Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Upper Moreland photos courtesy of Dan Beck. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f884733941 (Casey Harter photos provided courtesy of Souderton girls’ BB. CB East/Neshaminy photos courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball.)
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 48, NESHAMINY 44
Anna Barry scored 18 points – including four 3s – and Kendall Gregor added 12 to lead the Patriots offensively, but it was their performance on the defensive end that most pleased their coach.
“Neshaminy is a very good team – they are tough,” said East coach Liz Potash, whose team celebrated Teacher Appreciation Night. “They definitely create some matchups, but I thought we really stuck the course on the defensive execution in terms of how we wanted to play them.
“We made some adjustments on offense yesterday at practice getting ready for their zone, getting ready for their man, and I was really happy in the first half with the way we were able to execute against their zone. I thought we had some really good looks and some really good finishes off some stuff we put in the day before.”
The Patriots’ defensive strategy to make someone besides Reese Zemitis, Lola Ibarrondo and Taylor Gursyh beat them.
“With Neshaminy, you know who their big scorers are,” Potash said. “There’s three of them that can hurt you, and then they have some guards that can hit shots.
“What we told the girls was – ‘The other kids are going to take some shots, and they’re going to hit some, but our primary focus has to be on their three scorers.’”
Ibarrondo got untracked early, scoring seven first-quarter points while Anna Berry buried a pair of 3s for East, and the Redskins led 14-9 after one.
“Anna had some looks – she started off with one that was nothing but net,” Potash said. “Normally if Anna makes her first one, you know it’s going to be a good night because that just gets her into it.
“A lot of teams have not really been giving her room to shoot. She had a little bit of space tonight.”
The Patriots outscored their visitors 11-7 in the second quarter but still trailed by one at halftime, 21-20. Included in Neshaminy’s 21 points were 3-pointers from Meg Gonzalez and Jess Purdy.
“In the half, they hit some shots, but we just asked the girls to stay the course,” Potash said. “We’d watched enough film, we’d seen them play enough – if (players other than their three scorers) make shots, then we’ll adjust what we do defensively. We really didn’t want to stray from what our defensive plan was just because a couple of kids hit shots in the first half.
“We know that we can continue battling, and by halftime, we had it to a one-point game. Natalie Berndt had a half-court shot at the buzzer that went off the back of the rim that would have put us up at halftime. At the end of the first quarter, Lola hit a buzz-beater to put them up 14-9. Once we got to halftime, it was close, it was back and forth.”
“In the first half, (Reese) Zemitis was hitting contested shots over Chantal (Van Dongeren), who really has done a great job all year on pretty much anyone she plays. To Chantal’s credit, we decided to take her off Zemitis simply because she was shooting over Chantal. Between Natalie Berndt and Keira Shea, they were able to really hold her under control in the second half.”
The two teams exchanged baskets in the third quarter – Ibarrondo’s nine points led the ‘Skins while Gregor had eight points for the Patriots. Neshaminy took a 35-34 lead into the final quarter when the Patriots outscored their visitors 14-9. Berndt scored all seven of her points in the final quarter.
“Natalie had a huge third quarter – she had two 3s in the fourth,” Potash said. “We struggled from the foul line in the fourth quarter – we were 5-for-9, and at least two of those were the front end of one-and-ones
“Anna got up to the line with eight seconds left – we were up two, and she hit them both to put the game out of reach. Literally, with eight second left, it was still a game. She does what Anna Barry is capable of doing, but the nicest part of tonight – it was a total team effort in every way.
“Anyone that we asked to come in – they were able to fill a role that we needed them to. Kids off the bench – whether they played five minutes or 30 seconds – Erin LeRay was in foul trouble tonight, and she’s really been carrying us. The girls really were able to pick it up around her because we’ve been relying heavily on her. We made some big shots. I don’t know what our field goal percentage was, but we hit some timely 3s. It was a really nice team win because I think Neshaminy is a really tough team.”
Ibarrondo’s 20-point effort – which included a pair of 3s – led all scorers.
“Lola definitely hurt us,” Potash said. “She is just so quick. We know she’s going left, and she goes left anyway, no matter what you do to try and stop her.
Zemitis finished with 12 and Taylor Gurysh had six.
Central Bucks East (11-3, 7-3 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North Friday, and Neshaminy (11-3, 8-2) will be on the road at Central Bucks West Friday.
