Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CB East/Pennridge photos provided courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East girls’ basketball. (Cire Worley photo courtesy of Andrew Robinson. Taylor O’Brien photo courtesy of PW girls’ basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 43, BENSALEM 30
With Ava Sciolla watching from the sidelines after suffering an injury at the She Got Game Classic on Sunday, somebody had to pick up the slack. A sophomore – Sofia Vitucci – answered the call, scoring a game-high 22 points and setting the tone from the opening tap.
“The lollipop guild got cooking early as Nicole (Pompili) and Sofia asserted themselves at both ends,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said of his sophomore guards who both measure in at 5-4. “Sofia has great shot creativity, and we needed that tonight but what we really liked was how she handled the ball and got us into our offense. Nevaeh Dash, Neve Davis and Nicole were also good there.”
Behind six points from Vitucci, the Falcons took a 10-7 lead after one quarter and then outscored their hosts 17-5 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a commanding 27-12 lead. Vitucci led the Falcons with 13 points. Layla Matthias had five – all in the second quarter. The Owls never threatened.
“You’re never sure what you’re going to get when you start three sophomores on the road, but we have felt really good about them and how they practiced and prepared and over the years,” Sciolla said. “We’ve always hung our hat on our defense.
“Layla Matthias had six steals and hammered the glass as usual. We are really happy with how we are battling on the glass with teams so far. Pennsbury kids have always been tough, and this group is living up to that so far.
“It was a tremendous response from our girls tonight on the road coming off a long weekend with difficult circumstances. Bensalem is much improved with some really good experience.”
For the Owls, Delaney Bell and Mackenzie Kramer led the way with eight points each.
“First off, we wish the best for Ava,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “Secondly, I am really impressed with Pennsbury, especially playing without Ava. They played extremely hard.
“On our end, I have to do better. I preach accountability in our program so I will be the first one to say I have to coach better. Good news for us is we have one day of practice to get after it and three games in three days.”
Pennsbury (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Neshaminy in a key division battle on Thursday. Bensalem (1-1 0-1) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday.
Pennsbury 10-17-5-11 43
Bensalem 7-5-6-12 30
Bensalem (30) – Delaney Bell 2 2-2 8; Maddie Macdougal 1 0-0 3; Averi McCoy 1 0-0 3; Kylie Smith 1 2-2 4; Mackenzie Kramer 2 4-6 8; Amber Howard 1 0-5 2; TOTALS 8 8-15 30.
Pennsbury (43) – Layla Matthias 2 1-2 5; Danielle Sherman 0 1-2 1; Daniella MacDonald 1 0-0 3; Sofia Vitucci 7 8-9 22; Nicole Pompili 1 0-2 2; Nevaeh Dash 2 5-6 9; Neve Davis 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 13 15-21 43.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald, Bensalem – Delaney Bell 2, Averi McCoy.
NESHAMINY 51, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 37
(Council Rock South information will be added when it is received)
Nine players contributed scoring as the visiting Redskins used a balanced attack to earn the win in Tuesday’s SOL opener.
“Some girls came off the bench like we had hoped – Skylar Lall, Lindsay Little and Jess Purdy, and they all hit 3’s,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “Skylar had two, Jess had one, Lindsay had one and Mimi Smith, who starts for us had two.
“We’re getting more balance, which is what I’m looking for, and I was pretty happy with that.”
Reese Zemitis led the Redskins with 12 points while Mimi Smith had eight points and a team high six rebounds. Purdy contributed seven points, and Taylor Gurysh added six points.
“Maya Lewis had five rebounds and did a real good job defending Cam Gregory who is their leading scorer,” Gallagher said.
The Redskins’ coach tipped his hat to the Golden Hawks.
“Council Rock South had real good spacing in their offense,” Gallagher said. “Karissa Smedley, who led them in scoring, had a really nice game getting into the lane, finishing around the basket and drawing fouls.”
Neshaminy (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Thursday, and Council Rock South (2-0,0-1) will host Council Rock North on Friday.
