Check out the results for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. North Penn/Souderton photos provided courtesy of Keith Clemens Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos…CLICK HERE.
National Conference
PENNSBURY 37, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 31
There are comebacks, and then there are comebacks.
Friday’s win was remarkable at every level for a Pennsbury team that found itself trailing 16-2 in the second quarter but outscored the Golden Hawks 35-15 the rest of the way to earn the dramatic come-from-behind win.
“We were scuffling,” coach Frank Sciolla said. “We actually called a timeout to replace our starting five, and the girls that we put in are still developing in terms of offense, but defensively, they were way more physical than our starters had been.
“They kind of stemmed the tide and gave us a little bit of a lift. They held the fort for a couple of minutes, and then as our girls came back in, they scored a couple of hoops, got a little bit of confidence.”
The Falcons trimmed the Golden Hawks’ lead to 20-11 at the half and then limited the Hawks to just three points in the third quarter – all at the foul line. The Falcons – behind five points from Kate Mix – outscored their hosts 11-3 in the frame to pull to within one heading into the final quarter (23-22).
“That was big,” said Sciolla of his team’s third-quarter performance. “They were in a zone, and we looked a bit frozen for a while.
“We called a timeout, and the girls did a great job coming out of that. We got off the schneid and really made some big shots. Kate Mix, who we ask to do so much for us, is a 10th grader who we have playing in a different position. Most of them are playing in different positions this year, and she’s really handling the ball a lot more. She hit a big three and that got us going a little bit.”
In the fourth quarter, freshman Cami Wiegand buried a pair of three-pointers while Sydney Buel also buried a three and connected on 3-of-6 at the foul line as the Falcons closed out the game with a 15-8 burst.
“We really made some big shots,” Sciolli said. “Cami Wiegand had missed some shots earlier in the game. A month ago, she would have stopped shooting, but she kept shooting and made two enormous threes.
“Syd Buell was really aggressive and played the way she can play on the backboards, which was a key for us.”
Sciolla pointed to the leadership of senior Meredith Webber as significant.
“Meredith Webber made a really big three, played with so much moxie and gave us a lot of leadership,” he said. “She gave us seven rebounds as well.”
The Falcons’ coach credited Webber and Danielle Cady for their defensive effort on South point guard Payton Spadaccino.
“Those two were so tough and so smart with how they guarded her,” Sciolla said. “As we were making shots, we were getting stops and rebounds.
“Then we all of a sudden found ourselves in the rare position with a lead on the road against a good team. Then it becomes a whole other issue – taking care of the ball and making free throws. We were able to do that well enough and get stops and get, for us, a really big win.”
The Falcons connected on 6-of-10 foul shots in the fourth quarter.
“I thought really the biggest improvement for us was – we’re learning we have to play defense whether we’re scoring or not,” Sciolla said. “We are getting a little bit better every game in terms of how long we can compete.
“The other night we played Neshaminy, and we were up after the first quarter, it was a close game at the half, but we’re not there yet, and Neshaminy really handled us.”
Neshaminy went on to defeat Pennsbury 49-21.
“The lesson we learned was that they have a strong belief in what they do,” Sciolla said of the Redskins. “They believe in their defense – they’re so solid there. They play together and they execute what they run so well that it was good for our girls to see that as kind of a measuring stick so we can have a similar belief.”
In the loss to Neshaminy, the Falcons, according to Sciolla, had just three assists and four deflections. By comparison, they had 10 assists on 11 baskets in Friday’s win.
“Almost every one of our baskets was assisted,” Sciolla said. “We were doing a great job playing for each other, and that type of stuff gives you a great feeling.”
The Falcons are in the midst of a four-games-in-five-days stretch.
“I don’t now how much it will affect this group because three-quarters of them can’t get into a PG movie without ID,” said Sciolla, referencing the Falcons’ youth. “Tomorrow is our Senior Day, and the seniors have been tremendous, but so many of our girls are still finding their way. There are so many new experiences.
