Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CB South/CB East photos provided courtesy of Jon Sklut. Abington/Hatboro-Horsham photos courtesy of Geanine Jamison Photography, and Pennridge/CB West photos provided by Tracy Valko. Check back for galleries of all three games.
SOL Patriot
PENNSBURY 61, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 43
The Falcons had a bounce-back win after suffering back-to-back losses over the weekend. They opened a commanding lead early and never looked back.
“It was a lot of scoring,” coach Frank Sciolla said. “We had 39 in the first half. The pace of the game was pretty fast.
“We had an opportunity to practice, and we’re making some adjustments. We just need some time to put some plays in and stuff because we really only had those five or six days. This week we have two straight days of practice, and that should be really good for us, especially the ninth and 10th graders.”
Ava Sciolla led the Falcons with an impressive 21-point effort that included three 3-pointers. Sciolla’s 14 first-half points sparked the Falcons, who opened up a 39-24 halftime lead.
Senior point guard Bella Arcuri finished with 16 points, which included a 9-for-11 effort at the foul line. She had 10 points in the opening half. Abbi Nassivera added eight.
“That’s what we need,” Sciolla said. “That was the gist of our conversation yesterday. We understand that we’re going to be guarded a certain way, and we understand why.
“There were two different things that we did. You always watch tape with your kids, and we pointed out how we were being guarded. For the first time ever, I sat down this weekend with Ava one-on-one. I don’t really have these conversations at home basketball-wise because I don’t think it’s a good idea.
“We sat down one-on-one and we took a look at how teams are guarding her and talked about whether or not she’s putting pressure on herself to make every shot every time. Let’s remember about her – the scoring is (great), but really she made her bones on her court vision and her passing, so you have to get back to – ‘Okay, you’re going to draw these doubles and triples, and it’s going to be okay because we’re going to be knocking these shots down, and we’re going to get better and better as the year goes on.’”
Arcuri’s double-digit scoring effort was her second in as many games.
“Bella is such a key to be willing to shoot,” Sciolla said. “That’s been the story on her throughout her career. You’re happy that she’s looking to be aggressive, and when she is, that’s normally a good thing for us.”
For the Golden Hawks, Nicole Blaustein led the way with 13 points. Adding six points each were Montanna Chambers (on two three’s), Karissa Smedley and Carley Irvin, also on two 3-pointers.
Pennsbury (2-2, 2-1 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Council Rock South (1-2) will be on the road at Wissahickon for a non-league game Thursday at 7 p.m.
Pennsbury 21-18-9-13 61
Council Rock South 11-13-7-12 43
Pennsbury (61) – Sofia Vitucci 2 0-0 5; Ava Sciolla 6 6-6 21; Abbi Nassivera 4 0-1 8; Kiley Haws 1 0-0 3; Bella Arcuri 3 9-11 16; Mia Spinelli 1 2-6 4; Danielle Sherman 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 18 19-26 61
Council Rock South (43) – Montanna Chambers 2 0-1 6; Kim Speiser 1 0-0 3; Ryann Szydlik 1 0-0 2; Cam Gregory 1 0-0 2; Nicole Blaustein 5 2-3 13; Carley Irvin 2 0-0 6; Karissa Smedley 2 1-1 6; Jessica Mangoni 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 16 3-5; 43.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Ava Sciolla 3, Kiley Haws, Bella Arcuri, Sofia Vitucci, CRS – Montanna Chambers 2, Carley Irvin, Kim Speiser, Nicole Blaustein, Karissa Smedley, Jessica Mangoni.
NESHAMINY 53, HARRY S TRUMAN 28
Neshaminy’s ‘big three’ – Kacie Sienko, Taylor Gurysh and Reese Zemitis, a senior, sophomore and freshman – combined for 31 first-half points, leading the visiting Redskins to a 35-12 advantage on their way to the big win.
“Reese, Kacie and Taylor set the tone early,” coach Joe Lally said. “We are still learning to play together.”
Zemitis led all scorers with 21 points – including a pair of three’s. Sienko had 14, and Gurysh added 11.
The young Tigers – with limited practice time – are using each game as a learning experience.
Freshman Ariana Frank led the Tigers with 11 points, and senior Haniyyah Jones added seven points.
Neshaminy (3-1, 3-0 SOL) will be on the road at Council Rock North on Thursday, and Harry S Truman (1-3, 1-2) will travel to Pennsbury on Thursday.
