Check out the results for SOL boys/girls basketball teams in action on Monday. To view photos of the Souderton/Pennridge boys' game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Boys
PENNRIDGE 60, SOUDERTON 54 (2 OT)
The Rams have made a living pushing the ball up and down the court and attacking the basket. In the process, they’ve put big numbers on the scoreboard. In the second half of Monday’s game, the shots stopped falling after a high-scoring first half that saw the Rams take a 30-28 lead. It was a 38-36 game heading into the final quarter.
“Both teams were shooting the ball pretty well, taking good shots,” Pennridge coach Dean Behrens said. “It wasn’t the best defensive game, but it was a pretty smooth game.
“Then the second half started, and we really went cold – we only scored four points in the fourth quarter. We were up four at one point, and I wanted to get them out of their zone. We had the kids pull the ball out. The problem with that is our team is a go, go, go team – we attack, attack, attack, so now we’re asking our kids to do something a little different.”
Souderton tied the game up (42-42) and sent the game into overtime where the Rams had a chance to win it at the buzzer.
“There was a wild play, a loose ball – we thought we had it and they got it back,” Behrens said. “They turned it back over.
“There are six seconds left, and we had to go the length of the floor basically. Danny Long penetrates like you wouldn’t believe, throws it to Max Wagner on the baseline.”
Wagner’s shot for the win fell short, and the stage was set for double overtime where the visiting Rams outscored the Indians 14-8 to earn the win.
“The kids were great – they really stepped up,” Behrens said. “Devon Balmer had some big rebounds, and he really shot well from the foul line.
“Our foul shooting was amazing. Dan Long and Devon Balmer had ice in their veins shooting fouls under pressure situations.”
Balmer was 4-for-6 from the line while Long was 10-for-10 with most coming in the second overtime.
Long led all scorers with 25 points while Wagner added 16 and Balmer, nine. Stephen Lowry had six points.
“Somehow a five o’clock game that didn’t seem as though it had a lot of people attending – it got crowded,” Behrens said. “There were a lot of people wanting us to lose.
“There weren’t many Pennridge there, and (Chuck Kornegay’s) kids played well. In the scheme of things, it was two teams playing as hard as they can. You would never know what anyone’s records was. They battled just as hard as we did – guys diving on the floor for loose balls. We just probably got one extra rebound that we needed, we hit a couple of foul shots more than they did, and that ended up being the game. It was that close.
“It could have gone either way. Throw the records away. It was a prototypical high school game. It was two teams really playing hard. From a high school standpoint, it’s great. Someone unfortunately had to lose.”
For the Indians, junior Mike Bealer led a balanced attack with 13 points. Ty Salone and Tracy Simsick both scored 11 points. Ian Beardsley contributed eight and Austin Eberhart had six.
“Chuck (Kornegay) and his staff did a really good job of preparing their team,” Behrens said. “They zoned us, they tried to slow us down, and it really worked in the second half. Those kids didn’t pack in the season, I know that.
“I thought they played extremely well. They had a nice win against CB South the other night. They’re dangerous. His kids can shoot. They’re good basketball players. I know their record isn’t what they’d like it to be, but they’re a handful. I think they’re starting to figure it out. Give those guys credit.”
While Souderton (7-13, 3-9 SOL) will travel to North Penn Tuesday, Pennridge (17-3, 11-1) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday. A win will clinch a share of the SOL Continental Conference crown.
“Tomorrow is not going to be very easy,” Behrens said. “Dan Long played 40 minutes, Devon Balmer probably played 37, and Max Wagner probably played 38.
“We logged a lot of minutes tonight.”
Pennridge 18-12-8-4-4-14 60
Souderton 15-13-8-6-4-8 54
Pennridge: Devon Balmer 9, Dan Long 25, Stephen Lowry 6, Ryan Cuthbert 5, Max Wagner 16.
