Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. Pennsbury/Executive Education Academy photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos. All SOS photo galleries for girls’ basketball can be viewed by clicking HERE.
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
NESHAMINY 47, PENNRIDGE 45
The visiting Redskins led by nine with six minutes remaining in the final quarter only to watch the Rams battle back to make things very interesting before the ‘Skins escaped with a hard fought win.
“Honestly, it’s hard to describe,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said of the ending. “We did miss a one-and-one, we had one egregious turnover, but other than that, it was pretty much up and down. It wasn’t like we held (the ball) or anything.
“We might have missed shots, but it was in the flow of the game, and I wasn’t upset by it.”
The Rams cut the Redskins’ lead to two after an Anna Coyle three with approximately 15 seconds remaining.
“The three they hit was from way out,” Gallagher said. “They had two fouls to give. On the third foul, we missed the front end of a one-and-one.
“They called a timeout off the rebound with about five seconds left. They ran a play for (Katie) Yoder up the left sideline. Lola Ibarrondo read it, jumped into the passing lane and caught it.”
Early on the Redskins opened up a 15-12 lead, and they still led by two at halftime. That lead grew to 39-33 heading into the final frame when the Rams came roaring back.
“They spent the whole game denying Lola,” Gallagher said. “Lola earned her chops last night. She had a couple of big games for us, and (coach) Mike Elton said, ‘We’re not going to let Lola get 20 tonight.’
“I talked to Lola at halftime, and I thought since they were denying her it might give her an opportunity to go to the boards and get some offensive rebounds, and Lola did get three offensive rebounds. When she gets offensive rebounds, our whole team just gets energized. She kept her composure the whole game. I was really happy with her play. For her to get the steal at the end was good.”
Maya Lewis didn’t score a point, but according to her coach, she was a key contributor.
“We gave her a shoutout after the game,” Gallagher said. “She worked so hard against (Katie) Yoder. I didn’t realize how strong Yoder was. They posted her up, and it was a battle. I couldn’t have been prouder of Mayah.”
Taylor Gurysh led the Redskins with 16 points – all in the final three quarters. She also had three asissts and one steal.`
“Taylor was ridiculous,” Gallagher said. “I’ll say, ‘Taylor, do me a favor and go play the post,’ or ‘You know what, go play point guard’ or ‘How about stepping out and hitting a three?’ She just does it all. It’s phenomenal. She’s really been our most consistent player throughout the year, and I’m really proud of her and really happy for her.”
Zemitis finished with three 3s and 14 points. She also had seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
“Reese (Zemitis) hit Taylor (Gurysh) at the end of the half for a big basket,” Gallagher said.
Also for the Redskins, Mimi Smith had 11 points.
“I failed to mention Mimi after the game, and I apologized to her,” Gallagher said. “She played really well, but I never realized she had 11 points.
“Also, there was a play in the third quarter I thought was important – Jess Purdy got an offensive rebound, and it kicked out to Reese, who hit one of her two 3s in the third quarter. It gave us life, it really did.”
Also for the Redskins, Ibarrondo added six points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals.
Yoder’s 12 points led the Rams while Croyle added 11. Emma Pyne had two 3-pointers and contributed eight points. Brown had seven points.
“It was really a fun game – it was up and down,” Gallagher said. “They’re hard to defend, they spread the floor really well. They have some really good outside shooters.
“They had a kid come off the bench – Ella Brown hit some big shots because we weren’t paying as much attention to her as Yoder and Croyle. She hit some timely shots for them.”
Neshaminy (8-1, 6-1 SOL) will host Lansdale Catholic in a non-league game on Saturday. Pennridge (7-7, 2-5) will host Council Rock South on Tuesday.
Neshaminy 15-10-14-8 47
Pennridge 12-11-10-12 45
Neshaminy (47) – Taylor Gurysh 8 0-0 16; Mimi Smith 4 2-2 11; Lola Ibarrondo 2 2-2 6; Reese Zemitis 5 1-2 14; TOTALS 19 5-6 47.
