Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Thursday. Souderton/PW photos provided courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for a gallery of photos. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL non-league crossover
SOUDERTON 37, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 31
The Indians trailed by one after one quarter but outscored the Colonials 8-3 in the second to go into halftime with a 19-15 advantage. Souderton led 28-22 heading into the final quarter, but PW rallied to knot the score.
Olivia Herron hit a clutch 3 -pointer to put the Indians on top with just over a minute remaining in regulation, and they held on for the win
“The game was tied 31-31, and she hit the 3-pointer to put us up three,” Souderton coach Eric Miller said. “We got a stop at the other end, and then we were playing a free throw game. This is a huge win for us.”
The accomplishments of PW’s middle school team were recognized at halftime.
Key players: Olivia Herron’s 15 points – which included four 3-pointers – led the Indians. She scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter.
Olivia Patete’s eight-point effort led the Colonials’ offense. She also had five rebounds. Eliza Meersman pulled down 12 rebounds in a dominant effort, and Grace Harvey had four steals.
Souderton coach Eric Houston:
–The game: “It was a nice win, especially on the road. It’s different on the road than when you’re at home. You’re dealing with a lot of different elements as far as the crowd and just everything, but we went out there and got it done.
“We changed some little things up. Normally, we play man-to-man the entire game, but we actually played zone the majority of the second half. We wanted to slow them up because all they wanted to do was drive. They hit a couple of big shots in the fourth quarter, but we forced them to make some bad
decisions with the ball against our zone. We capitalized on the offensive end, and we hit some big shots when we needed to hit big shots, and that’s part of the game. Everything isn’t going to look pretty.”
–Props: “Kiera Fadden had another phenomenal game. It doesn’t show on the stat sheet as far as numbers, but she got the hustle rebounds and did all the little things.
“They face guarded Maddie (Nenstiel) tonight. They tried to frustrate her, but she did a good job of keeping her composure.
“On the road, it’s a great team win.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty:
The game: “Tough loss to very good Souderton team tonight. Our girls had great comeback from being down 28-17 to tie the game. Unfortunately, we made a couple of crucial mistakes defensively that led to open shots at the end. Credit them for making them.
“We were really disappointed in the effort and focus we showed at CR South on Tuesday, The team responded tonight with a much better performance, which is all we ask of them.”
–Props: “Have to applaud the effort of Mia Baron tonight – her defensive energy got us going and ultimately kept us in it. So excited to see Joslyn Perez back on the court and score tonight (first action since her torn ACL last year). Kenna Winland, Grace Harvey, and Liv Patete made huge 3s to get the game tied. Eliza Meersman did fantastic job on the boards all night as well.”
Up next: Souderton will travel to Pennridge Tuesday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh will host Dobbins in a non-league game Friday.
Souderton 11-8-9-9 37
Plymouth Whitemarsh 12-3-7-9 31
Souderton (37) – Maddie Nenstiel 1 2-2 5; Olivia Herron 4 3-4 15; Madison Bealer 1 0-0 3; Mia Morgan 1 0-0 3; Kiera Fadden 1 1-2 3; Avie Sackor 1 4-6 6; Alaina Picard 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 10 10-14 37.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (31) – Joslyn Perez 1 1-2 3; Liv Patete 3 1-2 8; Kenna Winland 1 0-0 3; Mia Baron 1 2-2 4; Eliza Meersman 1 4-4 6; Grace Harvey 2 1-4 7; TOTALS 9 9-14 31.
3-point goals: S – Olivia Herron 4, Maddie Nenstiel, Madison Bealer, Mia Morgan; PW – Liv Patete, Kenna Winland, Grace Harvey 2.
PENNSBURY 49, WILLIAM TENNENT 39
The Panthers – behind five points from Avery Kocur – led 12-7 after one quarter, but the visiting Falcons erased that lead with a 17-point second quarter to go into halftime with a 24-22 lead. Keira Socha had a pair of second-quarter 3s and scored 11 in the opening half.
Pennsbury added to its lead with a 17-9 third quarter on its way to the important road win.
