Seven SOL girls’ basketball teams will be in action Friday when the PIAA 6A Tournament gets underway. Check back for recaps of all the games.
#1-2 NESHAMINY vs. #3-4 CEDAR CLIFF (Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m., at Bensalem High School)
Neshaminy
- 24-4 overall
- 12-0 SOL National Conference champions
- Fell to Abington 51-44 in SOL Tournament title game
- Led by Bucknell signee Brooke Mullin, who averages 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals.
- Allison Harvey (9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds) is dangerous from long rage, and point guard Kristin Curley (8.1 points. 4.2 assists) can make things happen
How they got here: In the District 1 6A final, Neshaminy fell to top-seeded Garnet Valley 63-53. Emily Tantala’s 13 points off the bench led the Redskins.
In a district semifinal, Neshaminy defeated #3 Abington 44-28.
In a quarterfinal contest, Neshaminy upended #7 Council Rock North 58-54.
After an opening round bye, Neshaminy defeated Pennsbury 41-22
Cedar Cliff
- 18-7 overall
- 10-4 Mid-Penn Keystone second place
- Fifth seed in District 3 Tournament
- Led offensively by senior Sophie Kaercher, sophomore Natalie Sassano and freshman Ryan Kaercher.
- Lost back-to-back games heading into the state tournament after winning 11 of 12.
How they got here: In the third place game, Cedar Cliff fell to #4 Central Dauphin 43-37. Ryan Kaercher’s 11 points led Cedar Cliff.
In a district semifinal, Cedar Cliff scored just two first-half points in a 35-15 loss to #2 Dallastown. Sophie Kaercher scored 10 points to lead the way.
In a quarterfinal contest, Cedar Cliff defeated #6 Governor Mifflin 58-53. Natalie Sassano scored 21 points, including four three-pointers, and Ryan Kaercher had 12.
#1-3 ABINGTON vs. #1-4 PARKLAND (Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m., at Council Rock South High School)
- 24-4 overall
- 13-1 SOL American Conference co-champions with Upper Dublin
- SOL Tournament champions with 51-44 win over Neshaminy
- Sixth straight trip to PIAA Tournament
- Led by University of Rhode Island signee Kassondra Brown (18 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals.
- Also receive important contributions from Tamia Wessels (11.6 points), Cam Lexow (10.9 points, 3.1 steals) and freshman point guard Khalis Whiting (10.7 points, 5.1 assists).
How they got here: In the third place game, Abington rolled to a 74-55 win over #3 Spring-Ford. Kassondra Brown was unstoppable, finishing with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Tamia Wessels (15 points), Cam Lexow (14 points) and Khalis Whiting (12 points) also finished in double figures.
In a district semifinal, Abington fell to #2 Neshaminy 44-28.
In a district quarterfinal, Abington defeated #6 Souderton 54-38.
After a first round bye, Abington downed Central Bucks West 52-40 in a second round game.
Parkland
- 15-11 overall
- 11-6 EPC Skyline Division third place
- Led by Claire Courter (11.9 ppg), Kassidy Stout (9.0 ppg) and Lindsay Berger (8.7 ppg).
How they got here: In the third place game, Parkland fell to #3 Nazareth 52-44. Zoe Wilkinson (13 points) and Kassidy Stout (12 points) led the Trojans.
In the District 11 semifinals, Parkland fell to eventual champion Northampton 60-47. Ashlyn Fritzinger scored 11 points for the Trojans.
In a quarterfinal game, Parkland defeated #5 Pleasant Valley 50-36.
1-5 UPPER DUBLIN vs. #1-3 CENTRAL DAUPHIN (Friday, March 8, 8 p.m., Milton Hershey High School)
Upper Dublin
- 22-5 overall
- 13-1 SOL American Conference co-champions with Abington
- Led by junior center Jackie Vargas (13.1 ppg), sophomore sharpshooter Dayna Balasa (9.7 ppg) and sophomore Sarah Eskey (7.2 ppg).
