SOL Girls’ Basketball District Preview (2-17-23)

Twelve SOL girls’ basketball teams will be competing in the District 1 Tournament. Seven SOL teams will be in action Friday night. Check back for recaps of all the games.

CLASS 6A

#3 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH (Opening round bye)

23-2 overall
16-0 SOL Liberty Division champion for fourth straight year
SOL Tournament champion for second consecutive year
Defeated SOL Colonial champion and #4 Souderton 47-40 in overtime in SOL Tournament title game.
The Class of 2003 has a four-year record of 100-8.
Defending District 1 6A & PIAA 6A champion lost four of its top six players to graduation.
Led by the senior duo of four-year varsity players Abby Sharpe and Erin Daley. Sharpe, a University of Pennsylvania commit, averages 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.8 steals while Daley averages 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks.
Senior Angelina Balcer is also a key contributor, averaging 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.9 steals. Senior Azzy Crumpton as well as freshmen AJ Avery and Kenna Winland also contribute.
Wins over #14 Council Rock South (49-44), #19 Upper Dublin (28-26 & 33-29), #20 Garnet Valley (48-33), Class 5A #5 Upper Moreland (43-36), Class 3A #1 New Hope-Solebury (64-27)
Won 2 of 3 against #6 Abington (53-55, 49-48, 45-44 OT).

Next up: PW will face the winner of #14 Council Rock South vs. #19 Upper Dublin

#4 SOUDERTON (Opening round bye)

21-4 overall
15-1 SOL Colonial Division champion for second consecutive year
Lost to #3 Plymouth Whitemarsh 47-40 in OT in SOL Tournament title game.
Defense is a trademark of the senior-heavy Indians, who have length at every position.
Led by Northwestern-bound point guard Casey Harter, who averages 16.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals.
Senior Teya McConnaha, a McDaniel College commit, is a force in the paint, averaging 11.7 points and 10.1 rebounds. Senior Erin Bohmueller, a threat from long range, averages 6.5 points and 3.8 assists, and senior Mikayla McGillian gives the Indians another reliable post player (6.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg).
Junior Brooke Fenchel (3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.5 apg) is the lone underclassman in the starting lineup and is also a solid contributor at both ends of the floor.
Wins over #11 Pennsbury (25-18), #13 Pennridge (54-34, 50-42, 54-40), #14 Council Rock South (52-45), #17 Central Bucks East (36-34, 41-34), #21 North Penn (64-52, 45-35) & Class 5A #7 Mount St. Joseph (48-33).
Lost to #8 Neshaminy (37-32) in regular season but defeated the Redskins 34-32 in SOL tournament semifinals.

Next up: Souderton will face the winner of #13 Pennridge vs. #20 Garnet Valley)

Coach Lynn Carroll says: “We are looking forward to what is hopefully a deep run in the district tournament. There are a lot of incredibly talented teams on the top half of the bracket, and we will take it one game at a time. Our senior-heavy team is extremely determined to finish out their careers on a high note and play with no regrets.”

#6 ABINGTON (Opening round bye)

20-5 overall
14-2 SOL Liberty Division second place behind Plymouth Whitemarsh
17^th straight trip to districts
Ghosts are led by University of Massachusetts-Lowell commit Cire Worley, who is the program’s all-time leading scorer and averages 19.2 points and 6.2 rebounds a game. She also broke the program’s all-time record for 3-pointers held by Dani Brusha with 137.
Junior Abril Bowser (10.0 ppg, 3.0 spg) is a long-range sniper with 47 3-pointers, and junior Maya Johnson (5.5 ppg, 4.5 apg) is the Ghosts’ floor general.
Piper McGinley (6.1 ppg, 1.8 spg), Jordyn Reynolds (7 ppg, 1.6 spg) & Mikiaya Durham (5.2 ppg) are all playing well and will look to make an impact for a Ghost squad that boasts talent up and down its lineup.
The Ghosts make up for their lack of height with their speed and long-range shooting with more than 150 made 3s.
Wins over #4 Souderton (39-38), #19 Upper Dublin (47-33, 46-34), Class 5A #1 West Chester Rustin (69-62) & #5 Upper Moreland (51-35, 61-41).
Split regular season games with #3 Plymouth Whitemarsh (55-53, 48-49) but fell to PW in SOL Tournament semifinals (44-45 OT).