Pennridge (45) – Ella Brown 3 0-0 7; Anna Croyle 4 1-1 11; Katie Yoder 5 1-2 12; Ava Fantaskey 1 0-0 3; Emma Pyne 3 0-0 8; Ryan Hodder 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 18 2-3 45.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 3, Mimi Smith; Pennridge – Emma Pyne 2, Anna Croyle 2, Ava Fantaskey, Katie Yoder, Ella Brown.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 41, BENSALEM 35
Emily Spratt scored 20 points and also had four steals and eight rebounds to lead the visiting Bucks to the hard fought win over the Owls.
“Bensalem came out ready to play and really executed,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “Steve (Johnson) does a great job with them. It was fun – I got to play against him in college, which was neat, and he’s doing a great job. He’s got them engaged and moving.
“They played really well. They had us a little bit off our game to start. They had a one-point lead at halftime. We made our adjustments, and Emily Spratt really kind of took over.’
The two teams were deadlocked 8-8 after one quarter, and the Owls – sparked by seven points from Delaney Bell and six from Amber Howard – took a 19-18 lead into halftime. Spratt accounted for 14 of her team’s points, singlehandedly keeping the Bucks afloat.
“She had an awesome game,” Sibel said. “I’m proud of her for that. To have 20 points with the defense she’s been seeing the last couple of weeks is awesome. She just stays with it, she never gets discouraged. She just keeps moving forward.”
The Bucks outscored their hosts 14-6 in a third quarter that proved to be the difference in the game. Ava Longo and Gabi Senior both had four points in the quarter.
“We asked Gabi Senior to stand up and be more aggressive, and she did,” Sibel said. “She had the first couple of baskets at the game and did a nice job handling the ball for us. They dogged Katie Finnan pretty good. They kept their guard on her who’s an incredible athlete, so Gabi kind of helped to ease that pressure a little bit.
“Stats aside, Ava Longo probably had her most active game she’s played and probably the best game she’s played yet, so it’s good to see the girls trending. Scores are tight, and that’s what you get in the SOL. You get really good games. It’s fun, and that’s what makes this exciting. We’ll definitely get better and get ready for the push.”
Included in Spratt’s 20 points was a 10-for-13 effort at the foul line. Senior added eight points and two rebounds and Longo contributed six rebounds and four points.
For the Owls, Delaney Bell had 15 points, which included a perfect 10-for-10 effort at the foul line. Amber Howard added 13 points.
“Delaney Bell played her heart out, as usual, scoring a team high 15 points and pulling down 10 boards for her second consecutive double-double,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “The dreaded CB stretch is finally over. We played tough but fouled and put them on the line entirely too much.
“We played with high energy, and I thought we moved the ball very well at times, but we have to work on moving the ball well for 32 minutes. We got open shots at times but just was one of those days where they didn’t fall.”
Central Bucks West (10-2, 5-2 SOL) will host Council Rock North on Tuesday, and Bensalem (5-6, 2-6) will travel to North Penn on Tuesday.
Central Bucks West 8-10-14-9 41
Bensalem 8-11-6-10 35
Central Bucks West (41)- Tai Henkels 1 0-0 3; Katie Finnan 0 2-2 2; Nia Perry 1 0-0 3; Emily Spratt 5 10-13 20; Ava Longo 2 0-5 4; Gabi Senior 3 2-4 8; TOTALS 12 14-24 41
Bensalem (35) – Delaney Bell 2 10-10-15; Maddie MacDougall 1 0-0 2; Sam Daut 0 0-2 0; Erin Devlin 0 1-2 1; Averi McCoy 0 2-2 2; Ambert Howard 6 0-0 13; Talia DiMichele 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 10 13-16 35.
3-point goals: CBW – Tai Henkels, Nia Perry; Bensalem – Delaney Bell, Ambert Howard.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 48, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 31
The Patriots took a 25-18 lead into halftime and then outscored their hosts 14-6 in the third quarter to all but put the game out of reach on their way to the crossover win.
“It was a good team win – everyone contributed,” East coach Liz Potash said. “You’ve got to feel for Council Rock North – they’re really beat up right now, and they’re battling.”
The Indians not only lost Jaden Wan for the season but are also playing without Delaney McCaffery.
“Going into halftime, Kristen Polinsky had 10 points for them,” Potash said. “She hit three 3s on us in the first half, so we made a defensive adjustment and put Elise Duffy on her. Elise Duffy did an Elise Duffy thing and held her to two in the second half.
