Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ teams in action Friday. UD/Wissahickon photos provided courtesy of Kim Supko, and Neshaminy/CR South photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for galleries of both games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f884733941 (CB East photo by Diane Barry/CB East Basketball. Hatboro-Horsham photo courtesy of Diane Waeltz/HH basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 52, BENSALEM 35
Sparked by the double-digit scoring efforts of three players, the Indians avenged an early season two-point loss to the Owls with a convincing win.
“We are very excited for our players – this was a tremendous win for our program,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “Credit to coach (Steve) Johnson and Bensalem – they came out and really executed well at both ends of the floor. Offensively, I just am really impressed with how well they space the floor, and defensively, they took us out of some things. Early on, we really struggled to get high percentage shots.”
The Owls opened up an early 7-3 lead, and the Indians suffered a setback when Lizzie Lustig – who already had five points – was whistled for her second foul and took a seat on the bench with 3:48 remaining in the first quarter. The Indians closed out the quarter with an 8-1 run to go on top 11-8.
Rock North’s Ruth O’Keefe was whistled for her second foul in the second quarter, so Lustig returned to the court. Bensalem’s Talia DiMichele buried a 3 to make it a 17-13 game, but the Indians answered with a 9-0 run that was capped with a Lustig three to put Rock North on top 26-13. Amber Howard connected on a pair of foul line jumpers to make it a 26-17 game at halftime. Lustig had seven points in the quarter and 12 in the first half to lead the Indians.
“I thought our players really responded well to the adversity we faced,” Kelly said. “Because of foul trouble, our bench got thrown into action with our backs already up against the wall. But they all played remarkably well.
“Our role players all have just been tremendous teammates all year – they know that they have roles that are dictated by situations, and they have really embraced that. They also just bring a tremendous amount of energy to our team, and it has had a profound impact on our program’s overall culture.”
The Indians led by double digits a major part of the third quarter and opened up a 38-24 lead.
“We gave Bensalem the ball back with 10 seconds to go, but Jaden Wan took a huge charge on their fastbreak that maintained our lead that we never would relent,” Kelly said.
Wan’s 15 points – 11 in the second half – led the Indians. Lustig finished with 14 points, and Delaney McCaffery had 13 points. O’Keefe added six points in what was the consummate team effort.
“Overall, I can’t single out any one player – we won tonight together as a team,” Kelly said. “Offensively, we really shared the ball, we did a great job on the offensive boards in the first half, and we showed great composure down the stretch.
“Defensively, I thought we adjusted well to their offensive game plan, and we were able to affect their rhythm. The key now is for us to recenter ourselves, identify how we can continue to improve, and stick to the process of getting better each and every day.”
For the Owls, DiMichele’s 14 points – which included three 3s – led the way. Howard finished with 10 points.
Council Rock North (9-10, 4-9 SOL) will be on the road at Council Rock South Tuesday, and Bensalem (7-12, 2-11) will travel to Pennsbury Tuesday.
Council Rock North 11-15-12-14 52
Bensalem 8-9-7-11 35
Council Rock North (52) – Kiera Katz 2 0-2 4; Lizzie Lustig 5 2-2 14; Delaney McCaffery 5 3-4 13; Jaden Wan 5 3-4 15; Ruth O’Keefe 1 4-4 6; TOTALS 18 12-16 52.
Bensalem (35) – Talia DiMichele 5 1-2 14; Victoria Mathieu 1 1-1 3; Devon Bell 1 0-0 3; Kylie Smith 1 1-2 3; Amber Howard 4 2-4 10; TOTALS 13 5-9 35.
3-point goals: CRN – Lizzie Lustig 2, Jaden Wan 2; Bensalem – Talia DiMichele 3, Devon Bell.
NESHAMINY 57, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 47
Reese Zemitis scored 18 points, which included some big foul shots down the stretch, and Lola Ibarrondo added 14 to lead the Redskins to the win in Friday’s tightly contested game.
The Golden Hawks got off to a good start, opening up an 8-2 lead after a Lil Metrick 3-pointer with an assist from Katie Purpura. The Redskins trimmed that led to one at the end of the quarter, thanks to a three-point play by Ibarrondo after an Alena Cofield offensive rebound.
Neshaminy took a 12-10 lead early in the second quarter when Ibarrondo found Ava Irizarry for her first of three 3-pointers in the contest.
“I could not have been happier this evening for junior Ava Irizarry,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “Ava has done everything asked of her since the season started, and to see her have such an impressive outing in such a big game was rewarding for her and her teammates.”