Souderton: Mike Bealer 13, Ty Salone 11, Tracy Simsick 11, Kyle Lennon 3, Austin Eberhart 6, Ian Beardsley 8, Noah Horas 2.
UPPER DUBLIN 49, POPE JOHN PAUL II 42
The Flying Cardinals trailed 10-6 after one quarter and found themselves on the short end of a 21-10 halftime score. They still trailed by one heading into the final period (32-31) when they outscored their visitors 18-10 to earn the non-league win.
“It was a back and forth seesaw type of game, and in the fourth quarter, we just really got after it,” coach Josh Adelman said. “It was one of those things where we kept feeding the ball into Ryan Stover.”
John Barrett scored six points in the final quarter, and Ben Abel scored all six of his points in the frame.
“Ben Abel hit a crucial three with about a minute left,” Adelman said. “We were up three at the time, we moved the ball around pretty well, and Ben ended up hitting a three from the corner, giving us that six-point lead that we needed.
“They were forced to keep fouling, and we shot decent from the foul line in the fourth quarter – we shot 11-for-14.”
For the game, the Cardinals were 22-of-33 from the charity stripe. Barrett, who finished with 15 points, was 9-for-10 from the line, and Stover, who had a team high 19 points, was 9-for-12. Abel and Will Derr both had six points.
“Will Derr had about six blocks – he kept them really off balance with all of his blocked shots,” Adelman said.
For PJP, Rich Dunham had a game high 24 points, which included a pair of threes.
“We had pretty much of a size advantage,” Adelman said. “Their player Dunham is a tremendous player. He was tough inside and outside.
“He really kept them in the game, but they didn’t have an answer for our big guys, and John Barrett got going.”
Upper Dublin (9-11, 5-7) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday.
Pope John Paul II 10-11-11-10 49
Upper Dublin 6-14-11-18 42
Pope John Paul II: Daniel Cirino 3, Eric Wood 2, Rich Dunham 24, Fran Interrante 7, Luke Moratelli 6.
Upper Dublin: Ben Abel 6, John Barrett 15, Will Derr 6, Jimmy Gallagher 3, Ryan Stover 19.
HARRY S TRUMAN 63, METHACTON 45
The Tigers found themselves staring at a 17-6 deficit at the end of one quarter, but they took care of business in the second quarter. Did they ever.
Truman outscored Methacton 28-0 in the frame to go into halftime with a 34-17 lead. They never looked back.
Maurice Jackson led a balanced attack with 13 points. Danell Snelling had nine points, and three players – Kelechi Ogbonna, Justin Fant and Racheid Newkirk – each added eight points.
Truman (7-11, 5-6 SOL) will be on the road at Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Methacton 17-0-12-16 45
Truman 6-28-10-19 63
Methacton (45) – Tyler Neugebauer 2, Carson Williams 7, Bobby Loewski 16, Andrew Pisano 6, Jerry Cerchio 2, Stephen Savage 4, Mike Trakofler 3, Noah Kitaw 5.
Harry S Truman: Kelechi Ogbonna 8, Danell Snelling 9, Justin Fant 8, James Clowney 5, Satchell Simpson 5, Maurice Jackson 13, Rasheid Newkirk 8, ZJ Jackson 5, Jeff Nixon 2.
UPPER MERION 72, AVON GROVE 45
Matt Faw scored 27 points in another standout individual effort, and Ethan Miller added 18 to lead the Vikings to the decisive win.
The Vikings seized control of the game early, opening up an 18-8 lead after one quarter. Faw accounted for 10 of his team’s points in the quarter. Miller had the hot hand in the second quarter, scoring nine points as the Vikings extended their lead to 32-18 by halftime. The Red Devils never threatened.
Chris Carita added eight points to the Vikings’ attack while Isaiah Graham-Mobley and Anthony Capistrano both scored six.
Upper Merion (14-6, 7-5 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Tuesday night.