Next up: Abington will face the winner of the #11 Pennsbury vs. #22 Penncrest contest.

Coach Dan Marsh says: “The Ghosts had a very strong December but an up and down January. They are looking to put it all together make a run at a district title.”

#8 NESHAMINY (Opening round bye)

18-6 overall
13-3 SOL Patriot Division champions
First outright division title since 2019
Earned opening round bye after last year entering tournament as the 11 seed.
Senior Taylor Gurysh, a Kutztown University commit, is a 3-year captain and averages 8.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Junior Reese Zemitis has been coming on strong late in the season and averages 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds.
Point guard Lola Iabarrondo averages 11.0 points and 3.6 rebounds and leads the team in assists.
Sophomore Alena Cofield provides a spark and leads the team in offensive rebounds and averages 3 rebounds a game. Lindsay Little leads the team in 3-point percentage (35 percent).
Wins over #4 Souderton (37-32), #13 Pennridge (49-39), #14 Council Rock South (46-29, 57-47), Class 5A #3 Villa Maria Academy (48-44) & Class 4A #2 Nazareth Academy (55-31).
Dropped two regular season games to #11 Pennsbury but defeated the Falcons 45-33 in opening round of SOL Tournament.

Next up: Neshaminy will face the winner of #9 Unionville versus #24 Downingtown West.

Coach John Gallagher says: “Our team has been playing well at an important time of the season. Our ability to distribute our scoring across several players and at the same time gain scoring from beyond the arc from Jess Purdy, Ava Irizarry and Lindsay Little benefits us. Defensively, our players take pride in their ability to consistently hold teams under their average points scored.”

#22 PENNCREST at #11 PENNSBURY (Friday, 6 p.m.)

Pennsbury

17-6 overall
12-4 SOL Patriot Division second place to Neshaminy
Sixth straight year in districts for the program after a lengthy drought.
Senior class has never lost a home playoff game (8-0).
Junior Sofia Vitucci is having an outstanding year, averaging 15.5 points for a squad that has the ability to shut down opposing offenses.
Layla Matthias averages six rebounds and two assists, Nevaeh Dash (5ppg, 3rpg, 2apg) and Daniella MacDonald (5ppg) also are key contributors.
Wins over #9 Unionville (47-35), #17 Central Bucks East (25-24), #21 North Penn (33-32),
Pair of regular season wins over #8 Neshaminy (42-41, 31-30) before falling to Redskins (45-33) in opening round of Suburban One Tournament.

Coach Frank Sciolla says: “We are happy to be able to host a playoff game. The girls worked hard in a very difficult league to accomplish this. Seven of the 24 teams in Districts are from the SOL National, and we are hoping to represent as well as possible.”

Penncrest

14-9 overall
8-8 Central League
Lost to Springfield-Delco 47-36 in opening round of Central League Tournament
Penncrest coach Larry Johnson is also the head coach of the Penn State Brandywine women’s basketball team.
Junior core led by guards Emily Huggins and Bailey Garrison. Garrison is the team’s leading scorer, but much like Pennsbury, Penncrest goes deep on its bench, playing 10-plus players.
Eight-game winning streak snapped by Springfield-Delco in final game of regular season.
Wins over Class 5A #10 Marple Newtown (44-18, 48-32)
Split regular season series with Class 5A #6 Radnor (33-37, 37-34) & #12 Strath Haven (42-50, 67-51)

Next up: Winner will face #6 Abington in second round.

#20 GARNET VALLEY at #13 PENNRIDGE (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)

Pennridge

16-7 overall
11-5 SOL Colonial Division second place behind Souderton
Successful campaign on the heels of a 6-10 SOL season and a fifth place finish last season.
Hosting first district game since the 2007-08 season.
Led by senior Katie Yoder, who recently surpassed the 1,000-point milestone and averages 18.7 points and 6.2 rebounds a game. The Goldey-Beacom commit is equally comfortable taking the ball to the hole or shooting from long range.
Sophomore Ella Brown averages 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds, and junior Anna Croyle, a standout defender, averages 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Other contributors are Grace Rosica (4.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Olivia Poole (4.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Ava Fantaskey (3.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg)
Wins over #11 Pennsbury (46-29), #14 Council Rock South (63-56), #16 Methacton (71-64), #17 Central Bucks East (44-43, 47-38),
Split series with #21 North Penn (54-61, 51-49).

