Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Wednesday.
Non-league
SOUDERTON 44, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 18
The Indians needed a win if they entertained any thoughts of competing in the district tournament, and they got a big one.
“We were 21 last night, and we stayed there all day today,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said of the District One 6A power rankings. “We were scheduled to play Neshaminy a couple of weeks ago, and it got snowed out, and today was the make-up day, and that game was cancelled on Monday.
“We were lucky that Council Rock North was in the same boat as us. They needed another game. Both teams went in knowing that the winner will probably get in.”
Souderton moved from 21st to 18th and brought to an end a five-game losing streak – all five losses to teams in the top 10 in the district power rankings.
“Our strength of schedule has to be near the top,” said Carroll, whose last win prior to Wednesday was Feb. 9 against Pennridge. “Our non-league schedule was top 10 teams in District One, many of which have a chance of being the district champ. For long stretches in every one of those games, we played really well and continued to prove that we can compete with teams at that level. We couldn’t quite get it done, and obviously, we gave one away in that Abington game.
“Our girls are competing with high level talent. I think today showed that we’ve been battle tested. I do think we’re playing our best basketball of the season, and it’s a good time to be doing that. I’m not taking any credit for the schedule we had because we just basically played whoever was willing to play us, but luckily, we still got in. It’s only going to help us moving forward this season and obviously will really help us for the future. We feel good about a lot of stuff, but there’s other stuff that we continue to have to get better at.”
From the outset, Souderton was in control of Wednesday’s regular season finale, opening up a 12-1 lead after one quarter and taking a 19-8 advantage into halftime. Casey Harter’s seven points led the host Indians. Teya McConnaha had six.
In the third quarter, Souderton outscored its visitors 17-10 and closed it out with an 8-0 fourth quarter. Erin Bohmueller’s eight points sparked the home team in the third quarter.
Harter’s 13 points led a balanced Souderton attack. McConnaha added nine points and controlled the backboards with 10 rebounds. Olivia Schneider added eight points.
“We got a lot of good contributions again today,” Carroll said. “Jordan Zimmerman had eight rebounds – she’s usually the shortest kid on the court.
“Erin Bohmueller had eight points in the third quarter. Offensively, we’re getting contributions from everybody, even when it’s Mikayla McGillian or Hayley Fenchel coming off the bench and hitting that one big shot.
“Defensively, we were really good today when you look at the number those kids have been putting up lately. It was a nice finish to the regular season, and we’re lucky – it looks like we’re going to extend our season.”
Kristen Polinsky’s seven points led Rock North.
Souderton (7-8, 6-4 SOL) – if the power standings remain unchanged – is scheduled to travel to 15th-seeded Neshaminy for Saturday’s opening round game.
Council Rock North 1-7-10-0 18
Souderton 12-7-17-8 44
Council Rock North (18) – Kiera Katz 0 0-2 0; Delaney McCaffery 0 1-2 1; Riley Hamilton 2 0-0 5; Kristen Polinsky 3 0-0 7; Ruth O’Keefe 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 7 1-4 18.
Souderton (44) – Jordan Zimmerman 2 0-0 5; Erin Bohmueller 3 2-2 8; Olivia Schneider 2 1-2 5; Casey Harter 5 2-3 13; Teya McConnaha 3 3-4 9; Mikayla McGillian 1 0-0 2; Hayley Fenchel 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 8-11 44.
3-point goals: CRN – Riley Hamilton, Kristen Polinsky, Ruth O’Keefe, Souderton – Jordan Zimmerman, Casey Harter.
WISSAHICKON 45, BENSALEM 44
Lily Hyatt had herself a day, burying four 3-pointers and scoring 15 points in the first half. She finished with a game high 20 points to lead the Trojans to the win in their season finale.
“Lily Hyatt was on fire,” Wissahickon coach Rodney Cline said. “In the second quarter is when she got really hot. She hit three 3s in a row, and then got an and-one. She hit five 3s in the game and was 2-for-2 from the free throw line. She probably shot 75 percent from the field, and she’s a senior. It was a great way for her to go out. I’m just so proud and happy for her.
“She put all this work in the offseason, and she said, ‘It was just a confidence thing, coach.’ We always talk about believing in yourself. I’m very, very proud of her.”
Wednesday’s game came on the heels of some tough outings.
“We played CB South last night and we played Pennsbury last week – I just got done saying to my girls, ‘We’re playing these teams that are on another level, we’re competing against these teams, and we haven’t even played our best year,’” Cline said. “We were back and forth with CB South last night until the fourth quarter when we started running out of gas.
