Check out the recaps for SOL boys/girls basketball teams in action Friday.
Boys
Perkiomen Valley Holiday Tournament
WISSAHICKON 56, PERKIOMEN VALLEY 52
It was a back-and-forth game that could have gone either way.
The Trojans – behind eight points from sophomore Zach Schwartz – opened up a 13-9 lead after one quarter that was trimmed to one at halftime, 26-25. Nico Vacchiano’s 10 points led the Trojans in the half.
The Vikings took a 40-39 advantage into the fourth quarter when the Trojans – sparked by six points from Jona Sellenriek – outscored the Vikings 17-12.
The win came on the heels of seeing their eagerly anticipated ‘Silent Night’ game against Quakertown last Friday postponed because of a power outage.
“That’s always a big one, and then when the power went out, we’re like – are you kidding me?” Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson. “So, getting a chance to get back on the court a week later and win a solid, substantial game against a really good, well-coached team – it was just a nice win.”
Key players: Nico Vacchiano led the Trojans with 18 points, but he had plenty of help. Sophomore Zach Schwartz – who finds himself in a more prominent role with the loss of Chris Lee – added 15 points, which included three 3-pointers. Jona Sellenriek, who was a difference maker on defense, had 14 points on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field.
Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson:
“We told our guys, ‘Look, this is a really good team. On paper, we’re better, but you’ve got to go out there and prove it.’ I said, ‘We’re going to circle back to when we played Harriton in our first game, and they played us like it was their Super Bowl. We got out-rebounded by 5-9, 5-10 guys, and we’ve got a 7-footer and 6-8 guy. You can’t walk on any court and say just because you’re better, you’re going to win,’ and Perk Valley – we’re not that much better than them. We knew it was going to be a dog fight, and our kids were up to the challenge, thank goodness.”
–Sellenriek back in business: “It was nice to see Jona back on the court and healthy and playing well. I think he’s still 95 percent, but he’s so much better than he was health-wise in our Upper Dublin and PW games. He missed our Abington game, and then our Quakertown game got cancelled last week. So, while that stank, as coaches, we’re like, ‘Hey, it gives more time for him to get healthy.’
“Tonight he was 7-for-7, and to his credit – there’s guys hanging on him at times. I’ve got to assume it’s just new for officials to ref a big kid that size. He’s a pretty low-key kid, but for the first time ever, I saw him turn around like, ‘Hey, he’s pulling my arm,’ but he still just ran down the floor and kept on playing. He’s just a very chill kid, and he works hard and doesn’t say a lot to officials and just enjoys playing with his teammates.
“As a coach who’s done this a long time, this is an experience of a lifetime for him and his teammates because they’ve got a friend now for a lifetime from Germany, and here’s a kid from Germany coming to the states and having a great experience, so it was nice to see him contributing 14 points, and he was around the basket and just alters so much.”
–Schwartz shines: “It was nice to see Zach -a young kid who has been just really trying to get comfortable as a sophomore with the varsity group, and man, he found it tonight with nice low post turnaround shots and a couple of nice outside 3s. He played a really good game.”
Up next: Wissahickon will face Methacton on Saturday (11:30am).
Wissahickon 13-13-13-17 56
Perkiomen Valley 9-16-15-12 52
Wissahickon (56) – Zach Schwartz 6 0-0 15; Owen Haughey 1 2-2 4; Nico Vacchiano 7 2-4 18; Jack Weiss 1 0-0 3; Jona Sellenriek 7 0-0 14; Delmar Taliaferro 1 0-1 2; TOTALS 23 4-7 56.
Perkiomen Valley (52) – Jon Boyd 3 2-2 11; Will Stein 4 1-2 10; Chase Kelly 7 4-4 18; Austin Kelly 2 1-2 6; Ty Hopenwasser 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 19 8-10 52.
3-point goals: W – Schwartz 3, Vacchiano 2, Weiss; PV – Boyd 3, Stein, Kelly, Hopenwasser.
METHACTON 71, NORTH PENN 56
Severna Park Winter Jam
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 53, JOHN F KENNEDY 51
The Patriots won a thriller in Friday’s opener of the Severna Park Winter Jam.