Avon Grove 8-10-15-12 45
Upper Merion 18-14-12-28 72
Avon Grove: Scooter Whiteside 2, Brandon McCullough 9, Stefan Evans 3, James Petrison 14, Henry Quinn 4, Destin Murphy 5, Andrew Brady 8.
Upper Merion: Aidan Newell 4, Isaiah Graham-Mobley 6, Ethan Miller 18, Chris Carita 8, Matt Faw 27, Andrew Persaud 3, Anthony Capistrano 6.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 54, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 44
NORTHEAST 61, NESHAMINY 54
Girls
SOUDERTON 53, PENNRIDGE 48
The Indians got off to a shaky start on Monday. They found themselves on the short end of a 20-12 score after one quarter but made it a 28-24 game with a 12-8 second quarter.
“I said to them after the first quarter, ‘They’re on pace to score 80 here. This is not okay,’” coach Lynn Carroll said.
Marissa Sandone connected on a big three midway through the third quarter to change the Indians’ fortunes.
“She has been struggling, and she was really down on herself, and she took a three that tied it for the first time,” Carroll said. “We were down the whole game.
“It was great to see her not hesitate and take a big shot in the second half.”
The Indians took a 40-38 lead into the final quarter and refused to let this one slip away. The win avenged a 52-43 loss to Pennridge on Dec. 22.
“Compare this to the first time we played them, and it’s nice to see how much we’ve grown,” Carroll said. “We’ve been playing well the last few games, and when you play in one of the best conferences in District One, sometimes you’re still not going to be successful even though you play well. I’m happy for them, I’m proud of them. They played really well tonight.”
Krista Schneider led a balanced Indians’ attack with 13 points. Megan Walbrandt added 11 points while Alana Cardona had 10 points and seven rebounds.
“Krista played with a ton of determination, a ton of determination,” Carroll said. “She wanted the ball, she wanted to take shots.
“Alana playing against Lydia Konstanzer down low on the post was not hesitant, showed no fear, went right at her.
“Megan Walbrandt has played the best three games of her career in our last three games.”
Point guard Tori Dowd added seven points and seven rebounds.
“She hit five-of-six foul shots down the stretch,” Carroll said.
The Indians received a huge lift off the bench from Sami Falencki, who saw her first significant playing time since being sidelined with an injury.
“What a great spark off the bench,” Carroll said. “There are times when we struggle to score, and for her to give us eight points off the bench – she hits two threes, looked like she hasn’t skipped a beat.
“It was great, and I think it’s energizing for everyone else. Everyone loves Sami, and for her to get back and have some success gave us some energy. We really got great contributions from everybody. Mia Sherer didn’t score points, but she played well defensively.”
Konstanzer had another big game for the Lady Rams, leading all scorers with 20 points to go along with 18 rebounds – seven offensive. Devan Rimmer added 11 points, four rebounds, two steals and two assists. Brooke Bachtle had nine points and a team high five steals, and Gillian Anderson had six points, four steals and three boards.
Souderton (7-13, 4-8 SOL) will host North Penn on Tuesday, and Pennridge (9-10, 3-9) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham.
Souderton 12-12-16-13 53
Pennridge 20-8-10-10 48
Souderton: Tori Dowd 7, Krista Schneider 13, Alana Cardona 10, Megan Walbrandt 11, Marissa Sandone 4, Sami Falenki 8.
Pennridge: Brooke Bachtle 9, Gillian Anderson 6, Sam Muredda 2, Devan Rimmer 11, Lydia Konstanzer.
GREAT VALLEY 52, WISSAHICKON 35
The Trojans hung tough for one half against a tough Patriot squad. Wissahickon opened up a 14-9 lead after one quarter and trailed by just a 23-20 count at the intermission. The Patriots had the better of play in the second half, bringing to a halt the Trojans’ three-game winning streak.
“We were there,” coach Rodney Cline said. “The third quarter – we couldn’t knock down shots. We had good looks, but we couldn’t knock them down.
