Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Sunday. (Dana Bandurick photos provided courtesy of CR North basketball)
Seven SOL teams participated in the Maggie Lucas Play-by-Play Classic at Jefferson University on Sunday. Six were winners with the only loss coming in an all-SOL contest to close out the day.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 59, BONNER-PRENDERGAST 56
Dana Bandurick knew scoring a thousand points was a realistic goal entering her senior year, but she tried hard
not to think about it.
“I think it can be very distracting,” she said.
The senior standout needed just 12 points to reach the milestone entering Sunday’s showcase, and it turned out to be anything but a distraction. In fact, Bandurick had herself a career day. She not only reached the 1,000-point milestone when she converted a layup late in the second quarter, she also scored the game-winning basket with 24 seconds remaining in regulation and finished with career highs in points (25) and steals (eight). Her final line for the game was dazzling: 25 points, 14 rebounds (five offensive), three blocked shots and eight steals.
“I’m very happy to reach this milestone, but it’s a lot more important to me that my team goes on and wins,” Bandurick said. “It’s not just about me. I don’t want to distract from the focus of that.”
Making the accomplishment even more impressive is the fact that Bandurick is playing on surgically reconstructed knees after tearing the ACL in both knees. Coach Lou Palkovics admits he wasn’t sure Bandurick would be able to return to the hardwood.
“When she went down the second time, I could hear the screams saying, ‘Not again, not again,’” the Indians’ coach said. “I’ve had a bunch of girls that have had knee surgeries and come back from them, and she just seems to have come back stronger and quicker.
“Her career high, a thousand points, the game-winner – I think it just shows what you can do. Her work ethic is unbelievable.”
Bandurick admits she had second thoughts about returning to the hardwood.
“I did have to think about it,” she said. “Even after I tore the first one, some people were confused why I would go back since it’s such a drastic injury.
“After the second one, I did take some time to think about it. It’s just a huge commitment, but I tried to imagine not playing basketball. It’s a huge part of my life and I couldn’t imagine not doing it.”
The Indians needed every one of Bandurick’s points to eke out the win in a classic battle. They led most of the way, opening up a four-point lead after one quarter and taking a 30-25 advantage into the intermission. They still lead by four heading into the final quarter, but the Pandas rallied to knot the score 51-51 when Dakota McCaughan connected on a three with 4:24 remaining.
A Bandurick basket allowed the Indians to regain the lead, but the Pandas answered with a bucket to tie it up again. With 1:58 remaining, Bandurick scored to put the Indians on top 55-53, but a minute later, Maeve McCann completed a three-point play to give the Pandas their first lead of the game, 56-55.
With 24 seconds remaining, Bandurick came up with a steal, dribbled the length of the court and laid it in for a 57-56 lead. Camryn Polinsky pulled down the rebound of a Panda miss and converted a pair of foul shots to give the Indians their final margin of victory.
“At the end of the game when we needed a basket, it was ‘Dana, do you need a screen?’ She was like, ‘No thanks, I’m just going to take my girl,’” Palkovics said. “We were down by one (56-55), and Liv (Boyle) kind of tipped the ball from the girl. Dana came from behind and stole it and laid it up and got fouled.”
Boyle and Sydney Blum both scored 12 points. Blum had a pair of threes in the first quarter and buried 4-of-6 at the foul line. Boyle had just two points at halftime but erupted for eight points in the third quarter, which included a pair of threes. Polinsky had five rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Both teams shots 52 percent from inside the arc. Rock North connected on 17-of-33 shots while the Pandas were 12-for-23 from the floor. The Indians made just 4-of-16 shots from beyond the arc while the Pandas were 8-for-19.
Council Rock North (10-3, 4-1 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Tuesday.
Council Rock North 18-12-16-13 59
Bonner-Prendergast 14-11-17-14 56
Council Rock North (59) – Camryn Polinsky 2, Sydney Blum 12, Olivia Boyle 12, Jjill Hopkins 4, Dana Bandurick 25, Abby Jones 4.
Bonner-Prendergast (56) – Birdie McCann 5, Maeve McCann 11, Alexis Eagan 5, Dakota McCaughan 14, Kelli Curan 7, Ariana McGeary 6, Raegan Dolan 8.
UPPER DUBLIN 45, IMHOTEP 33
Dayna Balasa makes shooting threes look so very easy.
“I just keep shooting when I miss, I know I’ll make at least one, so I keep shooting,” Balasa said. “I just like the three.”
The UD sophomore didn’t miss very often on Sunday, connecting on five threes in the Cardinals’ win over the Panthers. Her back-to-back threes late in the second quarter turned a 16-15 lead into a 22-15 advantage. The Cardinals took a 22-17 advantage into the halftime locker room.
Balasa buried a three-pointer to open the second half, and her second of the third quarter extended the Cardinals lead to 30-24 after the Panthers pulled to within three.
For good measure, the sophomore sharpshooter connected on a three from the top of the circle to open the fourth quarter, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 35-28. They went on to win 45-33 over an Imhotep squad whose style of play is a marked contrast to the disciplined Cardinals.
