Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action on Saturday. CB East/Villa Joseph Marie photos provided by Diane Barry/CB East basketball. All SOS photo galleries for GIRLS’ BASKETBALL can viewed by clicking HERE.
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 41, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 37
On Dec. 20, the Falcons rolled to a 64-36 win over Council Rock South. Saturday’s rematch was an entirely different story. Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla, it turns out, was not one bit surprised.
“Without question, Council Rock South has been the hottest team in our division, and I said six weeks ago that they were going to be an issue as their younger players get more experience and comfortable with each other,” Sciolla said. “They play a fun brand of basketball, and they constantly attack and find each other for good shot opportunities. I’ll reiterate what I said in December in that this is (coach Blair Klumpp’s) best team, and they clearly like each other.”
The Golden Hawks – behind a pair of Cam Gregory 3s – led 9-7 after one quarter, and then Ava Sciolla went to work, burying four 3-pointers in the second quarter to send the Falcons into halftime with a 21-18 advantage.
“They came out strong and took a lead,” Sciolla said. “The game started off with Ava getting to spots and creating shots, and as she has all year, she did a great job of that, but eventually she decided to start shooting and pulled us back into the game and ahead.”
The Falcons took a 33-29 lead into the final quarter and held on for the four-point win.
“As we took control of the game, we went up seven and then we missed three consecutive one-and-ones and also both parts of a two-shot foul,” Sciolla said. “We were fortunate that we were still getting stops, but eventually, South made some big plays.
“Fortunately for us, Ava knocked down two big free throws, and Sofia Vitucci iced it with two big free throws. They have been great in that area all year long, but we really need everyone to focus in that spot and finish the game because this one had a playoff type feel against a team that is going to be an absolute handful for people in the playoffs.”
Sciolla led the Falcons with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
“We ask a great deal of her, and she’s been incredible with her assists to turnovers, and obviously, she rebounds her position better than any guard that we see, but now that we are in February, we have talked to her about perhaps letting loose and shooting the ball a bit,” Sciolla said. “Tonight, she scored 19 points on nine shots. She has spent so much time creating shots for other people, and I realize at the next level that will be a role for her, but it’s important that she not forget her scoring ability here. Other than the Souderton game, she just lets the game come to her and in some cases perhaps too much.
“Her skill set is unique. And at times we have to remind her of that. I will often see people talk about how they’re holding certain players to certain scoring numbers, but face guarding someone and putting four people in the paint isn’t necessarily one person holding another person down. It has never been her personality to force shots, and every one of her coaches growing up including me has been blamed for that. Today she made big ones when we needed them and, of course, did what she does down the stretch on the foul line and with her passing.”
Nicole Pompili added seven points and two steals. Matthis and Vitucci each had six points.
Navaeh Dash and Layla Matthis each had four rebounds.
“Nicole Pompili took a big momentum-changing charge in the fourth quarter, and Layla Matthias had a couple nice finishes through contact against the pressure,” Sciolla said. “It will be good to get back home this week.”
For the Golden Hawks, Gregory’s 14 points led the way. Mia Stock added 10 points.
Pennsbury (17-2, 12-2 SOL) will close out its regular season schedule with home games against Harry S Truman on Tuesday and Council Rock North on Thursday. Council Rock South (11-8, 6-8) will face Bensalem at home on Tuesday and will travel to Harry S Truman on Thursday.
Pennsbury 7-14-12-8 41
Council Rock South 9-9-11-8 37
Pennsbury (41) – Ava Sciolla 5 3-6 19; Layla Matthias 3 0-2 6; Sofia Vitucci 2 2-2 6; Nicole Pompili 2 1-7; Navaeh Dash 1 0-3 3. TOTALS 13 8-16 41.
Council Rock South (37) – Liliana Metrick 1 0-0 3; Lily Bross 1 0-0 3; Katie Purpura 1 0-0 2; Cam Gregory 5 1-1 14; Mia Stock 4 1-2 10; Karissa Smedley 2 0-0 5. TOTALS 14 2-3 37.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Ava Sciolla 4, Nicole Pompili 2, Nevaeh Dash; CRS – Cam Gregory 3, Liliana Metrick, Lily Bross, Mia Stock, Karissa Smedley.
BENSALEM 36, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 30
It was an emotional Senior Day for the Owls, who defeated the Indians in their final home game of the season.
