Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CR South/CR North photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 52, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 23
The Golden Hawks – on the heels of an impressive win over Ursuline Academy – notched their 13th straight win Tuesday, jumping out to an early lead on their way to the convincing win. The Hawks’ defense made life difficult for the Indians all night, and they also put on an impressive shooting display from beyond the arc, burying 10 3-pointers – four by Sarah Freeman and three by Emerson Gunther.
Key stretch: The Golden Hawks opened up a 28-10 halftime lead. Sarah Freeman and Emerson Gunther both had six points on a pair of 3s. Kathryn O’Kane also had six points in a half that set the tone for the win.
Key players: Kathryn O’Kane led a balanced attack with 13 points while Sara Freeman added 12. Emerson Gunther finished with nine.
For the Indians, Skyler Wright’s 10 points led the way and included a pair of 3s.
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky: “We are getting contributions from a number of players the last month or so. Bella Hettler has been so consistent this year. Her rebounding and shot blocking have helped our team all year long. We have been very consistent over the last month, and our seniors have set the tone in practices and games. A huge shoutout Fi Reckner, Lil Metrick Sarah and Maria Freeman and Kat O’Kane.”
–Props: “Kat O’Kane a had a great game tonight offensively and defensively.
“I’m really happy for Sarah Freeman, who shot the ball really well tonight. She has been putting the work in, and she hit some big 3s tonight. Emerson Gunther gave us some great minutes, and I love how she was looking for her shot.
“CR North never gives up under Jack Kelly. They play hard and are really into the games. I thought Skyler Wright had a nice game tonight for CR North.”
Up next: Council Rock South (15-3, 7-1 SOL) will host Lower Moreland in a non-league game Thursday (6 pm), and Council Rock North (3-16, 1-7) will host Pennsbury on Friday.
Council Rock South 12-16-17-7 52
Council Rock North 4-6-10-3 23
Council Rock South (52) – Sarah Freeman 4 0-0 12; Lil Metrick 1 1-2 4; Maria Freeman 1 0-0 2; Gillian Martin 1 0-0 3; Kacie Donahue 0 1-2 1; Emerson Gunther 3 0-2 9; Kathryn O’Kane 5 2-3 13; Bella Hettler 1 0-0 2; Fiona Reckner 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 18 4-9 52
Council Rock North (28) – Skyler Wright 4 0-0 10; Julia Koval 1 1-2 3; Amara Arroyo 1 0-0 3; Addison Martin 1 0-0 2; Chloe Ranck 0 0-2 0; Brynn Rodgers 1 0-1 2; Alexa Bondra 1 0-0 2; Megan Reichenbach 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 9 2-7 23.
3-point goals: CRS – Sarah Freeman 4, Emerson Gunther 3, Kathryn O’Kane, Lil Metrick, Gillian Martin; CRN – Skyler Wright 2, Amara Arroyo.
NESHAMINY 39, PENNSBURY 29
Points were not easy to come by for either side in Tuesday’s rivalry game, and the visiting ‘Skins, who led by just a 6-3 score after one quarter, took just a 14-9 lead into halftime.
It was still anybody’s game heading into the fourth quarter as the Redskins held just a 26-22 advantage.
Key stretch: The Redskins put the game away with a 13-point fourth quarter. Hayley Kolk buried a pair of 3-pointers in the quarter. Grace Weyler added five points in a win that knocked the Falcons out of a tie for the top spot in the division standings.
Player of the Game: Alena Cofield for her senior leadership to a young team. The senior guard had nine points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Hayley Kolk led the Redskins with 12 points, which included three 3-pointers. She also had five rebounds. Ashlyn Duffy added nine points on three 3s.
For the Falcons, Sammie Haws had nine points, and Ava Jordan added eight.