“We really had to protect the ball and not let their pressure get to us and just make good passes,” Balasa said. “I think we could have had more energy in this game. We made a lot of mistakes, but in the end, we won.”
Balasa finished with 15 points and also had three rebounds.
“We needed shots to be made,” coach Morgan Funsten said. “We weren’t overly happy with how we played in the first three quarters.
“Every time we seemed to get a little bit of separation, they made a play to get back into a spot where we were uncomfortable. In the fourth quarter, we made some shots, and more importantly, we made some defensive stops that we hadn’t been getting all day.”
Jackie Vargas, the team MVP, was a force in the paint all day. The junior center finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots. Jess Polin had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. She buried back-to-back shots early in the fourth quarter to extend the Cardinals lead to nine.
“Jess made some big plays down the stretch, Dayna made big shots and Vargas kind of grinded the game out,” Funsten said. “She’s not used to looking at people eye-to-eye, so it was a little bit of an adjustment today, but I thought she played well.”
Upper Dublin (11-2, 6-0 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Tuesday.
Upper Dublin 15-7-10-13 45
Imhotep 12-5-11-5 33
Upper Dublin (45) – Bliss Brenner 3, Anajae Smith 2, Jess Polin 10, Dayna Balasa 15, Jackie Vargas 15.
Imhotep (33) – Zamara Haynes 5, Alyssa Herder 10, Nadjy Tyler 10, Seanlajah Smith 4, Taliyah Carter 3, Lashanda Smith 1.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 39, SPRINGFIELD-DELCO 34
The Bucks, who led by just two after one quarter, took what appeared to be a commanding 30-16 lead into halftime. In the opening half, they led by as many as 16 over a Cougar squad ranked first in District One Class 5A.
“We made a lot of shots,” coach Terry Rakowsky said. “We made a lot of kick-out shots. We were getting the rebounds. I thought Emily (Spratt) was awesome on the boards.”
Spratt – who did have a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds – scored eight of her points in the first half, including a putback that gave the Bucks a 30-14 lead.
“I just feel like I owe it to my teammates to hustle on the boards, we all did a good job in there,” Spratt said. “What really helped me was my teammates’ motivation. Their passes are the ones that made it happen, their defense was the reason they missed the shot for me to get the rebound. It was a whole team effort.”
Izzy Treon had seven points in the half, and Maddie Burke buried a pair of three-pointers. The Bucks were operating on all cylinders.
Then came a second half that saw them manage just two field goals – and just two points in the third quarter on a Treon bucket midway through the frame – as the Cougars battled their way back into the game.
Despite their offensive woes, the Bucks still led by nine heading into the final quarter, 32-23. Things didn’t improve a whole lot for the Bucks in the fourth quarter, and when D’Ambrosio scored on a drive with just under two minutes remaining, the Cougars trailed by just two points. Jess Broskey sank both ends of a one-and-one to give the Bucks a four-point advantage, and again D’Ambrosio answered with a bucket. The Bucks misfired on the front end of a one-and-one, and the Cougars missed at the other end. Burke corralled the rebound and Olivia Irons sank one-of-two at the foul line to put the Bucks on top 37-34.
“The other team started getting more motivated to keep pushing and pushing,” Spratt said. “They were getting more used to the way we played, and we had to fight back again.”
After Burke delivered her fourth block of the game on the defensive end to preserve the lead, Spratt buried a pair at the foul line to give the Bucks their final margin of victory.
“We missed a lot of shots,” Rakowsky said. “The second half we dominated the boards, and I think in one stretch in the fourth quarter we missed five putbacks. We probably got a little bit tired. We went a little bit shorter on the bench.
“Another thing too – I backed off a little bit because we were in foul trouble. We had a bunch of players with three fouls, but that’s a team that plays hard and is very well coached.”
Central Bucks West (8-4, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
Springfield-Delco 9-7-7-11 34
Central Bucks West 11-19-2-7 39
Springfield-Delco (34) – Alyssa Long 2, Alexa Abbonizio 9, Rachel Conran 2, Jordan D’Ambrosio 17, Belle Mastropietro 4.
Central Bucks West (39) – Olivia Irons 4, Jess Broskey 6, Maddie Burke 8, Emily Spratt 10, Izzy Treon 9, Lilly Evans 2.
PENNBURY 44, NORTH PENN 38
In the day’s lone all-SOL battle, it was the Falcons opening up a lead in the second quarter and going on to earn the hard-fought win.
“North Penn is an established really good program,” coach Frank Sciolla said. “Maggie deMarteleire came in and made them a state-wide power.
“Jen (Carangi) came in while they were rebuilding and immediately put her print on with how aggressive they are and how smart they play. When we watched them in preparation for the game, we felt both teams were very similar, and we felt like it was going to be one of those rock fights.”
