Check out the results for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Wednesday.
American Conference
UPPER MERION 66, WISSAHICKON 42
Spectacular.
That was the only word coach Tom Schurtz needed to describe Regie Robinson’s record-breaking night. The Vikings’ senior guard established a new program record with a career-high 35 points, shattering the previous single game mark of 30 points held by four players.
“She was very aware that 30 was the number going in, and the four thousand-point scorers before her had all gotten a 30-point game, and they were all tied at 30,” coach Tom Schurtz said. “She has gone for 29 multiple times during her high school career but has never gone for 30.
“The team kind of knew where she was. She hit her 31st point at the end of the third quarter, and I think the team was more excited for her than she was for herself. She’s had a great career, and they knew this was another goal she had set and was just knocking them down one by one. She was spectacular tonight.”
Robinson, who also pulled down 13 rebounds for a double-double, connected on 17-of-21 from the free throw line and shot 55 percent from the floor.
“She was very efficient today,” Schurtz said. “She was tremendously controlled.
“We executed and made shots, and she was a huge part of that.”
The Vikings – behind the hot hand of Robinson – raced out to a 20-8 lead after one quarter and took a 32-15 lead into halftime.
“In the pregame, we talked about the importance of these last three games,” Schurtz said. “There are certain numbers you need to get to make the 4A playoffs. Twelve you might get in, 13 you’re usually in, and you feel better with more than that.
“We’re at 12 wins now. At the end of the season, every game is so important. You cannot give away opportunities. It wasn’t a real energized locker room. It was just a matter-of-fact, get-down-to-business locker room.
“I didn’t know how that would play out until I watched the first three minutes of the game, and (Regie) was just locked in right from the start. Jessie Michael hit a three to kind of get us going and Regie just took over.
“We had other players score. Jessie Michael had 10 points and played well again. Tat (Pleasant) had eight points and was solid. Eryn Brady played tremendous defense. Our execution and focus really was set up very early by Regie and just carried through the entire game.”
For the Trojans, Brittany Gelman led the way with 16 points while Daria Earland had nine and Lexi Carradorini added seven.
The Vikings are 6-5 in league play (12-7 overall) while the Trojans are 2-9 in the league (2-16 overall).
Upper Merion 20-12-20-14 66
Wissahickon 8-7-12-15 42
Upper Merion (66) – Jordan Wilson 4, Regie Robinson 35, Tatum Thomas 1, Jessica Michael 10, Linda Sobeck 4, Tatiana Pleasant 8, Eryn Brady 4.
Wissahickon (42) – Jasmine Bishop 4, Lexi Carradorini 7, Daria Earland 9, Julie Weber 2, Brittany Gelman 16, Alisha Kelly 4.
SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 52, UPPER MORELAND 27
The Spartans opened up a 10-3 lead after one quarter and took an 18-9 lead into halftime, but they seized complete control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Bears 18-10 to go on top 36-19 on their way to the big win.
Molly Dugan once again had the hot hand for the Spartans, contributing 22 points. Maura Ryan was also in double figures with 11 points while Caroline Pape had six.
Julia Gatto led the Golden Bears with seven points, and Noelle Woodman added five.
The Spartans improved to 5-6 in the league (10-9 overall) while the Golden Bears are 0-11 in the league (1-16 overall).
Upper Moreland 3-6-8-10 27
Springfield 10-8-18-16 52
Upper Moreland (27) – Timyla Martin 2, Julia Gatto 7, Emily Zanine 4, Noelle Woodman 5, Elizabeth Magaha 2, Myla Green 2.
Springfield (52) – Bailey Krewson 2, Jewell Ringgold 2, Molly Dugan 22, Maura Ryan 11, Savanna Shackleford 2, Caroline Pape 6, Julia Ryan 2, Emily Giampietro 3.
UPPER DUBLIN 55, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 34
Julie Cross was at her dominating best, contributing 18 points, 14 rebounds and – for good measure – six assists – to lead the Flying Cardinals to the big win. Cross scored 12 of her points in a first quarter that saw the Cardinals open the game with a 20-4 tear.
“That combined with Upper Dublin’s tremendous defense put (us) in a first quarter hole we never could recover from,” PW coach Daniel Dougherty said. “When we did sink in to help on Cross, (Allison) Chernow) and (Josie) Barrett lit it up from the outside.”
Chernow added 16 points, four rebounds and three assists while Barrett had 15 points, four rebounds and three steals.
For the Colonials, Alynna Williams and Taylor O’Brien both scored 14 points.
The Flying Cardinals are 11-0 in league play (14-4 overall) while the Colonials are 7-4 in the league (11-7 overall).