Neshaminy coach John Gallagher on the game: “Alena Cofield has led our team all year in so many facets of team leadership; but in this game she had her teammates and herself locked in from getting on the bus until the final horn. As the only senior on a very young team, I have leaned on her to be the go between from the staff to our players. I felt today that her leadership and directing the team in the manner we needed to focus was of great importance. The Pennsbury team has a ton of pride, and to get such a huge victory on their court is something to be proud of. This was another game that had big district seeding ramifications along with our search for a piece of the Patriot Division title.
“While I’d like to say how well we played defensively, which we did, our maturity on offense from game one versus Pennsbury to tonight was the reason we led start to finish. A 14-9 halftime score was typical for a Pennsbury game with us, and they have made second half runs commonplace this year. This was mentioned in the locker room, and then we start the third quarter and Ava Jordan banks in a 3-point shot and you could feel the nest shake as they closed within 14-12. This led to significant plays by our sophomores as Auslyn Wilkins found Ashlyn Duffy on a skip pass for 3, and a couple of possessions later Grace Weyler found Duffy for another 3-point basket.
“To start the third, we had a set for Alena to clear out with Hayley Kolk in the corner, but the play broke down and Grace Weyler got into the lane for a huge basket in traffic. On the next possession, the team got right into the original set called between quarters, and Alena found Hayley in the corner to stretch our lead to make it 31-22.
“Pennsbury made another run to cut the lead to 31-27, and that was answered by a 3-point basket from Grace Weyler with four and a half minutes left in the game to make it 34-27. Auslyn Wilkins found Hayley Kolk on another skip pass to give us a 37-27 lead. In the last four minutes and thirty seconds, our defense held Pennsbury to only two Emily Panaro free throws. As mentioned earlier, this was due to the maturity we gained over the season in handling tight situations, and we have improved game over game in that area.
“Sammie Haws has been lighting up the scoreboard for them recently and had some huge baskets at critical times for them.”
Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlin Kelly: “Neshaminy knew they needed to come out tonight ready to play, and they did just that. They shot the ball incredibly well from the 3-point line and killed us on the backboard. (Alena) Cofield had a really good game for them. She played like a senior who knows what her role is on the floor and executed it throughout the entirety of the game. We practiced their sagging defense for two days straight, but when it came time for it tonight, we looked a bit tight out there.”
Up next: Neshaminy (15-5, 6-2 SOL) will host Harry S Truman Friday, and Pennsbury (13-7, 6-2) will be on the road at Council Rock North Friday.
Neshaminy 6-8-12-13 39
Pennsbury 3-6-13-7 29
Neshaminy (39) – Grace Weyler 3 0-0 7; Alena Cofield 4 1-2 9; Ashlyn Duffy 3 0-0 9; Mia Raivitch 1 0-0 2; Hayley Kolk 3 1-2 12; TOTALS 15 2-4 39.
Pennsbury (29) – Emily Panaro 1 2-2 4; Maggi Burns 1 0-0 2; Sammie Haws 3 0-0 9; Alyssa Thomas 2 1-2 6; Ava Jordan 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 10 3-4 29.
3-point goals: N – Ashlyn Duffy 3, Hayley Kolk 3, Grace Weyler; P – Sammie Haws 3, Ava Jordan 2, Alyssa Thomas.
BENSALEM 64, HARRY S TRUMAN 27
The Owls celebrated Senior Night with a big win over their neighboring rival.
Key stretch: The Owls owned this one from the start, opening up a 22-5 lead after one quarter and never looking back. Senior Talia DiMichele set the tone for the big win, pouring in 11 points in the first quarter.
Grace McShane also made her presence felt with nine points.
Key players: The night belonged to the team’s three seniors – Talia DiMichele, Devon Bell and Ariana Jenkins – who combined for 27 points in the win. DiMichele led the Owls with 17 points, which included two 3s. Freshman Kamiya Alexander also finished in double figures with 14. Grace McShane added nine points – all in the first quarter.
For the Tigers, Shy McCleve’s eight points led the way.
