Upper Dublin and CB South will be playing the District One AAAA semifinals on Wednesday at CR South. Abington and CR North need wins to earn state playoff berths. Check back for a recap of all of Wednesday’s action.
Upper Dublin and Central Bucks South might have been unlikely choices to be playing in the District One AAAA semifinals, but that’s exactly where the two squads find themselves. Both SOL squads took decidedly different journeys, but both will be playing Wednesday night for an opportunity to compete in Friday’s district title game at Temple University. Upper Dublin, the sixth seeded squad, once again will be the underdog when it takes on the top seed remaining in the tournament – second-seeded Perkiomen Valley – at Council Rock South High school (6 p.m.). Eighth-seeded Central Bucks South will play 12th-seeded Downingtown East (7:30 p.m.).
Flying Cardinals on to ‘next play’
The Flying Cardinals opened their season with back-to-back losses to Central Bucks South and Central Bucks East but came back to win their next 12 games in a row. Still, with the graduation of their top scorer and rebounder in Julie Cross, it’s a safe bet no one had them penciled in the district’s final four.
“After the way we started, I think if you would go out there and ask anybody – I don’t think you could find one person who would say that Upper Dublin is making it to the final four,” senior captain Allison Chernow said. “The most important thing was sticking together.
“We never gave up, we never doubted ourselves. When something went wrong, we learned from it, got back in the gym and worked harder.”
The Cardinals – whose calling card under coach Morgan Funsten has been their defense – have taken it to new heights in the postseason, allowing just 78 points in three games combined for an average of 26 points a game.
“We just gotten more disciplined on defense and basically in all aspects of the game,” Chernow said. “We’ve found a little rhythm from working harder, staying positive and staying together.”
The Flying Cardinals, according to Funsten, enter each season with a singular goal.
“We don’t try to dream big until it’s a realistic goal,” he said. “We really do try to completely focus on the league throughout the season. Even to the point where we played our tough stretch of games between North Penn and GA – we knew we had Cheltenham on deck.
“If you want any chance of winning a district title or state title, you have to take care of your league first. I think sometimes teams get ahead of that, and our girls do a great job of buying in. We were all about winning the league.”
Upper Dublin took care of that matter, rolling to a 14-0 record in SOL American Conference play and the program’s fourth straight title under Funsten. Now they’ve set their sights considerably higher.
“Just the concept of going to play at Temple is so appealing,” said Funsten of Friday’s district title game. “It’s never been one of our goals to win the district championship.
“We’ve kind of just been taking it one game at a time, and it feels like we kind of got hit in the head two weeks ago, and all of a sudden, we woke up, and we’re in a great position.”
The Flying Cardinals face the daunting task of containing a PV squad with height and skill at every position.
“We don’t think beating them will be simple, but we think for us to have a chance to win the game, the number one thing is we have to do is keep them off the offensive glass,” Funsten said. “When you watch their tapes, they get so many second, third and fourth chances because their point guard (K.T. Armstrong) is 6-2.
“They have two 5-11 forwards who are just really, really strong girls in (Taylor) Hamm and (Megan) Jonassen. Then you add (Hanan) Richmond, who’s an extremely athletic 5-11 swing player – she also crashes the offensive glass. You can have a good defensive possession, have them take just an okay shot, and it ends up turning into a layup because they get an offensive rebound putback. If we want to have a chance to win the game, we have to limit their second chance opportunities.”
PV will undoubtedly have revenge on its mind when the two teams meet Wednesday. It’s a safe bet the Vikings haven’t forgotten last year’s 36-33 overtime loss to the Flying Cardinals in the second round of districts that sent them home for the season. The intensity that will only escalate Wednesday was apparent when the two teams met in a meaningless scrimmage last fall at Owen J Roberts.
“It was a small gym, and there’s nothing small about them,” Funsten said. “It just felt like everybody was on top of each other.