“We started to get a little more into a flow. We don’t see a lot of zone defenses. We practiced for it yesterday knowing they would play zone, but it took us a little bit to get into the groove, and we were able to have a lot more success in the second half.”
Duffy was not only a defensive catalyst but also scored a game high 19 points, which included a pair of 3s and a 7-for-8 effort at the foul line. Kendall Gregor added 11 points, and Anna Barry had eight. Both had a pair of 3-pointers. Shanye LeRay chipped in six points.
Polinsky’s 12-point game led the Indians. Ruth O’Keefe added eight points.
Central Bucks East (5-6, 4-4 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (2-10, 1-7) will be on the road at Central Bucks West.
Central Bucks East 8-17-14-9 48
Council Rock North 5-13-6-7 31
Central Bucks East (48) – Keira Shea 0 2-2 2 Shayne LeRay 2 1-3 6; Anna Barry 3 0-0 8; Elise Duffy 5 7-8 19; Kendall Gregor 3 3-3 11; Emily Curan 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 13-16 48.
Council Rock North (31) – Kiera Katz 2 0-2 4; Lizzie Lustig 1 0-0 2; Riley Hamilton 2 1-4 5; Kristen Polinsky 4 1-3 12; Ruth O’Keefe 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 13 2-9 31.
3-point goals: CBE – Anna Barry 2, Elise Duffy 2, Kendall Gregor 2, Shayne LeRay; CRN – Kristen Polinsky 3.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 57, HARRY S TRUMAN 36
Sparked by the 21-point effort of senior Taylor Hinkle, the Titans rolled to the crossover win. They led by just a 9-7 score after one quarter but outscored the visiting Tigers 18-10 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 27-17 advantage. They added to that lead in the second half.
“Truman played hard, and I was happiest with our execution in the second half,” South coach Beth Mattern said of a contest that saw 10 players put their names in the scoring column.
In addition to Hinkle, Sammy Schiesser had eight points, and Mackenzie Erb added seven.
For the Tigers. Mayah Alford led the way with 11 points – eight in the first half. Secret McCleve added nine points, and Dahlia Gumaa had seven points.
Central Bucks South (9-3, 5-3 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (0-8, 0-6) will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 7-10-5-14 36
Central Bucks South 9-18-14-16 57
Harry S Truman (36) – Mayah Alford 5 1-3 11; Saniya Blount 2 0-0 4; Camille Monroe 1 0-0 3; Patricia Monroe 1 0-0 2; Secret McCleve 4 1-1 9; Dahlia Gumaa 3 1-1 7; TOTALS 16 3-5 36.
Central Bucks South (57) – Casey Balkir 2 0-0 5; Ella Wheeler 1 0-0 2; Taylor Hinkle 8 3-3 21; Mackenzie Erb 1 5-6 7; Mia Klein 1 0-0 2; Maddie Tantum 1 0-2 2; Sammy Schiesser 3 1-2 8; Addison Geary 1 0-0 2; Yoyo Samayoa 2 0-0 5; Kristen Conway 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 21-10-15 57.
3-point goals: HST – Camille Monroe; CBS – Taylor Hinkle 2, Casey Balkir, Sammy Schiesser, Yoyo Samayoa.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
ABINGTON 89, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 74
It’s hardly a secret that coach Dan Marsh prefers an up-tempo game. The faster the better for Marsh and his Ghost squad. Most teams try to counter that by slowing the game down.
As for the visiting Lions – well, they did just the opposite. The end result was a wildly entertaining game that saw the two teams combine for 163 points.
“This team was fearless, absolutely fearless, and just went at it,” Marsh said. “They’re like, ‘All right, you want to play up and down, we’ll play up and down,’ and that’s what they did.
“Instead of them trying to make us adapt to their style, they’re like, ‘Nope, we’re just going to run with them,’ and it was fun. It was great. That was probably the most fun games I’ve ever been part of.”
Abington – behind eight points from Jaida Helm – scored 20 points in the first quarter. But the Ghosts trailed the Lions by three. Reagan Chrencik’s 10 points led NHS. The Ghosts outscored the Lions 21-16 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 41-39 advantage.