The visiting Indians, who led 11-7 after one quarter, took a 22-16 lead into halftime. Kirsten Polinsky’s eight points led the Indians while Delaney Bell (seven points) and Averi McCoy (six points) kept the Owls afloat.
The Owls turned up their defense and kept the Lions off the scoreboard in the third quarter, opening up a 27-22 lead heading into the final frame. Bell’s five points led the Owls, who outscored the Indians 9-8 in the final quarter to earn the win.
For the Owls, Bell scored 12 points to lead the way while Amber Howard and McCoy each added 11 points.
For the Indians, Polinsky and Lizzie Lustig both scored eight points to lead their team. Delaney McCaffery added seven points.
Bensalem (11-8, 6-8 SOL) will close out its regular season with three road games. The Owls will travel to Council Rock South on Tuesday, they will be on the road at Neshaminy on Thursday, and on Saturday, the Owls will travel to New Hope-Solebury for a non-league game.
Council Rock North (3-15, 2-12) will travel to Villa Joseph Marie for a non-league game on Monday. On Tuesday, the Indians will host Neshaminy, and on Thursday, they will be on the road at Pennsbury.
Council Rock North 11-11-0-8 30
Bensalem 7-9-11-9 36
Council Rock North (30) – Lizzie Lustig 3 1-2 8; Delaney McCaffery 3 0-1 7; Riley Hamilton 1 0-0 3; Kristen Polinsky 3 1-1 8; Ruth O’Keefe 2 0-0 4. TOTALS 12 2-4 30.
Bensalem (36) – Averi McCoy 4 3-4 11; Erin Devlin 0 1-3 1; Devon Bell 0 1-2 1; Delaney Bell 5 0-0 12; Amber Howard 3 5-11 11. TOTALS 12 10-20 36.
3-point goals: CRN – Lizzie Lustig, Delaney McCaffery, Riley Hamilton, Kristen Polinsky; Bensalem – Delaney Bell 2.
SOL Freedom Division
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 53, WILLIAM TENNENT 35
The Lions won their fourth straight game, defeating a pesky Panther squad. They opened up a 26-19 halftime lead and then all but slammed the door on the Panthers with a 14-5 third quarter. Reagan Chrencik’s 22-point effort led the Lions.
“It was a little weird playing at 11:30 today, and it was a sleepy first half,” NHS coach Steve Polinsky said. “I thought we got better as the game went on.
“We held them to five points in the third quarter which helped us get a little lead. Laura Whitney’s teams always play well against us. They are always very well prepared and well coached.”
For the Panthers, the outcome was disappointing but, according to Whitney, the effort was not.
“I was really happy with the way we responded today after the tough loss on Thursday,” Whitney said of her team’s 38-35 loss to Cheltenham. “Our performance last game was very lackluster, and I thought we came out with a lot of energy and focus today. It’s one of the things I love most about our girls. No matter how tough this season has been they always have such a positive attitude, and they play hard and compete.
“New Hope is a very talented team who has been playing really well lately, so we knew it was going to be tough. I challenged the girls before the game and said, ‘We can feel sorry for ourselves and make excuses that the season hasn’t gone our way and come out and go through the motions or we can play with some purpose and energy and give ourselves a chance. We have nothing to lose.’”
The Lions – sparked by five points from Emily Wilson and four each from Chrencik and Izzy Elizondo – opened up a 16-8 lead after one quarter. The Panthers came back to edge the Lions 11-10 in the second quarter and trailed 26-19 at the intermission.
“We missed some shots early on, but we didn’t get down,” Whitney said. “We kept being aggressive, and defensively, our girls stepped up and made some great stops.
“Chrencik and (Madi) Fasti are a big focus of what they like to do. I thought Courtney (Bragen) did a great job on Chrencik the first half of not letting her get into any rhythm and making it tough to get good looks and frustrating her a bit. We were down seven at halftime, but if it weren’t for a minute to minute-and-a-half stretch there in the first half where we had some turnovers and gave up some transition baskets, it’s probably a one-possession game at the half.
“Unfortunately, the second half we couldn’t keep the momentum going. The third quarter was really the difference in the game. New Hope started making some outside shots, and Chrencik was being more assertive offensively. I knew at some point she was going to go off. We just weren’t able to answer, and they were just too much for us.”
Chrencik was the Lions’ catalyst in the second half, burying a pair of 3s and scoring 14 points. Emma Ives also had a big half with two 3s and nine points.
