Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Bensalem/CR South photos courtesy of John Gleeson. New Hope-Solebury/Cheltenham, UD/Quakertown photos courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for galleries of both games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f913170668 (CB East/CB West photos courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
BENSALEM 41, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 34 (OT)
This win was special.
Not only was it the 10th of the season for the Owls and came over a Golden Hawk squad they had not defeated in years, its significance went well beyond all of that.
“We haven’t beaten them in four years – it was awesome to see,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “This means more than the world. Today was our Coaches vs Cancer
game, and our athletic director and our boys’ coach, Ron Morris, decided to honor my dad (Walt Johnson) who passed from cancer in September.
“The girls knew my dad was at every game. He would cheer us on through the summer league, he would sit courtside, and he loved watching our girls play. He was girls’ basketball’s biggest fan, for sure. We were playing a great team. We all had the shirts on with the WRJ ribbon. It meant a lot to me.”
Points didn’t come easily for either side in Tuesday’s game, and the Owls – who led 15-14 at halftime but found themselves deadlocked at the end of three – trailed late in the game.
“With 40 seconds left in regulation, we are down three,” Johnson said. “We get Devon Bell a great look, but it rims out. Grace (McShane) comes up with the loose ball and swings it to Talia (DiMichele). Amber (Howard) comes and ball screens for Talia and pops to the wing. Talia gets doubled and makes a wonderful pass to Amber who ties it up with 28 seconds from the same exact spot she hit the buzzer beater against Council Rock North.”
The Owls’ defense held, and the stage was set for overtime.
“What we really preach – and I think the girls are a hundred percent believing right now – it doesn’t matter at what time of the game, if you’re one of the five on the court, we believe in you,” Johnson said. “Devon didn’t score the entire game – she drove to the basket in OT. Great defense by South but kept her strong confidence. She had a very awkward looking shot that ended up giving her a nice bounce and going in to put us up four with 1:40 left in OT.
“Maybe last year she doesn’t take that shot if she’s not scoring, but she had the confidence to take the shot. Our coaching staff is very proud of Devon’s ability to play through tough times. She’s a very big piece in what we are doing this year.”
The Owls outscored the Hawks 7-0 in OT.
DiMichele’s 13 points led the Owls while Howard and McShane both had 11.
“I don’t think we did anything special this game besides the fact that I think what we’re starting to realize is that everyone on our team can make a play at any time,” Johnson said. “I truly think that’s a testament not to our staff, but it’s a testament to every single girl in our program because you don’t just come in November, expect to roll the ball out and be good.
“From April to October – Grace decided not to play soccer so she could get shots up after school. Talia, Devon and Peyton – Devon is volleyball, Peyton and Devon are soccer, and they’re still coming to workouts and getting shots up. Amber is going from this trainer to that special classic game she gets to play in, and she’s still coming to workouts, and all that stuff matters. The more time you work together, the more time you spend together – it’s going to pay off in the season. None of our girls use excuses. They’re very coachable. We sub them out of the game for a minute here, two minutes there, and we tell them what they did wrong. They don’t shrug their shoulders. They look you in the eye and go back in and play hard. I’m really just happy with the way our girls are responding to coaching and just responding to each other.”
For the Golden Hawks, Lily Bross scored eight points, Fiona Reckner had seven and Kathryn O’Kane added six.
“Coach (Jesse) Krasna and coach (Tyler) Sessa have done such a great job,” Johnson said. “We couldn’t really run anything. They were playing such aggressive defense.
“They always have girls out there – one through five – that can guard you the entire length of the court, so for our side, it was just tough because they were so scrappy on defense. They’d deny one pass away, and it was tough for us to get into any action and get open. They did a very nice job of playing off-ball and on-ball pressure, which we struggled against at times.”
Bensalem (10-5, 7-4 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Friday, and Council Rock South (9-6, 6-4) will host Pennridge in a crossover game Wednesday.
Council Rock South 6-8-9-11-0 34
Bensalem 5-10-8-11-7 41
Council Rock South (34) – Sarah Freeman 2 0-0 5; Liliana Metrick 2 0-0 5; Lily Bross 3 0-0 8; Kathryn O’Kane 3 0-1 6; Camryn Gregory 1 0-0 3; Fiona Reckner 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 14 0-1 34
Bensalem (41) – Grace McShane 4 1-4 11; Talia DiMichele 4 4-4 13; Devon Bell 1 0-0 2; Amber Howard 4 1-4 11; Peyton Miller 2 0-2 4; TOTALS 15 6-14 41.
