Check out the results for SOL boys/girls basketball teams in action Saturday.
Boys
QUAKERTOWN 74, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 54
Senior Kevin Norvaisas led an explosive Panthers’ offense, scoring 26 points to lead Quakertown to the decisive non-league win. Griffin Schmidt added 14 points while Brian Rejniak contributed 11. Jake Perrine and Rob Meystayer both had six on a day that saw nine players get into the scoring column for the Panthers.
Austin Thomas led the Golden Hawks with 12 points while Mike Stock and Kevin Newbert both had 10 points. Dan Buchnik had nine.
The Panthers, who led with an 11-10 advantage after one quarter, exploded for 24 points in the second quarter, negating an 18-point offensive quarter by the Golden Hawks to go into halftime with a 35-28 lead. It was still just an eight-point game heading into the final frame (52-44) when the Panthers closed it out with a 22-10 tear.
Quakertown connected on 11 three-pointers in an impressive display of shooting from beyond the arc. Norvaisas led the way with five while Rejniak had three and Schmidt two.
Quakertown upped its record to 5-7 (1-5 SOL) while the Golden Hawks are 3-9 (2-4 SOL).
Council Rock South 10-18-16-10 54
Quakertown 11-24-17-22 74
Council Rock South (54) – Austin Thomas 12, Rebholz 2, Kenny Brightcliffe 4, Mike Stock 10, Kevin Newbert, Alex Nordenholt 5, Dan Buchnik 9, Boyd 2.
Quakertown (74) – Griffin Schmidt 14, Jake Perrine 6, Brian Rejniak 11, Kevin Norvaisas 26, Kyle Baskin 4, Ryan Howard 3, Tyler Harrison 2, Rob Meystayer 6, Lewis 2.
GLEN MILLS 46, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 44
Drew Glenn buried a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining to knot the score 44-44 only to watch the Battling Bulls win it when a floater found the net with three seconds remaining.
The Indians spent the game playing catch up after falling behind 18-10 in the first quarter. They still trailed 27-20 at halftime but cut the deficit to 33-31 heading in the final quarter.
Steve Nowmos led the Indians with 14 while Glenn added 10. Matt Margolis had eight points, and Will Desautelle, seven.
The Indians are 8-4 overall (4-2 SOL).
Council Rock North 10-10-11-13 44
Glen Mills 18-9-6-13 46
Council Rock North (44) – Riley Thompson 3, Drew Glenn 10, Matt Margolis 8, Steve Nowmos 14, James Kosyla 2, Will Desautelle 7.
Glen Mills (46) – Brown 13, Brickus 7, Welsh 6, Davis 6, Johnson 12, Sabree 2.
Girls
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 55, EPISCOPAL ACADEMY 39
The Bucks competed in Saturday’s Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic, but unlike their SOL counterparts, they didn’t showcase their talentes under the bright lights at Philadelphia University.
Rather, the state’s second ranked team in the latest Penn Live poll played in the confined quarters of the small gymnasium at Abington Friends. That minor detail didn’t faze senior point guard Nicole Munger.
“To me, basketball is basketball,” she said. “I just like playing.
“I think it gave us more of a spark, but it’s basketball. It’s a court.”
Munger – who earned team MVP honors – recuperated from a slow start offensively to lead all scorers with 19 points. She scored 13 of those in the second half when the Bucks outscored Episcopal 28-9.
“Matt (Bamford) made a good call at halftime to back off and play them straight man-to-man half court – don’t do anything fancy, don’t trap them, and it was a good call,” coach Terry Rakowsky said of his assistant’s advice. “Our defense in the second half – we were smart too.
“We tried to get them to think a little bit more and help and recover on the shooters. That’s where they killed us in the first half. They were driving and kicking it out every time. We took that away. We were smart in our defense as well as hustling in our defense.
“It was very similar to the Rustin game in the first quarter where they knocked down every shot. They did exactly the same thing.”
The Bucks – who trailed by as many as six – still found themselves on the short end of a 30-27 score at halftime. They owned the second half.
Mackenzie Carroll – after coming up with a steal on the defensive end – buried a three-pointer to knot the score a minute into the third quarter. Neither team scored again until midway through the period when Munger hit nothing but net on a trey. Abby Spratt deflected an Episcopal pass to teammate Makenzie Mason. Another Munger three-pointer gave the Bucks a 36-30 lead, and after a tough shooting first half, Munger had found her stride.
“I wasn’t feeling it,” she said of the first half. “It’s just a mentality – you need to believe.”
Munger, after coming up with a steal, connected on one-of-two from the foul line, and after an EA miss, Maggie Rakowsky sank a pair of foul shots to give the Bucks a 39-30 advantage.
Episcopal broke a seven-minute scoring drought with a pair of buckets in the final 75 seconds of the quarter to make it a 39-34 game. They did not score again until 3:48 remained in the contest, and by that time the Bucks led 49-34 with Munger capping off a 10-0 West run with a three-point play. Mason also had a three-point play in that West tear.