Neshaminy 19-16-8-10 53
Harry S Truman 6-6-8-8 28
Neshaminy (53) – Kacie Sienko 6 1-3 14; Maya Lewis 1 0-0 2; Skylar Lall 1 0-0 2; Mackenzie Metcaffe 0 1-2 1 Taylor Gurysh 5 1-2 11; Lindsay Little 1 0-0 2; Reese Zemitis 7 5-8 21; TOTALS 21 8-15 53.
Harry S Truman (28) – Haniyyah Jones 2 3-6 7; Hannah Smith 0 2-4 2; Mayah Alford 0 1-6 1; Gianna Johnson 1 0-0 2; Saniya Blount 1 0-1 2; Ariana Frank 4 2-2 11; Secret McCleve 1 0-0 2; Ava Kilner 0 1-2 1; TOTAL 9 9-21 38.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 2, Kacie Sienko, HST – Ariana Frank.
SOL Colonial
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 52, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 44 (OT)
Emily Chmiel spent Tuesday’s game battling foul woes, but the Patriots’ senior center came up big when it mattered most, scoring nine of her game-high 25 points in overtime to propel the visiting Patriots to the hard fought win.
“Emily had a huge game, but she was in foul trouble for a lot of it, but she definitely dominated the overtime,” East coach Liz Potash said. “Give (my team) a lot of credit. We had a nine-point lead at the half with Emily and Mia (Salvati) in foul trouble. We had some people out on the floor that aren’t usually on the floor at that point, but they did a great job getting us to half. We were just kind of sluggish in the second half.”
The Patriots took a 28-19 lead into halftime. Chmiel had 10 first-quarter points and Salvati had four in the first. Barry picked up the slack with six in the second quarter.
Senior Caroline McSorley ignited the Titans in the third quarter, connecting on a pair of three’s and scoring eight points to trim seven points off East’s lead. The Patriots took a tenuous 35-33 lead into the fourth quarter, and that was erased, setting the stage for overtime and Chmiel’s heroics.
Barry (12 points) and Salvati (10 points) also finished in double figures for the Patriots, who buried 22-of-31 at the foul line. Chmiel was 9-fo4-13, Barry connected on 8-of-10, and Salvati sank 4-of-6.
Potash credited the defensive effort of Barry in the win.
“Emily Barry did an unbelievable job on Taylor Hinkle, held her to three points the entire game,” the East coach said. “But they had other kids make shots and step up.
“Caroline McSorley had four three’s. Right off the bat we knew it was a tough matchup because (coach Beth Mattern) decided to start McSorley, so we had to make adjustments.”
McSorley’s 16 points led the Titans. Freshman Yoyo Samayoa added eight – including a pair of treys – while Allison Sauers had six points. All told, the Titans buried nine 3-pointers to go along with seven two-pointers and a 3-for-4 effort at the line.
Central Bucks East (3-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Friday at 7 p.m., and Central Bucks South (1-2) will travel to North Penn on Friday.
Central Bucks East 15-13-7-6-11 52
Central Bucks South 11-8-14-8-3 44
Central Bucks East (52) – Anna Barry 1 0-0 2; Mia Salvatti 3 4-6 10; Elise Duffy 1 1-2 3; Emily Chmiel 8 9-13 25; Emily Barry 2 8-10 12; TOTALS 15 22-31 52.
Central Bucks South (44) – Taylor Hinkle 1 0-0 3; Alyssa D’Orazio 1 0-0 3; Mackenzie Erb 2 0-0 4; Madelyn Tantum 1 0-0 2; Allison Sauers 2 1-2 6; Yoyo Samayoa 2 2-2 8; Caroline McSorley 6 0-0 12; Kristen Conway 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 16 3-4 44.
3-point goals: CBE – Caroline McSorley 4, Yoyo Samayoa 2, Taylor Hinkle, Alyssa D’Orazio, Allison Sauers.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 58, PENNRIDGE 33
The visiting Bucks threw some serious defense at the Rams, limiting them to just two second-quarter points and nine total in the middle two quarters. The Bucks, meanwhile, scored 23 points in that span.
“I think the staple of the game was coming out in the second quarter and holding a team to two points, so letting defense start offense, getting .jpg)
stops and getting comfortable on the defensive end and that turned into offense,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “We were able to get 12 girls in the game, 10 of them scored, so we really got some youth valuable experience.”
