Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Upper Moreland/Upper Dublin photos provided courtesy of Richard Vernick. Hatboro-Horsham/Springfield photos courtesy of Michael Rice, and Wissahickon/Cheltenham photos courtesy of Kim Supko. Check back for galleries of all three games. https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f884733941
Patriot/Colonial crossover games
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 32, BENSALEM 31
The Bucks bounced back from a disappointing loss to West Chester Rustin in a tightly contested game 24 hours earlier to eke out a win over the Owls that was anything but easy. West took a 29-20 lead into the final quarter and then scored just three points in the fourth quarter but withstood a gritty comeback rally by the Owls.
“That’s been the story of our season,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “I think we can hang with anybody, and we have the confidence to do that. Our games have come down to fourth quarters.
“Souderton is a different story, Cedar Cliff is a different story, but for the majority of our games, we’ve had chances in the fourth quarter. We’ve got to do a little bit better job of handling that moment, and I’ve got to do a better job putting them in better positions to be successful in those moments. Tonight, was another one of those games.”
The Bucks led 7-4 after the first quarter, and they outscored their hosts 13-5 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 20-9 lead. Katie Finnan’s six points led the Bucks.
Sparked by five points from Kylie Smith, the Owls edged the Bucks 11-9 in the third quarter, but West still took a nine-point lead into the final quarter. The Owls, however, didn’t go away.
“When we go in the gyms, I think we have the confidence to play with anyone, but the fun thing is – those teams are coming after us too,” Sibel said. “Rustin is an incredibly well-coached team, and they’ve got talent up and down the lineup, and we hung with them. They made plays at the end and won that game.
“Tonight, Bensalem didn’t go anywhere. Steve (Johnson) – all the credit to him and his team. Amber Howard is a player, and she got a lot of attention tonight. We were all over her, and to have their guard – number two (Talia DiMichele) – make some big 3s in the fourth quarter, it really got them back into the game.
“We had to make some free throws late, we had to make plays late. It was a good growing moment for us. This is kind of the cornerstone of our season right now as we have this sprint in these next two weeks toward the end of the season. We really have to use tonight to grow and get better.”
For the Bucks, Finnan led the way with 11 points. Tai Henkels added six.
“Alexis Castro had another monster game on the boards and goes over a hundred rebounds for the season,” Sibel said. “Tai Henkels stepped up and made two huge free throws to extend it to a four-point game when we really needed it.
“Ava Longo came up with a big rebound, got it to Tai, who got fouled. It’s always by committee for us. We just need to put four quarters together.”
Howard’s 10 points led the Owls. Smith added eight and DiMichele, six points on two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
“Hats off to Coach Sibel and his squad,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “They play with such toughness on defense. Their active hands caught us plenty of times as well as their will to offensive rebound. When you have heart like that, it makes winning close games like that more favorable. We need to box out and rebound.”
Central Bucks West (5-6, 4-4 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland for a non-league game on Thursday, and Bensalem (5-7, 2-6) will be on the road at Central Bucks South Friday.
Central Bucks West 7-13-9-3 32
Bensalem 4-5-11-11 31
Central Bucks West (32) – Gabi Senior 1 1-3 3; Tai Henkels 2 2-2 6; Kaite Finnan 4 2-6 11; Meg Blue 2 0-1 4; Alexis Castro 1 0-0 2; Ava Longo 1 0-1 2; Gabby Reichner 1 2-4 4; TOTALS 12 7-17 32.
Bensalem (31) – Talia DiMichele 2 0-0 6; Devon Bell 1 0-0 3; Mackenzie Kramer 2 0-0 4; Kylie Smith 3 1-2 8; Amber Howard 2 5-6 10; TOTALS 10 6-8 31.
3-point goals: CBW – Katie Finnan; Bensalem – Talia DiMichele 2, Devon Bell, Kylie Smith, Amber Howard.
NESHAMINY 49, PENNRIDGE 39
The Rams got off to a quick start, opening up a 27-22 halftime lead, but the second half belonged to the Redskins, who limited the Rams to just 12 points.
“We hit four three-point shots in the first quarter, and I believe we went a little goofy thinking every shot from that distance was going in,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “We need a better balance of scoring attempts inside and outside that line.
“There is a saying that ‘Adversity weakens the weak and strengthens the strong,’ so I am happy we finished the game strong on a 25-7 run. However, collectively, we must be better from start to finish.”
Katie Yoder’s 12 points led the Lady Rams in the first half. Reese Zemitis and Taylor Gurysh – who combined for four first-quarter 3s – led the Redskins in the first half, finishing with nine and eight points respectively.
The Redskins, according to Gallagher, turned the ball over six times in the first quarter.
“It was the third game in a row that our opponent showed a great deal more effort than our team,” the Redskins’ coach said. “This is a huge problem with our team, and it needs to be corrected by the coaches and team leaders.”
Pennridge still led 32-24 with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
“We closed within 32-28 with 50 seconds left in the quarter when Lola (Ibarrondo) got a steal and hit Reese for a basket and was fouled, completing the three-point play to trail at the end of the third 32-31,” Gallagher said.
The Redskins took their first lead since it was 3-0 when Zemitis turned a Ibarrondo steal into a basket.