3-point goals: CRS – Lily Bross 2, Sarah Freeman, Liliana Metrick, Camryn Gregory, Fiona Reckner; Bensalem – Grace McShane 2, Amber Howard 2, Talia DiMichele.
NESHAMINY 49, PENNSBURY 36
The Redskins wasted little time before setting the tone in Wednesday’s rivalry game at Pennsbury, opening up a 16-10 lead after one quarter and taking a 33-20 advantage into halftime on their way to the big win.
“This was an important game for us in regard to the Patriot Division standings and PIAA rankings,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “The players were well aware of the significance of the game, and I was slightly concerned about how they would perform.
“That was answered in the first quarter notching 16 points, then getting 17 in the second quarter. The 33 points is our typical game total when we play this tough defensive team.”
The win gave Neshaminy a three-game lead in the division standings with just five games remaining. The Redskins are ninth in the latest District 1 6A power rankings.
“Tonight it was evident that Neshaminy came here to win this game,” Pennsbury assistant Kaitlin Kelly said. “They played physical, knocked down shots confidently, and played with poise. Early foul trouble changed some of our dynamics on defense while they did a solid job of speeding us up on offense in the first half.
“We didn’t really make them play defense on us with our shot selection. Alena Cofield did a great job for them tonight with her defense and rebounding. Their freshman stepped up and played really well. And their seniors played like seniors and took control of the game.”
Reese Zemitis (19 points) and Lola Ibarrondo (14 points) turned in what have become routinely excellent performances, but joining the standout duo in the spotlight Tuesday was a new face – freshman Grace Weyler, who buried four 3-pointers – 3 in the first half.
“The 13-point halftime lead was helped along by ninth grader Grace Weyler connecting on three baskets from behind the arc,” Gallagher said. “Grace hit a three at the first quarter buzzer that gave us a huge lift and another one to end the first half. Grace was not done though, hitting her fourth 3-pointer off a pass from Lola in the middle of the third quarter that put us up 17.
“The only people not surprised by Grace’s season-high 12 points were her teammates. I have been quietly and loudly telling her at practices she needs to shoot the ball more. I was not getting my point across, and then I began hearing Reese and Lola telling her at practices that she needs to begin to shoot when available.
“Grace is very athletic, and in the fall and early season, her first move when catching was to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. While that worked as an eighth grader, she was met in the lane with bigger, older and stronger players at the high school varsity level. We then had to coach her up when she is on the weakside to stay wide. Our older players would catch and look for that person for the skip pass, and Grace is sitting in the lane. Grace has been very receptive to coaching and the players really enjoy her.”
In addition to a game-high 19 points, Zemitis had 11 rebounds, three assists one steal and two blocked shots. Ibarrondo had 14, points, four rebounds two assists,
“In recent games, Lola has been limited due to a battle with some sickness,” Gallagher said. “As is the way with Lola, she toughed it out and battled as best she could when she was about 60 percent of what I have grown accustomed to. Tonight was her best in recent games, and I can only hope her battle is further behind her.”
Alena Cofield was a beast on the boards, pulling down 10 rebounds – five offensive. She also had two assists.
“Alena Cofield had a huge game rebounding and defending Sophia (Vitucci),” Gallagher said. “Alena got huge offensive rebounds in the second half that kept us with the possession when Pennsbury was trying to close the gap.”
We were able to reduce turnovers and their offensive rebounds from the first time we played them. It seemed like Reese got every defensive rebound in the second half when we knew how hard Pennsbury attacks the offensive glass.
“Mia Raivich, Ashlyn Duffy and Grace, our ninth graders, are behind our more experienced players in regard to defense. Since the first of the year, each of them has improved and we look forward to them continuing their improvement. In particular, Mia Raivich has stood out in the eyes of the coaching staff with her improved defense. There was a time when I was scared to have Grace sub in for Ava, because Ava plays such smart defense.”
For the Falcons, Sofia Vitucci’s 18 points led the way and included three 3-pointers. Danielle Sherman added eight points, and Daniella MacDonald had six points.
Neshaminy (13-3, 10-1 SOL) will be on the road at Council Rock South on Friday, and Pennsbury (10-5, 7-4) will travel to Mastery Charter North for a non-league game Thursday.