A clutch and-one play by Quinn Slack erased a three-point deficit and knotted the score at 48. Henry Bartchak gave the Patriots a 50-48 lead when he scored on a drive to the basket. JFK answered with a basket, evening the score, but with 30 seconds remaining Connor Mekanik scored to put the Patriots on top 52-50.
After a JFK player connected on one-of two at the foul line to make it a one-point game, Bartchak – with three seconds remaining – buried one of two at the line for the 53-51 final.
“We got down by eight or so on two different occasions, once in the first half and once in the second half, so we really clawed back and figured it out,” East coach Erik Henrysen said. “We knew going in they were super talented – athletic and fast and big and strong.
“We didn’t do a great job on their best player (Gabe Coleston) – he still had 34, but we did do a good job on the rest of the supporting cast, so that got us over the hump.”
Key players: Connor Mekanik had a huge game for the Patriots, finishing with a double-double that included 23 points and 11 rebounds. He also had three assists. Quinn Slack had eight points and seven rebounds and was a catalyst on defense with six steals. Sean Korlesky also had eight points, scoring all eight in a big third quarter. Henry Bartchak handed out nine assists.
For JFK, 6-3 junior guard Gabe Coleston led all scorers with 34 points, but only two other players scored.
Central Bucks East coach Erik Henrysen:
–Props: “Connor Mekanik was great all game, Quinn Slack was great all game. They really came through with pretty big performances, and then in the third quarter, Sean Korlesky really got going – hit two 3s and had another two. He had all eight of his points in the third, so that was a big lift for us too.”
Up next: Central Bucks East will face Annapolis Area Christian (MD) on Saturday.
Central Bucks East 13-11-17-12 53
John F Kennedy 14-13-14-10 51
Central Bucks East (53) – Connor Mekanik 23, Henry Bartchuk 3, Quinn Slack 8, Ryan Dailey 2, Sean Korlesky 8, Alex Lemaire 4, Brady Colbert 5.
John F Kennedy (51) – Gabe Colston 34, Isaac Modjinou 1, Mitchel Wright 16.
3-point goals: CBE – Korlesky 2, Slack, Mekanik, Colbert; JFK – Colston 5, Wright 2.
Girls
BOARDWALK CLASSIC (Anthony ‘Tony’ Calogero Memorial Showcase)
LOWER MORELAND 43, HOLY SPIRIT HS (NJ) 35
A fast start by the Lions turned out to be the difference in the game.
Behind the hot hand of Sydney Santora, Lower Moreland raced out of the gate to a 17-9 lead after one quarter. Santora scored 10 points in the quarter, which included a 3-pointer.
The Lions took a 23-16 lead into halftime and then edged Holy Spirit 16-15 in the third quarter to go into the final frame with a 39-31 advantage. Santora was once again the catalyst, torching the Spartans for 11 points. Both teams managed just four points in the final quarter.
Key players: Sydney Santora led all scorers with 22 points. Emma DiJoseph added eight, and Maddie Broderick had seven points.
Lower Moreland coach Andy Krasna:
–The game: “Offensively, we played our most intelligent game of the season. We were passing up good shots for great shots. Our ball movement was giving me whiplash – a pain I can live with.”
–Props: “Sydney Santora was impossible to guard, and her teammates found her in spots where she could score or create opportunities for both herself and her fellow teammates. Mady Rossiter and Maddie Broderick were huge on both ends of the floor, and they took care of the ball along with making wise decisions and scoring key baskets. Mollie Martin had to guard a very talented athlete and gave up three inches on her. Emma DiJoseph had to guard one of the best point guards we have seen season to date. Both Emma and Mollie were in lockdown mode and a reason we held a prolific scoring Holy Spirit team to just 35 points. Sophomore Olivia Fey came into the game in the second quarter and added valuable minutes. She nailed a critical 3-pointer shortly after entering the game and sliced up Holy Spirit’s relentless pressure defense which helped us secure a terrific win.”
Up next: Lower Moreland will face Bensalem in an SOL crossover non-league game in the Lou Baselice Showcase on Saturday (10 am).
