SOL Girls Basketball District Preview (2-25-16)

Ten SOL girls’ basketball teams will be in action on Saturday in the District One 6A Tournament – six in the quarterfinals. Check out the preview capsules.

Eight games will be played in District One 6A on Saturday. Seven of those will feature at least one team from the SOL. Six of the eight teams in the district quarterfinals are from the SOL, ensuring that at least two will be playing in Wednesday’s semifinal. The two quarterfinal games pitting a pair of SOL schools are top-seeded North Penn hosting ninth-seeded Abington and 11^th-seeded Council Rock North traveling to third-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh. Fourth-seeded Central Bucks West will travel to fourth-seeded Garnet Valley for a rematch of a regular season game the Bucks won, and seventh-seeded Central Bucks South will be on the road at second-seeded Boyertown. All six teams have ensured themselves a spot in the state tournament.

The four SOL teams in playback games have no margin for error as the losers will go home for the season. Eighth-seeded Souderton will host 16^th-seeded Spring-Ford, and 12^th-seeded Upper Dublin will host 13^th-seeded Methacton. In an all-SOL battle, 15^th-seeded Central Bucks East will travel to 10^th-seeded Neshaminy for a rematch of a Dec. 10 non-league contest that saw the Redskins earn a 55-42 win.

#9 ABINGTON at #1 NORTH PENN (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
North Penn

21-3 overall
10-2 SOL Continental Conference champion
Fell to CB West 43-35 in SOL Tournament title game, snapping a 14-game winning streak.
Led by senior captains Sam Carangi (Villanova), Jess Huber (University of the Sciences) and Irisa Ye (University of the Sciences). All three were part of the Knights’ district title run when they were freshmen.
Huber (14.7) is second only to PW senior Taylor O’Brien in scoring in the SOL. Ye (11.4), Bri Hewlett (11.1) and Carangi (8.1) also are dangerous offensive weapons
Regular season wins over #8 Souderton (45-27 & 44-33), #11 Council Rock North (45-40 & 41-27), #12 Upper Dublin (50-32), #15 Central Bucks East (43-29 & 55-49) and #18 Perk Valley (57-39)
Split regular season series with #7 Central Bucks South (34-48 & 51-50) and #5 Central Bucks West (43-46 & 59-40).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, North Penn crushed #16 Spring-Ford 60-21 in Wednesday’s second round. Jess Huber scored 10 of her game-high 20 points in the first quarter to spark the Knights to a 15-2 lead, and by halftime that lead had grown to 32-9. Sam Caranagi, who finished with 15 points and four three-pointers, had three threes in the opening half. Irisa Ye added nine points.

Abington

19-5 overall
10-2 SOL National Conference second place behind Council Rock North
Led by University of Delaware-bound Lizzie O’Leary (13.7 ppg), junior Sam Brusha (11.4 ppg) and sophomore Kassondra Brown (11.1 ppg)
Regular season wins over #12 Upper Dublin (36-24), #18 Perkiomen Valley (64-39), #21 Harry S Truman (67-29 & 80-36), #23 Council Rock South (51-38 & 46-45),
Split regular season series with #10 Neshaminy (38-43 & 73-65) and #11 Council Rock North (54-61 & 42-41).
Ghosts have won 13 of their last 14 games with only loss to #2 Boyertown (49-54).

How they got here:

In the opening round, Abington raced to a 45-9 halftime lead on its way to a 66-23 rout of #24 Kennett. Lizzie O’Leary (16 points), Sam Brusha (13) and Kassondra Brown (10) all finished in double figures while Britney James (7), Tamia Wessels (6) and Camryn Lexow (6) also contributed.
In Wednesday’s second round, Abington defeated #8 Souderton 44-36, outscoring the Indians 13-4 in the fourth quarter. Point guard Britney James led the Ghosts with 11 points while Kassondra Brown and Jordyn Allen had eight each.