Neshaminy 16-17-7-9 49
Pennsbury 10-10-5-11 36
Neshaminy (49) – Grace Weyler 4 0-0 12; Alena Cofield 1 1-2 3; Lola Ibarrondo 6 1-2 14; Ava Irizarry 0 1-2 1; Reese Zemitis 6 5-7 19; TOTALS 17 8-13 49.
Pennsbury (36) – Layla Matthias 0 1-4 1; Danielle Sherman 2 3-6 8; Sofia Vitucci 6 3-4 18; Daniella MacDonald 2 0-0 6; Ava Jordan 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 11 7-14 36.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Grace Weyler 4, Reese Zemitis 2, Lola Ibarrondo; Pennsbury – Sofia Vitucci 3, Daniella MacDonald 2, Danielle Sherman, Ava Jordan.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 41, HARRY S TRUMAN 22
The visiting Indians took a tenuous 19-16 lead into halftime but then blew the game wide open with a 17-3 third quarter burst on their way to the big win.
“We are proud of our players for being resilient tonight in a tough environment,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “Truman came out inspired – they played really hard the entire game, and they did a good job of setting the offensive pace in the first half while disrupting us defensively. Coach (Ashida) Cooper’s done a great job with her team.”
Delany McCaffery scored 10 of her game-high 16 points in the first half. Skyler Wright added eight points, including a pair of 3s, and Frannie Boyle had seven points – six in the pivotal third quarter when the Indians seized control of the game.
“Delaney and Megan (Reichenbach) did a good job of setting the tone defensively in the second half, and I thought Amelia Furman and Sasha Galarza did a great job of maintaining that level off the bench,” Kelly said. “I also thought we rebounded well throughout – Shylah McCleve is a tremendous offensive rebounder, but overall, I thought we did a good job of keeping her in check as best we could.
“We are really excited for Frannie Boyle who had a career high tonight. She really helped us establish an inside game especially in the third quarter when we were struggling to hit shots from the outside. We are also excited for Addison Martin who scored for the first time in her varsity career.”
For the Tigers, Erynn Bond connected on a pair of 3s and finished with seven points.
Council Rock North (7-8, 3-6 SOL) will host Souderton in a crossover game Wednesday, and Harry S Truman (1-15, 0-12) will travel to Pennsbury on Friday.
Council Rock North 10-9-17-5 41
Harry S Truman 5-11-3-3 22
Council Rock North (41) – Skyler Wright 3 0-0 8; Julia Koval 2 0-0 4; Amelia Furman 1 0-0 2; Delaney McCaffery 6 4-5 16; Megan Reichenback 1 0-0 2; Ruth O’Keeffe 0 1-2 1; Frannie Boyle 3 1-4 7; Addison Martin 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 16 7-13 41.
Harry S Truman (22) – Brianna Philemond 1 0-0 3; Terrion Hurt 2 0-2 5; Erynn Bond 2 1-2 7; Shylah McCleve 0 2-2 2; Yamazjiah Thomas 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 7 3-6 22.
3-point goals: CRN – Skyler Wright 2; HST – Erynn Bond 2, Brianna Philemond, Terrion Hurt, Yamazjiah Thomas.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 35, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 32
The Patriots – sparked by an 18-point second quarter – took a 23-10 lead into halftime. There was nothing to suggest the game would come down to the wire, but that’s
exactly what happened.
Trailing by three with the final seconds ticking off the scoreboard clock, Sydney Ralph hit nothing but net on a corner three, knotting the score at the buzzer and forcing overtime.
“We definitely needed some late-game heroics, and Syd Ralph stepped up,” East coach Liz Potash said. “It wasn’t quite what we set up, but as soon as they doubled Anna (Barry), she was able to find Syd, and she hit a big shot for us.”
The Patriots had the better of play in extra time. Barry connected on a basket, and Jess Lockwood hit two free throws late in overtime to make it the three-point game.
West’s gutsy second-half comeback – which included shutting out the Patriots in the third quarter – came as no surprise to Potash or her players.
“We went to West’s game on Saturday when they played Pennsbury. Pennsbury was up 12 at the half, and all of a sudden, it’s a tie game with less than 30 seconds to play,” Potash said. “We were reliving the same thing. You give them so much credit because they play so hard. It doesn’t matter what the score is to them. They’re just going to keep chipping away. We still held them to 32 points in overtime, so baskets were totally at a premium
“They got a couple baskets here and there. They’re tough on the boards. I think there was a couple of putbacks. We started pressing a little bit, and you’re like – ‘Okay, this is a game now.’ They took the lead. We put a lot of good pressure on them all night in the full court, and they struggled with that. We
got them tied up a couple of times, and we were able to get the ball back.”