Key players: Alyssa Thomas (14 points) and Keira Socha (13 points) led the Falcons. Thomas had 10 of her points in the second half, which included a 5-for-6 effort at the foul line. Socha was the offensive catalyst in the first half, scoring 11 of her 13 points before the half. Joley Hohman and Sammie Haws added nine points each.
For the Panthers, Avery Kocur had 14 points, and Halie Staub added 11.
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla:
–The game: “Obviously, coming into tonight we were very concerned as Tennent is playing really well, and they were playing at home on the heels of a nice winning streak, and they had a very nice crowd.
“We weren’t quite sure how things would go for us tonight. Even during the school day, we were not sure who would be available to play and who wasn’t. They jumped on us in transition quickly. We seemed a step slow mentally and physically, and we had to pull out some old school motivation that we hadn’t used in a couple of years at two timeouts in the first half.
“Keira Socha, as has been her wont the past four weeks, got us rolling with a couple of big 3s, and Alyssa Thomas attacked the rim to balance and finished, and we cut a six-point deficit and took a narrow lead at the half.
“Tennent it’s so good in transition and Avery Kocur is so excellent playing on defense in passing lanes and putting pressure on your defense with the way she pushes the ball. It forced us to make some changes on defense and in transition.
“In the second half, Sammie Haws got a couple of big 3s to drop. Joley Hohman had five assists and did a great job locating people, and Alyssa had some clutch hoops. Keira knocked down two free throws when they cut it to five, and after a shaky period, we closed the game out well”
–Classic Pennsbury win: “After the game in the hallway, Logan Klock (assistant ) said it was a classic Pennsbury win – ugly game on the road and we figured it out.
“Winning games like this on the road and figuring it out is still a new thing for everyone on this team when it comes to the role that they are in, and we have a number of things that we can definitely build on in terms of decision making for tonight, but it was good to get a road win over a very good team.”
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney:
–The game: “It wasn’t the result we were hoping for, but I’m super proud of the way our girls competed tonight. Pennsbury is a talented team, and they present some matchup challenges. I have a lot of respect for Frank and the way he runs his program. His teams are always prepared, and they play great fundamental team basketball.
“Against a team like Pennsbury, it’s so important to have a good start, and I thought we did that tonight. We came out and played with a ton of confidence and energy the first quarter and were active and aggressive defensively. We knew Pennsbury wasn’t going to go away easily. They’re too good of a team, and sure enough, they made a nice run the second quarter to take the lead. Unfortunately, in the second and third quarter, we had too many breakdowns defensively where they were able to take advantage of some mismatches and burn time off the clock in the process.
“Despite being down 11 heading into the fourth quarter, our girls showed no quit and continued to fight and got it down to five with just under two minutes left. We had a few more chances but weren’t able to execute and then Pennsbury was able to eat some more clock before we had to start fouling.”
“I think tonight showed our girls that we can compete with these top teams. If we play a little better defensively and finish a few more possessions, it may have been a different outcome. Nonetheless, we can learn from tonight and it’s only going to help us later in the season and during playoffs.
“The great thing is we have another opportunity tomorrow night. We’re hoping to bounce back against a tough Bensalem team.”
Up next: Pennsbury will host Phoenixville in a non-league game Saturday (12:30pm), and William Tennent will host Bensalem on Friday in an SOL non-league crossover game.
Pennsbury 7-17-17-8 49
William Tennent 12-9-9-9 39
Pennsbury (49) – Emily Panero 0 0-2 0; Grace Schaufler 1 0-0 2; Sammie Haws 3 1-2 9; Alyssa Thomas 4 5-6 14; Shea Quenzer 1 0-0 2; Joley Hohman 4 1-3 9; Keira Socha 4 2-2 13; TOTALS 17 9-15 49
William Tennent (39) – Avery Kocur 6 0-0 14; Carissa Malpezzi 2 0-0 4; Halie Staub 4 1-2 11; Hannah Wong 2 0-0 4; Megan Volz 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 17 1-4 39.
3-point goals: P – Keira Socha 3, Sammie Haws 2, Alyssa Thomas; WT – Halie Staub 2, Avery Kocur 2.
