and the things that we’ve been talking about – they’re working. I’m hoping they can carry this as we move forward.”
For the Panthers, Marina Cooke and Jill Martin led the way with 13 points each. Cooke – who scored 13 of the Panthers’ 19 first-half points – also was named to the all-tournament squad.
William Tennent (3-5, 0-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and Quakertown (2-5, 0-2) will be on the road at Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
Quakertown 11-8-6-5 30
William Tennent 20-16-14-6 56
Quakertown (30) – Kimmy Best 2, Marina Cooke 13, Caitlin Rosenberger 2, Jill Martin 13.
William Tennent (56) – Kelly Scipione 5, Kyla Gibson 11, Jenna Rodebaugh 2, Emma Stanfield 18, Brynn Evans 4, Jess Rutkowsky 4, Brianna Broccardi 10, Paige Schmidt 2.
Upper Merion Holiday Tournament
WISSAHICKON 33, UPPER MERION 32 (OT)
Sydney Ott buried a three-pointer with 4.6 seconds remaining in overtime, erasing a two-point deficit and propelling the Trojans to the thrilling win in Wednesday’s title game. The win came off the heels of Carly Fadel scoring on a putback at the buzzer to give the Trojans a two-point win over Council Rock South one day earlier.
“These last two days have been so exciting,” coach Rodney Cline said. “To come out on the other end of the score – I’m so happy for our girls.
“After what we’ve been through the past two or three years, it just makes it so rewarding, so refreshing to know if you’re resilient and if you keep buying into what my staff and I are trying to put together as far as the program is concerned and understand that it’s about having faith in what we do, it’s about having faith in each other and being a unit and staying together and staying positive. It’s about character education.”
The win was the third of the season for the Trojans. Last year, it took them an entire season to get three wins after a two-win season the preceding year.
“I always tell them – ‘You learn a lot about life and about yourself and accountability and responsibility through sports,’” Cline said. “This environment tonight – being away – just shows how much they’ve matured. To put 10 players out on the floor, five seniors and five underclassmen, just shows how much we grew up in these past two years. It’s a collective effort.
“It’s about just sticking with it. You’re going to fall down, you’re going to get run over a couple of times, but the ones that are able to get back up are the ones that are really going to succeed in life. Hopefully, they understand. They might not appreciate it now as much, but later in life, they’re going to look back. This is a life lesson that they’ve been through. I’m just so proud of them and so happy for them.”
The Trojans, who led 9-2 after one quarter, took a 15-11 lead into halftime.
“We were missing some layups that we should have capitalized on but didn’t,” Cline said. “They played strong defensively, and they capitalized on our turnovers.”
The Vikings outscored the Trojans 14-5 in the third quarter and took a 25-20 lead into the final frame.
“We said to our girls – ‘It’s 5-0. They had their run,’” Cline said. “We always talk to the girls about the ebbs and flows, and as long as we withstand their run and keep it to one or two possessions, we’ll be okay. There’s a lot of time.
“We kept hanging tough. We went to the free throw line, and in the fourth quarter, we were 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
“That’s usually our Achilles heel from the free throw line, so we were working on that a lot at practice. There were times when we were rattled a little bit, but we kept our poise, and they started making plays.”
Helma Meiby, Julianne Griffin and Victoria Selverian were each 2-for-2 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
The Trojans led by three with less than 25 seconds remaining, but a turnover gave the Vikings a chance to tie it up, and they did just that, knotting the score with a three-pointer. The Trojans misfired on a shot to win it, setting the stage for overtime.
“There were a couple of turnovers both ways,” Cline said of the overtime. “They get a fast break, and their girl makes a layup, so they went up two with a little bit over a minute left.
“We bring the ball down, and I call a timeout. We hold the ball, we’re moving the ball with patience. My best three-point shooter – Sydney Ott – had some open looks. She’s on the right wing, and I’m yelling ‘shoot,’ but she doesn’t shoot and passes it back out. We reverse the ball, it comes back to her. There were six seconds on the clock, she shoots the ball and hits nothing but net.
“There’s 4.6 seconds on the clock. They call timeout, and we put our best defender on their point guard. She shoots the ball from 30 feet out, it goes off the backboard, and we win the ball game.”
Ott led the Trojans with eight points while Griffin and Brianna Tilghman both added six.