The Patriots managed just eight points in the second half – five until Ralph’s buzzer beater.
“It was the most frustrating second half to watch,” Potash said. “We got great looks – the same looks we got in the second quarter. It was the old live and die by the 3. We love to shoot them from the outside, and they’re rimming in and out. We just could not put a thing in.”
Credit to the Bucks, who outscored the Patriots 13-0 in the third quarter. Scarlett Baumgardner buried a pair of 3s to lead the charge, and Gabby Reichner had five points in the quarter. Both teams scored eight points in the fourth quarter.
Barry’s 10 points – eight in the first half – led the Patriots. Natalie Berndt added nine points on three 3-pointers while Ralph finished with eight, and Lockwood had six.
For the Bucks, Baumgardner’s nine points on three 3s led the way. Gabi Senior and Reichner both had seven points.
Central Bucks East (13-2, 8-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Friday, and Central Bucks West (5-11, 3-8) will be on the road at North Penn.
Central Bucks West 8-2-13-8-1 32
Central Bucks East 5-18-0-8-4 35
Central Bucks West (32) – Gabi Senior 3 1-2 7; Peyton Cramer 1 0-0 3; Aniya McDaniel 1 0-0 2; Alexis Castro 2 0-0 4; Gabby Reichner 3 1-3 7; Scarlett Baumgardner 3 0-0 9; TOTALS 13 2-5 32.
Central Bucks East (35) – Sydney Ralph 3 0-0 8; Haley Moran 1 0-0 2; Natalie Berndt 3 0-0 9; Anna Barry 4 0-1 10; Jess Lockwood 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 13 2-3 35.
3-point goals: CBW – Scarlett Baumgardner 3, Payton Cramer; CBE – Natalie Berndt 3, Anna Barry 2, Sydney Ralph 2.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 45, SOUDERTON 26
Sparked by the 16-point effort of Mia Klein, the Titans notched a convincing win in Tuesday’s first game of the second go-around in division play.
Klein came out of the gate on fire, scoring seven of her team’s 13 first-quarter points. The Titans, who led 13-9 after one quarter, took a 26-15 lead into halftime. Klein accounted for 12 of those points.
Also for the Titans, Ella Wheeler added eight points, and Jules Tropea had six.
Freshman Kiera Fadden’s nine points led the Indians, who also received eight points from senior Brooke Fenchel.
Central Bucks South (9-7, 6-5 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East on Friday, Souderton (3-13, 1-9) will be on the road at Council Rock North for a crossover game Wednesday.
Souderton 9-6-5-6 26
Central Bucks South 13-13-6-13 45
Souderton (26) – Julia Purvy 1 1-2 3; Madison Bealer 0 1-2 1; Brooke Fenchel 3 1-2 8; Kiera Fadden 4 1-2 9; Emily Dick 2 1-2 5; TOTALS 10 5-10 26.
Central Bucks South (45) – Megan Schmidt 0 4-4 4; Ella Wheeler 4 0-0 8; Jules Tropea 3 0-0 6; Yoyo Samayoa 2 0-0 4; Emma Carver 0 1-2 1; Mia Klein 5 5-5 16; Gabby Tropea 2 0-0 4; Lilyana Colon 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 10-11 45.
3-point goals: Souderton – Brooke Fenchel; CBS – Mia Klein.
NORTH PENN 41, PENNRIDGE 24
Points didn’t come easily for the visiting Knights, but they more than made up for a lower-than-usual offensive output with some stifling defense.
The Knights put just 19 points on the board in the opening half, but they went into halftime with a 19-7 lead and never looked back.
“I think Pennridge came out very well prepared and well coached,” North Penn coach Bri Cullen said. “We were very unselfish with the ball which ultimately got the job done.”
Senior Caleigh Sperling led a balance Knight attack with 11 points – nine in the first half. Freshman Lily Brown added 10 points while senior Olivia Stone had seven.
For the Lady Rams, who put just three players in the scoring column, Ella Brown led the way with 11 points, and Ava Fantaskey added nine.
North Penn (14-2, 10-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Friday, and Pennridge (8-7, 3-7) will be on the road at Souderton on Friday.