Neshaminy – Skylar Lall 6, Taylor Gurysh 4, Anna Soska 2, Maya Lewis 4, Jess Purdy 7, Lindsay Little 5, Mimi Smith 8, Lola Ibarrondo 5, Reese Zemitis 12.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 46, HARRY S TRUMAN 28
The Indians – sparked by five points from Delaney McCaffry – opened up a 15-4 lead after one quarter. They took a 21-6 lead into halftime and never looked back.
“We took a few more steps in the right direction tonight,” Rock North coach Jim Roynan said. “We’ve been working on tightening up our defensive approach, and tonight we were able to do a few more things better than we did the first two games. It’s nice to see the hard work that the girls put in pay off in games.
“Our team defense was really solid in the first half. We worked on some things in practice yesterday, like our post defense, and the girls did a nice job of executing. Lizzie (Lustig) was really effective as an interior defender, and Kristen (Polinsky) and Riley (Hamilton) were active in help.”
McCaffry was the lone Indian in double figures with 10. Hamilton added nine points, Polinsky had eight, Kiera Katz contributed seven, and Ruth O’Keefe had six.
“Offensively, we continue to get more comfortable with our approach,” Roynan said. “We’re really starting to share the ball and to recognize how to create good shots. We had several really good offensive possessions, and as we get more comfortable in our offense the shots are starting to fall more regularly.”
Truman’s Patricia Monroe led all scorers with 11 points while teammate Mayah Alford added nine.
“Truman has some very athletic guards that were a challenge for our perimeter defenders, and coach (Ashida) Cooper has put in some sets that really take advantage of their strengths,” Roynan said. “For most of the game, we did a really good job of limiting dribble penetration and forcing the ball to our help defenders.
“Delaney (McCaffry) and Kiera (Katz) especially were focused on keeping their players in front of them and not allowing them to get downhill. That allowed us to set our halfcourt defense and make Truman work on their offensive possessions.”
Council Rock North (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road Friday at Council Rock South, and Harry S Truman (0-1) will host Bensalem on Friday.
Harry S Truman 4-2-10-12 28
Council Rock North 15-6-11-14 46
Harry S Truman (28) – Mayah Alford 3 3-8 9; Camille Monroe 2 0-0 4; Patricia Monroe 3 5-8 11; Shylah McCleve 1 0-0 2; Secret McCleve 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 10 8-16 28.
Council Rock North (46) – Kiera Katz 3 0-1 7; Lizzie Lustig 2 0-0 4; Delaney McCaffry 4 0-0 10; Riley Hamilton 4 1-2 9; Kristen Polinsky 3 1-2 8; Jaden Wan 1 0-0 2; Ruth O’Keefe 1 3-4 6; TOTALS 18 5-9 46.
3-point goals: CRN – Delaney McCaffry2, Kiera Katz, Kristen Polinsky, Ruth O’Keefe.
SOL Colonial Division
PENNRIDGE 43, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 37
The Rams won a pair of games by a margin of 30-plus points this weekend. They met their first test of the young season in Tuesday night’s SOL opener, and after managing just nine points in the first half against a pesky Patriot defense, they scored 34 in the second to earn the big win.
“They play really tough defense,” Pennridge coach Mike Elton said of the Patriots. “Obviously, they were focused on some of our players, and they had to fight through that. They’re the most intense team we’ve had to play yet.
“All I can say is ‘wow.’ They did everything they had to do to get there and to hold that lead at the end. It was great. Everybody contributed, everybody that came off the bench contributed. It was a great team win.”
The Rams knew it wouldn’t be easy against a Patriot squad that prides itself on its defense, but they undoubtedly expected to score more than two points in the first quarter (but trailed by just a 3-2 score) and nine in the first half and still trailed by just a 12-9 score.
“It was really frustrating,” said junior Katie Yoder, whose 15 points and six rebounds led the Rams. “It wasn’t like our games this weekend. Obviously, we weren’t used to it, but we’ve been practicing so hard, and I had trust in my team that we would come together and find our strengths and what would work for us.”
The game took a dramatic turn in the third quarter. On her team’s opening possession, Elise Duffy scored on a drive to give the Patriots a 14-9 lead. Emma Pyne answered with a 3-pointer at the other end, marking the beginning of a 14-2 Pennridge tear that included five straight points from Ryan Hodder, including a trey from the top of the circle. Pyne and Yoder scored on back-to-back drives, and another Hodder bucket put the Rams on top 23-16.
