Check out the results for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. Neshaminy/Truman photos provided courtesy of Jesse Garber (http://JSGarber.zenfolio.com/p1032811146)
American Conference
QUAKERTOWN 54, SPRINGFIELD 51 (OT)
It’s safe to say the Panthers are enjoying life in their new home – the SOL American Conference. After winning just two league games in the last three years comebined, the Panthers picked up their second conference win of the week, this time winning in dramatic fashion in overtime.
“Just that confidence has really helped them realize they can finish whereas last year and the year before you’re going up against Division One players, not just one but multiple on a team, and it’s nerveracking,” coach Brittany Remmey said. “I think this is our first overtime win.
“Just mentally, if you’ve never been in a close game, what do you do? What do we do when we’re up two? When we’re up one? We can actually practice that this year whereas in the past we’re not going to be in that situation.”
The Spartans, who trailed 12-11 after one quarter, took a 22-20 lead into halftime.
“They did a nice job against us, shutting Jill (Martin) down a little bit in the first half,” Remmey said. “We had 15 turnovers in the first half – everybody was like, ‘Who were you passing to? There was no one there.’
“But they did a nice job of pressuring us. The second half we regrouped and said, ‘You guys know what you’re doing. Run it.’”
And run it they did, rallying from a 34-28 deficit entering the final quarter to outscore the Spartans 18-12 with Martin scoring on a putback to tie it and send the game into overtime.
“Jill, Marina (Cooke) and Caitlin (Rosenberger) stepped up, finishing under the boards and also attacking the basket,” Remmey said. “It was nice to game plan and execute the game plan and actually come out with success.
“It was a good experience. In timeouts, they were focused. Just watching their faces was fun – I think I was smiling back at them because they were so focused and relaxed. They wanted to win. You could see it on their faces. It was fun.”
Martin led three Panthers in double figures with 17 points to go along with eight rebounds and five blocked shots. Rosenberger added 16 points and seven rebounds while Cooke added 12 points.
Remmey pointed to the leadership of her three captains – Martin, Cooke and Maggie Garlick – as a key to the win.
“Our three captains showed a lot of poise and control (late) in the game,” the Panthers’ coach said.
Remmey went on to credit Sam Howard for turning in a standout defensive effort against high-scoring Molly Dugan.
“We did a box-and-one on her,” the Panthers’ coach said. “She’s a nice player. She got a little frustrated, but honestly, I thought she did a great job.
“She still got 12 points, and it was literally whenever we did not do the box-and-one that she scored. Sam did an excellent job, and I’m very proud of her efforts she has made stepping up defensively this year.”
With Dugan the focal point of the Panthers’ defense, Springfield’s Grace Barraclough picked up the slack, leading all scorers with 20 points.
“She did a really nice job, especially in the first half,” Remmey said. “We didn’t focus on her – we told them, ‘Let the other kids score and beat us,’ and they did.
“She stepped up and hit some shots.”
Dugan and Rileigh Serroni both added 12 points for the Spartans.
Quakertown (4-5, 2-2 SOL) will be on the road at Saucon Valley for a non-league game Saturday at 1 p.m., and Springfield (4-6, 2-4) will host St. Basil Academy in a non-league game Saturday at 1 p.m.
Springfield 11-11-12-12-5 51
Quakertown 12-8-8-18-8 54
Springfield (51) – Molly Dugan 12, Mary Kate Smith 5, Siana Wynn 2, Grace Barraclough 20, Rileigh Serrone 12.
Quakertown (54) – Sam Howard 5, Maggie Garlick 2, Roni Best 2, Marina Cooke 12, Caitlin Rosenberger 16, Jill Martin 17.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 58, CHELTENHAM 24
The Colonials put on a torrid offensive display in the opening eight minutes, exploding out of the gate to a 26-8 lead. Lauren Fortescue and Ali Diamond led the charge with eight points each as both connected on a pair of three-pointers. Taylor O’Brien added six points and also was instrumental on the defensive end, picking up several steals to ignite the Colonials’ dangerous attack.