NORTH PENN 76, ABINGTON 46
The Knights raced out of the gate to a 22-8 lead after one quarter and never looked back. Lily Brown and Saniah Hammond both had seven points in the opening quarter to jumpstart the Knights.
Kay players: Lily Brown led all scorers with 21 points – 11 in the first half. Mehya Godhania added 19 points, which included four 3-pointers. She scored 11 points in a 21-point third quarter. Saniah Hammond had 14 points – 12 in the first half. Tallie Smink added nine and Ava Wood had eight.
For Abington, Aniyah Williams had 20 points – 16 in the first half.
North Penn coach Bri Cullen:
–The game: “A huge team win. We knew Abington would be really well prepared, so we wanted to make sure everyone understood the game plan that was in place. We had players step up big tonight, which is so nice to see.
–Props: “ I am so proud of their work on the defensive more than anything. We adjusted at the half and held (Aniyah) Williams to four in the second half which made a huge difference. I am proud of the girls for playing a complete game against a really competitive Abington team.”
Abington coach Allison Lawson: “I don’t think we played our best basketball tonight.”
Up next: North Penn will travel to Central Bucks West on Tuesday, and Abington will host Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Abington 8-17-17-4 46
North Penn 22-17-21-16 76
Abington (46) – Rhyane Rogers 3 1-4 8; Asaliya Ortiz 0 2-2 2; Nora Luskin 1 0-0 3; Shya Crafton 3 0-4 6; Caleigh Fitzgerald 3 0-0 6; Aniyah Williams 6 8-8 20; TOTALS 16 11-18-46.
North Penn (76) – Saniah Hammond 4 4-4 14; Ava Wood 3 1-2 8; Paityn Debro 0 3-4 3; Lily Brown 8 5-9 21; Ryan Copeland 1 0-0 2; Mehya Godhania 4 1-1 19; Tallie Smink 4 0-1 9; TOTALS 27 14-21 76.
3-point goals: A – Rhyane Rogers, Nora Luskin, Caleigh Fitzgerald; NP – Mehya Godhania 4, Saniah Hammond 2, Ava Wood, Tallie Smink.
Non-league
HATBORO-HORSHAM 49, MASTERY CHARTER NORTH – PICKETT 31
Despite the absence of two regulars from their lineup, the Hatters, who led 13-11 after one quarter, took a 30-16 lead into halftime. Angelica Visceglia and Madison Duggan combined for 18 points to lead the Hatters in the half.
Key players: Angelica Visceglia’s 16 points led the way. She scored nine in the first half on three 3-pointers. Madison Duggan and Sarah Gleason both had 11 points. Duggan scored nine in the first half.
Hatboro-Horsham associate head coach Nicole Miletto:
–The game: “It was nice to get a win tonight after a tough loss on Tuesday. The girls came out of the gate, ready to go and ready to play. This was probably one of our best games all around offensively and defensively all season. We had been struggling rebounding and tonight we were all over the boards on the offensive and defensive end.
“We did struggle in the third quarter and let them cut the lead to five. The girls persevered and had a nice final quarter to end the game.”
–Props: “Sophomore Sarah Gleason and senior Madison Duggan were a terror on defense. We usually can count on them for outstanding defense, but tonight they turned on the offense as they each scored 11 points. Senior Angelica Visceglia also had a big night. She ran the offense and hit a couple of big shots in the first half to get us a nice lead. Junior Madison Siegfried added six points, and senior Natalie Linn and junior Cora Saxer gave us some good minutes and crashed the boards hard for us.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham will be on the road at Pennridge Friday for an SOL non-league crossover game.
Mastery Charter North 11-5-12-3 31
Hatboro-Horsham 13-17-8-11 49
Mastery Charter North (31) – Janiyah Brown 2 2-7 6; Jada Gilchrist 2 1-2 5; Bailey Byrd 4 0-0 10; Lyric Lewis 1 0-0 3; Alaysha Godfrey 1 5-6 6; Syreeah Rogers 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 10 8-17 31.