Cline tipped his hat to assistants Dave Giordano, Andre Brickey and Colleen Hinde.
“My staff and how we work together and the continuous support and togetherness – we are so close, and I think that makes a big difference to have your staff as close as we are and to be together like we are,” he said. “The camaraderie – I’m so grateful for it. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.”
Wissahickon (3-4, 0-3 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Wissahickon 9-6-5-10-3 33
Upper Merion 2-9-14-5-2 32
Wissahickon (33) – Brianna Tilghman 6, Jasmine Bishop 3, Carolina Mack 2, Sydney Ott 8, Hilma Meiby 2, Julianne Griffin 6, Victoria Selverian 4, Carly Fadel 2.
Upper Merion (32) – Parson 1, Jordan Wilson 11, Anthony 2, Davis 2, Harvey 3, Jessica Michael 13.
KENNETT 43, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 39
Downingtown West Holiday Tournament
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 46, DOWNINGTOWN WEST 21
If there was any doubt about the outcome of Wednesday’s title game, those doubts were put to rest in a second quarter that saw the Titans go on a 16-0 tear, turning a five-point lead after one quarter into a 29-8 advantage at halftime.
The Titans rolled to the decisive win over the Whippets, capturing the tournament title.
“I was really happy with our defensive effort and the way we communicated and were able to control the boards – I think that was the key to our success,” coach Beth Mattern said. “It was a nice team win since everyone was involved.
“It was fun to get out and execute and play well going into 2017.”
The Titans go into the new year with a perfect 8-0 record. Not bad for a team that lost four of its starters to graduation and the fifth – Mackenzie Ehresman – to a torn ACL.
“Did I envision that at the beginning of the season? No, but I’m really proud of the effort the girls have put forth on the court,” Mattern said. “I think their effort is showing in the production we’ve gotten.
“I didn’t really project that we’d be 8-0, but I think we’ve beaten a couple of very nice teams who are going to be good obviously in our league and also in district and potentially the state playoffs. We have to keep working and doing what’s working for us.”
Central Bucks South (8-0, 3-0 SOL) will be on the road for a non-league contest at Bishop Shanahan on Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 13-16-10-7 46
Downingtown West 8-0-6-7 21
Central Bucks South (46) – Lindsay Scott 7, Natalie DiSandro 1, Melissa Veal 2, Madi Aldinger 2, Haley Meinel 10, Alexa Brodie 11, Sofia Sonnet 2, Lexi Edwards 11.
Downingtown West (21) – Brown 10, Wenner 5, Bednarick 4, Couser 1, Reardon 1.
Robert Hopf Memorial Tournament
SPRINGFIELD 32, UPPER MORELAND 20
The Spartans, who led 10-4 after one quarter, took a 22-10 lead into halftime and then played the Golden Bears even in the second half of Wednesday’s consolation game. Seven players contributed scoring for the Spartans, who were led by the 12-point effort of Molly Dugan.
“Today was a big step forward,” coach Bill Krewson said. “It was a team effort that we will work to maintain moving forward in the season.
“Everyone contributed. We were pleased with the two freshmen, Rileigh (Serroni) and Brielle (Pratt), who came in and contributed to this effort. The girls worked hard on both sides of the ball.”
In addition to Dugan, Siana Wynn and Grace Barraclough both added six points.
For the Golden Bears, Phoebe Longstreth and Brianna Hughes led the way with six points each.
Springfield (4-4, 2-2 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Wednesday, and Upper Moreland (0-9, 0-3) will host Quakertown on Tuesday.
Springfield 10-12-9-1 32
Upper Moreland 4-6-8-2 20
Springfield (32) – Molly Dugan 12, Jameson Krewson 2, Mary Kate Smith 2, Siana Wynn 6, Grace Barraclough 6, Rileigh Serroni 2, Brielle Pratt 2.
Upper Moreland (20) – Phoebe Longstreth 6, Brianna Hughes 6, Noelle Woodman 4, Maura Casey 2, Cassidy Murphy 2.
Penncrest Holiday Tournament
HARRY S TRUMAN 42, SOUDERTON 37
Truman – because of its impressive 4-1 start – found itself in the headlines of Tuesday’s Bucks County Courier. One day later, the Tigers earned a win that easily trumped their first four, upsetting highly regarded Souderton in an opening round game.