“New Hope played amazing,” Marsh said. “They led for most of the first half.
“It was funny because our kids were getting a little frustrated. I’m like – ‘Our style will wear them down, don’t worry.’ We were up 20 at one point, and sure enough, they battled back.”
Sparked by 12 points from Abril Bowser – including a pair of 3s, the Ghosts outscored the Lions 27-15 in the third quarter to go on top 68-54. That set the stage for a 41-point fourth quarter with the Ghosts holding a one-point edge over their visitors.
“Way back, my brother, who coaches out west, told me ‘When you go to this style, you’ll never go back. It’s just so much fun,’” Marsh said. “Both teams were competing, both teams were having fun, both teams were scoring. It was just an amazingly fun high school basketball game. I was glad to be a part of it. It was quite interesting.”
Making the game even more remarkable was the fact that New Hope-Solebury was coming off back-to-back losses to Upper Moreland and Plymouth Whitemarsh and scored just 24 points in their loss to UM and 19 in a lopsided loss to the Colonials.
“We had a tough week and I wanted us to get back playing the right way and move the ball,” New Hope-Solebury coach Steve Polinsky said. “I’m proud of the girls and how they all played tonight.
“I was not going to hold the ball and play zone – ‘Let’s just get after it and see where the chips fall.’
“Tonight was the first time in two weeks our starters played together – several of them had been out for medical reasons. Reagan Chrencik has played so well all year long and tonight she was great. Scoring 26 points against Abington is no small feat. She was hitting shots all over the place. I’m happy for her. It was a loss, but I really liked the way we played.”
Chrencik led the Lions with 26 points, which included four 3-pointers. Freshman Isabella Elizondo added 16 while Madi Fasti had 13 and Emily Wilson, 11 points.
For the Ghosts. Cire Worley led the way with 30 points, which included an 8-for-11 effort at the foul line. She also had 10 rebounds and five steals in a monster performance. Bowser, who had four 3-pointers, and Jaida Helm each added 20 points. Helm also had 13 rebounds. Freshman Maya Johnson added 11 points and seven assists.
“We knew that Abington was really good, but seeing them up close, they are relentless,” Polinsky said. “Worley is an incredible player and Helm and Bowser both a nice games. Coach Marsh does a great job with all those girls.”
Abington (10-1, 7-0 SOL) will travel to Governor Mifflin for a non-league game Saturday. New Hope-Solebury (4-6, 3-4) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
New Hope-Solebury 23-16-15-20 74
Abington 20-21-27-21 89
New Hope-Solebury (74) – Emily Wilson 3 4-6 11; Isabella Elizondo 8 0-1 16; Madi Fasti 3 4-4 13; Reagan Chrencik 9 4-4 26; Nina Mexler 3 1-2 8; TOTALS 26 13-17 74.
Abington (89) – Cire Worley 11 8-11 30; Abril Bowser 8 0-0 20; Jaida Helm 7 6-8 20; Maya Johnson 5 1-2 11; Dani Brusha 0 2-2 2; Maura Day 1 0-0 2; Krysten Brown 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 34 17-23 89.
3-point goals: NHS – Reagan Chrencik 4, Emily Wilson, Madi Fasti 3, Nina Wexler. Abington – Abril Bowser 4.
UPPER DUBLIN 37, UPPER MORELAND 28
The Flying Cardinals handed the Golden Bears their first loss of the league season, but their celebration was tempered by the fact that four-year varsity veteran Bliss Brenner suffered a knee injury early in the fourth quarter.
“We don’t know the extent of the injury, but she was unable to finish the game,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “She’s a four-year varsity player, and on a team that lacks experience, she is our everything. She does everything for us.
“I told anybody that would listen to me that if we found a way to win these two games, talking about Hatboro and Upper Moreland, I’m going to be on cloud nine. Results-wise I am, but the Bliss news – she’s our point guard, she’s our best defender, she just does everything. I’m hoping there’s good news because she’s what makes us go.”
A look back at the game, Geena Sarnoski once again ignited the Cardinals’ offense, burying a pair of 3s and scoring eight points in a first quarter that saw the Cardinals open up an 11-8 lead.