Neshaminy 14-7-14-9 44
Central Bucks East 9-11-14-14 48
Neshaminy (44) – Alana Cofield 0 0-1 0; Lola Ibarrondo 8 2-2 20; Taylor Gurysh 1 4-4 6; Meg Gonzales 1 0-0 3; Reese Zemitis 4 2-24 12; Jess Purdy 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 15 8-11 44.
Central Bucks East (48) – Erin leRay 1 1-3 3; Natalie Berndt 2 1-2 7; Shayne LeRay 0 1-2 1; Anna Barry 6 2-3 18; Chantal Van Dongeren 1 0-0 2; Kendall Gregor 5 1-1 12; Jess Lockwood 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 17 6-11 48.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Lola Ibarrondo 2, Reese Zemitis 2, Jess Purdy, Meg Gonzales; CB East – Anna Barry 4, Natalie Berndt 2, Kendall Gregor, Jess Lockwood.
PENNRIDGE 63, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 56
Katie Yoder and Ella Brown combined for 44 points to lead the Rams to their fifth win in six games in January, and the suddenly streaking Rams – a modest 6-4 when the year ended – are now 11-5. Their 5-1 record in crossover games has moved them into a two-way tie for third place with North Penn in the Colonial Division standings.
Yoder was the catalyst in the Rams 20-14 fourth quarter that was the difference in the game, scoring 11 of her game-high 24 points in the quarter.
“We made shots, we handled their pressure, we were aggressive, and we had enough attempts at the free throw line where we made some, but we struggled at the free throw line tonight,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said of his team’s big fourth quarter.
The Rams were 11-for-18 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, 14-for-26 in the game.
They were without Olivia Poole (illness), who was coming off a big week for the Rams.
“We had Nikki Randone step up and hit a couple of free throws for us,” Rapp said of the junior, who was 3-for-4 at the charity stripe. “Yoder, Brown and (Anna) Croyle were great.
“(Grace) Rosica and (Ava) Fantaskey did a good job defensively. I know I say this every game, but the girls all do what they’re supposed to do, and I think that’s why we are where we are. I’ve been really lucky with that. They bought in, and they’ve done a really good job.”
Early on, the Rams scored 21 points in the first quarter with Yoder scoring eight, Brown seven and Croyle six. They led 21-7, but that lead was erased in a second quarter that saw the Hawks – behind 11 points from Katie Pupura that included three 3s – outscore their hosts 20-8, and the Rams found themselves clinging to a 29-27 halftime lead.
Not a whole lot changed in a third quarter that saw the Golden Hawks – behind nine points from Lil Metrick – edge the Rams 15-14 to trail by just one heading into the final quarter.
“Playing South tonight, they speed you up,” Rapp said. “They press you, they play a lot of girls.
“We were up 11 early, and we fell into their trap. ‘Hey, we’re going to get up 15, 18, 20, and next thing you know, they speed you up.
“You miss a layup, they hit a three. They press you, you turn it over, they come down, they run a set and get a layup. It’s their MO, and they do a good job with it. We got caught up in the first half, and fortunately, we escaped being up by one. I did think we did a better job handling the press in the second half. We scored baskets against it.
“Our girls don’t come out of the game much. Sometimes they can be good because they know – if I make a mistake, I’m staying in, but they play a lot of minutes. They compete and they fight, and that’s all I can ask from them.”
In addition to Yoder’s 24 points, Brown added 20 and Croyle had 11 points.
For the Golden Hawks, Metrick led the way with 19 points, which included four 3-pointers. Purpura added 11 points while Kathryn O’Kane had eight and both Riona Reckner and Karissa Smedley had seven.
Pennridge (11-5, 6-4 SOL) will host Bensalem Friday, and Council Rock South (8-4, 6-4) will host Souderton on Friday.
Council Rock South 7-20-15-14 56
Pennridge 21-8-14-20 63
Council Rock South (56) – Kathryn O’Kane 3 2-3 8; Lil Metrick 6 3-3 19; Lily Bross 1 0-0 2; Katie Purpura 4 0-0 11; Fiona Reckner 3 0-0 7; Karissa Smedley 3 1-1 7; Jess Mangoni 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 21 6-7 56.
Pennridge (63) – Ella Brown 9 0-6 20; Grace Rosica 0 1-2 1; Anna Croyle 5 1-3 11; Katie Yoder 7 7-9 24; Ava Fantaskey 1 2-2 4; Nikki Rindone 0 3-4 3; TOTALS 22 14-26 63.