Hatboro-Horsham (49) – Angelica Visceglia 5 3-3 16; Madison Duggan 4 2-4 11; Cora Saxer 1 0-0 2; Madison Siegfried 2 2-2 6; Sarah Gleason 5 0-0 11; Natalie Linn 1 0-0 2; Ciara Lacey 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 18 8-11 49.
3-point goals: MCN – Bailey Byrd 2, Lyric Lewis; HH – Angelica Visceglia 3, Madison Duggan, Sarah Gleason.
UPPER MORELAND 48, FRANKLIN TOWNE CHARTER 24
The Golden Bears trailed 12-11 after one quarter but then turned the defensive intensity up, allowing just 12 points the rest of the way. They outscored their visitors 15-4 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 26-16 lead on their way to the decisive win.
Key player: Brogan Neely’s 16 points led the Golden Bears. Emma Kramer added eight points.
Upper Moreland coach Josh Adelman:
–The game: “Upper Moreland got off to a quick start and scored 32 first-half points to jump out to a halftime lead of 32-16. Brogan Neely knocked down four 3-pointers, scoring 14 of her team-high 16 points.
“Eight total Golden Bears scored for the game, and the team scored 14 third quarter points to seal the game. It was a great team win that showed our ability to be unselfish, aggressive on both offense and defense, and we earned a solid win. We have another home game Friday night against Neshaminy.”
Up next: Upper Moreland will host Neshaminy in an SOL crossover non-league game Friday.
Franklin Towne Center 12-4-0-8 24
Upper Moreland 17-15-14-2 48
Frankling Towne Center (24) – Makayla Cruz- 20, Payton Stone- 2, Makenzie Burnside- 2.
Upper Moreland (48) – Brogan Neely 16, Brooklyn Kavanagh 5, Mia Taliafero 4, Hailey Kramer 6, Emma Kramer 8, Maddy Frantz 4, Charlotte Viereck 1, Haily Milks 4.
LOWER MORELAND 35, FAITH CHRISTIAN 18
Lower Moreland led 12-8 after one quarter and extended its lead to 20-10 by halftime. The host Lions outscored their visitors 15-8 in the second half on their way to the win.
Key players: Mollie Martin’s 11 points led the Lions. Sydney Santora added 10 points, and Emma DiJoseph had seven.
Lower Moreland coach Andy Krasna:
–The game: “Tonight, vs Faith Christian Academy (FCA), we had our best defensive performance of the season to date and followed our game plan perfectly. More importantly, we matched FCA’s physicality and speed for all 32 minutes. We were deliberate on offense, but it was our ability to pressure FCA’s guards into countless turnovers that secured the win.”
–Props: “Mollie Martin held their point guard, Charlie Squers, scoreless, quite the accomplishment. But what made me smile the most is how Mollie decided to crash the boards tonight and fight like a warrior for every rebound. Her shot making is improving each week (after sitting out with an injury last season) and she is developing more range.
“Sydney Santora was electric tonight with some crafty moves. But her rebounding and jumping in the passing lanes is what helped us the most as she set up her teammates for easy scores.
“Emma DiJoseph was her steady self, and tonight, her patience and decision making along with some timely baskets was key for us.
“Freshman Ella Fey is crucial to the middle of our zone pressure and is getting more comfortable playing at the varsity level with each game. Tonight, Ella hit a crafty reverse layup in traffic that got our team fired up.”
Up next: Lower Moreland will host Council Rock South in an SOL non-league crossover game Friday.
Faith Christian 8-2-4-4 18
Lower Moreland 12-8-11-4 35
Faith Christian (18) – Jersey Verbit 0 1-2 1; Payton Voytko 4 5-7 13; Kendyl Robison 1 0-2 2; Savannah Albright 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 6 6-11 18;
Lower Moreland (35) – Maddie Broderick 0 2-2 2; Mollie Martin 4 2-2 11; Emma DiJoseph 3 0-0 7; Sydney Santora 5 0-0 10; Sofia Fey 1 0-0 2; Ella Fey 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 14 5-6 35.
3-point goals: LM – Mollie Martin, Emma DiJoseph.
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