Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. PW/Abington photos provided courtesy of Larry Small. Pennsbury/Neshaminy photos courtesy of John Gleeson, CB East/CB West photos courtesy of Tracy Vallko and Upper Moreland/Lower Moreland photos provided courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for galleries of all four games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f884733941 (HH/Wissahickon photos provided by Diane Waeltz/HH basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 31, NESHAMINY 30 (OT)
The race for the SOL Patriot Division title just got a whole lot more interesting.
The Falcons entered Tuesday’s division showdown trailing the Redskins by a game, and after eking out an overtime win in a battle where points were at a premium, the Falcons now own a share of the top spot with the Redskins.
Tuesday’s win was anything but easy, but that’s too be expected when the neighboring rivals meet.
“The story tonight was pretty much, the same as it has been in so many games this year,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “We battle long enough to hang around and we never hang our heads, no matter how we are playing. We tried to change defenses as often as possible to keep them off balance, because if they see the same look several times in a row, they are really smart, and they know how to attack it.
“Several times we fell behind, but it was never by more than four. We realize that this year we are the Rocky Balboa version from the second movie. We’ve gotta hang around until the 15th round and then hope to be able to make a knockout punch, but this time they got the better of us late in regulation by making a big stop with good defense.”
The Falcons extended the game to overtime when senior Taylor Gurysh sank 1-of-2 at the foul line to knot the score.
“They went up four quickly in OT on baskets by Reese (Zemitis), but we gave them some issues with pressure,” Sciolla said. “We tried moving Sof (Vitucci) everywhere. Top, middle, wing, corner to avoid the help.”
Vitucci sank 1-of-2 at the foul line and then got loose and scored a basket to trim the Redskins’ lead to one.
“We rebounded a missed free throw with six seconds to go and came out of the timeout with a look designed to get going downhill,” Sciolla said. “We got Sof going and she was tripped up on the way to the hoop. After a Neshaminy timeout to freeze her with .5 left and a lengthy discussion in the timeout about my hair and lack thereof, Sof drilled both and that was it.”
Vitucci’s nine points – five in overtime – led the Falcons.
“Sophia’s been incredible all year,” Sciolla said. “She has had ice in her veins since her freshman season, and honest to God, I had zero doubt that she was knocking those free throws down despite the big crowd.
“Tonight was another one of those games where she eliminated the confusion if people had any confusion about where she is in the state of Pennsylvania as a guard. Big play after big play. She’s special.”
A look back at the game would show that the Falcons received five points from Daniella MacDonald to go on top 7-4 after one quarter. They managed just two points in the second quarter and found themselves on the short end of an 11-9 halftime score.
Neshaminy took a 20-18 lead into the fourth quarter when the Falcons – thanks to clutch 3s by Nevaeh Dash and MacDonald – edged the Redskins 8-6 to extend the game to OT where the Falcons rallied to win it.
In addition to Vitucci, senior Nevaeh Dash had nine points on three 3s. Daniella MacDonald had eight points.
“As usual, we had a fantastic performance all around from Layla Matthias, and Nevaeh Dash was tremendous on the defensive end and hit some big three pointers for us,” Sciolla said. “Daniella MacDonald had her best night rebounding of the year, and we got some good production off the bench from Dani Sherman.”
Neshaminy was led by the 10-point effort of Reese Zemitis while Jess Purdy added six.
“Playing Neshaminy is always fun,” Sciolla said. “What (former coach) Joe Lally created 10 years ago and Coach Gal (John Gallagher) has continued is incredible.
“They play smart and physical. They’ve played a really difficult nonleague schedule, and they are battle tested. Winning here is tough and it should be. It’s never over until it’s over with this group.”
Pennsbury (14-4, 9-3 SOL) will be on the road at Harry S Truman Thursday, Neshaminy (12-5, 9-3) will host Council Rock South Friday.
Pennsbury 7-2-9-8-5 31
Neshaminy 4-7-9-6-4 30
Pennsbury (31) – Layla Matthias 1 0-0 2; Danielle Sherman 1 0-0 3; Sofia Vitucci 3 3-4 9; Daniella MacDonald 2 2-2 8; Nevaeh Dash 3 0-0 9; TOTALS 10 5-6 31.
Neshaminy (30) – Alena Cofield 2 0-0 4; Lola Ibarrondo 0 2-3 2; Taylor Gurysh 2 1-2 5; Reese Zemitis 4 2-4 10; Jess Purdy 2 0-0 6; Lindssay Little 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 11 5-9 30.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Nevaeh Dash 3, Daniella MacDonald 2, Danielle Sherman; Neshaminy – Jess Purdy 2, Lindsay Little.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 43, BENSALEM 17
The Golden Hawks put on a defensive clinic on Tuesday night, allowing just 10 points through three quarters and controlling the game from start to finish.
“I was tremendously proud of our team effort defensively tonight,” Rock South coach Blair Klumpp said. “We were locked into our scouting report and did such a good job taking away their strengths individually and collectively. We have gotten away from that the last handful of games and the attention to detail involved with the preparation.
“To the girls’ credit, they responded with one of their best efforts of the season tonight overall. Defensively, it may have been our best effort of the season.”