“It was crazy the intensity of a game in mid-October that meant absolutely nothing. I think (Wednesday) night is going to be an extremely tense game with high stakes. We’re really excited about it. We’re trying to just enjoy the moment. We’re not putting too much pressure on ourselves. We know there’s more season behind this. Whether we win and we have a day to prepare for the district title game or we lose and we play in the third place game, we’re going to just be committed to fighting to the end.”
For Chernow and her teammates, playing in the final four is a golden opportunity.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything else,” the senior point guard said. “Obviously, I want to win – that would be the coolest thing ever. We’re one game away from the championship game.
“The championship game is right there, but no matter what happens, we still have to remember why we play because we love the game and it’s fun.”
As for Wednesday’s game against a Perk Valley squad favored since the beginning of the season to earn a spot in the district title game, Chernow once again points to sticking together as the key.
“Not everything is going to go our way,” the Cardinals’ senior captain said. “They are going to get an offensive rebound here and there. K.T. (Armstrong) is going to shoot over us and make a shot here and there.
“We just have to stick together and ‘next play.’”
Titans in uncharted territory
While Upper Dublin is just three years removed from a trip to the district’s final four, CB South will be making its first appearance in the district semifinals.
“We’re just trying to approach this week like the rest of the weeks,” coach Beth Mattern said. “We’ve taken the same preparations at practice, trying to create a game plan and really understand what the other team is trying to accomplish and maximize our strengths.”
It may be business as usual for the Titans, but there was a decidedly different feel to Monday’s practice after the team’s overtime win over top-seeded North Penn that featured a buzzer beater by Jordan Vitelli from beyond midcourt to send the game into OT. The video of the you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it shot has gone viral on social media.
“Monday definitely was a fun day to be at practice – knowing you’re playing in the district semifinals rather than a playback game and you realize you’re in the top four in the district,” Mattern said.
Heading into the district playoffs, CB South’s season had not exactly gone as planned.
“When we set goals at the beginning of the season, it was obviously to win the league and to make it to the SOL Tournament and then making it as far as we could and qualifying for states because we had never done that,” Vitelli said. “After we knew we didn’t win the league, we were like, ‘Okay, we need to get ourselves into a spot where we make it into the SOL Tournament.’
“Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way with that either. I think not making that tournament definitely gave us more motivation to go all-out in the playoffs and to make sure we did not only qualify for states but gave ourselves a chance to make it as far as we could in the district playoffs.”
The fact that North Penn won the SOL Continental Conference title and Central Bucks West edged South for the final SOL Tournament spot has got to seem like a distant memory now that the Titans are within striking distance of a chance to play for the district title.
“It’s extremely exciting for the seniors especially but even the underclassmen being able to make it this far,” Vitelli said. “To make it to a semifinal game on a neutral court and having the opportunity to play at Temple would be out of this world, so we’re going into Wednesday and making sure we take care of business.”
Taking care of business against a Downingtown West squad that features the talents of senior Paige Warfel – committed to play basketball at Quinnipiac University – will represent a challenge. Warfel has averaged 22 points a game in three playoffs games. In the Cougars’ 51-46 win over Neshaminy on Saturday, Warfel finished with 27 points and 20 rebounds. She has lived on the foul line – converting 33-of-42 attempts in just the last two games combined.
“She’s definitely aggressive going to the basket,” Mattern said. “Even if she’s not involved in the play, it doesn’t matter where she is on the court – she’s crashing the boards and she crashes hard.
“She’s an aggressive player in the paint, and she needs to be contained and have a body put on her.”
While CB South boasts the higher seed in Wednesday’s matchup, the Cougars boast postseason experience.
“From our experience, we know that numbers don’t matter,” Vitelli said. “We need to come out playing our game and our defense and make sure we control the tempo.”
“We just need to go out and play hard and play our game,” Mattern added. “If we stay composed and within ourselves, we’re going to give ourselves a shot.”
#6 UPPER DUBLIN vs #2 PERKIOMEN VALLEY (at Council Rock South High School, Wednesday, 6 p.m.)
Upper Dublin
- 21-5 overall
- 14-0 SOL American Conference champions
- Fourth conference title in as many years
- Point guard Allison Chernow averages 10.3 points and 5.3 assists to lead the Cardinals. Josie Barrett also averages in double figures.