“I have to give them credit – they listen and they really try, and our community is starting to really rally around everything basketball-wise with these girls, and that’s been cool.”
Cady led the Falcons with 13 points while Mix added 12 and Wiegand, eight points.
For the Golden Hawks, Spadaccino led the way with 11 points, which included a 6-for-9 effort at the foul line. Kasey Schlupp added eight points.
“Jason Rapp does a good job with his girls,” Sciolla said. “They play really good defense, and they’re in the mix for the playoffs.
“They’re certainly playing for something, they have a really good senior point guard (Spadaccino) who keeps them in every game.”
Pennsbury (6-9, 2-6 SOL) will host Lawrenceville in a non-league game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Council Rock South (8-10, 4-5) will be on the road for a non-league game at Wissahickon on Monday.
Pennsbury 2-9-11-15 37
Council Rock South 12-8-3-8 31
Pennsbury (37) – Sydney Buell 13, Kate Mix 12, Meredith Webber 4, Cami Wiegand 8.
Council Rock South (31) – Kasey Schlupp 8, Payton Spadaccino 11, Allison McGowan 3, Faith Turner 5, Bailey Vetter 2, Hannah Binder 2.
ABINGTON 80, HARRY S TRUMAN 36
The Ghosts opened up a 21-9 lead after one quarter and took a 39-21 lead into halftime on their way to the big win.
For the Tigers, Daeja Moore led the way with 11 points and five rebounds. Jayda Campbell added nine points, and Sabria Lytes had seven points and six rebounds. Sophomore Alexis McCoy also had six boards.
Abington (15-4, 8-2 SOL) is off until next Thursday when the Ghosts will host Bensalem. Harry S Truman (11-7, 2-6) will host Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 9-12-9-6 36
Abington 21-18-32-9 80
Harry S Truman (36) – Roneisha James 2, Briana Ciney 4, Alexis McCoy 3, Sabria Lytes 7, Daeja Moore 11, Jayda Campbell 9.
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 44, SOUDERTON 33
The Knights eliminated one more team from the logjam atop the conference standings with their Senior Night win over the visiting Indians. After Friday night’s action, North Penn and CB West are the only two-loss teams in the conference. While the Bucks have just two conference games remaining, the Knights have three
Jess Huber led the Knights with 21 points, and the senior guard has been on a tear in recent weeks, looking a whole lot like the player who averaged 18 points in three state tournament games last year when the Knights advanced to the state semifinals.
It was Huber burying a clutch three to break a 13-0 Souderton run after the Indians – who were without point guard Tori Dowd (injury) – trimmed a once 32-15 lead to 32-28.
“I said to the girls, ‘I feel like you find a number you like, and we just stay there for a really long time in some games,’” deMarteleire said. “The other night at Carroll, we were stuck on 37 forever, tonight it was 32, and against CB South it was 13, and that was the longest.
“It’s weird because tonight we were actually getting shots. I wouldn’t say that they were the best shots we were taking. I felt like we weren’t taking shots in the flow of the offense whereas against Carroll the other night we were turning the ball over. We missed a couple of layups, and we shot poorly from the foul line.”
The Knights were an uncharacteristic 9-for-17 from the charity stripe in Friday’s win.
“Everyone was missing – every one of my starters missed at least one foul shot, which is not normal for us,” deMarteleire said. “I feel like we just need to relax and take a breath.
“It’s been a jam-packed month. Our league is tough, and our non-league games are tough. Hopefully, that’s going to serve us well.”
The Knights, who led 12-9 after one quarter, took a 25-15 lead into halftime. They extended their advantage to 17 before the Indians staged a comeback. North Penn closed out the game with a 12-5 tear.
In addition to Huber, Irisa Ye added 11 points and Bri Hewlett had six points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists.
“She had a very solid game,” deMarteleire said of Hewlett.
Prior to the game, the Knights recognized three seniors – Huber, Ye and Sam Carangi – who have been part of the varsity since they were freshmen and played for the District One 4A championship squad.