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson: “Beautiful night to honor our three special seniors who gave this program so much – Talia DiMichele, Devon Bell, and Ariana Jenkins. These three did things the right way and showed the underclassmen what it means and what it takes to be an Owl. I’m happy we got a nice win for them on their last time ever playing at our home court. We have two big days of practice coming up to get ready for Council Rock South.”
Up next: Bensalem (12-8, 4-4 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Friday, and Harry S Truman (2-14, 0-8) will be on the road at Neshaminy Friday.
Harry S Truman 5-11-7-4 27
Bensalem 22-13-16-13 64
Harry S Truman (27) – Julianna Romer 2 3-4 7; Kylee Ennis 1 2-5 4; Bri Philemond 1 1-2 4; Shylah McCleve 4 0-4 8; Mikasia Jones 2 0-2 4; Natane Smith 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 10 6-19 27.
Bensalem (64) – Kylie O’Neill 1 0-0 3; Talia DiMichele 7 1-2 17; Kamiya Alexander 5 3-4 14; Mary Beck 2 1-1 6; Mischa Ellzy 1 0-0 2; Grace McShane 4 0-0 9; Gianna Creque 0 1-2 1; Devon Bell 2 0-0 5; Sydney Daut 1 0-0 2; Ariana Jenkins 2 1-2 5; TOTALS 25 7-11 64
3-point goals: HST – Bri Philemond; B – Talia DiMichele 2, Kamiya Alexander, Kylie O’Neill, Mary Beck, Grace McShane, Devon Bell.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 45, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 44
In a classic battle between the neighboring rivals, it was the Titans using a strong second half to earn the important win.
Key stretch: The Titans broke a 19-19 halftime tie with an 18-12 third quarter that was the key to the win. The trio of Jules Tropea, Mia Klein and Ella Wheeler combined for all 18 points.
Key players: Jules Tropea and Mia Klein both had 13 points to lead the Titans. Ella Wheeler added 10 points, which included three 3-pointers. Megan Schmidt added eight off the bench.
For the Bucks, Scarlett Baumgardner led the way with 15 points – nine in the first half, and Emily Ladley added 12 on four 3-pointers.
Central Bucks South coach Beth Mattern: “I thought the third quarter was key because we got a little momentum, scored and took a little bit of a lead. We never gave up that lead, but West is playing so much better with confidence and having fun out there. They play loose and get after it.
“Honestly, I know we lost a couple of tough ones, but I’m pretty happy with the effort and the intensity we’re playing with, so this was good to get the win and try and qualify for district playoffs. This team has worked hard, and I really want to see them in there. I know that’s one of their goals too, so we just keep working. We’re taking it one game at a time, and they’ve been really good at staying in the moment.”
–The fourth quarter: “It was a good test for us to be able to hold on. Down the stretch, we traded possessions. West hit a couple of big jumpers. (Emily) Ladley had two 3s. We know she’s a good shooter, and she knocked down a couple of open 3s. They went 3-for-3 from the foul line and had a couple of buckets.
“We struggled to finish a little bit in the fourth quarter, and we only were 1-for-4 from the foul line, but I thought we played smart enough. Especially in that last minute, we played a nice minute of solid defense and pulled down the rebounds. We were able to maintain possession and just run the clock out. We did go to the foul line and miss with less than a second left, and they took a really, really long shot.”
–Props: In the third quarter, Mia Klein had five, Jules (Tropea) had seven, and Ella Wheeler had six. Those three have put a lot of the scoring for our season on their backs. They lived up to it today. They played really hard and great minutes.
“Megan Schmidt came in with eight points, so that was great to have her come off the bench and score.”
Up next: Central Bucks South (10-10, 4-4 SOL) will host Pennridge on Friday, and Central Bucks West (7-12, 2-6) will travel to Central Bucks East on Friday (6 pm).