North Penn 10-9-11-11 41
Pennridge 4-3-7-10 24
North Penn (41) – Cameron Crowley 1 0-0 2; Caleigh Sperling 5 0-0 11; Lily McGee 0 1-2 1; Lily Brown 4 2-4 10; Leah Mikulski 2 0-0 5; Olivia Stone 3 0-0 7; Tallie Smink 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 17 3-6 41.
Pennridge (24) – Ella Brown 5 0-2 11; Ava Fantaskey 4 1-1 9; Layla Verbit 1 1-2 4; TOTALS 10 2-5 24.
3-point goals: NP – Caleigh Sperling, Leah Mikulski, Olivia Stone, Tallie Smink; Pennridge – Ella Brown, Layla Verbit.
SOL Liberty Division
ABINGTON 52, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 30
The Ghosts took a 19-9 lead into halftime and extended their advantage in the second half, outscoring their visitors 33-21.
“We knew that we had to be disciplined on defense because PW will run their offense until they catch the defense sleeping and they will find the open player,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said. “We did a great job communicating with each other and making sure we were in help forcing them to take bad shots.”
The Ghosts had three players finish in double figures. Maya Johnson and Mikiaya Durham both had 12 points to lead the Ghosts. Johnson filled the stat sheet with three rebounds, five assists and three steals. Piper McGinley contributed a double-double and came within three assists of a triple double, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Zyn McClain contributed six points and five rebounds off the bench. Sarah Oleary also had six points. Jordyn Reynolds had five assists and two steals.
“We played great team basketball today on the offensive and defensive end,” Lawson said.” “Piper almost had a triple double. She is playing great basketball right now, and everyone is feeding off her energy.”
For the Colonials, AJ Avery’s 16 points led the way. Taylor Williams added six points.
“Tough loss at Abington tonight,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “It was 19-9 at halftime. The kids did a great job battling in the first half despite shooting 3-for-21.
“To start the third, we turned the ball over in our first two possessions, Abington went up 25-9; then we had to start playing desperation style, which plays right into Abington’s hands.”
Abington (12-4, 9-1 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham Friday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (9-5, 6-4) will host Quakertown in a crossover game Thursday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 3-6-11-10 30
Abington 10-9-18-15 52
Plymouth Whitemarsh (30) – Joslyn Perez 0 2-4 2; Taylor Williams 2 2-4 6; AJ Avery 5 5-8 16; Kenna Winland 0 2-2 2; Eliza Meersman 1 0-0 2; Marissa Perez 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 9 11-18 30.
Abington (52) – Maya Johnson 5 0-0 12; Mikaiya Durham 5 0-0 12; Jordyn Reynolds 2 0-0 4; Piper McGinley 4 0-0 10; Sarah O’leary 3 0-0 6; Zyn McClain 3 0-0 6; Aniyah Williams 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 23 0-0 52.
3-point goals: PW – AJ Avery; Abington – Maya Johnson 2, Mikiaya Durham 2, Piper MGinley 2.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 35, WISSAHICKON 21
Freshman Angelica Visceglia scored 16 points to lead the visiting Hatters to the win over the Trojans.
The Hatters led by just a 13-11 score halftime. They took control of the game in the second half, outscoring their hosts 12-5 in the third quarter and 22-10 in the half.
“We knew going into tonight it wasn’t going to be easy,” Hatters’ assistant Nicole Miletto said. “We haven’t played a game in 10 days, and we came out a little rusty.
“Wissahickon gave us a hard time playing us zone in the first half. We weren’t able to get Kitty (Randa) involved offensively. They did a nice job of making it tough for her to do her thing. Maddy Patel was also struggling offensively in the first half and got into some foul trouble.”
The Hatters’ offensive struggles were underscored in a three-point second quarter.
“We had a single digit quarter and that has hurt us so much this season,” Miletto said. “Our lead at half was two, and it was pretty close the whole way. The score doesn’t show it, but Wiss played us tough.”
In addition to Visceglia, Maddy Patel added nine points, but there were plenty of contributors for the Hatters.
“Defensively, senior Alyssa Tooley was able to keep (Maura) Jacob in check and was able to get some steals,” Miletto said. “Sophomore Madison Duggan and freshman Angelica Visceglia played well defensively. Ang had a great game offensively, going hard to the basket and knocking down some key shots.
