Council Rock South earned a berth in the PIAA 6A State Tournament. CR South/Spring-Ford photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
District 1 6A semifinal
#1 PERKIOMEN VALLEY 54, #4 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 27
The Patriots knew they faced a daunting task when they traveled to Collegeville to take on the top-ranked Vikings, but they didn’t back down, burying shots on three of their first four possessions to go on top 6-2.
Sophomore Haley Moran connected on a pair of baskets, and Jess Lockwood buried a shot just inside the arc. The Vikings answered immediately with a 14-2 run before Lockwood sank a 3 at the buzzer to make it a 16-11 game after one quarter.
A basket by Moran to open the second quarter pulled the Patriots to within three, but by halftime, the Vikings extended their lead to 31-22.
The second half belonged to the Vikings. The Patriots did not get on the scoreboard until Natalie Berndt buried a 3 with 2:35 remaining in the quarter. By that time, the Vikings had a 46-25 lead and never looked back.
“Off the bat, we hit a couple of shots,” East coach Liz Potash said. “The last few days of practice the girls were so focused, they were so locked in. I felt like I didn’t need to sell them that they could compete with these guys. They were like, ‘Yeah, bring it, we’re excited. Let’s go play them.’ Obviously, it showed from the moment we came out.
“But you have to play a perfect game because they capitalize on every mistake. They know where to put people in positions on the floor. They do things smart, so give credit to them. They’re tough.”
Key players: Sophomore Haley Moran’s 13 points led the Patriots.
The Vikings were led by Quinn Boettinger with 18 points. Wake Forest commit Grace Galbavy added 14, and Lena Stein had 11 points.
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash: “You look at the district, and there’s some very good talent in the district, but I don’t think anyone is close to what Perk Valley has. You’re looking at them as the one seed, and a lot of teams can compete around them.
“I felt good that we could play with them for a bit, and we were able to do it for the first half. They come out on that run in the third quarter, and the game’s kind of over, but when you look at what some of their scores were this year and you look at what they’re doing to teams – we came out strong, and we never stopped battling with them. We’re never going to stop competing.
“I’m proud of the effort. That’s a tough team to go up against. We’re undersized. There’s a lot of pieces, and every mistake you make – they capitalize on.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (22-6, 9-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin Friday for the District 1 6A third place game.
Central Bucks East 11-11-3-2 27
Perkiomen Valley 16-15-17-6 54
Central Bucks East (27) – Sydney Ralph 1 2-2 4; Haley Moran 6 0-0 13; Natalie Berndt 2 0-0 5; Jess Lockwood 2 0-0 5; Helmstetter 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 11 2-4 27
Perkiomen Valley (54) – Bella Bacani 2 0-0 6; Julia Smith 1 0-0 2; Lena Stein 5 0-0 11; Grace Miley 1 1-1 3; Quinn Boettinger 8 1-2 18; Grace Galbavy 6 0-1 14; TOTALS 23 2-4 54.
3-point goals: CBE – Haley Moran, Natalie Berndt, Jess Lockwood; PV – Bella Bacani 2, Grace Galbavy 2, Lena Stein, Quinn Boettinger.
#2 GARNET VALLEY 46, #3 UPPER DUBLIN 32
The Flying Cardinals hung tough in their battle with the second-seeded Jaguars. They trailed 9-6 after one quarter and 21-14 at halftime but trimmed three points off that lead heading into the fourth quarter. Four points is as close as they would get.
Key players: Junior Megan Ngo led UD with 13 points. She also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Tamia Clark added 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists.
For the Jaguars, Haylie Adamski had 22 points, and Kyle Mulholland added 11 points.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten on the game: “I thought it was important for us to get off to a good start tonight and play ahead. With all the experience that Garnet Valley had, I thought that was important for our own psyche.
“In the first half, we beat ourselves in ways we haven’t necessarily done this year. We had nine turnovers in the first half. They weren’t pressing us. They have good size, and they were being very physical with us. I didn’t think we had a good response to it.
“The girls kept fighting. Going into the fourth quarter, it was only a four-point game. Playing from behind and having to pressure a little bit opened some things up for them.
“Giving up offensive rebounds continues to be an issue for our team. It’s something that the coaches have recognized, and the girls have recognized. We are doing our best. In practice every day, the girls are trying. We’re hoping to continue to improve there and just keep fighting.
“We got outscored 14-0 in transition points, 13-0 points off turnovers. We had too many live ball turnovers that resulted in easy baskets for them. The effort, as always, was there. I’m very proud of the girls. We have another game before states to try to improve on Friday night at home against (CB) East.”