Central Bucks South 11-8-18-8 45
Central Bucks West 14-5-12-13 44
Central Bucks South (45) – Ella Wheeler 3 1-4 10; Jules Tropea 4 4-6 13; Emma Carver 0-2 0; Mia Klein 5 2-3 13; Anna Granito 0 1-2 1; Megan Schmidt 3 1-2 8; TOTALS 15 9-19 45.
Central Bucks West (44) – Peyton Cramer 3 1-1 8; Addy Fay 2 0-0 5; Audra Lawson 2 0-0 4; Emily Ladley 4 0-0 12; Scarlett Baumgardner 6 2-2 15; TOTALS 17 3-3 45
3-point goals: CBS – Ella Wheeler 3, Jules Tropea, Mia Klein, Megan Schmidt; CBW – Emily Ladley 4, Peyton Cramer, Addy Fay, Scarlett Baumgardner.
NORTH PENN 50, PENNRIDGE 33
The Knights – minus key players in recent games due to illness – were at full strength for Tuesday’s game at Pennridge, and they celebrated with a strong performance from the opening tap. By halftime, they had a 32-14 lead, and they never looked back.
“We had a lot of energy tonight,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “
Key stretch: The Knights set the tone for this one in the first quarter, opening up a 19-8 lead on their way to the big win. Lily Brown’s eight points led the Knights in the quarter while Mayha Godhania had five points.
Key players: Lily Brown jumpstarted the Knights, scoring 14 of her game-high 19 points in the first half. Mehya Godhania also finished in double figures with 12 points – 10 in the first half.
For the Rams, Ella Brown’s 12 points led the way.
North Penn coach Bri Cullen: “I think that our defense really started with high energy, and they executed the game plan really well. We held (Ella) Brown to only 12 points. She’s their leading scorer, and she’s an excellent player, so to be able to hold her to a minimum, that was a huge part of winning.
–Props: “Lily Brown is healthy again, so that is beneficial for us. She had 19 points, and she had a great rebounding game as well.
“Meyha Godania had a big game too. She’s coming out of her shell, the confidence is starting to build. She’s starting to learn situational basketball. It’s less of a battle with her confidence, and she’s really starting to blossom. It’s nice to see.
“Jadyn Sperling has really been stepping up. She’s not showing up huge in the scorebook, but she’s contributing in so many different ways off the bench for us. She’s had to fill in the starting role when we had some illnesses, so to see her come in and be a spark has been really helpful.”
Up next: North Penn (10-10, 6-2 SOL) will host Souderton Friday (5:30 pm), and Pennridge (13-6, 3-5) will host Villa Maria Academy for a non-league game Thursday.
North Penn 19-13-11-7 50
Pennridge 8-6-9-10 33
North Penn (50) – Saniah Hammond 2 0-0 5; Cam Crowley 2 2-2 6; Paityn Debro 1 0-0 2; Lily Brown 7 5-6 19; Jadyn Sperling 1 0-0 2; Mehya Godhania 4 2-2 12; Leah Mikulski 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 19 9-10 50.
Pennridge (33) – Ella Brown 5 2-2 12; Samantha Murphy 2 0-0 5; Peyton Rabinowitz 2 0-0 5; Maggie McCreary 1 1-1 3; Allie Smith 1 0-0 2; Layla Verbit 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 14 3-3 33.
3-point goals: NP – Meyha Godhania 2, Saniah Hammond; P – Samanta Murphy, Peyton Rabinowitz.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 55, SOUDERTON 31
The Patriots controlled play from the outset, opening up a 14-5 lead after one quarter and extending that to 31-12 by halftime. With the win the Patriots clinched at least a share of the SOL Colonial Division title with two division games remaining.
Key stretch: In a 31-point first half, the Patriots buried five 3-pointers. Sydney Ralph’s nine points led the way in the half.
Key players: Haley Moran’s 14 points led the Patriots and included four 3-pointers. Sydney Ralph also finished in double figures with 11.
For Souderton, Julia Purvy’s 11 points led the way.