PW took a 35-16 lead into halftime and outscored the Lady Panthers 23-8 in the second half.
Fortescue led all scorers with 17 points – 12 in the first half. O’Brien added 14 points – 11 in the opening half, and Diamond added 13 points. Lauren Coscia contributed eight points. The Colonials buried seven three-pointers.
For the Lady Panthers, Mia Leonard posted another double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds to go along with six blocked shots in three quarters of action.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (9-0, 5-0 SOL) will host Quakertown on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (5-6, 3-2) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 26-9-10-13 58
Cheltenham 8-8-2-6 24
Plymouth Whitemarsh (58) – Taylor O’Brien 14, Laure Fortescue 17, Ali Diamond 13, Haley Zygmunt 3, Laurel Suchsland 3, Lauren Coscia 8.
Cheltenham (58) – Madison Rorer 3, Mia Leonard 12, Taylor Johnson 5, Kelia Holmes 2, Nashira Brown 2.
WISSAHICKON 39, UPPER MORELAND 20
The Trojans took an 18-10 lead into halftime and went on to outscore their visitors 21-10 in the second half.
“We finally played the way we should play in the second half,” coach Rodney Cline said. “We had a little pep talk at halftime, and they came out and played fundamentally sound.
“We played our game. We just have to play our game. The only way we’re going to lose right now is if we beat ourselves. It’s more mental for us than anything else.”
Fourteen players saw action for the Trojans, who were led by Julianne Griffin’s nine points. Victoria Selverian added eight points and Carly Fadel, six.
“We played good defense,” Cline said. “We were fundamentally sound in the second half. We ran the offense like we’re supposed to.
“We did the little things that we preach all the time – have patience, poise and execute what we do. Do the little things. That’s what we’re trying to incorporate in our program. We just have to keep doing that regardless who we play. Just make sure we go out there and play our game – it’s about fundamentals and little things first and that will create the big things, let our defense create our offense.”
Wissahickon (5-4, 2-3 SOL) will travel to West Chester East on Saturday for a non-league game at 2:30 p.m. Upper Moreland (0-11, 0-5) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday.
Upper Moreland 5-5-4-6 20
Wissahickon 9-9-11-10 39
Upper Moreland (20) – Caitlin Corr 2, Hannah Stainback 2, Brianna Hughes 6, Noelle Woodman 5, Maura Casey 2, Meakim 1, Finn 2.
Wissahickon (39) – Brianna Tilghman 5, Lexi Carradorini 4, Carolina Mack 1, Sydney Ott 5, Julianne Griffin 9, Victoria Selverian 8, Kelly Dickson 1, Carly Fadel 6.
UPPER DUBLIN 58, HATBORO-HORSHAM 19
Nicole Kaiser and Josie Barrett both scored 15 points to lead the Cardinals to the convincing win. Barrett buried five three-pointers. Kaiser added five rebounds. Freshman Jackie Vargas added seven points, six rebounds and four blocks in a contest that saw 10 players contribute scoring for UD.
It was Kaiser scoring six points to spark a 14-4 first quarter for the Cards, who went into halftime with a 26-8 lead. Kaiser had 10 in the half.
Barrett had the hot hand in the third quarter, connecting on three three-pointers as the Cardinals went on an 18-5 tear.
Camryn Ryan had four points to lead the Hatters.
Upper Dublin (6-3, 3-1 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Saturday to face the Knights at 1:30 p.m. in the first half of a girls/boys doubleheader as part of the SOL Challenge. Hatboro-Horsham (4-8, 3-3) will host Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 4-4-5-6 19
Upper Dublin 14-12-18-14 58
Hatboro-Horsham (19) – Bergen Sims 2, Julia Thornton 3, Kylie Halko 3, Lexi Brett 3, Camryn Ryan 4, Nikki Williams 2.
Upper Dublin (58) – Tyalor Purshock 2, Meghan Barbera 2, Nicole Kaiser 15, Josie Barrett 15, Hannah Reape 3, Kara Grebe 4, Demi Balasa 5, Maggie Weglos 3, Becky Browndorf 2, Jackie Vargas 7.