“We got very hot for a few possessions in a row, and we had our biggest lead,” Yoder said. “That gave us a lot of encouragement, and we had a lot more energy coming out. Everyone contributed.”
The Patriots didn’t go down quietly, and an Anna Barry three was followed by five straight points from Duffy, including a three-point play that put the Patriots on top 26-25. The Rams, however, regained momentum, when Pyne hit a nothing but net 3-pointer with five seconds remaining in the quarter, giving Pennridge a 28-26 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The game was tight until the end. Duffy went coast to coast for a bucket that knotted the score 32-32 after pulling down a defensive rebound, but Yoder answered with a huge 3-pointer. East went on top 36-35 with three minutes remaining, but Pyne buried a pair at the foul line and when Yoder connected on her second three of the quarter, the Rams led 40-36 with two minutes remaining. The Patriots would get no closer than three the rest of the way.
“We kept the turnovers down tonight,” Elton said. “We still had seven turnovers, but that’s not bad against a pressure defense.
“Everybody stepped up. When’s the last time we beat East? It’s a great confidence builder. These girls have worked hard, and they’re starting to see (the results) now.”
The last time Pennridge defeated East was Jan. 16, 2015 (50-42).
“Any of the players here – none of us have ever beaten East,” Yoder said. “That was one of our goals this year.
“This is a huge confidence booster. We now know how well we can work together and how much everyone can contribute. It just shows how well our team works together.”
In addition to Yoder, Pyne had 10 points and Hodder, nine.
For a young Patriots’ squad that has just two seniors on its roster, sophomore Anna Barry led the way with 15 points, which included three 3-pointers. Duffy added 12 points.
Pennridge (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Friday, and Central Bucks East (1-2, 0-1) will host Souderton on Friday.
Central Bucks East 3-9-14-11 37
Pennridge 2-7-19-15 43
Central Bucks East (37) – Erin LeRay 1 0-1 2; Chantal Van Dongeren 1 0-0 2; Anna Barry 5 2-2 15; Elise Duffy 5 2-3 12; Kendall Gregor 0 2-2 2; Emily Curran 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 14 6-8 37.
Pennridge (43) – Ella Brown 1 0-0 2; Anna Croyle 1 0-0 2; Katie Yoder 4 5-6 15; Ava Fantaskey 0 1-2 1; Ava Unzicker 1 0-0 2; Olivia Poole 1 0-0 2; Emma Pyne 3 2-2 10; Katie Loughran 0 0-2 0; Ryan Hodder 3 2-2 9; TOTALS 14 10-14 43.
3-point goals: CBE – Anna Barry 3, Pennridge – Katie Yoder 2, Emma Pyne 2, Ryan Hodder.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 45, NORTH PENN 44
The Bucks – who trailed 13-8 after one quarter and still trailed by one at halftime – appeared to seize control of the game with a 16-6 third quarter, but the Knights had other ideas, rallying behind the hot hand of Abby Plaugher to make things very interesting.
“Coach had them ready to play as we knew they would be,” West coach Zach Sibel said of first-year Knights’ coach Brianna Cullen. “They’re a dangerous team. They take good shots, they take the shots that they’re comfortable with.”
The Knights – behind 13 points from Caleigh Sterling – led 21-20 at halftime. Emily Spratt and Tai Henkels each had seven points to lead the Bucks.
In a 16-point third quarter, Henkels and Katie Finnan each had five points and Spratt had four as the Knights opened up a 37-28 lead that turned out to be anything but secure.
Plaugher was all but unstoppable in the fourth quarter, burying three 3-pointers and scoring 14 of her team-high 16. She opened the quarter with back-to-back 3s, and her third three with five seconds remaining pulled the Knights to within one.
“In the beginning it was (Caleigh) Sperling that got to her right hand and was able to get (13) points in the first half, so she was hitting her shots,” Sibel said. “I thought we did a nice job on (Abby) Plaugher and held her to two points in the first half, and then she went off for 14 in the fourth quarter.