Ibarrondo buried a three in transition to put the ‘Skins on top 17-12, but Metrick answered with a 3 for the Golden Hawks. An Irizarry 3-pointer gave the Golden Hawks a 20-15 lead.
“Zemitis scored off an offensive rebound from Alena Cofield to make it 22-16, but South finished the quarter strong after Metrick and Jess Purdy exchanged 3-point baskets,” said Gallagher, whose team led 25-23 at the half.
Taylor Gurysh scored on a putback to put the Redskins up 27-23 early in the third quarter, and that was followed by a Purdy 3-pointer from Zemitis. On Neshaminy’s next possession, Zemitis hit Ibarrondo on a backdoor cut to make it 34-23 game.
Another Metrick 3-pointer pulled the Golden Hawks within eight, but Ibarrondo (Lindsay Little assist) converted a reverse layup to put the Redskins on top 36-29. With 28 seconds left in the third quarter, Rock South’s Karissa Smedley hit a mid-range jumper to make it 38-32, but Zemitis pushed the ball up the court and found Irizarry for 3 in the closing seconds of the quarter to give Neshaminy a 41-32 lead.
Ibarrondo had eight quick points late in the third and into the fourth.
In addition to scoring a team-high 18, Zemitis also dominated the backboards, pulling down 11 rebounds. She also had four assists, one steal and one block. Ibarrondo added five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Irizarry finished with nine points on three 3s while Gurysh and Purdy each had six points. Gurysh also had six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Cofield had three rebounds and three steals.
“Alena Cofield had a couple offensive rebounds that led to big baskets for us and mixed in a few steals at critical times,” Gallagher said. “Reese seemed to gather every possible rebound within her grasp.”
Metrick led the Golden Hawks with 18 points on six 3-pointers. Kathryn O’Kane added 11 points while Purpura and Smedley both had eight points.
“Smedley, O’Kane and Purpura played well for CR South, but the player who stood out was sophomore Lil Metrick,” Gallagher said. “Her handle, court awareness and fluid shot enabled South to always stay within striking distance of us. I was very impressed with her on video and the first time we played them; however, she was on another level this evening. I found myself at some points just watching her off the ball to better understand how she was getting such clean looks.”
Neshaminy (13-5, 10-3 SOL) will be on the road at Harry S Truman Tuesday, and Council Rock South (10-6, 7-6) will host New Foundations Charter School in a non-league game on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Council Rock South 10-13-9-15 47
Neshaminy 9-16-16-16 57
Council Rock South (47) – Kathryn O’Kane 4 3-3 11; Liliana Metrick 6 0-0 18; Katie Purpura 3 1-2 8; Karissa Smedley 3 1-2 8; Jess Mangoni 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 5-7 47.
Neshaminy (57) – Lola Ibarrondo 6 1-1 14; Taylor Gurysh 3 0-1 6; Ava Irizarry 3 0-0 9; Reese Zemitis 5 8-9 18; Jess Purdy 2 0-0 6; Lindsay Little 1 1-2 4; TOTALS 20 10-13 57.
3-point goals: CRS – Lil Metrick 6, Katie Purpura, Karissa Smedley; Neshaminy – Ava Irizarry 3, Jess Purdy 2, Lola Ibarrondo, Lindsay Little.
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN, 51 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 22
Caleigh Sperling was a one-woman wrecking crew in the visiting Knights win Friday, scoring a game-high 33 points with six 3-pointers. The junior gave a preview of things to come with three 3-pointers and 11 points in a first quarter that saw the visitors go on top 16-9. The tone had been set, and by halftime, the Knights led 27-11 on their way to the win.
“Caleigh is just playing really, really sound basketball right now,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “She moved the ball very well, which allowed her to find the openings, and she capitalized on it.
“As a team, we shot a little over 50 percent from the 3 and the floor, so that always helps.”
The Knights’ strong showing came on the heels of back-to-back heartbreaking losses – a 61-59 loss to Pennridge on Tuesday and a 65-64 loss to Methacton last Saturday.
“Tonight was a really good game,” Cullen said. “The biggest piece was – we’re coming off two really tough losses, so I think the resilience piece really took over in a game like this.
“We were due for a win. CB West is a very talented team, very well coached, so getting this win was a morale booster to us.”
Sperling, who had 12 first-half points, added all 12 of her team’s points in the third quarter, and she had nine more in the final quarter.
For the Bucks, Katie Finnan’s seven points led the way
North Penn (10-8, 8-5 SOL) will be on the road at West Chester Rustin on Saturday (2:30 p.m.), and Central Bucks West (7-12, 5-8) will travel to Central Bucks South Tuesday.