Continental Conference
PENNRIDGE 45, WILLIAM TENNENT 31
The Rams got off to a fast start, opening up a 17-7 lead after one quarter, and they went into halftime with a 25-18 lead. They outscored the Panthers 20-13 in the second half.
For a Rams squad that has struggled to find its offensive stride, the game was exactly what the doctor ordered.
“We haven’t had that many practices lately – it seems like we’re playing all the time, but our practices over the last two days were all around offense,” coach Mike Elton said. “If you look at our last few games, we really haven’t done well offensively.
“We worked on the timing, and we had a couple of players come up pretty big. The reason we’ve been missing a lot of shots is because we’re not taking those quality shots. We spent time working on getting people in a better position to take the shots.
“When we looked at game film over the last couple of games, that’s what we saw. It wasn’t the fact that we’re not taking enough shots, it’s not the fact that we can’t be decent shooters – we’re not taking quality shots and then we’re rushing shots. We’re not looking for that extra pass sometimes. That’s what we focused on all week.”
Brooke Bachtle, who finished with a game high 16 points, buried a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter, and Gillian Anderson also had two baskets.
“We had a good first quarter,” Elton said. “It all comes down to confidence.
“We’ve had some long stretches of not good offense, a lot of missed shots.
“When you go to practice and you work on trying to fix it, and then you come out and you’re able to fix some of the problems, that’s big for them. I think that built confidence through the rest of the game.”
The win was the first of the season in league play for the Rams.
“Not only are we in a tough conference, but we also have a pretty tough non-conference schedule,” Elton said. “You take the wins where you can and celebrate where you can.
“Now we have to get ready for North Penn, but coming off a game like this where we shot better and I think the kids felt better – it puts you in a better mindset for next week. It recharges them a little bit.”
In addition to Bachtle, Anderson and Samantha Muredda also finished in double figures with 10 points each.
Tennent was led by the 10-point effort of Emma Stanfield while Kyla Gibson added nine.
“It was a really disappointing effort from our team tonight,” coach Laura Whitney said. “We came out flat, with no energy, and played with no sense of urgency. It’s probably the worst we have played all season.
“I think what is most disappointing is the fact that we have been really competitive the last several games and have made so much progress, but to play the way we did tonight was unacceptable. We just didn’t seem to be mentally in the game, and that can’t happen, especially in conference play.”
Pennridge (5-7, 1-4 SOL) will host North Penn on Tuesday, and William Tennent (3-7, 0-4) will travel to Bensalem for a non-league game Monday.
Pennridge 17-8-11-9 45
William Tennent 7-11-6-7 31
Pennridge (45) – Samantha Muredda 10, Brooke Bachtle 16, Gillian Anderson 10, Rose McCormick 2, Claire Podraza 2, Stephanie Cicero 2, Emilee Cramer 3.
William Tennent (31) – Kelly Scipione 1, Kyla Gibson 9, Emma Stanfield 10, Bryn Evans 2, Jess Rutkowsky 4, Brianna Broccardi 5.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 56, SOUDERTON 44
The Indians battled the Bucks to a 14-14 tie after one quarter, but the Bucks outscored their visitors 33-19 over the middle two quarters. They began to take control with a 19-12 second quarter to go into halftime with a seven-point lead, and they added to that lead in the third quarter.
Senior Maggie Rakowsky led the Bucks with 14 points while freshman Maddie Burke added 13, including three three-pointers. Sophomore Diane Nicholson added 10 points and had a pair of three’s. Tori Abelson also had 10 points as the Bucks had four players in double figures.
For the Indians, sophomore Megan Walbrandt led the way with 13 points, which included a 5-for-7 effort at the foul line. Tori Dowd and Kate Connolly both added nine points, and Alana Cardona had eight.
Central Bucks West (8-2, 4-1 SOL) will host Audenried Charter on Tuesday in a non-league contest, and Souderton (6-3, 2-2) will host Owen J Roberts on Monday at 6 p.m. in a non-league game.