–Plays of the game: “Haylie Adamski’s got 1750 points for a reason. On two of the first three possessions of the fourth quarter, she made two NBA 3s from the left wing on shots that as she released them – I was very happy with the shot going up. She just happened to make both. She’s a great player, a great scorer. Through no fault of Tamia’s – Tamia played her all night and played her tough. She finished with 22, but those two 3s early in the fourth quarter on a night where defensively Garnet was really good and we struggled with their physicality – we had just exerted so much energy to get it to four. They got it back up to 10. I thought those were the two biggest shots of the game.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (23-5, 8-0 SOL) will host #4 Central Bucks East in Friday’s third place game.
Upper Dublin 6-8-12-6 32
Garnet Valley. 9-12-9-16 46
Upper Dublin (32) – Bridget DiMartile 1 0-0 2; Tamia Clark 6 0-2 12; Megan Ngo 4 2-2 13; Lexi Ngo 1 0-0 2; Ella Morris 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 13 2-4 32.
Garnet Valley (46) – Kyle Mulholland 5 0-0 11; Savannah Saunders 2 0-0 4; Haylie Adamski 8 4-4 22; Addie Adamski 2 0-0 4; Kylie Adamski 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 19 4-4 46.
3-point goals: UD – Megan Ngo 3, Ella Morris; GV – Haylie Adamski 2, Kylie Mulholland, Kylie Adamski.
District 1 6A playbacks
#8 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 57, #13 SPRING-FORD 38
The Golden Hawks are bound for the PIAA 6A State Tournament.
It’s the first time since 2012 that the Hawks have been able to make that claim.
“This was one of our goals from the very start,” senior captain Lil Metrick said. “Coach P had this in mind. He had really high standards for us, and even coach (Blair) Klumpp – since we’ve been at this school – has wanted this goal for us for as long as I can remember.
“To do this our senior year, it’s really big for us, and I’m proud of what we’ve done so far.”
“This has been a goal since the beginning,” CR South senior captain Fiona Reckner said. “Obviously, winning the league, making a run in districts – all of it was a goal, but states is just extra special knowing that it’s something on top of the league – it’s something we haven’t done since 2012. It’s just really special to be able to go to states and make an impact on our school.”
Reckner jumpstarted the Hawks with 11 first-quarter points, propelling them to a 16-9 lead after one quarter. They took a 26-20 lead into halftime and still led by four heading in the fourth quarter.
“Honestly, I think our defense the past couple of games has really got us going,” Metrick said of the Hawks’ strong showing. “We’ve been emphasizing talking on defense and really getting boards because we know we’re a smaller team. But we know we can box out, work hard and get those rebounds.”
Friday’s win came after a playback win over Plymouth Whitemarsh on the heels of a disappointing loss to Conestoga in the second round of districts.
“Our team has a ton of grit and resilience, and we knew even in the losses we had – they weren’t terrible losses. We still played hard, and there were good things that came out of those losses,” Reckner said. “It just took a lot of resilience, and we came out stronger.
“Obviously, tonight wasn’t do or die, but we definitely wanted to get a higher seed just for seedings for states, and also, you want to go into every
game knowing how we play right now is how we’re going to practice playing going into states. We want to take every game seriously and work extra hard.”
With Friday’s win, the Hawks extended their season at least an additional week-and-a-half.
“It’s super special,” Recker said. “I was talking to some of the seniors the other day, and we were saying – ‘I can’t even imagine the season being over yet.’ Our team, our coaches – it’s just such a great place to be and such a great atmosphere at practices, games, all of it.
“So, knowing we have more time to spend together and just making a run – it’s just so special, especially when it’s our last year. It’s great to end on a good note.”
“We’ve always wanted to play longer,” Metrick said. “For it to come together this last year is really something special for us. We’ve been working at this goal for as long as we’ve been there. We’re going to remember this for a lifetime.”
Key players: Three Rock South players finished in double figures. Fiona Reckner led the way with 13 points. Lil Metrick added 12, which included a pair of 3s.
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky: “The girls really shot the ball well tonight. It was a total team effort on offense and defense. We came out in the second half and extended our lead. We handled their pressure really well
and found the open man. We have been working very hard on shooting and tonight it really paid off.
–Prop 1: “Lil Metrick had a great offensive game. She also played point guard when Kat got in early foul trouble and did excellent job running the team.”
–Prop 2: “Fiona Reckner has had an incredible year on both sides of the basketball. She totally led us in the first half with 13 points. She played an excellent game tonight.
“Kat O’Kane added 11 points and had a lot of assists. Kat’s game has evolved from not only a scorer but also a great point guard.”
–Looking ahead: ‘We are thrilled to be going to states – it’s the first time since 2012. It was a goal of this team from the beginning out the season. I’m very happy for our team. They put the work in and are very connected as a team. Sarah and Maria Freeman and juniors Belle Hettler, Emerson Gunther and Gillian Martin all played great tonight for us.”
