Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CB West/CB South photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. CLICK HERE for a gallery of photos. Neshaminy/Pennsbury photo provided courtesy of Jesse Garber (https://JSGarber.zenfolio.com/p24408915)
SOL National Conference
NESHAMINY 33, PENNSBURY 30
Playing in front of a full house on Quarry Hill Elementary Night, both teams gave fans their money’s worth in Tuesday’s rivalry game.
“It was an incredible atmosphere,” coach Frank Sciolla said. “Our stands were packed. We’ve been getting great crowds.
“It had that feel that I recognized for many years on that sideline. Neshaminy was healthy tonight. They played against Souderton without Alexa McCoy and (Olivia) Scotti got hurt. They played Abington without McCoy, but everybody was back. All pistons were firing and ready to roll. You’re going to get their best because they are so good. They’re so incredibly physical. They’re so smart in tight quarters with their physicality, and they did a great job on defense tonight.”
The Falcons delighted their fans by rallying from 10 down late in the game to make things real interesting in the game’s closing minutes, but their shot for the tie with time winding down fell short, allowing the Redskins to escape with the win.
“The game was a defensive struggle,” Neshaminy coach Joe Lally said. “We held them to 10 field goals, which was great, but we struggled ourselves on the offensive side, which didn’t help us out any.
“It was one of those cross-town rival wars. It was physical, it was loud. I’m really happy with the way our kids played defense, I really am. They’ve gotten that message and they’re playing great defense. We’ve got some things we’ve got to tighten up on the offensive end, that’s all.”
It was the Redskins – behind nine points from Brooke Mullin – opening up a 16-9 lead after one quarter, but then came a second quarter that saw both teams go scoreless.
“We got in foul trouble immediately,” Sciolla said. “We got in foul trouble at the four-minute mark of the first quarter when it was tied 9-9, and then we didn’t score again the rest of the half.
“The good news was they didn’t score in the second quarter, but then we were down 16-9 at the half. You’re trying to massage the game against a team that is so junior and senior-oriented and so savvy in big game situations. It was by far the most physical game our girls have played in and certainly the atmosphere – this is what we wanted, this is what we have been building for.”
The Redskins led 26-23 after three quarters but stretched that lead to 33-23 in the final frame only to watch the Falcons battle back.
“We had a really weird dynamic with about 40 seconds to go,” Sciolla said. “We thought we had the ball, and it was flipped, it was overturned.
“We got another stop, and with seven seconds to go, we had an inbounds to tie the game, but we weren’t able to knock the shot down and they got the rebound, and they won.
“It’s something they’ve done a lot. They’ve been in that spot so often, they have an understanding of how to win. We are trying to get to that point and learn. We certainly were really proud of the poise our girls showed. We get such great energy and effort from everyone who played tonight.”
Mullin led all scorers with 15 points while Kristin Curley added eight and Kowalick had six.
“Defensively, it’s been a great team effort, it really has,” Lally said. “Seeing substantial improvement from kids like Kelli Kowalick really helps us a lot.”
Sciolla had high praise for the effort of the Redskins.
“They did a great job at times of getting loose balls,” the Falcons’ coach said. “Kelli Kowalick played really well for them as she always does. You do not win championships without kids like that because she sacrifices and gives you what you need. (Emily) Tantala made a big shot for them, and as usual, Brooke (Mullin) is really good getting to the offensive boards.”
Ava Sciolla’s 11 points led the Falcons. Mary Miller added seven and Cami Wiegand had six. Kate Mix had five rebounds and a steal while Mary Miller had three rebounds, five deflections and one block. Bella Arcuri added three rebounds, four deflections, two steals, one assist and one charge.
“Bella Arcuri was so great in the comeback and so was Mary Miller in terms of getting their hands on basketballs, giving us an opportunity to get there,” Sciolla said. “I thought Kate Mix really battled tonight on the interior, especially because we had to go about 12 minutes changing the way we wanted to play.”
Prior to the start of the game, the Falcons recognized Allison Harvey and Brooke Mullin for reaching the 1,000-point milestone.
“As I was doing the research on their careers, more impressive is the fact that these girls are going to average 20 wins a year in their high school careers,” Sciolla said. “They’ve won two Suburban One (National Conference) titles and they’ve gone to the Elite Eight twice, and they’ve seen atmospheres like this. I’m not sure how much in our league, but they’re able to handle it.