“After a couple of possessions, Jess Purdy took advantage of Pennridge overplaying Reese by hitting her with a backdoor layup” Gallagher said. “That possession was followed by Taylor Gurysh hitting Alena Cofield on a great skip pass for a three-point basket and a 38-32 lead with 3:35 left in the game.
“Olivia Poole, who seemed to get every defensive rebound, hit a big three to cut the lead back to three points.”
After a Neshaminy miss, the Rams misfired on a three, and Purdy secured the rebound.
“Reese then hits a huge three off a pass from Gurysh and an excellent screen by Cofield to up the lead to six points with two minutes left,” Gallagher said.
Ibarrondo and Zemitis each went 4-for-4 from the line to ice the win for the Redskins.
Zemitis led all scorer with 25 points, which included three 3-pointers and an 8-for-9 effort at the foul line. Gurysh added 12 points and five rebounds, and Ibarrondo had six points, thanks to a perfect 6-for-6 effort at the foul line. The junior point guard also had six rebounds, five steals and three assists. Purdy contributed five rebounds and three assists.
For the Rams, who were once again without Anna Croyle, Yoder’s 20 points, which included four 3s, led the way. Poole added eight points.
Neshaminy (9-2, 7-1 SOL) will host Souderton on Friday, and Pennridge (9-5, 4-4) will travel to Council Rock North Friday.
Pennridge 15-12-5-7 39
Neshaminy 12-10-9-18 49
Pennridge (39) – Ella Brown 2 0-0 5; Katie Yoder 7 2-3 20; Ava Fantaskey 1 3-4 5; Olivia Poole 3 1-2 8; Abby Huskin 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 13 7-11 39.
Neshaminy (49) – Alena Cofield 1 0-0 2; Lola Ibarrondo 0 6-6 0; Taylor Gurysh 5 0-0 12; Reese Zemitis 7 8-9 25; Jess Purdy 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 14 14-15 49.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Katie Yoder 4, Ella Brown, Olivia Poole; Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 3, Taylor Gurysh 2, Jess Purdy, Alena Cofield.
SOUDERTON 25, PENNSBURY 18
They don’t give extra credit for style points.
A win is a win, and the Indians were more than happy to leave Fairless Hills with a win, although the pace of the game was not especially to their liking.
“From the start, they ran their sets, and they ran them and they ran them, and they had very long possessions, and we would lose focus deep into a possession and gave up too many offensive rebounds in the first half,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “We came down and missed our first four shots, and they were quick possessions. We’d go back down, and we were on defense another two minutes.
“It was 8-0 in the first quarter with a few seconds to go, and Teya McConnaha hit a three in the closing seconds.”
Erin Bohmueller saved the day for the Indians in the second quarter, accounting for all nine of her team’s points with three 3-pointers.
“Their game plan was – it seemed like at least – to make us beat them from the outside, and Erin (Bohmueller) got so many good looks in rhythm,” Carroll said. “Typically, I would say we want a better balance between 2s and 3s, but at this point, Erin has more than proven she gets the green light when she feels like it’s a good look.”
Despite Bohmueller’s big baskets, the Falcons took a 13-12 lead into halftime. The Indians’ 12 points came on four 3-pointers while the Falcons had three 3s in the half.
“Those three 3s gave us life in the first half,” Carroll said. “At halftime, we said – things aren’t going to change much most likely in terms of what’s happening on both ends of the court, but we needed to dial in more and focus more defensively. It’s pretty clear by box score that we did.”
The Falcons managed just five points in the second half.
“It was five points I would say partly because they were long possessions, so there weren’t as many field goal attempts as there typically would be in a half, but our defense was so, so good,” Carroll said. “Starting with Casey (Harter) on (Sofia) Vitucci. She’s averaging close to 20 points a game, and Casey defended every screen, flare screen, you name it – she was glued to Sofia Vitucci.
“Mikayla McGillian’s help defense was outstanding. It was so good, but really everybody did their part defensively. Brooke (Fenchel), Erin (Bohmueller), Grace (McDonough), Teya (McConnaha) – they knew their assignments well, and they played really, really intelligent defense, but it’s not easy to play defense for that long of a time, and they consistently did it from start to finish just about every possession of the second half.”
The Indians outscored the Falcons 8-3 in the third quarter and took a 20-16 lead after three quarters only to see the Falcons trim that lead to two.
“We decided that we were going to pull the ball out with much longer amount of time than I’m normally comfortable pulling the ball out just to force them to come out and play us,” Carroll said. “They had one team foul, and it was such a low-scoring game, and one possession was a pretty big deal. They had to come out and play us a little bit more and be a little bit more aggressive, and Erin (Bohmueller) got the ball on the wing – attacked a little bit and found Grace (McDonough) open for a layup on the opposite box. It was an incredible play by Erin, and that put us up four.
“We got a stop, and they had to eventually start fouling, and once they were in the bonus, Casey (Harter) – who got not a single good look at the basket the whole game – calmly sinks two foul shots to put us up six. We continued to get stops on the defensive end. It’s a great win, and again, finding ways to win games when Casey is not scoring many points is just huge for us. It could be anybody on any given night that’s doing it. Casey could have scored zero points, and the impact she had on the game defensively – it’s special what she can do. It’s why she’s earned a full ride to Northwestern. This was a good win. I’m really proud of our kids for hanging in, especially on the defensive end.”
