Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. File photo by Troy Leatherbury. Visit the photo gallery: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f226313402
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SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 31, BENSALEM 21
In a contest that featured a whole lot more defense than offense, it was the Falcons winning a tough road game.
For three quarters, there was not a whole lot of separation between the two teams. The Falcons trailed 6-4 after one quarter but rebounded to take a 12-10 lead into halftime. They took a tenuous 17-16 lead into the final quarter.
Key stretch: The Falcons scored 14 fourth quarter points to take charge of a tightly contested game. Maggie Burns led the way with eight points that included a 4-for-4 effort at the foul line. Sammie Haws was a perfect 4-for-4 at the foul line in the fourth quarter.
Key players: Maggie Burns led the Falcons with 12 points, and Sammie Haws added 10 points – seven in the opening half.
For the Owls, Talia DiMichele led the way with 11 points, and Grace McShane had nine. The duo combined to score 20 of their team’s 21 points.
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla: “It’s hard to imagine how long this week was, but we are very proud of our girls. Last Friday night we were in control and heading into the fourth quarter, and obviously, when you lose a player who has been so good for us all year, it’s difficult and it was a difficult loss. We weren’t sure how things would go, but we had a couple of quick games, and we really spent practice trying to make some adjustments.
“Bensalem has been playing really well lately and scoring points, and we knew that on a Friday night they’d be excited to play at home, and at the same time, we play so many road games that it’s not a difficult experience for us to get ready to play. We had a couple days to get prepared, and the girls were fantastic in terms of how they prepared themselves. Tonight, as Sean and I were grading the scouting report quizzes in the bleachers, we are always concerned with how they’ll answer the questions about personnel, but you really need them to be able to take away the key actions that the other team runs, and our team was really locked in.
“I understand that much is said about our freshman and how many freshmen that we play and I’m not downplaying that. It’s certainly unique and we are certainly proud of how they are growing, but it’s our returning players that have shown so much leadership this year and stepped up in big spots. Tonight, Ava Jordan picked up her second foul at the end of the first quarter, so we had to play the rest of the half without her.”
–Props: “Sammie Haws really stepped up and knocked down some big shots for us but also did a great job rebounding on the backside. She may have played her best game of the year tonight. Maggie Burns had a couple of huge finishes for us in the second half when the game was really close and then, as usual, was perfect from the foul line. It was great to have Alyssa Thomas back, and even though she really couldn’t practice this week, she worked as hard as she could in a rehab to get back on the floor and her ball handling steadied us, and she was perfect from the line in the fourth quarter.
“When Ava got back on the floor, she was great for us at the top of our defense. We decided at practice this week that we would change our defense as much as possible to try to keep them off balance because they are a tough matchup for us. Their guards are really physical and aggressive.
“We are really proud of how this group of girls has played so many games away from home this year and has been able to come up with some really good performances. Tonight we didn’t shoot the ball as well as we would’ve liked to, but as always, our defense traveled.”
Up next: Pennsbury (13-6, 6-1 SOL) will host Neshaminy on Tuesday, and Bensalem (10-8, 3-4) will host Unionville in a non-league game Saturday (12:30 pm).
Pennsbury 4-8-5-14 31
Bensalem 6-4-6-5 21
Pennsbury (31) – Emily Panaro 1 0-0 2; Maggie Burns 4 4-4 12; Sammie Haws 4 0-0 10; Alyssa Thomas 0 4-4 4; Keira Socha 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 10 8-8 31
Bensalem (21) – Talia DiMichele 4 1-1 11; Mary Beck 0 1-3 1; Grace McShane 4 0-0 9; TOTALS 8 2-4 21.
3-point goals: P – Sammie Haws 2, Keira Socha; B – Talia DiMichele 2, Grace McShane.
NESHAMINY 43, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 32
The Redskins took a three-point lead into the second quarter when they limited the Indians to just one point. Neshaminy took a 25-11 lead into halftime.