North Penn 16-11-12-12 51
Central Bucks West 9-2-5-6 22
North Penn (51) – Cam Crowley 1 0-0 3; Emily Orth 0 1-2 1; Caleigh Sperling 11 5-6 33; Koomba Samassa 2 0-0 4; Abby Plaugher 2 1-1 5; Cailin Halfpenny 0 0-1 0; Kelly Donnelly 0 1-2 1; Olivia Stone 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 18 8-12 51.
Central Bucks West (22) – Tai Henkels 1 0-0 3; Katie Finnan 3 1-3 7; Alexis Castro 1 0-2 2; Ava Longo 1 3-4 5; Gabby Reichner 0 2-2 2; Janelle Blokker 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 7 6-11 22.
3-point goals: NP – Caleigh Sperling 6, Cam Crowley; CBW – Tai Henkels, Janelle Blokker.
SOUDERTON 50, PENNRIDGE 42
Souderton prides itself on its defense.
In arguably one of the stranger games you’ll ever see, the Indians allowed 27 points in a second quarter that turned a 17-4 Pennridge deficit into a 31-26 halftime lead. They turned the tables in the second half, keeping the Rams – who took a four-point lead into the final frame – off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter to escape with a win.
“I said in the locker room after the game – I don’t know that I’ve ever been a part of a game where my team gave up 27 in one quarter and zero in another,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “This is a huge win for us at the right time. Nobody’s playing better than Pennridge right now. It’s a scary team to play against. We’re really, really happy to come away with this win.”
Behind six points from Teya McConnaha, the Indians looked like a well-oiled machine on their way to the 17-4 advantage.
In the second quarter, it was the Rams – winners of four straight and eight of their last nine – operating on all cylinders. Ella Brown led the offensive charge, scoring nine points in the quarter while Katie Yoder had six and Ava Fantaskey, five.
“The first quarter we played really well – we were finishing around the basket, we were hitting shots, we defended well, and they weren’t hitting shots,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “And then they did what I’ve watched them do on film over and over and over again, which is just suddenly go on a tear and score at will. It’s what makes them very scary.
“There were some issues on our end obviously. We weren’t getting back in transition, they got a couple of offensive rebounds. We certainly, by no means, played a great quarter defensively, but most it was their kids just hitting shots and doing what they do well. Jason (Rapp) has them playing really, really well right now. Everybody on that team is playing their role well and seems to have embraced their role. You look at the scoreboard and you look at the points, and did they really just scored 27 points against us in one quarter, and yes, they did.”
The Rams – sparked by seven points from Anna Croyle – played the Indians all but even in the third quarter, and they took a 42-38 lead into the final frame. That’s when the points stopped coming for the Rams, who were outscored 12-0. Erin Bohmueller buried a pair of clutch 3s in the quarter.
“We made some changes at halftime,” Carroll said. “Obviously, the fourth quarter was the opposite of the second quarter. We pressed them a little bit, and our length made things very, very challenging for them in the fourth quarter. I don’t think we gave up a single offensive rebound.
“Teya (McConnaha) just owned the backboards, especially in the fourth quarter. We had great contributions from a lot of people. Grace McDonough defensively – Casey Harter had a couple fouls, so we took her off of Katie Yoder and put Grace on her. She’s the tallest girl on the court but has the footwork and speed of a guard and defended Katie extremely well in the second half. When we put a little bit of pressure on them, what she is able to do is just such a difference maker. Casey Harter was up top of the press, getting deflections, working extremely hard. Defensively, it was just good, solid, smart basketball in the fourth quarter.”
McConnaha – still wearing a mask after suffering a broken nose – had a huge game for the Indians, leading the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Harter finished in double figures with 10 points to go along with five rebounds and six assists. Bohmueller had nine points and six assists while Mikayla McGillian added seven.
“Offensively, you name it – we got a big shot from her,” Carroll said. “Mikayla had some, Brooke (Fenchel) had some, Erin (Bohmueller) had a couple of 3s in the fourth quarter. Grace (McDonough) hit two big foul shots, Teya banging around and finding a way to finish, and Casey doing what Casey does.
“They all were contributing on the offensive end and hitting shots when we needed them to hit shots, and we got stop after stop after stop in the fourth quarter.”
For the Rams, Katie Yoder led the way with 14 points, and Croyle added 11. Brown contributed nine points.
Souderton (16-3, 12-1 SOL) will be on the road at North Penn for a 6 p.m. contest Tuesday, and Pennridge (13-6, 8-5) will travel to Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
Souderton 17-9-12-12 50
Pennridge 4-27-11-0 42
Souderton (50) – Erin Bohmueller 3 0-0 9; Brooke Fenchel 2 0-1 5; Mikayla McGillian 2 0-1 5; Casey Harter 3 2-3 10; Grace McDonough 1 2-2 4; Teya McConnaha 6 3-4 15; TOTALS 18 8-12 50.