3-point goals: CRS – Lil Metrick 4, Katie Purpura 3, Fiona Reckner; Pennridge – Katie Yoder 3, Ella Brown 2.
SOUDERTON 45, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 38
Casey Harter needed 15 points to reach the elusive 1,000-point milestone. She finished with 18, including the historic basket with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter on a driving layup, and when her team needed her the most, the Northwestern-bound senior delivered, scoring 10 of her points in the fourth quarter when Souderton put some distance between themselves and the visiting Indians.
Harter’s basket gave the hosts their largest lead of the night, 42-28.
“Casey’s story this year – it seemed like she was going to do this in Florida,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said of the milestone. “She was so incredibly effective, and rightly so, teams had no choice but to focus most of their attention on Casey. She didn’t press, she didn’t force the issue, she trusted her teammates, and her teammates were the ones scoring.
“It was like she’s been approaching this milestone, and then she’s been chipping away at the points. She’s a great teammate. It’s not about her. It’s the kind of kid she is, the kind of family she’s in. It’s not always easy to navigate that. These last couple of games when we’ve struggled to score, she has now found a way to get the ball to go in the rim.
“We’re right now back to needing that from her. She’s just as comfortable and just as happy having someone else step up and do it if teams take things away from her. What more do you want in a thousand-point scorer? Someone who’s willing to make the extra pass and doesn’t need the accolades but is talented enough to reach these milestones.”
When Harter scored the basket that vaulted her to the 1000-point plateau, she was mobbed by her ecstatic teammates.
“Anyone who was in the gym tonight could see the genuine love her teammates have for her,” Carroll said. “They couldn’t wait to celebrate. It was a special night for a special kid.”
On the heels of Friday’s loss to Neshaminy, Souderton once again struggled to generate offense and led by just a 16-15 score at halftime. Harter accounted for seven of those points.
“We had another night where we struggled from the perimeter, and in the first half, we were settling for quick 3s and quick possessions,” Carroll said. “We needed longer possessions, and that’s what we did in the second half.”
Souderton took a 29-25 lead into the fourth quarter when – behind the inspired play of Harter – they put the game away.
“We put a little bit of pressure here and there throughout the game that got us some easier fast break looks,” Carroll said. “Council Rock North is playing well. They are so much better than their record, which we knew going into the game.
“I watched a ton of film and (Jack Kelly) is doing a really nice job with them. We knew it was going to be a battle. Casey gave us consistent scoring from start to finish and had a great fourth quarter.”
Also for Souderton, Teya McConnaha added 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Erin Bohmueller had four assists, and Harter also had three assists and three rebounds.
“On behalf of our entire program, we would like to extend our congratulations to Casey Harter and the Souderton team on her 1,000th point,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “It is a well-deserved honor – she plays incredibly hard at both ends of the floor and you can tell she has worked tirelessly on her game. Kudos to her for a great accomplishment and a great career.”
Rock North was led by the 14-point effort of Jaden Wan, who had a pair of 3s and scored 12 of her points after halftime. Delaney McCaffery scored nine points on three 3-pointers, and Lizzie Lustig also had nine points for the visitors.
“We are very proud of our players for their effort – we have talked all year about being better than the day before, playing as hard as possible, and playing together,” Kelly said. “Souderton is a really good basketball team, and they are really well-coached. Ultimately, they made a few more plays than we did, but at the end of the day, we are really proud of our players for the way they have grown and the fight they have shown night in and night out.”
Souderton (13-2, 9-1 SOL) will be on the road at Council Rock South Friday, and Council Rock North (6-9, 2-8) will host Central Bucks East Friday.
Council Rock North 9-6-9-14 38
Souderton 9-7-13-16 45
Council Rock North (38) – Kiera Katz 1 1-2 3; Lizzie Lustig 4 0-0 9; Josie Boyle 1 0-0 3; Delaney McCaffrey 3 0-0 9; Jaden Wan 6 0-0 14; TOTALS 15 1-2 38.
Souderton (45) – Erin Bohmueller 0 3-4 3; Brooke Fenchel 1 0-0 3; Mikayla McGillian 4 0-0 8; Casey Harter 6 6-8 18; Grace McDonough 1 0-0 2; Teya McConnaha 4 2-4 11; Ttoals 16 11-16 45.
3-point goals: CRN – Delaney McCaffery 3, Jaden Wan 2, Josie Boyle, Lizzie Lustig; Souderton – Brooke Fenchel, Teya McConnaha.