#11 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH at #3 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)
Plymouth Whitemarsh

23-1 overall
14-0 SOL American Conference champion
First solo championship for program since 1983
Won 22 straight before falling to #5 Central Bucks West in SOL Tournament semifinals (73-63)
Junior Taylor O’Brien, who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, is the SOL’s top scorer, averaging 21.6 points a game.
Junior Lauren Fortescue (10.5 ppg), junior Ali Diamond (8.0 ppg) and senior Lauren Coscia (7.3) add to a dangerous attack.
Regular season wins over #12 Upper Dublin (50-37 & 35-30), #22 Cheltenham (58-24 & 44-30) and #23 Council Rock South (54-33).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Plymouth Whitemarsh earned a 59-48 win over #14 Coatesville in the second round. Taylor O’Brien scored 17 of her game-high 28 points in the first half as the Colonials used an 18-6 second quarter to go into halftime with a 34-16 lead. Lauren Fortescue added 15 points.

Council Rock North

17-7 overall
11-1 SOL National Conference champions
First conference title since 2011
Led by junior point guard Becca Margolis (12.0 ppg) and sophomore Dana Bandurick (11.7 ppg)
Regular season wins over #10 Neshaminy (50-49 & 38-34), #21 Harry S Truman (60-46 & 66-42) and #23 Council Rock South (44-32 & 53-29)
Split regular season series with #9 Abington (61-54 & 42-41)

How they got here:

In an opening round game, Council Rock North defeated #22 Cheltenham 55-22. The Indians took a 27-15 lead into halftime and then blew the game wide open with a 17-2 third quarter surge. Becca Margolis (13 points, 6 steals) and Dana Bandurick (13 points, 5 steals, 5 rebounds, 3 blocked shots) led the Indians. Mackenzie Tinner (7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Hannah Weiler (7 points, 5 rebounds) controlled the paint.
In Wednesday’s second round, Council Rock North crushed #6 Conestoga 58-26. The Indians, who led 24-16 at halftime blew the game open with a 20-4 third quarter. Becca Margolis (17 points, 8 steals) and Dana Badurick (17 points, 4 blocks, 3 steals, 4 offensive rebounds) were the catalysts in a contest that saw the Indians force 35 turnovers and collect 21 steals. Megan Haggerty had five steals.

#5 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST at #4 GARNET VALLEY (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
Central Bucks West

20-4 overall
9-3 SOL Continental Conference second place
Defeated #1 North Penn 43-35 to capture SOL Tournament title after downing #3 Plymouth Whitemarsh 73-63 in the tournament semifinals.
Balanced attack led by freshman Maddie Burke (9.8 ppg), senior Maggie Rakowsky (9.7 ppg), sophomore Tori Abelson (9.4 ppg) and sophomore Diane Nicholson (8.3 ppg)
Regular season wins over #4 Garnet Valley (67-50), #10 Neshaminy (53-41), #15 Central Bucks East (52-49 & 60-49), #18 Perk Valley (61-53)
Split regular season series with #1 North Penn (46-43 & 40-59), #7 Central Bucks South (43-44 & 37-34) and #8 Souderton (56-44, & 38-43).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Central Bucks West defeated #12 Upper Dublin 54-42, turning a 10-5 deficit after one quarter into a 28-16 halftime lead after a 23-6 second quarter surge. Maggie Rakowsky (12 points), Tori Abelson (10 points) and Diane Nicholson (10 points) led the Bucks.

Garnet Valley

22-2
17-0 Central League regular season champions
Defeated Conestoga 41-36 to capture the program’s fourth consecutive Central League crown.
Led by 6-0 sophomore forward Emily McAteer
Swept regular season series with #6 Conestoga (37-20 & 49-46)
Fell to #5 Central Bucks West on Jan. 29 (67-50).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Garnet Valley downed #13 Methacton 51-42 in the second round, opening up a 14-3 lead after one quarter and never looking back. Emily McAteer led the Jaguars with 17 while Brianne Borcky (12 points) and Camryn Faith (nine) also contributed.