Bohmueller’s 12 points on four 3-pointers led the Indians. Teya McConnaha added seven points and seven rebounds.
Sofia Vitucci and Nevaeh Dash each had six points to lead the Falcons.
“It was a tough loss against a talented Souderton team,” Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlyn Kelly said. “We came out of the chute strong, almost holding them scoreless in the first quarter. In actuality, our defense was great for the entire game, holding them to only 25 points overall. We were also happy with our ability to keep Casey Harter under control.
“Souderton also did an excellent job defensively. Their significant size advantage made it difficult for us to get any clean looks. Sofia did a good job beating her defender and getting into the lane, even while being aggressively guarded…but then ran into multiple lengthy players packed into the lane. For the looks we did get against their defense, we needed to do a better job at converting them into points.”
Souderton (12-1, 8-0 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy on Friday, and Pennsbury (10-4, 5-3) will be on the road at Central Bucks East Friday.
Souderton 3-9-8-5 25
Pennsbury 8-5-3-2 18
Souderton (25) – Erin Bohmueller 4 0-0 12; Casey Harter 1 2-2 4; Grace McDonough 1 0-0 2; Teya McConnaha 2 1-2 7; TOTALS 8 3-4 25.
Pennsbury (18) – Layla Matthias 0 0-2 0; Sophia Vitucci 3 0-0 6; Daniella MacDonald 1 0-0 3; Nevaeh Dash 1 3-3 6; Izzy Ruta 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 6 3-5 18.
3-point goals: Souderton – Erin Bohmueller 4, Teya McConnaha 2; Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald, Nevaeh Dash, Izzy Ruta.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 56, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 52 (OT)
In a contest that was an emotional roller coaster ride for both sides, the Titans took a 28-21 lead into halftime only to watch the Golden Hawks erupt for 20 points in the third quarter on their way to a 41-33 advantage.
That lead turned out to be anything but secure as the Titans – behind nine points from Yoyo Samayoa – came roaring back in the fourth quarter to knot the score and send the game into overtime. The Golden Hawks edged the Titans in overtime to eke out the win.
“Hats off to CB South’s squad – they came ready to play and (coach) Beth (Mattern) stuck with their game plan,” Rock South coach Blair Klumpp said. “They did a good job taking advantage of some sloppiness on our part early on.
“They opened the game on a 13-3 run. For as locked in and as good as we have been defensively this year, I thought the first half was arguably our least locked in half of the year in defense. I thought our bench did a really good job in the first half of keeping us within striking distance Jess (Mangoni), Darcy (Leight), Fiona (Reckner), and Maria (Freeman) all gave us multiple quality runs of good basketball in the first half.”
Samayoa’s 12 points led the Titans in the first half. Ella Wheeler added seven. For the Golden Hawks, Mangoni had a pair of 3s for six points and Reckner also had six points in the half to lead the Hawks.
“We challenged the group at halftime to get back to the game plan on both ends of the floor, and to our girls’ credit, they really responded in the third,” Klumpp said. “I thought our third quarter was one of our best quarters of basketball from an effort standpoint. We got a lot of extra possessions in that quarter on offensive rebounds and/or forcing turnovers.
“KP (Katie Purpura) and Fi (Reckner) stuck out as triggering it with those plays, and other girls were getting deflections and diving on loose balls as well. It was a really good stretch. We also got going in transition and drive and kickouts a bit. LB (Lily Bross) found Cam (Gregory) for a couple 3’s, Jess (Mangoni) had one and KP (Purpura) did too. Darcy (Leight) and Jess (Mangoni) were really good in interior defense and activity plays. Lily Bross and Maria (Freeman) did a really good job making YoYo (Samayoa) work in the second half.”
In the 20-point third quarter, Gregory buried a pair of 3s while Purpura and Karissa Smedley each added five points.
“Darcy (Leight) and Maria (Freeman) both impacted the game without scoring, and I think took a combined two shots,” Klumpp said. “We tell the group all the time you can impact the game in a variety ways without getting in the scoring column.
“All nine girls contributed either defensively or offensively in the third quarter. Our offensive balance tonight wound up being good. We are still trying to clean some things up offensively – at times, I thought we weren’t aggressive enough in the half court, but we will continue to look at some stuff there and try to adjust.”
The Golden Hawks edged the Titans 5-1 in overtime with Purpura burying 3-of-4 foul shots. Lil Metrick also had a basket.
“In the fourth quarter and overtime, Jess (Mangoni), (Lil) Metrick and (Lily) Bross were really good on D and Smed, Bross ad KP all hit some pretty big free throws. We had as many ‘big’ defensive plays down the stretch as we did ‘big’ offensive plays down the stretch and that was encouraging after a less than ideal start. The girls deserve a lot of credit for being resilient on the road and coming from behind in an early deficit and coming out with a win.”
Reckner’s 10 points led a balanced Rock South attack. Adding nine points each were Purpura, Gregory, Smedley and Mangoni. Bross added six points and three assists. Mangoni and Purpura each had five rebounds to lead the Hawks under the backboards while Smedley and Bross had four each. Mangoni also had two assists, three blocks and four steals. Smedley and Purpura each had five steals. Leight had two blocks.