“Kitty (Randa) was quiet offensively, but she was huge on the defensive boards and had a number of great blocks in the second half. We have a busy bunch of weeks coming up, and it was nice to get this one.”
Hatboro-Horsham (6-9, 3-6 SOL) will host Abington Friday, and Wissahickon (2-14, 1-10) will host Upper Dublin on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Hatboro-Horsham 10-3-12-10 35
Wissahickon 9-2-5-5 21
Hatboro-Horsham (35) – Angelica Visceglia 4 6-8 16; Mia Fisher 1 0-0 2; Kitty Randa 2 0-1 4; Maddy Patel 3 2-3 9; Gabby Fisher 0 0-2 0; Madison Duggan 1 0-0 2; Alyssa Tooley 0 2-4 2; TOTALS 11 10-18 35.
Wissahickon (21) – Maura Jacob 2 1-4 6; Julia Lettieri 1 2-3 4; Kristen DiViovanni 1 1-3 3; Ava Stout 1 0-0 2; Ashley Klein 2 2-4 6; TOTALS 7 6-14 21.
3-ponit goals: H-H – Angelica Visceglia 2, Maddy Patel; Wissahickon – Maura Jacob.
UPPER DUBLIN 61, QUAKERTOWN 20
Tamia Clark could not miss.
Literally.
The UD freshman, who connected on 11-for-13 shots from the field, scored 18 first-quarter points and had all 20 of her points in a first half that saw the Cardinals put 50 points on the board. Clark also had a team-high seven steals as well as four rebounds, one block and one assist.
Amy Ngo was working her magic from beyond the arc, connecting on four 3-pointers and finishing with 16 points. She also had five steals. Megan Ngo added nine points, six assists and four rebounds. Bridget DiMartile pulled down six rebounds and also had two blocks and two assists.
For the visiting Panthers, Truly Heft’s seven points led the way. Carli Maha added six.
Upper Dublin (15-1, 10-0 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury for a crossover game Thursday, and Quakertown (1-16, 0-11) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday.
Quakertown 2-4-4-10 20
Upper Dublin 28-22-11-0 61
Quakertown (20) -Alexa Seneca 1 0-0 3; Talyn Nielsen 1 0-0 2; Ava Pistone 1 0-0 2; Carli Maha 2 2-2 6; Truly Heft 3 1-2 7; TOTALS 8 3-4 20.
Upper Dublin (61) – Brighid 2 1-2 5; Bridget DiMartile 1 0-0 2; Makyla Keyes 1 0-0 2; Megan Ngo 3 2-2 9; Tamia Clark 11 0-0 22; Amy Ngo 5 2-2 16; Julia Scullen 1 0-2 2; Kaitlyn Zacharia 1 0-3 3; Nora Brady 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 25 5-13 61.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Alexa Seneca; UD – Amy Ngo 4, Megan Ngo, Kaitlyn Zacharia.
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 45, UPPER MORELAND 31
In a rivalry battle that was for a whole lot more than just bragging rights, it was the Lions exacting revenge for an early season loss to the Golden Bears and, more importantly, solidifying their hold on first place in the division standings in what is looking like a two-team race.
With the win, the Lions – who occupy the division’s top spot – hold a two-game lead over the Golden Bears.
“This was a really big win for our team,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “To hold Upper Moreland to 31 points while pushing the tempo is a credit to how hard our girls worked. Defensively, it was the first time where the girls looked ‘connected on defense,’ and it was the most vocal they’ve been all year and it showed. Anytime you keep Upper Moreland to single digits each quarter, you know you’ve done something well.”
UM – behind five points from Holly Gohl – led 8-6 after one quarter, but sparked by a pair of Emma DiJoseph 3s, the Lions outscored the Bears 14-9 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 20-17 lead.
“This was a game where neither team was able to get going offensively,” Becker said. “After one quarter, we were down 8-6 and got down 11-6. At that point, we subbed in a freshman, Mollie Martin, and she changed the complexion of the game. She attacked the rim on her first possession, got fouled and made both free throws. From that point on, we outscored them 39-20.
Lower Moreland added to its lead in the second half, outscoring UM 25-14.
“After the game, we told the girls that this was their best game of the year,” Becker said. “Upper Moreland is well coached, they’re big, physical and talented. I think that our girls did a nice job with the tempo press to get them out of their rhythm, and when we transitioned into the half-court defense, they communicated really well. Pre-game we talked about maximizing our rebounding opportunities, talking, switching on their cross screens and we finished with telling them that whoever controls the tempo will win the game and we were able to do that.”
