SOL Girls’ Basketball PIAA Wrap (3-8-24)

North Penn was a winner in the opening round of the PIAA 6A Tournament Friday. Check out the recaps. (NP photo courtesy of North Penn girls’ basketball)

PIAA 6A opening round

#1-4 NORTH PENN 48, #11-3 EMMAUS 34

It was home, sweet home for the Knights, who gave their fans plenty to cheer about with the program’s first state playoff win in four years.

“It was incredible,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “I don’t ever remember having a home game in states, but I think it’s the best thing to have that first round home game.

“The community, especially this year, has been so incredible. Just to see those stands fill back up – it fuels them, and Emmaus travelled really well. They had a huge fan section, so it was just a really electric feeling. I think it fueled us. Especially when you’re not hitting shots – that’s a quick way to fall apart, and they just didn’t.”

Opening round home games for the top teams has been implemented since the COVID-shortened season, and for the Knights’ four seniors, it was especially sweet.

“It was really good – our students came out, and it was really a good atmosphere to play in, and it definitely helped us win,” senior Caleigh Sperling said. “I think we played really good as a team.

“I didn’t really think of it as our last home game. I kind of just saw it as a game we had to win to move forward.”

On a night when their outside shots weren’t falling, the Knights relied on their defense and the aggressive offensive play of Sperling, who spent the game attacking the basket and whose 22 points led all scorers.

“I feel like it’s something we always did, but I realized – I don’t think we made one 3-pointer today,” Sperling said. “Just realizing driving to the basket was working the best, so we just kept doing that and getting to the foul line.”

The foul line has been an ally of the Knights, who were nigh perfect with a 16-for-17 effort at the charity stripe.

“We definitely shoot a lot of foul shots at practice,” Sperling said. “But I think in the game – what gets us to the foul line is taking it to the basket, not expecting to get fouled but just driving strong.”

Sperling led the Knights with a 8-for-9 effort at the line.

“It’s something every team works on, but when you’re home and have the momentum, it’s nice to see them go in,” Cullen said. “Caleigh was attacking the basketball strong and getting to the free throw line.”

Behind eight points from Sperling, the Knights led 14-10 after one quarter and extended that lead to 24-14 by halftime.

“We went into halftime up 10, but it was close,” Cullen said. “We really did not shoot well at all, but the thing that kept us in the game was our defense. We came out in a zone, so it was really just communication. It’s something we’ve gotten away from the last couple of games, so communicating, shifting – they just did a really good job of knowing the game plan.

“We really could not hit any open jump shots. Most of our points were coming off steals on the defensive end and pushing in transition.”

Coming up huge for the Knights in the opening half was Lily Brown, whose 10 points – eight in the second quarter – led the way. The freshman has been making her presence felt off the bench.

“I think it’s a confidence thing because I just really like to drive and go up strong to the basket,” Brown said. “I usually drive – it’s just something I do.”

Call it confidence, call it whatever you like, but Brown is looking anything but the part of a rookie.

“It’s been really exciting because with basketball – I’ve never really made it that far in my other seasons,” Brown said. “It’s just so many more competitive people on my team, and we really work well together, and that’s why it’s been a great season.

“This was the biggest crowd we got. It was really fun. It brought up the energy and how we played. This is just a positive environment – I’ve made a bunch of friends. They’re all really nice.”

The second half of Thursday’s game belonged to Sperling, who scored 12 of her team’s 22 points.

While Sperling led the way, Brown finished with 12 points in a standout supporting role. Included in her 12 points was a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the foul line.

“She’s just fearless,” Cullen said of her rookie. “She knows what she’s good at, and she does it well. She’s not scared. I think she does an excellent job as a sixth man right now.

“She has all the talent in the world and bringing her in completely changes the speed of our game. Having her come in – it’s fresh legs, fresh eye, fresh look. It’s really, really good for the team. I couldn’t imagine playing in some of these games that she’s had to be in as a freshman, and she does it really, really calmly. She’s come a long way, and this experience is just invaluable for her.”

Also for the Knights, Olivia Stone added eight points and six assists and – according to her teammate – was a catalyst on defense.

“I think Liv Stone has a really big impact at the top of our press,” Sperling said. “Just our ability to cover the corners today and kind of drop. I also think our rebounding really helped defensively and offensively. We had a lot of offensive rebounds.”