“They were active on the backboards. They’re a tough team that plays a real physical style of game. With that, you have to be able to weather the storm. I know they’re a young team, but they played a (heck) of a game. You have to tip your hat to them and to coach for having them ready to roll. All things considered, I thought we still played well. Down the stretch, we made plays on the offensive end. We have things to clean up, but all in all, I think it’s a good road win.”
Spratt’s 19 points – eight in the fourth quarter – included one three and a 4-for-6 effort at the foul line. Henkels added 12 points.
“Spratt made plays down the stretch,” Sibel said. “Tai Henkels is really playing well. She’s finding her game a bit and really getting things rolling and just getting the pieces all together.
“Finnan is taking the right steps forward, and I was real impressed with Ava Longo tonight in her role.”
For the Knights, Plaugher led the way with 16 points while Sperling had 15.
Central Bucks West (2-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South on Thursday for its Coaches vs. Cancer game at 6:30 p.m. North Penn (1-2, 0-1) will host Pennridge on Friday.
Central Bucks West 8-13-16-8 45
North Penn 13-9-6-16 44
Central Bucks West (45) – Tai Henkels 4 2-4 12; Katie Finnan 1 2-2 5; Emily Spratt 7 4-6 19; Alexis Castro 1 1-2 3; Ava Long 2 0-2 4; Gabi senior 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 16 9-16 45.
North Penn (44) – Caleigh Sperling 7 0-0 15; Abby Plaugher 5 3-6 16; Cameron Crowley 1 2-2 5; Kelly Donnelly 1 0-0 3; Olivia Stone 2 1-2 5; 10 6-10 44.
3-point goals: CBW – Abby Plaugher 3, Caleigh Sperling, Cameron Crowley, Kelly Donnelly
SOUDERTON 55, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 23
The Indians had three players in double figures, and as impressive as their offensive performance was, they were even more impressive on the defensive end of the court, limiting the visiting Titans to single digits in three of four quarters.
“Our defense was great from start to finish,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “Offensively, I’m just trying to stay out of their way. They’re playing so well. They’re so unselfish, and they’re so smart. Almost every possession is ending in a good look.
“They were having fun too, and they’re so much fun to watch. Tonight was just the whole package. We were really scoring in a lot of different ways. We had six 3s, so we have kids scoring all over the place.”
Three different players – Brooke Fenchel, Erin Bohmueller and Teya McConnaha – buried 3-pointers in an opening quarter that saw the Indians take a 12-3 lead. The Titans – behind five points from Alyssa D’Orazio – showed signs of life offensively in the second quarter, scoring 10 points. Souderton took a 24-13 lead into halftime
If there was any doubt about the outcome, they were put to rest in a third quarter that saw the Indians erupt for 23 points while limiting the Titans to just five. The Indians’ depth and balance was underscored in a scoring column that saw McConnaha, who is a force in the paint, burying a pair of 3’s in the quarter. Casey Harter had five points, including a three, while Mikayla McGillian and Bohmueller both had four points.
Harter’s 15 points led a balanced scoring effort. The junior point guard also had five rebounds and six assists. McConnaha once again put up impressive numbers, scoring 14 – including three 3-pointers, to go along with nine rebounds and two blocks. Bohmueller added 11 points, and McGillian had six.
“Obviously, Teya is getting post-ups, she’s getting to the foul line, she’s hitting shots from the outside,” Carroll said. “She really developed her shot over the offseason.
“Casey is just creating her own shot and getting to the basket. Erin stepped up again tonight and had another big scoring night and was really, really active on defense. In the scoring column, it doesn’t look like Brooke (Fenchel) did that much, but the way she moves the ball and sees the court and is willing to find an open teammate to make that next pass. The same thing with Mikayla – she’s not scoring a whole lot right now, but she can, and she’s playing great defense.
“We had a freshman come off the bench, Grace McDonough, who’s in our rotation and getting solid minutes, but it was nice to see her come in and score her first varsity basket. Really, just up and down the lineup, it’s kids working really hard and playing smart, playing unselfish. We were very, very good tonight.”
For the Titans, D’Orazio had seven points and Samayoa added six. Taylor Hinkle was held to just three points.