“This run of Neshaminy basketball over the last four years is not just the best run in the girls’ history, it’s the best run in the guys’ history. Let’s not make any mistake here – this is the gold standard, and when (Lally) saw we were having situations personnel-wise during the course of the game, he and his staff are smart enough to take advantage of that. For us to shut them out in the second quarter while we weren’t scoring was really good for us, a great job by our girls.”
Neshaminy (14-2, 6-0 SOL) will host Bensalem on Thursday, and Pennsbury (11-3, 4-2) will host Council Rock North on Thursday.
Neshaminy 16-0-10-7 33
Pennsbury 9-0-14-7 30
Neshaminy (33) – Emily Tantala 2, Olivia Scotti 2, Brooke Mullin 15, Kristin Curley 8, Kelli Kowalick 6.
Pennsbury (30) – Bella Arcuri 4, Kate Mix 2, Mary Miller 7, Ava Sciolla 11, Cami Wiegand 6.
WILLIAM TENNENT 53, HARRY S TRUMAN 15
The Panthers brought a welcome end to an 11-game skid with a convincing win over the visiting Tigers. The win was the first in conference play for the Panthers.
“It feels good to get back in the win column,” coach Laura Whitney said. “I’m happy for our girls. They have played hard all season, and even though they haven’t seen the results they want, they continue to work hard and stay positive. It was a great team win tonight, and everyone contributed.”
The Panthers led from wire to wire, and behind seven points from Caitlin Somerville and six from Haley Crossley, they led 18-4 after one quarter. Chelsea Melzter had the hot had in the second quarter, scoring 10 points while Jenna Rodebaugh added five, including her second three of the game.
Somerville led three Panthers in double figures with 15 points. Meltzer added 12 points, and Crossley had 11. Rodebaugh contributed eight points.
“We have talked a lot lately about our decision making and being more patient on offense and getting better quality shots,” Whitney said. “I was really pleased with how we shared the ball tonight. As a team, we were so unselfish and made the extra pass, which led to great shots. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum into our remaining games and finish out the season strong.”
Truman – who was without Haniyyah Jones and Daisha Campbell – was led by the 11-point effort of Hannah Smith.
William Tennent (3-12, 1-5 SOL) will host New Foundations Charter in a non-league game on Friday, and Harry S Truman (2-12, 0-6) will host Council Rock South on Thursday.
Harry S Truman 4-6-2-3 15
William Tennent 18-19-10-6 53
Harry S Truman (15) – Hannah Smith11, Christian Gregory 2, Layla Bayram 2.
William Tennent (53) – Kirstin Hansen 2, Caitlin Somerville 15, Chelsea Meltzer 12, Hannah Reimel 3, Jenna Rodebaugh 8, Haley Crossley 11, Kailyn Hansen 2.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 75, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 36
The Indians seized early control of Tuesday’s rivalry game, opening up a 20-4 lead after one quarter and extending that to 37-15 by the halftime intermission.
Dana Bandurick was all but unstoppable, scoring 17 of her game-high 23 points in the half. Olivia Boyle also had a huge half, scoring 11 of her 16 points before the intermission. Sydney Blum, who finished with 15 points, had nine points in the half. Blum connected on four threes while Boyle had two.
In the third quarter, Emma Benson came off the bench to score seven points, which included a pair of threes. Benson finished with nine points in a contest that saw the Indians outscore their archrivals in all four quarters.
In addition to scoring 23 points, Bandurick had 14 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season. She also had five steals, four blocked shots and three assists. Abby Jones had eight rebounds.
Nicole Blaustein’s 16 points – which included two threes – led the Golden Hawks. Carley Irvin buried three three-pointers and finished with 10 points. Montanna Chambers added six points.
Council Rock North (11-3, 5-1 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Thursday, and Council Rock South (5-8, 2-4) will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Thursday.
Council Rock South 4-11-13-8 36
Council Rock North 20-17-21-17 75
Council Rock South (36) – Montanna Chambers 6, Bailey Vetter 2, Carley Irvin 10, Nicole Blaustein 16, Hannah Binder 2.
Council Rock North (75) – Camryn Polinsky 3, Sydney Blum 15, Olivia Boyle 16, Jill Hopkins 2, Dana Bandurick 23, Emma Benson 9, Abby jones 2, Marlena Ries 2, Mara Penner 3.
SOL Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 46, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 38
Things weren’t exactly going West’s way in Tuesday’s rivalry game at South. As a matter of fact, it looked pretty dismal when they found themselves staring at a 15-4 deficit after one quarter, and they still trailed by six at the intermission.
