Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday night.
Non-league
WILLIAM TENNENT 52, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 37
The visiting Panthers trailed 19-13 at halftime, but in an inspired third quarter, they outscored their hosts 17-3 to go on top 30-22. They closed it out with a 22-15 fourth quarter to seal the Titans’ fate.
“It was a great overall performance, and I loved the fight and resilience we showed,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “It’s a long season, but we need to continue to build on tonight.”
Tennent’s Halie Staub and Megan Volz combined for 27 second-half points while Avery Kocur had eight of her 17 points in the second half.
Key players: Tennent’s Halie Staub scored 15 of her game-high 19 points in the second half, and Megan Volz scored all 12 of her points in the second half. Avery Kocur, who finished with 17 points, kept the Panthers afloat with nine of her team’s 13 first-half points.
For the Titans, Juliana Tropea scored 16 points, and Rylie DeCesare added 11.
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney:
–On the game: “Great team win tonight to start the season. We showed some jitters early on, and I thought we got outhustled. Credit to CB South – they came out ready to play and were more aggressive. We played a little intimidated by their size and length, and I thought they disrupted our offense a bit. But despite the slow start we were only down six at halftime.
“I was really proud of the way our girls responded the second half. We played much better team defense, cleaned up our rotations, and rebounded the ball well. We held CB South to just three points the third quarter. Our defense started to fuel our offense, and we finally settled down and found our rhythm. Our shots started dropping, and we played with more poise and confidence. Even when CB South tried to make a run, we stayed calm and executed on offense.”
–Props: “Our two senior leaders, Halie Staub and Avery Kocur, showed why they are big time players. They were huge in the second half and a big reason for our turnaround. Meg Volz picked up where she left off last season and was a big force inside. Carissa Malpezzi just does all the little things and was tasked with trying to slow down Juliana Tropea the second half, and I thought she did a great job of making her have to work for her shots.”
Up next: William Tennent will travel to Northford, CT, to compete in a tournament this weekend. Central Bucks South will be on the road at Gwynedd Mercy Academy Friday for a non-league contest.
William Tennent (52) – Avery Kocur 8 0-1 17, Carizza Malpezzi 2 0-1 4, Halie Staub 7 3-4 19, Megan Volz 6 0-0 12; TOTALS 23 3-6 52.
Central Bucks South (37) – Juliana Tropea 6 4-9 16, Rylie DiCesare 4 2-2 11, Alex Tropea 1 0-4 2, Riley Campbell 1 0-0 2, Gabby Tropea 2 0-2 4, Anna Granito 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 14 8-19 37.
3-point goals: WT – Staub 2, Kocur; CBS – DiCesare.
William Tennent 7-6-17-22 52
Central Bucks South 9-10-3-15 37
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 53, PENNRIDGE 40
The visiting Indians found themselves on the short end of a 23-10 score in the second quarter, and they still trailed 29-21 at halftime.
Rock North erased that deficit with an 18-5 third quarter burst and went on to outscore the Lady Rams 32-11 in the second half to earn the come-from-behind road win.
“It feels great to start the season off with a win,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “We got off to a bit of a shaky start – Samantha Murphy shot the eyes out of the basket for Pennridge in the first half, and we made some mistakes defensively, but credit to our kids who never wavered and just kept chipping away at their lead.”
Murphy scored all 17 of her points – which included five 3-pointers – in the first half.
Key players: Julia Koval led the Indians with 15 points, which included nine points on three 3-pointers in the first half, Ella Carroll added 14, Lauren Smith, 12, and Brynn Rodgers, 9. Rodgers scored six of her points in the pivotal third quarter.
Pennridge was led by Murphy with 17 and Madison Lapp with 16.
Council Rock North coach Jack Kelly:
–Props: “Julia Koval played a great game – her aggressiveness and awareness at both ends kept us in the game. Brynn Rodgers’ play offensively in the third quarter really kickstarted our run in the second half.”
–Getting varsity experience: “We had four players who got meaningful experience at the varsity level for the first time, and I thought they each played exceptionally well. Ella Carroll did a phenomenal job defensively on Murphy in the second half, and she was a threat offensively.
“Tori Smith came up with some huge hustle plays that won back possessions for us,and she did a great job on Madison Lapp who, in addition to Murphy, had a great game for Pennridge.
“Lauren Smith had an incredible debut. She played a great game at both ends of the floor, but I was most impressed with her composure throughout. Her decision making on offense was especially on point. And Haley Cruz came off the bench, did all the little things well, and seemingly made no mistakes.”
–Credit to Pennridge: “There is a lot we have to fix, but we know it is not easy to win on the road at Pennridge. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Rapp – his teams are always prepared, play really hard, and they always present challenges at both ends. The way they spaced the floor was really difficult to defend. I am proud of this group for adjusting and being resilient. The overall energy and effort from the entire team tonight was great, and it was a fun game to be a part of.”
Up next: Council Rock North will be on the road at Delaware County Christian School for a non-league game Friday. Pennridge will travel to Central Bucks East for Tuesday’s SOL opener.