“I said to our girls, ‘Our last step is not the offensive end, but it’s the mentality that we have to be hungrier for the basketball on the defensive end.’ I just said to them today, ‘Play your best, leave it all out there and stop settling for being mediocre on defense. That’s where it starts.’
“Defense is a mentality, it’s a want, it’s an attitude. I always tell the girls – you can always control it being with you when your offense isn’t there. Today these girls collectively as a team – they brought it defensively, diving out of bounds for balls, 50-50 balls, blocking shots on defense, boxing out. All the things we ask them to do, it came to fruition today. I’m just so proud of them.”
The Owls opened the game with a 13-7 first quarter only to watch the Trojans even the score 25-25 at the intermission. Hyatt’s 15 points – 12 in the second quarter – ignited the Trojans. Amber Howard’s seven points led the Owls.
The second half followed an identical pattern with the Owls – sparked by a pair of Maddie MacDougall 3s – outscoring the home team 13-7 to go on top 38-32 heading into the final quarter. Kylie Friedman’s eight points – including a pair of 3s – and five points from Kaitlyn McGeary accounted for all of the Trojans’ fourth quarter points.
“Friedman hit some big 3s late in the game to put us up by one,” Cline said. “She hit some key shots, and then we got the ball into McGeary. We fed her, and she made some big plays. She’s very efficient on the free throw line.
“Our point guard (Leah) Dubin struggled offensively today, couldn’t put the ball in the basket. There was a lid there, but she made the key play that changed the whole game. We were up by one, and they had the ball with 20-some seconds to go, she steals the ball and we’re able to run some clock after that. That was just a huge play. We talk about our core value mental toughness – you have to keep playing. The team is bigger than you. She made that huge play.”
In addition to Hyatt’s 20 points, McGeary had 17, and Kylie Friedman had eight, but they weren’t the only players to contribute.
“Our swing player, Eva Schools, came in and played great defense on their number 23 (Delaney Bell), who’s very tough,” Cline said. “Julia Verrier didn’t score, but she played her role. She did the other things. We always talk about our core values – one of them is being a contributor.
“It might not be in the stat line or putting the ball the basket, but she made some great passes in to McGeary when she played in the high post area. She fed her. She was diving for loose balls, she did all the things that don’t show up on a stat sheet but change the momentum of the game, so I’m proud of her.
“I’m just so proud of our girls. It was such a great way to end the season, it was such a great effort. They all come back except one. Number one, it was a blessing to play, I’m grateful for that. Number two, favor was shown to us just to play as many games as we did. To play 21 games, it’s just a blessing. I’m grateful for our girls, I love our team. I thanked them for their dedication. They’re all my daughters and I’m going to miss them. I’m grateful for them, I don’t take it for granted.”
Amber Howard’s 13 points led the Owls while Delaney Bell also finished in double figures with 10. Maddie MacDougall added eight points, and Sam Daut had six.
“They have turned their program around,” Cline said of the Owls. “It’s definitely been a change. They always had potential – they just had to be put in a different direction. They’re still young. They lost a lot of seniors, and they did well this year with that.”
Wissahickon closed out its season with a 6-15 record overall (1-9 SOL). Bensalem closed its season with a 7-13 mark (2-8 SOL).
Bensalem 13-12-13-6 44
Wissahickon 7-18-7-13 45
Bensalem (44) – Delaney Bell 4 0-0 10; Amber Howard 6 1-4 13; Kylie Smith 2 0-0 4; Sam Daut 3 0-0 6; Mackenzie Kramer 1 1-2 3; Maddie MacDougall 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 19 2-2-6 44.
Wissahickon (45) – Lily Hyatt 6 3-3 20; Kylie Friedman 3 0-4 8; Kaitlyn McGear 6 5-5 17; TOTALS 15 8-12 45.
3-point goals: Bensalem – Delaney Bell 2, Maddie MacDougall 2, Wissahickon – Lily Hyatt 5, Kylie Friendman 2.
UPPER DUBLIN 65, METHACTON 30
The Flying Cardinals put on quite a show, connecting on 14 3-pointers on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win.
“We’re playing great right now,” said UD coach Morgan Funsten, whose team was 14-for-25 from beyond the arc. “In the third quarter, we shot 6-for-7 from 3-point range. I told a couple of people – it was like a show. It was pure entertainment.
“It was the last home regular season game for a special group of seniors, and they definitely went out in style today.”
Jess Polin once again ignited the Cardinals, scoring 10 first-quarter points as the Cardinals opened up a 16-10 lead.