Souderton 14-12-7-11 44
Central Bucks West 14-19-14-9 56
Souderton (44) – Tori Dowd 9, Megan Bealer 2, Alana Cardona 8, Megan Walbrandt 13, Sami Falencki 3, Kate Connolly 9.
Central Bucks West (56) – Abbey Spratt 4, Diane Nicholson 10, Maddie Burke 13, Tori Abelson 10, Izzy Treon 5, Maggie Rakowsky 14.
National Conference
NESHAMINY 49, HARRY S TRUMAN 36
Sparked by five points from Brooke Mullin and four each from Emily Alexis, Kristin Curley and Devon Storms, the Redskins raced out of the gate to a 17-7 lead at the end of one quarter. They maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way, going into halftime with a 27-15 lead. Storms scored all 10 of her points in the opening half.
Mullin led the ‘Skins with a game high 15 points. Alexis added eight and Curley, six points.
For the Tigers, Sabria Lytes had a team high 14 points and eight rebounds. Jayda Campbell added 10 points.
Neshaminy (7-2, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Lawrenceville School on Monday for a non-league game, and Harry S Truman (6-3, 1-3) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 7-8-13-8 36
Neshaminy 17-10-11-11 49
Harry S Truman (36) – Daeja Moore 2, Daisha Campbell 2, Jayda Campbell 10, Briana Cliney 4, Alexis McCoy 4, Sabria Lytes 14.
Neshaminy (49) – Emily Alexis 8, Brooke Mullin 15, Kristin Curley 6, Meghan Ansel 2, Devon Storms 10, Allison Harvey 5.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 55, BENSALEM 26
The Golden Hawks’ offense was firing on all cylinders in the first quarter, opening, up a 27-10 lead over their visitors on their way to a 36-15 halftime advantage. Faith Turner scored 10 of her team high 16 points in the half while Allison McGowan had nine of her 11 points before the intermission on three three-pointers.
Claudia Steinmetz contributed 10 points to a balanced Golden Hawk attack.
Chloe Munyon and Anna Dean led the Owls with eight points each. Haley Keenan added seven.
Council Rock South (6-4, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Notre Dame Green Pond for a non-league game Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and Bensalem (2-8, 0-4) will host William Tennent in a non-league game on Monday.
Bensalem 10-5-4-7 26
Council Rock South 27-15-11-8 55
Bensalem (26) – Sydney Bawuah 2, Michele Sit 1, Haley Keenan 7, Chloe Munyon 8, Anna Dean 8.
Council Rock South (55) – Kasey Schlupp 3, Payton Spadaccino 5, Allison McGowan 11, Faith Turner 16, Alex Szydlik 4, Bailey Vetter 4, Claudia Steinmetz 10.
Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 50, ABINGTON 44
It’s too early to say Friday’s non-league game against the Ghosts was a must-win for the Patriots, but it came pretty close. The Patriots had won three straight after a 1-4 start, but the combined record of those three teams did not help the Patriots in the power point rankings.
Friday’s win over an Abington squad that plans to win plenty of games before the season is through will definitely help.
“It was huge,” coach Liz Potash said. “We told the girls we knew this was a big game, and it’s really important to get the win.
“I was really proud –in the fourth quarter at the end, I thought our seasoned vets really took care of the ball well and made some good decisions.”
The Patriots connected on 5-of-7 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, and armed with a lead, they effectively ran time off the clock.
“Our composure definitely has improved throughout the last two-three years with this team,” Bridget Birkhead said. “I think our experience just showed tonight. We’re a varsity team of all juniors and seniors, and that was in our favor.
“Our first two games of the season were kind of shaky, but we came back and played two really tough games but lost in overtime. I think we showed we’re not going to sit back and let teams beat us. We’re here to play. I think this little winning streak will help push us forward that much more.”
“Even in the games we did lose, we knew we were right there,” Bailey McManus added. “We just needed to make a couple more shots, and we would be right there with any good team.
“We needed this win to just boost our confidence and know we can beat a good team and compete with any team we play.”