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash: “Tonight was our teacher appreciation night, and it was great to recognize all of the educators that have made such an impact on the players throughout their academic careers.
“It was a team win, getting contributions up and down the lineup while collecting 17 team assists. We had balanced scoring and Jess Lockwood led us on the boards with eight rebounds. This time of year is a grind and we’re looking forward to welcoming our crosstown rivals, CB West, on Friday.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (16-3, 8-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks West Friday (6 pm), and Souderton (9-11, 1-7) will be on the road at North Penn Friday (5:30 pm).
Souderton 5-7-10-9 31
Central Bucks East 14-17-16-8 55
Souderton (31) – Julia Purvy 5 0-0 11; Olivia Herron 2 0-1 4; Madison Bealer 1 0-0 3; Kiera Fadden 2 1-1 5; Emily Dick 3 0-0 6; Emily McGee 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 13 3-4 31.
Central Bucks East (55) – Sydney ralph 4 2-4 11; Haley Moran 5 0-0 14; Cece Hayes 2 0-0 5; Emma Penecale 3 0-0 7; Natalie Berndt 1 0-0 3; Savannah Hayes 2 0-2 4; Delaney Long 2 0-0 5; Jess Lockwood 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 22 2-6 55.
3-point goals: S – Julia Purvy, Madison Bealer; CBE – Haley Moran 4, Cece Hayes, Emma Penecale, Natalie Berndt, Delaney Long.
SOL Liberty Division
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 36, HATBORO-HORSHAM 22
The Colonials could not put the Hatters away. At least not until the fourth quarter.
PW took a 15-10 lead into halftime, and the Colonials found themselves clinging to a 21-19 edge heading into the final quarter when they erupted for 15 points and limited their visitors to just three on their way to the Senior Night win.
Key stretch: In the pivotal fourth quarter, Liv Patete’s five points led the Colonials while AJ Avery and Eliza Meersman both had four.
Key players: Eliza Meersman led the Colonials with 14 points and seven rebounds. AJ Avery added nine points, and Liv Patete had seven points, four rebounds and three steals. Taylor Williams – the team’s lone senior – led the Colonials with eight rebounds and four steals.
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty: “We escaped with a win tonight. Credit Hatboro for coming back after a tough loss last night. They played really hard. The game was tied multiple possessions in the third quarter until we finally pulled away. Freshman Grace Harvey gets a
steal, the ball bounces to Kenna Winland who passes right back to Harvey for a bucket at end of the third quarter to right the ship for us. Eliza Meersman gets a steal and a breakaway to start the fourth and then we slowly pull away.
“We honored our one senior player, Taylor Williams, and senior statistician Seth Walcoff. Both have been great assets to our program, and we will miss both of them dearly.”
Hatboro-Horsham assistant coach Nicole Miletto: “The girls played much harder tonight, and their intensity was high. We struggled the last game at the line and finding our shots. Tonight was similar in that we are still having a hard time knocking down shots. Our defense was the best part of our game tonight. Sophomore Cora Saxer stepped up big for us off the bench. We were down three players who normally get some decent minutes for us with injury and sickness, which left us with a short bench. The girls were exhausted, but they played hard to the end. We had some calls that didn’t go our way, and that hurt us.
“We were tied with 3.3 secs to go in the third, but a slot pass led to an easy PW layup. The fourth quarter we got a little sloppy. Much of the game we weren’t capitalizing on the turnovers we created and loose balls. That probably was the difference in the game. PW is always a tough battle, and lately this season we have been on the losing end. It was great atmosphere there with it being their senior night and both teams came to play.”
–Props: “Junior Madison Duggan had another terrific night on the boards. Junior Mia Fisher got in some early foul trouble but still added four points. Sophomore Gabby Fisher got some key boards for us and also added 4 points.”
Up next: Plymouth Whitemarsh (14-6, 4-2 SOL) will host Abington on Thursday, and Hatboro-Horsham (3-15, 1-6) will host Upper Dublin Friday.