“They’re just awesome,” deMarteleire said. “They’re three different personalities and their strengths are all different.
“With that being said, they just complement each other really well.”
For the Indians, Kate Connolly led the way with 12 points while Alana Cardona and Megan Walbrandt each had seven.
North Penn (15-2, 7-2 SOL) will take on Abington Friends on Sunday at the Blue Chip Showcase at Harriton High School at 7 p.m. Souderton (14-4, 6-3) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Souderton 9-6-7-11 33
North Penn 12-13-7-12 44
Souderton (33) – Megan Bealer 2, Alana Cardona 7, Megan Walbrandt 7, Sami Falencki 5, Kate Connolly 12.
North Penn (44) – Irisa Ye 11, Jess Huber 21, Sam Carangi 3, Jess McKenzie 3, Bri Hewlett 6.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 48, PENNRIDGE 29
The Bucks, who led 9-8 after one quarter, took a 20-10 lead into the intermission. They took a 28-17 advantage into the final quarter when they outscored the Rams 20-12.
Tori Abelson led the Bucks with 12 points – six in the fourth quarter. Izzy Treon added eight while Maddie Burke and Maggie Rakowsky both had six points.
Rose McCormick’s seven points led the Rams while Emilee Cramer added six.
Central Bucks West (14-3, 8-2 SOL) will face Garnet Valley on Sunday at the Blue Chip Showcase at Harriton High School at 1 p.m. Pennridge (5-14, 1-9) will be on the road at Quakertown on Saturday for a non-league contest at 5:15 p.m.
Pennridge 8-2-7-12 29
Central Bucks West 9-11-8-20 48
Pennridge (29) – Samantha Muredda 4, Brooke Bachtle 2, Gillian Anderson 4, Madison Stolarski 2, Rose McCormick 7, Claire Podraza 2, Stephanie Cicero 2, Emilee Cramer 6.
Central Bucks West (48) – Alex Burkauskas 3, Abbey Spratt 5, Diane Nicholson 5, Molly Rodebaugh 3, Maddie Burke 6, Tori Abelson 12, Izzy Treon 8, Maggie Rakowsky 6.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 55, WILLIAM TENNENT 33
Bri Talbot scored 18 points to lead the Patriots to the convincing win. East lead 17-8 after one quarter and took a 33-11 lead into halftime. The two teams exchanged baskets in the second half.
Also for the Patriots, Megan Browne added nine points and Bridget Birkhead, eight points.
For the Panthers, Kyla Gibson led the way with eight points while Emma Stanfield had seven and Kelly Scipione and Jess Rutkowsky each had six.
“The last three games have been tough for us,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “Defense has been our identity all season long and what has helped us stay competitive.
“I felt like the last couple of games we kind of got away from that and haven’t had the best effort. Tonight I was really pleased with how hard we played and thought that we were much more active defensively in the second half, forcing East into tougher, contested shots.”
Central Bucks East (10-7, 5-5 SOL) will face Harriton on Saturday in the Blue Chip Showcase on the Rams’ home court at 7 p.m. William Tennent (5-14, 0-9) will host Pennridge on Tuesday.
William Tennent 8-3-11-11 33
Central Bucks East 17-16-9-13 55
William Tennent (33) – Kelly Scipione 6, Kyla Gibson 8, Emma Stanfield 7, Jess Rutkowsky 6, Brianna Broccardi 6.
Central Bucks East (55) – Sophie Mancuso 5, Bridget Birkhead 8, Gina Russo 4, Megan Browne 9, Audrey LaBouliere 2, Bailey McManus 2, Bri Talbot 18, Abby Charlton 2, Grace Stewart 5.
American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 71, HATBORO-HORSHAM 31
The Colonials moved one step closer to capturing the conference title with their no-doubt-about-it win over the visiting Hatters. Taylor O’Brien led a red hot Colonials’ offense with 26 points, which included three three-pointers and a 5-of-6 effort at the foul line. Lauren Fortescue also had a big night, scoring 17 points with a pair of three-pointers. Ali Diamond added 13 points, which included a pair of threes on a night that saw the Colonials bury nine three-pointers.