North Penn (24-5, 15-1 SOL) will face District 7 runner-up North Allegheny in Tuesday’s second round. North Allegheny routed District 10 champion Erie 57-23 in an opening round game.

“I think it’s going to be in Chambersburg,” Cullen said. “It’s almost three hours. I think it’s great, and the girls are so excited for the road trip.”

“We’re definitely excited about the coach bus,” Sperling said. “It’s going to be fun, and we’re really excited because we haven’t experienced it before. It’s really good for our culture. This hasn’t happened for four years.”

Emmaus 10-4-12-8 34

North Penn 14-10-13-11 48

Emmaus (34) – Mya Cooper 3 3-4 9; Kayla Snyder 1 0-0 2; Cassandra Doemling 4 1-3 9; TOTALS 13 5-7 34.

North Penn (48) – Cameron Crowley 1 0-0 2; Caleigh Sperling 7 8-9 22; Lily Brown 4 4-4 12; Leah Mikulski 2 0-0 4; Olivia Stone 2 4-4 8; TOTALS 16 16-17 48.

3-point goals: Emmaus – Kayla Snyder, Gabby Devita, Taylor Griffith.

#3-2 DALLASTOWN 43, #1-7 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 36

The Patriots weren’t looking for moral victories when they made the trip to Dallastown for Friday’s state opener, but they certainly had one, giving the Wildcats all they could handle until the final whistle.

“They’re big, and the biggest thing I thought would be an issue for us would be rebounding, and it was,” East coach Liz Potash said. “In the first half, we really struggled to hold them to one shot. We knew it was a team that wasn’t going to make a ton of outside shots, but if you give them multiple chances around the basket, they’re big, and they’re going to finish.

“We struggled in the first half with it, but it was one of those games where at the end of the first quarter where it was 14-6 with about five seconds left. We get the ball to Anna (Barry), and she banks in a halfcourt shot like she’s done her whole career, you’re like – ‘All right, it’s 14-9, we’ve given up six offensive rebounds, and it’s a two-possession game.”

The Patriots never really found their shooting touch until the fourth quarter when they buried three 3-pointers and put 13 points on the board after scoring in single digits the first three quarters. They trailed by just six (31-25) heading into the final quarter.

“Give the girls credit because in the fourth quarter they started pulling away a little bit, and they’re up 11, but the next thing I know – it’s a three-point game with a minute to go,” Potash said. “We did not shoot the ball particularly well. I thought we had good looks, we just didn’t make shots. We had some really good looks inside. It was a tough shooting night for us, which obviously we need to be able to make shots to compete, but it’s certainly not a lack of effort.

“I said to the girls after the game – the biggest compliment you could get is that their coach came right up to me and said, ‘Man, your kids are tough.’ They are, and they battled. We were down six with about a minute to go, and Chantal (van Dongeren) hits a three, and you’re like, ‘All right, we can do this.’ There’s a senior saying – ‘Nope, not ready to be done yet.’

“The girls did the best they could to keep Anna and Chantal’s season going, but it definitely wasn’t our shooting night. Some of the troubles we’ve had the last couple weeks with rebounding were really evident tonight against a big team. Give them credit, but we had such unbelievable hustle plays to even give us the opportunity to get back in it. Haley Moran sprinted the length of the floor when they tried to go long against our press, and she just came from behind at whatever she is – 5-5 – and got up and blocked the shot to save a possession. They just played so hard – you have to be proud of them.”

Haley Moran’s 10 points led the Patriots while Barry finished with nine, and Natalie Berndt had eight.

“If you can’t end on a win – we said to them, ‘Guys, the state championship is two weeks from tonight – you rode this season out as far as you could. You gave a good team a real good run for their money, you sat on the bus for 2 ½ hours, and you came out ready to go,’” Potash said. “What an unbelievable experience. We’re losing a ton with Anna (Barry) and Chantal (van Dongeren) and what they give us, but it’s only two players. You look at what you return, and what an unbelievable experience for our younger kids to know what it takes to get to this point and work to make sure we don’t end it this way next year.”

