Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Saturday. Pennsbury/CB South photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of D&J Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos. PW/Abington photos courtesy of Jesse Garber (https://JSGarber.zenfolio.com/p934043310 )
SOL Liberty Division
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 60, ABINGTON 47
Eleven days after eking out a 44-43 win over the Ghosts, the Colonials – with a perfect conference season at stake – hosted the Ghosts in a rematch. Don’t be fooled by the final score. Listening to PW coach Dan Dougherty tell it, this win was anything but easy..jpg)
“It was a real back and forth game,” the Colonials’ coach said. “We would go up by six, and Abington would come back and tie it. We went up by eight, and Abington came back and tied it. Honestly, it went like that all the way into the third quarter.”
The Colonials led 26-18 at halftime, but it was hardly a comfortable lead. As a matter of fact, the visiting Ghosts – according to Dougherty – went on top 33-32 only to have the Colonials respond with a 13-0 run to close out the third quarter and all but put the game out of reach.
“During that run, Kate Flanagan had five points and four assists – she either scored or assisted on every basket,” Dougherty said of his senior point guard. “During that stretch, Abby Sharpe hit a three, Erin Daley hit a three and Lainey Allen had a basket. Kate Flanagan was really special.”
Flanagan’s 15 points led a balanced PW attack. Anna McTamney added 14 points, which included an 8-for-8 effort at the foul line. Sharpe and Allen each had eight points, Jordyn Thomas had seven, and Daley had six.
“Another big contributor was Lainey Allen,” Dougherty said. “Lainey Allen scored eight points off the bench and played some really good defense
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“We have a big size advantage over Abington. There was a time we had Jordyn Thomas, Erin Daley and Lainey on the floor at the same time, and we were able to use the three of them to get some easy baskets at the rim. Lainey really did a nice job of elevating and finishing at the rim.
“Also, I thought Jordyn Thomas played a big game for us today. As a post player, she’s someone who really has a good 3-point shot, and she stepped outside today and made a big three. At one point, we had missed the front end of a one-and-one, and they went down and scored, and the next time down Jordyn was able to make two foul shots. It kind of took the edge off of the one-and-one situation.”
Cire Worley’s 16 points – 14 in the second half – led the Ghosts. Jaida Helm added 14 – 10 in the first half, and junior point guard Khalis Whiting had 13 – 11 in the second half.
“In the first half, it was Jaida Helm,” Dougherty said. “Jaida Helm and Cire Worley were really scoring for them. Jaida Helm is not someone that we worry about from the 3-point line, but she had two 3s in the first half, so that was troublesome.
“In the second half, Khalis Whiting really got going. I think she scored eight straight points for them, so it was a game of runs, back and forth. Eventually, we were able to pull away and we went up 10, and we started making foul shots.”
With the win, the Colonials wrap up a perfect 10-0 league season.
“That was a big motivation,” Dougherty said. “We reminded the kids the last time we played Abington we only won by one point, and we wanted to have a no-doubt-about league championship type thing.
“The other thing we talked to the kids about too was that the future is now here. It’s now time. The future isn’t last year and it’s not next year. It’s right now, it’s right in front of us. It’s time for this group to realize there’s not much time left, and we’re getting really close to a win-and-go-home situation, and it’s time to approach every practice that way. I thought the kids – every time Abington made a run – really played with a passion – ‘We don’t want this to end, we want to keep winning. We want to right now get in the playoff mentality because there are no playbacks, there are no second chances in the near future.’”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-0, 10-0 SOL) – number one in the latest District 1 6A rankings – will travel to Central Bucks East on Tuesday for a non-league game at 3:45 p.m. Abington (8-4, 6-4) will host Souderton in a non-league game Thursday. The Ghosts are number nine in the rankings.
Abington 8-10-15-14 47
Plymouth Whitemarsh 13-13-19-15 60
Abington (47) – Cire Worley 4 6-6 16; Abril Browser 1 0-0 3; Jaida Helm 6 0-1 14; Maura Day 0 1-2 1; Khalis Whiting 6 0-0 13; TOTALS 17 7-9 47.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (60) – Kaitlyn Flanagan 5 3-6 15; Erin Daley 1 3-4 6; Abby Sharpe 3 0-0 8; Gabby Cooper 1 0-0 2; Anna McTamney 3 8-8 14; Lainey Allen 4 0-0 8; Jordyn Thomas 2 2-2 7; TOTALS 19 16-20 60.