“In the first half, we were at the rim probably 10 times, and instead of just finishing, we kept making that extra little pass and we just couldn’t connect on it,” West coach Terry Rakowsky said. “We told them at halftime, ‘You know what – we’re getting to the rim, our offense is working, but you’re three feet away from the basket and you’re making an extra pass.’”
In the second half, Maddie Burke stepped to the fore, scoring 14 of her game-high 19 points after the intermission. It was her glittering 10-point effort in the fourth quarter – which included a pair of threes – that catapulted the Bucks to the important win. The junior standout scored the go-ahead basket late, and sophomore Paige Gilbert iced the win when she connected on a pair at the foul line.
“Our defense in the fourth quarter was exceptional,” Rakowsky said. “I don’t think we went ahead until 1:30 was left in the fourth quarter.
“Maddie hit one from the corner – she was really clutch. They fouled Paige (Gilbert) and she goes to the line and knocks down both shots, and that was the game. Halfway through the third and the fourth quarter – we probably played the best quarter and a half of the season. We played good defense, we moved the ball, we got good shots. We were extremely aggressive rebounding.”
In addition to Burke, Izzy Treon scored 10 points, and freshman Emily Spratt added six.
“Emily was awesome again,” Rakowsky said. “She did a good job defensively on (Alexa Brodie) in the second half.
“Izzy was solid the whole time, played good defense, did what she needed to do.”
Brodie led the Titans with 14 points, but nine of those came in the first quarter when the Bucks were struggling.
“Maddie (Burke) ran into foul trouble early – she had two fouls two minutes into the game, so we were hiding her,” Rakowsky said. “Izzy (Treon) had early fouls, and we were hiding her. A lot of what happened early is we got in foul trouble.
“Any time we play East and South, I’m telling you – it’s crazy.”
Also for the Titans, Taylor Hinkle had 11 points, and Allie Burke added six.
Central Bucks West (9-4, 5-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Friday at 5 p.m., and Central Bucks South (5-7, 3-3) will be on the road at Quakertown on Friday.
Central Bucks West 4-12-15-15 46
Central Bucks South 15-7-11-5 38
Central Bucks West (46) – Paige Gilbert 2, Olivia Irons 4, Jess Broskey 3, Maddie Burke 19, Emily Spratt 6, Izzy Treon 10, Lilly Evans 2.
Central Bucks South (38) – Taylor Hinkle 11, Mackenzie Erb 3, Allie Burke 6, Kirsten Schaller 2, Alexa Brodie 14, Sofia Sonnet 2.
NORTH PENN 56, PENNRIDGE 46
The Knights took a 27-26 lead into halftime but outscored the visiting Rams 14-5 in the third quarter to lead 41-31 heading into the final quarter. They withstood a fourth quarter rally by the Rams to earn the win.
“In the second half, we went to a two-three zone and pulled away a little bit,” North Penn coach Jen Carangi said. “In the fourth quarter, they kind of came storming back, and we were able to hold on and get the win.
“We try to make things interesting. I have to just remind myself over and over again that we’re young. A win is a win, and at this point in time, I’m willing to take any win we can get.”
Carley Adams led a balanced Knight attack with 14 points and was a catalyst on both ends of the court.
“Carley Adams played really well, and she was able to score tonight,” Carangi said. “She always gives us that defensive intensity, but she’s really struggled with her scoring the last couple of games. Tonight she shot the ball well, she was driving to the basket, and she played really well.”
Also finishing in double figures for the Knights were Rachel Dunne (12 points), Alaina Mullaly (10 points) and Val McGriff (10 points).
“Rachel Dunne is a sophomore, and she came off the bench and was a nice little spark for us,” Carangi said. “It was pretty balanced scoring. We didn’t feel like it was one person that did it. It was a group effort.”
The Rams were led by the 12-point efforts of Julia Kreider, Evelyn Loughery and Emilee Cramer. Corinn Mart added seven for the Rams, who connected on 8-of-10 from the foul line.
“Pennridge is tenacious,” Carangi said. “Tonight they struggled a little bit shooting the ball, but they were getting offensive rebounds.
“We gave up 26 points in the first half, which is a lot for us. We know with the way that we score we have to play defense. They were just out-hustling us, they were getting rebounds. Mike (Elton) does a nice job with them. They’ve come a long way in a couple of years.”
North Penn (6-6, 3-3 SOL) will travel to Souderton on Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. contest, and Pennridge (7-7, 1-5) will host Kennett in a non-league game on Saturday.