“We got off to a slow start – we were down 5-0, and then we just kind of exploded and scored 15 in a row,” Funsten said. “It was similar to our Spring-Ford game on Saturday where we got off to a slow start as a team, and Polin just carried us through the first few quarters. She really sparked us, making some shots and getting to the basket in the first quarter.”
In the second quarter, Geena Sarnoski came off the bench and scored 13 points, sending the Cardinals into halftime with a 32-20 lead.
“In the second quarter, the story of the game was Geena Sarnoski, who came off the bench and had nine big points for us against Souderton,” Funsten said. “She scored 13 in the second quarter today.
“Geena’s such a great story because she had a great offseason – she works really hard on her game, and there were times earlier in the year she may have been a little frustrated with her playing time, but she never let it get her down.
“The girls on the team recognize how dangerous she can be, and right now she’s feeling a lot better about her own game, and I know she has a lot of confidence. Her teammates have a lot of confidence in her, and the coaches do too. She’s such an awesome kid, and it’s really cool that she’s stepping up in big games.”
The fun was just getting started for the Cardinals, who outscored the Warriors 20-4 in the third quarter to put the game completely out of reach. They connected on six 3s in the frame. Polin accounted for three of them.
Polin, who had five 3s, led all scorers with 22 points and added team high seven rebounds. The senior point guard also had five assists, four steals and three blocks in a glittering all-around effort. Sarnoski had 13 points, and Dayna Balsasa chipped in three 3s and nine points. Balasa also had five rebounds. Amy Ngo had seven points, and Sarah Eskew had six on two 3s. Rachel Bilger had four rebounds, one assist and one block.
Eskew, also had four rebounds and five assists, threw some serious defense at the Warriors.
“Sarah Eskew did a great job getting after (Nicole) Timko, who just came off having 32 the night before against Abington,” Funsten said. “Sarah held her to eight
Upper Dublin (18-3, 8-2 SOL) is presently the fourth-seeded team in the District One 6A bracket and will have an opening round bye.
Methacton 10-10-4-6 30
Upper Dublin 16-16-20-13 65
Methacton (30) – Cassidy Kropp 2 4-6 8; Nicole Timko 2 3-5 8; Tori Bockrath 1 0-0 3; Mairi Smith 3 3-3 9; Allison Hazlett 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 9 10-14 30.
Upper Dublin (65) – Bliss Brenner 1 0-0 2;, Rachel Bilger 1 0-0 2; Geena Sarnoski 4 2- 213; Jess Polin 7 3-3 22; Amy Ngo 3 0-0 7; Sarah Eskew 1 2-2 4; Dayna Balasa 3 0-0 9; TOTALS 22 7-7 65.
3-point goals – Methacton – Nicole Timko, Tori Bockrath, UD – Jess Polin 5, Geena Sarnoski 3, Dayna Balasa 3, Sara Eskew 2, Amy Ngo.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 48, OWEN J ROBERTS 35
The Bucks go into the postseason riding a six-game winning streak, putting an exclamation mark on a strong finish to their regular season with a road win over the Wildcats.
“It was a great game and a great test for us,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “We wanted to play OJR because they are a really talented team and they play so hard.
“(Coach) Jeremy (Mellon) does a great job getting them ready for games and they had a ton to play for tonight. This gave us a playoff atmosphere and feel as we head into districts.”
The Bucks – behind seven points from Katie Finnan – led 14-9 after one quarter, and they held a tenuous 21-19 lead at halftime. Emily Spratt had six points in the half.
West outscored OJR 14-11 in the third quarter and took a five-point lead into the fourth quarter where the Bucks closed it out with a 13-5 tear.”
Spratt’s 14 points – which included a 6-for-8 effort at the foul line – led the Bucks. Paige Gilbert added 12 points – 10 in the second half, and Anna Blue also finished in double figures with 10 points. The senior had a pair of 3s and scored seven of her points in the second half. Finnan finished with nine points.
“Paige did a great job getting to the basket and getting to the line,” Sibel said. “Emily was awesome on the backboard and putting pressure on them on both ends of the floor.
“Anna Blue stepped up handling the ball and had 10 points of her own. The biggest thing was making that long trip and being able to respond. That will help us down the road.”
Central Bucks West (11-5, 7-3 SOL) – presently the 10th seed in the District One 6A Tournament – has an opening round bye.