Up next: Council Rock South (22-5, 9-1 SOL) will travel to #7 Downingtown West for Friday’s ninth place game at 6 pm.
Spring-Ford 9-11-5-13 38
Council Rock South 16-10-18-13 57
Spring-Ford (38) Kareena Preuss 1 2-4 4; Devon Chamberlain 3 4-6 11; Brynn Stiles 1 0-0 2; Ciena Platt 2 1-1 5; L Brady 1 0-1 2; Emma Kaercher 1 1-2 3; Miley Maloney 4 0-0 8; Christina Tiffan 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 14 8-14 38.
Council Rock South (57) – Ruby Bross 0 1-2 1; Sarah Freeman 1 0-0 3; Lil Metrick 4 2-2 13; Maria Freeman 1 0-0 3; Gillian Martin 1 0-0 3; Emerson Gunther 2 0-0 5; Kathryn O’Kane 4 2-2 11; Bella Hettler 3 0-0 6; Fiona Reckner 5 2-2 13; TOTALS 21 7-8 57.
3-point goals: SF – Devon Chamberlain, Christina Tiffan; CRS – Lil Metrick 3, Sarah Freeman, Maria Freeman, Gillian Martin, Kathryn O’Kane, Fiona Reckner.
#7 DOWNINGTOWN WEST 55, #22 ABINGTON 45
Wednesday’s playback game began on a promising note for the Ghosts. Behind six points from both Maya Johnson and Mikiaya Durham, the Ghosts led 16-11. The teams were deadlocked at halftime 26-26.
The Whippets outscored the Ghosts 16-13 in the third quarter and took a three-point lead into the final quarter when they outscored the Ghosts 13-6.
Key players: Maya Johnson (12 points 4 assists 3 rebounds) and Mikiaya Durham (19 points – four 3-pointers, 4 rebounds) led the Ghosts.
Abington coach Allison Lawson: “The girls played hard all game. Aniyah (Williams) was in foul trouble, and she ended up fouling out. We also missed key free throws, and we stopped talking on defense the second half. I am proud that they never gave up and we still have one more chance at making States.”
Up next: Abington (14-10, 6-2 SOL) will travel to #13 Spring-Ford Friday for a playback game. The winner will earn the final berth in the state tournament.
Abington 16-10-13-6 45
Downingtown West 11-15-16-13 55
Abington (45) – Maya Johnson 3 5-9 12; Mikiaya Durham 7 1-2 19; Shya Crafton 1 0-2 2; Vanessa Griffin 1 0-0 2; Hailey Hernandez 1 2-4 5; Aniyah Williams 2 2-6 7; TOTALS 15 10-23 45
Downingtown West (55) – Hayden Blair 4 2-2 11; Liv Young 2 3-5 8; Sami Schurtz 5 1-1 12; Caitlyn Grant 3 1-1 7; Ellie Dexter 1 0-0 3; Kylee Domsohn 4 2-4 10; Kelsey Meenan 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 19 11-15 55
3-point goals: A – Mikiaya Durham 4, Maya Johnson, Hailey Hernandez, Aniyah Williams; DW – Hayden Blair, Liv Young, Sami Schurtz, Ellie Dexter.
#10 HAVERFORD 71, #6 CHELTENHAM 45
The Lady Panthers had no answer for Rian Dotsey.
The Haverford senior turned in a monster performance, scoring 35 points and also pulling down 20 rebounds. Making the task even more difficult for the Lady Panthers was the fact that they lost Zoe Thompson to an injury.
Haverford opened up a 16-10 lead after one quarter and extended it to 28-20 by halftime. The Fords put the game out of reach with a 25-point third quarter on their way to the win.
Key players: Jiah Price led the Lady Panthers with 17 points while Maya Simmons added 11 points and six rebounds. Paige Powell had eight points, and Cassie Bugg had a team-high eight rebounds.
Up next: Cheltenham (20-5, 10-0 SOL) will travel to #5 Downingtown East for the seventh place game Friday (4 pm).
Haverford 16-12-25-18 71
Cheltenham 10-10-14-11 45
Haverford (71) – Lucy Ardizzi 2, Mya Foley 5, Megan Kelly 2, Stephanie Gondek 1, Maura Gilroy 8, Natalie Wright 12, Jasmine Ellerbe 2, Rian Dotsey 35, Taylor Gleason 4.
Cheltenham (45) – Jiah Price 17, Paige Powell 8, Maya Simmons 11, Cassie Bugg 4, Ali Charles 5.
3-point goals: H – Maura Roley; C – Maya Simmons 2, Jiah Price, Ali Charles.
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