Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Thursday. Neshaminy/Bensalem photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson, and CR South/Truman photos courtesy of Diana Leferovich. Check back for galleries of both games.
SOL National
NESHAMINY 46, BENSALEM 41
The visiting Owls gave the Redskins all they could handle and – thanks to a 20-13 third-quarter surge – took a 36-32 lead into the final quarter. 
The conference-leading Redskins responded with a strong finish, outscoring the Owls 14-5 to eke out the win.
“Bensalem played with great intensity and took the game to us,” Neshaminy coach Joe Lally said. “Our seniors were able to make some big plays in the fourth quarter when we needed it most.
“We know we have to play better moving forward, but I am proud of the way our seniors responded in the fourth quarter.”
Olivia Scotti and Emily Tantala both scored four points in the final quarter – Tantala connected on a 3-pointer and hit 1-of-2 at the foul line while Scotti had a basket and buried 2-of-3 at the charity stripe.
Kristin Curley led the Redskins with 15 points, which included a 6-for-8 effort at the foul line. Scotti finished with 13 points, which included an 8-for-9 showing at the line. Tantala also finished in double figures with 10 points, which included a pair of 3-pointers. Kelli Kowalick chipped in six points.
Emily Wineburg had a big night for the Owls, burying three 3-pointers. She had two in a first quarter that saw the Owls open up a 12-5 lead. The Redskins returned the favor in the second quarter, outscoring their visitors 14-4. Scotti led the charge with a 3-pointer and a 4-for-4 effort at the foul line.
In the Owls’ 20-point third quarter, Wineburg and Haley Keenan both scored eight points.
Wineburg led all scorers with 16 points while Keenan had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Pooja Singameni and Chloe Munyon both added six points.
“Emily Wineburg had a huge game,” Bensalem coach Sheldon Per said. “She got off to an amazing start with two threes in the first quarter and a three in the third.
“Haley Keenan had a double-double, and she was getting us extra possessions with four offensive rebounds.
“It was a tough nail biter to lose, but the girls have not even come close to beating Neshaminy the last four years, and to lose to them by four at their home gym means a lot because they are number one in the league.”
Neshaminy (10-4, 7-0 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Tuesday, and Bensalem (6-8, 3-4) will host New Hope-Solebury in a non-league game Saturday at 3 p.m.
Bensalem 12-3-20-5 41
Neshaminy 5-14-13-14 46
Bensalem (41) – Averi McCoy 0 1-2 1, Sam Daut 1 0-0 2, Pooja Singameni 3 0-1 6, Emily Wineburg 5 3-4 16, Haley Keenan 4 2-4 10, Chloe Munyon 3 0-0 6; Totals 16 6-11 41.
Neshaminy (46) – Sydney Tryon 1 0-0 2, Emily Tantala 3 2-6 10, Olivia Scott 2 8-9 13, Kristin Curley 4 6-8 15, Kelli Kowalick 2 1-2 0, Totals 12 17-25 46.
3-point goals: Bensalem – Emily Wineburg 3, Neshaminy – Emily Tantala 2, Olivia Scotti, Kristin Curley, Kelli Kowalick.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 58, HARRY S TRUMAN 25
The Golden Hawks led by just one after the opening quarter but blew the game wide open with a 16-2 second quarter to go into halftime with a 25-10 advantage.
“We recovered from a rough start – we were very stagnant offensively and to Truman’s credit, they came out the aggressor and jumped on us 
early,” Rock South coach Blair Klumpp said. “Hannah (Smith) made some contested shots for them and got off some difficult attempts.
“After the first quarter when we started to move the ball against their zone, we started to get better looks. Defensively, we tightened up after the first quarter as well. We did a real good job of converting stops into transition opportunities. When we moved the ball in the half court we had some really good possessions.”