Briana McFerran led a balanced attack with 12 points. Dani Brusha and DiJoseph both finished with nine points. Sydney Santora had eight points, and Martin finished with seven.
“Individually, Dani Brusha did a great job of calming down her teammates and controlling the tempo in crunch time,” Becker said. “In addition to that, at 5′ 4″ – she grabbed seven rebounds and had four steals and a lot of deflections. Bri McFerran had 12 rebounds and 12 points, Sydney Santora, who is battling the flu, knocked down two huge 3s in the third quarter to go along with eight rebounds.
“Those three have been doing that all year, and now our other two freshmen, in back-to-back games, have both stepped up and made big shots, and they are playing varsity level defense.
“The last time we beat Upper Moreland, about six years ago, our JV coach, Ceili Courduff was a junior. Overall, it was a compete team effort. It was good to see the team play poised down the stretch and expand a nine-point lead with two to go and finish with a 14-point win.”
For UM, Gohl led the way with 12 points while Mikel Lancit had seven.
Lower Moreland (11-4, 8-2 SOL) will travel to Cheltenham on Friday, and Upper Moreland (10-6, 6-4) will host William Tennent Friday.
Upper Moreland 8-9-6-8 31
Lower Moreland 6-14-13-12 45
Upper Moreland (31) – Mikel Lancit 3 0-2 7; Lianna Adames 1 1-2 4; Lilly Hansen 1 0-5 2; Holly Gohl 5 0-0 12; Olivia Meakim 1 0-0 3; Makaila Allen 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 12 2-9 31.
Lower Moreland (45) – Briana McFerran 4 3-5 12; Dani Brusha 5-10 9; Sydney Santora 3 0-0 8; Mollie Martin 2 2-4 7; Emma DiJoseph 2 3-4 9; TOTALS 13 13-23 45.
3-point goals: UM – Holly Gohl 2, Mikel Lancit, Lianna Adames, Olivia Meakim; LM – Emma DiJoseph 2, Sydney Santora 2, Briana McFerran, Mollie Martin.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 51, CHELTENHAM 42
Steve Polinsky notched win 100 of his coaching career on Tuesday, but that milestone was secondary to the Lions’ coach after his team avenged a 16-point early season loss to the Lady Panthers with an important division win.
“I forgot about it, honestly,” Polinsky said of his historic win. “I’m happy for (the girls) – they played a really good game tonight from start to finish.
“Our goal tonight was to start fast and not chase the game. We learned that on Saturday. We started slow against Bensalem, and they are very good so it was tough to come back on time. I liked how the girls responded tonight, and it was a total team effort. I thought all five starters played really well.”
The Lions, who led 11-9 after one quarter, erupted for 20 points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 31-17 lead. Emily Wilson led the charge with 12 first-half points. Izzy Elizondo added eight points – all in the second quarter. They went on to notch the win.
Wilson led all scorers with 21 points, which included a perfect 6-for-6 at the foul line. Elizondo added 14 points, which included three 3-pointers. Nina Meixler and Kayla Fennel both had six points. The Lions were near perfect at the foul line where they were 11-for-12.
“I thought tonight was Emily Wilson’s best floor game of the season,” Polinsky said. “Great point guard play and scored 21 points on top of that. I never felt safe with the lead against Ben (Bowman’s) team. They made us hit foul shots at the end to close it out.
“Both Simmons and Price played well for them, and they were a handful. It was a good win for us
It was a good night.”
Maya Simmons led the Lady Panthers with 16 points, which included a pair of 3s. Jiah Price added 10, and Paige Powell had eight. Ije Ojukwu finished with seven.
“New Hope came out ready for us,” Bowman said. “After our first meeting, we knew they would be more focused and determined. We shot poorly and it killed us on the end. This one hurts, but we need to get better quickly and be ready for Lower Moreland Friday.
“Congrats to Coach Polinsky on his 100th win.
For Polinsky, coaching has always been about a whole lot more than the wins and losses.
“I just love the interaction with the kids,” the Lions’ coach said. “It really keeps me young at heart, quite frankly. I’ve had good players but, more than that, better kids, and that’s really kept my fire burning about loving coaching.
“I coach AAU with Steve Johnson in spring and summer, and he also helps me. I have good people around me, and that’s good. It’s all about the people I’m coaching. If I didn’t enjoy them, I wouldn’t be doing it as long. I’m very happy that I get this opportunity to be at New Hope and have all those kids and good families. I’ve been very lucky.”