Listening to the Golden Hawks’ coach tell it, there was plenty of credit to go around.
“Fiona (Reckner) primarily had Amber (Howard) and did a really good job,” Klumpp said. “Karissa Smedley, Darcy Leight and Cam Gregory also had spurts on her, but it takes a strong individual effort and a total team effort to stop someone who can score as much as she can on a given night. KP (Katie Purpura) did a really good job with some deflections and steals in help.
“Lil Metrick was primarily on (Talia) DiMichele for most the game and followed the game plan. I think the impressive part of her game was she didn’t look to force offensively and let her defense shine more than her offense tonight and was content doing so.
“Smed, Jess Mangoni and KP were really good on the glass, and I thought Smed, Kat (Kathryn O’Kane), KP and LB (Lily Bross) set the tone offensively in transition and attacking the rim. Fi (Reckner) has been working on some things in the post and was really aggressive and physical in there tonight, and that was also good to see.”
The Golden Hawks, who led 11 -5 after one quarter, took a 26-10 lead into halftime and then held the Owls scoreless in the third quarter on their way to big win.
“Overall, we truly got contributions from up and down the lineup,” Klumpp said. “The last few years it seems like at our place Bensalem has always played us really hard, and I have a ton of respect for Steve (Johnson) and the work he puts into his team. We expected the same type of battle tonight.
“I just think our defensive intensity was really strong, and we played with some great energy and effort tonight. We have had some good individual defensive efforts this year from a lot of girls, but tonight was a strong combination of team defense, individual efforts, and everyone who played being locked into the scout defense.
“My assistant, Ray Horn, does a great job with the details in his scout, and he deserves a lot of credit for that. I tried to make sure we stuck with our matchups, and the girls responded very strongly, they deserve a ton of credit for their execution.”
Reckner’s 10 points led a balanced Rock South attack. O’Kane added nine points, two assists and two steals. Smedley finished with six points and six rebounds. Purpura had two assists, and six rebounds to go along with five points. Gregory had five points and two assists. Jess Mangoni also had six rebounds while Bross had three.
Howard’s nine points led the Owls. Mikayla Donahue had six.
Council Rock South (10-5, 7-5 SOL) will be on the road at Neshaminy on Friday, and Bensalem (7-11, 2-10) will host Council Rock North Friday.
Bensalem 5-5-0-7 17
Council Rock South 11-15-11-6 43
Bensalem (17) – Grace McShane 1 0-0 2; Mikayla Donahue 2 0-0 6; Amber Howard 2 4-4 9; TOTALS 5 4-4 17;
Council Rock South (43) – Kathryn O’Kane 2 5-6 9; Lily Bross 2 0-0 4; Katie Purpura 2 0-0 5; Cam Gregory 2 0-0 5; Fiona Reckner 5 0-0 10; Karissa Smedley 3 0-0 6; Jess Mangoni 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 18 5-6 43.
3-point goals: Bensalem – Mikayla Donahue 2, Amber Howard; CRS – Katie Purpura, Cam Gregory.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 53, HARRY S TRUMAN 21
The Indians opened up a 21-12 lead after one quarter and blew the game wide open with a 21-2 second quarter burst on their way to the big win.
“Tonight was a good team win,” coach Jack Kelly said. “We shared the ball effectively on offense, especially in the second quarter. Defensively, we were able to prevent dribble penetration.”
Lizzie Lustig had another big game, leading all scorers with 15 points. Ruth O’Keefe added 12 points, and Delaney McCaffery had 11 with three 3-pointers.
“It was great to get some of our role players some extended action,” Kelly said. “They have been working their butts of day in and day out to help make us a better basketball team, and they played really well tonight.
“It was especially exciting to see Amelia Furman score her first career varsity points. She is one of our hardest workers and a selfless teammate – it was great to see her hard work pay off.”
For the Tigers, Shylah McCleve (9 points) and Erynn Bond (8 points) led the way.
Council Rock North (8-10, 3-9 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Friday, and Harry S Truman (0-15, 0-12)) will host Pennsbury on Thursday.
Harry S Truman 12-2-3-4 21
Council Rock South 21-21-9-2 53
Harry S Truman (21) – Saniya Blount 1 0-0 2; Erynn Bond 2 3-4 8; Shylah McCleve 2 5-6 9; Ya’mazijah Thomas 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 6 8-10 21.
Council Rock North (53) – Skyler Wright 1 1-2 4; Kiera Katz 1 0-0 3; Amelia Furman 1 0-0 2; Lizzie Lustig 7 0-0 15; Josie Boyle 1 0-0 3; Delaney McCaffery 4 0-0 11; Jaden Wan 0 3-4 3; Ruth O’Keefe 5 0-0 12; TOTALS 20 4-6 53.
3-point goals: HST – Erynn Bond; CRN – Delaney McCaffery 3, Ruth O’Keefe 2, Skyler Wright, Kiera Katz, Lizzie Lustig, Josie Boyle.
SOL Colonial Division
PENNRIDGE 51, NORTH PENN 49
Talk about fantastic finishes. This was it.
Katie Yoder scored with three seconds remaining in a tie ballgame to propel the Rams to the exhilarating win that avenged an early season loss to the Knights.