There were early signs it was going to be a good one as the two teams battled to a 7-7 tie after one quarter. The Knights scored just four points in the second quarter, and the Falcons took a 16-11 lead into halftime. They added to that lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Knights 14-10. Rachel Strobel accounted for all 10 of the Knights’ points. The Knights didn’t go down quietly, outscoring the Falcons 17-14 in the final frame. Val McGriff had seven points for the Knights while Cami Wiegand came up big for the Falcons, connecting on a pair of threes and scoring eight points in the quarter.
“They knew what we were going to do, and they were very strong,” Sciolla said. “We got in a little bit of foul trouble in the first half and had to navigate that, but we stayed tough.
“We played really good defense, and we limited them to 11 in the first (half). We came out in the second half, and we were able to shake free a little bit. We got a big bucket down the middle from Kate Mix. We got a couple of really big jump shots from Ava (Sciolla) that she was able to knock down, and in the fourth quarter, we were able to get them out of that pack line defense that they play. We were able to get into some gaps, and Cami Wiegand knocked down a couple of big shots.
“They made it tough tonight. It wasn’t easy. A couple of the shots we made were off of some big-time moves, and we were able to get enough stops to have a comfortable lead in that 7-10 area and weather the storm when they pressured at the end.”
Ava Sciolla, named team MVP, led the Falcons with 15 points, which included a pair of three-pointers. The freshman point guard had four rebounds, four steals and one assist. Wiegand added 13 points with three three-pointers. She also had a team-high six rebounds to go along with two steals. Mary Miller chipped in six points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
For the Knights, Strobel’s 15 points led the way while McGriff added nine. Alaina Mullaly was named team MVP.
For Sciolla, the trip to Jefferson University for the Play-by-Play Classic evoked some good memories.
“When (Jeremy Treatman) had his first ever Play-by-Play Classic, we were in it with the (Pennsbury) boys,” the Falcons’ coach said. “It was 2000. We were in a doubleheader. It was Camden and Roman, it was Dajuan Wagner against Eddie Griffin, and we opened it up – Pennsbury against Jameer Nelson and Chester.
“For my girls to get the opportunity to play in it against a really good program, it’s just another really good experience. We’re happy for them. We have a really big week coming up.”
Pennsbury (11-2, 4-1 SOL) will host Neshaminy in a rivalry game Tuesday, and North Penn (5-6, 2-3) will host Pennridge on Tuesday.
North Penn 7-4-10-17 38
Pennsbury 7-9-14-14 44
North Penn (38) – Alli Lindsay 3, Rachel Dunn 5, Megan Polenik 2, Rachel Strobel 15, Val McGriff 9, Imani Plaza 4.
Pennsbury (44) – Abbi Nassivera 2, Bella Arcuri 3, Kate Mix 5, Mary Miller 6, Ava Sciolla 15, Cami Wiegand 13.
NESHAMINY 47, MT LEBANON 33
The Redskins opened up a 13-2 lead after one quarter and took a commanding 27-13 advantage into halftime on their way to the convincing win.
“It was a really good all-around defensive effort,” coach Joe Lally said. “Their 6-1 center is a D-I kid, and Brooke (Mullin) did a great job defending her and holding her to two points.
“Allie Harvey shot the ball great today, and Kelli Kowalick was solid at both ends of the floor.”
Mullin, named team MVP, collected a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, which included a 6-for-6 effort at the charity stripe. Allison Harvey led all scorers with 18 points, which included four three-pointers – all in the first half. She also was 4-for-4 at the foul line. Kelli Kowalick and Emily Tantala both had six points.
Neshaminy (13-2, 5-0 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Mt Lebanon 2-11-13-7 33
Neshaminy 13-14-12-8 47
Mt Lebanon (33) – Patrice Smith 13, Ashleigh Connor 8, Marian Turnbull 2, Jamey Napoleon 2, Morgan Palmer 7.
Neshaminy (47) – Emily Tantala 6, Olivia Scotti 2, Brooke Mullin 13, Kristin Curley 2, Kelli Kowalick 6, Allison Harvey 18.
SOUDERTON 60, SPRINGSIDE CHESTNUT HILL 34
The Indians opened up a double-digit lead after one quarter and took a 30-17 lead into the halftime locker room. Not a whole lot changed in the second half.
Megan Bealer, named team MVP, had the hot hand for the Indians, burying four three-pointers and finishing with 18 points. Mikaela Reese added 10, and Curran O’Donnell had nine. Megan Walbrandt added six in a contest that saw 10 players put their names in the scoring column.
Mo’ne Davis scored 18 to lead Springside Chestnut Hill.
Souderton (11-1, 5-0 SOL) will host Quakertown on Tuesday.
Springside Chestnut Hill 8-9-8-9 34
Souderton 18-12-18-12 60
Springside Chestnut Hill (34) – Mo’ne Davis 18, Kara Kniezewski 7, Ava Chavez 2, Katie Regan 3, Caroline Clark 4
Souderton (60) – Megan Bealer 18, Olivia Schneider 1, Megan Walbrandt 6, Erica Stephens 4, Hannah Alderfer 4, Gabby Ziegler 2, Curran O’Donnell 9, Megan O’Donnell 4, Mikaela Reese 10, Hayley Fenchel 2.
About the Author