Pennridge (42) – Ella Brown 4 0-0 9; Grace Rosica 1 0-0 3; Anna Croyle 3 3-5 11; Katie Yoder 3 8-8 14; Ava Fantaskey 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 13 11-13 42.
3-poing goals: Souderton – Erin Bohmueller 3, Casey Harter 2, Brooke Fenchel; Pennridge – Anna Croyle 2, Ella Brown, Grace Rosica, Ava Fantaskey.
CENTRAL BUCKS EASTH 37, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 28
The Patriots led 13-9 after one quarter and extended that to 24-15 by halftime. Anna Barry led the Patriots with all 11 of her points in the first half, but it was the junior guard’s defense on South point guard Yoyo Samayoa that drew high praise from her coach.
“Anna was able to hold Yoyo to two points for the second time this season,” East coach Liz Potash said. “Yoyo has such a quick release and can get a step to the basket which opens up a lot for her teammates; Anna’s defense on Yoyo set the tone for us defensively.”
East scored just 13 points in the second half and limited South to the same as the Patriots maintained their nine-point halftime advantage.
In addition to Barry’s 11 points, Erin LeRay added six.
For the Titans, Ella Wheeler and Jules Tropea each had eight points, and Mia Klein added six.
Central Bucks East (14-3, 10-3 SOL) will host Gwynedd Mercy in a non-league game Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and Central Bucks South (6-12, 2-11) will host Central Bucks West Tuesday.
Central Bucks East 13-11-6-7 37
Central Bucks South 9-6-5-8 28
Central Bucks East (37) – Erin LeRay 1 4-6 6; Natalie Berndt 2 0-0 5; Keira Shea 2 0-0 4; Shayne LeRay 0 0-2 0; Anna Barry 3 4-4 11; Chantal Van Dongeren 1 0-1 3; Kendall Gregor 1 2-2 4; Jess Lockwood 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 11 12-16 37.
Central Bucks South (28) – Ella Wheeler 2 2-2 8; Jules Tropea 2 3-4 8; Yoyo Samayoa 1 0-0 2; Jenna McCartin 1 0-0 2; Mia Klein 3 0-0 6; Gabby Tropea 1 0-1 2; TOTALS 10 5-7 28.
3-point goals: CBE – Natalie Berndt, Anna Barry, Chantal Van Dongeren; CBS – Ella Wheeler 2, Jules Tropea.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 61, WISSAHICKON 32
Amy Ngo could not miss.
In fact, the UD junior guard – just back in action after being sidelined since last season with a knee injury – literally did not miss, burying all 11 of her shots from the floor in an offensive performance for the record books. Ngo finished with 31 points on just 11 shots – only three were layups, and she did all of this in just 19 minutes.
“Thirty-one points on 11 shots – I don’t even know how that’s possible,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “Sometimes when somebody gets hot, they bank one in. She banked a couple of short shots in.
“The ball didn’t hit the rim until her last attempt (from long range). She was special.”
The UD coach called it a once-in-a-lifetime performance. In truth, most players at any level will never come close to a showing like that.
“I’m in awe of what she did,” Funsten said. “I’m just so happy for her. Not only are we so happy she’s come back – to have a game like this is a once-in-a-lifetime game. I have never seen anything like it.”
Setting up many of Ngo’s shots was her sibling, freshman Megan Ngo, who had 10 assists.
“Most of them were to her sister,” Funsten said. “Megan did a great job of getting her the ball.”
The Cardinals actually trailed 8-4 early but closed out the first quarter with a 5-0 run, to go on top 9-8. Then came the second and third quarters that belonged to Amy Ngo. The Cardinals exploded for 26 points in the second quarter – 15 from Ngo, including three 3s – to go into halftime with a 35-18 lead.
In the third quarter, Ngo continued to work her magic, scoring 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and the Cardinals led 52-27 heading into the final quarter.
In addition to scoring 31 points, Amy Ngo had three steals and two assists. Included in her 31 points was a 3-for-4 effort at the foul line, and that miss – her only one of the night – came in the fourth quarter.
“She did miss a foul shot, and I’m sure she’s not going to be able to sleep tonight because of that,” Funsten said with a laugh.
Also for the Cardinals, Colleen Besachio added 11 points, five rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists. Megan Ngo, in addition to 10 assists, had three steals and five points. As a team, the Flying Cardinals connected of 23-of-43 shots from the floor (53.5 percent).