“It got a little hectic late,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said. “The game was tied, and we had the ball with a minute 15, and we stalled it down to 15 seconds, called a timeout, ran a little play for Yoder. We got them caught up in a little screen switch, and Katie was able to get a layup with three seconds to go.
“Our girls finished it, but their girls didn’t quit. Those girls compete on that team. It was a very good game.”
Yoder led all scorers with 23 points on nine field goals and a 5-for-7 effort at the foul line.
“Yoder was unbelievable again,” Rapp said.
Ella Brown added 13 points, which included a 3-pointer and a 6-for-7 effort at the foul line.
“Elle Brown was great – as a sophomore, she’s just doing a fantastic job,” Rapp said. “We play six girls, and they do their jobs.”
The Rams’ coach went on to laud the play of his guards – Grace Rosica, Olivia Poole and Ava Fantaskey.
“We have little guards, and they rebound, they mix it up,” Rapp said. “Our girls fight, they compete.
“Olivia Poole started tonight and did a nice job, and Fantaskey was in a different role, and she did whatever she had to do to help us win.”
The Rams got off to a quick start in Tuesday’s showdown and – behind eight points from Yoder – led 18-9 after one quarter. They took a 27-18 lead into halftime. Brown had seven points in the half while Liv Stone’s seven points led the Knights.
Sparked by eight points from Caleigh Sperling, the Knights trimmed the Rams’ lead to 35-30 heading into the final quarter and then made things real interesting.
“We got up early, and they fought back,” Rapp said. “We were up 11-2, and they cut into it.
“It was like déjà vu in the fourth quarter. (Abby) Plaugher hits a 3, (Kelly) Donnelly hits a 3, and they go up two.”
The Rams, however, came roaring back to eke out the win.
Sperling scored 17 points to lead the Knights. Abby Plaugher added 12 points while Liv Stone had 11. Cam Crowley finished with six points.
Pennridge (13-5, 8-4 SOL) will host Souderton Friday, and North Penn (9-8, 7-5) will be on the road at Central Bucks West Friday.
North Penn 9-9-12-19 49
Pennridge 18-9-8-16 51
North Penn (49) – Cam Crowley 3 0-1 6; Caleigh Sperling 7 1-1 17; Abby Plaugher 5 0-0 12; Kelly Donnelly 1 0-0 3; Liv Stone 3 4-4 11; TOTALS 19 5-6 49.
Pennridge (51) – Ella Brown 3 7-6 13; Grace Rosica 2 0-1 5; Anna Croyle 2 0-0 5; Katie Yoder 9 5-7 23; Olivia Poole 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 18 11-15 51.
3-point goals: NP – Caleigh Sperling 2, Abby Plaugher 2, Kelly Donnelly, Liv Stone; Pennridge – Ella Brown, Grace Rosica, Anna Croyle, Olivia Poole.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 51, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 42
The Patriots lived on the foul line – or at least came pretty close to taking up residence, and they made the most of their time spent at there, burying 29-of-32 foul shots in an impressive display from the charity stripe. That turned out to be the difference in the game in a contest that saw East collect just nine field goals for the entire game.
Foul shots kept the Patriots in the first half. They made just three shots but connected on 10-of-12 at the foul line and trailed their hosts 25-18.
“Credit to CB West – they made a lot of shots in the first half,” said East coach Liz Potash. “We were down seven at the half (25-18), and I didn’t think we were playing poorly.
“Our big thing we said to the players was – whoever wins the rebounding battle is going to win. We knew West was going to play tough We don’t care what their record is going into this game. They’re always going to battle – we’re always going battle them.
“They came out – they were shooting the ball really well. I didn’t think we did things poorly on defense – we made a couple mistakes here and there, but they just were making shots. We were down seven at halftime, and the way the locker room was, you would have thought we were up seven.”
The Patriots received a huge lift from Anna Barry, who scored six straight points to open the second half, and by the end of the third quarter, Barry had nine points in the frame, and the Patriots – who were a perfect 6-for-6 at the foul line – had a 34-31 lead.
“We never trailed from there,” Potash said. “It’s just amazing to me – the growth not only from the beginning of the year, but you just think about where they came from last year. All those close games that didn’t go our way. Now they stay really composed, they stay calm.”
In the fourth quarter, Erin LeRay was clutch at the foul line, burying 8-of-8 shots and scoring 10.
“We’re playing a bunch of kids, and kids are coming in and just doing what we need to do,” Potash said. “They’re all so focused on just really getting the job done. Good for them.”
Kendall Gregor’s 16 points, which included a 9-for-10 effort at the foul line, led the Patriots. Barry finished with 15 points, which included two 3s and a 5-for-6 effort at the stripe. LeRay finished with 13 points while Chantal Van Dongeren had six points on a perfect 6-for-6 effort at the foul line.
“We had so many good contributions,” Potash said. “Kendall Gregor played really well. She had a really strong offensive game.
“Anna Barry had a huge second half, and Erin (LeRay) made her foul shots in the fourth. Chantal (Van Dongeren) finished a lot of foul shots tonight, and she’s always going to give you everything she has. It’s a really fun group.
