Add Laura Kosma’s name to the list of players who entered the 2008-09 basketball season with high hopes only to have them dashed in a heartbeat.
William Tennent’s senior point guard figured to be the heart and soul of a squad that hoped to be in the hunt for a SOL National Conference crown. Nothing, however, went as planned for the fiery floor general.
In Tennent’s non-league opener against Upper Perk, Kosma injured her knee when she was going for a loose ball.
“My foot was planted, and I went to turn, and my knee just popped,” she said.
Kosma was relieved when she received word that her ACL was ‘good’ and immediately began rehabbing her knee. She returned to the court and saw limited action in her team’s holiday tournament.
“It was hard coming back, and yeah, I was scared to come back because I didn’t want it to happen again,” she said. “But my knee was feeling a lot stronger.
“Then one day at practice I was guarding a girl, and I went to turn, and my knee popped again. I was nervous because the trainer at Upper Perk said if it felt like tingling going down my shin into my foot, it was most likely my ACL. That’s what I felt the second time it happened.”
An MRI confirmed she had torn her ACL.
“It was very disappointing,” Kosma said. “It’s really hard sitting on the bench, but I love the girls on the team, so I’m always there to support them.”
Kosma is scheduled to undergo surgery on March 13. Her absence has left a void in the Panthers’ lineup.
“She was often overshadowed in years past because she wasn’t our scorer,” coach Paul Veltre said. “She was a developing point guard, and she saw the floor very well.
“A lot of the things we put in and had decided to do for the season kind of revolved around her running things. Laura was the one that was expected to score. We miss a lot of the little things and the leadership she’s been able to give and the experience she’s had playing the game. It hurts. It hurts a lot.”
Veltre was expecting Kosma to score eight to 12 points a game. The senior point guard – who competed in the USA Junior Nationals last summer - had similar aspirations.
“I was hoping for a great season and hopefully make it into playoffs and go further than the first round like we did last year,” Kosma said.
What’s the hardest part about watching from the bench?
“Everything,” she said. “It’s frustrating. I kind of see what the coaches go through now – seeing how some things don’t work and how frustrating it is.”
Without Kosma in the lineup, the Panthers are having trouble putting points on the board.
“We’re pretty confident in the way we can defend, but we just have a difficult time scoring,” Veltre said. “Now we’re trying to scrape into the playoffs.”
Not exactly the kind of ending anyone Tennent’s players or coaches were hoping for when the 2008-09 season began.
A big night – Caitlin Vasey might not be a household word in basketball circles, but perhaps she should be. The Central Bucks East senior, who is also a standout field hockey player, has been quietly turning in one outstanding performance after another for an East squad that is 19-2.
Vasey showcased her immense ability in East’s non-league game against Cheltenham. The Panthers eked out a 50-46 win over the Patriots, but they never did solve the mystery of Vasey, who lit up the nets for a game-high 23 points. She did all of this with a 102-degree fever.
“She played extremely well,” Lonergan said. “She kept her composure, and she took good shots. She did a tremendous job.”
Vasey singlehandedly kept the Patriots in the game against a Lady Panther team that is ranked seventh in the state in the latest poll.
“The unfortunate thing about the point system is we don’t get credit for this,” Lonergan said. “People are talking about how we had a soft schedule. I hope they realize my kids play hard.
“They can’t do much about the schedule. I think tonight hopefully they can at least walk away from a gym that’s tough to play at against one of the top teams in the district, one of the top teams in the state and hold their heads up high and come back Tuesday and start a winning streak.”
Around the SOL (week ending Jan. 31, 2009) – Sarah Godfrey poured in 22 points to lead William Tennent to a 53-36 win over Pennsbury. Ashley Alden added 12 while no one on the Falcons scored more than six points.
Sarah Kiely’s 21-point effort paced Council Rock North in its 51-41 win over Neshaminy. Kelly Scull added 10 points. Amanda Lally’s 10-point effort led the Redskins. The Redskins rebounded to defeat Tennent 51-40. Avery Wunder scored 17 points while Kelsey Ryan added 14 to lead Neshaminy. Godfrey’s 10 points led the Panthers.
Rock North defeated Bensalem 72-51. Kiely had 16 points while Lauren Gold added 14 and Scull, 12 points. Sharmane Hall paced the Owls with 20 while Kristen Gilroy had 13.
Hall scored 18 points in Bensalem’s 50-26 win over Harry S. Truman. Shalaya Lynch led the Tigers with six points. Hall had 23 points and Gilroy added 21 in the Owls’ 70-45 win over Penn Wood.