The win came on the heels of a convincing win over Pennsbury in a non-league battle Saturday.
“It’s tough coming off the year we had last year,” said Sibel, whose team captured the SOL and District One 6A titles. “Girls are hungry to keep it going, and it’s a little bit of a reality check in a wacky year with a limited offseason.
“It’s one of those things – we got a nice little wake-up call that we’ve got some things to still prove. They really wanted that one Saturday, so they came out and did all the little things. I’m really proud of them.”
The Bucks – behind six points from Paige Gilbert – led 14-11 after one quarter and then all but put the game out of reach with a 16-2 second quarter burst to go into halftime with a 30-13 lead. Gilbert had a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter to lead the way.
Emily Spratt’s eight points led the Bucks in the second half as they outscored their hosts 29-20.
“Pennridge is a tough place to play,” Sibel said. “Mike (Elton) does a really nice job with that group, getting them to play hard and getting them to play his style of basketball.
“They’re a really improved team, and they shoot the ball really well. That was our focus going in, and they still got a number of shots off, but we were able to make adjustments and get out on the shooter a little bit.”
Gilbert finished with a team-high 13 points and 13 rebounds.
“She had nine and nine with four minutes left in the first half, so she was extremely active,” Sibel said. “Coaches were calling me over the summer asking me if she was interested in playing basketball.
“She’s a player and people see that. She brings something to the game that sometimes gets lost in this ever-changing European score-the-ball style of basketball that you see affecting youth basketball, so I hope these kids are watching Paige and seeing how successful she is and what she brings to the court.”
Spratt finished with 12 points while Marge McCusker, Anna Blue and Katie Finnan each had six.
“(Emily) Spratt really got it going,” Sibel said. “Marge (McCusker) kept us calm and in sets, and Annie Blue and Katie Finnan got it going shooting the ball, which was big for us.
“We went into this game talking about this being an energy game, a game you can’t rely on fans since fans don’t travel, a game where you’re going into foreign territory with just their fans so we really had to create our own energy, and we did that on the defensive end.”
Emma Pyne had a big night for the Rams, leading all scorers with 16 points, which included four 3-pointers. Pyne had five points in the first quarter and closed out the game with 11 more in the fourth.
Central Bucks West (3-1, 1-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Friday, and Pennridge (1-2, 0-2) will travel to Souderton on Friday.
Central Bucks West 14-16-7-22 58
Pennridge 11-2-7-13 33
Central Bucks West (58) – Tai Henkels 1 0-0 3; Katie Finnan 1 3-4 6; Anna Blue 2 0-0 6; Emily Spratt 4 4-4 12; Nia Perry 1 2-2 4; Ava Longo 2 0-0 4; Gabi Senior 1 0-0 2; Maggie McCusker 2 0-0 6; Paige Gilbert 5 1-2 13; Jules Broskley 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 20 10-12 58.
Pennridge (33) – Grace Rosica 2 0-0 5; Katie Yoder 0 2-4 2; Ava Unzicker 2 0-0 4; Kiersten Moyer 0 1-2 1; Emma Pyne 5 2-4 16; Ryan Hodder 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 11 7-10 33.
3-point goals: CBW – Anna Blue 2, Maggie McCusker 2, Paige Gilbert 2, Tai Henkels, Katie Finnan, Pennridge – Emma Pyne 4, Grace Rosica, Ryan Hodder.
SOUDERTON 49, NORTH PENN 41
The Indians – who trailed by as many as 10 in the first half and five at the intermission – used 13-0 tear midway through the second half to take a lead they would not lose in the battle of neighboring rivals.
“We’re still finding ourselves,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “Technically, we only lost one player, but Mikaela (Reese) did so, so much for us. We’re still figuring it out.
“We’re not quite there yet, but being down 10 points (20-10) – it just was not a pretty first half for us. Our girls kept shooting, kept getting good looks. We played great defense in the second half. It’s a very nice win.”
The Indians trail 10-6 after one quarter and still trailed 21-16 at halftime. Imani Plaza’s nine points led the Knights while Abby Plaugher and Caleigh Sperling each had six.
“We did not shoot the ball well, and in the first half, we took too many outside shots,” Carroll said. “Obviously, it’s North Penn’s first game of the season (after a COVID shutdown), but I thought they really came out ready to play, all things considered.”