For the Titans, Samayoa finished with a game-high 21 points while Mia Klein added 12. Jules Tropea had eight points, and Ella Wheeler finished with seven.
Council Rock South (8-2, 6-2 SOL) will host North Penn on Thursday, and Central Bucks South (3-9, 0-8) will host Bensalem on Friday.
Council Rock South 9-12-20-10-5 56
Central Bucks South 17-11-5-18-1 52
Council Rock South (56) – Lil Metrick 2 0-1 4; Lilly Bross 2 2-2 6; Katie Purpura 2 4-7 9; Cam Gregory 3 0-0 9; Fiona Reckner 4 1-1 10; Karissa Smedley 2 5-7 9; Jess Mangoni 3 0-0 9; TOTALS 18 12-18 56.
Central Bucks South (52) – Ella Wheeler 3 1-2 7; Casey Balkir 0 2-2 2; Jules Tropea 2 4-5 8; Yoyo Samayoa 8 2-2 21; Mia Klein 3 5-8 12; Addy Geary 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 14-19 52
3-point goals: CRS – Cam Gregory 3, Jess Mangoni 3, Katie Purpura, Fiona Reckner; CBS – Yoyo Samayoa 3, Mia Klein.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 62, HARRY S TRUMAN 36
Anna Barry buried seven 3-pointers – all in the first half and six in a dazzling second quarter that saw the Patriots put 28 points on the board as they opened up a 42-20 halftime lead. Barry accounted for 25 of her team’s first-half points.
“It was good to see her knock some shots down,” East coach Liz Potash said.
Chantal Van Dongeren also finished in double figures with 11 points, and Sydney Ralph added six points.
For the Tigers, Shyla McCleve led the way with 16 points – eight in each half. Patricia Monroe added 10 points, and Ya’mazijah Thomas finished with eight.
Central Bucks East (10-2, 6-2 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Friday, and Harry S Truman (0-11, 0-8) will travel to Central Bucks West on Friday.
Central Bucks East 14-28-6-14 62
Harry S Truman 8-12-6-10 36
Central Bucks East (62) – Erin LeRay 0 0-3 0; Sydney Ralph 3 0-0 6; Natalie Berndt 1 0-0 3; Shayne LeRay 1 0-0 2; Anna Barry 9 4-4 29; Chantal VanDongeren 5 1-4 11; Kendall Gregor 2 1-2 5; Jess Lockwood 2 0-1 4; Bella Haurin 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 24 6-14 62.
Harry S Truman (36) – Patricia Monroe 3 4-4 10; Saniya Blount 0 2-2 2; Shyla McCleve 7 2-6 16; Ya’mazijah Thomas 3 2-2 8; TOTALS 13 10-14 36.
3-point goals: CBE – Anna Barry 7, Natalie Berndt.
NORTH PENN 51, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 40
Caleigh Sperling was a one-woman wrecking crew.The North Penn junior scored a game-high 29 points and was a near perfect 13-for-14 at the foul line, leading her team to the victory that halted a three-game skid.
The Knights scored in double digits in each of the four quarters, opening up an 11-7 lead in the first. Sperling set the stage for a big night at the foul line, connecting on 6-of-6 at the stripe in the quarter. The two teams played each other even in the second and the Knights took a 22-18 lead into halftime. In the opening half, Jaden Wan’s 10 points led the Indians while Sperling had 15 for the Knights. The Knights extended their lead in the second half, outscoring their visitors 29-19.
For the Indians, Delaney McCaffery led the way with 13 – nine in the second half. Wan and Lizzie Lustig each added 12.
North Penn (5-6 4-4 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Thursday, and Council Rock North (5-7, 2-6) will host Pennridge on Friday.
Council Rock North 7-11-7-12 40
North Penn 11-11-15-14 51
Council Rock North (40) – Kiera Katz 1 1-2 3; Lizzie Lustig 5 0-0 12; Delaney McCaffery 5 1-2 13; Jaden Wan 6 0-0 12; TOTALS 17 2-4 40.
North Penn (51) – Emily Orth 1 2-2 5; Caleigh Sperling 8 13-14 29; Kelly Donnelly 2 0-0 6; Liv Stone 3 0-0 7; Tallie Smink 0 1-3 1; TOTALS 14 19-23 51.
3-point goals: CRN – Lizzie Lustig 2, Delaney McCaffery 2; NP – Kelly Donnelly 2, Emily Orth, Liv Stone.
Liberty/Freedom crossover
UPPER DUBLIN 28, UPPER MORELAND 26 (OT)
Trailing by nine heading into the fourth quarter is never ideal. Trailing by nine when your team has scored just 14 points through three quarters – that might seem insurmountable.
The Golden Bears – who trailed 23-14 after three quarters – did the improbable, all but doubling their output of three quarters with 12 points in the fourth quarter to knot the score 26-26 and extend the game to overtime.
“We were playing man-to-man, and I told the girls, ‘You’re not playing bad offense, you’re just on defense forever,’” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “Upper Dublin had really long possessions. Part of it is they don’t take bad shots, and part of it is we defended really, really well.
“We started to trap and double because you can’t be down nine against Upper Dublin in the fourth quarter. You’re not going to get three shots to take three 3s. I basically told the girls at the end of the third quarter, ‘Girls I’m not calling plays anymore. You’re good enough to score. Just go play basketball and score.” We started to chip away, chip away.”