Upper Dublin 20-13-14-8 55
Plymouth Whitemarsh 4-10-13-7 34
Upper Dublin (55) – Josie Barrett 4, Julie Cross 18, Allison Chernow 16, Demi Balasa 6.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (34) – Taylor O’Brien 14, Alynna Williams 14, Laurel Suchsland 2, Khadijah Hickson 2, Lauren Coscia 2.
Continental Conference
QUAKERTOWN 36, HATBORO-HORSHAM 34
With the outcome of the game hanging in the balance, Meghan Klee calmly buried a pair of foul shots with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Panthers’ defense did the rest, holding off the Hatters and bringing a welcome end to a 25-game losing streak in SOL play dating back to Feb. 5, 2013.
Interestingly, the Panthers’ last win was also over the Hatters, and that one – a 57-43 win – also came on the Hatters’ home court.
“It was honestly an all-out team effort,” coach Brittany Remmey said. “From the kids on the bench to the kids on the court – jayvee, varsity and coaching staff, it was everyone doing what they were supposed to be doing.
“It was going out with energy, jumping in the passing lanes and just doing the little things. Everybody played within their roles. We needed that.”
Klee – who led the Panthers with 13 points and six rebounds – was fouled going back up for a shot after pulling down an offensive rebound.
“Meghan Klee is always a standout kid,” Remmey said. “They did a box-and-one on her, and she just does everything the right way.
“She keeps everyone under control in important situations. She talks to her teammates and settles them down. It was a tie game 34-34 with 10 seconds left, and she goes to the free throw line and hits both free throws. Talk about clutch.”
The game was far from over when Klee hit her free throws, but the Panthers made sure there would be no late-game heroics by their opponent. Eight days earlier, the Panthers lost a heartbreaker at the buzzer to Souderton.
“It was like an out-of-body experience,” said Remmey, who had not forgotten the loss to the Indians. “We called a timeout, and we went over what we needed to do defensively, and they executed it – they switched their screens, they were (giving) help defense. It was awesome.”
The Panthers led 10-7 after one quarter, but the Hatters answered with a 12-8 second quarter to go into halftime with a 19-18 lead. They took that one-point lead into the final quarter (26-25), and overtime seemed imminent until Klee delivered her late-game heroics.
In addition to Klee, Brooke Alwine contributed seven points and Spenser Gray, six points.
Julia Thornton had a big game for the Hatters – she buried four three-pointers and led all scorers with 14 points. Cassidy Quattro added eight points and Haley Seifert, seven points.
Both teams are 1-10 in conference play. The Panthers are 3-15 overall, and the Hatters are 5-13 overall.
Quakertown 10-8-7-11 36
Hatboro-Horsham 7-12-7-8 34
Quakertown (36) – Brooke Alwine 7, Maggie Garlick 2, Spenser Gray 6, Olivia Morano 2, Marina Cooke 4, Meghan Klee 13, Jill Martin 2.
Hatboro-Horsham (34) – Bergen Sims 3, Haley Seifert 7, Hannah Mallon 2, Julia Thornton 14, Cassidy Quattro 8.
SOUDERTON 50, PENNRIDGE 41
This is a win they’ll be talking about for a long, long time.
For starters, there was the Indians’ remarkable fourth quarter comeback against a Lady Rams’ squad on the rise.
The Indians found themselves staring at a 37-28 deficit heading into the final quarter. Not exactly the kind of score that lends itself to happy endings, but Marissa Sandone saved her best for last, willing the Indians to the you-had-to-see-it-to-believe it win by scoring 14 of her game-high 19 points in the final frame.
The diminutive guard buried three three-pointers and was 3-for-3 at the foul line in the fourth quarter.
“Marissa Sandone was incredible,” coach Lynn Carroll said. “She had 19 points and took over the game in the fourth quarter.
“The first time we played Pennridge was her first game of the season where she looked like she was playing with confidence. Since the New Year, she’s been playing great. She makes tough shots.
“She’s usually the shortest person on the court, but she does not limit herself to shooting three’s even though she’s a great three-point shooter when she’s shooting with confidence. She had a tough, tough drive to the basket in the fourth quarter that put us up.”
If the Indians’ dramatic comeback wasn’t enough, the game also marked the emotional return to the court of senior co-captain Sarah Derstein, who had been sidelined since Sept. 27 with a concussion.
“There were moments where I felt like crying because I was so happy she was back,” Carroll said. “It didn’t matter what happened. We were so happy for her to be back, and it’s almost like that would have been enough.
“If she was horrible, nobody would have cared. We still would have been happy. Four months from yesterday was her last basketball game, and she just did everything Sarah always does. It was like she didn’t miss a beat. It was incredible.”
The Indians’ all-league center stepped onto the court just over three minutes into the game.
“All day today I was so nervous,” Derstein said. “Yesterday was exactly four months, and it’s been so long since I played in a game. I was very nervous going into the game, but I was so excited at the same time. It’s so good to be back.”