It was Zimmerman’s three in the third quarter that knotted the score (33-33) and ignited the Indians’ game-changing run. The Indians – who outscored the Knights 16-8 in the final frame – were clutch at the foul line with no one more clutch than the Indians’ point guard.
Sophomore Casey Harter sank 8-of-10 at the line in the fourth quarter and had 10 of her game-high 18 points in the frame. Schneider was 2-for-2 as the Indians made 10-of-14 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.
“Defensively, we just played great in the fourth quarter, and we made foul shots,” Carroll said. “We made stops, handled the pressure and that pretty much sealed it.
“In the second half, we played much more like ourselves – made some adjustments defensively, the girls really executed. Jordan (Zimmerman), Olivia (Schneider) and Casey (Harter) all had big plays in the second half.”
Schneider added 11 points for the Indians while Zimmerman had six on a pair of 3-pointers. She also had seven rebounds and four steals.
In addition to earning game scoring honors, Harter also was assigned the task of defending North Penn senior Alli Lindsay.
“She held Lindsay to three points – she had a three in the fourth quarter, and that was her first and only field goal,” Carroll said. “They had other kids step up. Imani Plaza played really well for them. Abby Plaugher had three three’s for them, she played well. Cailyn Sperling played well for them.
“Our plan was to do what we could to limit Lindsay, but other kids definitely stepped up for them.”
Plaza’s 13 points led the Knights while Plaugher added 10.
Souderton (2-1 SOL) will host Pennridge on Friday, and North Penn (0-1) will host Central Bucks South on Friday.
Souderton 6-10-17-16 49
North Penn 10-11-12-8 41
Souderton (49) – Jordan Zimmerman 2 0-1 6 Erin Bohmueller 2 0-2 4; Olivia Schneider 4 3-4 11; Casey Harter 4 10-12 18; Teya McConnaha 1 0-2 2; Hayley Fenchel 2 0-0 4 Mikayla McGillian 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 17 13-21 49
North Penn (41) – Abby Plaugher 4 1-1 10; Alli Lindsay 1 0-0 3; Imani Plaza 4 5-6 13; Caliegh Sperling 2 0-0 5; Olivia Stone 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 14 10-11 41.
3-point goals: Souderton – Jordan Zimmerman 2, NP – Abby Plaugher 3, Alli Lindsay, Olivia Stone.
SOL Liberty
ABINGTON 71, HATBORO-HORSHAM 49
The Ghosts came out of the gate on fire, scoring 22 points in the first quarter and 19 in the second to go into halftime with a 41-22 lead over the visiting Hatters.
In the first half, junior point guard Khalis Whiting scored 10 points, Cire Worley had eight and Abril Browser had seven. The two teams exchanged baskets in the second half.
Worley’s 16 points led the Ghosts. Whiting added 12 points and five assists. Jaida Helm dominated in the paint, scoring 10 points and pulling down 16 rebounds. Freshman Jordyn Reynolds was the fourth Ghost in double figures with 10 points to go along with three assists. Browser finished with nine points.
Caroline Shegogue scored 14 points, including two three’s, to lead the Hatters. All of her points came in the middle two quarters. Emily Thomas added 12 points – eight in the second half. Alice Hall had seven points while Ava McKinney (two three’s) and Sam Hollish both had six points.
Hatboro-Horsham (0-2 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland for a non-league game Wednesday, and Abington (2-0 SOL) will host Jenkintown Monday in a non-league game.
Hatboro-Horsham 8-14-14-13 49
Abington 22-19-10-20 71
Hatboro-Horsham (49) – Caroline Shegogue 6 0-1 14; Ava McKinney 2 0-0 6; Alice Hall 2 3-5 7; Paige Cole 2 0-0 4; Emily Thomas 5 2-2 12; Sam Hollish 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 19 7-10 49.
Abington (71) – Khalis Whiting 6 0-0 12; Krysten Brown 2 0-0 4; Amanda Jackson 1 0-0 3; Jaida Helm 4 2-4 10; Cire Worley 7 2-2 16; Jordyn Reynolds 4 0-0 10; Allison Holden 1 2-2 4; Abril Browser 4 0-0 9; Maura Day 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 30 6-8 71.