Souderton (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Perkiomen Valley in a non-league game Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central Bucks South (2-0, 0-1) will host Central Bucks West on Thursday.
Central Bucks South 3-10-5-5 23
Souderton 12-12-23-10 55
Central Bucks South (23) – Casey Balkir 1 0-0 2; Taylor Hinkle 1 0-0 3; Alyssa D’Orazio 3 1-1 7; Mackenzie Erb 1 0-0 2; Jenna McCartin 0 1-2 1; Maddie Tantum 1 0-0 2; Yoyo Samayoa 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 9 2-3 23.
Souderton (55) – Brooke Fenchel 2 0-0 5; Erin Bohmueller 4 2-2 11; Mikayla McGillian 3 0-0 6; Casey Harter 7 0-0 15; Grace McDonough 2 0-0 4; Teya McConnaha 5 1-4 14; TOTALS 23 3-6 55.
3-point goals: CBS – Yoyo Samayoa 2, Taylor Hinkle, Souderton – Teya McConnaha 3, Brooke Fenchel, Erin Bohmueller, Casey Harter.
SOL Liberty Division
ABINGTON 52, UPPER DUBLIN 27
Morgan Funsten knew just everything there was to know about the Ghosts after watching them roll to the title of the Germantown Academy Winter Classic. But nothing can really prepare a team for what it will face when it takes the court against a dangerous Ghost squad that wears teams down.
“After watching Abington play in their first two games, we thought one of the keys to the game was taking care of the ball, and our turnover numbers weren’t bad,” Funsten said. “Their athleticism wore us down and affected our shooting percentages dramatically.
“Abington certainly knows their identity on both ends of the floor, and we are still figuring out what our identity is. I’m confident as long as we stay positive, we will continue to get better and hope we can compete with them better the next time we play them.”
The visiting Flying Cardinals kept it close for one quarter and trailed by just one (11-10). The second quarter was another story entirely as the Ghosts – behind six points from Jaida Helm and five from both Dani Brusha and Jordyn Reynolds – closed out the half with a 19-2 tear to go into halftime with a 30-12 advantage.
“They had a pretty good game plan,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said. “We turned GA and George School over a ton and forced them into a ton of turnovers. They were kind of handling the pressure, but it was still the pace we wanted to play.
“The biggest thing Morgan (Funsten) is able to do besides have his teams play tremendous defense – he’s able to dictate the pace of the game. We’ve always game planned to make them play fast, make them put the ball on the floor, and we were able to do that tonight. Even when they were scoring, we were going right back at them and keeping it a full-court game. Eventually, that’s to our advantage. That actually opened it up in the second quarter.”
Prior to the game, Cire Worley was honored for her school record 38-point game against GA. In Tuesday’s win, she scored 11 of her game-high 18 points in a second half that saw the Ghosts outscore the Cardinals 22-15.
“I told Cire before the game ‘Now that you got 38, teams are going to pay even more attention to you. You might have to get 38 assists,’” Marsh said. “That’s the thing about Cire – she can score in so many different ways. It’s really hard to say, ‘We’re going to stop her 3 balls or we’re going to stop this.’ She’s got a lot of weapons in that toolbox.”
Also for the Ghosts, Jaida Helm contributed eight points and six rebounds. Reynolds had eight points while Brusha added seven, and Abril Bowser had six points on a pair of 3s.
“I was telling my assistant coaches – it’s so nice not to have to coach a team to play hard,” Marsh said. “I literally spend zero energy on telling them to play hard, and I don’t know if it’s been that way in a long time.
“Morgan said to me, ‘I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team like you guys before.’ I just said to my assistants – ‘We’ve never had a team like this.’ We’ve never had a team with all these 5-2 kids that are very quick and that just can bother you. That’s what we’re doing. Eventually, that leads to some easy buckets.
“Our team shares the ball well, and obviously, Cire is our main scorer, but everybody else is ready to go too. Maya Johnson, our freshman point guard, had five assists and three steals. I just think we won the game because we played it our style. We want to score in the 60s and 70s, but to get 52 against Upper Dublin is an accomplishment.”