Pennridge 10-16-5-15 46
North Penn 16-11-14-15 56
Pennridge (46) – Corinn Mart 8, Sam Muredda 2, Julia Kreider 12, Evelyn Loughery 12, Emilee Cramer 12.
North Penn (56) – Cayla Sharkey 1, Laynie Doran 5, Alli Lindsay 4, Rachel Dunne 12, Alaina Mullaly 10, Carley Adams 14, Val McGriff 10.
SOUDERTON 53, QUAKERTOWN 8
Twelve players put their names in the scoring column for the Indians. Sophomore Olivia Schneider and junior Mikaela Reese led the way with 10 points each. Curran O’Donnell added six for the Indians, who led 20-2 after one quarter and never looked back.
Souderton (12-1, 6-0 SOL) will host North Penn on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and Quakertown (2-11, 0-6) will host Central Bucks South on Friday.
Quakertown 2-2-2-2 8
Souderton 20-12-10-11 53
Quakertown (8) – Abigail Dickson 2, Abigail McClaskey 4, Katie Offner 2.
Souderton (53) – Jordan Zimmerman 4, Megan Bealer 3, Olivia Schneider 10, Megan Walbrandt 3, Erica Stephens 4, Hannah Alderfer 4, Gabby Ziegler 1, Curran O’Donnell 6, Kathryn Diehl 2, Megan O’Donnell 4, Mikaela Reese 10, Hayley Fenchel 2.
SOL American Conference
UPPER MORELAND 53, WISSAHICKON 26
Sparked by the hot hand of Bean Hughes, the Golden Bears seized early control of Tuesday’s game, opening up a 15-2 lead after one quarter and extending that to 32-10 by halftime. Hughes was the undisputed catalyst, scoring 11 of her game-high 26 points in the opening quarter. She had seven more in the second quarter.
“It’s very rare that we have a size advantage against any team so we put an emphasis on getting the ball into the paint and getting attempts that way,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “Whether it was throwing it into the post or dribble penetration, our guards did a great job of getting the ball into the lane early and often.
“Bean had 16 at the half and it really opened up for everyone else. Early in the year, we settled too quickly on the first good look. We have done a great job recently of being patient and waiting for a great look. Today there were a lot of extra passes, especially from Kaiya (Herb) and Emma (Meakim), that got other girls involved and in the flow.”
In addition to Hughes, Hannah Finn added nine points, and Meakim had eight.
“We took 42 two-pointers to only five three-pointers today,” Carroll said. “We had open looks from beyond but didn’t settle.
“Of our 21 makes, we had 15 assists, and that’s exactly the type of team this is. No one cares about themselves. Phoebe (Longstreth) is a prime example. She’s our second leading scorer and she only took three shots today. That’s leading by example and doing what the team needs that particular game.”
The Trojans – who were once again without Brianna Tilghman – were led by the 11-point effort of Anna Schools. Victoria Williams added six points.
“Unfortunately for Wissahickon, they were missing Tilghman and she is a game-changer for them,” Carroll said. “This is our first time beating Wissahickon in my three years at Upper Moreland, and she’s largely responsible for those four losses. We know when we face them again, the combination of Tilghman and Schools will make it much, much different.”
Upper Moreland (9-4, 4-3 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Friday, and Wissahickon (4-8, 2-5) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday.
Wissahickon 2-8-8-8 26
Upper Moreland 15-17-13-8 53
Wissahickon (26) – Lily Hyatt 2, Anna Schools 11, Leah Dubin 2, Kelly Prestipino 1, Macey Segan 2, Julia Verrier 2, Victoria Williams 6.
Upper Moreland (53) – Phoebe Longstreth 4, Kaitie Opferman 4, Emma Meakim 8, AbbyEllen Wood 2, Bean Hughes 26, Hannah Finn 9.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 56, HATBORO-HORSHAM 42
Lainey Allen had just four points at halftime, and her Colonial squad was trailing the Hatters 22-21. In the second half, the 6-1 freshman forward was a difference maker, erupting for 14 points to lead PW to the come-from-behind win. Lainey finished the game with 18 points and nine rebounds.
“The story of the second half was Lainey,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “In the second half, I thought the difference was – our rebounding was much better. In the first half, we were giving up too many second chances.
“Lainey Allen really was a force in the second half, finishing inside. She went 4-for-4 from the free throw line.”
The Colonials connected on 19-of-24 at the foul line. Kaitlyn Flanagan was 7-for-8 at the line and added 11 points.
“A couple of games ago, our free throw shooting was really bad,” Dougherty said. “The kids have been working on it a lot, and we’ve made it a big point at practice.