“I think our energy changed,” Munger said of the Bucks’ overpowering second half performance. “We started to get more boards and limited their second chances.
“We changed our defense in regards to taking away their shots.”
According to Munger, battling from behind will serve her team well.
“I love playing in the close games,” she said. “I’ve always said, even as a kid, I’d rather lose by one or two to a good team and get a lot out of it and learn than beat a team by 30 or 40. I love playing these games. “
In addition to scoring 19 points, Munger also had eight rebounds and five steals. Carroll, despite battling foul woes, scored 11 points, and Corrinne Godshall added 10 points and eight rebounds. Mason had seven points and five steals.
The Bucks upped their record to 11-1 overall (6-0 SOL).
“They’re good,” Rakowsky said of Episcopal. “They’re very solid, they’re well drilled.
“They can shoot, they’re big, they go inside-out. It’s a good win.”
Episcopal Academy (39) – Lily Kunz 2, Meghan Pickell 4, Maria Kilcullen 3, Dylan Higgins 10, Elodie Fuery 8, Luca Mamula 3, Reilly Wright 9.
Central Bucks West (55) – Mackenzie Carroll 11, Peyton Traina 3, Nicole Munger 19, Makenzie Mason 7, Corrinne Godshall 10, Maggie Rakowsky 5.
PENNSBURY 38, EMMAUS 33
Sarah Atunarse has turned into a shot blocker extraordinaire in the paint for the Falcons. The senior center, who measures in a shade under 6-4, had eight blocks to go along with 10 points, six rebounds and five steals in Saturday’s hard-fought win.
“Since the Bensalem game, she has been getting at least eight blocks a game,” coach Keith Gabor said. “Against Bensalem she got 10, against Truman she had 13.
“I don’t even know if we have a record for blocks at Pennsbury, but she’s got it. She’s definitely got the single game record.
“In the last five games, she has not been under seven blocks a game, and they’re blocks where she keeps it in play for our guards to get to it. It’s pretty amazing. She has evolved so much, she has gotten so much better. She’s really raw offensively, but defensively, she is really a monster.”
Maggie Kane finished with 10 points and five steals and nailed a clutch three in the fourth quarter to seal the Green Hornets’ fate.
“We had great senior leadership through Maggie and Sarah,” Gabor said. “On the defensive side of the ball, it was a total team effort.
“The girls really understand what we’re trying to do, and they’re taking ownership of it, and it’s awesome to watch. Every defensive possession is fun to watch because they’re flying to the ball. They’ve definitely bought in. We’re trying to find some scoring, but as long as we defend, we’ll be in every game.”
The Falcons trailed 13-8 after one quarter but silenced the Hornets in the second quarter, allowing just three points while scoring 11 to go on top 19-16 at the intermission.
“We just made one adjustment in our match-up zone, and we had a guard stay in instead of a forward coming out and playing their big girl,” Gabor said. “We put a lot more pressure on the big kid in the post, and we forced some turnovers.”
Emmaus came back to take a 27-26 lead heading into the fourth quarter when the Falcons closed it out with an 11-7 quarter.
“Having a lead on Neshaminy and losing that game and being in the Council Rock South game last night – with two minutes left, they were up five, and it’s a tight game, so we needed this one,” Gabor said. “I think they collectively gathered themselves and got the win. It was fun to watch today.”
With the win, the Falcons improved to 4-6 overall (2-4 SOL).
Emmaus 13-3-11-6 33
Pennsbury 8-11-7-12 38
Pennsbury (38) – Abby Wick 2, Meredith Webber 7, Maggie Kane 10, Niasia Boone 9, Sarah Aturnase 10.
NORTH PENN 42, GWYNEDD MERCY 40
After trailing 10-9 at the end of one quarter, the Maidens appeared to be in command, outscoring the Monarchs 17-8 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 26-18 lead. They still lead by eight heading into the final quarter (33-25).
“In the second quarter, our offense was clicking,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “We made good decisions, we were running in transition.”
Gwynedd’s Maura Conroy had the hot hand in the fourth quarter, burying four three-pointers to make things interesting down the stretch, but the Maidens held on for the win.
“We really did play good defense,” deMarteleire said. “It wasn’t like we were leaving Conroy open – she made good plays.
“Our inside game was pretty good, and Sam (Carangi) hit some three’s, so there was a little bit of balance between our inside and outside game.”
Mikaela Giuliani had a big game in the paint, finishing with 15 points, while Carangi also had 15 points. Freshman Taylor Putnam had five assists despite playing less than half the game.
“She’s a three-point shooter, and she makes nice passes, and right now some of our older kids are not,” deMarteleire said.
The Maidens’ coach credited Ye for keeping Gwynedd’s Brigit Coleman off the scoreboard.
Erica DiCandido led the Monarchs with 15 and also, according to deMarteleire, was a force under the backboards.
“She anticipates, and she’s all over the floor,” the Maidens’ coach said.
With the win, the Maidens upped their record to 9-3 overall (4-2 SOL).