- Regular season wins over #14 Spring-Ford (41-35), #16 Cheltenham (42-39 & 41-22), #19 Plymouth Whitemarsh (41-26 & 42-22), #22 Norristown (61-42 & 50-36) and #27 West Chester Rustin (56-28)
- Defeated Perkiomen Valley 36-33 in overtime in the second round of the 2015 District One AAAA Tournament.
How they got here:
- In Saturday’s quarterfinal game against third-seeded Garnet Valley, Upper Dublin once against relied on its stifling defense to earn a 35-28 win. Demi Balasa, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds, buried a three-pointer to give the Cardinals a 30-28 lead on their way to the win. Josie Barrett led the Cardinals with nine points while Ashley Barber had seven points and nine rebounds.
- In a second round game, Upper Dublin turned in a dazzling defensive effort, limiting Ches-Mont League champion Bishop Shanahan – the tournament’s 11th-seeded team – to just 23 points in a 37-23 win. Shanahan scored seven of those points in the final minute of the game when the starters for both teams were on the bench. Shanahan’s trio of Ciara Forde, Devon Adams and Courtney Warley average 35 points a game combined but managed just 13 combined in the loss. Ashley Barber and Demi Balasa limited Adams to just a three-pointer.
- In an opening round game, Upper Dublin sophomores Nicole Kaiser and Maggie Weglos provided a big lift in the Flying Cardinals’ 44-27 win over 27th-seeeded West Chester Rustin. Kaiser scored 12 points off the bench and Weglos added 10 for the Cardinals, who led 24-13 at halftime.
Perkiomen Valley
- 25-2 overall
- 12-1 PAC-10 Liberty Division champions
- Defeated Boyertown 45-25 to capture the PAC-10 Tournament title.
- Only District One team to defeat #1 North Penn (69-50)
- Led by 6-2 senior guard KT Armstrong (15.9 ppg), 5-11 sophomore forward Megan Jonassen (11.3 ppg) and 5-11 junior guard Hanan Richmond (8.4 ppg)
- Regular season wins over #8 CB South (63-55), #12 Downingtown East (46-44), #13 Neshaminy (56-50), #24 Central Bucks East (45-32) and split regular season series with #5 Boyertown (39-30, 40-47).
How they got here:
- In a quarterfinal game, Perk Valley defeated seventh-seeded Conestoga 57-46. K.T. Armstrong scored 26 points in her final home game, 18 in the second half. Sophomore Megan Jonassen scored 12 of her 17 points in the second quarter as the Vikings took a 31-24 lead into halftime.
- In PV’s second round 52-39 win over 18th-seeded Abington, the Vikings turned a 26-18 halftime lead into a commanding 41-25 advantage heading into the final quarter. K.T. Armstrong led all scorers with 23 points while Hanan Richmond had 11.
- In the opening round, Perkiomen Valley defeated 32nd-seeded Pennridge 63-38. The Rams, who were without 6-0 senior forward Lydia Konstanzer, had no answer for Megan Jonassen (20 points). K.T. Armstrong added 17 points while Taylor Hamm added 10 points.
# 8 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs #12 DOWNINGTOWN EAST (at Council Rock South High School, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.)
Central Bucks South
- 20-5 overall
- 11-3 SOL Continental Conference, tied with CB West for second place
- Regular season wins over #6 Upper Dublin (42-39), #13 Neshaminy (52-40), #18 Abington (49-38), #24 CB East (50-44 & 41-22), #31 Pennridge (58-53 & 67-32) and split season series with #10 CB West (36-38, 51-32)
- Led by seniors Jordan Vitelli (14.8 ppg) and Taylor Dunn (7.4)
How they got here:
- In a quarterfinal game, Central Bucks South pulled off an upset of top-seeded North Penn, earning a 57-54 win in overtime. The Titans, who led by nine at halftime, led 39-24 with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, but the Lady Knights staged a remarkable rally and took a 45-42 lead in the closing seconds. South’s Jordan Vitelli connected on a shot beyond midcourt at the buzzer, setting the stage for overtime where the Titans outscored the Lady Knights 12-9. Vitelli led all scorers with 28 points while freshman Alexa Brodie added 10 and junior Meghan Kuypers, nine points.