Hatboro-Horsham 4-7-8-3 22
Plymouth Whitemarsh 5-10-6-15 36
Hatboro-Horsham (22) – Angelica Visceglia 1 0-0 3; Madison Duggan 1 2-2 4; Mia Fisher 2 0-0 4; Maddy Patel 2 0-0 5; Gabby Fisher 2 0-0 4; Cora Saxer 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 9 2-2 22.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (36) – Taylor Williams 1 0-0 2; Liv Patete 2 2-6 7; AJ Avery 3 3-4 9; Kenna Winland 1 0-0 2; Eliza Meersman 7 0-0 14; Grace Harvey 1 0-0 2; 15 5-12 36.
3-point goals: HH – Angelica Visceglia, Maddy Patel; PW – Liv Patete.
ABINGTON 62, WISSAHICKON 48
Abington was minus a pair of starters – Maya Johnson and Vanessa Griffin – due to injuries, but their teammates picked up the slack in their absence.
Key stretch: The Ghosts raced out of the gate to a 24-8 lead after one quarter and led wire to wire. Mikiaya Durham’s 10 points led the Ghosts, who also got seven points from Aniya Williams in the frame.
Key players: Aniyah Williams (17 points) and Mikiaya Durham (16 points) combined for 33 of their team’s points. Durham’s 13 points propelled the Ghosts to a 39-20 halftime lead.
For the Trojans, Julia Littieri had 17 points, while Katelyn Thomson and Casey Burden each had nine points.
Abington coach Allison Lawson: “It was a good win today with two starters out due to injury. The whole team stepped up defensively and offensively with Aniya and Mikiaya leading all scorers.”
Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims: “We had a bit of a slow start to the game, but we found our rhythm and gained momentum in the second half. Our teamwork and execution improved as the game went on, and we were able to finish strong. I’m excited about the challenges ahead and looking forward to giving it our all in the remaining games to close out the season on a high note.”
Up next: Abington (11-7, 5-2 SOL) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh Thursday, and Wissahickon (4-14, 1-7) will host Cheltenham in a non-league game Friday.
Abington 24-13-12-12 62
Wissahickon 8-12-13-15 48
Abington (62) – Ayana Miller 1 0-0 2; Nora Luskin 2 0-0 4; Mikiaya Durham 5 3-7 16; Shya Crafton 2 1-2 5; Caliegh Fitzgerald 1 1-2 3; Hannah Gilchrist 3 2-3 8; Hailey Hernandez 2 1-3 6; Aniyah Williams 7 2-2 17; TOTALS 23 10-19 62.
Wissahickon (48) – Katelyn Thomson 3 3-5 9; Kai Potter 3 2-6 8; Maura Jacob 1 0-0 3; Julia Lettieri 8 0-0 17; Casey Burden 4 0-2 9; Kristen DiGiovanni 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 20 5-13 48.
3-point goals: A – Mikiaya Durham 3, Hailey Hernandez, Aniyah Williams; W – Maura Jacob, Julia Lettieri, Casey Burden.
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 44, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 42
In a division battle that came down to the wire, it was the Lions eking out the win when senior Dani Brusha buried a pair of foul shots with nine seconds remaining to break a 42-42 tie.
Key stretch: The visiting Lions got off to a strong start and – behind five points from Dani Brusha – took a 12-7 lead after one quarter. The two teams exchanged baskets in the middle two quarters, and LM took a five-point lead into the final quarter and then held off and the host Lions’ comeback attempt, which included a pair of buckets by Ella Dudick.
Key players: Dani Brusha led Lower Moreland with 14 points. Briana McFerrin and Emma DiJoseph both added 12 points.
For NH-S, freshman Mary Tresler celebrated her 15th birthday with 13 points. Izzy Elizondo added 10.
Lower Moreland coach Rich Becker: “If you would have told me before the game that we would hold Emily Wilson to four points and Izzy Elizondo to 10 points, I would have bet the house that we would have won comfortably. Instead, we survived and won by two.