For the Trojans, Kaitlyn McGeary’s double-double led the way. The senior forward finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Maura Jacob added six points while Claira Baldasano had three rebounds, and Julia Lettieri had two assists.
Upper Dublin (13-5, 10-3 SOL) – 16th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings – will host Abington on Tuesday, Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday and will travel to Springfield-Delco on Saturday. All three teams are in the top 10 of the district power rankings.
“We’ll find out what we’re really made of this week,” Funsten said.
Wissahickon (5-13, 3-10) will host Quakertown on Tuesday.
Upper Dublin 9-26-17-9 61
Wissahickon 8-10-9-5 32
Upper Dublin (61) – Alaina Sanders 1 0-0 2; Kaylee Fitzkee 1 0-0 2; Megan Ngo 1 3-4 5; Lilli Kleiman 1 0-0 2; Amy Ngo 11 3-4 31; Kaitlyn Zacharia 1 0-0 3; Colleen Besachio 5 0-0 11; Nora Brady 2 0-0 5; TOTALS – 23 6-8 61.
Wissahickon (32) – Eva Schools 1 0-0 2; Kaitlyn McGeary 5 4-6 15; Julia Lettieri 0 2-2 2; Claira Baldasano 1 0-0 2; Kylie Friedman 1 0-0 2; Skye Sydney 1 1-2 3; Maura Jacob 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 11 7-10 32.
3-point goals: UD – A Ngo 6, Zacharia, Besachio, N Brady. Wiss – K McGeary, Maura Jacob 2.
ABINGTON 61, HATBORO-HORSHAM 31
Cire Worley – undoubtedly still stinging from the Ghosts disappointing loss to PW Tuesday – took care of business in a hurry Friday night. The UMass-Lowell bound senior scored 13 points in the first quarter and added 10 more in the second, and those 23 points propelled the Ghosts, who led 20-2 after one quarter, to a 34-18 halftime lead.
Worley’s work was pretty much done for the night, and she scored just one point in the second half, but Abril Bowser picked up the slack, scoring 10 points in the third quarter as the Ghosts added to their lead.
“Down two starters isn’t ideal going in to Abington,” said HH assistant Nicole Miletto. “The first quarter started slowly for both teams. We rebounded well on the defensive end, and then Abington got some quick points, and it was an uphill battle the rest of the way.”
Worley’s 24 points in less than three quarters of action ignited the Ghosts. Bowser finished with 13 and Sarah Oleary added six.
For the Hatters, Allie Hewish led the offense with 12 points while Maddy Patel added 10.
“Senior Allie Hewish had a solid game – she played hard the whole game, she knocked down some big shots for us and played great defense,” Miletto said. “Abby Waeltz again was huge on the boards. Alyssa Tooley and Maddy Patel gave us good minutes.”
Abington (16-4, 11-2 SOL) will be on the road at Upper Dublin Tuesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (7-11, 5-8) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 2-16-8-5 31
Abington 20-14-19-8 61
Hatboro-Horsham (31) – Allie Hewish 5 1-2 12; Leah Harrington 1 0-1 3; Alyssa Tooley 1 2-2 4; Maddy Patel 3 2-2 10; Madison Duggan 0 2-4 2; TOTALS 10 7-11 31.
Abington (61) – Cire Worley 9 5-6 24; Maya Johnson 2 0-2 4; Harper McGinley 2 0-0 4; Abril Bowser 5 0-0 13; Mikiaya Durham 1 0-0 2; Jordyn Reynolds 1 0-0 2; Piper McGinley 1 0-0 2; Sarah Oleary 2 1-2 6, Florence Ajunwa 2 0-1 4; TOTALS 25 6-11 61.
3-point goals: HH – Allie Hewish, Maddy Patel 2, Leah Harrington; Abington – Abril Bowser 3, Cire Worley, Sarah Oleary.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 50, QUAKERTOWN 21
Abby Sharpe scored 24 points, and Angelina Balcer also finished in double figures with 12 to lead the Colonials to the decisive road win that put a damper on Quakertown’s Senior Night celebration.
“Not exactly how we would have liked senior night to go, but always special to celebrate this great group of young ladies,” Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford said. “We struggled offensively when Katie Catalano went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter. Carolyn Sipprell pulled down her 500th rebound tonight.”
The Colonials – sparked by six points from Balcer – led 11-4 after one quarter and took a 23-12 lead into halftime. Sharpe accounted for 10 of those points.
“Balcer really made some big shots to start the game off when the rest of the team was struggling,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “Quakertown put up a good fight in the first half, but our press finally wore them down.”