“We always say – your goal is to play for your seniors, and I think it matters. When you have five seniors on your team, and you know this is their last opportunity, these are program kids that have put four years in. It doesn’t matter if they’re on the floor or not – you just see the way they’re playing. They don’t care who does what. As long as they get the win at the end of the day, they’re happy, and it’s awesome. You don’t always have that – they’re very selfless.”
Central Bucks East (13-3, 9-3 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South Friday, and Central Bucks West (7-11, 5-7) will host North Penn.
Central Bucks East 8-10-16-17 51
Central Bucks West 13-12-6-11 42
Central Bucks East (51) – Erin leRay 2 8-8 13; Natalie Berndt 0 1-2 1; Anna Barry 4 5-6 15; Chantal Van Dongeren 0 6-6 6; Kendall Gregor 3 9-10 16; TOTALS 9 29-32 51.
Central Bucks West (42) – Gabi Senior 3 0-0 8; Tai Henkels 4 0-0 1; Katie Finnan1 0-0 3; Alexis Castro 2 1-2 6; Ava Longo 3 1-1 7; Gabby Reichner 1 3-5 5; Janelle Blokker 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 15 6-9 42.
3-point goals: Anna Barry 2, Erin LeRay, Kendall Gregor; CBW – Tai Henkels 3, Gabi Senior 2, Alexis Castro.
SOUDERTON 43, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 21
The Indians had an advantage over their visitors in the paint, and they capitalized on it, opening a 13-3 lead after one quarter with bigs Teya McConnaha and Mikayla McGillian combining for 10 points in the frame.
“Our post players had a lot of success in the first half and combined for 15 of our 23 pts,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “Teya had the first six points of the game and was finishing around the basket well.”
The Indians – behind 10 points from McConnaha – took a 23-13 lead into halftime. If there were any doubts about the outcome, those were put to rest when the Indians had a 16-4 quarter out of the intermission to go into the final quarter with a 39-17 lead. Casey Harter – who had six first-half points – erupted for nine points in the third quarter.”
Harter’s 15 points led the Indians. She also had five rebounds and three assists. McConnaha posted another double-double, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds. McGillian added six points. Fenchel led the Indians with seven assists.
“Casey had a big third quarter to help extend our lead going into the fourth,” Carroll said. “Brooke played extremely well and was making great decisions with the ball. I was surprised when I saw that she only had four points because she was so effective on the offensive end tonight. It was a great team win and we got solid contributions from everyone.”
South was led by the eight-point effort of Yoyo Samayoa.
Souderton (15-3, 11-1 SOL) will travel to Pennridge Friday, and Central Bucks South (6-11, 2-10) will host Central Bucks East.
Central Bucks South 3-10-4-4 21
Souderton 13-10-16-4 43
Central Bucks South (21) – Ella Wheeler 1 0-0 2; Jules Tropea 1 1-2 3; Yoyo Samayoa 3 0-0 8; Mia Klleiin 0 1-2 1; Addy Geary 1 0-0 2; Gabby Tropea 1 2-2 5; TOTALS 7 4-6 21.
Souderton (43) – Erin Bohmueller 1 0-0 3 Brook Fenchel 2 0-0 4; Mikayla McGillian 3 0-0 6; Casey Harter 7 0-0 15; Grace McDonough 1 1-2 3; Teya McConnaha 6 0-0 12; TOTALS 20 1-2 43.
3-point goals: CBS – Yoyo Samayoa, Gabby Tropea; Souderton – Erin Bohmeller, Casey Harter.
SOL Liberty Division
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 49, ABINGTON 48
Erin Daley couldn’t have written a better script.
Granted, it could have all been a little easier, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as sweet if it had been.
After banking in a layup for the 1,000th point of her stellar four-year varsity career with 53.5 seconds remaining in the first half, Daley saved her best for last. With time winding down and her team trailing by one in the biggest game of the season for both teams, the PW senior took a pass from Abby Sharpe, who’d attracted a crowd after taking the ball the length of the court.
Daley describes the electrifying sequence.
“Coach D told us we didn’t need to score a three, and we all knew that,” she said. “We knew (the play) was to attack and kick.
“Abby’s been driving all night, and there were three people down on her. I called her name and said, ‘You have me for a kickout.’ My 3s weren’t falling, I saw a lane open to the basket. I knew I had to go strong, and I just hoped for the best.”
Daley got the best, although her shot didn’t go through the net without some drama, bouncing once then twice off the rim before falling through.
“I got the lucky bounce, it went in, and it couldn’t have been a better end to the night,” Daley said.
The night wasn’t quite over. With 3.8 seconds remaining, Abington inbounded the ball under PW’s basket. The pass was deflected by the Colonials, and the final buzzer sounded, settling off an emotional celebration after a win that was anything but easy.
Consider only that the Colonials trailed 47-41 with 53.6 seconds remaining after Abington’s Jordyn Reynolds sank 1-of-2 at the foul line. It looked bleak to everyone but the Colonials, who played with resolute purpose.
Ten seconds later, Sharpe converted a tough drive over a pair of Abington defenders, and after Angelina Balcer stole the inbounds, the Ghosts – who lost senior Cire Worley to five fouls for the final 1:18 – were whistled for a foul. The Colonials missed a pair, but Sharpe pulled down the offensive rebound of the second miss and scored on the putback to make it a 47-45 game with 38 seconds remaining.