“Reagan had a solid second half, and she really helped us control the game,” Polinsky said.
Chrencik led all scorers with 22 points and also dominated the backboards, pulling down 11 rebounds. Ives and Wilson both added nine points, and Izzy Elizondo finished with eight.
For the Panthers, Morgan Volz led the way with 11 points, and Ella Mednick had eight. The Panthers connected on just 2-of-13 from the foul line while the Lions buried 7-of-9.
New Hope-Solebury (10-8, 9-5 SOL) will complete league play with a with a road game at Cheltenham on Tuesday and a home game against Upper Moreland on Thursday. The Lions will host Bensalem in a non-league game on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
William Tennent (3-15, 3-11) will close out league play at Upper Moreland on Tuesday and at Lower Moreland on Thursday. They will host New Foundations Charter in a non-league game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
New Hope-Solebury 16-10-14-13 53
William Tennent 8-11-5-11 35
New Hope-Solebury (53) – Nina Mexler 0 0-2 0; Madi Fasti 2 0-0 5; Reagan Chrencik 8 4-4 22; Izzy Elizondo 3 2-2 8; Emma Ives 3 1-2 9; Emily Wilson 4 0-1 9. TOTALS 20 7-9 53.
William Tennent (35) – Ella Mednick 4 0-1 8; Savannah Zeaman 1 1-2 3; Chase Dubzak 2 0-0 4; Courtney Bragen 2 0-4 4; Alyssa Lewicki 1 0-2 3; Kate Smith 1 0-0 2; Morgan Volz 5 1-4 11. TOTALS 16 2-13 35.
3-point goals: NHS – Reagan Chrencik 2, Emma Ives 2, Madi Fasti, Emily Wilson; WT – Alyssa Lewicki.
Non-league
ABINGTON 71, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 43
The Ghosts make scoring points look easy, and they did it again on Saturday, putting 71 points on the board against a West squad that had never allowed more than 54 in any game this season.
“That was a quality win,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said. “We were looking forward to this one.
“We were able to force the tempo and play the way we wanted to play. I sound like a broken record, but we were successful doing what we wanted to do today.”
And what the Ghosts want to do is create havoc with their pressure while playing at a speed that leaves teams struggling to keep up. They set the tone with a 20-point first quarter that saw five players contribute scoring with Jaida Helm’s five points leading the way.
It was more of the same in the second quarter, and this time it was Cire Worley torching the Bucks for nine points on three 3-pointers to send the Ghosts into halftime with a 37-21 lead.
“They just couldn’t handle our pressure – it was too much for them,” Marsh said. “It’s funny because we have such a young team, and I know they don’t totally understand how things work. I said, ‘This is a good team that plays good competition all year long. We’ve got to be ready to play.’ I kind of felt they didn’t understand going into this game. I was wrong, I guess. This might have been one of our better performances. We just did a lot of things well.”
Armed with a 16-point lead, the Ghosts outscored their visitors 29-22 in the second half.
Three Ghosts finished the game in double figures. Helm led the way with 21 points, which included two 3s and a 7-for-8 effort at the foul line. She also led the Ghosts with nine rebounds.
“She stayed within herself,” Marsh said. “I think the key with Jaida is doing what she does well and not trying to do too much – meaning not going outside of what she does well. She was attacking the rim, she was getting rebounds, and she hit 3s in the flow. She didn’t force anything today, and that’s part of her maturation and development and why she’s become such a good player because she can do that. It was one of her best games for sure, and the mighty mites played well too.”
Worley added 17 points and Abril Bowser had 11. Dani Brusha and Jordyn Reynolds both had seven points. Maya Johnson handed out eight assists.
West was led by the nine-point effort of Gabi Senior. She also had seven rebounds. Emily Spratt, Tai Henkels and Katie Finnan each added seven points, and Ava Longo had six. Spratt led the Bucks with eight rebounds, and Longo added seven boards.
“They did play a solid zone, and when we had to go half court, it took a little bit for us to score,” Marsh said of the Bucks. “I forget in what game it was, but one of the coaches had yelled at one of their kids for high fiving after they made a basket on us. We practice scoring after scores, and there were multiple times today where they scored, and we scored four or five seconds later because that’s what we do. It was fun because it was quality competition. We played well.”
The Bucks were less than 24 hours removed from a 57-54 overtime win at Pennridge on Friday.