Sharpe had the hot hand in the third quarter, scoring 11 points while Balcer added six and Erin Daley, five of her nine points, as the Colonials blew the game open with a 22-5 quarter.
“Sharpe and Daley went off in the third – both had to shake off a sluggish start,” Dougherty said. “(Freshman) Kenna Winland again added a big spark defensively tonight with four steals.”
For the Panthers, senior Kayla Sicher had a team-high 10 points while Sipprell had six points.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (16-2, 12-1 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham Tuesday, and Quakertown (9-9, 6-7) will travel to Kennett for a non-league game Saturday at 11:15 a.m.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11-12-22-5 50
Quakertown 4-8-5-4 21
Plymouth Whitemarsh (50) – Azzy Crumpton 1 0-0 2; Angelina Balcer 6 0-0 12; Kenna Winland 1 1-2 3; Erin Daley 4 0-0 9; Abby Sharpe 10 3-3 24; TOTALS 22 4-5 50.
Quakertown (21) – Carolyn Sipprell 2 2-4 6; Carli Maha 0 1-2 1; Addyson Davis 2 0-0 4; Kayla Sicher 5 0-0 10; TOTALS 9 3-6 21.
3-point goals: PW – Abby Sharpe, Erin Daley.
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 48, WILLIAM TENNENT 44
The Panthers took a seven-point lead into halftime and still led by one heading into the fourth quarter when the visiting Golden Bears outscored their hosts 14-9 to eke out the win.
“We simply got outplayed and outcoached tonight,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “Laura (Whitney) had their girls ready, and they took it to us.”
The Panthers, behind five points from Ella Mednick and four each from Halie Staub and Morgan Volz, led 13-9 after one quarter, and they added to that lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Golden Bears 15-12 to go into halftime with a 28-21 advantage. Staub – a freshman – led the Panthers with 14 of her game-high 25 points in the opening half. Holly Gohl kept UM within striking distance, scoring 15 of her team-high 24 points before halftime.
“Staub for Tennent was the best player on the court tonight,” Carroll said. “She attacked us relentlessly, and we had no answers for her. We were slow in our rotations, and we fouled her almost every time she got in the lane.
“When we didn’t foul in the first half, we gave up an offensive rebound.”
The Golden Bears came to life in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 13-7. Gohl’s five points led UM. The Golden Bears connected on just 4-of-10 at the foul line in the fourth quarter but still managed to outscore the Panthers 14-9 to notch the win.
“It was a good game,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “Matt (Carroll) does a great job with his team. They’re always well prepared, they play so well as a team.
“I said to our girls – ‘You can’t let a good team like that hang around and give them a chance.’ Unfortunately, they got one or two more baskets than we did late in the game, and we came up on the short end. It definitely hurts because we won the first three quarters. You had the feeling things were going our way, we were playing so well.
“They’re one of the top teams in our conference for a reason. It’s a tough loss, but we lost to a good team. We just couldn’t pull it off. We told our girls after the game we didn’t want to see anyone hang their head. We said, ‘Walk out of the locker room with your head up, there’s a lot to be proud of.’ I couldn’t have asked for them to come out and play any better.”
The Panthers’ coach lauded the stellar showing by Staub.
“She was unconscious – she played out of her mind tonight,” Whitney said. “I knew she was capable of playing that way, but the confidence was in her tonight.
“One of her best attributes is athleticism and her ability to get downhill and get to the basket. She was in attack mode from the jump, and we were able to get out in transition. She was getting some steals. She was just being aggressive, getting to the basket, drawing some fouls, and we were able to get both EmmyFaith (Wood) and Holly (Gohl) in some early foul trouble, which helped us. Even when Halie wasn’t getting to the basket, we were finding her for open shots. She just had the confidence to knock them down. She was definitely feeling it. It was probably her best game of the season so far. She was huge for us tonight.”
Volz added seven points for the Panthers – all in the first half.
“The offensive end doesn’t really reflect it – she finished with seven points, just her presence defensively,” Whitney said. “She just played so tough, got big rebounds and just was strong with the ball and made some nice extra passes. It was good to see her get herself going.
“From where we started to where we are now – I know we had a bump in the road in the middle of the season, especially in our crossover games. I just feel like the experience we got from those games – we’ve grown by leaps and bounds. I said to the girls after the game, ‘I’m so excited about the future of our program and the direction we’re heading in. It’s just exciting to coach these girls. It’s been a great season, it’s been a lot of fun, and we want to finish strong.”
The Panthers are 28th in what will be a 24-team field in the District 1 6A Tournament, but Whitney has not given up on the idea of earning a district berth.”