“It was a close game and Lainey Allen and Kate Flanagan really stepped up and made free throws in the fourth quarter.”
The Colonials, who led 36-31 heading into the final quarter, sealed the Hatters’ fate with a 20-11 fourth quarter.
“On baseline out-of bounds plays in the fourth quarter, Ally Zolty hit a three off of one and Lainey Allen was able to get an and-one,” Dougherty said. “It was just an all-around good win for a young team to win a road game. Halfway through the league, we’re 5-2. The kids are playing hard. They’re a fun group of kids, they’re eager to learn.
“Obviously, they really took it on the chin against Abington and Upper Dublin, but they’re motivated. They’re motivated to try and keep getting better and try to make this year a successful year.”
Anna McTamney also came up big for the Colonials, adding 15 points and seven rebounds.
“It was a very closely contested game,” Dougherty said. “In the second quarter, shots weren’t falling, balls were bouncing off our hands, and Hatboro-Horsham was just a step faster to loose balls and rebounds.
“They made a really nice run at the end of the second quarter to take the lead at halftime. There was no real panic. We just tried to make a couple of adjustments at halftime. They have a couple of really nice freshman – (Alice) Hall in the post, and they have a guard, Thomas, who’s a freshman too.”
Thomas (14 points) and Hall (13 points) led the Hatters. Kylie Halko added eight points.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (12-2, 5-2 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon on Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham 96-8, 3-4) will be on the road at Upper Dublin on Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 12-9-15-20 56
Hatboro-Horsham 4-18-9-11 42
Plymouth Whitemarsh (56) – Ally Zolty 9, Kaitlyn Flanagan 11, Gabby Cooper 1, Anna McTamney 15, Lainey Allen 18, Jordyn Thomas 1, Lily Belle McGrorty 1.
Hatboro-Horsham (42) – Emily Thomas 14, Cam Ryan 5, Kylie Halko 8, Maddie Throne 2, Alice Hall 13.
ABINGTON 78, CHELTENHAM 35
Five players finished the game in double figures for the Ghosts. Kassondra Brown led all scorers with 18 points – all in the first three quarters. Tamia Wessels added 15 – 13 in the opening half. Cam Lexow, Miranda Liebtag and Kaeleigh Sierianni all had 10 points. Khalis Whiting chipped in six.
For the Lady Panthers, Kai Williams (12 points) and Umayrah Sulayman (10 points) led the way.
“Abington is very good and we just aren’t there yet,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “I’m proud the girls worked hard for four quarters and continue to try get better.”
Abington (11-2, 6-1 SOL) will travel to Springfield Township on Thursday, and Cheltenham (2-12, 0-7) will be on the road at Upper Moreland Friday.
Abington 29-13-20-16 78
Cheltenham 6-9-15-5 35
Abington (78) – Tamia Wessels 15, Cam Lexow 10, Kassondra Brown 18, Miranda Liebtag 10, Khalis Whiting 6, Becca Pohle 1, Amanda Jackson 3, Kaeleigh Sierianni 10, Krysten Brown 2, Hope Brower-Ancher 3.
Cheltenham (35) – Mikahila Leighton 2, Madison Rorer 3, Assata Robinson 2, Umayrah Sulayman 10, Kelia Holmes 4, Kai Williams 12, Shannon Nicols 2.
UPPER DUBLIN 63, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 19
Dayna Balasa and Sarah Eskew put on an impressive long-range shooting display in Tuesday’s win. Both connected on five three-pointers. Balasa did most of her damage in the first quarter, connecting on four threes and adding a deuce for 14 points. She finished with a game-high 17 points. Eskew followed Balasa’s lead in the second quarter, burying four three-pointers. She finished the game with 15 points.
Jackie Vargas also finished in double figures with 13 points to go along with three rebounds and three blocks. Anajae Smith added eight points, six rebounds and three blocks.
For the Spartans, Emily Smith’s 10 points led the way.
Upper Dublin (12-2, 7-0 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday, and Springfield Township (2-11, 1-6) will host Abington on Thursday.
Springfield Township 8-4-5-2 19
Upper Dublin 24-18-11-10 63
Springfield Township (19) – Leajah Sistrunk 2, Rileigh Serroni 5, Maddie Yoder 2, Emily Smith 10.
Upper Dublin (63) – Bliss Brenner 2, Anajae Smith 8, Meg Barbera 1, Jess Polin 2, Kara Grebe 3, Jackie Gorman 2, Sarah Eskew 15, Dayna Balasa 17, Jackie Vargas 13.
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