3-point goals: Abington – Core Worley 2, Jaida Helm 2, Khalis Whiting, Abril Browser, PW – Kaitlyn Flanagan 2, Abby Sharpe 2, Erin Daley, Jordyn Thomas.
Non-league
PENNSBURY 44, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 34
A change in defenses proved to be a difference maker for the Falcons in Saturday’s non-league game. Pennsbury took a 20-19 lead into halftime and then outscored its visitors 15-5 in the third quarter to blow open a close game.
“At halftime we made a switch and we played 1-3-1 with Ava (Sciolla) up top and opened up on a run and didn’t look back,” coach Frank Sciolla said. “Ava has been flexing a bit defensively and flashing the type of athleticism and IQ that makes her extremely disruptive on the defensive end.
“Mia (Spinelli), Bella (Arcuri), Kiley (Haws) and Abbi (Nassivera) really played well off that pressure up top, and we made it harder for them to get looks. They made a little run to cut it to six, but then sophomore Nevaeh Dash made a great move for a 3-point play and from there we were okay.”
Sciolla was a catalyst on the offensive end as well in the third quarter, scoring seven points. Dani Sherman had a three in the frame, and Bella Arcuri added a three-point play.
In the first half, Sciolla – who finished with a game-high 23 points – also had the hot hand, scoring 14 of her team’s 20 points. Hinkle kept the Titans close with 11 points.
“The first half was really physical as both teams play similar defensively,” Sciolla said. “A few times in our pressure we lost Taylor Hinkle in transition, and she did a great job knocking down a couple 3s. She has a very quick release so losing her is not a good idea.”
Hinkle’s 15 points led the Titans. Allison Sauers added six points.
In addition to scoring 23 points, Sciolla completed her double-double with 10 rebounds to go along with five steals. Nassivera added seven points.
Pennsbury (9-4, 8-1 SOL) – number 10 in the latest District 1 6A rankings – will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Monday, and Central Bucks South (5-7, 4-5) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 11-9-5-9 34
Pennsbury 10-10-15-9 44
Central Bucks South (34) – Taylor Hinkle 6 1-2 15; Mackenzie Erb 2 0-0 5 Allison Sauers 2 1-2 6; Yoyo Samayoa 1 0-1 3; Sam Waltrich 1 0-0 2; Caroline McSorley 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 13 2-5 34.
Pennsbury (44) – Ava Sciolla 10 2-2 23; Abbi Nassivera 3 1-1 7; Kiley Haws 1 0-0 3; Bella Arcuri 1 2-3 4 Dani Sherman 1 0-0 3; Neveah Dash 1 2-3 4; TOTALS 17 7-9 44.
3-point goals: CBS – Taylor Hinkle 2, Mackenzie Erb, Allison Sauers, Yoyo Samayoa, Caroline McSorley, Pennsbury – Ava Sciolla, Kiley Haws, Dani Sherman.
BENSALEM 58, WISSAHICKON 55
The Owls saved their best for last in Saturday’s non-league game against the visiting Trojans, erasing a double-digit deficit with an impressive 27-point quarter to close out the game.
“It was a huge fourth quarter,” coach Steve Johnson said. “There are some games we’ve struggled to score 27 points in four quarters. I’m trying to get them to buy into this team idea. Earlier in the season, I think it was at Neshaminy, they got out to literally an 18-0 lead. In that game, we gave up.
“In the fourth quarter of this game, we were down by 11, and we didn’t give up. They’re buying in, they’re there for each other, the bench is cheering. They’re feeding off of each other, and they’re finally believing in each other, which is great to give these girls confidence. I’m super proud of them.”
Johnson pointed to a game-changing stretch with three minutes remaining in regulation and his team trailing by six.
“Amber (Howard) had a big time assist – she drove left to the basket, which freed up Delaney (Bell),” the Owls’ coach said. “Delaney caught the ball, ball faked and got to the basket to cut it to within four.
“Right after on the defensive side, Maddie (MacDougall) had active hands, which led to a steal. As soon as she got the steal, she passed it to Kylie (Smith), who ran the floor and got to her spot, made a three to cut it to one.