PW led by just a 13-11 score after one quarter but blew the game wide open with a 22-5 second quarter to go into halftime with a 35-16 advantage. They outscored the Hatters 36-15 in the second half.
Hatboro-Horsham’s Bergen Sims had a hot hand from beyond the arc as well, connecting on four three-pointers en route to a game-high 14 points. Lexie Brett added eight points for the Hatters, who connected on six three-pointers of their own.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (16-0, 11-0 SOL) can clinch a share of the conference crown on Tuesday when the Colonials will host Cheltenham. Hatboro-Horsham (8-12, 6-6) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 11-5-9-6 31
Plymouth Whitemarsh 13-22-19-17 71
Hatboro-Horsham (31) – Bergen Sims 14, Julia Thornton 3, Lexie Brett 8, Katie Fisher 3, Nikki Williams 3.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (71) – Brooke Felgoise 6, Taylor O’Brien 26, Lauren Fortescue 17, Gia Schweitzer 2, Ali Diamond 13, Haley Zygmunt 4, Laurel Suchsland 3.
QUAKERTOWN 43, UPPER MORELAND 27
The Panthers pulled to within one game of .500 on the season with Friday’s win over the visiting Golden Bears. It was a pair of seniors – Marina Cooke and Jill Martin – turning in standout offensive efforts to lead the Panthers. Cook led all scorers with 17 points while Martin added 13.
"Marina had some beautiful offensive moves and finishes in the fourth quarter, and Jill dominated on the boards in the first quarter," coach Brittany Remmey said.
The Panthers led 12-4 after one quarter and took a 22-10 lead into halftime. They outscored their visitors 21-17 in the second half.
Kaitlin Rosenberger added eight points for the Panthers.
For the Golden Bears, Brianna Hughes led the way with eight points while Kim Benge had six.
Quakertown (8-9, 4-6 SOL) will host Pennridge in a non-league contest on Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. Upper Moreland (0-18, 0-11) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday.
Quakertown 12-10-8-13 43
Upper Moreland 4-6-8-9 27
Quakertown (43) – Sam Howard 5, Marina Cooke 17, Caitlin Rosenberger 8, Jill Martin 13.
Upper Moreland (27) – Phoebe Longstreth 2, Caitlin Corr 5, Noelle Woodman 4, Kim Benge 6, A Wood 2.
UPPER DUBLIN 56, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 21
Freshman Jackie Vargas had a big game for the Flying Cardinals, connecting on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and finishing with a team-high 14 points. She also pulled down eight rebounds.
While Vargas was doing damage on the inside, Josie Barrett was taking care of business from the outside, burying four three-pointers en route to 12 points. She also had seven assists and three steals in a solid all-around outing. Nicole Kaiser also had 12 points, and Kara Grebe added a team-high nine rebounds and four blocks to go along with two points.
Rileigh Serroni led the Spartans with eight points while Grace Barraclough had six.
The Cardinals took care of business early, opening up a 22-4 lead after one quarter and never looking back.
Upper Dublin (12-5, 8-2 SOL) will face Bonner-Prendergast in a non-league game on Sunday in the Blue Chip Showcase at Harriton High School. Springfield (6-13, 4-8) will host Quakertown on Tuesday.
Springfield 4-5-4-8 21
Upper Dublin 22-10-15-9 56
Springfield (21) – MaryKate Smith 2, Grace Barraclough 6, Rileigh Serroni 8, Emily Gfuicheteau 3, Andrea Meyers 2.
Upper Dublin (56) – Meg Barbara 3, Nnicole Kaiser 12, Josie Barrett 12, Hannah Reape 5, Kara Grebe 2, Demi Baasa 4, Maggie Weglos 2, Lindsay Schreiber 2, Jackie Vargas 14.
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