Coach Jason Rapp says: “We are very excited for our girls to experience a district home playoff game this season. They have worked extremely hard and put themselves in a position to reach one of our goals of making the state tournament.”

Garnet Valley

13-10 overall
11-6 Central League
Haylie Adamski is the undisputed go-to player for the Jaguars. The 6-0 sophomore averages 16.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
5-3 sophomore point guard Kylie Mulholland averages 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7, assists and 2.7 steals.
Wins over #23 Penncrest (50-19), Class 5A #6 Radnor (54-44), #10 Marple Newtown (35-33) & #12 Strath Haven (64-32).

Next up: Winner will face #4 Souderton.

#19 UPPER DUBLIN at #14 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH (Friday, 7 p.m.)

Upper Dublin

14-8 overall
11-5 SOL Liberty Division third place
A pair of freshmen – Megan Ngo and Colleen Besachio – led the young Cardinals until standout junior guard Amy Ngo, sidelined with a knee injury, received the green light to return to action late in the season.
Besachio leads UD, averaging 11.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots. Megan Ngo averaged 10.1 points and 4.5 assists while handling the point.
Amy Ngo has averaged 11.1 points since easing her way back into the lineup.
Wins over #20 Garnet Valley (41-37) & Class 3A #1 New Hope-Solebury (41-31)

Coach Morgan Funsten says: “CR South is a very tough first round matchup. They have great shooters and balanced scoring. We will have our hands full, but if we want to extend our season and make a playoff run, we need to beat good teams. Our girls have been working hard to prepare for the game with great practices and are more together than they have been all year. We are hoping it shows on the court Friday night.”

Council Rock South

16-7 overall
10-6 SOL Patriot Division third place
Looking to rebound after a first round district loss to Central Bucks West last year.
Program’s first home playoff game since the 2012-13 season.
Players to watch include Lily Bross (JR/G) (3.8ppg, 1.7apg), Maria Freeman (So/G), Cam Gregory (JR/G-F) (4.8ppg), Darcy Leight (Sr/F), Jess Mangoni (SR/F, Captain, Chestnut Hill Commit) (4.5ppg, 4.0rpg), Lil Metrick (So/G) (10.3ppg), Kathryn O’Kane (So/G) (6.5ppg, 3.5apg), Katie Purpura (Jr/G-F) (5.2ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.7apg, 1.5spg), Fiona Reckner (So/G-F), (6.0ppg), Karissa Smedley (SR/G-F, Captain, Georgian Court Commit) (9.0ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.5spg)
Pair of regular season wins over #11 Pennsbury (44-41, 56-46)

Next up: Winner will face #3 Plymouth Whitemarsh in the second round.

Coach Blair Klumpp says: “We are hoping our competition within our division and the SOL crossover schedule combined with last year’s playoff game and SOL Tournament experience this year proves to be beneficial as we prepare for district playoffs. We look at our balance, depth, and versatility as our strengths as playoffs begin.”

#17 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST at #16 WEST CHESTER HENDERSON (Saturday, 1 p.m.)

Central Bucks East

15-7 overall
10-6 SOL Colonial Division third place
10 consecutive trips to districts under coach Liz Potash
Junior Anna Barry averages a team high 11 points a game and is a dangerous shooter from long range with 45 3s on the season.
Other key players include Kendall Gregor (8ppg) & Erin LeRay (7ppg, 6rpg, 3apg)
Freshman Natalie Berndt (6ppg) has connected at an impressive 44 percent clip from beyond the arc on 77 attempts.
Chantal Van Dongeren is the team’s defensive stopper and averages 2.5 deflections, 2.5 steals and 5 rebounds a game.
Wins over #8 Neshaminy (48-44), #14 Council Rock South ((56-50), #19 Upper Dublin (33-24), Class 5A #7 Mount St. Joseph (47-42)
Split season series with #21 North Penn (58-52, 40-55)

Coach Liz Potash says: “We’re excited for the opportunity to be back in the district playoffs. We have played a tough schedule this year and competed with top competition and are looking forward to the challenge of postseason play. We’re hoping to extend our five seniors high school playing careers as long as possible.”