- In second round action, Central Bucks South trailed 9-2 early but – thanks to Jordan Vitelli’s buzzer beater from well beyond the arc – took a 22-16 lead into halftime on its way to a 41-37 win over 24th-seeded Central Bucks East. Vitelli led a balanced attack with eight points while Meghan Kuypers added seven – all in a fourth quarter that saw the Titans open up a 12-point lead.
- In an opening round game, Central Bucks South received scoring from 11 players on its way to a 68-35 win over 25th-seeded Haverford. The Titans were led by Jordan Vitelli’s 17 points. Taylor Dunn (10 points), Mackenzie Ehresman (nine points) and Tricia DeCesare (eight points) also contributed.
Downingtown East
- 20-7 overall
- 9-2 Ches-Mont National Division
- Lost to Bishop Shanahan in Ches-Mont title game (42-39)
- Led by Paige Warfel, who has committed to play basketball at Quinnipiac University where she also will play softball. Warfel averages 15.1 points and 10 rebounds.
- Coach Tom Schurtz uses nine players. Laura Ochsner averages just 8.8 points a game while Aryah Aungst and Kate Krum have combined for 45 three-pointers. Lindsay Kent is the team’s top defender.
- Regular season wins over #7 Conestoga (43-40), #15 Great Valley (46-27 & 41-40), #21 Harriton (43-37), and split with #11 Bishop Shanahan (42-46 & 55-47) and #20 West Chester Henderson (55-57 & 41-35)
How they got here:
- In a 51-46 quarterfinal win over 13th-seeded Neshaminy, Downingtown East rode the dominant performance of senior Paige Warfel, who finished with a double-double that included 27 points and 20 rebounds. Warfel did most of her damage at the foul line where she buried 19-of-25 shots.
- In second round action, Downingtown East broke a 31-31 tie to earn a 43-37 win over 28th-seeded Council Rock North. Paige Warfel led the Cougars with 20 points, which included a 14-for-17 effort at the foul line.
- In opening round action, Downingtown East opened up a 25-11 halftime lead on its way to a 56-39 win over 21st-seeded Harriton. Paige Warfel (19 points), Laura Ochsner (14 points) and Aryah Aungst (11 points) all scored in double figures.
Playback Games
#13 NESHAMINY at NORTH PENN (Wednesday, 7 p.m.)
North Penn
- 24-3 overall
- 14-0 SOL National Conference champions
- Defeated Central Bucks West 48-47 in overtime to capture the SOL Tournament title
- Balanced lineup includes six players who average between five and 12 points.
- Lady Knights are led by senior forward Mikaela Giuliani (11.92 ppg) and junior point guard Sam Carangi (10.63 ppg).
- Irisa Ye (9.33 ppg), Jess Huber (8.33 ppg), Bri Hewlett (7.5 ppg) and Mia Melchior (5.4 ppg) also are consistent offensive contributors.
- Regular season wins over #3 Garnet Valley (75-41), #6 Upper Dublin (42-35), #13 Neshaminy (44-39). Swept season series with #8 CB South (47-36 & 58-46), #10 CB West (63-51 & 49-46), #24 CB East (47-34 & 55-25) and #31 Pennridge (#50-40 & 59-43).
- Only regular season losses came at the hands of #2 Perk Valley (69-50) in the opening game of the season and St. John’s College High School (66-44)
- 20-game winning streak snapped with district quarterfinal loss to Central Bucks South
How they got here:
- In a district quarterfinal game against eighth-seeded CB South, North Penn – after trailing by 15 late in the third quarter – took a 45-42 lead when Jess Huber scored in the closing seconds of regulation. That lead was erased when Jordan Vitelli – after her team took possession under North Penn’s basket with 2.9 seconds remaining – launched a shot from beyond midcourt that fell through the net, tying the score and setting the stage for overtime. The Lady Knights were outscored 12-9 in OT, suffering a heartbreaking 57-54 loss. Bri Hewlett (15 points), Huber (13) and Sam Carangi (12) all finished in double figures for North Penn.