The Ghosts misfired on the front end of a 1-and-1, the two teams exchanged turnovers. With 16.9 seconds remaining, freshman Kenna Winland stepped to the foul line with her team still trailing by two.
A tough spot for anyone but especially a freshman who’d misfired on a pair of foul shots three minutes earlier – part of a 3-for-11 effort at the line by the Colonials. This time, Winland was clutch, calmly burying both to knot the score.
“I’ve been taught that when I’m stepping up to the free throw line – it can’t be a thing where I’m down on myself,” Winland said. “I have to have the confidence to be able to do this. If I have the thoughts going through my head that I’m not going to make the shots, then they won’t go in.
“You just have to step up to that free throw line and accept you’re going to make them. I knew I wasn’t doing great from the free throw line – I missed two. I made my adjustments on the line and just believed in myself.”
Winland’s foul shots knotted the score.
“For Kenna Winland to step up – nobody on our team could hit free throws,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “She steps up and hits free throws. She shoots big free throws at practice, and I thought she saved us tonight.
“We needed a fifth kid that would go out and defend Abington and could handle the situation and the pressure, and she did. The moment wasn’t too big for her.”
“Oh, that was huge,” Daley said of Winland’s free throws. “Kenna’s one of those girls who in practice – it happened to us a couple of weeks ago. She steps up to the plate. It’s tied – if we lose, we’re running; if we win, it’s over.
“Kenna steps up with that confidence. She knows she can do it. Having her do that really lifted us all up and gave us that huge lift in momentum we needed to keep the press on, get those steals and finish the game the way we did.”
With 15.3 seconds remaining, Abington’s Mikiaya Durham sank 1-of-2 at the foul line, and the stage was set for Daley’s late-game heroics.
Abington and PW entered Tuesday’s game with identical 10-1 records in league play. With the dramatic come-from-behind win, the Colonials have a one-game lead with four games remaining in the regular season.
“This is one of – if not the biggest games we’ve had this season,” Sharpe said. “Watching this game, experiencing this game compared to the last game against them (a 55-53 loss), we just see how much we’ve grown in the month it’s been.
“To have our freshmen step up like that. AJ (Avery) played really well. Joslyn (Perez) gave us good minutes, and Kenna hit those big free throws – that was huge. Our chemistry overall and being able to handle such an emotional game shows our growth, and I’m excited to see what we can do moving forward.”
It was a game of peaks and valleys for both squads. The Ghosts – sparked by five points from Durham – led 15-8 after one quarter. They extended their advantage to 22-13 after Durham scored on a drive with 4:42 remaining in the second period.
Those turned out to be the Ghosts’ final points of the half as the Colonials reeled off 13 unanswered points to go into halftime with a 26-22 lead. Daley – who needed just eight points to reach the 1,000-point milestone – put her name in the program’s record books when she scored on a drive that put the Colonials on top 23-22.
“She deserves it,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “She didn’t get it against Upper Moreland, and then our game on Sunday got cancelled.
“It’s not easy to score against that team tonight. I’m just elated for her. She’s very deserving. She’ll finish with 800 rebounds in her career. She’s a kid who’s started since day one of her freshman year because her size and strength and her ability to play defense is what puts her out there. Now this year she’s been able to shine a lot more offensively.”
PW’s run to close out the half was capped by an improbable off-balance pull-up by Sharpe at the buzzer.
The Ghosts went on top 32-30 when Worley hit nothing but net on a corner three. The UMass Lowell commit came up with a steal and converted a pair at the foul line. Abril Bowser’s steal set the stage for an long distance 3 by Worley that put the Ghosts on top 37-30. Another PW turnover set the stage for Worley kicking the ball out to Bowser, whose 3-pointer gave the Ghosts a 40-30 lead.
With 1:21 remaining in the third quarter and the Ghosts on top 40-33, Worley took a seat on the bench after being whistled for her fourth foul. With five seconds remaining in the quarter, PW freshman AJ Avery connected on a 3 to make it a 40-36 game heading into the fourth quarter.
Abington appeared to be in command after Durham hit nothing but net on a baseline 3 with 1:42 remaining. They still led by six with under a minute remaining, but the Colonials simply would not be denied.
“It’s a huge rivalry – that’s a gigantic win for our psyche,” Dougherty said. “We always say we want to be playing our best basketball heading into February, and that was one of the better games that we’ve played. Our kids made enough plays.”
Sharpe’s 20 points led the Colonials. Dougherty finished with 14, and Avery added seven points – five in the third quarter when the Colonials were struggling.
“This is a game that suits her skill set,” Dougherty said of Avery. “She’s a track meet kind of a kid. We keep telling the kids – you all have green lights to shoot, you all have green lights to drive to the basket.”
Worley’s 16 points led the Ghosts.
“She’s such a great player,” Dougherty said. “I didn’t want to beat that team with her on the bench. I told her that. She’s a great kid. We enjoyed playing against her.”