“It was a very similar feel to our Hatboro game of last night,” Funsten said. “We had three games this week, and Geena Sarnoski scored 14 points in the first half Tuesday night, last night against Hatboro, she had two big 3s in the first half, and tonight she had 11 points in the first half.
“In games like this, anyone who knew anything about how the game was going to go tonight knew it was going to be a pretty low scoring game, and it’s important to score early. It kind of loosens up the rest of the team.”
The win was the third of the week for the Cardinals and capped a grueling stretch of seven games in 11 days.
“Coming off a rough week last week, on Tuesday night, (Sarnoski) got us going making shots in the first half and again today,” Funsten said. “She’s been rock solid for us recently and is putting the ball in the basket and taking the pressure off the other girls on the team.”
The Cardinals – behind 11 points from Sarnoski and eight from Amy Ngo – took a 22-10 lead into halftime.
“We were up 22-10 just like we were up 29-10 last night, and Upper Moreland chipped away, chipped away,” Funsten said. “Very, very unfortunately, a couple minutes into the fourth quarter Bliss Brenner went down with a knee injury.
“Upper Moreland was already in the middle of making a run at this point, so the momentum was completely in their favor. Our girls were obviously upset about Bliss. Upper Moreland scored the next five points to get it to 30-28.
“They got it to a one possession game with about a minute-and-a-half to go. They fouled us, and Geena Sarnoski made both ends of a one-and-one, so they never had the ball in a one possession game. It kept us comfortable enough, we got some stops down the stretch, made some foul shots. It wasn’t pretty. We weren’t expecting it to be pretty tonight, but we’re real excited to get out of that gym – it’s a tough place to play – with a win and just hoping for some good news about Bliss.”
Upper Dublin (7-6, 5-3 SOL) will host Lower Moreland on Tuesday, and Upper Moreland (7-2, 5-1 SOL) will be on the road at Quakertown on Tuesday.
Upper Dublin 11-11-6-9 37
Upper Moreland 7-3-8-10 28
Upper Dublin (37) – Alaina Sanders 0 2-2 2; Aditi Foster 1 3-8 5; Geena Sarnoski 4 4-6 15; Colleen Klammer 0 1-2 1; Amy Ngo 5 3-4 14; TOTALS 10 13-22 37.
Upper Moreland (37) – EmmyFaith Wood 5 2-2 14; Kiera Coyle 2 0-0 6; Holly Gohl 2 4-5 6; TOTALS 9 6-11 28.
3-point goals: UD – Geena Sarnoski 3, Amy Ngo; UM -EmmyFaith Wood 2, Kiera Coyle 2.
QUAKERTOWN 48, WILLIAM TENNENT 35
Carolyn Sipprell scored a game high 17 points, and teammate Katie Catalano added 13 to lead Quakertown to the crossover win.
“The final score doesn’t reflect how close the game felt tonight,” Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford said. “William Tennent came out with a lot of energy in the first couple of minutes.
“We turned the ball over and weren’t making our rotations on defense and they were able to capitalize off that. I think they were up by 8 or 10 points. We were missing our shots early and just couldn’t get rolling. We were able to switch up our defense and offensive set and finally got some buckets off our steals.”
Quakertown led 14-11 after one quarter and took a 27-20 advantage into halftime. Sipprell’s nine points led the visitors.
“Carolyn was a force in the post,” Bamford said. “At some points, there were two or three girls on her, and she still made the basket. She was 5-for-6 from the field and had nine deflections.”
Quakertown took a 36-32 advantage into halftime and held on for the win.
“At the end of the game, they started fouling us,” Bamford said. “All our players played with confidence at the end, and Katie Catalano was able to hit two free throws in the last three minutes which made us relax a little more being up by eight points. Katie has such speed breaking the pressure.
“Laney Mitchell made some beautiful passes leading Carolyn to finish under the rim as well as being three of four from the field. Laney’s effort on defense gives us a bit of a spark and allows our other players to feed off that.”
Mitchell added 10 points for Quakertown, and Katie Hagerty chipped in with six.
For Tennent, Ella Mednick and Chase Dubzak led the way with seven points. Adding six points each were Savannah Zeaman, Courtney Bragen, Alyssa Lewicki and Morgan Volz.