Derstein rarely left the court the rest of the way, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
“We’re up a couple in the fourth quarter, we’re on the foul line and miss a foul shot, which is ideal for Pennridge – they fouled on purpose, and that’s exactly what you want in that scenario, but Sarah gets the offensive rebound,” Carroll said. “The team was so happy to have her back. We didn’t know if it would happen this week because she needed to get in a certain number of practices, so we held a voluntary practice on Sunday.”
The entire team basically showed up for Derstein’s non-contact practice.
“If I were the other girls, I don’t know if I would have wanted to come in on a Sunday to practice, but they all were so excited for me,” she said. “It was so good to see. They wanted to be there, and that was so nice of them.”
Carroll, for one, wasn’t surprised.
“She’s the nicest girl you’ll ever meet,” Carroll said. “They care about her. I think it brought a certain amount of energy to the team to have her back. It was great.”
There was still the not-so-little matter of the required contact practice before Derstein would be able to take the court.
“Monday’s practice was cancelled because of the snow, and that was supposed to be my contact practice,” she said. “Waking up Tuesday morning, I saw that we had a two-hour delay, and I quick went on Pennridge’s web site to make sure they didn’t have school because if they had school and the game would have still been on, I wouldn’t have been able to play yesterday.”
Derstein was able to play and made her presence felt, but she had plenty of help.
“Marissa had an amazing game,” Derstein said. “Without her, it would have been a completely different game. She really stepped up and was a big point producer for us. That was much needed.
“It was a good game. It was a fun game to play in. The last Pennridge game it came down to the last couple of seconds, so it was good to redeem ourselves and win this game.”
Also for the Indians, Krista Schneider contributed 11 points, and freshman point guard Tori Dowd added six.
The Rams led 12-10 after one quarter and took a 25-17 lead into halftime. They still led by nine heading into the final frame.
“We were in a little bit of foul trouble,” Carroll said. “There were a couple of minutes when both Sarah and Tori were out, and Pennridge took advantage of it on offense.
“That happened to end the half and the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, they scored four points, and our defense was just great. Every kid that was on the floor in the fourth quarter just played solid, solid defense for us.
“It was three things – it was the return of Sarah, it was Marissa really, really stepping up, and it was our fourth quarter defense – that won us the game.”
For the Lady Rams, Devan Rimmer led the way with 16 points and two steals. Lydia Konstanzer added nine points and eight rebounds while Monika Brill added eight points and three steals. Shelby Schoonover had six points, four rebounds and three steals.
The Indians upped their record to 5-6 in conference play (7-12 overall) while the Rams are 4-7 in the conference (10-8 overall).
Pennridge 12-13-12-4 41
Souderton 10-7-11-22 50
Pennridge (41) – Monika Brill 6, Devan Rimmer 16, Lydia Konstanzer 9, Ashley George 2.
Souderton (50) – Tori Dowd 6, Krista Schneider 11, Noelle Noble 2, Marissa Sandone 19, Sarah Derstein 10.
National Conference
WILLIAM TENNENT 47, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 44
The Panthers avenged an early season loss to the Golden Hawks with an impressive win at Rock South.
Three Tennent players finished the game in double figures. Sophomore Kyla Gibson led the way with 16 points while Alyssa Christensen had 14 points – which included three three-pointers. She also pulled down six rebounds. Senior Angie Pomponio added 12 points.
The Panthers led 12-9 after one quarter, but the Golden Hawks answered with a 19-14 second quarter to go into halftime with a 28-26 lead. The Hawks still led by two heading into the final quarter (39-37) when the Panthers threw some serious defense at them, limiting their hosts to just five points as they closed out the game with a 10-5 quarter.
Senior Cara Barlow led the Hawks with 12 points while Payton Spadaccino added 11 and Kasey Schlupp, 10 points. The Taub twins – Shannon and Allison – were held to just seven points combined.
The Panthers improved to 5-6 in league play (11-8 overall) while the Golden Hawks are 7-4 in the league (10-9 overall).
William Tennent 12-14-11-10 47
Council Rock South 9-19-11-5 44
ABINGTON 74, BENSALEM 29
The Ghosts were at their dominating best in Wednesday’s contest at Bensalem, racing to a 26-4 lead after one quarter and extending that to 46-8 by halftime on their way to the decisive win.
Liz O’Leary turned in a stellar all-around effort, contributing 17 points and 14 rebounds for yet another double-double to go along with six assists, three steals and one block. Deja Rawls added seven points, eight assists and four steals.
The Ghosts upped their league mark to 11-0 and need just one more win to clinch a share of the National Conference crown. They are 15-3 overall while the Owls fell to 3-15 overall (0-11 SOL).
Abington 26-20-16-12 74
Bensalem 4-4-9-12 29
About the Author