“Even though we were down one at that point, our whole bench is up – it sounds like there’s 400 people in the gym. They were so excited. It was like we were winning by 20 and we were down by one. Just that attitude, the swagger we had from our bench gave our girls confidence. From there, we got a few more stops on defense, they fouled, and we knocked some foul shots down.”
The Owls’ coach said he had a talk with his team about the bench’s involvement after Tuesday’s 43-23 loss to Central Bucks South.
“We questioned our energy on the bench,” Johnson said. “Obviously, the girls have to play good who are in, but I think the bench energy just really picked everybody up.
“We were down by 11 at one point in the fourth quarter with five-six minutes left, and when we would score, our bench would stand up and cheer. They bought in to the team concept, and I think subconsciously, that helps the girls who are out there to hear their teammates cheer for them.”
The Owls – sparked by 11 points from Bell – led 14-10 after one quarter, but the Trojans answered with a 21-point second quarter. Kaitlyn McGeary’s seven points sparked the Trojans, who took a 31-22 lead into halftime. Not a whole lot changed in the third quarter, and the Trojans took a 42-35 lead into the fourth quarter, setting the stage for the Owls’ remarkable finish.
Bell’s 18 points led the Owls. Howard also finished in double figures with 12 points. Smith, Mackenzie Kramer and Paige Miller each had seven points while MacDougall had six. Smith had all seven of her points in the fourth quarter and MacDougall scored her six in the final frame as well.
“Amber Howard really got downhill going to the basket a few times, which got her a few baskets and also easy kick-outs to our shooters on the wing,” Johnson said. “Peyton Miller, a freshman, also played great minutes. Mackenzie (Kramer) was in foul trouble, so Peyton Miller really stepped up, and she played well. She rebounded well, and she had to guard number 50 (Kaitlyn McGeary) on Wissahickon, which was definitely a battle for her. She played good minutes. I was happy for her.”
McGeary’s 15 points led the Trojans. Leah Dubin had 14 points – seven in the fourth quarter, and Lily Hyatt added 12. Julia Verrier contributed eight points.
Bensalem (4-11, 2-8 SOL) will host Springfield Township in a non-league game Tuesday, and Wissahickon (3-12, 1-9) will host Lower Moreland in a non-league contest Monday.
Wissahickon 10-21-11-13 55
Bensalem 14-8-13-27 58
Wissahickon (55) – Leah Dublin 4 5-6 14; Emlyn Ebert 1 0-0 2; Kylie Friedman 1 1-2 3; Elizabeth Kunzier 0 1-2 1; Kaitlyn McGeary 4 7-11 15; Julia Verrier 2 4-6 8; Lily Hyatt 5 2-4 12; TOTALS 17 20-31.
Bensalem (58) – Delaney Bell 6 4-5 18; Amber Howard 3 3-6 12; Kylie Smith 1 5-6 7; Maddie MacDougall 2 1-2 6; Erin Devlin 0 0-2 0; Sam Daut 0 1-2 1; Mackenzie Kramer 1 5-6 7; Paige Miller 2 3-6 7; TOTALS 16 22-35 58.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Leah Dubin, Bensalem – Delaney Bell 2, Amber Howard, Maddie MacDougall.
UPPER DUBLIN 38, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 25
Heading into Saturday’s non-league game at UD, the Patriots – through 11 games without a loss – had averaged 48.6 points a contest and scored less than 40 just once (in a 36-31 win over CB West). Leading the offense was 6-1 senior center Emily Chmiel, who is averaging close to 20 points every time she steps onto the court.
Then along comes a Flying Cardinal squad whose trademark under coach Morgan Funsten has always been its defense, and the Cardinals threw some oppressive defense at the Patriots, limiting them to just three points in the middle two quarters combined.
“We knew going in – Chmiel is the focus of everybody,” Funsten said. “With our limited team size, we knew we had a major challenge ahead of us.
“It started with Bliss Brenner who had the task of guarding her the entire game. She did a great job of fronting her in the post, but it can’t be one person shutting her down. It’s got to be a team effort. I just thought the girls that were in help did a great job on Chmiel.”
Chmiel had eight points in a first quarter that saw the Patriots open up a 14-10 lead – she had just two the rest of the way. The senior center was not the only focal point of the Cardinals’ defense. The Cardinals limited point guard Mia Salvati to just three points.
“Their secondary option is Salvati, and Sarah Eskew did a really great job of keeping her in front of her,” Funsten said. “Sometimes she was denying her to try and disrupt what they like to do offensively.