Amy Ngo’s 11-point effort led the Cardinals. She also had four deflections. Geena Sarnosky had a big game under the backboards with 13 rebounds. Colleen Klammer had seven points and six rebounds.
Abington (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon on Friday, and Upper Dublin (1-2, 0-1) will host Quakertown on Friday.
Upper Dublin 10-2-5-10 27
Abington 11-19-8-14 52
Upper Dublin (27) – Bliss Brenner 1 2-3 4; Aditi Foster 0 1-2 1; Geena Sarnoski 1 0-0 2; Colleen Klammer 3 0-2 7; Amy Ngo 4 3-5 11; Kaitlyn Zacharia 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 9 8-14 27.
Abington (52) – Cire Worley 7 1-4 18; Abril Bowser 2 0-0 6; Jaida Helm 4 0-0 8; Maya Johnson 1 0-0 3; Dani Brusha 1 4-6 7; Maura Day 0 2-4 2; Jordyn Reynolds 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 18 7-14 52.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 55, WISSAHICKON 35
Alice Hall scored 25 points to lead the Hatters to the win in their SOL opener that also was their first game of the season.
“It was a team win – all 12 players contributed not only points but rebounding,” HH coach Eric Glemser said. “We’re playing a lot of new kids that never saw any varsity time.
“The first quarter we were a little nervous and missed a lot of easy shots and then we settled down. I was pleased with Alice just started to take over the game and playing the way she’s capable of. That was the big thing.”
Glemser – who previously coached the Hatters 2004-10 – took over the helm this fall, and with a large number of players also members of the soccer team that played into November, the Hatters haven’t had a whole lot of time together but are trying to make up for lost time.
“We’ve been going at it pretty hard,” Glemser said. “It’s our first game tonight. A lot of teams played already. We were just happy to play with somebody other than ourselves.”
In addition to Hall, Sam Hollis had eight points and Emily Thomas had seven. Both connected on a pair of 3-pointers for the Hatters, who were 7-for-11 at the foul line.
Dubin’s 14 points led the Trojans, who received 11 points from Julia Verrier and eight from Kaitlyn McGeary.
“Their big girl inside is a nice player,” Glemser said of McGeary. “She was playing strong in the beginning. We picked up the defense on her, and I think she only scored two points in the second half. We kind of keyed on her and shut her down.
“Leah Dubin played well. I coached her in AAU for years, so she was really playing hard. She wanted to beat me. It was a good balanced team win. We still have a lot of work to do, but it was a good start.”
Hatboro-Horsham (1-0 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday, and Wissahickon (2-1, 0-1) will host Abington on Friday.
Wissahickon (35) – Leah Dubin 14, Julia Verrier 11, Kaitlyn McGeary 8, Kylie Friedman 2.
Hatboro-Horsham (55) – Alice Hall 25, Sam Hollish 8, Emily Thomas 7, Kitta Randa 4, Caroline Shegogue 5, Alli Hewish 3, Paige Cole 2.
3-point goals: Wiss – Leah Dubin, Julia Verrier, HH – Emily Thomas 2, Sam Hollish 2, Caroline Shegogue.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 55, QUAKERTOWN 25
The Colonials opened their season with a win over the visiting Panthers, racing out of the gate to a 19-5 lead after one quarter and extending it to 39-13 by halftime.
“We opened up the season and league play with a strong effort,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said.
The Colonials were paced by the 18-point effort of Abby Sharpe, who also had five rebounds and three assists. Senior Kaitlyn Flanagan added 11 points, six assists and three steals. Jordyn Thomas had six steals to go with her 12 points. Lainey Allen stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, six steals, six rebounds, and four blocks. Erin Daley had strong game at both ends, adding five points to her three steals, three assists, and two rebounds.
The Colonials, according to Dougherty, also got a great contribution from Fiona Gooneratne off the bench with two points, two rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
Prior to the game, former PW star Taylor O’Brien, the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,040 career points, was honored for being named 2018 Miss PA Basketball.
“After a long overdue (COVID) delay, we finally got to have a Taylor O’Brien celebration night, honoring the all-time great with a banner to hang in our beautiful new gym,” Dougherty said. “The banner arrived March 13, 2020 -the day the world shut down, and we have been waiting for tonight ever since.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (1-0 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday, and Quakertown (1-2, 0-1) will travel to Upper Dublin on Friday.
