Tuesday’s second round of the PIAA 6A Tournament will feature seven SOL teams in the 16-team field. Check back for recaps of all the action.
Seven SOL girls’ basketball teams will be in action in Tuesday’s second round of the PIAA 6A Tournament – the exact number as last year. Only three teams survived last year, and those three teams – Plymouth Whitemarsh, North Penn and Souderton – played in all-SOL contests with PW sending Council Rock North home (60-47), North Penn upending Central Bucks East (44-38) and Souderton defeating Central Bucks South (40-27). District champion Abington stumbled in the second round, falling to Northampton, District 11’s third place team, in a shootout, 73-68.
With two all-SOL contests on Tuesday night at Council Rock South – Neshaminy/PW and CR North/CB South, at least two SOL teams will move on with the potential for more. Two of last year’s second round games were rematches of regular season meetings, and two games on Tuesday will be rematches. Council Rock North and Central Bucks South did battle in the opening week of the season with South rallying from 10 down to earn the 48-42 win. PW edged Neshaminy by three points in a district playback game, 47-44.
District One as a whole put on a strong showing Friday with eight of its 11 teams advancing. District 11 was almost perfect with three of its four teams moving on while District 3 had the roughest night with only Central Dauphin surviving, and CB East led that one until the game’s closing minutes.
One of the most interesting trends of the postseason is CB South’s penchant for close games. Six of the Titans’ last eight games – including their last four contests – have been decided by four points or less. South has won seven of eight nail biters.
“I think it shows the resiliency of the team, being willing to battle and keep working no matter the situation,” South coach Beth Mattern said. “Whether we’ve had to come from behind or hold off teams, just playing for 32 minutes and doing what we can to move on to the next round.”
Upper Dublin had the distinction of pulling off the upset of the opening round, avenging a 28-point loss to Cardinal O’Hara in last year’s opening round with a double overtime win over the PCL champions. Coach Morgan Funsten admits that a letdown after that emotional win is a concern.
“I’m a little concerned if we can match the level of focus and intensity and preparation that we put into O’Hara,” the Cardinals’ coach said. “You win a game like that, and you’re afraid the girls think the season’s over now.
“The last couple of days we’ve tried to convince them a little bit that we still have some work to do. I have complete trust in the leaders of our team that they’re going to be able to adjust the minds of the other girls in the program, so that they know there’s more to be done.
“If we just want to coast the rest of the way because of the big win on Friday night, it’s going to be something we regret later. We don’t want to leave this season with any kind of regret, so that’s definitely a concern. Hopefully, because we’re not being naïve to it, we stay on top of it.”
Upper Dublin has twice faced Garnet Valley in the postseason during Funsten’s tenure at the helm. In 2016, the Flying Cardinals defeated the Jaguars 35-28, and a year earlier, UD won 43-31.
While four teams will be playing in an all-SOL doubleheader at Council Rock South, two SOL squads – Souderton and Abington – will be playing in a twinbill at Spring-Ford Tuesday. Upper Dublin will play at Harriton (7 p.m.).
#1-1 SOUDERTON vs. #11-3 EASTON at Spring-Ford (Tuesday, March 13, 6 p.m.)
Souderton
- 27-2 overall
- 11-1 SOL Continental Conference champions
- First conference title since 2004
- SOL Tournament champions with 48-29 win over #2 Central Bucks South
- Won program’s first ever District One 6A championship with a 52-48 triple overtime win over #2 Central Bucks South.
- Balanced attack directed by point guard Tori Dowd and led by Alana Cardona (11.5 ppg), Kate Connolly (10.8 ppg), Megan Walbrandt (10.2 ppg) and Megan Bealer (8.0 ppg)
- Coach Lynn Carroll says: “Easton has a very good post player (Leanna Deegan) who is averaging about 16 points a game. They do a nice job of spreading out the floor to open stuff up for her around the basket or for threes from their guards. We need to continue doing what got us here – play solid team defense and commit to getting a good shot every time down the court.
- How they got here: In Friday’s opening round, Souderton defeated #3-7 Manheim Township 58-34. Junior Megan Bealer led the Indians with 18 points, which included five threes, and 10 rebounds. Kate Connolly added 17 points, and Megan Walbrandt contributed 13. Tori Dowd had a team-high 11 boards.