PENNSBURY 33, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 25
Points have not been easy to come by for the Falcons this season.
January has been especially rough. Through five games, they have averaged 27.6 points a game. Their stingy defense, however, has allowed them to win three of the five games. Tuesday’s 33 points equaled their highest point total this month.
“As we predicted, it was going to be another close game…but mostly because CB West is extremely similar to us,” Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlyn Kelly said. “They have athletes who are very tough, play tremendous defense, and make things tough for the other team. So, we knew that’s how this game was going to go for both teams.
“Their pressure caused us to turn it over in the first half. So that was an adjustment we made coming into the third quarter. We needed better passes and smarter decisions with the ball.”
The Falcons, who led 6-3 after one quarter, took a 12-11 lead into halftime. Sofia Vitucci, who had all six of her team’s first-quarter points, led the Falcons with eight points in the half. Alexis Castro had four for the Bucks.
The teams were deadlocked 18-18 heading into the fourth quarter when the Falcons used a late surge to take the lead for good. Vitucci had eight of her game-high 16 points in the quarter, including a 4-for-5 effort at the foul line. Layla Matthias added four points, and Oliveah Gilchrist was 2-for-2 at the line in the quarter.
“Our girls went into another close fourth quarter, tied all the way until two minutes to go,” Kelly said. “We handled the end of game pressure with poise.
“Sofia had a great fourth quarter, scoring eight of her 18 points, while also handling the ball and directing the offense. A real positive note we can take away from the end of the game was our foul shooting. Sofia went 4-for-5, and Liv went 2 for 2 at the end to really ice the game. We were 8-for-10 overall, which is a huge improvement, and evidently won us the game at the end.”
In addition to scoring 18 points, Vitucci also had five rebounds. Matthias added eight points and four rebounds while Gilchrist pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
“We had great team defense, holding another team to just 25 points the whole game,” Kelly said. “Rebounding was big for us tonight, multiple girls stepped up and hit the glass.
“A new goal we have for our team is to try and stop making these games so close. It’s time to start making the open shots and the easy layups. We need our offensive intensity to start matching our defensive intensity.”
For the Bucks, Gabi Senior and Ava Longo led the way with eight points each.
Pennsbury (12-4, 7-3 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South Friday, and Central Bucks West (6-8, 5-5) will host Neshaminy on Friday.
Central Bucks West 3-8-8-6 25
Pennsbury 6-6-7-14 33
Central Bucks West (25) – Gabi Senior 3 0-0 8; Tai Henkels 1 0-0 3; Alexis Castro 1 2-2 4; Ava Longo 4 0-0 8; Janelle Blokker 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 10 2-2 25.
Pennsbury (33) – Emily Panaro 1 0-0 2; Layla Matthias 4 0-1 8; Sofia Vitucci 6 6-7 18; Oliveah Gilchrist 0 2-2 2; Daniella MacDonald 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 12 8-10 33.
3-point goals: CBW – Gabi Senior 2, Tai Henkels; Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald.
NORTH PENN 39, BENSALEM 24
The high-scoring Knights were held to less than 40 points for just the second time in 14 games this season, but they limited the Owls to just 24 to notch their eighth win of the season. Caleigh Sperling’s 22 points led all scorers.
North Penn – behind five points from Abby Plaugher – led 9-5 after one quarter and took a 17-8 lead into halftime.
Sperling had a monster second half for the Knights, scoring 11 of her team’s 13 third-quarter points and adding five more in the second half.
Included in Sperling’s 22 points was a perfect 8-for-8 effort at the foul line. Plaugher added 11 points. The rest of the Knights’ squad scored just six points combined.
Amber Howard’s eight points – six in the third quarter – led the Owls. Mikayla Donahue added six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
North Penn (8-6, 6-4 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Thursday, and Bensalem (6-9, 2-8) will be on the road at Pennridge Friday.
North Penn 9-8-13-9 39
Bensalem 5-3-11-5 24
North Penn (39) – Cam Crowley 0 2-3 2; Caleigh Sperling 7 8-8 22; Kamba Samassa 1 0-0 2; Abby Plaugher 4 2-2 11; Liv Stone 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 12-13 39.
Bensalem (24) – Talia DiMichele 2 0-2 5; Mikayla Donahue 2 0-0 6; Sydney McCoy 1 0-0 2; Ariana Jenkins 1 0-0 3; Amber Howard 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 10 0-2 24.