Quakertown 5-8-4-8 25
Plymouth Whitemarsh 19-20-12-4 55
Quakertown (25) – Carolyn Sipprell 4 1-2 9; Katie Hagerty 2 0-0 5; Laney Mitchell 1 0-0 2; Katie Offner 0 1-2 1; Ava Pistone 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 10 2-4 24.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (55) – Kaitlyn Flanagan 5 1-1 11; Fiona Gooneratne 1 0-0 2; Erin Daley 2 0-0 5; Abby Sharpe 8 0-0 17; Lainey Allen 4 0-1 8; Jordyn Thomas 6 0-0 12; TOTALS 27 1-2 55.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Katie Hagerty, Ava Pistone, PW – Erin Daley, Abby Sharpe.
SOL Freedom Division
WILLIAM TENNENT 48, CHELTENHAM 32
Chase Dubzak torched the visiting Lady Panthers for five 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 18 points, propelling the Panthers to the convincing win in their SOL opener.
“Chase was huge for us,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “She’s probably our best outside shooter, and she was feeling it tonight.
“From an offensive standpoint, we definitely moved the ball really well against the zone and were able to get some nice looks inside, and Chase obviously was able to take advantage from the outside. For her, it was a great shooting night, and I thought she did a great job running the team and the offense, getting us in our sets and settling us down.”
The Panthers – sparked by a pair of Dubzak 3s – led 14-5 after one quarter and took a 24-16 lead into halftime. Dubzak added three more 3-pointers in the second half and scored 12 points after the intermission as Tennent outscored its visitors 24-16.
“The best thing was just seeing the girls come out and play with a lot more confidence,” said Whitney, whose team was coming off a loss to Conwell-Egan in its opener. “Conwell-Egan is definitely a much-improved team, but I feel that a lot of what went wrong was our undoing – too many unforced turnovers, and we just got down on ourselves and never really found a way to get back in the game.
“I thought tonight our girls really came out ready to play. They were more focused. The biggest point of emphasis for tonight was coming out with energy and emotion and just taking care of the basketball, and I thought we did that tonight.”
Also for Tennent, Morgan Volz added 12 points – six points in each half, and Courtney Bragen contributed eight points.
Mikahila Leighton’s 18 points – 10 in the second half – led the Lady Panthers. Tyrina Ragsdale added six points.
“Another slow start killed us, and we just couldn’t recover,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “William Tennent works hard and definitely outworked us tonight.”
William Tennent (1-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Bensalem in a non-league game on Thursday, and Cheltenham (0-3, 0-1) will host Upper Moreland on Friday.
Cheltenham 5-11-6-10 32
William Tennent 14-10-11-8 48
Cheltenham (32) – Mikahila Leighton 8 2-4 18; Janiya Townes-Wakefield 0 1-3; Tyrina Ragsdale 2 2-2 6; Cassie Bugg 2 1-3 5; Tori 1 0-0 2; Amelia Yevoli 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 13 6-15 32,
William Tennent (48) – Ella Mednick 1 0-2 2; Savannah Zeaman 2 0-0 4; Chase Dubzak 5 3-4 18; Courtney Bragen 2 4-12 8; Alyssa Lewicki 0 2-2 2; Kate Smith 1 0-0 2; Morgan Volz 6 0-0 12; TOTALS 17 9-20 48.
3-point goals: WT – Chase Dubzak 5.
UPPER MORELAND 46, LOWER MORELAND 31
EmmyFaith Wood and Holly Gaul each scored 17 points to lead the Golden Bears to a win over their neighboring rival in Tuesday’s SOL opener.
“It’s always good to get the first league win under our belt and win our home opener,” UM coach Matt Caroll said. “We’ve started the season in a little bit of a funk and are really trying to find our identity, and I think we took a step in the right direction tonight.”
The Bears, who led 9-4 after one quarter, took a 23-12 lead into halftime. Wood accounted for 10 of UM’s point while Gaul had eight.