“You can’t say enough about Anna and Chantal and what they’ve done for us for four years and especially this year – what unbelievable leaders. I can’t think of a team that was this unselfish in a long time. You have to look at the top and know it comes from them. We said it all year – they didn’t care who scored, who had the hot hand. Haley Moran was our leading scorer tonight. They will just continue to give the ball to anyone that gives us a chance. They clap for each other, they’re excited for each other. You just give Anna and Chantal so much credit for that and for that kind of leadership because that’s not something you find every day with teams, and I think it speaks a lot to the success they had this year.”

Central Bucks East closed out its season with a 20-9 record, 11-5 in the SOL.

Central Bucks East 9-9-5-13 36

Dallastown 14-11-6-12 43

Central Bucks East (36) – Sydney Ralph 1 0-0 2; Haley Moran 4 1-1 10; Natalie Berndt 3 1-2 8; Anna Barry 3 1-2 9; Jess Lockwood 2 0-0 4; Chantal van Dongeren 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 14 3-5 36.

Dallastown (43) – Alonna Dowell 2 4-6 8; Kiara McNealy 3 1-2 7; Campbell O’Neill 1 0-0 3; Harper Poff 1 0-3 2; Praise Matthews 5 3-3 15; Ava Jamison 3 1-1 8; TOTALS 15 9-16 43.

3-point goals: CBE -Anna Barry 2, Chantal van Dongeren, Haley Moran, Natalie Berndt; Dallastown – Praise Matthews 2, Ava Johnson, Campbell O’Neill.

#12-2 CARDINAL O’HARA 48, #1-8 UPPER DUBLIN 19

It hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the Flying Cardinals since losing their floor general – sophomore Megan Ngo – to a torn ACL in the opening round of districts, but they battled and found a way to earn a berth in the state tournament.

An opening round state game against Northeast, the District 12 runner-up, became instead a date with a tough Cardinal O’Hara squad after Northeast withdrew from the state tournament.

“The score was ugly tonight, but with three-and-a-half minutes to go in the second quarter, it was 11-8, so it was a little more competitive, at least for the first half,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “Things got a little out of control when some turnovers that we had led to some easy baskets leading into halftime.

“The story of the night was – we turned the ball over 25 times, 16 times in the first half. I think O’Hara’s biggest strength is their pressure defense – whether it’s in the half court or the full court. They just put so much pressure on you. It’s something we tried to prepare for, but it didn’t work out tonight.”

Senior Amy Ngo’s six points led the Cardinals. She also had three steals. Freshman Bridget DiMartile pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.

“We actually did good things throughout the game, and it was frustrating that one thing – taking care of the ball, which is certainly not an effort thing on our end,” Funsten said. “A lot of the effort things – I thought our girls did a great job with. I know the score doesn’t look like we did anything well, but we actually did.”

Funsten bids farewell to Ngo and twins Brighid and Nora Brady.

“It’s always very sad when a season ends,” the UD coach said. “The message after the game was just a big thank you to our seniors.

“Between Amy (Ngo) and the Brady twins, they’ve put in more time – I feel like I’ve always had great senior leadership throughout the years. I’ve had great senior classes, but I’ve never had a class put in as much time to their games as these three do. The lessons that they passed on to the younger girls in our program are really invaluable, and I just wanted to thank them for all their effort. They’re really going to be missed next year.”

Carly Coleman’s 20-point effort led O’Hara.

Upper Dublin – winners of the SOL Liberty Division title – closed out its season with a 24-6 record. The Cardinals were 16-0 in league play.

Upper Dublin 4-4-5-6 19

Cardinal O’Hara 11-12-21-4 48

Upper Dublin (19) – Brighid Brady 1 0-0 2; Bridget DiMartile 1 1-2 3; Tamia Clark 2 1-2 5; Amy Ngo 3 0-2 6; Nora Brady 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 8 2-6 19.

Cardinal O’Hara (48) – Brigid MacGillvray 2 0-0 5; Greta Miller 1 0-0 3; Joanie Quinn 2 0-0 5; Carly Coleman 9 0-0 20; Molly Rullo 3 0-0 7; Megan Rullo 3 1-2 8; TOTALS 20 1-2 48.

3-point goals: UD – Nora Brady; O’Hara – Carly Coleman 2, Brigid MacGillvray, Greta Miller, Joanie Quinn, Molly Rullo, Megan Rullo.