The Flying Cardinals, who received a 3-pointer from Megan Ngo in the fourth quarter, led 26-23 when Allie LaRocco buried a three-pointer to knot the score 26-26. Both teams had opportunities to break the tie, but it didn’t happen, and the stage was set for overtime.
“We knew going into the fourth we had to change up our defensive strategy,” Carroll said. “We doubled a little more, looked to get it out of Megan’s hands and thankfully it worked. Holly and EmmyFaith went on a little run and then Allie hit the biggest shot of the season to tie it at 26. Lilly (Hansen) had to come in at the end of the game and overtime for us, had two huge rebounds late and a great contest rotating over to help on Megan (Ngo) to seal the game.”
The Golden Bears scored just two points in overtime – on a basket by Wood, but they didn’t allow the Flying Cardinals to score any and they escaped with the hard-fought win.
“This game went exactly how I thought it would go,” Carroll said. “(UD coach) Morgan (Funsten) and I joked around leading up to the game that first team to 20 wins and we were pretty close to that. We knew it would be a battle and come down to the end.”
As expected, defense was the story for both sides.
“Offensively for them, Colleen (Besachio) and Megan (Ngo) are a handful,” Carroll said. “EmmyFaith had the responsibility of covering Colleen, and she was amazing. Didn’t allow many post ups and played her really tough on the perimeter.”
The two teams were deadlocked 12-12 at halftime. Ngo accounted for seven of UD’s points and Gohl had seven for UM. It looked like the Cardinals were in command after an 11-2 third quarter that featured eight points from Ngo.
“It was locked at 12 going into the third, and then Megan took over and we fell flat,” Carroll said. “She can shoot and drive. She changes speeds well and she wants the ball in her hands. We didn’t play bad defense on her she just refused to go down quietly.”
Ngo led all scorers with 18 points, which included three 3-pointers. She also had six rebounds and two assists. Besachio was kept off the scoreboard but contributed six rebounds. Nora Brady had a team-high eight rebounds.
“We made a run at the end of the third quarter to get up nine going into the fourth,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “With the way the game was going, that should have been enough, but we made several mental mistakes down the stretch on defense and gave them way too many easy baskets.
“Megan Ngo played her best game of the season and did a great job of keeping us in the game making plays. Upper Moreland did a great job defending us all night and they deserved to win the game. If we use this game as a learning experience, it will make us much better moving forward.”
For the Golden Bears, Gohl led the way with 12 points while Wood added 10. LaRocco finished with six points on a pair of 3s as just three players scored for UM.
Tuesday’s win was Carroll’s second over UD in his seven years at the helm. The other was on Jan. 3, 2020, a 40-37 win.
Upper Moreland (10-1, 7-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks East in a non-league game Thursday, and Upper Dublin (7-4, 5-3) will travel to Cheltenham on Friday.
Upper Moreland 5-7-2-12-2 28
Upper Dublin 3-9-11-3-0 26
Upper Moreland (28) – EmmyFaith Wood 5 0-1 10; Holly Gohl 5 0-2 12; Allie LaRocco 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 12 0-3 28.
Upper Dublin (26) – Alaina Sanders 0 0-1 0; Megan Ngo 6 3-7 18; Lilli Kleiman 1 0-0 2; Kaitlyn Zacharia 1 0-0 3; Nora Brady 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 9 3-8 26.
3-point goals: UM – Holly Gohl 2, Allie LaRocco 2; UD Megan Ngo 3, Kaitlyn Zacharia, Nora Brady.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 57, ABINGTON 36
Twenty-four hours after a disappointing 42-39 loss to Great Valley, New Hope-Solebury travelled to Abington to take on a Ghost squad that boasted an impressive 9-1 record and occupied the top spot in the District 1 6A rankings.
Not exactly an ideal spot for the Lions to try to end a two-game skid, but they did the improbable, playing the role of giant killer with the upset win over the Ghosts.
“Honestly, I thought we shot really well, and they definitely were off,” New Hope-Solebury coach Steve Polinsky said. “We didn’t do anything special. We played help defense on (Cire) Worley, and they missed shots, and we didn’t. I think (coach) Dan (Marsh) would say the same thing.
“After losing last night in double overtime, we showed a lot to make shots tonight. I respect Dan so much because his program has been one of the elite programs in this area forever. I respect how he plays. It’s nice to beat somebody like that who you have such a high regard for.”
The Lions came out on fire, opening up a 17-6 lead after one quarter, and although the Ghosts’ offense came to life in the second quarter, there was no stopping the Lions, who outscored the Ghosts 18-15 in the frame to go into halftime with an eye-popping 35-21 lead.
Senior Reagan Chrencik’s eight first-quarter points set the tone, and she had 10 in the half, but the Gettysburg-bound senior had plenty of help. Sophomore Emily Wilson had eight points, including a pair of 3s, and freshman Gabby D’Agostino had seven. Ella Dudick and Kayla Fennell both added four.
For the Ghosts, senior Cire Worley had 10 points while Maya Johnson had six and Abril Bowser had four.
Riding their momentum of the first half, the Lions outscored the Ghosts 12-6 in the third quarter to go on top 47-27. This time it was Dudick delivering the spark with eight points in the quarter.