3-point goals: NP – Abby Plaugher; Bensalem – Mikayla Donahue 2, Talia DiMichele, Ariana Jenkins.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 57, HARRY S TRUMAN 19
Jules Tropea jumpstarted the Titans, scoring 12 of her game-high 18 points in the opening quarter to propel the visitors to a 20-10 lead after one quarter. By halftime, the Titans had put the game out of reach, extending their lead to 39-12 with a 19-point second-quarter burst. Addy Geary led the Titans in the quarter with six points.
Tropea – who scored 17 of her 18 points in the first half – was one of three South players to finish the game in game in double figures. Yoyo Samayoa added 12 points, including a pair of 3s, and Geary had 10 points. Ella Wheeler finished with eight points.
Central Bucks South (6-9, 2-8 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Thursday, and Harry S Truman (0-13, 0-10) will be on the road at North Penn Thursday.
Central Bucks South 20-19-10-8 57
Harry S Truman 10-2-2-5 19
Central Bucks South (57) – Meg Schmidt 1 1-3 3; Ella Wheeler 4 0-0 8; Jules Tropea 7 4-9 18; Yoyo Samayoa 4 2-2 12; Addy Geary 5 0-1 10; Gabby Tropea 2 0-0 4; Anna Granito 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 24 7-15 57.
Harry S Truman (19) – Zakiyah McDuffie 1 0-0 2; Patricia Monroe 2 0-0 4; Saniya Blount 0 1-2 1; Shylah McCleve 2 0-1 4; Ya’mazijah Thomas 1 2-2 4; Secret McCleve 1 0-0 2; Erynn Bond 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 8 3-5 19.
3-point goals: CBS – Yoyo Samayoa 2.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
UPPER MORELAND 46, HATBORO-HORSHAM 28
EmmyFaith Wood came into Tuesday’s game needing 13 points to put her name in the program’s record books. She scored 14 – all in the first half, and her fourth of four 3-pointers vaulted the UM senior over the elite 1,000-point plateau. She is the 11th player in school history and sixth female to reach that prestigious milestone.
“Tonight was a special night for so many reasons,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “It was our first game back in the gym after it was damaged over winter break. We were playing Hatboro Horsham who is our cross-town rival, and EmmyFaith was 13 points away from getting 1,000.
“We had a lot of support tonight and the place was packed and loud. A lot of former players came out to support the girls and EmmyFaith. A large amount of our Upper Moreland Basketball Club athletes came out to support. It was a really great night.”
The Golden Bears – sparked by a pair of Wood 3-pointers – led 13-3 after one quarter and upped that to 26-13 by halftime.
“The game started off slow and we missed a few easy ones but then we got hot and didn’t look back,” Carroll said. “Midway through the second quarter, EmmyFaith hit a 3 on a great pass by Alyssa (Wiley) and screen by Mikel (Lancit), getting her to 1,000 career points.
“We were hoping that it would happen tonight, and you could feel the stress lift off her shoulders when she made it. Hatboro Horsham kept playing tough and made us work”
The Golden Bears – sparked by seven points from Holly Gohl – outscored the Hatters 14-7 in the third quarter and took a 40-20 lead into the final quarter.
In addition to Wood’s 14 points, Gohl finished with 10, and Lilly Hansen had seven.
Kitty Randa’s 10 points led the Hatters, who also received seven points from Caroline Shegogue.
“Randa had a good game for them,” Carroll said. “She can be tough to cover sometimes because of her length, and she has a nice touch around the basket. She also made dribble penetration against their zone difficult because she alters shots well. Thankfully, tonight we were able to make some outside shots and work the ball around well enough to come out victorious.”
The loss snapped a modest two-game winning streak for the Hatters in crossover play.
“It was a tough one for us tonight,” HH assistant coach Nicole Miletto said. “We came in there knowing we needed to stop their big scorers. We did a nice job on keeping Gohl scoreless in the first half, but she started knocking shots down in the second half.
“EmmyFaith Wood was going to score. She’s a real nice player, and she got her 1,000th point tonight, and it was nice to see that. Besides those two, we kept most of the others in check, but we couldn’t get into our sets and were forcing shots. UM was aggressive on defense, and we are used to the pressure but tonight just wasn’t our night. We didn’t get to the foul line much and we weren’t good from there anyway.