#2-1 HAZLETON 63, #1-9 PENNSBURY 48

The Falcons scored the first basket of the game only to watch the Cougars answer with a 14-0 run. It turned out to be a preview of things to come in the first half as Hazleton opened up a 39-24 halftime lead on their way to the opening round win.

“We had a difficult time with the pressure, and to be honest, it was an issue for us this year,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “We had 28 turnovers and many of them were atypical. The story of the game was their shooting as they were 15-for-18 in the first half as a team.

“They shoot in the 20s in terms of percentage from the 3-point line, but they were absolutely lights out, including people who do not traditionally shoot like that. It was the best shooting performance against us that I’ve seen since December 2019.”

Freshman Kaitlyn Bindas was the offensive catalyst for the Cougars, burying five 3-pointers in the opening half and scoring 20 of Hazleton’s 39 points. As a team, the Cougars had eight 3s in the first half. Sophia Shults, who had just seven 3s on the year, had three in Friday’s win.

“Their freshman was sensational and has a pure stroke,” Sciolla said of Bindas, who led all scorers with 27 points.

In the second half, the Falcons exchanged baskets with the Cougars – both teams scored 24 points, but Hazleton’s dazzling first half was the difference.

“When we did get open looks, they were rushed,” Sciolla said. “We did not have a good night finishing layups, but honestly, we can’t be upset at all. We know who and what we are, and this team squeezed every single ounce of juice that they had out of themselves. These past two years have been unlike any time I’ve ever had in my experience.

“I can’t even be upset in any way other than the fact that I’m empathetic to how sad they were after the game, and especially our fantastic group of seniors. You always want to surround yourself with people who give everything of themselves, and they did that. We could not ask them to play any harder or any better at any point. The fact that we played into March the past two years is something they will never forget, and they should hold that with incredible pride.”

Sofia Vitucci’s 20 points – 15 in the first half – led the Falcons. Freshman Joley Hohman added 10.

“We had a special group of seven seniors,” Sciolla said. “So much has been said about Sofia and her incredible career. She deserves all of the accolades, and we have talked endlessly about Layla Matthias, and her effort and toughness and sacrifice. They were incredible leaders for us, but Daniella MacDonald, Danielle Sherman, Susan McKeever, Olivia Gilchrist and Presley Foote were fantastic. They each have their own special legacy in the history in Pennsbury Basketball.

“Every night we delighted in the starting lineups as team after team rolled out incredible size, and we would always laugh and then just run out and try to tilt windmills. And very often we did.

“I’m not sure if I’ll ever have another experience like this, so it’s pretty tough for me right now. When you’re a teacher, you’re always hope that your kids get As, and when you’re a coach you always hope they maximize their ability. They all get A+s from me, and as good as they were on the court, they were so much fun to be around off the court.

“I don’t envy the teams that are going to follow this group because they will be held to a certain standard, a standard that, to be honest, was higher than anything we’ve had here. I’m grateful that we had their trust as coaches, and we are honored to have been able to serve them. But I have no regrets at all. I enjoyed every day I had with him, and I look forward to watching them grow.”

Pennsbury closed out its season with a 20-9 record. The Falcons were 11-5 in the SOL.

Pennsbury 11-13-10-14 48

Hazleton 19-20-10-14 63

Pennsbury (48) – Presley Foote 2 0-0 5; Layla Matthias 2 0-0 4; Danielle Sherman 1 0-0 3; Maggie Burns 1 0-0 2; Sofia Vitucci 6 6-8 20; Daniella MacDonald 1 1-2 4; Joley Hohman 3 2-2 10; TOTALS 16 9-12 48.

Hazleton (63) – Sophia Benyo 4 2-2 10; Kaitlyn Bindas 9 4-6 27; Kayla Lagowy 1 0-0 2; Alexis Reimold 3 0-0 7; Sophia Shults 7 0-0 17; TOTALS 24 6-8 63.

3-point goals: Pennsbury – Sofia Vitucci 2, Joley Hohman 2, Presley Foote, Danielle Sherman, Daniella MacDonald; Hazleton – Kaitlyn Bindas 5, Sophia Shults 3, Alexis Reimold.