Council Rock North 7-14-18-14 53
Pennridge 13-16-5-6 40
Council Rock North (53) – Tori Smith 1 0-0 3; Lauren Smith 5 0-2 12; Brynn Rodgers 3 3-4 9; Julia Koval 6 0-0 15; Ella Carroll 6 1-2 14; TOTALS 21 4-8 53.
Pennridge (40) – Arianne Lauf 1 0-0 2; Julia Lenox 2 0-0 4; Samantha Murphy 6 0-0 17; Madison Lapp 6 2-3 16; Megan Moylan 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 15 3-5 40.
3-point goals: CRN – Julia Koval 3, Lauren Smith 2, Tori Smith, Ella Carroll; Pennridge – Samantha Murphy 5, Madison Lapp 2.
BENSALEM 57, WEST CHESTER EAST 46
Grace McShane might have had a feeling it was going to be a good night.
The Owls’ sharpshooter scored 11 first-quarter points, propelling Bensalem to a 19-11 lead, and she was just getting started. By halftime she had 13 points, and she added 18 in the second half, delighting the Owl faithful with a career high 31 points, breaking her previous high of 30 points.
The Owls took a 27-20 lead into halftime and then put some distance between themselves and the Vikings with a 17-10 third quarter.
Bensalem was without coach Steve Johnson, who served a suspension from last season’s final game against Council Rock South.
Key players: Grace McShane scored a career-high 31 points, Mischa Ellzy added nine. East had a big performance of its own from 6-0 freshman Kayla Holman, who had 28 points.
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson: “It was an electric first game. This game really encapsulated the ‘Bensalem Strong’ mantra used in our school district. Our girls, Coach Lally, Coach Tyra, and Coach Toselli did a fabulous job today. We took a tremendous leap forward from our offseason work. We are going to improve at practice these next two days and get ready for our tip-off tournament at Owen J Roberts. Our sophomore guards played hard-nosed Bensalem basketball (Mischa and Kamiya) and Grace McShane had a career night with 31.”
Up next: Bensalem will travel to Owen J Roberts Friday to participate in the Wildcat Tip-off Tournament.
West Chester East 11-9-10-16 46
Bensalem 19-8-17-13 57
West Chester East (46) – Maeve Crossin 5, Kayla Cochran 2, Carly Bickle 5, Maidson Rodriguez 2, Kayla Holman 28, Siena Sweeney 4.
Bensalem (57) – Kamiya Alexander 7, Mary Beck 5, Mischa Ellzy 9, Grace McShane 31, Gianna Creque 3, Sydney Daut 2.
3-point goals: WCE – Crossin, Bickle, Holman; B – Grace McShane 2, Mary Beck, Gianna Creque.
PENNSBURY 62, ABINGTON 26
Welcome back, Joley Hohman.
Tuesday’s season opener at Abington marked the return to the court of Joley Hohman, who was sidelined her entire sophomore season with an injury.
“Just before the game started, I reminded her how I felt about her,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “I thought about it in school all day today that I really didn’t care if she messed up her shot or ripped the ball into the bleachers. It was just good that she was able to play, and my one major goal I wanted to see was her smile at some point. She smiled a bunch.”
It’s a safe bet her teammates smiled a bunch as well as they celebrated Hohman’s return with a no-doubt-about-it win.
Sammie Haws – whose 17 points led all scorers – ignited the Falcons by burying three 3-pointers and scoring 11 points in a 25-point first quarter that all but put the game out of reach. Hohman also made her presence felt, scoring five of her 14 points in the first quarter.
Key players: Junior Sammie Haws’ 17 points included five 3-pointers. Joley Hohman added two 3-pointers and finished with 14 points – 12 in the first half. Alyssa Thomas contributed nine points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla:
–On the game: “There are always some nerves when you start a season, and I’m sure tonight was no different as playing Abington is always a challenge.
“Tonight, obviously, it was a little bit different just because of the emotions of having Joley back on the court.
“We started off really strong as the girls were great in finding Sammie Haws tonight who was able to make five three-pointers. She finished with 17 points and Jolie also scored 14 and was very solid on the defensive end. Alyssa Thomas had eight assists and six rebounds, and that’s the type of all-around production that we love from her.
“It was fantastic seeing Milan Reeves start a varsity basketball game tonight. Our journey has been a long one, and she deserves everything she has coming to her. She was fantastic in guarding Aniyah Williams, who is their main scoring threat.”
“We have many things to work on, and Joley, Alyssa and Sammie really haven’t been able to practice or play much together, but it’s exciting over the course of the next few weeks to try to chart a course and figure out who we are and grow as a group. Ultimately, this is so much bigger than wins and losses because you want them all to have an opportunity to do something that they love. I was glad to see Joley back doing that tonight.”
Up next: Pennsbury will travel to Nazareth Academy Thursday (5:30pm) for a non-league game, and Abington will compete in the Governor Mifflin Tournament Friday.
Pennsbury 25-15-15-7 62
Abington 5-8-9-4 26
Pennsbury (62) – Emily Panero 1 1-1 3; Grace Schaffler 0 1-2 1; Bridget McGonigle 1 1-2 3; Bella Stewart 1 0-0 2; Sammie Haws 6 0-0 17; Alyssa Thomas 3 3-3 9; Shea Quenzer 3 0-0 6; Joley Hohman 5-2-3 14; Keira Socha 1 0-0 2; Milan Reeves 1 2-2 5; TOTALS 26 10-13 62.