Key stretch: The Redskins outscored their hosts 12-1 in the second quarter that was highlighted by seven points from Hayley Kolk.
Player of the Game: Hayley Kolk 13 points, 5 blocks
Neshaminy coach John Gallagher on the game: “Going into the game we were aware of how well we played in a loss to CR South this week. The staff stressed how we need to continue to play up to our capabilities in the game versus North. As we tried to speed up the pace of the game, we wound up trading baskets in the first quarter.
“In the second quarter, our rotations on the defensive end allowed us to transition to our offense smoother. Sophomore Mia Raivitch took advantage of a sagging defense to knock down two shots from beyond the arc, while adding a putback also in the second quarter. Hayley Kolk was able to stretch our lead to 17 while knocking down two 3-point shots in the third quarter. Hayley was able to shut down several drives to the rim by blocking five shots for the game.”
Props: “It is always a challenge going against a Jack Kelly coached team. Each of our games over the last few years have been a struggle in regard to executing our offense and matching the CR North intensity level. CR North is fortunate to have someone like Jack leading their young women in the tough Patriot Division games.
“I was thrilled with each of our team members who touched the court in our varsity game. Each player was engaged and supportive of each other’s efforts and the coaching staff was pleased with how each of the girls performed.”
Up next: Neshaminy (13-6, 6-1 SOL) will face Spring-Ford in a non-league game Sunday (3 pm) at Thomas Jefferson University as part of the Maggie Lucas Classic. Council Rock North (3-15, 1-6) will host Council Rock South Tuesday.
Neshaminy 13-12-8-10 43
Council Rock North 10-1-5-16 32
Neshaminy (43) – Grace Weyler 4, Alena Cofield 6, Brinley Buretta 2, Mia Raivitch 8, Auslyn Wilkins 6, Sydney Snyder 2, Hayley Kolk 13, Kaitlyn Wolf 2.
Council Rock North (32) – Skyler Wright 3, Kayla Smith 2, Julia Koval 2, Amara Arroyo 3, Addie Martin 4, Brynn Rodgers 1, Alexa Bondra 8, Meg Reichenbach 4, Josie Boyle 5.
3-point goals: N – Hayley Kolk 3, Mia Raivitch 2; CRN – Skyler Wright, Amara Arroyo, Josie Boyle.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 51, HARRY S TRUMAN 25
The Golden Hawks roared out of the gate to a 21-0 lead after one quarter, and they never looked back.
Key players: Maria Freeman led a balanced attack with 11 points, which included three 3-pointers. Lil Metrick added nine points.
For the Tigers, Bri Philemond and Mikasia Jones each had nine points.
Council Rock South assistant coach Blair Klumpp: “Our girls – Fi (Reckner) and Bella (Hettler) – did a really nice job of guarding (Shylah) McCleve. It was a good adjustment from the first game. They both have been so solid defensively all year
“For us, we got off to a better start against them this time than when we played them at home. I said earlier this season that Coach McMiller has made a difference there, and her girls played hard. (Bri) Philemond shot the ball well, and (Mikasia) Jones hit a couple deep 3s in the second half.
“Our girls’ daily approach to practice has been really good, and tonight we got to mix and match some lineups. Lil (Metrick) and Maria (Freeman) had well-rounded games offensively. Our ball movement was good, and I thought we did a really good job of making the extra pass as a group. Kat (O’Kane) really stood out doing this, and it really was in the second half as a group. It may not have resulted in a ton of assists, but we got quality shots and were making the right basketball play. Sarah (Freeman) was very active on 50/50 balls and crashing the offensive glass. It was good for Gill (Martin) and Em (Gunther) to get some quality shots and be ready to shoot and knock a couple down. Our swing girls played hard in their opportunity.
“We have an important day of practice tomorrow and an awesome opportunity Sunday in the Maggie Lucas Showcase vs Ursuline Academy.”