Nicole Blaustein led the Golden Hawks with 15 points and seven steals to go along with two assists. Montanna Chambers also finished in double figures with 10 points and three steals. Karissa Smedley added eight points, four steals, two assists and three rebounds, and Jenna Culp had seven points, three rebounds and three assists. Ryann Szydlik led the Hawks under the backboards with seven rebounds. Hannah Binder had six rebounds, five points and two steals. Carley Irvin had two steals, two assists and three rebounds.
“When we get that type of balance, when any team does, it’s tougher to prepare for and defend,” Klumpp said. “I’ve been emphasizing that and our girls have been working on buying in. Defensively, the girls deserve a lot of credit for adjusting to some different things we have been working on as well as being fundamentally sound.”
The Tigers, who were without their top scorer Daisha Campbell (injury), were led by the 15-point effort of Hannah Smith.
Council Rock South (9-6, 5-2 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (4-11, 0-7) will host Council Rock North Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 8-2-8-7 25
Council Rock South 9-16-14-19 58
Harry S Truman (25) – Nai Nai Keys 3, Hannah Smith 15, Ava Kilner 1, Secret McCleve 2, Ameera Smith 2, Dahlia Gumaa 2.
Council Rock South (58) – Jenna Culp 7, Nicole Blaustein 15, Hannah Binder 4, Montanna Chambers 10, Karissa Smedley 8, Ryann Szydlik 1, Amy Loving 1, Julia Levin 3, Clair Neville 1, Coleen Formicola 3.
PENNSBURY 49, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 20
The Falcons took an 8-3 lead into the second quarter when they found their offensive stride, burying four threes and scoring 20 points to go into halftime with a 28-8 lead. Sophomore Ava Sciolla led the Falcons’ first-half charge with nine points on three 3-pointers. Abbi Nassivera added six points in the second quarter.
Sciolla, who collected a double-double, led the Falcons with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Mary Miller had seven points, six deflections and six steals while Nassivera finished with six points and four deflections.
Kristen Polinsky and Jaden Wan both had six points to lead the Indians.
Pennsbury (11-3, 6-1 SOL) will take on Trinity High School at the Trinity Play by Play Classic on Saturday at 1 p.m. Council Rock North (3-12, 2-5) will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Pennsbury 8-20-11-10 49
Council Rock North 3-5-4-8 20
Pennsbury (49) – Makayla Bethea 1 0-0 3; Ava Sciolla 5 1-2 14; Abbi Nassivera 2 1-1 6; Kiley Haws 2 0-0 5; Bella Arcuri 2 0-0 5; Emily Friel 1 0-1 2; Mary Miller 1 4-5 7; Mia Spinelli 2 1-3 5; Neveah Dash 1 0-0 2; Totals 17 7-12 49.
Council Rock North (20) – Kiera Katz 1 0-2 2; Sofia Shields 1 0-0 2; Riley Hamilton 0 1-2 1; Kristen Polinsky 2 0-0 6; Emma Benson 0 1-2 1; Jaden Wan 3 0-3 6; Abby Jones 1 0-0 2; Totals 11 2-9 20.
3-point field goals: Pennsbury – Ava Sciolla 3, Makayla Bethea, Abbi Nassivera, Kiley Haws, Bella Arcuri, Mary Miller, CRN – Kristen Polinsky 2.
SOL Continental
NORTH PENN 37, SOUDERTON 34
In a contest that was close to a rerun of the first meeting between the two teams, the Indians took a 21-18 lead into halftime but saw that advantage slip away in the second half as the visiting Knights rallied for the win.
“With Souderton, you know they’re going to try and keep it low scoring, they’re going to play tremendous defense,” North Penn coach Jen Carangi said. “The second half we came out, and we played better.”
The Indians – behind four points from both Hannah Alderfer and Mikaela Reese – led 12-9 after one quarter. The two teams exchanged baskets in a second quarter that saw the Indians connect on just 1-of-5 foul shots.
“The first half we gave up offensive rebounds,” Carangi said. “Every time they got an offensive rebound in the first half they scored off of it. At one point, we gave up three offensive rebounds, and they made two baskets. We fouled them on one, and they made both foul shots.