Lower Moreland 17-6-16-4 43
Holy Spirit 9-7-15-4 35
Lower Moreland (43) – Mady Rossiter 1 0-0 2; Maddie Broderick 3 0-0 7; Emma DiJoseph 4 0-0 8; Mollie Martin 0 1-2 1; Sydney Santora 9 2-4 22; Oliva Fey 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 18 3-6 43
Holy Spirit (35) – Laura Cella 2 4-4 9; Megan Kane 4 0-0 8; Emma Grimley 1 0-0 3; Kennedy Ward 0 1-2 1; Reilly Byrnes 5 0-0 14; TOTALS 12 5-6 35.
3-point goals: LM – Santora 2, Broderick, O.Fey; HS – Byrnes 4, Grimley, Cella.
(Al “The General” Melini Memorial Showcase)
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 34, WILDWOOD 31
The Titans found themselves on the short end of a 17-13 score at halftime of Friday’s contest, but thanks to a second half that pretty much belonged to the Tropea twins, the Titans erased that deficit and notched the hard-fought win.
Jules and Gabby Tropea accounted for 18 of their team’s 21 second-half points. Jules scored five points in a third quarter that saw the Titans outscore Wildwood 11-7.
In the fourth quarter, Gabby had six of the Titans’ 10 points while Jules buried 4 of 6 at the foul line as the Titans outscored Wildwood 21-14 in the second half.
The Titans’ defense limited Wildwood to single digits in three of four quarters.
Key players: Jules Tropea’s 15 points led the Titans. Gabby Tropea added nine points. Riley Campbell had six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
Central Bucks South coach Beth Mattern:
“I thought the team came out strong and played tough for four quarters. The starting five really executed and found a rhythm together while battling to finish the game out with a W.”
Up next: Central Bucks South will face Ocean City High School Saturday (2:20pm).
Wildwood 6-11-7-7 31
Central Bucks South 7-6-11-10 34
Wildwood (31) – Angela Wilber 1 0-0 2; Rebecca Benichou 1 0-0 2; Joelle Murphy 6 0-0 13; Addison Troiano 1 3-4 5; Laila Fathi 1 1-2 3; Aubrey Bradway 1 0-0 2; Emma Contreras 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 13 4-6 31.
Central Bucks South (34) – Riley Campbell 2 0-0 6; Gabby Tropea 4 1-2 9; Jules Tropea 5 4-6 15; Rylie DiCesare 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 13 5-8 34.
3-point goals: W – Murphy; CBS – Campbell 2, J.Tropea.
(Tom Feraco Showcase)
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP 49, BENSALEM 47 (2 OT)
The Owls extended a strong Middle Township to double overtime before falling by two.
Bensalem trailed by five after one quarter but cut that deficit to two by halftime, 22-20. Grace McShane was the offensive catalyst, scoring 14 first-half points – 10 in the second quarter.
McShane’s 10 points in the third quarter included two 3s and sent the Owls into the fourth quarter with a 35-33 lead. Middle Township evened the score at 40-40 af the end of regulation. Both teams scored five points in the first OT, and it was Middle Township – the defending three-time NJSIAA Group 2 champions – eking out the 49-47 win in the second overtime.
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson:
“We played a really good team today and showed a lot of positives. Showed that we can hang with the top teams. Some things to touch up, but overall, a great experience. Middle Township is one heck of a team led by two tremendous athletes in Reagan Powell and Sarah Farrow.”
Up next: Bensalem will face Lower Moreland in an all-SOL contest on Saturday (10am).
Middle Township 12-10-11-6-5-5 49
Bensalem 7-13-15-4-5-3 47
Middle Township (49) – Abbey Cappelletti 3 2-3 11; Reagan Powell 4 2-2 12; Sarah Farrow 7 1-5 15; Allison Nagle 0 0-2 0; Ainsley Frederick 3 1-2 9; Hannah O’Neal 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 18-6-13 49.
Bensalem (47) – Grace McShane 11 3-4 29; Mary Beck 0 2-3 2; Sydney Daut 1 0-0 3; Jordyn Bell 2 0-0 6; Kamiya Alexander 0 2-2 2; Mischa Ellzy 2 0-2 5; TOTALS 16 7-11 47.
3-point goals: MT – Cappelletti 3, Powell 2, Frederick 2; B – McShane 4, Bell 2, Daut, Elizy.
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