“This was a game where we were winning by 5-7 points for most of the game, me and my assistant both kept saying – ‘Once we knock down a few shots, we’ll start to pull away.’ We never knocked down those shots, and New Hope, to their credit, took advantage, and with about five minutes left, they took their first lead of the game.
–The ending: “With 3:00 to go, we were tied at 40 and (Ella) Dudick put back a missed free throw to put them up 42-40. On the next possession, Bri (McFeran) scored on a layup to tie it up at 42. This is why I like the character of our team – instead of panicking, the girls stayed composed and made good decisions down the stretch. We got possession of the ball and with 30 seconds to go, we got a timeout and held for one. Dani was able to drive, and with 9.5 seconds to go, she got fouled and made both free throws. In all honesty, we were fortunate. New Hope had an open look and missed, and we were able to secure the rebound and hold on for the win.
“On a night where we shot 3-23 from the 3-point line, we were fortunate to win. New Hope out-fundamentaled us tonight, and it almost cost us the game. I was happy for Dani to make her free throws with nine seconds left. She was off tonight, but it speaks to her character that she wanted the ball when it mattered.
“Emma DiJoseph was also excellent tonight. She was the only one who had her shot going tonight.
Any time you can beat a team as well coached as New Hope when you’re not playing your best, you take it and move on.”
New Hope-Solebury coach Andy Krasna: “Lower Moreland did a super job meeting our guards with double and triple teams and forcing Emily Wilson and Izzy Elizondo off the perimeter. We struggled making open shots when we did get good looks. Missing starter Kayla Fennell (out with a concussion) took away some of our firepower, but our defense and rebounding gave us the chance to win late in the game.
“Coach Rich Becker and his assistants are always prepared for us, and this time they won a hard-fought battle.”
–Props: “Freshman Danielle Wilson and Jamie Gugger helped fill the void left without Kayla. They were both fantastic and played under control and with composure. Freshman Mary Tresler, who celebrated her 15th birthday tonight, had herself a game to remember with a double-double leading us with 13 points. Ella Dudick came to play, especially in the second half, scoring eight second half points and rebounding so well all game. Emily and Izzy fought like warriors for 32 minutes without any rest. We came up a bit short, but I couldn’t be prouder of this team as they continue to improve and exceed expectations.”
Up next: New Hope-Solebury (11-7, 6-2 SOL) will host Cheltenham Friday (5 pm), and Lower Moreland (11-7, 5-3) will travel to Council Rock South for a non-league game Thursday (6 pm).
Lower Moreland 12-11-12-9 44
New Hope-Solebury 7-11-13-11 42
New Hope-Solebury (42) – Danielle Wilson 2 0-0 6; Izzy Elizondo 4 2-2 10; Emily Wilson 2 0-0 4; Mary Tresler 4 5-8 13; Ava Canlas 0 1-2 1; Ella Dudick 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 16 8-12 42
Lower Moreland (44) – Briana McFerran 6 0-2 12; Dani Brusha 4 6-10 14; Emma DiJoseph 5 0-0 12; Nikki Sahl 2 1-1 6; TOTALS 17 7-11 44
3-point goals: NH-S – Danielle Wilson 2; LM – Emma DiJoseph 2, Nikki Sahl.
WILLIAM TENNENT 46, SPRINGFIELD TWP 38
Springfield led 13-7 after one quarter and went into halftime with a 22-15 lead. The Panthers – behind eight points from Halie Staub – came out of halftime on fire, outscoring their visitors 18-8 to take a lead they would not lose.
Key stretch: The Panthers outscored the Spartans 31-16 in the second half. Avery Kocur scored nine of her 11 points after the intermission. She was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Megan Volz also had nine points in the second half.
Key players: The Panthers were led by the double-digit efforts of Megan Volz (14 points), Halie Staub (13 points) and Avery Kocur (11 points).