“The energy all night was great – both from girls on the bench just into it, supporting the girls on the floor and the girls out there playing, giving everything they had,” Whitney said. “They logged a lot of minutes today. We have a quick turnaround and have another game tomorrow morning. This one’s going to hurt, but it’s always good to another game. With a quick turnaround, you can put it behind you, have a short memory.”
In addition to Gohl’s 24 points, EmmyFaith Wood added 12.
The two teams combined for 40 trips to the foul line. While UM was 9-for-19, the Panthers were 14-for-21.
“You have to give credit to Tennent because they worked really hard,” Carroll said. “They wanted it a lot more than us, and they could’ve cared less that we are 15-2. So far, our second games through league play we have been outplayed twice. Eventually one of these wake-up calls are going to come back to bite us. We have to be better, coaches and players, and I’m confident we will figure it out.”
Upper Moreland (16-2, 11-2 SOL) will travel to Springfield on Tuesday, and William Tennent (8-10, 5-8) will be on the road at Villa Joseph Marie on Saturday for a non-league game at 11:30 a.m.
Upper Moreland 9-12-13-14 48
William Tennent 13-15-7-9 44
Upper Moreland (48) – Mikel Lancit 2 0-0 5; Alyssa Wiley 1 0-0 2; EmmyFaith Wood 4 2-4 12; Lilly Hansen 1 2-4 4; Holly Gohl 10 4-7 24; Allie LaRocco 0 1-4 1; TOTALS 18 9-19 48.
William Tennent (44) – Ella Mednick 2 0-1 5; Avery Kocur 0 1-2 1; Halie Staub 6 11-13 25; Alyssa Lewicki 2 0-1 5; Jess Whisler 0 1-2 1; Morgan Volz 3 1-2 7; TOTALS 13 14-21 44.
3-point goals: UM – EmmyFaith Wood 2, Mikel Lancit; WT – Halie Staub 2, Ella Mednick, Alyssa Lewicki.
LOWER MORELAND 59, CHELTENHAM 44
Briana McFerran scored a season-high 21 points, one of three Lower Moreland players in double figures in a win that avenged an early season loss to the Lady Panthers.
“Earlier in the season, we got out to a 16-point lead against them early and we lost by three (42-29), so we knew that this was going to be a battle for the entire 32 minutes and it was,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “This was definitely a hard fought, physical and competitive game. It’s the type of game that earlier in the year, I don’t know if we’d have won.
“I was proud to see our girls grit out the win. Every time we would get some separation, Cheltenham would answer back, and it seemed like that whenever Cheltenham was about to change the momentum, one of our girls would answer back and make a big shot. This was a complete team win against a very competitive team. Cheltenham beat us to the loose balls and outrebounded us, but we were able to win the turnover battle.”
Behind six points from McFerran, the Lions opened up a 12-7 lead after one quarter and took a 27-21 lead into halftime. McFerran and Jess Shein both had eight points in the half, and Amelia Brown added seven. Maya Simmons had seven to lead the Lady Panthers.
The Lions opened up a 44-29 advantage after three quarter and went on to win by that margin.
In addition to McFerran Brown added 14 points, which included three 3-pointers, and Shein also finished in double figures with 10. Liz Neeld contributed eight points.
“I thought that Nikki Sahl had a very understated, but strong game,” Becker said. “A lot of the game we had her or Amelia face guard (Maya) Simmons, and they really did a nice job of making her work and protecting the ball against their pressure.
“Jess Shein played her regular solid game, and Amelia, in addition to helping on Simmons, scored 14 points, including two big 3s in the third quarter. Liz Neeld and Briana both were strong on defense, and Briana had a season-high 21 points and was the difference in the game. Briana did a nice job of getting to the basket. One of the things that we told her in practice was that if she would consistently attack the rim, she could average 17-20 points per game.
“All in all, it was nice for the girls to get the win, they’ve been playing well and tonight we were able to put the ball in the net.”
For the Lady Panthers, Simmons led the way with 16 points.
“Maya Simmons is a handful,” Becker said. “We tried to wear her down and frustrate her, I don’t know how much it worked. She fouled out late but still finished with 16, but she worked for all 16 of her points.”
Also for Cheltenham, Cassie Bugg and Paige Powell each added nine points, and Arianna Davis had eight.
“It was a tough, physical game that we lost control of in the third,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “Some key players were in foul trouble, and we just couldn’t overcome that.”
Lower Moreland (5-12, 3-10 SOL) will host MaST Charter in a non-league game Monday, and Cheltenham (2-11, 6-12) will host Collegium Charter in a non-league game Saturday.