“They had 12 points at that point in the game, and that’s half of their points that we in essence had given to them because we weren’t rebounding. We made a few adjustments in the second half and played better, but it’s always one of those grind-it-out games.”
The two teams were deadlocked 28-28 heading into the final quarter as the Knights held a 10-7 edge in the third quarter. A three by Alli Lindsay broke the tie, and the Knights led by five (33-28) after a bucket by Rachel Dunn.
“Alli had a huge three,” Carangi said. “It was a really physical game, and at the end, they were trying to foul us, and we were able to hold on to the ball. We were able to keep our composure and hit a couple of foul shots that sealed it for us at the end.”
Alaina Mullaly’s 10 points, which included a pair of threes, led the Knights balanced attack. Val McGriff added seven points while Lindsay and Carley Adams both had six.
“Alaina Mullaly stepped up for us and scored 10 points,” Carangi said. “The ball was passed to her, and on her first shot, she knocked down a three. I was feeling good about that, but then we decided to stop playing defense at times. It made it a little interesting in the first half.”
This was a bounce-back win for the Knights, who fell to Pennridge on Tuesday.
“I’m happy after the disappointment of Tuesday that we were able to rally, step up and get the job done tonight,” Carangi said. “We played Souderton at the beginning of the season, and it was one of our first games.
“I know they’re still young, but those kids are a little more seasoned. They’re playing a little bit more confidently. This is one of those games I had circled and I was a little bit nervous about it. You know the second time around going to their place, playing in their gym – it’s going to be tough. I was proud of my girls for the way they stepped up and got the win.”
For the Indians, Jordan Zimmerman, Olivia Schneider, Casey Harter and Mikaela Reese all had six points. Reese also had nine rebounds and three assists, and Zimmerman added seven rebounds and five assists.
North Penn (9-4, 4-3 SOL) will host Gloucester Catholic in a non-league game on Saturday at noon, and Souderton (9-5, 3-4) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham for a non-league game Saturday at 11 a.m.
North Penn 9-9-10-9 37
Souderton 12-9-7-6 34
North Penn (37) – Laynie Doran 1 0-0 2; Alli Lindsay 2 1-3 6; Rachel Dunn 2 0-0 4; Imani Plaza 1 0-0 2; Alaina Mullaly 4 0-0 10; Carley Adams 3 0-0 6; Val McGriff 2 3-5 7; Totals 15 4-8 37.
Souderton (34) – Jordan Zimmerman 2 0-1 6; Olivia Schneider 0 5-8 5; Casey Harter 3 0-0 6; Hannah Alderfer 3 0-0 6; Hayley Fenchel 2 1-2 5; Mikaela Reese 2 2-4 6; Totals 12 8-15 34.
3-point goals: NP – Alaina Mullaly 2, Alli Lindsay, Souderton – Jordan Zimmerman 2.
SOL American
CHELTENHAM 33, UPPER MORELAND 26
The Lady Panthers notched their sixth win of the season, doubling last year’s win total, and this was a big one over a Golden Bear squad that had defeated Cheltenham by 15 earlier this season.
“It was a tough battle,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “Matt (Carroll) has done an excellent job with his team. I knew we had to be aggressive and play tough defense. We always tell the girls to compete for four quarters and you’ll give yourself a chance to win. They did that tonight and we got a big win.”
The Lady Panthers, who trailed 8-4 after one quarter, outscored their visitors 8-3 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 12-11 advantage. The Bears – behind six points from Bean Hughes – knotted the score 18-18 heading into the final quarter when the Lady Panthers put 15 on the board to earn the win.
Taylor Johnson had a big fourth quarter, scoring eight points, which included a 4-for-6 effort at the foul line. Assata Robinson added five points in the frame.
“We played very good defense tonight – they were aggressive, they were causing a lot of jump balls, they were jumping in the passing lanes,” Bowman said. “We were just doing the little things we haven’t done in the past – boxing out, closing out a little bit better.