Central Bucks West 14-7-14-13 48
Owen J Roberts 9-10-11-5 35
Central Bucks West (48) – Katie Finnan 3 2-4 9; Anna Blue 4 0-1 10; Emily Spratt 4 6-8 14; Maggie McCusker 1 0-0 3; Paige Gilbert 5 2-4 12; TOTALS 17 10-17 48.
Owen J Roberts (35) – Aysa Price 2 1-2 6; Avery White 7 5-8 21; Alexa Vogelman 1 1-1 3; Olivia Hannum 1 0-0 2; Gabby Koury 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 12 8-13 35.
3-point goals: CBW – Anna Blue 2, Katie Finnan, Maggie McCusker, OJR – Avery White 2, Aysa Price.
PENNSBURY 29, VILLA MARIA ACADEMY 21
In a game that didn’t feature a whole lot of offense, the Falcons rallied from a 14-2 deficit after one quarter to outscore their visitors 27-7 the rest of the way.
“Getting to coach against Kathy McCartney was an honor,” coach Frank Sciolla said of the long-time Villa coach. “She’s always been one of the best coaches in the Delaware Valley, and she had her team really prepared today. We fell behind 10-0 and 14-2 after the first quarter.
“They were in a situation where they needed to win to get into the playoffs, and they really came out ready to play. They truly valued the opportunity, and we were clearly prepared to treat the game as a great opportunity.
“We executed well in terms of getting shots, but we’ve had better shooting days.”
Abbi Nassivera’s eight points led a balanced Falcon attack. Ava Sciolla and Bella Arcuri each added seven.
“Abbi Nassivera had a couple big finishes for us,” Sciolla said. “Sofia Vitucci continues to improve and make big plays, and Bella Arcuri knocked down a big three in the third quarter.
“Ava was extremely disruptive at the top of our defense and our girls made great reads behind her.
“I’m glad to get the chance to coach against Kathy. She’s a Hall of Famer for a reason.”
Pennsbury (7-9, 4-6 SOL) – the 11th seed in the District One 6A Tournament – will have an opening round bye.
Villa Maria 14-2-1-4 21
Pennsbury 2-8-9-10 29
Villa Maria (21) – Peyton Tague 2 0-0 6; Ally Trebelev 1 1-2 3; Faith Iacone 3 0-0 6; Carly Catania 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 9 1-2 21.
Pennsbury (29) – Sofia Vitucci 2 0-0 4; Ava Sciolla 3 1-2 7; Abbi Nassivera 4 0-0 8; Bella Arcuri 1 4-4 7; Nevaeh Dash 3-4; TOTALS 10 8-10 29.
3-point goals: VMA – Peyton Tague 2, Pennsbury – Bella Arcuri.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 37, POPE JOHN PAUL 32
The Colonials – still without junior point guard Kaitlyn Flanagan (injury) – struggled to find to find their offensive stride in Wednesday’s non-league contest. They held a 17-16 lead at halftime and used a 10-4 third quarter to take a lead they would not lose.
“In the first half, we played five in/five out and gave all our kids a chance to play,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “In the second half, Anna McTamney really made some big shots to give us the lead.
“Up one and shooting a free throw, we miss, but Erin Daley gets the rebound and gets fouled. She makes both free throws to seal the game. We’re still struggling without Flanagan, but the team took a big step forward tonight in the second half.”
Daley and McTamney both scored eight points to lead the Colonials. All of McTamney’s points came in the second half. Daley was 4-for-4 from the foul line in the second half. Lainey Allen and Abby Sharpe both had six points. Allen had five of those points in the opening quarter to spark the Colonials early. Sharpe had five points in the third quarter and all six of her points after the intermission.
Plymouth Whitemarsh closed out its regular season with a 15-1 record overall (10-0 SOL). The Colonials are the second seed in the District One 6A Tournament and will have an opening round by.
Pope John Paul 12-4-4-12 32
Plymouth Whitemarsh 13-4-10-10 37
Pope John Paul (32) – Tess Crossan 2 2-6 6; Amelia Kennedy 3 0-0 8; Kayla Ciuba 3 0-0 9; Kallan Bustynowicz 2 3-4 7; Haley Jackson 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 5-10 32.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (37) – Ally Zolty 1 0-0 3; Erin Daley 2 4-4 8; Gabby Cooper 0 2-3 2; Anna McTamney 4 0-0 8; Lainey Allen 2 2-4 6; Deja Evants 2 0-0 4; Abby Sharpe 2 2-5 6; TOTALS 13 10-16 37.
3-point goals: PJP – Kayla Ciuba 3, Amelia Kennedy 2, PW – Ally Zolty.
About the Author