Cheltenham 7-14-8-15 44
Lower Moreland 12-15-17-15 59
Cheltenham (44) – Paige Powell 4 0-0 9; Maya Simmons 5 5-6 16; Amelia Kopp 0 1-2 1; Arianna Davis 4 0-0 8; Ije Ojukwa 0 1-4 1; Cassie Bugg 3 3-3 9; TOTALS 16 10-15 44
Lower Moreland (59) – Briana McFerran 9 3-11 21; Maddy Rossiter 1 0-0 2; Amelia Brown 5 1-2 14; Jess Shein 4 2-4 10; Liz Neeld 2 3-10 8; Nikki Sahl 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 22 11-29 59..
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Paige Powell, Maya Simmons; LM – Amelia Brown 3, Liz Neeld.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 62, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 39
Reagan Chrencik and Gabby D’Agostino combined for eight 3-pointers and 40 points in impressive offensive outings. The senior and freshman both finished with 20 points and four 3s to lead the Lions to the win.
“We had 12 3s tonight,” NHS coach Steve Polinsky said. “Reagan and Gabby both shot the ball really well.”
The Lions, who led 15-9 after one quarter, took a 34-23 lead into halftime. Chrencik scored all 20 of her points in the first half. In addition to four 3s, she was a perfect 4-for-4 at the foul line.
D’Agostino stole the spotlight in the second half, scoring 12 points.
Also for the Lions, who were without Izzy Elizondo (injury), Emily Wilson had 11 points, which included a pair of 3s.
“Izzy is still nursing a bad ankle, and freshman Kayla Fennell started and had a very good game,” Polinsky said. “Nina Meixler really gave us a spark off the bench and provided great energy. Both Kayla and Nina stepped up tonight.”
For the Spartans, junior Jayla Daniels led the way with 13 points, and junior Alana Decker added 12, which included three 3s. Senior Ashley Jenkins added nine points.
New Hope-Solebury (11-7, 10-3 SOL) will travel to St. Hubert’s on Saturday for a non-league game, and Springfield Township (4-13, 0-13) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
Springfield Township 9-14-11-5 39
New Hope-Solebury 15-19-13-15 62
Springfield Township (39) – Alana Decker 4 1-2 12; Jayla Daniels 6 0-0 13; Grace Daily 1 0-0 2; Paige Robinson 1 0-0 3; Ashley Jenkins 2 5-8 9; TOTALS 14 6-10 39.
New Hope-Solebury (62) – Kayla Fennell 1 3-3 5; Emily Wilson 4 0-0 11; Reagan Chrencik 6 4-4 20; Gabby D’Agostinio 8 0-0 20; Nina Meixler 2 0-0 5; Ella Dudick 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 21 8-9 62.
3-point goals: Springfield Twp – Alana Decker 3, Ashley Jenkins 2, Jayla Daniels, Paige Robinson; NHS – Reagan Chrencik 4, Gabby D’Agostino 4, Emily Wilson 3, Nina Meixler.
Non-league
Thursday, Jan. 26
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 58, SACRED HEART 54
Ava Culler was in some kind of groove.
The freshman forward erupted for a career-high 25 points – 18 in a torrid second-half showing – to lead the visiting Spartans to the impressive win.
Behind six points from Culler and five from Alana Decker, the Spartans led 18-13 after one quarter and took a 24-21 lead into halftime.
Sacred Heart rallied to go ahead 40-39 heading into a fourth quarter that featured a whole lot of Ava Culler. Culler scored 12 points as the Spartans outscored their hosts 19-14 to earn the hard-fought win.
In addition to Culler, Decker added 14 points, which included a pair of 3s and six points in the fourth quarter. Jayla Daniels had eight points, and Paige Robinson had six on a pair of 3-pointers.
Springfield Township 18-6-15-19 58
Sacred Heart 13-8-19-14 54
Springfield Twp (58) – Alana Decker 4 4-6 14; Hannah Brandon 1 0-0 2; Jayla Daniels 3 1-2 8; Paige Robinson 2 0-0 6; Delaney Lake 2 0-0 4; Ava Culler 11 2-2 25; TOTALS 23 7-10 58.
Sacred Heart (54) – M.Fisher 1 0-0 2; G.Brown 4 0-0 12; M.Walker 2 0-0 5; M.Donahue 6 0-0 14 MJ.Donohue 3 0-0 8; M.Campbell 1 0-0 2; K.McCaffrey 5 1-2 11; TOTALS 22 1-2 54.
3-point goals: Springfield – Alana Decker 2, Delaney Lake 2, Jayla Daniels; SH – G.Brown 4, M.Donahue 2, MJ Donohue 2, M.Walker.
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