“Single-digit quarters have hurt us all season. We can’t seem to get out of that bad habit. Aggressive play by Caroline Shegogue and Abby Waeltz kept us within reach, but our offense wasn’t there. Our rebounding was dismal, and we struggled overall. We have lots to work on and we have a home game Friday.”
Upper Moreland (13-1, 9-1 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday, and Hatboro-Horsham (5-10, 3-7) will host Cheltenham Friday.
Hatboro-Horsham 3-10-7-8 28
Upper Moreland 13-13-14-6 46
Hatboro-Horsham (28) – Caroline Shegogue 3 0-0 7; Kitty Randa 4 2-4 10; Allie Hewish 1 0-0 3; Leah Harrington 2 0-2 4; Maddy Patel 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 12 2-6 28.
Upper Moreland (46) – Mikel Lancit 1 1-2 3; Alyssa Wiley 2 1-2 5; EmmyFaith Wood 5 0-0 14; Lilly Hansen 3 1-2 7; Holly Gohl 4 0-0 10; Marie Meyers 1 0-0 2; Allie LaRocco 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 18 3-6 46.
3-point goals: HH – Caroline Shegogue, Allie Hewish; UM – EmmyFaith Wood 4, Holly Gohl 2, Allie LaRocco.
UPPER DUBLIN 41, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 31
Amy Ngo is a difference maker on the basketball court.
UD’s crafty guard made her return to the lineup for the first time since going with a season-ending knee injury in the second round of districts last February. If there was any doubt that Ngo would make an immediate impact on her return, those doubts were put to rest in a hurry.
Ngo was playing with a minutes restriction that limited her to three minutes a quarter, but that was enough time to score 15 points, which included three 3-pointers.
“A lot of people saw me with a smile tonight,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “She made the most of her minutes. She was very efficient. She was 6-for-11 on the night.
“She had a doctor’s appointment and got cleared yesterday morning 10 minutes before we had practice. The doctor and our trainer came up with a plan to work her back in. I’m sure she would tell you she just wanted to survive the night and enjoy it. She swore no matter what happened she was going to be smiling the whole time on the court, and she was. I think it helped relax her. She put no pressure on herself to perform, and she just let her talents take over.
“For her to perform the way she did tonight speaks to the type of player and person she is. The coaches, her teammates – she had a lot of fans in the crowd tonight because I think word got out that she was going to play. It was a great team win, but I think the team would all agree that tonight was Amy’s night.”
Ngo buried a 3-pointer in both the first and second quarter as did teammate Nora Brady, and the Cardinals took a 17-15 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, Ngo and company took over, outscoring the visiting Lions 18-4 to go on top 37-19. Ngo scored seven points while freshman Colleen Besachio had nine points, giving glimpses of what could be the remainder of the season.
“Amy played the first three minutes of the third quarter – it was a two-point game at halftime, and then it was a 13-point game,” Funsten said. “She scored seven herself during that stretch, and just the spark she gave us was really special. It was a great team win.”
Besachio also finished with 15 points and seven rebounds. She also had two steals and two assists. Nora Brady added six points and four rebounds, and she played some impressive defense. Megan Ngo and Alaina Sanders each had four rebounds.
“Nora Brady played Reagan (Chrencik) tonight and held her to one field goal (and five points), and Megan Ngo played Gabby D’Agostino, and she held her to two points,” Funsten said. “We weren’t happy with how we played defensively against North Penn on Saturday, so we got back to something we were more comfortable with.”
The game marked the reunion on the court of siblings Amy and Megan Ngo.
“Amy and Megan have never played in games together before,” Funsten said. “It was the coolest thing ever watching that tonight. I think the first time they ever practiced as teammates was yesterday. It’s crazy. They’re going to be fun to watch together.”
Emily Wilson’s 11 points led the Lions. She scored eight of her 11 points in the final quarter.
“All credit to Upper Dublin tonight,” New Hope-Solebury coach Steve Polinsky said. “The game was close at half, but they pulled away in the third quarter. Credit to Ngo sisters who both played really well. It was nice to see Amy Ngo back on the floor after a serious knee injury. She provided her team with a lot of jump tonight.
“We need to learn from this game and move on. We are a good team when we are connected as a group. Tonight, we were not connected for some reason.”
Upper Dublin (9-5, 7-3 SOL) will travel to Lower Moreland Friday, and New Hope-Solebury (8-6, 7-3) will host Quakertown Friday.