West Chester Henderson

14-8 overall
7-5 Ches-Mont National
Juniors Whitney Evans & Jackie Evans are the team’s top scorers.
Wins over #23 Kennett (58-34), Class 5A #8 Oxford (53-39) & #11 Phoenixville (57-32).
Split season series with #18 Coatesville (46-55, 32-30), #24 Downingtown West (25-42, 46-41), Class 5A #9 WC East (27-42, 54-42), avenging early season losses to all four teams.
Seven-game winning streak snapped by Class 5A #2 Bishop Shanahan in final game of regular season.

Next up: Winner will face #1 Perkiomen Valley.

#21 NORTH PENN at #12 GREAT VALLEY (Friday, 6 p.m.)

North Penn

12-10 overall
8-6 SOL Colonial Division tied for third place
First trip to districts for Knights in three years after just missing out last year under then first-year coach Bri Cullen.
Junior Caleigh Sperling is having a breakout season, averaging a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds).
Senior Abby Plaugher (12ppg, 6rpg, 3apg) and junior Oliva Stone (10 ppg, 8rpg, 3spg) are also major contributors. Sophomore Cameron Crowley is the team’s steady floor general.
Wins over #14 Council Rock South (50-45), #19 Upper Dublin (48-39)
Split season series with #13 Pennridge (61-54, 49-51) & #17 CB East (52-58, 55-40)

Great Valley

16-6 overall
6-4 Central League
Senior forward Lauren Frederick anchors a veteran squad that also features seniors Laura Lum and Gia Sioutis
Wins over #18 Coatesville (49-30), #20 Garnet Valley (41-34), #23 Kennett (37-24, 42-31), Class 3A #1 New Hope-Solebury (42-39), Class 5A #8 Oxford (47-37, 48-37)

Next up: Winner will face #5 Spring-Ford

CLASS 5A

#12 STRATH HAVEN at #5 UPPER MORELAND (Friday, 7 p.m.)

Upper Moreland

18-5 overall
13-3 SOL Freedom Division co-champions with New Hope-Solebury
Third straight year UM has won at least a share of the division crown.
Sixth consecutive year in districts under coach Matt Carroll with a goal of advancing to the state tournament for the first time in over 20 years.
Led by two-time first team All-SOL Freedom honorees junior Holly Gohl (12.8ppg, 9.3rpg,1.6spg) and senior EmmyFaith Wood (10.4ppg, 4.5apg, 1.7spg).
Deep squad also includes starters Mikel Lancit, Alyssa Wiley & Allie LaRocco and bench contributors Lilly Hansen and Marie Meyers – all have scored in double-digits in a game at one point this year.
The Golden Bears are healthy again after playing without three starters down the home stretch of the regular season.
Wins over Class 6A #19 Upper Dublin (28-26) and Class 1A #1 Christian Academy (42-29). Split regular season series with Class 3A #1 New Hope-Solebury, winning the first 38-36 and falling in the second 52-43.

Coach Matt Carroll says: “We are very excited for this upcoming playoff run because we believe we have an opportunity to do some things this program hasn’t done in a long time. We are starting to get healthy in time for playoffs. Now we have to put it all together at the right time and do all of the things that have led to our team success this year.”

Strath Haven

9-12 overall
5-11 Central League
Led by freshman guard Chloe Hunold
Wins over Class 6A #23 Kennett (29-24), Class 4A Pope John Paul II (44-27) and split season series with 6A #22 Penncrest (50-42, 51-67)

Next up: The winner will face #4 Gwynedd Mercy Academy.

CLASS 3A

#4 MORRISVILLE at #1 NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY (Tuesday, 7 p.m.)

New Hope-Solebury

15-7 overall
13-3 SOL Freedom Division co-champions with Upper Moreland.
Lions are looking to secure only the third district championship in the program’s history. Sophomore Emily Wilson’s sister Sarah Wilson was on the team that last won a district title in 2016.
Senior Reagan Chrencik – committed to Gettysburg College – is the anchor of a young squad and averages 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman point guard Gabby D’Agostino made an immediate impact and averages 13 points and six assists.
Sophomores Emily Wilson and Izzy Elizondo both are double-digit scorers.
Win over Class 6A #6 Abington (57-35)
Split season series with Class 5A #5 Upper Moreland (36-38, 52-43).

Coach Steve Polinsky says: “Our team had a very successful season this year, and we are looking forward to districts. We have won six straight games and the girls are locked in.

Morrisville