Also for the Ghosts, Durham had 11 in a strong outing, Bowser had eight and Piper McGinley had six points.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (15-2, 11-1 SOL) will be on the road at Quakertown Friday, and Abington (15-4, 10-2) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
Abington 15-7-18-8 48
Plymouth Whitemarsh 8-18-10-13 49
Abington (48) – Cire Worley 5 3-3 16; Maya Johnson 2 0-0 4; Abril Bowser 3 1-1 8; Mikiaya Durham 4 1-3 11; Jordyn Reynolds 0 3-4 3; Piper McGinley 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 16 8-11 48.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (49) – Azzy Compton 1 0-0 2; Angelina Balcer 1 0-0 2; AJ Avery 3 0-0 7; Kenna Winland 1 2-4 4; Erin Daley 6 1-4 14; Abby Sharpe 9 2-5 20; TOTALS 21 5-13 49.
3-point goals: Abington – Cire Worley 3, Mikiaya Durham 2, Piper McGinley 2, Abril Bowser; PW – AJ Avery, Erin Daley.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 48, WISSAHICKON 42
The Hatters took a 20-17 lead into halftime but couldn’t put the Trojans away. They came out of halftime with an 18-11 quarter to go up by 10 heading into the final quarter on their way to the win.
“(Coach) Eric (Glemser) told the girls it’s tough to beat a team twice and he was right,” Hatters’ assistant coach Nicole Miletto said. “During halftime he said, ‘Wissahickon isn’t going to go away they are going to challenge you,’ and they did.
“They came to play tonight and gave us trouble in the first half. Lucky for us, their shots weren’t falling in the first quarter, and we led 8-5 after one. We struggled from the foul line, we weren’t boxing out, or following out shots. A quick pep talk in the locker room where coach talked about doing the little things, and that was the difference.”
In the first half, the Hatters were led by the 10-point first half of Kitty Randa. Kaitlyn McGeary’s seven points led the Trojans in the half.
In the third quarter, Leah Harrington scored seven points to lead the Hatters’ 18-point explosion. The Trojans never could make up the ground they lost.
“It was a good win,” Glemser said.
Randa’s 14 points led the Hatters. Harrington and Abby Waeltz both added eight points while Caroline Shegogue had seven.
“Senior Abby Waeltz turned up her play and was all over the boards,” Miletto said. “She really gets us going on defense and is our best rebounder.
“We got going in the third quarter behind some aggressive play by junior Alyssa Tooley – who just came back after being out most of the season – and sophomore Maddy Patel. The two combined on some good defense and fast break points in the third, and that really got us to a comfortable lead. But
Wissahickon kept fighting, and they cut into our lead in the fourth and put pressure on us.”
McGeary’s 13 points led the Trojans. She also had nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Kylie Friedman added nine points, three rebounds and three steals, Julia Lettieri had eight points and four rebounds. Claira Baldasano had six points, five rebounds and two assists.
“Kate McGeary got her points, but we did a good job limiting her to seven first-half points and then only six on the second,” Miletto said. “We needed this going into Abington Friday night where we upset them last year and hope to do it again.”
Hatboro-Horsham (7-10, 5-7 SOL) will be on the road at Abington Friday, and Wissahickon (5-12, 3-9) will host Upper Dublin Friday.
Wissahickon 8-9-11-14 42
Hatboro-Horsham 5-15-18-10 48
Wissahickon (42) – Eva Schools 1 0-0 3; Kaitlyn McGeary 5 3-6 13; Julia Lettieri 2 3-3 8; Claira Baldasano 3 0-0 6; Kylie Friedman 4 0-0 9; Ava Stout 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 16 6-9 42.
Hatboro-Horsham (48) – Caroline Shegague 2 3-6 7; Abby Waeltz 3 2-4 8; Kitty Randa 6 2-4 14; Allie Hewish 3 0-0 7; Leah Harrington 2 3-5 8; Maddy Patel 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 18 10-19 48.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Ava Stout, Kylie Friedman, Julia Lettieri, Eva Schools; Hatboro-Horsham – Allie Hewish, Leah Harrington.
UPPER DUBLIN 54, QUAKERTOWN 34
The Flying Cardinals took a 13-11 lead into the second quarter when they outscored their hosts 18-7 to go into halftime with a 31-18 lead. They added to that lead in the second half.
Freshman Megan Ngo had the hot hand for the Cardinals in the opening half, connecting on a pair of 3s and scoring 12 points. Nora Brady added eight points in the half. Carolyn Sipprell’s 10 points led the Panthers.
For the game, Megan Ngo’s 17 points – which included two 3s – led the Flying Cardinals. The freshman also had six assists. Colleen Besachio added 12 points and nine rebounds while Amy Ngo had 10 points and four assists. Nora Brady contributed eight points, six rebounds and two steals. Lilli Kleiman also had three assists.
For the Panthers, Sipprell led the way with a double-double that included 22 points and 12 rebounds. Ava Pistone added nine points, four rebounds and four steals, and Katie Catalano had four assists.
Upper Dublin (12-5, 9-3 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon Friday, and Quakertown (9-8, 6-6) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh Friday.