Up next: Council Rock South (13-6-1 SOL) will face Ursaline Academy Sunday (10:30 am) as part of the Maggie Lucas Classic at Thomas Jefferson University. Harry S Truman (2-13, 0-7) will be on the road at Bensalem Tuesday.
Council Rock South 21-14-7-9 51
Harry S Truman 0-8-7-10 25
Council Rock South (51) – Ruby Bross 1 0-1 2; Lil Metrick 4 0-0 9; Maria Freeman 4 0-0 11; Gillian Martin 2 0-0 6; Carly Connetta 1 1-1 3; Kacie Donahue 0 1-2 1; Emerson Gunther 2 0-0 6; Kathryn O’Kane 3 0-0 7; Fiona Reckner 2 0-0 4; Anabelle Kushch 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 19 4-6 51.
Harry S Truman (25) – Julianna Romer 1 0-0 2; Bri Philemond 3 0-0 9; Shylah McCleve 2 0-0 5; Mikasia Jones 3 1-2 9; TOTALS 9 1-2 25.
3-point goals: CRS – Maria Freeman 3, Emerson Gunther 2, Gillian Martin 2, Lil Metrick, Kathryn O’Kane; HST – Bri Philemond 3, Jones 2, Shylah McCleve.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 51, SOUDERTON 40
Sparked by the 20-point effort of Scarlett Baumgardner, the Bucks avenged an early season loss to the Indians.
Key stretch: The Bucks – behind eight points from Peyton Cramer – took a 23-17 lead into halftime and then expanded that lead with a 17-point third quarter that was highlighted by eight points from Scarlett Baumgardner.
Key players: Scarlett Baumgardner scored a game-high 20 points – 15 in the second half. Peyton Cramer had 13 points, and Erica Madden also finished in double figures with 10.
For the Indians, Emily Dick’s 12 points led the way.
Central Bucks West coach Zach Sibel: “It was a good win. The thing I’m happiest about is the way we’ve won these last couple of games. It may sound repetitive, but it really is a testament to how these girls are playing. They’re playing together. Obviously, you’ve got to have everything at the ready when you play Souderton with the adjustments that Lynn’s going to have for them. You know that they’re not going anywhere. Those girls play tough. Souderton always has length, and you’ve got to play a really good game in order to beat them. I think we played a better team basketball game today. It’s that trend that we’re really excited about.”
–Props: “I have to give Erica Madden a ton of credit. She was awesome tonight. She really came alive. She had two free throws in the first half and then had eight huge points in the second half to have a total of 10. I thought she responded really well, handled the ball really well, and it was really complimentary basketball
“Scarlett Baumgardner had 20 points tonight. She’s really been playing well. That’s two 20-point games in two big league games this second time through the conference for Scarlett, building off momentum from Tuesday.
“Peyton Cramer did an awesome job again controlling pace, playing really good basketball. Peyton Cramer in the first half really set the tone, and then Scarlett and Erica took care of business in the second half, but really, there are so many things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, and I think a lot of girls played really good team defense. Miya McDaniels had really good minutes again tonight. It was a great team effort against another really well-coached team that fights.”
Up next: Central Bucks West (7-11, 2-5 SOL) will host Central Bucks South Tuesday, and Souderton (8-10, 1-6) will be on the road at Upper Moreland for a non-league game Monday.
Central Bucks West 13-10-17-11 51
Souderton 7-10-11-12 40
Central Bucks West (51) – Erica Madden 4 2-2 10; Peyton Cramer 5 1-1 13; Audra Lawson 1 0-0 2; Emily Ladley 2 0-0 6; Scarlett Baumgardner 8 0-0 20; TOTALS 20-3-3 51
Souderton (40) – Julia Purvy 0 1-2 1; Oliva Herron 4 0-3 8; Madison Bealer 1 0-0 3; Liz Word 1 2-2 5; Kiera Fadden 3 1-2 7; Avie Sakor 0 1-2 1; Alaina Picard 1 0-0 3; Emily Dick 6 0-0 12; TOTALS 16 5-11 40.