“Bragen – in the second half – made a couple drives to the basket against our zone,” Bamford said. “Laura (Whitney) had the girls very well prepared, and they played hard till the very second that buzzer went off.”
For Tennent, it was yet another close loss.
“It was another back-and-forth competitive game where we came up short.,” coach Laura Whitney said. “But I’m really proud of how our girls battled. It’s been a tough past two weeks, and it would be really easy for our girls to hang their heads and give up, but they continue to play hard and come to practice with a great attitude.
“We got off to a fast start and we’re up 9-2 before Quakertown closed out the first quarter on a 10-2 run to end the quarter up 12-11. We had some unforced turnovers that really let them back in the game, and they held the momentum most of the second quarter. I thought we did a nice job of hanging in there and steadying the ship with Courtney (Bragen) and Morgan (Volz) both in foul trouble. Savannah Zeaman came in off the bench and really provided a lot of energy and kept us afloat with two big baskets to end the first half.
“Second half we came out strong again, but never really managed to keep the momentum going and stretch the game open. Quakertown did a nice job of trying to speed us up and we had some costly turnovers. With Quakertown up three with 3:30 left to go in the game, they hit a big 3 that really seemed to be the dagger. We weren’t able to answer and then we’re forced to play the foul game to which Quakertown stepped up and made free throws.”
The loss was the seventh straight for William Tennent
“It’s not the outcome we were hoping for, but there was still a lot of positives,” Whitney said. “Everyone that played contributed, and we had balanced scoring for one of the first times this year. Ella (Mednick) and Savannah (Zeaman) are beginning to play with a lot more confidence and having more of an impact on the game. I thought Alyssa (Lewicki) hit two big 3s and got some big defensive rebounds.
“Although it’s been frustrating losing the way we have the last several games, it’s a great learning experience for our younger players. It may not benefit us right now, but later this season and especially next year we will see it pay off.”
Quakertown (6-6, 3-4 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday, and William Tennent (2-9, 2-5) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday.
Quakertown 14-13-10-11 48
William Tennent 11-9-11-4 35
Quakertown (48) – Carolyn Sipprell 6 5-7 17; Katie Hagerty 2 1-2 6; Katie Catalano 4 2-2 13; Laney Mitchell 3 4-4 10; Leah Mestayer 1 0-0 2; Kayla Sicher 1 0-0 2; 17 12-15 48.
William Tennent (35) – Ella Mednick 3 0-0 7; Savannah Zeaman 3 0-0 6; Chase Dubzak 2 1-1 7; Courtney Bragen 3 0-0 6; Alyssa Lewicki 2 0-0 6; Morgan Volz; TOTALS 16 1-1 38.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Katie Catalano 3, Katie Hagerty; WT – Chase Dubzak 2, Alyssa Lewicki 2, Ella Mednick.
LOWER MORELAND 46, WISSAHICKON 39
Sparked by the hot hand of Jess Dugo, the Lions, who led 13-7 after one quarter, took a 26-16 lead into halftime on their way to the big win.
“This was a very satisfying win for us,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “After losing a close one to Hatboro and getting smoked by Abington, it was great to see the girls respond the way they did. During pre-game, I saw how focused they were, and I had a feeling that we would play well.”
Dugo played a major role in the Lions’ strong start, burying four 3-pointers and scoring 14 points in the first half. Liz Neeld added eight points, which included two 3s. In the second half, freshman Briana McFerran found her offensive groove, scoring 14 points – eight in the third quarter.
“Briana McFerran was excellent tonight especially in the third quarter,” Becker said. “At halftime, up 10, we knew they would make a push and they were able to get it down to four, and to the girls’ credit, they buckled down and got it back to nine to start the fourth.
“Once they got it down to four, we kept isolating Briana, and she was able to convert and gave us that nine-point cushion to start the fourth. For a freshman to stay that calm and be willing to answer the call speaks to why I think she can be a special player. Wissahickon – and this is no surprise – kept coming at us. Tuesday vs Hatboro we were not able to finish, and tonight, the girls were able to learn from that game, stay composed and were able to close out the win. I like the character of our team. Every time they threatened, we were able to answer back with either a strong defensive possession or a timely basket.”