Easton
- 23-4 overall
- 15-1 EPC Steel Division first place
- Top seed in EPC was upset by Freedom 55-51 in EPC quarterfinals, a loss that snapped an 18-game winning streak
- Top seed in District 11 Tournament was upset by Nazareth 50-32 in the semifinals
- Led by EPC MVP senior Leanna Deegan (15.7 ppg), Kyla Smith (7.9 ppg) and Jahnel Oliver (7.7 ppg). Oliver voted most clutch player in the area in a lehighvalleylive poll.
- How they got here: In Friday’s opening round, Easton rolled to a 67-22 rout of #12-2 Olney. Leanna Deegan’s 18 points led the way in a contest that saw 13 players get their names in the scoring column.
#1-2 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs. #1-7 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH at Council Rock South (Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.)
Central Bucks South
- 25-4 overall
- 10-2 SOL Continental Conference second place
- Fell to #1 Souderton 48-29 in SOL Tournament title game
- District One 6A runner-up after falling to top-ranked Souderton 52-48 in triple overtime.
- Three of four losses this season were to Souderton
- Led offensively by Jefferson University-bound senior Haley Meinel (15.0 ppg) and junior point guard Alexa Brodie (12.5 ppg).
- Defeated Council Rock North 48-42 on Dec. 12
- Coach Beth Mattern says: “Council Rock North played well on Friday night. It’s the Sweet 16 of the PIAA Tournament, and the teams have been battle tested at this point, so you have to be ready to take the best shot from your opponent. We’ve definitely played a lot of close games lately, and I’m going to assume this one is going to be the same. Coming back today, I thought we practiced a lot better today than on Saturday. Having Sunday as an off day helped, and they definitely seemed more excited. They’ll be ready to go.”
- How they got here: In an opening round game, CB South defeated #3-5 Cedar Cliff 43-40. Hailey Meinel, who became the program’s all-time leading scorer, led the Titans with 18 points. Alexa Brodie added 11 points.
Council Rock North
- 20-7 overall
- 10-2 SOL National Conference tri-champions with Abington and Neshaminy
- Led by senior point guard Becca Margolis, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark this season and averages 12.0 points a game.
- Senior Mackenzie Tinner (11.0 ppg) is a key contributor offensively as well as under the backboards for an Indian squad that is without regulars Dana Bandurick and Sydney Blum (injuries).
- Coach Lou Palkovics says: “We really feel like we let that one get away from us the last time we played them (a 48-42 loss). Up 10 going into the fourth quarter and holding them to 22 points, we just imploded, giving up 26 points in the final eight minutes to lose by six. We need to minimize our turnovers. South is a very good defensive team. The girls are playing with confidence and are eager for the rematch.”
- How they got here: In an opening round win Friday, Council Rock North defeated #11-2 Nazareth 47-34. Seniors Becca Margolis (21 points) and Mackenzie Tinner (17 points) led the Indians.
#1-5 ABINGTON vs #11-1 FREEDOM at Spring-Ford (Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 p.m.)
Abington
- 21-7 overall
- 10-2 SOL National Conference tri-champions with Council Rock North & Neshaminy
- Junior Kassondra Brown leads the Ghosts in scoring (18.2 ppg) and under the backboards (11.4 rpg).
- Point guard Britney James averages 6.3 assists a game while directing an offense that includes Millersville-bound Sam Brusha (16.4 ppg) and Cam Lexow (8.9 ppg).
- Fifth trip to states in five years for the Ghosts
- How they got here: In Friday’s opening round, Abington defeated #3-3 Wilson 59-44. Kassondra Brown controlled the paint, finishing with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Sam Brusha had 10 points.
Freedom
- 21-7 overall
- 12-6 EPC Steel Division
- Fell to Allentown Central Catholic 49-32 in EPC semifinals
- Captured the program’s first District 11 title since 2006 with a 40-39 win over Nazareth.
- Second seed in the District 11 Tournament.
- Led by St. Francis (Brooklyn) recruit Hailey Silfies (16.4 ppg,), West Chester recruit Kyra Jefferson (12.3 ppg) and sophomore Jennifer Kokolus (8.9 ppg). Silfies has 33 three-pointers and has converted 103-of-161 foul shots.