“Those were the two keys – Bliss and Sarah, but at the same time, it was a total team effort, and the girls really did a great job of staying connected defensively.”
While the defense was keeping the Patriots’ offense under wraps, the Flying Cardinals were making timely shots. The Patriots led 14-10 after one quarter but saw that lead disappear in the second quarter, and they trailed 19-15 heading into halftime, thanks to a 9-1 Cardinal run. Freshman Amy Ngo’s six points led the Cardinals, who buried four 3s in the first half.
Relatively early in the second quarter, Chmiel took a seat on the bench after picking up her second foul, and Funsten was hoping his team would have capitalized more than it did in her absence.
“At that point (when Chmiel left), the game was tied 14-14,” the UD coach said. “Obviously, they’re a different team with Chmiel out of the game. We were a little disappointed.
“We went into halftime up 19-15, and we played a good part of that second quarter with Chmiel on the bench. I don’t know if we got excited about it, but we were not as efficient offensively as we were the rest of the game. I thought our decision making was not great. Sarah Eskew hit a buzzer beater at the end of the second quarter to put us up four. We definitely needed some momentum after thinking we could take control the game with Chmiel out.”
The Patriots scored just two points in the third quarter, and the Cardinals upped their lead to 27-17. The Patriots never threatened the rest of the way.
“In the second half, Chmiel played the entire time, and Bliss was so good,” Funsten said. “Bliss was just so proactive in beating her to the spots. Just watching the film, Chmiel is so good at moving as the ball moves, and she does a great job of beating the defenders to spots where she has an advantage.
“If she gets the ball within 15 feet of the basket, she has such a great touch and she has great body control, so we knew we couldn’t let her catch at all. It started with Bliss and the help side over the top.”
Chmiel’s 10 points led the Patriots Elise Duffy added six.
For the Cardinals, Ngo’s 17 points led the way. She also had three steals. Balasa added nine.
“Offensively, we shot the ball really well,” Funsten said. “Dayna (Balasa) made three 3s. Amy Ngo was her typical efficient self.
“With all the energy Bliss and Sarah were exerting defensively, we needed some of those other players to step up offensively, and Amy and Dayna did.”
Jess Polin had just three points, but she dished out eight assists. She also had three rebounds, three deflections, two steal and one block. Brenner had five points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal. Geena Sarnoski had four rebounds.
“We were very excited,” Funsten said. “We actually practiced this morning because we weren’t able to practice the last couple of days. The girls had a great practice.
“It felt like a playoff game – we treated it like a playoff game. It’s a Saturday in February, and we knew CB East was undefeated. We were excited about the challenge. Next Saturday we’ll most likely get another undefeated team in Spring-Ford. We’re trying to approach these games as playoff games.”
Upper Dublin (13-2, 7-2 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Monday, and Central Bucks East (11-1, 10-0) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday in a non-league game.
Central Bucks East 14-1-2-8 25
Upper Dublin 10-9-8-11 38
Central Bucks East (25) – Devon Burns 1 0-0 2; Anna Barry 0 2-2 2; Mia Salvati 1 1-5 3; Elise Duffy 2 2-2 6; Emily Chmiel 5 0-0 10, Emily Barry 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 10 5-9 25.
Upper Dublin – Bliss Brenner 2 0-0 5; Jess Polin 1 0-0 3; Amy Ngo 6 3-4 17; Sarah Eskey 2 0-0 4; Dayna Balasa 3 0-0 9; TOTALS 14 3-4 38.
3-point goals: UD – Dayna Balasa 3, Amy Ngo 2, Bliss Brenner, Jess Polin.
PENNRIDGE 60, HARRY S TRUMAN 37
The Rams opened up an 18-11 lead after one quarter and never looked back on their way to the non-league win.
“It was just a good effort,” Pennridge coach Mike Elton said. “It’s more about the development of the team, being able to see them improve.
“We struggled a little bit in the first half with turnovers and stuff, and they cleaned up all that in the second half. What we’re really looking at is improvement and getting some positivity.”
Sophomore Katie Yoder was one of three Rams in double figures, leading the way with 15 points – 11 in a first half that saw the Rams open up a 33-19 lead. Freshman Anna Croyle added 13 points – eight in a 17-8 third quarter. Ryan Hodder added 10 points, which included a pair of 3s, and Emma Pyne had eight.