After an Abington miss with 3:45 remaining and East on top 43-40, the Patriots spread the floor. Twice they misfired on shots but came up with the rebound on both occasions.
With 1:40 remaining, Bri Talbot found Sophia Mancuso wide open under the basket for an easy deuce. After a Birkhead steal, McManus connected on both ends of a crucial one-and-one.
“I just remembered all the times I shot foul shots in practice, and I definitely have been shooting more and practicing and taking shots with coach,” McManus said. “I just remembered that I know I’m a good shooter. I just need to focus. It’s more of a mental thing than if I can make them or not.”
Trailing 47-40, the Ghosts trimmed East’s advantage to five after a Britney James bucket. East missed the front end of a one-and-one, and at the other end, O’Leary scored on a putback to make it a 47-44 game with 23 seconds remaining. Mancuso sank both ends of a huge one-and-one to push East’s lead back to five, and when Birkhead came up with a steal on the defensive end and sank one-of-two from the foul line with 16 seconds remaining, a win was all but assured for the Patriots.
“I definitely felt that in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, we were hanging on by a thread defensively because they’re big,” Potash said. “That’s the biggest team we’re going to see.”
The Patriots never trailed in Friday’s win, although the Ghosts twice tied the game in the opening quarter. Sparked by five points from McManus, the Patriots led 12-10 after one quarter. Kassondra Brown – a presence in the paint all night – led the Ghosts with six in the frame. In the second quarter, Birkhead found her offensive stride, scoring six points. The Patriots took a 26-21 lead into halftime.
“I thought it was a really great team effort,” Potash said. “We were in foul trouble in the first half.
“Bri (Talbot) and Grace (Stewart) both had two fouls, and we didn’t want them to pick up three. Gina Russo gave us great minutes. I thought Sophia Mancuso gave us minutes. ‘A ‘(Audrey LaBouliere) threw in a couple of minutes when we needed her. They stepped in before halftime and were able to get us through.”
The Ghosts outscored the Patriots to 13-10 in the third quarter to make it a 36-34 game heading into the final quarter and Kassondra Brown (four points, four rebounds) and Lizzie O’Leary (two points, five rebounds) dominated the paint in the frame. But that trend didn’t continue as the Patriots seemed to grab every rebound that mattered down the stretch.
“When O’Leary and Brown went to get a rebound, that kind of fueled our fire for the next shot if they put it up and missed – we’re getting that next rebound, and we’re pushing it up the court,” Birkhead said. “I think that helped us get our momentum back even if it was lost for a few minutes.”
The Patriots also switched up their defenses midway through the third quarter.
“I thought we got some really key rebounds on both the offensive and defensive sides when we had to,” Potash said. “They’re a really tough team, and I thought the girls really executed well because what we worked on the last two days and the way we wanted to defend – it just wasn’t working in the first half, so we had to switch it up, and they did it on the fly.”
Birkhead finished with a game-high 17 points while McManus added 14. Mancuso added seven. For the Ghosts, Brown (12 points), Sam Brusha (11 points) and O’Leary (nine points) led the way.
“They’re always a good defensive team,” coach Dan Marsh said of the Patriots. “I knew before the game – the atmosphere. We were too relaxed. We just don’t play with enough urgency, and if we don’t learn that, then we’re going to be in trouble.
“This team gave us multiple opportunities to win this game, and our kids didn’t seize it. That concerns me. I’m hoping it’s youth. We’ll get there. Give East credit too.”
Central Bucks East (5-4, 2-2 SOL) will be back on the court Saturday when the Patriots host Penn Wood in a non-league game at 2:30 p.m. Abington (6-4, 2-2) will travel to Boyertown for a non-league game Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
Abington 10-11-13-10 44
Central Bucks East 12-14-10-14 50
Abington (44) – Britney James 4, Camryn Lexow 5, Kassondra Brown 12, Jordyn Allen 3, Sam Brusha 11.
Central Bucks East (50) – Sophia Mancuso 7, Bridget Birkhead 17, Gina Russo 2, Megan Browne 2, Bailey McManus 14, Briana Talbot 4, Grace Stewart 4.
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