“Upper Moreland had some good looks, they didn’t go in, and we made sure they only got one shot. It was our best performance by far. Everybody stepped up and just played their hearts out, and I’m just proud of the whole team.”
Johnson’s 12 points led the Lady Panthers while Robinson had nine. Umayrah Sulayman had eight points.
“This was huge,” Bowman said. “Before the game, we talked about – it’s good to get a win, but we needed a solid win, especially in our conference.
“Our conference is tough, and we just haven’t been able to get one. I feel like this was a huge signature win for us that could help propel us to the next level. It just felt like everything tonight just clicked. It was everything we’ve been preaching since day one, since the summertime workouts. They bought into everything we said, and girls just stepped up for us.”
For the Golden Bears, Bean Hughes led the way with 12 points.
Both teams struggled from the foul line, shooting a combined 19-for-45.
Cheltenham (6-8, 2-6 SOL) will host Conestoga in a non-league game on Saturday at 3 p.m., and Upper Moreland (7-7, 4-4) will host West Chester Henderson in a non-league game on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Upper Moreland 8-3-7-8 26
Cheltenham 4-8-6-15 33
Upper Moreland (26) – Kathryn Morrow 1 1-2 3; Kaiya Herb 0 0-2 0; EmmyFaith Wood 0 3-5 3; Emma Meakim 1 1-2 4; AbbyEllen Wood 1 1-5 3; Bean Hughes 5 1-2 12; Hannah Finn 0 1-2 1; Totals 8 8-20 26.
Cheltenham (33) – Maycie Cedeno 0 2-4 2; Assata Robinson 3 2-4 9; Taylor Johnson 4 4-6 12; Umayrah Sulayman 2 3-10 8; Tyrina Ragsdale 1 0-1 2; Totals 10 11-25 33.
3-point goals – UM – Emma Meakim, Bean Hughes, Cheltenham – Assata Robinson, Umayrah Sulayman.
UPPER DUBLIN 56, HATBORO-HORSHAM 22
Dayna Balasa buried a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points in the first quarter, effectively setting the tone and propelling the visiting Flying Cardinals to a 15-2 lead. By halftime, Balasa had 12 points, and the Cardinals led 28-6 on their way to the decisive win.
Balasa led all scorer with 18 points – including four threes – in three quarters. She also had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in a strong outing. Kara Grebe also finished the game in double figures with 11 points – eight in the fourth quarter – to go along with seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Sarah Eskew, who had a pair of threes, added eight points, and Bliss Brenner contributed seven points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jess Polin once again led the Cardinals with eight assists. She also had seven rebounds and three steals.
For the Hatters, Emily Thomas had eight points and Cam Ryan had six.
Upper Dublin (9-6, 6-2 SOL) will host Cheltenham Tuesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (7-7, 4-4) will host Souderton in a non-league game Saturday at 11 a.m.
Upper Dublin 15-13-16-12 56
Hatboro-Horsham 2-4-9-7 22
Upper Dublin (56) – Bliss Brenner 3 0-0 7; Rachel Bilger 1 1-2 3; Brianna Felgoise 1 0-0 2; Jess Polin 1 0-0 3; Colleen Klammer 0 2-4 2; Kara Grebe 5 1-2 11; Jackie Gorman 1 0-0 2; Sarah Eskew 3 0-0 8; Dayna Balasa 7 0-0 18; Totals 22 4-8 56.
Hatboro-Horsham (22) – Emily Thomas 3 2-2 8; Cam Ryan 2 2-4 6; Sydney Kemp 1 0-2 3; Jess Howard 1 2-5 4; Paige Cole 0 1-2 1; Sam Hollish 0 0-4 0; Totals 7 7-19 22.
3-point goals: HH – Sydney Kemp, UD – Dayna Balasa 4, Sarah Eskew 2, Jess Polin.
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