Dugo led all scorers with 19 points.
“As usual, Jess Dugo had another really strong game and set the tone for us,” Becker said.
McFerran finished with 16 while Neeld had nine in a contest that saw just three Lower Moreland players get their names in the scoring column.
For the Trojans, Kaitlyn McGeary’s 17 points led the way. Included in those 17 points was a 7-for-8 effort at the foul line – she was 6-for-6 in the fourth quarter.
“We knew going in that McGeary would be tough,” Becker said. “It was satisfying to see them grow and be able to carry over from yesterday’s practice to tonight’s game.
“Liz Neeld really played well on both ends of the court. She played McGeary exactly how we wanted to play her and hit a couple of 3s in the first half to keep them at arm’s distance. Our pre-game our goal was to hold her to under 15 points, she scored 17, with seven coming on free throws.”
Also for the Trojans, Verrier had 10 points, and Kylie Friedman had nine.
Lower Moreland (4-4, 2-4 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Tuesday, and Wissahickon (5-5, 2-5) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Monday.
Wissahickon 7-9-13-10 39
Lower Moreland 13-13-12-8 46
Wissahickon (39) – Kylie Friedman 2 3-4 9; Chloe Acuna 1 1-2 3; Julia Verrier 3 6-8 10; Kaitlyn McGeary 5 7-8 17; TOTALS 11 14-20 39.
Lower Moreland (46) – Tori Finnegan 1 0-0 2; Liz Neeld 3 1-6 9; Jess Dugo 6 3-4 19; Briana McFerran 7 2-2 16; TOTALS 17 6-12 46.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Kylie Friedman 2, Julia Verrier; LM Jess Dugo 4, Liz Neeld 2.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 51, CHELTENHAM 20
Emily Thomas was feeling it from beyond the arc.
The Hatters’ senior connected on four 3-pointers and 20 points in the first half. She finished with a game high 23 points, which included five 3s.
“We came out of the gate like we always do – slow and sluggish,” HH coach Eric Glemser said. “They played us in a 2-3 zone the whole game, and we were struggling. For some reason, they’re not going on.
“We put some pressure on them, started to get some steals. Emily got a steal, got into a rhythm and started stroking some 3s.”
The Hatters led by just an 8-5 score after one quarter with Thomas accounting for five of those points. In the second quarter, Thomas – the catalyst in a 24-point frame – connected on three 3-pointers and scored 15 points to send the Hatters into halftime with a 32-9 lead.
“Caroline Shegogue – who had a good game last night – was passing the ball to Emily,” Glemser said. “It was good for Emily. I coached her in AAU back in the day, and she’s capable of scoring. She puts a lot of pressure on herself. When she catches and fires it up, no problem.”
Alice Hall, held to just one point in the Hatters’ loss to Upper Dublin 24 hours earlier, scored 15 points in less than three quarters.
Also for the Hatters, Alli Hewish contributed six points.
Mikahila Leighton’s eight points led the Lady Panthers. Arianna Davis added six points.
Hatboro-Horsham (5-3, 4-3 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (2-7, 0-5) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 5-4-8-3 20
Hatboro-Horsham 8-24-17-2 51
Cheltenham (20) – Mikahila Leighton 2 3-6 8; Arianna Davis 3 0-0 6; Tyrina Ragsdale 2 0-0 4; Amelia Yevoli 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 8 3-6 20.
Hatboro-Horsham (51) – Caroline Shegogue 1 0-0 2; Alice Hall 7 1-4 15; Kitty Randa 1 0-0 2; Leah Harrington 0 0-1 0; Alli Hewish 2 1-2 6; Emily Thomas 9 0-1 23; Sam Hollish 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 21 3-10 51.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Mikahila Leighton; HH – Emily Thomas 5, Alli Hewish.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 61, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 16
Abby Sharpe was all but unstoppable in Friday’s rout of the Spartans, leading a first-half offensive explosion with 18 of her game high 20 points before halftime. Included in that big performance were four 3-point goals.
As a team, the Colonials connected on eight 3s in the first half.
“All 15 players on the roster were able to contribute tonight,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said.
In addition to Sharpe, Erin Daley, Lainey Allen and Kaitlyn Flanagan each added eight points.