- In the second round, the Lady Knights used a 22-6 second quarter tear to turn a two-point lead into a 34-16 halftime lead on their way to a 64-36 rout of 17th-seeded Penn Wood. Mikaela Giuliani (24 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots), Sam Carangi (18 points, six assists, four steals) and Jess Huber (12 points, five assists, three blocked shots) all turned in huge performances for the Lady Knights.
- In opening round action, the top-seeded Lady Knights made easy business of 32nd-seeded Penncrest, opening up a 41-7 halftime lead on their way to a 63-18 mercy rule win. Mikaela Giuliani scored a game-high 23 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau midway through the second quarter. Irisa Ye (11 points), Jess Huber (10 points) and Bri Hewlett (seven points) also contributed offensively.
Neshaminy
- 20-6 overall
- 14-0 SOL National Conference champions
- Regular season wins over #18 Abington (57-49 & 54-42) and #28 Council Rock North (49-45 & 37-36)
- Led by co-captains – senior point guard Morgan Goldenbaum and junior Devon Storms
- Freshmen Allison Harvey, the team’s top scorer, and Brooke Mullin are also major contributors.
- Redskins are 20-3 after starting season 0-3.
How they got here:
- In its quarterfinal game at 12th-seeded Downingtown East, Neshaminy led early – 15-10 after one quarter and 22-19 at halftime, but the Redskins were doomed by a third quarter that saw the Cougars go on a 17-9 tear to earn a 51-46 win. Freshman Allison Harvey had 12 points while Devon Storms and Brooke Mullin both had nine.
- Neshaminy upset fourth-seeded Mount St. Joseph Academy 48-40 in a second round game, opening up a 26-19 halftime lead and never looking back. Devon Storms led the Redskins with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. Freshman Brooke Mullin had 13 points and eight rebounds, and senior point guard Morgan Goldenbaum added seven points, nine rebounds and four assists.
- In an opening round game Friday, Neshaminy rode the big performance of freshman Brooke Mullin (16 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, four blocked shots and three assists) to a 48-31 win over #20 West Chester Henderson. The ‘Skins – who trailed 7-6 after one quarter – took an 18-15 lead into halftime and then outscored Henderson 30-16 in the second half. Freshman Allison Harvey added nine points.
#28 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH at #17 PENN WOOD
Council Rock North
- 14-10 overall
- 10-4 SOL National Conference third place
- Balanced scoring attack led by Becca Margolis (8.6 ppg) and Mackenzie Tinner (7.5 ppg)
How they got here:
- In a playback game, Council Rock North continued to play the role of giant killer, sending fourth-seeded Mount St. Joseph Academy home for the season with a 46-42 win. The Indians led 19-16 at halftime but trailed by two heading into the final quarter when they closed out the game with a 17-11 tear. Mackenzie Tinner had a big game in the paint, finishing with 16 points – 11 in the second half – and 10 rebounds. Becca Margolis added nine points, and Hannah Weiler was a presence in the paint as well, finishing with nine boards.
- In second round action, Council Rock North hung tough against 12th-seeded Downingtown East but fell 43-37. Becca Margolis (nine points) and Dana Bandurick (eight points) led the Indians.
- Council Rock North pulled off the upset of the opening round, sending fifth-seeded Boyertown home for the season with a 40-27 win. The Indians trailed 12-9 at halftime but used a 15-6 third quarter to seize control of the game. Sophomore point guard Becca Margolis led the Indians with 18 points while Megan Haggerty added nine.