How they got here: In the fifth place game, Upper Dublin defeated #6 Souderton 29-22. Sarah Eskew’s nine points led the Flying Cardinals.
In a playback game, Upper Dublin defeated #8 Downingtown West 44-35.
In a quarterfinal game, Upper Dublin fell to #4 Spring-Ford 41-39.
After an opening round bye, Upper Dublin defeated #12 Plymouth Whitemarsh 34-16.
Central Dauphin
- 18-7 overall
- 11-5 Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division third place
- Led by senior guard Sam Gress, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark in January and is the sixth all-time leading scorer in program history.
- Won eight of 10 heading into state tournament with both losses to District 3 champion Cumberland Valley.
How they got here: In the third place game, Central Dauphin defeated #3 Cedar Cliff 43-37. Sam Gress led the way with 17 points.
In a district semifinal, Central Dauphin fell to #1 Cumberland Valley 39-33. Maddie La France led CD with 12 points.
In a district quarterfinal, Central Dauphin upended #5 Cedar Crest 50-30. Sam Gress scored 21 points, which included five threes. Audrey Weigl added 10 points.
#1-6 SOUDERTON vs. #11-2 FREEDOM (Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m., at Easton Middle School)
Souderton
- 22-5 overall
- 11-1 SOL Continental Conference champions
- Junior Mikaela Reese (1 points, 4.3 rebounds) leads a balanced attack that includes the team’s four seniors, who are the backbone of the squad. Megan Bealer averages 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Megan Walbrandt, a defensive catalyst, averages 7.8 points and 2.1 assists. Curran O’Donnell (7.1 points) and point guard Megan O’Donnell (5.7 points, 3.4 assists, 2.0 steals) are also key contributors.
How they got here: In the fifth place game, Souderton fell to #5 Upper Dublin 29-22. Mikaela Reese’s nine points led the Indians.
In a playback game, Souderton defeated #7 Council Rock North 44-30.
In a quarterfinal game, Souderton fell to #3 Abington 54-38.
After an opening round bye, Souderton rolled to a 49-28 win over #11 Owen J Roberts in the second round.
Freedom
- 22-5 overall
- 16-3 EPC Steel Division second place behind Bethlehem Catholic
- Fell to Bethlehem Catholic 44-39 in the EPC semifinals
- Led by Jennifer Kokolus, who averages 15.3 points a game. Kailey Turpening (9.1 ppg), Brenna Ortwein (9.1 ppg) and Corrin Gill (6.5 ppg) are also important contributors.
How they got here: In the District 11 title game, Freedom fell to #1 Northampton 60-52. Jewel Levy scored a team-high 18, Jennifer Kokolus had 15 points, and Kailey Turpening added 10.
In a district semifinal, Freedom outscored Nazareth 18-1 in the second quarter on its way to a 48-32 win. Jennifer Kokolus and Kailey Turpening each scored 15 points.
In a district quarterfinal, Freedom defeated #7 William Allen 54-35. Jennifer Kokolus scored 21 points.
#1-7 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH vs. #12-2 CENTRAL (Friday, March 8, 4:30 p.m., South Philadelphia High School)
Council Rock North
- 19-6 overall
- 10-2 SOL National Conference second place behind Neshaminy
- Four seniors provide the nucleus for the team.
- Led by senior Dana Bandurick, who averages 17.4 points and 8.1 rebounds. She also leads the team with 59 blocked shots and 61 steals.
- Trio of sharpshooting guards – Sydney Blum (11.7 ppg), Olivia Boyle (9.0) and Camryn Polinsky (6.6 ppg) – have combined for 112 three-pointers. Blum leads the team with 53. Polinsky, the Indians’ point guard, averages 3.5 assists.
How they got here: In a seventh place game, Council Rock North trounced #8 Downingtown East 84-41. Dana Bandurick led the Indians with 24 points, nine rebounds, four steals and four blocked shots. Olivia Boyle added 19 points while Sydney Blum had 16 with four three-pointers. Anna Cairone added nine points, and Cam Polinsky had seven points, three steals and eight assists.