For the Spartans, Jayla Daniels had eight points, and Alana Decker had six.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (10-0, 7-0 SOL) will host Scranton Prep in a non-league game on Saturday at 1 p.m. Springfield Township (2-7, 0-6) will host Abington on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 24-22-10-5 61
Springfield Township 6-0-4-5 16
Plymouth Whitemarsh (61) – Angelina Balcer 1 0-0 3; Kaitlyn Flanagan 3 0-0 8; Fiona Gooneratne 2 0-0 5; Haley O’Hara 0 1-2 1; Erin Daley 3 2-2 8; Abby Sharpe 7 0-0 20; Rhianna Gooneratne 1 0-1 2; Lainey Allen 4 0-2 8; Jordyn Thomas 3 0-1 6; TOTALS 24 3-8 61.
Springfield Township (16) – Annie Coll 1 0-0 2; Jayla Daniels 4 0-1 8; Alana Decker 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 7 2-3 16.
3-poing goals: PW – Abby Sharpe 6, Kaitlyn Flanagan 2, Angelina Balcer, Fiona Gooneratne.
Non-league
PENNSBURY 54, EXECUTIVE EDUCATION 29
Ava Sciolla put on a clinic from beyond the arc, burying six 3-pointers and scoring a game high 21 points to lead the Falcons to the bounce back win after they suffered their first loss of the season 24 hours earlier. The senior captain also had six rebounds and five assists.
“Sometimes when you take a tough loss, the best thing to do is get right back on the horse and ride again into battle,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “It’s a long ride home from Souderton and there’s not much time to hang your head because the team coming in tonight also is much bigger and it’s also athletic, but they offer for a different look in that they play a variety of zone defenses.
“We had a really nice crowd on the whiteout night, and we did a good job sharing the ball. We had 16 assists, and Sofia Vitucci had a career high with seven assists. It’s so important to remember that she’s in 10th grade and she’s experiencing so many new things and she’s so fun to coach because she’s so competitive and she wants to be great.”
The Falcons got off to a bit of a slow start, outscoring their visitors 10-8, and they recuperated quite nicely from that sluggish start to bury their visitors with a 16-0 second quarter. Sciolla was the catalyst, scoring 11 points.
Coach Sciolla went deep down his bench, allowing nine players to get their names in the scoring column.
I was happy that Izzy Ruta continues to develop,” the Falcons’ coach said. “She grabbed three rebounds for us and was active on the interior.
“Ava was Ava, but beyond the obvious things, she continues to improve as a floor general and a leader. She made sure everyone understood before they got off the bus last night it was time to press the reset button. That every day is a day of improvement for us because it’s so new for so many of them. Replacing four starters from last year gives people an incredible opportunity and it makes for exciting practices because the girls are competing.”
Sofia Vitucci added seven points while Daniella MacDonald and Nicole Pompili both had six points.
“I can see how Executive Education is a handful up in District 11 because of the athleticism of their zone,” Sciolla said. “You don’t have much time to make decisions, but we did a good job moving the ball tonight.
“Several times and found the hands of Daniella MacDonald, and she’s always ready to shoot the ball and be aggressive and that’s something we need right now. Layla Matthias was active as usual and all over the place grabbing the flexions and getting six rebounds.”
Pennsbury (10-1, 6-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
Pennsbury 10-16-15-13 54
Executive Education 8-0-10-11 29
Pennsbury (54) – Ava Sciolla 7 1-2 21; Layla Matthias 0 2-5 2; Daniella MacDonald 2 1-2 6; Sofia Vitucci 2 2-2 7; Nicole Pompili 2 0-0 6; Navaeh Dash 1 0-1 2; Maggie Burns 1 1-2 3; Liv Gilchrist 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 18 7-14 54.
Executive Education (29) – T’Nyah Riggins 1 0-0 2; Kimberly Madrid 0 2-2 2; Aubrey Pollard 4 1-2 9; Shaylynn Waters 6 4-8 16; Betty Shawna 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 11 7-14 29.
3-point goals – Ava Sciolla 6, Nicole Pompili 2, Daniella McDonald, Sofia Vitucci, Izzy Ruta.
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