“I think they were a little bit dead coming off their game last night,” Marsh said. “(Coach Zach Sibel) said this was probably the worst team to play after going overtime the night before. I saw that early, and I said, ‘They can’t keep up with us. Just keep going,’ and we did.”
Abington (17-2, 12-1 SOL) will begin the final week of the regular season with a division showdown at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Ghosts will travel to Springfield Township, and on Friday, they will celebrate Senior Night when they host Hatboro-Horsham. Central Bucks West (15-5, 10-4) will travel to Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and on Friday, the Bucks will host Souderton.
Central Bucks West 11-10-9-13 43
Abington 20-17-13-21 71
Central Bucks West (43) – Tai Henkels 2 2-3 7; Katie Finnan 2 3-4 7; Taylor Madden 1 0-0 2; Emily Spratt 2 3-4 7; Alexis Castro 1 0-0 2; Ava Longo 1 4-4 6; Gabi Senior 3 3-4 9; Peyton Cramer 1 0-0 3. TOTALS 13 15-19 43.
Abington (71) – Cire Worley 7 0-0 17; Abril Bowser 4 2-2 11; Jaida Helm 6 7-8 21; Maya Johnson 1 0-0 2; Dani Brusha 2 2-5 7; Jordyn Reynolds 2 2-4 7; Sarah Oleary 1 1-2 3; Piper McGinley 1 0-0 3. TOTALS 24 14-21 71.
3-point goals: CBW – Tai Henkels, Peyton Cramer; Abington – Cire Worley 3, Jaida Helm 2, Abril Bowser, Dani Brusha, Jordyn Reynolds, Piper McGinley.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 56, VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 29
To say the Patriots are resilient just might be an understatement.
Less than 24 hours after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Central Bucks South at the buzzer, the Patriots controlled play from start to finish against a Villa Joseph Marie squad that has 13 wins on
the season.
“I give them a lot of credit because they’ve done that all year, and that’s kind of why we’re .500,” East coach Liz Potash said. “We’ll lose a game and then we’ll come back strong.
“Last night was our third game we’ve lost by one point, our second loss at the buzzer in four games – we lost to Neshaminy at the buzzer. We have eight losses six points and under. I give them so much credit. They come every day, and they’re like, ‘Okay, we’re going to battle,’ and they battle everyone.
“They do enough to be able to get it close, and I think it’s hard to continue to do that and not always have the result that you want, but we just keep preaching we know it’s going to pay off. Whether it pays off this year, next year or two years from now, we know this experience is going to pay off, so just keep fighting, and they do. So when we have games that don’t go our way, they’ve always come back strong the next day. They’ve done this all year. Today we played well defensively. We mixed up defenses, and we made shots, and that makes life easier always. It was a good team win.”
The Patriots stunned the visiting Jems with a 16-5 tear in the first quarter. Elise Duffy’s five points ignited East while Anna Barry, Kendall Gregor and Emily Curran each buried a three. By halftime, the Patriots had a commanding 30-13 lead. Barry’s eight points led a balanced Patriot attack while Curran added seven.
“I think we’re a Saturday afternoon team,” said Potash, whose team is 3-0 on Saturday afternoons. “We make a lot of shots on Saturday afternoons. Against St. Hubert’s, we hit 12 3s and today we had 10 3s.
“I was worried about this game coming in. Villa has a very good record. Tori Nigro is a very good point guard. They have some good talent, they have some good wins. They lost to Gwynedd close, they beat the Mount twice, who we lost to. Especially because Souderton beat them by (nine), so I always judge it by that. Going into the game, I knew we could hang with them. We just came out, and it was never close.”
The Patriots limited senior point guard Tori Nigro – who will continue her basketball career at Jefferson University – to six points.
“Elise (Duffy) isn’t usually on the point guard, but (Nigro) is their best player so we had her on her,” Potash said. “Elise did a good job and then when she picked up two fouls, Chantal Van Dongeren did a nice job. She didn’t get her outside shot going, and we really did a good job of limiting what she could get to the basket, which is her strength. She’s a really nice player.”
Leading the Patriots’ attack was Barry, who buried six 3s and led all scorers with 20 points.
“She can shoot them, and she can shoot them in spurts,” Potash said. “I’ve never had a shooter like Anna at East. Every time she shoots it, I think it’s going in. That kid can shoot the ball.