Abington (26) – Rhyane Rogers 1 2-3 4; Nora Luskin 1 0-0 2; Shya Crafton 0 0-2 0; Caleigh Fitzgerald 2 2-4 4; Emma Felix 1 0-0 2; Zyn McClain 4 1-2 9; Aniyah Williams 2 1-3 5; TOTALS 10 6-15 26.
3-point goals: P – Sammie Haws 5, Joley Hohman 2, Milan Reeves.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 49, NORRISTOWN 26
Angelica Visceglia had the hot hand for the Hatters, torching the visiting Eagles for 24 points – 12 in a first half that saw the Hatters open up a comfortable 26-14 advantage on their way to the decisive win.
“It was nice to start the season off at home with a win,” Hatters’ associate head coach Nicole Miletto said. “The girls came to play tonight and really did everything we asked of them.
“There are still things we need to work on. We weren’t running our plays as fluidly as we would have liked, but they got the job done.”
Key players: Ang Visceglia jumpstarted the Hatters with seven first-quarter points. The Hatters’ point guard connected on three three-pointers and buried 5 of 7 at the foul line. Izzie Allen also finished in double figures with 11.
Hatboro-Horsham associate head coach Nicole Miletto: “Norristown is an aggressive team, and we handled their pressure and got them in some early foul trouble.
“Our scoring by quarter was more consistent than it had been last year. We would go a quarter with two points or not score at all. We were able to get a good lead tonight and not go cold. We did miss too many open shots and free throws and that’s what we’ll focus on this week.”
–Props: “Junior point guard Ang Visceglia played a great game. It was probably her best that we have seen. She led all scorers and really controlled the game for us. She was even better on defense, putting pressure on their guards and causing turnovers and getting a few steals.
“Senior Izzie Allen started off slow, missing a couple of shots, but she hung in there and played good defense and had a number of blocks. She finally got going and in the second quarter and just continued to be a presence in the middle and added 11 points.
“Senior Madison Duggan was all hustle for us on both offense and defense. Senior Mia Fisher continues to step up and be an offensive threat. She has great game sense and will fight for loose balls and made some great passes tonight. Junior Cora Saxer did a lot for us tonight that you won’t see in the box score. It was a total team win tonight. Everyone who played contributed.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham will host Harry S Truman in a non-league game Friday.
Norristown 7-1-9-9 26
Hatboro-Horsham 13-13-6-17 49
Norristown (26) – Sophia Plummer 0 0-2 0; Alana Colson 2 2-2 7; Sinite McCoy 1 0-0 2; Alexa Hernandez 2 2-4 6; Olivia Anderson 1 1-2 3; Adriana Golston 3 2-4 8; Aliah Hill 0 0-4 0; TOTALS 9 7-18 26.
Hatboro-Horsham (49) – Izzie Allen 5 0-0 11; Angelica Visceglia 8 5-7 24; Madison Duggan 2 1-4 5; Mia Fisher 2 1-6 7; Sarah Gleason 0 0-2 0; Natalie Linn 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 7-19 49.
3-point goals: HH – Angelica Visceglia 3, Izzie Allen; N – Alana Colson.
UPPER MORELAND 32, JENKINTOWN 26
It wasn’t easy, but the Golden Bears eked out a win over a pesky Drakes squad.
They took a 16-15 lead into halftime, and it was still a one-point game heading into the fourth quarter when they outscored their visitors 10-5.
The Golden Bears used a balanced attack to earn the win with Hailey Milks’ seven points leading the way. Brogan Neely, Mia Taliaferro and Sheila Mangin each had six.
Upper Moreland coach Josh Adelman:
–On the game: “It was a hard-fought battle tonight in a non-league game. The score was 16-15 at halftime, and the second half was back and forth with defensive stops and some baskets here and there. It wasn’t a high scoring game, plenty of turnovers on each side, but somehow we managed to pull away at the end with some free throws and clutch baskets.
“Sometimes you have to win ugly games by fighting for 32 minutes, and we did that tonight. We keep gaining valuable experience for a young squad and continue to get contributions off the bench. We can learn a lot from these types of wins. Our goal is to keep working hard at practice on things we must improve on during the season.”
–Props: ‘Maggie Brophy hit two big free throws, and Sheila Mangin hit one to give us a lead at the end. Brogan Neely connected on a corner three, and Hailey Milks and Brooklyn Kavanagh hit two layups in traffic in the fourth quarter.”
Up next: Upper Moreland will host Quakertown in a non-league game Wednesday.
Jenkintown 6-9-6-5 26
Upper Moreland 7-9-6-10 32
Upper Moreland (32) – Brooklyn Kavanagh 2, Brogan Neely 6, Mia Taliaferro 6, Hailey Milks 7, Sheila Mangin 6, Maggie Brophy- 5
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 38, WEST CHESTER RUSTIN 29
(Information will be added when it is received.)
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