“The article talked about how we were 4-1 and how that was the same amount of games we won all season last year,” coach Collette Munford said. “After we did our conditioning for practice yesterday, I took them in the center of the court, sat them down and said, ‘Here’s the thing – in the beginning of the season, no one was talking about us. They think it’s the same old, same old Truman, but you girls have been working during the offseason probably more than anybody. Now the word is out – they’re talking. Now we’re a team to watch. You have to clap it up for yourselves because you worked hard, but you still have a lot to prove because they counted you out.’
“I told them, ‘Tomorrow is a big game. (Souderton) is undefeated, but anybody is beatable. If you win that game, you’re going to be saying a whole lot.’”
With Wednesday’s win, the Tigers became the talk of the basketball. The element of surprise is officially gone. Teams sat up and took notice.
If it seems as though Munford and her players would be celebrating, guess again. “We want to win tomorrow, and we’ll definitely celebrate,” Munford said of Thursday’s title game against Penncrest.
The Tigers – behind nine points from sophomore Alexis McCoy – led 13-7 after one quarter, and they took a 22-16 lead into halftime. The Indians held a 10-6 scoring advantage in the third quarter, but the Tigers responded by edging the Indians 14-11 in the final quarter. McCoy was once against instrumental, scoring nine points.
“We led the whole game,” Munford said. “They tied it up at something like 28-28. They outscored us in the third quarter. We had a few turnovers, and they scored on our turnovers, but in the fourth quarter, we jumped right back on them. We took it and we ran with it.”
The Tigers won the game at the foul line where they connected on 19-of-30 attempts with McCoy burying 12-of-18. The Indians were 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. McCoy led all scorers with 18 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. Daeja Moore added 12 points, which included a 3-for-4 effort at the foul line. She also had five rebounds. Sabria Lytes added eight points and a team high 10 rebounds.
Souderton’s top scorer – senior Kate Connolly – finished with just two points. Megan Bealer (11 points) and Megan Walbrandt (10 points) led the Indians. Bealer buried three three-pointers. Tori Dowd added six points.
“They have shooters on that team – everybody is a factor,” Munford said. “We just pressed from out of the gate.
“We showed a few different defenses, and it worked.”
Harry S Truman (5-1, 1-1 SOL) will face Penncrest in Thursday’s title game at 3:45.
“Penncrest is undefeated too, and I told the girls – if we keep our heads in the game, anybody’s beatable,” Munford said. “We’re one game ahead of what we won all of last season, and the season’s just begun.”
Souderton (5-1, 2-0 SOL) will take on Audenried in Thursday’s consolation game at 2 p.m.
Harry S Truman 13-9-6-14 42
Souderton 7-9-10-11 37
Harry S Truman (42) – Daeja Moore 12, Daisha Campbell 2, Jayda Campbell 2, Aleix McCoy 18, Sabria Lytes 8.
Souderton (37) – Tori Dowd 6, Megan Bealer 11, Alana Cardona 3, Megan Walbrandt 10, Curran O’Donnell 3, Sami Falencki 2, Kate Connolly 2.
Upper Dublin Holiday Tournament
UPPER DUBLIN 48, SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL 37
Nicole Kaiser turned in a stellar outing for the Flying Cardinals, scoring a game high 26 points while also pulling down seven rebounds. Jackie Vargas added 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, and Josie Barrett contributed eight points and four assists. Maggie Weglos filled a stat sheet with four points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals.
The Cardinals opened up an 11-2 lead after one quarter and took a 26-17 lead into halftime. They added to that lead in the third quarter.
Upper Dublin (4-2, 1-1 SOL) will take on Abington in Thursday’s title game at 2:45 p.m.
Springside Chestnut Hill 2-15-6-14 37
Upper Dublin 11-15-11-11 48
ABINGTON 66, VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 36
The Ghosts took a 35-29 lead into halftime, but coach Dan Marsh wanted a much better showing in the second half.
“We have been trying to get back to establishing our identity, and we’ve had some really difficult practices over break,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “We came out kind of slow in the first half.
“I said to them, ‘You have to want to win, you have to want to play defense. I want them to have six points or less in the second half.’ We literally came out, and they had seven.”
The Ghosts outscored the Jems 17-3 in the third quarter and 31-7 in the second half.