“Ultimately the difference in the game was that they had the two best players on the floor, that’s not a knock on our girls, it’s a compliment to EmmyFaith Wood and Holly Gaul,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “Both players see the floor and both are multidimensional players that are tough to defend. They’re talented, well coached and experienced enough to take advantage of any breakdowns or miscommunications that we had on defense. They had 34 of their 46 points.”
Carroll credited the play of the Lions.
“I give Lower Moreland a ton of credit because they wouldn’t go away,” the UM coach said. “They played great help defense and made things tough for us offensively for a little while.
“(Jess) Dugo was fearless for them and did a great job handling our pressure throughout the game. She put them on her shoulders, especially with (Liz) Neeld in foul trouble, and really kept them in it. We played all 12 players tonight and they all played while the game was within 10-14 points. We are looking for girls to fill roles and see who can give us what. We know Holly and EmmyFaith are going to score. Everyone who plays us knows this. We found out a little bit more about ourselves tonight.”
For the Lions, Jess Dugo led the way with 15 points while Tori Finnegan added six.
“We lost by 15, but there were a lot of positives that we were able to take away from this game,” Becker said. “After getting embarrassed last year and losing by 39 points, the game was competitive until midway through the third. We were able to get the lead down to eight and then Brooke Lobban banked in a three, and we were not able to get it back down to single digits.
“I told the girls after the game that a lot of our mistakes were because of inexperience and we just need to see things a little sooner. Jess Shein was a great example of this. She did not score, but she was great on defense and made smart decisions on offense, the shots just didn’t fall. I was proud of how hard the girls battled. With three starters with three fouls each in the first half and one of our key bench players sick, I thought that the team competed, and our bench did what they could to keep us in it.”
Upper Moreland (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Cheltenham on Friday, and Lower Moreland (2-1, 0-1) will host New Hope-Solebury on Friday.
Lower Moreland 4-8-8-11 31
Upper Moreland 9-14-13-10 46
Lower Moreland (31) – Tori Finnegan 3 0-0 6; Amelia Brown 1 0-0 3; Liz Neeld 1 1-1 3; Jess Dugo 2 11-12 15; Briana McFerran 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 9 12-13 31.
Upper Moreland (46) – Brooke Lobban 2 0-0 5; EmmyFaith Wood 7 3-3 17; Kiera Coyle 1 0-0 3; Marie Meyers 0 4-4 4; Holly Gaul 7 1-3 17; TOTALS 17 8-11 46.
3-point goals: LM – Jess Dugo 2, Amelia Brown, UM – Holly Gaul 2, Kiera Coyle, Brooke Lobban.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 51, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 16
The Lions notched their first win of the young season in Tuesday’s SOL opener, racing out of the gate to a 17-7 lead after one quarter. By halftime, they had a commanding 34-10 advantage. The Spartans managed just nine points in the final three quarters combined.
Reagan Chrencik led the Lions with a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five blocks.
“Regan set the tone for our team tonight defensively – she had great communication with her teammates and helped everyone defensively,” NHS coach Steve Polinsky said.
Freshman Emily Wilson played in her first game of the season and scored 13 points as well. Isabella Elizondo added eight points.
“Our two freshman, Emily Wilson and Izzy Elizondo, had a lot of energy, and both shot the ball really well,” Polinsky said. “Our ball movement tonight was excellent.”
Madi Fasti added six points while senior Emma Ives had eight rebounds.
“Madi Fasti had a great floor game and pushed the ball, getting everyone easy shots,” Polinsky said. “It was a great team effort.”
Jayla Daniels led the Spartans with seven points.
New Hope-Solebury (1-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Lower Moreland on Friday, and Springfield Township (1-2, 0-1) will be on the road at Pottstown for a non-league game Wednesday.
New Hope-Solebury 17-17-15-2 51
Springfield Township 7-3-3-3 16
New Hope-Solebury – Emily Wilson 13, Isabella Elizondo 8, Reagan Chrencik 13, Emma Ives 3, Madi Fasti 6, Grace Fitzgerald 2, Isha Mukerjee 2, Nina Mexler 4.
Springfield Township – Samiyyah Thompson 5, Jayla Daniels 7, Delaney Lake 1, Lauren Hussy 2, Ashley Jenkins 1.
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