Penn Wood
- 18-7 overall
- 8-0 Delaware Valley champion
- Led by senior forward Dahnye Redd, who averages over 20 points a game
- Regular season wins over #12 Downingtown East (62-61) and #29 Radnor (55-45)
How they got here:
- In Saturday’s 48-39 playback win over 24th-seeded Central Bucks East, Penn Wood was led by the 25-point performance of senior forward Dahnye Redd. Carle Andrews added 10 points in a contest that saw the Patriots rally from a 21-20 halftime deficit to outscore East 28-18 in the second half.
- In second round action, Penn Wood trailed by just two after one quarter but was outscored 37-14 in the second and third quarters in a 64-36 loss to top-seeded North Penn. Dahnye Redd led the way with 18 points while Carle Andrews added seven.
- In an opening round game, Penn Wood, the 17th seed, defeated 16th-seeded Cheltenham 68-27. The win avenged a regular season 67-60 loss to the Lady Panthers as well as last year’s first round exit from districts at the hands of Cheltenham. Senior Dahnye Redd led all scorers with 25 points while Joy Morton and Carle Andrews both added 18 points.
#18 ABINGTON at #11 BISHOP SHANAHAN
Abington
- 18-7 overall
- 12-2 SOL National Conference second place
- Led by junior Lizzie O’Leary (11.8 ppg, 9.7 rpg), senior Sammy Lochner (10.5 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.1 spg), sophomore Sam Brusha (8.1 ppg) and senior Leah Simmons (7.7 ppg).
- Swept regular season series with #28 Council Rock North (53-34 & 56-45)
- Played a tough December schedule that included competing in the She Got Game Classic in Washington, D.C., and the Cardinal O’Hara Holiday tournament.
How they got here:
- In an all-SOL playback game, Abington defeated 10th-seeded Central Bucks West 55-47. The Ghosts, who trailed 24-14 after one quarter, outscored the Bucks 41-23 the rest of the way. Junior center Lizzie O’Leary had a big game, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. She was a perfect 11-for-11 at the charity stripe. Sammy Lochner added 13 points for the Ghosts.
- Abington scored just 13 points in the second and third quarters combined in its second round 52-39 loss to second-seeded Perkiomen Valley. Senior Sammy Lochner led the Ghosts with 12 points while Lizzie O’Leary and Sam Brusha each added nine.
- In an opening round contest, Abington raced to an 18-2 lead on its way to a 51-25 rout of #15 Great Valley. The Ghosts received monster performances from their bigs – Leah Simmons (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Lizzie O’Leary (12 points, 15 rebounds). Sammy Lochner added seven points.
Bishop Shanahan
- 23-4 overall
- 11-1 Ches-Mont National Conference champion
- Defeated #12 Downingtown East 42-39 in Ches-Mont title game
- Led by all-league seniors Ciara Forde, a Bloomsburg commit, and Grace Phillips.
- 6-3 sophomore center Devon Adams, a D-1 recruit, and 6-2 transfer Courtney Warley patrol the paint.
- Regular season wins over #20 West Chester Henderson (50-47 & 49-31), #23 Kennett (51-47), #26 Unionville (59-44), #27 West Chester Rustin (43-32) and split regular season series with #12 Downingtown East (46-42 & 47-55)
How they got here:
- In Saturday’s playback round, Bishop Shanahan edged 14th-seeded Spring-Ford 64-63 in overtime when Ciara Forde sank the second of two foul shots with 0.4 seconds remaining. Forde finished with 23 points while teammate Courtney Warley had 24. The Eagles led 22-12 after one quarter and took a 33-25 lead into halftime before the Rams staged a second half comeback to force OT.
- In a second round game, Bishop Shanahan’s offense was silenced by sixth-seeded Upper Dublin in 37-23 loss. With the exception of Ciara Forde’s seven-point effort, no Shanahan player had more than three points.
- Bishop Shanahan needed a big fourth quarter to eke out a 47-43 win over 22nd-seeded Norristown in an opening round game. The Eagles, who led 22-19 at halftime, took a 34-31 lead into the final quarter when they were outscored by Shanahan 16-9. Devon Adams (14 points), Courtney Warley (12 points) and Ciara Forde (10 points) all finished in double figures.
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