Gwynedd Mercy 10-8-7-15 40
North Penn 9-17-7-9 42
Gwynedd Mercy (40) – Maura Conroy 12, Erica DiCandido 15, Emily Sullivan 7, Maggie Cameron 2, Danielle Senour 2, Carly Heineman 2.
North Penn (42) – Irisa Ye 6, Taylor Thames 1, Mikaela Giuliani 15, Jess Huber 3, Sam Carangi 15, Bri Hewlett 2.
MOUNT ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY 69, CHELTENHAM 58
The Lady Panthers led 17-12 at the end of one quarter and took a 33-26 lead over the Magic into halftime in an afternoon contest at the Scholastic Play-by-Play at Philadelphia University. Ashley Jones led a balanced Panther attack with nine while Monet McGorda had eight and Amarri Trueheart, seven points.
The Mount began to assert itself defensively in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Panthers 16-7 to take a 42-40 advantage into the final quarter. The Magic – behind 10 points from Sarah Willis – seized control of the game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Panthers 27-18 in the frame to earn the double-digit win. The Magic connected on 15-of-21 from the foul line in the final quarter.
Jones led the Lady Panthers with 19 while Trueheart had 14. Gabrielle Wright was in double digits for the second straight game with 11 while McGorda had eight.
The Magic received big performances from Libby Tacka (21 points), Sarah Willis (18) and Caitlyn Cunningham (16).
Cheltenham is 7-3 on the season (5-1 SOL).
Cheltenham 17-16-7-18 58
Mount St. Joe’s 12-14-16-27 69
Cheltenham (58) – Ashley Jones 19, Monet McGorda 8, Danielle Brown 2, Amarri Trueheart 14, Gabrielle Wright 11, Nashira Brown 4.
Mount St. Joe’s (69) – Mary Kate Ulasewicz 8, Emily Carpenter 3, Libby Tacka 21, Caitlyn Cunningham 16, Sarah Willis 18, Kristin Lucas 3.
LIFE CENTER ACADEMY (N.J.) 55, ABINGTON 52
The Ghosts found themselves in a classic battle in the nightcap of the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic at Philadelphia University.
“It was a close game the whole game,” coach Dan Marsh said. “We actually took the lead with 30 seconds to go, and their number one (Aliyah Jeune) buried a deep three to put them up two.
“The Lizzie O’Leary came down, got fouled and made two free throws. They came back with 12 seconds to go and buried another big three.”
The Ghosts’ three-attempt for the tie at the buzzer fell short, but Marsh had no complaints about his team’s performance.
“They’re very good – they’re huge,” he said of Life Center squad that started a lineup measuring in at 6-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1, 6-0. “They’re long and athletic.
“They’re as good a team as we’ll play, and we played very well. I thought we played well enough to win, but they hit two huge three’s. For us to even recover from that and have a shot to win is pretty amazing. It was probably our best performance of the year. It’s a good growing thing.”
O’Leary, who received team MVP honors, contributed 17 points and six rebounds. Senior Deja Rawls led the Ghosts with 20 points.
“Deja was awesome – she always rises to the occasion,” Marsh said.
Sammy Lochner had eight assists.
Life Center jumped out to an early 12-7 lead after one quarter, but the Ghosts came back to win the second quarter 17-13 and trailed by just one at the intermission (25-24).
Life Center took a 38-34 lead into the final quarter, but the Ghosts (10-3, 6-0 SOL) were in this one until the very end.
“They have a 6-6 center who’s going to Ohio State,” Marsh said of senior Theresa Ekhelar. “Number one (Jeune), their 6-1 point guard is going to Rutgers. They’re very good.
“Maybe they underestimated us a little bit, but we played well, we played tough. I’m happy.”
Abington 7-17-10-18 52
Life Center 12-13-13-17 55
GARNET VALLEY 43, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 23
The Golden Hawks capped a tough stretch that saw them play three games in three days with a trip to Philadelphia University to compete in the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic.
After one quarter, the Golden Hawks led 11-8, but they struggled to find their offense the rest of the way, scoring just 12 points over the final three quarters combined.
Payton Spadaccino had seven points to lead the Golden Hawks. Allison Taub added six points and pulled down 13 rebounds. The Golden Hawks (7-5, 4-2 SOL) were without senior Shannon Taub, who was competing at an indoor track meet.
Council Rock South 11-5-4-3 23
Garnet Valley 8-15-12-8 43
CARDINAL O’HARA 57, UPPER DUBLIN 44
O’Hara took a 13-8 lead at the end of one quarter and stretched that to 31-13 by halftime of a contest at the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic at Philadelphia University. The Lions, who brought a 10-0 record into the game, never looked back.
Allison Chernow led the Flying Cardinals with 16 points while Julie Cross added 14 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Josie Barrett had 11 points and four rebounds.
The Flying Cardinals are 9-2 (6-0 SOL).
Upper Dublin 8-9-16-11 44
Cardinal O’Hara 13-18-10-16 57
LOWER MORELAND 46, UPPER MORELAND 22
OWEN J ROBERTS 49, UPPER MERION 34
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 53, NORRISTOWN 25
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