“When Anna’s making shots like that, it’s hard (for the other team). Kendall Gregor had two (3s). Ten 3s is a lot of shots.”
Duffy added 13 points, which included a perfect 7-for-7 effort at the foul line. Curran had seven points and Gregor added six.
Central Bucks East (9-10, 6-8 SOL) will close out its regular season with a pair of home games. On Tuesday, the Patriots will host Central Bucks West at 5 p.m., and on Friday, they will celebrate Senior Night when they take on North Penn.
Villa Joseph Marie 5-8-10-6 29
Central Bucks East 16-14-18-8 56
Villa Joseph Marie (29) – Tori Nigro 3 0-0 6; Sam White 1 1-4 3; Emma Hagan 1 0-0 3; Carly Austin 2 0-0 5; Hailey Magilton 0 1-2 1; Gabby White 1 0-0 3; Maria Gordon 1 0-0 2; Amelia Pizzica 1 0-0 2; Elizabeth Cornett 1 2-2 4. TOTALS 11 4-8 29.
Central Bucks East (56) – Erin leRay 1 0-0 2; Chantal Van Dongeren 1 3-4 5; Anna Barry 7 0-0 20; Elise Duffy 3 7-7 13; Sydney Ralph 1 0-0 3; Kendall Gregor 2 0-0 6; Emily Curran 3 0-0 7. TOTALS 18 10-11 56.
3-point goals: VJM – Emma Hagan, Carly Austin, Gabby White; CBE – Anna Barry 6, Kendall Gregor 2, Sydney Ralph, Emily Curran.
SOUDERTON 58, READING 42
Casey Harter scored a career-best 25 points in a stellar offensive outing. The junior point guard also had four assists and five rebounds and was the engine that drove the Indians to the convincing win.
“Casey found ways to get to the basket – out in transition or just within the half-court offense, getting stuff off of steals,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “Reading was very, very aggressive, and the refs were letting them play that way. They were all over Casey, and she handled it with composure and found ways to get to the basket, found ways to get to the foul line.
“At least six of Casey’s points were on contested layups assisted by Erin (Bohmueller), so it was good team basketball. We had 15 assists on the night.”
The Indians led by just one after the opening quarter but followed that with a 17-4 second quarter to seize control of the game. Harter was the catalyst, scoring nine points in the second quarter after scoring six in the first.
The Indians, who took a 31-17 lead into halftime, added to that with a 21-9 third quarter. Again, Harter was in the middle of the action, scoring eight points. Mikayla McGillian also had a big quarter, scoring six points.
“We were leading by one after one quarter, and we were just settling for quick perimeter shots against their press,” Carroll said. “Once we settled down and just made them defend us in the half court, we were fine after that.
“Both Teya (McConnaha) and Mikayla (McGillian) sat the entire second quarter in foul trouble, and Grace McDonough and Alexis Stefanowicz gave us great minutes off the bench. They helped set the tone defensively and finished some tough shots around the basket.
“Teya played with her usual determination on both ends, and Erin (Bohmueller) and Brooke (Fenchel) continue to play well.”
In addition to Harter, McConnaha had 10 points and six rebounds. McGillian added eight points while Fenchel had seven and Bohmueller had six points and six assists.
Souderton (18-2, 3-1 SOL) will close out its regular season with a home game against Pennridge on Tuesday, and the Indians will travel to Central Bucks West on Friday.
Souderton 14-17-21-6 58
Reading 13-4-9-16 42
Souderton (58) – Brooke Fenchel 3 0-0 7; Erin Bohmueller 2 0-0 6; Mikayla McGillian 4 0-0 8; Casey Harter 9 6-6 25; Alexis Stefanowicz 0 0-1 0; Grace McDonough 1 0-0 2; Taya McConnaha 5 0-0 10. TOTALS 24 6-7 58.
Reading (42) – Ashanty Chapman 2 2-4 6; Kya Washington 0 2-2 2; Pimenter 1 0-0 3; Michelle Hernandez 1 0-0 2; Carrie Duncan 1 6-10 8; Mariah Ruiz 9 2-4 21. TOTALS 14 12-20 42.
3-point goals: Souderton – Erin Bohmueller 2, Brooke Fenchel, Casey Harter; Reading – Mariah Ruiz, Pimenter.
SACRED HEART 36, LOWER MORELAND 32
The Lions endured a tough shooting day but still led 29-22 heading into the fourth quarter when they were outscored 14-3.