3-point goals: CBW – Scarlett Baumgardner 4, Peyton Cramer 2, Emily Ladley 2; S – Madison Bealer, Liz Word, Alaina Picard.
NORTH PENN 44, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 41
The Knights snapped a two-game skid with a win over the Titans.
This was a game neither team could put away until the final horn. The Knights took a 29-24 lead into halftime. Lily Brown led the Knights with nine first-half points on three 3-pointers, and Jadyn Sperling had eight.
Key stretch: The Knights took a 37-33 lead into the final quarter. They received a huge lift from freshman Paityn Debor, who scored all five of her points off the bench in the pivotal fourth quarter.
Key players: Lily Brown – out with the flu last week – returned to the lineup and led a balanced attack with 12 points. Cam Crowley added nine while Jaydyn Sperling and Mehya Godhania each had eight.
North Penn coach Bri Cullen: “This was a needed win. I think the biggest thing was – the scoring was even tonight, which was nice to see because we’ve been heavily relying on either Cam (Crowley) or Lily (Brown).
“I also think South adjusted really well, so we were just constantly trying to throw different defenses out, and really keeping our defensive energy high is what kept us in the game because – especially in the second half – we weren’t hitting as many shots.
“They didn’t have (Mia) Klein tonight, so I know that was a big missing piece. We just tried to capitalize where we could. This is the time of year when people get sick. You just have to adjust on the fly. We had people playing positions they don’t normally play. They stepped up big.”
–Props: “I had a freshman (Paityn Debro) ending the game on the floor who hasn’t played a whole lot of minutes this year. She had five points in the fourth quarter. Our underclassmen really stepped up big tonight.
“Mehya (Godhania) is starting to get more confident, she’s starting to see where she’s open and how to get open. She didn’t play any varsity at all last year. To go from that to starting on varsity, there’s a little bit of a learning curve. She’s really starting to figure it out which is nice to see. The same thing with (Jadyn) Sperling. She didn’t play at all last year, and now she’s getting big varsity minutes. It’s nice to see she’s starting to come into her own.”
Central Bucks South coach Beth Mattern: “I was really happy with the effort the team put on the court tonight. It was a hard-fought game by both sides and North Penn made baskets down the stretch. We will regroup and get back after it tomorrow at Boyertown.”
Up next: North Penn (9-10, 5-2 SOL) will be on the road at Pennridge Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (8-10, 3-4) will travel to Boyertown for a non-league game Saturday (1:30 pm).
North Penn 15-14-8-7 44
Central Bucks South 12-12-9-8 41
North Penn (44) – Cam Crowley 2 4-4 9; Paityn Debro 2 1-1 5; Lily Brown 4 1-7 12; Jadyn Sperling 3 0-0 8; Mehya Godhania 3 0-0 8; Tallie Smink 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 15 6-12 44.
Central Bucks South (41) – Ella Wheeler 4 2-2 13; Jules Tropea 3 6-8 12; Gabby Tropea 5 0-0 10; Anna Granito 1 0-0 3; Megan Schmidt 0 3-6 3; TOTALS 13 11-16 41.
3-point goals: NP – Lily Brown 3, Jadyn Sperling 2, Mehya Godhania 2, Cam Crowley; CBS – Ella Wheeler 3, Anna Granito.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 67, ABINGTON 36
The Flying Cardinals clinched at least a share of the SOL Liberty Division crown with Friday’s road win, and they did it in style, erupting for 48 first-half points on their way to the decisive win.
“Going into the game, Abington only had one loss in the league to us, and with the one game lead, we knew the game was important,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “You’re always nervous if your team is going to play a little scared. I thought we had two great practices heading into today. I was very confident in our girls entering tonight, and they did not disappoint.”
For the game, the Cardinals shot 8-for-14 from beyond the arc and 22-for-43 overall.