#7 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH at #2 BOYERTOWN (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Central Bucks South

18-5 overall
7-5 SOL Continental Conference fourth place behind North Penn, Central Bucks West and Souderton
Led by junior Haley Meinel (11.8 ppg) and sophomore point guard Alexa Brodie (10.1 ppg)
Regular season wins over #10 Neshaminy (51-34), #11 Council Rock North (57-33), #12 Upper Dublin (35-29) and #18 Perk Valley (50-31)
Split regular season series with #1 North Penn (48-34 & 50-51), #5 Central Bucks West (44-43 & 37-34) and #8 Souderton (29-35 & 48-39).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Central Bucks South defeated #10 Neshaminy 45-37, turning a 10-10 tie after one quarter into a 22-18 halftime lead. The Titans took a 33-25 lead into the fourth quarter and won by that margin. They were led by Haley Meinel (15 points), Meghan Kuypers (12) and Alexa Brodie (9 points).

Boyertown

22-3 overall
9-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division champion
Captured Pioneer Athletic Conference title with 47-44 win over Methacton after defeating Spring-Ford in semifinals
Led by senior Bucknell commit Abby Kapp, who averages 15.5 points a game and has 30 three-pointers. Also receive contributions from Katie Armstrong (9.4 ppg, 23 threes), Peyton Graham (7.7 ppg) and senior point guard Alli Marcus (7.5 ppg). Marcus is an Albright commit.
Swept regular season series against #16 Spring-Ford (50-31 & 38-34) and #18 Perk Valley (61-39 & 55-34). Regular season win over #9 Abington (54-49) and District 12 #2 Parkland (49-40).
Split regular season series with #13 Methacton (48-30 & 27-44)
Winners of 13 straight with last loss on Jan. 15 to Bonner Prendergast (43-47).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Boyertown jumped out to an early 12-2 lead over #15 Central Bucks East. The Bears led by just six at halftime but outscored the Patriots 30-21 in the second half. Abby Kapp (19 points), Victoria Boalton (11) and Alli Marcus (8) led the Bears.

Playback Games
#16 SPRING-FORD at #8 SOUDERTON (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
Souderton

17-6 overall
8-4 SOL Continental Conference third place behind North Penn and Central Bucks West.
Balanced attack led by junior Kate Connolly (10.4 ppg), junior Alana Cardona (9.4 ppg) and sophomore Megan Walbrandt (8.6 ppg).
Regular season wins over #13 Methacton (55-47), #15 Central Bucks East (44-40 & 41-28) and Council Rock South (39-32).
Split regular season series with #5 Central Bucks West (44-56 & 43-38) and #7 Central Bucks South (35-29 & 39-49).

How they got here: After an opening round bye, Souderton fell to #9 Abington 44-36. The Indians, who trailed 19-17 at halftime, used a 15-12 third quarter to go on top 33-31 but were outscored 13-4 in the final quarter. Sophomore Megan Walbrandt (13 points) and junior Tori Dowd (nine points) led the Indians.

Spring-Ford

17-9 overall
6-4 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division third place behind Boyertown and Methacton
Fell to #2 Boyertown in PAC Tournament semifinals (57-51)
Led by senior guard Sydney Wagner (15.3 ppg, 34 threes) as well as senior Maddie Haney (8.4 ppg) and senior guard Juliana Alessandroni (6.7 ppg, 27 threes)
Swept #18 Perk Valley in three meetings (56-53, 65-43 & 58-46)

How they got here:

In an opening round game,Maddie Haney sank a pair of free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining to break a 35-35 tie, propelling Spring-Ford to a 38-35 win over #17 Oxford. The Rams – who were without leading scorer Sydney Wagner for most of the game because of an injury – were led by Alyssa Conway (nine points) and Juliana Alessandroni (eight points).
In the second round, Spring-Ford fell to top-seeded North Penn 60-21. Maddie Haney’s 11 points led the Rams.