“She’s a great kid,” Polinsky said of Dudick. “She’s working hard. I’m proud of her.
“They were pressing us, and we were missing – not bunnies but mid-range, and she was underneath getting putbacks, so kudos to her. She had a great game.”
The Lions edged the Ghosts 10-9 in the fourth quarter, putting the finishing touches on a contest that saw them win all four quarters.
“For us to go in there and win, I’m proud of our kids – it’s a signature win for New Hope,” Polinsky said. “I start a freshman, three sophomores and a senior and the first girl off the bench is a freshman. This experience tonight was huge for them.”
Coming up big against the relentless pressure of the Ghosts was the Lions’ freshman point guard.
“I knew they were going to make a run, and Gabby (D’Agostino) was just sensational dealing with their pressure,” Polinsky said. “She set the table for all the girls. She deserves so much credit for how we played.
“I told her – ‘I want to keep going at them. I don’t want to stop because I think when you stop against them it breaks your momentum.’ Don’t wake sleeping dogs, and we just tiptoed around them. I just felt like we had to keep going after them. I can call timeout if it fails. I thought Gabby really dictated the pace of the game. I’m proud of the way she played.”
There was plenty of praise to go around after this win.
“Reagan (Chrencik) made her shots, and Ella (Dudick) did,” Polinsky said. “They all did what they had to do.”
New Hope-Solebury (7-5, 6-2 SOL) will host Wissahickon on Friday, and Abington (12-2, 7-1) will be on the road at Lower Moreland Friday.
New Hope-Solebury 17-18-12-10 57
Abington 6-15-6-9 36
New Hope-Solebury (57) – Izzy Elizondo 1 1-2 3; Emily Wilson 3 3-4 11; Reagan Chrencik 5 4-4 15; Kayla Fennell 2 0-0 4; Ella Dudick 7 0-0 14; Gabby D’Agostino 2 6-9 10; TOTALS 20 14-19 57.
Abington (36) – Cire Worley 3 6-7 12; Maya Johnson 3 3-4 10; Abril Bowser 2 1-2 5; Mmikaiya Durham 0 1-2 1; Jordyn Reynolds 2 0-0 4; Piper McGinley 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 12 11-15 36.
3-point goals: NHS – Emily Wilson 2, Reagan Chrencik; Abington – Maya Johnson.
QUAKERTOWN 46, WILLIAM TENNENT 41
The host Panthers outscored their visitors 10-6 in the first quarter but watched that lead evaporate in a second quarter that saw Tennent erupt for 18 points, knotting the score 24-24 at halftime. Quakertown regained the lead with a 13-7 third quarter and held on for the win.
“We are still struggling with putting all four quarters together consistently, but our defense when we are aggressive and rotate looks much better,” Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford said. “Players are jumping in the passing lanes and are either making deflections or getting steals.
“William Tennent played really hard tonight as they always do. Laura (Whitney) does a nice job getting them prepared and playing till the buzzer.”
In the opening half, Quakertown was led by Carolyn Sipprell’s nine points while Halie Staub’s eight points sparked the visitors.
“Halie Staub did a nice job finding the open shots in our zone, and I think Avery Kocur had some beautiful drives to the basket,” Bamford said. “She is going to be one to watch out for over the next couple years.
“After a slow start, we played a strong second quarter,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We got some nice stops and had good movement on offense and finally started making shots. We had a four-point lead with a little over a minute left in the first half.
“Instead of closing out the half with another run to go up six or eight, we had consecutive turnovers and let them tie it up at half. Their momentum carried over in the second half and we had to play catch up. Again, we had too many unforced turnovers and gave up way too many offensive rebounds. It’s tough to win when you’re giving them second and third chance opportunities. We cut the lead to three but never managed to get over the hump.”
In the third quarter, Katie Catalano and Sipprell both had five points for the host Panthers. Tennent didn’t go down quietly, but Quakertown held on for the win.
“It was a frustrating game tonight,” Whitney said. “A lot of credit to Quakertown. They outplayed us tonight and deserve this win. As a coach, what’s extremely disappointing is the fact that we didn’t play with the same intensity we’ve been playing with the last few weeks. We played soft at times and didn’t do the little things.
“We knew coming into tonight’s game that it was going to be a close game and could easily go either way. To not come out and play the way we’re capable is frustrating. Our focus the last few days at practice was on containing number 0 (Sipprell) and number 3 (Catalano). I don’t think there’s any secret that Quakertown goes as those two go, and their offense runs through those two players. We knew it would be a difficult task to shut them both down, but we didn’t do a good enough job.”
Sipprell’s 19 points led Quakertown while Catalano added 13.
“Carolyn (Siipprell) is always so solid with her rebounding for us, pulling down 14 rebounds and adding three steals,” Bamford said. “She made some beautiful spins tonight, sealing their posts and also being smart with the ball at the end of the game when it started getting close.
“Katie Catalano had seven rebounds and hit some important 3’s for us. In the first half, they did a nice job following her in our zone offense, so she couldn’t get wide open shots. She is someone I want the ball in her hands at the end of the game. She’s so quick and her confidence in her ballhandling amongst the pressure puts me at ease when it’s in her hands. We got to the foul line a lot tonight, which we’ve tried to make a focus for our girls, but we just weren’t making our foul shots. Something we have to make sure we do to close out games or keep them close.”