In a playback game, Council Rock North – minus Dana Bandurick – fell to #6 Souderton 44-30.
In a second round game, Council Rock North fell to #2 Neshaminy 58-54.
After an opening round bye, Council Rock North rolled to a 63-38 win over #23 Pennridge.
Central
- 8-14 overall
- 5-9 Philadelphia Public League fifth place
- Led by junior point guard Alexis Lin (8.8 ppg) and junior Bene Butler (5.8 ppg)
How they got here: In the District 12 title game, Central fell to Cardinal O’Hara 76-29
#1-9 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST vs #2-1 HAZLETON (Friday, March 8, 7 p.m., at Berwick High School)
Central Bucks West
- 18-9 overall
- 9-3 SOL Continental second place
- Led by junior Maddie Burke (15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals), senior Izzy Treon (12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) and freshman Emily Spratt (7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals)
- Three straight wins after falling to #2 Abington in a quarterfinal game.
How they got here: In the ninth place game, Central Bucks West defeated #12 Plymouth Whitemarsh 42-16. Maddie Burke, who led the Bucks with 16 points, connected on four threes in the first quarter, propelling West to a 14-0 lead after one quarter. Izzy Treon added 14 points.
In a playback game to earn a state berth, Central Buck West defeated Pennsbury 49-32.
In a playback game, Central Bucks West defeated #11 Owen J Roberts 53-45.
In a quarterfinal game, Central Bucks West fell to #3 Abington 62-50.
In an opening round game, Central Bucks West crushed #18 Upper Darby 75-38.
Hazleton
- 20-6 overall
- 10-1 Wyoming Valley Conference
- Fell to Holy Redeemer in Wyoming Valley Conference title game
- 11 game-winning streak after a 3-4 start to the season
- Marissa Trivelpiece is a force on both ends of the court.
- The Cougars’ rely on their full-court press to create their offense
How they got here: In the district/sub-regional title game, Hazleton – which was without 6-0 forward Faith Grula – defeated Williamsport 48-41. Marissa Trivelpiece had 13 points and 17 rebounds, and Kyra Antolick had 13 points. The Cougars’ press forced 10 first-quarter turnovers resulting in a 19-5 Hazleton lead.
In a district/sub-regional semifinal, Williamsport defeated #4 Delaware Valley 58-21. Marissa Trivelpiece contributed 12 points, 4 blocked shots, 4 rebounds and three steals. Brooke Boretski added 11 points.
#1-10 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH vs. #12-1 CARDINAL O’HARA (Friday, March 8, 5:30 p.m., at Archbishop Carroll)
Plymouth Whitemarsh
- 21-6 overall
- 10-4 SOL American Conference
- Young Colonial squad starts three freshman and two sophomores.
- Led offensively by sophomore Anna McTamney (12.1 ppg), freshmen Lainey Allen (9.8 ppg), Kaitlyn Flanagan (7.5 ppg), and Jordyn Thomas (6.5 ppg)
How they got here: In the ninth place game, Plymouth Whitemarsh fell to #14 Central Bucks West 42-26. Anna McTamney’s seven points led the Colonials.
In a game to clinch a state berth, Plymouth Whitemarsh upset #9 Methacton 35-30.
In a playback game, Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated #13 Haverford 30-28.
In a second round game, Plymouth Whitemarsh fell to #5 Upper Dublin 34-16.
In an opening round game, Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated #21 Bensalem 45-32.
Cardinal O’Hara
- 13-11 overall
- 8-4 Philadelphia Catholic League sixth place
- Led by freshman Sydni Scott, a PCL All-Catholic first team selection, and senior Kerry Patterson, a University of the Sciences commit who earned second team All-Catholic recognition.
How they got here: In the District 12 title game, Cardinal O’Hara defeated Central 76-29.
In a PCL quarterfinal game, Cardinal O’Hara fell to Archbishop Wood 43-41.
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