Key stretch: The Cards dominated this one from the outset, opening up a 21-11 lead after one quarter. Emilia Coleman and Tamia Clark both had eight points to lead the charge. For good measure, UD scored 27 in the second quarter.
Key players: Tamia Clark led the Cards with 24 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Emilia Coleman added 16 points and six rebounds, Bridget DiMartile had 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Megan Ngo had eight points – all in a 27-point second quarter – to go along with nine assists and two steals.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten: “It was another really balanced effort. Megan (Ngo) had eight points in the first half. Tamia (Clark) had 17 in the first half, and Emilia (Coleman) had 12 in the first half, so we were getting scoring from everywhere.
“I guess what I’m most proud of and most excited about as a coach – we really emphasized getting better at doing the little things. We know as the playoffs approach – if we want to make a run, we’re going to have to get better at doing the little things. I thought the girls bought in this week and had two great practices, so I was excited about just where we were as a team coming into tonight, and I’m even more excited now because they were able to translate it to a game.”
–Props: “I thought Bridget DiMartile tonight was great. She had 12 points, six rebounds, five assists.
“Tamia actually hurt her ankle in the first three minutes of the CB East game last Friday and hadn’t practiced, missed the game on Tuesday. She fought through the game against CB East, but Tuesday she did not play. She didn’t practice until yesterday, and she went out and scored 24 points tonight and had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. She’s still hurting a little bit, but you couldn’t tell the way she played tonight.
“Overall, really happy defensively. We shot the ball well. We try not to let that determine whether or not we play well, so we were really happy with how we played defensively tonight, and everybody contributed. It started with Megan – she had nine assists and scored eight points in the second quarter, and that’s when we got some big-time separation.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (16-3, 6-0 SOL) will face Lansdale Catholic in a non-league game at the Maggie Lucas Classic at Thomas Jefferson University Sunday (1:30 pm). Abington (10-6, 4-2) will travel Cheltenham for a non-league game Saturday (2:30 pm).
Upper Dublin 21-27-18-1 67
Abington 11-9-13-3 36
Upper Dublin (67) – Bridget DiMartile 5 0-0 12; Tamia Clark 8 8-9 24; Megan Ngo 2 2-2 8; Emilia Coleman 5 4-4 16; Caroline Stoffel 0 1-2 1; Ella Morris 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 22 15-17 67.
Abington (36) – Ayana Miller 1 0-0 3; Maya Johnson 1 1-2 3; Mikiya Durham 4 1-2 11; Shya Crafton 1 0-0 2; Hailey Hernandez 1 1-2 3; Aniyah Williams 5 2-2 14; TOTALS 13 5-8 36.
3-point goals: UD – Bridget DiMartile 2, Megan Ngo 2, Emilia Coleman 2, Ella Morris 2; A – Mikiaya Durham 2, Aniyah Williams 2, Ayana Miller 1.
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 68, SPRINGFIELD TWP 51
Dani Brusha stole the spotlight in Friday’s win.
The senior guard did it all for the Lions, finishing with 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine steals in a dazzling performance.
“Dani was one steal away from a triple double and was the main primary reason we were able to beat a Springfield team that played well and would not go away,” LM coach Rich Becker said.
Key stretch: The Lions – behind eight points from Mady Rossiter – opened up a 21-9 lead after one quarter, and the Spartans spent the rest of the game playing catchup.
Key players: Dani Brusha led the Lions with 28 points, which included a pair of 3s and a 10-for-13 effort at the foul line. The senior guard had 12 points in a first half that saw the Lions take a 36-30 lead. Bri McFerran added 11 points – eight in a 17-point third quarter when the Lions stretched their lead to 53-40 heading into the final quarter. Mady Rossiter added 10 points.
For the Spartans, Ava Culler scored 22 points – 10 in a 21-point second quarter. Julia Guicheteau added 12 points.