#15 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST at #10 NESHAMINY (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
Neshaminy

17-6 overall
9-3 SOL National Conference third place behind Council Rock North and Abington
Young team led by the team’s two seniors – Emily Alexis and Devon Storms
Regular season wins over #15 Central Bucks East (55-42), #18 Perk Valley (47-20), #21 Harry S Truman (49-36 & 58-49) and #23 Council Rock South (46-29 & 57-32)
Split regular season series with #9 Abington (43-38 & 65-73)

How they got here:

In a district opening round game, Neshaminy defeated conference rival Council Rock South 47-34. The Redskins jumped out to a 16-2 lead over the 23^rd-seeded Golden Hawks, sparked by the hot hand of Allison Harvey, who had eight points in the first quarter. Harvey led the ‘Skins with 16 while Devon Storms added eight. Freshman point guard Kristin Curley had seven assists and seven rebounds to go along with five points.
In the second round, Neshaminy fell to #7 Central Bucks South 45-37. The Redkins, who battled the Titans to a 10-10 tie after one quarter, were outscored 23-15 in the middle two quarters. That was the difference in the game. Devon Storms led the ‘Skins with 12 points.

Central Bucks East

14-9 overall
6-6 SOL Continental Conference fifth place behind North Penn, Central Bucks West, Souderton and Central Bucks South
12-4 after a 1-4 start to open the season
Led by seniors Bridget Birkhead (11.8 ppg) and Bri Talbot (10.6 ppg)
Regular season wins over #7 Central Bucks South (43-30 & 33-28), #9 Abington (50-44) and #11 Council Rock North (47-40).

How they got here:

In an opening round game, Central Bucks East defeated #18 Perkiomen Valley 53-30. Junior point guard Bailey McManus scored 10 first-half points to propel the Patriots to a 28-20 halftime lead. McManus finished with 15 while senior Bri Talbot led all scorers with 17. Bridget Birkhead added six.
In the second round, Central Bucks East fell to second-seeded Boyertown 46-30. The Patriots, who were led by the 18-point effort of Bridget Birkhead, fell behind early and spent the rest of the game playing catch up.

#13 METHACTON at #12 UPPER DUBLIN (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)

Upper Dublin

18-6 overall
12-2 SOL American Conference second place behind Plymouth Whitemarsh
Saw its string of four consecutive conference titles snapped by PW
Led by seniors Nicole Kaiser (14.0 ppg) and Josie Barrett (9.3 ppg)
Regular season wins over #15 Central Bucks East (34-26) and #22 Cheltenham (48-30 & 42-26).
Winners of 12 of last 14 games

How they got here:

In a district opener, Upper Dublin defeated #21 Harry S Truman 49-39, erasing a 22-16 halftime deficit with a 20-4 third quarter burst. Nicole Kaiser led the Cardinals with 18 points while Josie Barrett added 16 – which included 11 straight points in the third quarter. Jackie Vargas led the Cards under the basket with 10 rebounds.
In Wednesday’s second round, Upper Dublin fell to #5 Central Bucks West 54-42. The Cardinals, who led 10-5 after one quarter, trailed 28-16 at halftime. They opened the second half with a 10-3 run to pull to within three, but the Bucks answered with a 10-3 run of their own. Maggie Weglos led the Cards with 17 points – 15 in the second half, Nicole Kaiser had nine, and Josie Barrett contributed eight. Jackie Vargas had 12 rebounds.

Methacton

19-7 overall
8-2 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division second place
Fell to Boyertown 47-44 in the Pioneer Athletic Conference title game
Led by senior Ryan DeOrio, who averages 14.6 points with 43 three-pointers. She surpassed the 1,000-point milestone late in the regular season. Other contributors are Jackie Cerchio (9.0 ppg), Sydney Thompson (7.2 ppg, 31 threes) and Sydney Tornetta (6.9 ppg, 17 threes).
Swept regular season series with #16 Spring-Ford (53-50 & 55-47)
Split regular season series with #2 Boyertown (44-27 & 30-48) and #18 Perk Valley (52-44 & 49-51).

How they got here:

In an opening round game, Methacton defeated #20 Downingtown East 62-38. The Warriors, who led 17-7 after one quarter, were led by the double-digit efforts of Ryan DeOrio (15), Jackie Cerchio (13) and Jackie Cooper (11).
In Wednesday’s second round, Methacton fell to #4 Garnet Valley 51-42. The Warriors fell behind 14-3 after one quarter and got no closer than four the rest of the way. Senior Ryan DeOrio led the Warriors with 14. Jackie Cerchio added seven points and 11 rebounds.