The Panthers were just 12-for-27 at the charity stripe.
For Tennent, Staub’s 11 points led the way. Alyssa Lewicki added seven points while Kocur, Jess Whisler and Morgan Volz each had six points.
“We have to quickly bounce back from this tough loss and get back to playing our style of basketball,” Whitney said. “Things don’t get any easier the next few games, but luckily, we have a few days to get back in the gym and work on some things. This is a crucial part of the season and we have to continue to get better.”
Quakertown (8-5, 5-3 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Friday, and William Tennent (7-6, 4-4) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham Friday.
William Tennent 6-18-7-10 41
Quakertown 10-14-13-9 46
William Tennent (41) – Ella Mednick 1 0-0 3; Avery Kocur 3 0-0 6; Halie Staub 4 1-2 11; Alyssa Lewicki 2 2-3 7; Haley Dickson 1 0-0 2; Jess Whisler 2 1-2 6; Morgan Volz 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 16 4-7 41.
Quakertown (46) – Carolyn Sipprell 5 8-14 19; Carli Maha 2 0-0 4; Katie Catalano 4 2-6 13; Ava Pistone 2 1-5 5; Kayla Sicher 2 1-2 5; TOTALS 15 12-27 46.
3-point goals: WT – Halie Staub 2, Ella Mednick, Alyssa Lewicki, Jess Whisler; Quakertown – Katie Catalano 3, Carolyn Sipprell.
WISSAHICKON 53, CHELTENHAM 51
The Trojans notched their first league win of the season, edging the Lady Panthers in a classic crossover battle between the neighboring schools.
“This was such a great win for us,” Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims said. “What I was most pleased with was the confidence and composure our players showed throughout the game, especially at the end.”
This one wasn’t over until the final whistle, and in a preview of things to come, the Trojans edged the Lady Panthers 16-14 in a tightly contested opening quarter and outscored their visitors 14-10 in the second to go into halftime with a 30-24 advantage.
Freshman Maya Simmons singlehandedly kept the Lady Panthers in the game, scoring 15 of her team’s points. Kaitlyn McGeary and Kylie Friedman both had 10 points for the Trojans.
The Lady Panthers evened the score heading into the fourth quarter, thanks to a 15-9 third quarter surge that featured seven points from Simmons and five from Paige Powell. The Trojans – behind seven points from McGeary – edged the Panthers 14-12 in the final quarter to eke out the win.
“Everyone contributed in so many different ways,” Sims said. “Kaitlyn McGeary had 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Kylie Friedman had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Claira
Baldasano had eight points, 10 rebounds and four steals. Eva Schools had seven points – she’s my point guard who kept the team together and played her heart out. She was a very important part of our win tonight.
“Kylie Friedman had two big rebounds at the end of the game to clinch the win.”
For the Lady Panthers, Simmons finished with a game-high 28 points. Powell added seven points, and Marguerite Reimer had six.
“It was a tough loss for us,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “Wissahickon came out ready, they executed their plays on offense and we just didn’t show up to play in the first half. I’m disappointed mainly with our defense. I thought we made strides forward in that area, but clearly there is more work to be done.
“Maya did a little of everything for us again. Going with her scoring she had six rebounds and five assists. Paige also contributed with nine assists. We need to regroup and get ready for a tough Upper Dublin team Friday.”
Wissahickon (3-8, 1-7 SOL) will be on the road at New Hope-Solebury on Friday, and Cheltenham (5-7, 2-6) will host Upper Dublin on Friday.
Cheltenham 14-10-15-12 51
Wissahickon 16-14-9-14 53
Cheltenham (51) – Paige Powell 3 0-0 7; Maya Simmons 12 0-0 28; Janiya Townes-Wakefield 1 0-0 2; Arianna Davis 2 0-0 4; Cassie Bugg 1 2-5 4; Marguerite Reimer 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 22 2-5 51.
Wissahickon (53) – Eva Schools 3 0-0 7; Kaitlyn McGeary 5 10-14 20; Julia Lettieri 1 0-1 2; Kylie Friedman 6 3-4 16; Claira Baldasano 4 0-1 8; TOTALS 19 13-19 53.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Maya Simmons 4, Paige Powell; Wissahickon – Eva Schools, Kylie Friedman.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 56, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 37
Sparked by a trio of double-digit scoring efforts, the Hatters brought a welcome end to an eight-game skid with a decisive win over the Spartans.%202.jpg)
“We played a strong defensive game and held Springfield to two single-digit quarters,” HH assistant coach Nicole Miletto said. “It was nice to be on the other side of that for once.”
Allie Hewish scored eight first-quarter points, propelling the Hatters to a 13-4 lead. They took a 27-16 lead into halftime. Leah Harrington’s nine second-quarter points led the Hatters. Ashley Jenkins had six points to lead the Spartans in the half.
If there were any doubts about the outcome, they were put to rest after the Hatters came out of halftime and outscored the Spartans 15-3 in the third quarter to go on top 42-19 on their way to the win.
“We got Abby Waeltz back, and she is a great defender and rebounder and brings energy to our squad,” Miletto said. “Tonight, we had three girls in double digits, and that hasn’t happened since we played Abington in December.