Lower Moreland coach Rich Becker: “The coaches at Springfield are doing a really nice job with their roster. Ava Culler had her usual 22-point 20+ rebound game against us, but it was the rest of the team that really has improved since we last played them. For close to three quarters, every time we would threaten to open up the lead, they would battle back. Credit to Springfield for continuing to play hard and compete.
“On our end, we had started off slow, made a run to close out the first quarter, but that did not carry over. In the second quarter, we did not play well defensively and at halftime, we challenged them to step up their game and the girls responded.
–Props: “In addition to Dani, Mady Rossiter played well the entire game. She had eight early points and really battled on the boards, and Bri McFerran, who had to sit a lot in the first half because of foul trouble, had eight points in the third quarter to help get us back on track.”
Up next: Lower Moreland (10-7, 4-3 SOL) will be on the road at New Hope-Solebury Tuesday, and Springfield Twp (6-12, 0-7) will travel to Methacton for a non-league game Saturday (1:30 pm).
Springfield Twp 9-21-10-11 51
Lower Moreland 21-15-17-15 68
Springfield Twp (51) – Caitlin Lewis 1 0-0 2; Chloe Kaczor 2 0-0 6; Keira Brandon 3 1-1 7; Julia Guicheteau 5 1-2 12; Ava Culler 9 4-7 22; Kamryn Ells 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 21 6-10 51.
Lower Moreland (68) – Briana McFerran 5 0-0 11; Dani Brusha 8 10-13 28; Emma DiJoseph 4 0-0 9; Mady Rossiter 4 2-2 10; Nikki Sahl 1 1-2 3; Maddie Broderick 1 1-2 3; Sofia Fey 1 1-2 4; TOTALS 24 15-21 68.
3-point goals: S – Chloe Kaczor 2, Julia Guicheteau; LM – Dani Brusha 2, Briana McFerran, Emma DiJoseph, Sofia Fey.
CHELTENHAM 65, WILLIAM TENNENT 37
The visiting Panthers led 16-12 after one quarter but saw that advantage disappear when Cheltenham answered with an 18-7 second quarter burst to go into halftime with a 30-23 lead. Cheltenham owned the second half, outscoring its visitors 35-14.
Key players: Zoe Thompson led the Lady Panthers with 21 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots in a dominant outing. Maya Simmons had 19 points and four assists. Paige Powell also finished in double figures with 11 points, six assists and three steals, and Jiah Price had eight points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
For Tennent, Halie Staub led the way with 16 points. Avery Kocur added 10 points.
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney: “I thought we played well for most of the first half. We did a nice job of taking care of the ball and limiting their touches and penetration in the paint. Unfortunately, the last few minutes of the first half, we had some poor shot selection and lost them in transition a few times, which lead to them being up seven at halftime.
“The second half we played disconnected. After only having four turnovers the first half, we were too careless with the ball the second half and turned it over 10 times. We failed to get back in transition and lost their shooters.
“Credit to Cheltenham – they are a very talented team and have several girls who can put the ball in the basket. They made it difficult on us the second half to find our offensive rhythm.
“What was most frustrating was the fact that we let our frustration and emotions show at times the second half, and we took ourselves out of the game.”
Up next: Cheltenham (13-2, 7-0 SOL) will host Abington in a non-league game Saturday (2:30 pm), and William Tennent (10-8, 3-4) will host Springfield Twp on Tuesday.
William Tennent 16-7-8-6 37
Cheltenham 12-18-22-13 65
William Tennent (37) – Lindsey Catoni 4, Avery Kocur 10, Carissa Malpezzi 2, Halie Staub 16, Megan Volz 5.
Cheltenham (65) – Jiah Price 8, Paige Powell 11, Maya Simmons 19, Cassie Bugg 4, Marguerite Reimer 2, Zoe Thompson 21.
3-point goals: WT – Avery Kocur 3, Halie Staub; C – Maya Simmons 3, Jiah Price 2.
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