“I’ve forgotten how much I hate Saturday games,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “We lost a four-point game where we shot 8 percent (2-for-25) on shots outside of 12 feet from the net, most of them uncontested. We also missed seven layups or putbacks.
“In spite of our shooting, we had a chance to tie the game when – with just under five seconds left – we got a steal at half court. Jess Dugo got the steal near the half court sideline and passed it out to Liz Neeld around the 3-point line for the potential game tying lay-up when the baseline official – off the ball and on the weak side of the court – called her for a double dribble while looking through about six moving bodies.
“We were told on the pass she tapped the ball with her left hand to her right while trying to get control of the ball. After the game, I watched the film, frame by frame and could not see that. If our camera had a good angle and I couldn’t see it in slow motion, I don’t know how you make that call in that situation unless it is an obvious call. There’s a part of you that understands when you shoot 8-for-42 from the floor you probably don’t deserve to win, but it’s still a tough pill to swallow.”
Dugo led the Lions with 12 points, which included a 4-for-4 effort at the foul line. Neeld, Tori Finnegan and Briana McFerran each had six.
“The only positives were that we shot 10-for-12 from the foul line and had 22 steals,” Becker said. “We just needed to get the ball in the net.
“You have to give (Sacred Heart coach) Zach Shuler and his team credit. They didn’t over complicate things, they sat back in their zone, mostly one step inside the arc, doubled any passes inside and dared us to shoot, we never gave them any reason to change their game plan.”
Lower Moreland (8-10, 6-8 SOL) will close out its regular season with a non-league home game against Jenkintown on Monday (6 p.m.), a road game at Springfield Township on Tuesday, and a home game on Thursday against William Tennent.
Lower Moreland 10-10-9-3 32
Sacred Heart 9-8-5-14 36
Lower Moreland (32) – Tori Finnegan 3 0-0 6; Amelia Brown 0 2-3 2; Liz Neeld 1 4-4 6; Jess Dugo 3 4-4 12; Briana McFerran 3 0-1 6. TOTALS 10 10-12 32.
Sacred Heart (36) – Grace Brown 1 0-0 3; Kyra Santola 1 2-4 4; MJ Donohue 2 0-0 5; Ainsley Davis 5 2-2 13; Maddie Campbell 1 1-1 3; Keara McCaffrey 2 0-0 4; Avery Schultz 1 2-2 4. TOTALS 13 7-9 36.
3-point goals: LM – Jess Dugo 2; SH – Grace Brown, MJ Donohue, Ainsley Davis.
GWYNEDD MERCY 41, UPPER MORELAND 26
Coach Matt Carroll knew his team would have its hands full against a GMA team that is the class of the Catholic Academies League. The Golden Bears battled but could not keep up with a Monarch squad that improved to 18-0.
“I hate losing, more than nearly anything in the world but I couldn’t be more proud of the girls on this team,” Carroll said. “The JV game was really competitive, and they fought through so much adversity during the game. The way they lost was really unfortunate, but I’m so proud of their effort.
“Our varsity girls were great today. We had very little preparation, a quick film session at 9 am, and we were within striking distance going into the fourth against an undefeated team. Gwynedd has a well-balanced team with skill at every possession. The Coleman’s and Griffin are legit and they play really well together. They play really good team defense, take away the lane and double all picks. We knew the three pointers would be open, and I think that’s a strength of ours. We got a lot of open looks that normally go in, but we had no legs in the second half. If this game was the second game of the week, I think we could’ve kept it close longer, but we aren’t the only team out there playing a lot of games to end the year. Even though we lost, we got a lot out of today that will help us come playoffs.”
The Monarchs led 16-10 after one period with Hannah Griffin accounting for seven of those points. Kiera Coyle’s two 3-pointers kept the Golden Bears close. It was a 24-17 game at halftime, and the Golden Bears trailed by a 32-22 score heading into the final quarter when the Monarchs – who were a perfect 10-for-10 at the foul line – closed it out with a 9-4 frame.
Holly Gohl’s nine points led the Bears while Coyle added eight and EmmyFaith Wood had seven.
Griffin’s 14 points led the Monarchs while twins Sofia Coleman (10 points) and Bianca Coleman (eight points) combined for 18. Dylan Burke had six points.