“Our free throwing shooting hurt us today. We knocked down shots the last three games, but we didn’t do it today. That’s what happened. The girls played hard, they played great defense, and they hustled. We moved the ball well. They’re coming into their own.”
Julianne Griffin led the Trojans with 10 points, and Brianna Tilghman scored seven. Daria Earland and Sydney Ott each scored six points.
Wissahickon (3-16, 2-10 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday night.
Great Valley 9-14-16-13 52
Wissahickon 14-6-7-8 35
Great Valley: Kodi Campetti 9, Christina Porreco 7, Sarah Buzan 9, Ashlyn Smith 8, Stephanie Aker 7, Lisa D’Emperia 12.
Wissahickon: Brianna Tilghman 7, Daria Earland 6, Sydney Ott 6, Julianne Griffin 10, Victoria Selverian 2, Keanna Haney 2.
CONESTOGA 50, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 34
The Indians jumped out to a 15-10 lead over the Pioneers but then managed just four points in the second quarter. Conestoga took a 23-19 lead into halftime and added to that in the second half, outscoring the Indians 27-15.
Mackenzie Tinner’s 10 points led the Indians. She also had six rebounds, two steals, three blocks and one assist. Hannah Weiler added eight points, and Becca Margolis had six points, eight steals and four assists.
Council Rock North (11-8, 9-3 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday.
Conestoga 10-13-10-17 50
Council Rock North 15-4-8-7 34
Conestoga: Mascioli 6, Dickey 8, Kublish 10, Atwood 4, Scott 7, Mack 15.
Council Rock North: Becca Margolis 6, Camryn Polinsky 4, Megan Haggerty 3, Dana Bandurick 2, Samantha Saifer 1, Mackenzie Tinner 10, Hannah Weiler 8.
Sunday, Jan. 31
NORTH PENN 75, GARNET VALLEY 41
The Lady Knights had a little score to settle when they faced Garnet Valley in Sunday’s Blue Chip Super Showcase at Spring-Ford High School.
It turns out they hadn’t forgotten that the Jaguars – last year’s fourth-seeded team – had defeated them 44-37 in a District One AAAA playback game that sent the Lady Knights into the seventh place game.
There were no reruns in Sunday’s rematch as the Lady Knights led from wire to wire. It was a 15-8 game after one quarter, and North Penn took a commanding 37-16 lead into halftime. For good measure, the Lady Knights opened the second half with a 33-15 third quarter tear to go on top 70-31 on their way to the rout.
“We do have kids that can shoot, but we just really haven’t been doing it,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “Garnet Valley beat us last year, and we were up early in that game. In the second quarter, we had a double-digit lead, and they went to a zone, and we couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
“That was not the case tonight. They went to a zone, and it was really unbelievable. I was so pleased with how unselfish the kids were. It was our best effort of the year so far. It was unbelievable.”
The Lady Knights connected on 10 three-pointers. Mia Melchior led the charge with three. Sam Carangi, Jess Huber and Bri Hewlett each had two. Irisa Ye added one.
“I’m just so pleased,” deMarteleire said. “Obviously, you’re not always going to shoot threes like that, but we did other things.
“We played really good defense, we boxed out, we took care of the ball, we made the open pass, we hit the open person. We were just so unselfish. It was really good.”
Mikaela Giuliani and Carangi led yet another balanced scoring effort with 14 points each. Ye added 12 points while Melchior, Huber and Hewlett each had 10 points.
North Penn (18-2, 12-0 SOL) will travel to Souderton on Tuesday night.
North Penn 15-22-35-5 75
Garnet Valley8-8-15-10 41
North Penn: Madison Stotler 3, Mia Melchior 10, Jess McKenzie 2, Jess Huber 10, Bri Hewlett 10, Mikaela Giuliani 14, Sam Carangi 14, Irisa Ye 12
Garnet Valley: Emily McAteer 12, Michaell Koscinski 4, Maddie Ireland 9, Sydney Fal
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