Upper Dublin 13-18-14-9 54
Quakertown 11-7-7-9 34
Upper Dublin (54) – Julia Scullen 1 0-0 3; Alaina Sanders 1 0-0 2; Makyla Keyes 0 0-2 0; Megan Ngo 6 2-2 17; Lily Kleiman 1 0-0 2; Amy Ngo 4 0-0 10; Colleen Besachio 6 0-0 12; Nora Brady 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 22 2-4 54.
Quakertown (34) – Carolyn Sipprell 8 6-9 22; Ava Pistone 3 3-4 9; Julia Henry 0 1-2 1; Kayla Sicher 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 12 10-15 34.
3-point goals: Megan Ngo 3, Amy Ngo 2, Nora Brady 2, Julia Scullen.
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 43, LOWER MORELAND 34
The Golden Bears did not allow their visitors to score a point in the opening quarter, and they opened up a 26-13 halftime lead on their way to the Senior Night win.
“Tonight was a night to celebrate our amazing seniors, and we were able to do that as well as secure another league victory,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “Allie (LaRocco), Alyssa (Wiley), Eliza (Feil), EmmyFaith (Wood) and Zoe (Longstreth) have all had different paths and roles up to this point, but they have all been important to our team’s success. You won’t find five nicer, more selfless kids out there. They work hard, do what they’re asked, and root really hard for their teammates. It’s a pleasure coaching all of them, some of which started in AAU (Fencor) when they were in sixth.”
The Golden Bears opened up a 10-0 lead after one quarter and went into halftime with a 13-point advantage. Lilly Hansen’s five points led the Bears in the half.
“The game itself was a grind as Lower Moreland kept battling to the end,” Carroll said. “(Briana) McFerran, who wasn’t here the first time we played, had a really good game and wouldn’t miss in the fourth.
“We couldn’t get comfortable late, and they played a big part in that. Coach (Rich) Becker always has his girls playing no matter the score, and tonight was no different. We have some things we have to clean up and Lower Moreland really helped us realize that.”
On the other side of the floor, LM coach Rich Becker liked some of the things he saw from his players.
“Going into tonight’s game, I told our Assistant Coach, Ceili Courduff, that I thought we were going to play Upper Moreland tough,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “At the end of the first quarter, when we were down 10-0, and in spite of the score, they were doing a lot of things well and kept competing. To their credit, the girls kept grinding and closed the gap to seven with a minute to go and ended up losing by nine.
“Upper Moreland is a tough team, they’ve got nice athletes, good length, they shoot well – eight different players scored for them in the first half, and on top of that, they are well coached and fundamentally very sound. At the end of the day, we lost to a better team, but I’m happy with our effort, and the growth that I’m seeing from our team.
Alyssa Wiley and EmmyFaith Wood led a balanced attack with eight points each. Lilly Hansen and Holly Gohl both had seven.
“Going into the game, we knew that with this being their Senior Night that they would come out with some extra adrenaline, and from playing against Matt for a number of years, we anticipated that the second time around they tend to try to focus on limiting our lead scorers,” Becker said. “For the most part, they did that, so we were glad that Maddy Rossiter and Jess Shein were able to contribute and carry the scoring load for us. The first time we played them Holly Grohl had 27, I thought that Briana McFerran played her tough on defense and we limited her to seven.”
LM was led by the eight-point efforts of Briana McFerran, Maddy Rossiter and Jess Shein.
“At the start of the season, we only had four girls on the roster with varsity experience and a lot of question marks,” Becker said. “After the game, when talking with the team, we told them that a lot of those question marks are being answered.
“We’re getting to the point where we’re comfortable playing eight to nine girls and with 11 of the 14 girls in our program being in either ninth or 10th grade. In spite of our record, I’m happy with the growth we’re seeing, and our next step is more continuity and consistently doing the little things well that eventually add up to the bigger results that we’re hoping to see.”
Upper Moreland (15-2, 10-2 SOL) will travel to William Tennent Friday, and Lower Moreland (4-12, 2-10) will host Cheltenham Friday.
Lower Moreland 0-13-6-15 34
Upper Moreland 10-16-10-7 43
Lower Moreland (34) – Briana McFerran 3 0-0 8; Maddy Rossiter 2 2-2 8; Amelia Brown 1 1-2 4; Jess Shein 3 2-6 8; Liz Neeld 1 1-2 3; Nikki Sahl 0 0-1 0; Alexis MacPhee 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 11 7-12 34.
Upper Moreland Mikel Lancit 2 0-0 4; Alyssa Wiley 2 3-4 8; EmmyFaith Wood 4 0-0 8; Lilly Hansen 3 1-1 7; Eliza Feil 1 1-2 4; Holly Gohl 3 1-2 7; Marie Meyers 1 0-0 2; Allie LaRocco 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 17 6-9 43.
3-point goals: LM – Briana McFerran 2, Maddy Rossiter 2, Amelia Brown; UM – Eliza Feil, Alyssa Wiley, Alli LaRocco.
WILLIAM TENNENT 56, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 36
The Panthers got off to a slow start in the first quarter, managing just one field goal and three points. They recuperated quick nicely to 53 points over the next three quarters to win in convincing fashion.
“It was a good team win tonight,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We had great balance and contributions from everyone. It feels good to get back in the win column after a tough few weeks.