New Hope-Solebury (7-6, 4-4 SOL) will host Upper Dublin in a crossover game Thursday, and Cheltenham (8-9, 4-7) will host Lower Moreland on Friday.
Cheltenham 9-8-5-20 42
New Hope-Solebury 11-20-9-11 51
Cheltenham (42) – Jiah Price 5 0-0 10; Paige Powell 2 4-7 8; Maya Simmons 6 2-2 16; Ije Ojukwu 3 1-2 7; Cassie Bugg 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 16 8-13 42
New Hope-Solebury (51) – Kayla Fennel 2 2-2 6; Nina Meixler 2 1-2 6; Emily Wilson 6 6-6 21; Ella Dudick 2 0-0 4; Isabell Elizondo 4 2-2 14; TOTALS 16 11-12 51.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Maya Simmons 2, NH-S – Isabella Elizondo 4, Emily Wilson 3, Nina Meixler.
SPRINGFIELD TWP 68, WILLIAM TENNENT 54
Sparked by the huge performances of Ava Culler and Jayla Daniels, the Spartans notched a win over the visiting Panthers.
“They really did a nice job,” coach Dave Giordano said of his Spartan squad. “Tennent has always been a good battle for us and good barometer, and it was actually a better game than the score.
“They were down two starters tonight, and I can’t say enough about how hard they fought. We’re kind of in uncharted territory, but we’re trying to enjoy the ride. We shot the ball pretty well tonight – we got some really good looks at the basket. Our defense wasn’t the greatest as far as shutting things down the way I would have liked, but at this point where we are in the season and where we are confidence-wise, we’re getting stronger, and we’re just happy to get a win.”
The dynamic duo of Culler (24 points) and Daniels (23 points) combined for 47 of the Spartans’ points.
“Basically, Jayla controlled the offensive flow,” Giordano said. “She did whatever she needed to do with and without the ball to make the other girls successful.
“Ava Culler did a really nice job on the boards, and she just finished strong tonight with some good stuff at the basket. We’re growing and we’re learning at the same time. It’s a tough team we played, and we’re just happy to have the win.”
Also for the Spartans, Alana Decker added 14 points, including three 3s.
Behind 16 points from Culler, 11 from Daniels and nine from Decker, the Spartans opened up a 39-29 halftime lead on their way to the win.
Tennent was coming off a three-point loss to the Academy of the New Church 24 hours earlier in a non-league contest.
“It’s been a tough and frustrating past two nights for us,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “Being short-handed hasn’t helped, but it’s also not an excuse. Unfortunately, it’s coming at a time where we’re trying to make a push and finish the season strong.”
The Panthers – who were without Morgan Volz and Jess Whisler – received strong performances from Avery Kocur and Halie Staub with 16 points each.
“I thought tonight we battled hard for two-and-a- half quarters and then we ran out of gas, Whitney said. “Springfield is a much-improved team this year. Jayla (Daniels) has really matured as a player since freshman year. She’s very good at getting to the basket and has become a more consistent outside shooter. (Ava) Culler gives them a big presence inside and is so active it’s hard to keep her off the glass.
“We have another tough test on Friday. We’re going to take the next few days to get back to work and hopefully get a little healthier.”
Springfield Twp (8-6, 4-5 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury Friday, and William Tennent (7-10, 5-6) will travel to Upper Moreland on Friday.
Springfield Twp (8-6, 4-5 SOL)
Springfield Twp 18-21-18-11 68
William Tennent 14-15-13-12 54
Springfield Twp (68) -Alana Decker 4 3-3 14; Hannah Brandon 2 0-0 4; Jayla Daniels 9 2-2 23; 1 1-2 3; Ava Culler 12 0-2 24; TOTALS 28 6-9 68
William Tennent (54) – Aubrey Lynch 3 0-0 6; Katherine Balibar 1 1-2 4; Olivia Urban 0 1-4 1; Sofia Jakimoski 0 0-2 0; Ella Mednick 1 3-4 5; M Catoni 1 0-0 2; Avery Kocur 6 1-2 16, Halie Staub 5 6-12 16; , Megan Volz 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 19 12-26 54
3-point goals: Springfield Twp – Alana Decker 3, Jayla Daniels 3; WT – Avery Kocur 3, Katherine Balibar.
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