- How they got here: In Friday’s opening round, Freedom defeated #1-10 Perk Valley 59-42. Sophomore Jennifer Kokolus led the way with 16. Seniors Kyra Jefferson (15 points) and Hailey Silfies (14 points) also made important contributions.
#1-6 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH vs. #1-8 NESHAMINY at Council Rock South (Tuesday, March 13, 6 p.m.)
Plymouth Whitemarsh
- 23-5 overall
- 14-0 SOL American Conference champions
- Second consecutive undefeated American Conference season for Colonials, who have won 28 straight games in conference play.
- Program’s first back-to-back conference titles since 1978 & 1979.
- Led offensively by a pair of 1,000-point scorers – Bucknell-bound and first team all-state selection Taylor O’Brien (23.0 ppg) and Lauren Fortescue (11.0 ppg)
- O’Brien surpassed the 2,000-point plateau, the first player in PW history to reach that milestone.
- Defeated Neshaminy 47-44 in a district playback contest on Feb. 28.
- How they got here: In Friday’s opening round, Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated #3-2 Central York 58-43. Taylor O’Brien led the Colonials with 20 points, 15 in the first half. Ali Diamond (13 points) and Anna McTamney (11 points) also came up big.
Neshaminy
- 19-8 overall
- 10-2 SOL National Conference tri-champions with Council Rock North & Abington
- Redskins have won a share of conference title in four of last seven years
- Led by captains Brooke Mullin, Allison Harvey and Kristin Curley.
- How they got here: In an opening round game, Neshaminy sent #2-1 Hazleton home for the season with a 41-28 win. Emily Tantala’s 12 points led the Redskins. Allison Harvey and Brooke Mullin each had eight points.
- Coach Joe Lally says: “Brooke (Mullin) and Ali (Harvey) played in this same round as freshmen, but I think they would both admit that it’s a lot different now that they’re the leaders. When you play the same team a couple of times, generally, it always seems to get more difficult. Defense is going to be the key, for sure. Taylor O’Brien with all that speed, and she’s got a great shooting touch – you’re not going to stop her. Pick a number that you hope is reasonable and hope you can keep her around it.”
#1-9 UPPER DUBLIN vs. #1-3 GARNET VALLEY at Harriton (Tuesday, March 13, 7 p.m.)
Upper Dublin
- 23-5 overall
- 12-2 SOL American Conference second place behind Plymouth Whitemarsh
- Young Cardinals’ offense led by sophomore Jackie Vargas (12.6 ppg), senior Nicole Kaiser (11.3 ppg) and freshman Dayna Balasa (7.9 ppg)
- Coach Morgan Funsten says: “We like the idea that some of the top teams we’ve played this year between PW, O’Hara and Lancaster Catholic earlier in the year – you could make the argument that all of those teams have two star players and three extremely good role players. That’s similar to what Garnet Valley has with (Emily) McAteer and (Brianne) Borcky. What’s different – I guess we could make the comparison to Lancaster Catholic because both of their star players are six feet tall. That’s kind of the comparison we would make with what to expect. Garnet Valley creates a lot of matchup problems because they can play four six footers at a time. Against Abington, they started four six footers. They can create matchup problems, and their two six-foot stars happen to have guard skills. We’re excited about the opportunity. We’re trying not to take this for granted. It may have felt like we won the championship the other night, but we still have a lot more work to do.”
- How they got here: In an opening round shocker, Upper Dublin defeated #12-1 Cardinal O’Hara 42-35 in double overtime. Senior Maggie Weglos (13 points) and freshman Jess Polin (12 points) led the Cardinals.
Garnet Valley
- 24-4 overall
- 17-1 Central League regular season champions
- Fell to Springfield-Delco 51-46 in Central League title game
- Emily McAteer and Drexel recruit Brianne Borcky – both juniors – provide a dangerous one-two punch for the Jaguars.
- McAteer surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in early January.
- Regular season wins over #13 Conestoga (49-33), #15 Great Valley (48-36) and #16 Haverford (49-31, 44-31).
- How they got here: In an opening round contest, Garnet Valley rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat #3-4 Elizabethtown 56-53. Emily McAteer led the Jaguars with 28 points and 13 rebounds.
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