“We’re so young, and we just don’t have the identity defensively that we need – I shouldn’t say we don’t have it, but it’s not consistent,” Marsh said. “That’s what we’re looking for – some defensive identity consistently.
“It was there in the second half. If we play the way we played in the second half, we can beat a lot of teams, but if we play like we did in the first half, we’re going to get beat by a lot of teams. It’s just a matter of what team do they want to be. Hopefully, we’ve figured that out.”
Lizzie O’Leary led the Ghosts with another double-double – 18 points and 12 rebounds. Sam Brusha and Kassondra Brown both had 10 points. Contributing seven points each were Jordyn Allen and Tamia Wesseles. Britney James added five points, six assists and six steals.
Abington (4-3, 1-2 SOL) will face Upper Dublin in Thursday’s title game at 2:45 p.m.
Abington 16-19-17-14 66
Villa Joseph Marie 17-12-3-4 36
Abington (66) – Jordyn Allen 7, Tamia Wessles 7, Lizzie O’Leary 18, Miranda Liebtag 5, Camryn Lexow 4, Britney James 5, Sam Brusha 10, Kassondra Brown 10.
Villa Joseph Marie (36) – Ebo 3, Eife 5, Hobbib 1, Morano 12, Whalen 13, Coogen 2.
Ridley Holiday Tournament
RIDLEY 38, PENNSBURY 26
Coach Frank Sciolla knew his team would have its hands full against the host Green Raiders, and the Falcons struggled out of the gate, falling behind 9-2. They regrouped and played their hosts even in the second and third quarters before Ridley closed it out with a 14-9 fourth quarter.
Only three players contributed scoring for the Falcons – Kate Mix (15 points), Sydney Buell (seven) and Nicole Baionno (four).
Pennsbury (3-4, 0-2 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Tuesday.
Pennsbury 2-9-6-9 26
Ridley 9-7-8-14 38
Pennsbury (26) – Nicole Baionno 4, Sydney Buell 7, Kate Mix 15.
Ridley (38) – Emma ayden 3, Shannon McKee 5, Paiage Gabriele 2, Hailee Mayer 7, Dana D’Ambrosio 8, Izzy Hamlin 13.
Boardwalk Classic – John Carlson Memorial Bracket
DOWNINGTOWN EAST 20, HATBORO-HORSHAM 18
Bella Smuda scored with 10 seconds remaining to break an 18-18 tie, and a Hatters’ shot at the buzzer fell short, allowing the Cougars to escape with the hard-fought win.
“It was a great defensive game,” coach Kathie Sims said. “Both teams worked very hard on defense, and that’s reflected in the score.
“I was pleased with how hard the girls worked. Despite a big height disadvantage, the girls worked their butts off on defense. They contested every shot.”
Julie Thornton led the Hatter with six points.
Hatboro-Horsham (4-6, 3-1 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 2-6-1-9 18
Downingtown East 5-5-6-4 20
Hatboro-Horsham (18) – Bergen Sims 5, Julia Thornton 6, Kylie Halko 5, Lexi Brett 2.
Downingtown East (20) – Riley 2, Tyrell 6, Welker 3, Smuda 6, Phelan 2, Williams 1.
Boardwalk Classic – GWTIDA Bracket
RED BANK CATHOLIC 53, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 37
The game started out on a positive note for the Indians, who led 9-6 after one quarter. The Golden Knights came back to take a 21-18 lead at halftime and added to that in the second half, outscoring the Indians by eight in the third quarter and never looking back.
Camryn Polinsky led the Indians with 11 points, which included three three-pointers. Becca Margolis added 10 points, and Dana Bandurick had seven.
Council Rock North (5-2, 3-0 SOL) will face West Chester Rustin in Thursday’s consolation game at 9:15 a.m. Rustin fell to Camden Catholic 57-55.
Council Rock North 9-9-6-13 37
Red Bank Catholic 6-15-14-18 53
Council Rock North (37) – Becca Margolis 10, Camryn Polinsky 11, Emily Mackin 2, Dana Bandurick 7, Kaelin Mealy 2, Hannah Weiler 1, Mackenzie Tinner 4.
Red Bank Catholic (53) – Eliza Srinivasan 2, Josephine Larkins 5, Kathryn Rice 15, Maureen Coakley 4, Julia Setaro 2, Hayley Moore 7, Rose Caverly 15, Amanda Hart 3.
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