3-point goals: HH – Caroline Shegogue 2, Ava McKinney 2, Abington – Jordyn Reynolds 2, Abril Browser, Maura Day, Amanda Jackson.
SOL Freedom
UPPER MORELAND 54, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 25
The visiting Golden Bears wasted no time before seizing control of Tuesday’s conference battle, opening up a 20-3 lead after one quarter on their way to the convincing win.
EmmaFaith Wood was the undisputed catalyst of the Golden Bear uprising in the first quarter, scoring 15 of her game-high 22 in the frame. Included in those 15 points were three 3-pointers.
“There’s something about playing at Springfield where it’s never pretty,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “We always struggle to shoot out of their zone and Coach (Dave) Giordano and his girls do a great job of making it difficult to get into the lane.
“Thankfully tonight EmmyFaith got off to a hot start, and we really didn’t look back. We always emphasize that the person who scores usually isn’t responsible for anything but scoring. The passers and screeners are the ones that create the opportunity and tonight EmmyFaith made the most of her teammates’ execution.”
Holly Gohl continued her impressive debut in the UM lineup, scoring 16 points – 11 in a first half that saw the Golden Bears go on top 31-10 by halftime. Kiera Coyle added seven points.
“Our mentality is always ‘this could be our last game,’ so we leave nothing out there,” Carroll said. “The girls just love playing for and with each other and are making the most of every opportunity.
“There were no fans there tonight so we had to create our own energy. Every jayvee girl in the stands and every varsity girl waiting to go in were so enthusiastic and encouraging. We are happy to be off to a 2-0 start but know we aren’t quite where we need to be.”
For the Spartans, Annie Coll had six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
Upper Moreland (2-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham for a non-league game Wednesday, and Springfield Township (0-2, 0-1) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday.
Upper Moreland 20-11-13-10 54
Springfield Twp 3-7-9-6 25
Upper Moreland (54) 0 2-2 2; Kaitie Opferman 1 0-0 2; EmmyFaith Wood 8 3-3 22; Kylie Gaul 2 1-2 5; Kiera Coyle 3 1-2 7; Holly Gohl 7 1-2 16; TOTALS 21 8-11 54.
Springfield Twp (25) – Annie Coll 2 1-3 6; Raya Davis 1 0-0 3; Alana Decker 1 0-0 2; Maddie Yoder 0 4-8 4; Lauren Hussie 0 1-2 1; Ashley Jenkins 2 0-0 4; Paige Robinson 1 0-0 2; Emma Cawley 1 -0 3; TOTALS 7 6-13 25.
3-point field goals: UM – Emmy FaithWood 3, Holly Gohl, Springfield – Annie Coll, Emma Cawley, Kaya Davis.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 42, WILLIAM TENNENT 13
Rachel Saxton once again had the hot hand for the visiting Lions. The senior point guard scored 13 of her game-high 19 points in the opening half, propelling the Lions to an early lead on their way to the win in their league opener.
“Rachel is knocking shots down, and her teammates are looking for her,” coach Steve Polinsky said.
Reagan Chrencik and Kate Dougherty each added six points for the Lions.
The Panthers, in their first game of the young season, did not score a field goal in the first half and struggled to find their stride.
“We had great ball movement, and we defended them well,” NHS coach Steve Polinsky said. “Kate Dougherty and Reagan Chrencik played very good defense against Courtney Bragen.
“It was Tennent’s first game with all the COVID stuff. It’s not easy. They play hard and have some solid players.”
New Hope-Solebury (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Cheltenham on Friday, and William Tennent (0-1) will host Springfield Township on Thursday.
New Hope-Solebury 10-15-15-2 42
William Tennent 1-2-4-6 13
New Hope-Solebury (42) – Madi Fasti 1 0-0 2; Reagan Chrencik 3 0-0 6; Rachel Saxton 8 1-2 18; Kate Dougherty 3 0-0 6; Emma Ives 1 0-0 2; Casey Lane 1 0-0 2; Sammi McAndrew 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 19 1-2 42.
William Tennent (13) – Kailyn Hansen 0 2-2 2; Olivia Kaczmarek 0 2-2 2; Courtney Bragen 1 1-4 3; Morgan Volz 1 0-0 2; Savannah Zeaman 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 4 5-8 13.
3-point goals: NHS – Rachel Saxton 2, Sammi McAndrew.
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