New Hope-Solebury 6-9-4-12 31
Upper Dublin 9-8-18-6 41
New Hope-Solebury (31) – Gabby D’Agostino 0 2-2 2; Ella Dudick 2 0-0 4; Izzy Elizondo 2 0-0 4; Emily Wilson 4 1-1 11; Reagan Chrencik 1 3-3 5; Kayla Fennell 1 0-0 2; Totals 11 6-6 31.
Upper Dublin (41) – Megan Ngo 1 3-6 5; Amy Ngo 6 0-0 15; Colleen Besachio 6 1-2 15; Nora Brady 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 15 4-8 41.
3-point goals: NH-S – Emily Wilson 2, Kayla Fennell; UD – Amy Ngo 3, Colleen Besachio 2, Nora Brady 2.
WISSAHICKON 39, LOWER MORELAND 27
Sparked by 10 points from Kaitlyn McGeary, the Trojans took an 18-12 lead into halftime and then put some distance between themselves and the Lions with a 12-5 third quarter. Wissahickon took a 30-17 lead into the final quarter. The Lions never threatened.
“We fought hard,” Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims said. “The key for tonight was playing hard. The girls really wanted it and needed this win.”
McGeary once again led the Trojans with a double-double that included a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds. She also had four blocked shots. Julia Lettieri added eight points and four rebounds. Claira Baldasano had six rebounds and five steals while Kylie Friedman had three assists.
For the Lions, Alexis MacPhee’s 12 points led the way.
“Going into this game, we knew that the key was going to be to limit McGeary,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “She does so many things well, that we would have to really make other girls beat us.
“Our game plan was to have Brianna McFerran front her. She’s the only one on our team with any length. Unfortunately, three minutes into the game Bri landed on McGeary’s foot, turned her ankle and she was out for the rest of the game. Not only did that impact how we defended McGeary, but Bri is our leading scorer, and it really influenced our offense.
“Individually, I thought freshman Maddy Rossiter really stepped up and played McGeary well, and we had another freshman, Lex MacPhee got some quality minutes and ended up being our leading scorer with 12 points. On Friday we have Upper Dublin, hopefully we’ll have Brianna back for that one.”
Wissahickon (4-10, 2-8 SOL) will be on the road at Springfield Township Friday, and Lower Moreland (4-10, 2-8 SOL) will host Upper Dublin Friday.
Lower Moreland 4-8-5-10 27
Wissahickon 8-10-12-9 39
Lower Moreland (27) – Maddy Rossiter 1 0-0 2; Jess Shein 1 3-7 5; Liz Neeld 2 0-0 5; Nikki Sahl 0 1-2 1; Alexis MacPhee 3 4-6 12; Kayla Quirk 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 8 8-14 27.
Wissahickon (39) – Kaitlyn McGeary 11 2-7 24; Julia Lettieri 1 5-5 8; Claira Baldasano 1 0-0 2; Kylie Friedman 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 15 7-12 39.
3-point goals: LM – Alexis MacPhee 2, Liz Neeld; Wissahickon – Julia Lettieri, Kylie Friedman.
QUAKERTOWN 46, CHELTENHAM 37
Carolyn Sipprell had another big night for the visiting Panthers, finishing with a game-high 21 points and 18 rebounds in a dazzling double-double. She also had five blocked shots, two steals and two assists.
Quakertown held a 9-8 lead after one quarter with Sipprell scoring all nine of her team’s points. Maya Simmons kept the Lady Panthers close with six points. The visiting Panthers erupted for 18 points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 27-17 lead. Katie Catalano scored seven points in the quarter while Sipprell had seven to go into halftime with 15 points.
Cheltenham held a 20-19 scoring edge in the second half, benefitting from a 14-point fourth quarter, but the Lady Panthers never could dig their way out of their first-half hole.
In addition to Sipprell, Catalano and Kayla Sicher both had nine points. Catalano also had seven rebounds and three steals while Sicher had 10 rebounds and two steals.
Freshman Maya Simmons led Cheltenham with 16 points, and Arianna Davis added eight points.
“A common theme to our season is not doing the little things to win games,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “We give up a ton of offensive rebounds and turn the ball over way too much. We need to find a way to settle down and stay focused for four quarters. We still have games left to do it, just have to dig deeper.”
Quakertown (9-6, 6-4 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury Friday, and Cheltenham (5-9, 2-8) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham Friday.
Quakertown 9-18-9-10 46
Cheltenham 8-9-6-14 37
Quakertown (46) – Carolyn Sipprell 6 8-9 21; Katie Catalano 2 3-4 9; Ava Pistone 2 1-4 5; Kayla Sicher 3 3-5 9; Carli Maha 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 15-22 46.