“Shots were falling for us, we were better at the foul line and we were patient against the zone. Lots of teams have been playing us zone lately, and we finally were able to get it to Kitty Randa inside and move it around. It helps when shots fall, and tonight, they did.”
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Harrington led all scorers with 16 points while Hewish finished with 14, including four 3-pointers, and Kitty Randa had 13.
“We are still short players and that limits our options, but tonight we took care of business, but it wasn’t easy,” Miletto said. “Springfield always plays tough, no matter if they’re down. They challenged us each possession and played hard. It was good feeling to get a win. We have a lot of games left and hope to build on this win at home this Friday.”
For the Spartans, Jenkins led the way with 13 points.
Hatboro-Horsham (4-9, 2-6 SOL) will host William Tennent on Friday, and Springfield Township (3-8, 0-8) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh Thursday.
Hatboro-Horsham 13-14-15-14 56
Springfield Twp 4-12-3-18 37
Hatboro-Horsham (56) – Caroline Shegogue 2 1-4 5; Kitty Randa 5 3-5 13; Allie Hewish 4 2-2 14; Leah Harrington 5 4-5 16; Maddy Patel 1 0-0 3; Mia Fisher 1 00 2; Sam Leiderman 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 19 10-16 56.
Springfield Twp (37) – Alana Decker 1 0-0 2; Hannah Brandon 1 0-0 2; Grace Daily 1 0-0 2; Paige Robinson 1 0-0 3; Delaney Lake 1 0-0 3; Devan Nolan 2 0-0 4; Ashley Jenkins 5 3-4 13; Lewis 2 0-0 4; K.Brandon 1 2-3 4; TOTALS 15 5-7 37.
3-point goals: HH – Allie Hewish 4, Leah Harrington 2, Maddy Patel, Sam Leiderman; Springfield Twp – Delaney Lake, Devan Nolan.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 59, LOWER MORELAND 40
Erin Daley was in some kind of offensive groove.
After scoring just four points in the first quarter, the PW senior erupted for 11 in the second quarter, and she was just getting started. Daley scored 10 of her team’s 12 points in the third quarter and added nine more in the fourth to finish with a career high 34 points. She also pulled down 14 rebounds in a dominant effort.
“Daley was outstanding,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “We switched on her, doubled her and she is just so smooth that we just couldn’t find an answer for her.”
The Colonials had their hands full with the Lions and led by just a 14-13 score after one quarter. Sparked by 11 second-quarter points from Daley, they took a 34-24 lead into halftime.
“We knew that going into tonight’s game we were going to be playing one of the better teams in the state and one of, if not the best team we’ll play this year,” Becker said. “As a coach, it is so rewarding when you see your team rise to the occasion, meet the challenge and raise their level of play like we did tonight. The final score showed a 19-point loss, but we had a lead midway through the second quarter and had it in single digits in the fourth quarter, but in the end, there was too much for us to overcome.
“On our end, we knew that the key was breaking the press and attacking them in transition, and overall, we did a nice job against a well-coached team that presses well and has good length and speed. For most of the first half, we were either up or within a basket, but unfortunately, we had Amelia Brown get hurt and that forced us to change up what had been working well for us. PW was able to get a few turnovers and hit some 3’s to make it 10 at the half.”
The Lions edged the visiting Colonials 14-13 in the third quarter and trailed by just nine heading into the final quarter when the Colonials closed it out with a 13-3 quarter.
“Going out to start the third quarter, we challenged the girls to not be content with playing a good half, and we won the third quarter. Between our girls wearing down and the adjustments Dan (Dougherty) made, they opened it up in the fourth, and we just couldn’t get back into the game.”
Also for the Colonials, Abby Sharpe and McKenna Winland also finished in double figures with 10 points each.
Brianna McFerran’s 13 points led the Lions. Liz Neeld added nine points, and Amelia Brown had eight.
“After the game, we told the girls that this was hands down our most complete game and the takeaway should be that we can play with these upper tier teams and hopefully we can build off of this.
“Before she got hurt, Amelia Brown was playing her best game of the year, she had eight points and we had her playing Erin Daley. I think Erin had 24 of her 34 points after Amelia went out.
“Liz (Neeld) and Brianna (McFerran) were tasked with breaking their press, and they did a great job finding space or hitting open teammates and making big shots. Overall, it was a really good team game.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (12-2 7-1 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Thursday, and Lower Moreland (4-8, 2-6) will host Abington Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 14-20-12-13 59
Lower Moreland 13-11-13-3 40
PW (59) – McKenna Winland 3 4-6 10; Haley O’Hara 1 0-0 3; Erin Daley 13 7-10 34; Abby Sharpe 4 2-2 10; Joslyn Perez 0 2-4 2; TOTALS 21 15-22 59.
Lower Moreland (40) – Brianna McFerran 5 2-4 13; Maddy Rossiter 1 0-0 2; Amelia Brown 3 0-0 8; Jess Shein 1 0-0 2; Liz Neeld 3 2-2 9; Nikki Sahl 2 0-1 4; Alexis MacPhee 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 16 4-7 40.
3-point field goals: PW – Haley O’Hara, Erin Daley; LM – Amelia Brown 2, Brianna McFerran, Liz Neeld.
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