Upper Moreland (14-5, 11-3 SOL) will close out the regular season with three games. On Tuesday, the Golden Bears will host William Tennent, and on Wednesday, they will travel to Collegium Charter for a non-league game. On Thursday, they will be on the road at New Hope-Solebury.
Upper Moreland 10-7-5-4 26
Gwynedd Mercy 16-8-8-9 41
Upper Moreland (26) – EmmyFaith Wood 2 2-3 7; Kiera Coyle 2 2-2 8; Holly Gohl 4 0-0 9; Mikel Lancit 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 8 6- 6-7 26.
Gwynedd Mercy (41) – Maddie Newell 1 2-2 4; Hannah Griffin 5 0-0 14; Biance Coleman 2 4-4 8; Sofia Coleman 3 2-2 10; Dylan Burke 2 2-2 6. TOTALS 13 10 10-10 41.
3-point goals: UM – Kiera Coyle 2, EmmyFaith Wood, Holly Gohl; GMA – Hannah Griffin 3, Sofia Coleman 2.
OWEN J ROBERTS 59, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 54 (OT)
It’s impossible to blame the Titans if they were running on empty on Saturday.
After celebrating the team’s five seniors less than 24 hours earlier at Senior Night, the Titans eked out a win at the buzzer over archrival Central Bucks East on a shot by Taylor Hinkle, who earlier in the game had reached the 1,000-point plateau.
One day later, the visiting Titans – sparked by eight points from Sammy Schiesser – took a tenuous 22-21 lead into halftime. They outscored the Wildcats 14-12 in the third quarter, and again, Schiesser led the charge, scoring seven points. The Wildcats – behind 15 points from Gabrielle Koury – rallied to knot the score 52-52 at the end of regulation and then outscored the Titans 6-2 in the extra period.
Schiesser’s 19 points led the Titans. Balkir added 11 points, including three 3s. Yoyo Samayoa had nine points and Hinkle finished with six.
Central Bucks South (11-8, 7-7 SOL) will close out its regular season with a road game at North Penn on Tuesday and a non-league home game against Villa Joseph Marie on Wednesday. On Friday, the Titans will travel to Pennridge.
Central Bucks South 13-9-14-16-2 54
Owen J Roberts 15-6-12-19-6 58
Central Bucks South (54) – Casey Balkir 4 0-1 11; Taylor Hinkle 2 2-2 6; Jenna McCartin 1 0-0 3; Maddie Tantum 1 0-4 2; Sammy Schiesser 5 6-9 19; Yoyo Samayoa 3 2-3 9; Kristen Conway 2 0-1 4. TOTALS 18 10-20 54.
Owen J Roberts (58) – Ashley White 3 2-2 8; Avery White 9 3-3 21; Alexa Vogelman 1 0-0 2; Gabrielle Koury 12 1-2 25; Ava Clemson 1 0-0 2; 26 6-7 58.
3-point goals: CBS – Casey Balkir 3, Jenna McCartin, Sammy Schiesser 3, Yoyo Samayoa.
ACADEMY PARK 36, HARRY S TRUMAN 31
Hannah Smith buried three 3-pointers and scored a team- high 14 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Tigers were edged by Academy Park in a non-league game Saturday.
The two teams were deadlocked at 5-5 after one quarter, but the Knights used a 12-2 second quarter burst to go into halftime with a 17-7 lead on their way to the win.
Also for the Tigers, Shylah McCleve had six points.
Harry S Truman (0-18, 0-14 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Tuesday, and the Tigers will close out the week with a home game against Council Rock South on Thursday and a non-league road game at Morrisville on Friday.
Academy Park 5-12-14-5 36
Harry S Truman 5-2-13-11 31
Academy Park (36) – Jade Kinlaw 6 4-7 17; Alaysia Kinlaw 4 3-5 13; Emani Banks 1 0-1 2; Akirah Hill 1 0-0 2; Halayjah Solis-Morgan 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 13 7-13 36.
Harry S Truman – Mayah Alford 2 0-0 4; Saniya Blount 1 0-0 2; Hannah Smith 5 1-2 14; Camille Monroe 0 0-2 0; Patricia Monroe 2 0-0 4; Shylah McCleve 3 0-2 6; Dahlia Gumaa 0 1-2 1. TOTALS 13 2-8 31.
3-point goals: HST – Hannah Smith 3; Academy Park – Alaysia Kinlaw 2, Jade Kinlaw.
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