For the Spartans, Ava Culler (13 points) and Chloe Kaczor (11 points) led the way.
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney: “It was a hard-earned win tonight. It wasn’t pretty, but it still counts as a win, and at this point in the season, you’ll take all the wins you can get. Credit to Springfield – they played hard the whole game and never quit. I thought we did a great job on Culler, which isn’t an easy task. But we held her to only 13 points and were able to pick up some fouls on her. I thought their role players really stepped up and made big shots. Even when we took the lead they didn’t go away.
“We had a slow and frustrating start tonight. We had one of our worst shooting nights and at times couldn’t get out of our own way. Luckily, we did enough to overcome it and closed out the game with some big free throws.
“At this point in the season, you expect to be playing your best basketball. Tonight, we were a far stretch from our best, but when we needed to make plays, we did. One bright spot was how much we improved on defense rebounding. The first time we played them we gave up 30 offensive rebounds, but tonight we only gave up 13. It’s still more than we’d like, but it shows our improvement. We’re hoping to get back to playing better basketball and finishing the season strong.”
–Props: “Meg Volz led the way with 14 points and did a great job defensively of containing Culler and keeping her off the boards.
“Staub chipped in with 13 points and Avery finished with 11.”
Up next: William Tennent (11-8, 4-4 SOL) will host Villa Joseph Marie in a non-league game Thursday, and Springfield Twp (6-14, 0-8) will host Upper Moreland on Thursday.
Springfield Twp 13-9-8-8 38
William Tennent 7-8-18-13 46
Springfield Twp (38) – Caitlin Lewis 1 0-0 2; Chloe Kaczor 4 0-0 10; Keira Brandon 4 0-0 8; Julia Guicheteau 0 0-2 0; Ava Culler 5 3-4 13; Karly Hartman 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 16 3-6 38
William Tennent (46) – Megan Catoni 1 0-0 3; Aubrey Lynch 1 0-0 3; Avery Kocur 2 7-8 11; Carissa Malpezzi 1 0-0 2; Halie Staub 6 1-2 13; Megan Volz 6 2-7 14; TOTALS 17 10-17 46.
3-point goals: S – Chloe Kaczor 2, Karly Hartman; WT – Megan Catoni, Aubrey Lynch.
CHELTENHAM 75, UPPER MORELAND 38
The Lady Panthers clinched at least a share of the SOL Freedom Division title with just two league games remaining. Maya Simmons led the offense with 29 points in a stellar outing.
Cheltenham led 16-11 after one quarter and never looked back.
The Goden Bears were without senior standout Mikel Lancit.
Key stretch: The Lady Panthers took a 30-21 lead into halftime and put the game completely out of reach with a 24-point third quarter.
Key players: Maya Simmons led all scorers with 29 points, which included a 4-for-5 effort from beyond the arc. She also had nine steals, four rebounds and three assists. Zoe Thompson added another double-double to her resume with 17 points and 15 rebounds. She also had four steals. Paige Powell added nine points, seven steals and six assists, and Cassie Bugg had five points and seven rebounds.
For the Golden Bears, Marie Meyers led the way with 14 points while Brogan Neely added nine on three 3-pointers.
Up next: Cheltenham (16-2, 8-0 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon for a non-league game Thursday, and Upper Moreland (7-12, 1-7) will be on the road at Springfield Twp on Thursday.
Upper Moreland 11-10-12-5 38
Cheltenham 16-14-24-21 75
Upper Moreland (38) – Brogan Neely 9, Hailey Kramer 4, LiAnna Adames 7, Marie Meyers 14, Hailey Milks 4.
Cheltenham (75) – Jiah Price 13, Paige Powell 9, Maya Simmons 29, Cassie Bugg 5, Marguerite 2, Zoe Thompson 17.
3-point goals: UM – Brogan Neely 3, Lianna Adames, Marie Meyers; C – Maya Simmons 4, Jiah Price.
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