“Yoder had a good game,” Elton said. “Emma (Pyne), Ryan (Hodder) and Anna (Croyle) – they had good games, but everybody did a nice job.”
The Tigers, who are without leading scorer Haniyyah Jones, saw several young players step up and make important contributions. Freshman Arianna Frank and junior Hannah Smith both had nine points. Freshman Secret McCleve added eight points and freshman Gianna Johnson had six.
Pennridge (4-8, 2-7 SOL) will host North Penn on Monday, and Harry S Truman (1-8, 1-6) will host Pennsbury on Monday.
Harry S Truman 11-8-8-10 37
Pennridge 18-15-17-10 60
Harry S Truman (37) – Hannah Smith 3 3-9 9; Mayah Alford 1 1-8 3; Gianna Johnson 3 0-1 6; Saniya Blount 0 2-2 2; Avianna Frank 4 0-1 9; Secret McCleve 4 0-2 8; TOTALS 15 6-22 37.
Pennridge (60) – Katie Yoder 5 4-4 15; Ava Unzicker 2 0-0 5; Olivia Poole 0 0-1 0; Kiersten Moyer 1 0-0 2; Emma Pyne 2 3-4 8; Katie Loughran 1 0-0 2; Ryan Hodder 4 0-0 10; Anna Croyle 6 0-0 13; Ava Fantaskey 1 3-4 5; TOTALS 22 10-13 60.
3-point goals: HST – Avianna Frank, Pennridge – Ryan Hodder 2, Anna Croyle, Katie Yoder, Ava Unzicker, Emma Pyne.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 45, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 24
The Lions wasted little time before seizing control of Saturday’s non-league game against the visiting Indians, opening up an 18-5 lead after one quarter and never looking back. Sophomore Reagan Chrencik and senior Rachel Saxton each had eight points in the opening quarter.
“We were excited – we know some of the girls on their team,” Chrencik said. “We relied a lot on our passing. Our passing, I believe, was the strongest factor.
“Especially in the first half, we had a lot of backdoors, pick and rolls. We really came in confident but not too ahead of ourselves. I think we really played team basketball.”
The Indians have lost Jaden Wen, their leading scorer and rebounder, to an injury, and it has been an adjustment.
“Even though we’re three games out we’re still trying to get people into new spots,” said junior Kristen Polinsky, whose father, Steve Polinsky, is the head coach of NHS. “We lost two of our biggest girls (Erin Martin is also out with an injury), so we’ve really had to change to more of a shooting/guard game, so it’s been tough, but I think our girls are slowly getting adjusted.”
Polinsky certainly stepped up for the Indians, burying four 3-pointers and finishing with 12 points. Freshman Ruth O’Keefe added six points.
For the Lions, Saxton’s 15 points – which included three 3-pointers – led the way. Chrencik added 10 points, and Madi Fasti had six.
Only a win over Lower Moreland separates the Lions from a share of the SOL Freedom Division title in their first year in the SOL.
“It’s really been great,” Chrencik said. “Our entire team has been so excited that we get to move up and have better competition.
“Being a smaller school especially, we’re not expected to win. With that being said, it’s really exciting when we come out and give a team a run for their money. We’ve been doing really well. The better competition has been great, and we’re excited for next week – we have even more competition. We’re ready to prove ourselves – I think that’s the main thing, proving ourselves in the SOL.”
New Hope-Solebury (12-2, 8-1 SOL) will be on the road at Quakertown for a non-league contest Tuesday, and Council Rock North (4-7, 4-5) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Monday.
Council Rock North 5-0-8-11 24
New Hope-Solebury 18-15-10-2 45
Council Rock North (24) – Kiera Katz 1 0-2 2; Delaney McCaffery 0 2-2 2; Riley Hamilton 1 0-0 2; Kristen Polinsky 4 0-0 12; Ruth O’Keefe 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 9 2-4 24.
New Hope-Solebury (45) – Madi Fasti 1 4-4 6 Reagan Chrencik 5 0-0 10; Juliana Covino 2 1-2 5; Kate Dougherty 2 0-0 4; Rachel Saxton 5 2-2 15; Emily Primavera 1 0-0 3; Kaci Lane 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 7-8 45.
3-point goals: CRN – Kristen Polinsky 4, NHS – Rachel Saxton 3, Emily Primavera.
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