“We had a slow start but found our rhythm the second quarter when we were able to increase our pressure and get some easy baskets. I thought the first quarter we had some decent looks, but we couldn’t buy a basket, and we missed too many layups. We also didn’t shoot well from the free throw line the entire game. It’s disappointing to see us leave points out there. Luckily, the game didn’t come down to that, but in another game, it could cost us.”
The Panthers, who trailed 5-3 after one quarter, erupted for 18 points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 21-9 lead over the Spartans. Halie Staub’s six points led a balanced Tennent attack in the half.
Tennent added to its lead in the third quarter, outscoring its visitors 18-10 to go into the final quarter with a 39-19 advantage on their way to the decisive win.
“We have been trying to focus more on getting out in transition and pushing the pace,” Whitney said. “I think the last few games we have done a better job of it. We also did a nice job of sharing the ball tonight and making the extra pass.”
Three Tennent players finished in double figures. Avery Kocur’s 12 points led the way while Jess Whisler and Halie Staub both had 11 points.
“Jess Whisler really gave us some quality minutes tonight,” Whitney said. “She provided that spark off the bench and played with a ton of confidence. She battled on the boards and had some nice finishes around the basket.
“Avery Kocur has been playing so solid the last few weeks, and tonight was no different. Her shots weren’t dropping the first quarter, but she stayed patient and had some great drives. She also had some incredible passes in the lane for easy baskets.
“Halie Staub was aggressive offensively penetrating to the basket and was very active defensively getting her hands on a lot of passes and just being disruptive.”
For the Spartans, Alana Decker scored 11 points – nine in the fourth quarter. Delaney Lake and Ashley Jenkins each chipped in with six points.
William Tennent (8-9, 5-7 SOL) will host Upper Moreland Friday, and Springfield Township (3-12, 0-12) will be on the road for a non-league game at Sacred Heart on Thursday.
Springfield Township 5-4-10-17 36
William Tennent 3-18-18-17 56
Springfield Twp (36) – Alana Decker 4 1-2 11; Hannah Brandon 2 1-1 5; Grace Daily 1 0-3 2; Paige Robinson 2 0-0 6; Delaney Lake 1 0-0 2; Devan Nolan 2 0-0 4; Ashley Jenkins 2 2-6 6; TOTALS 14 4-12 36.
William Tennent (56) – Ella Mednick 1 1-2 3; Avery Kocur 6 0-0 12; Halie Staub 3 4-8 11; Alyssa Lewicki 1 2-4 5; Hailey Lorenzon 1 3-4 5; Haley Dickson 2 0-2 4; Jess Whisler 3 2-4 11; Morgan Volz 2 1-4 5; TOTALS 19 13-28 56.
3-point goals: Springfield Twp – Alana Decker 2, Paige Robinson 2; WT – Halie Staub, Alyssa Lewicki, Jess Whisler 3.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 54, CHELTENHAM 28
Reagan Chrencik jumpstarted the Lions, burying four 3-pointers and scoring 16 first-quarter points, leading the visitors to a 20-10 lead after one quarter. A 24-0 second quarter featured three Gabby D’Agostino 3-pointers. The freshman point guard had 12 points in the quarter and 14 in a half that saw the Lions open up a 44-10 halftime advantage on their way to the big win.
“We were very fortunate tonight to get off to such a quick start against Cheltenham,” New Hope assistant John Turner said. “Reagan Chrencik’s big first quarter set the tone for us early.
“Our focus tonight was to try and be as opportunistic as possible on the fast break and we were able to do that early on. We also shot the three very well throughout the game. It was nice to see our kids shoot the ball so well especially on the heels of a tough loss on Saturday. Hopefully this is momentum that we will be able maintain in our games this weekend.”
Chrencik led all scorers with 20 points, and D’Agostino added 14. Sammi McAndrew was a new face in the lineup, and she contributed eight points.
“I was also pleased with our contributions from the bench,” Turner said. “Junior Sammi McAndrew has been battling injuries much of the season and came in and really had a nice game tonight.”
For the Lady Panthers, Arianna Davis and Cassie Bugg each had nine points, Janiya Townes-Wakefield added six points.
“We were down a couple of players and came out with some energy, but we lost our focus,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “We need to learn to compete even when times are tough.”
New Hope-Solebury (10-7, 9-3 SOL) will host Springfield Township Friday, and Cheltenham (6-11, 2-10) will be on the road at Lower Moreland.
New Hope-Solebury 20-24-2-8 54
Cheltenham 10-0-8-10 28
New Hope-Solebury (54) – Gabby D’Agostino 4 3-4 14; Reagan Chrencik 8 0-1 20; Ann Charlotte 2 0-0 4; Nina Meixler 2 0-0 5; Isha Mukherjee 1 0-0 3; Sammi McAndrew 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 20 3-54.
Cheltenham (28) – Janiya Townes-Wakefield 1 3-4 6; Arianna Davis 4 1-4 9; Cassie Bugg 4 1-2 9; Katie Barnes 1 0-0 2; Tori Simmons 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 5-10 28.
3-point goals: NHS – Reagan Chrencik 4, Gabby D’Agostino 3, Sammi McAndrew 2, Nina Meixler, Isha Mukherjee; Cheltenham – Janiya Townes-Wakefield.
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