Jen Kelly scored a game-high 17 points in Abington’s 58-34 win over Council Rock South. Emily Leer added 14, and Aijannah Peal, 10 points. Lea Britton and Emily Nowicke paced the Golden Hawks with seven points each. Abington received 12 points from Tess Johns and 10 from Felicia Strother in its 54-12 win over Harry S. Truman.
Rock South was led by the 10-point effort of Ann Silverthorn in its 59-29 win over Pennsbury. Freshman Lacey Balascsak led the Falcons with 11 points.
Annie Crudele scored 18 points while Elise DiFilippo and Briana Scafidi both added 10 in Springfield’s 68-16 rout of Faith Christian in non-league action. The Spartans fell to upper Merion 57-50. Lisa Ridgeway led the Vikings with 17 points while Cassidy Koenig had 13. DiFiliippo (14) Scafidi (13) and Crudele (10) led the Spartans.
Ridgeway scored 20 points, and Alex Galdi added 10 in Upper Merion’s 63-29 win over Upper Moreland. Christy Graf’s eight points led the Golden Bears.
Three Cheltenham players finished the game in double figures in the Lady Panthers’ convincing 68-28 win over Wissahickon. Jenna Peoples led the way with 17 points while Monet Constant added 13 and Shayla Felder, 10 points. Anne Bracaglia (11 points) and Colleen Hinde (10 points) led the Trojans.
Felder scored 18 points and Constant, 12, in Cheltenham’s 50-46 non-league win over Central Bucks East. Caitlin Vasey led the Patriots with 23 points while Liz Martin added 10.
Central Bucks East was led by the double-figure efforts of Martin (12 points) and Vasey (11 points) in its 69-41 win over Hatboro-Horsham. Freshman Cailin Schmeer led the Hatters with 11 points. Martin had 12 points in East’s 42-28 win over Souderton Monica Schmidt paced the Indians with nine points.
Schmeer scored 17 points in Hatboro’s 58-40 non-league loss to McDonough.
Pennridge received 14 points from Lindsey Lyons and 12 from Jordan Dominic in a 43-23 win over Hatboro.
North Penn received nine points from both Shakia Robinson and Steph Knauer in the Maidens’ 49-18 win over Central Bucks West. Robinson scored 15 points while Mary Ward added 13 and Knauer, 12, in the Maidens’ 65-49 win over Quakertown. Daniella Ciccarone (16 points) and Colleen Gavin (11 points) led the Panthers. The Maidens fell to Upper Darby 35-30 in a non-league contest. Robinson had 13 points.
Central Bucks South received 12 points from Tori Reynolds in its 48-25 win over Central Bucks West. Upper Dublin defeated the Titans 63-53 in a non-league contest. Danielle Derr (16 points and Fuery (10 points) led the Flying Cardinals. The Titans were led by Kaycee Schaefer (16 points), Calla Miller 914 points) and Katelyn Schneider (12 points)
Kristen Fuery scored 18 points in Upper Dublin’s 58-20 win over Upper Moreland. Fuery scored 14 points and Becca Courter added 13 in Upper Dublin’s 46-43 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh. Meg Piotrowicz led all scorers with 19. PW came back to earn a big 48-39 win over Norristown. Piotrowicz had 18 points and Angie Branigan 11 in the win. The Eagles were led by the nine-point efforts of Harris and Matthews.
PW fell to Emmaus 37-35 in a non-league contest. Branigan (11 points) and Piotrowicz (10 points) led the Colonials.
Natasha Matthews scored 20 points to lead Norristown to a 41-32 win over Wissahickon. Bracaglia (13 points) and Rachel Schaible (10 points) led the Trojans.
Upper Moreland received 10 points from Lato’sha Reves, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Jenkintown, which notched a 45-34 win in non-league action.
Pa. Scholastic Girls Rankings Class AAAA (from The Patriot-News of Harrisburg as of Feb 2, 2009)
- Cardinal O’Hara (18-1)
- Central Dauphin (18-1)
- Mt. Lebanon (19-0)
- Downingtown East (17-2)
- Butler (17-1)
- Bethel Park (18-1)
- Cheltenham (18-1)
- Hazleton (16-2)
- Council Rock North (18-2)
- Lower Merion (16-2)
Honorable mention: Archbishop Ryan (16-3), Central (13-2), Central Bucks East (18-2), McDowell (16-2), Northampton (17-3), Upper Darby (18-2)
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