Cheltenham (37) – Paige Powell 2 2-4 6; Maya Simmons 6 2-4 14; Arianna Davis 4 0-0 8; Ijeoma Ojukwu 2 0-0 4; Cassie Bugg 1 0-1 2; Ali Charles 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 16 4-8 37.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Katie Catalano 2, Carolyn Sipprell; Cheltenham – Ali Charles.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 57, WILLIAM TENNENT 12
Erin Daley and Abby Sharpe turned in what have become routinely stellar performances, combining for 41 points and leading the visiting Colonials to the no-doubt-about-it road win. Daley led all scorers with 25 points while Sharpe had 16.
The Colonials led 13-3 after one quarter and then buried the Panthers with a 22-2 second quarter to go into halftime with a 35-5 lead. Daley, who had 17 first-half points, led the second quarter surge with 11 points while Sharpe, who had nine first-half points, added six.
“We had our starting five back tonight,” said PW coach Dan Dougherty of the return to the lineup of Angelina Balcer and AJ Avery. “We shook off some rust in the first quarter and then just went off in the second quarter.
“Avery’s defense was really good all night, Sharpe and Daley were typically great. It was just an outstanding defensive effort by all 10 kids tonight.”
The Panthers scored just seven points in the second half – none in the fourth quarter.
“Disappointing performance tonight,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We struggled in several facets of the game. Combine that with our lack of intensity and effort, and it’s tough to be competitive.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-2, 9-1 SOL) will host Upper Moreland Thursday, and William Tennent (7-8, 4-6) will host Abington Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 13-22-13-9 57
William Tennent 3-2-7-0 12
Plymouth Whitemarsh (57) – Azzy Crumpton 2 0-0 4; Angelina Balcer 1 0-0 3; AJ Avery 2 0-2 4; McKenna Winland 1 0-0 2; Erin Daley 10 5-5 25; Abby Sharpe 6 3-4 16; Quinn Daley 1 1-1 3; TOTALS 23 9-12 57.
William Tennent (12) – Ella Mednick 1 0-2 3; Avery Kocur 2 0-0 5; Hailey Lorenzon 1 0-0 2; Morgan Volz 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 5 0-2 12.
3-point goals: PW – Angelina Balcer, Abby Sharpe; WT – Ella Mednick, Avery Kocur.
ABINGTON 78, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 24
Cire Worley was on fire out of the gate, torching the visiting Spartans for 16 first-quarter points. The UMass Lowell-bound senior wasn’t the only one who brought her shooter’s touch to Tuesday’s game. Abril Bowser added nine points in the quarter, and Maya Johnson had seven as the Ghosts opened up a 35-6 lead after one quarter and extended that to 55-11 by halftime.
Worley’s 26 points – 22 in the opening half – led the Ghosts. Johnson and Bowser both added 11 points – all in the first half. Mikiaya Durham added nine points on a night that saw 11 Abington players put their names in the scoring column.
Grace Dailey’s six points led the Spartans.
Abington (14-2, 9-1 SOL) will be on the road at William Tennent Friday, and Springfield Township (3-10, 0-10) will host Wissahickon Friday.
Springfield Twp 6-5-7-6 24
Abington 35-20-11-12 78
Springfield Twp (24) – Alana Decker 1 0-0 3; Jayla Daniels 1 0-0 3; Grace Dailey 3 0-0 6; Delaney Lake 2 0-0 4; Devan Nolan 2 0-0 4; K.Brandon 1 0-0 2; Ashley Jenkins 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 0-0 24.
Abington (78) – Cire Worley 11 2-2 26; Maya Johnson 5 0-0 11; Harper McGinley 1 0-0 3; Abril Bowser 5 0-0 11; Mikiaya Durham 3 0-1 9; Jordyn Reynolds 0 1-2 1; Piper McGinley 2 0-0 5; Florence Ajunwa 2 0-0 5; Haley Hernandez 1 0-0 2; Ava Teich 1 0-0 2; Vanessa Griffin 0 2-2 2; 31 5-7 78.
3-point goals: Springfield Twp – Alana Decker, Jayla Daniels; Abington – Mikiaya Durham 3, Cire Worley 2, Maya Johnson, Harper McGinley, Abril Bowser, Piper McGinley, Florence Ajunwa, Ava Teich.
About the Author
