Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Monday. (Reese Zemitis photo/graphic provided courtesy of Trish Sexton/Dom Beecher)
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
LOWER MORELAND 34, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 29
The Lions were looking for a bounce-back win after Friday’s loss at Cheltenham, and they got just that, winning a back-and-forth crossover game against the Colonials.
“After dropping a tough game on Friday, we needed to win this game,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “Our margin for error to reach our preseason goals – win at least a share of the league title, a home game for districts – is pretty much gone.
“We were able to pull out a win against a PW team that is, as always, exceptionally well coached and defensively very good. PW did a nice job of making us work for our shots on offense and they are not a team that will beat themselves. Our girls were down by one after three quarters, and Briana (McFerran) knocked down a three to start the fourth quarter to give us the lead that we were able to hold onto for the rest of the game.”
McFerran’s 12 points led all scorers. She scored eight of those points – including a pair of 3s – in a fourth quarter that saw the Lions, who trailed by one, outscore their visitors 11-6.
Also for the Lions, Dani Brusha added seven points, and Sydney Santora had six.
“This really was a team effort,” Becker said. “We know that PW likes to run time off of the clock and are very patient. We were planning to try and speed up their guards and not let them do that, but they are very athletic and disciplined, and we ended up fouling more than we should have and seven of their 13 first-half points were on free throws.”
The Lions, who trailed 8-6 after one quarter, took a 17-13 lead into halftime. The Colonials – still without AJ Avery (injury) – outscored their hosts 11-6 in the third quarter to go on top 24-23. Liv Patete had six points in the third quarter to lead PW.
“I think what changed the tempo for us in both the second and fourth quarters was our zone defense,” Becker said. “We haven’t gone zone in a while and were not as sharp as we would like to have been, but it was enough to take them out of their rhythm. We were also fortunate that they missed some open looks late.”
Kenna Winland’s 10 points led the Colonials. Joslyn Perez added eight, and Patete finished with seven.
“Any time you can beat a team like PW, you’ll take it,” Becker said. “We have five games left before the postseason. Hopefully we can continue to improve and get some momentum heading into districts.”
The Lions hold a one-game lead atop the SOL Freedom Division standings, and they are sixth in the latest District 1 5A power rankings in what will be a 12-team field.
Lower Moreland (12-5, 9-3 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (11-6, 7-5) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham. The Colonials are 20th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 8-5-11-5 29
Lower Moreland 6-11-6-11 34
Plymouth Whitemarsh (29) – Joslyn Perez 3 2-2 8; Liv Petete 2 3-4 7; Kenna Winland 2 5-8 10; Eliza Meersman 0 1-2 1; Brooke Peduzzi 1 1-3 3; TOTALS 8 12-19 29
Lower Moreland (34) – Briana McFerran 5 0-0 12; Dani Brusha 3 1-5 7; Sydney Santora 2 0-0 6; Mollie Martin 2 0-0 5; Emma DiJoseph 1 1-2 4; TOTALS 13 2-7 34.
3-point goals: PW – Kenna Winland; LM – Briana McFerran 2, Sydney Santora 2, Mollie Martin, Emma DiJoseph.
ABINGTON 87, SPRINGFIELD TWP 55
The Ghosts scored 28 points in the first quarter, added 20 in the second and put up 21 in the third. They broke their streak of 20-point quarters with 18 in the fourth, but it was quite an offensive display from a Ghost squad that put 12 players in the scoring column.
“Abington is such a strong team,” Springfield Twp coach Dave Giordano said. “They’re 9-10 deep, they’re well coached, they shoot the lights out if you try and stop one thing.
“We never gave up, we didn’t back down. The first quarter it was 28-18, and we had missed a lot of easy shots, and you just can’t do that against a strong team like Abington. They started clicking on all cylinders. They’re a formidable opponent.”
The Ghosts took a 48-34 lead into halftime on their way to the big win. Jordyn Reynolds led a balanced attack with 11 points, Mikiaya Durham added nine.
For the game, Durham and point guard Maya Johnson – welcomed back in the lineup after being sidelined – led the Ghosts with 12 points each. Johnson also had six assists. Reynolds and Piper McGinley both had 11 points. McGinley added eight rebounds, and Reynolds had four steals. Kaylia Rice also finished in double figures with 10. Ava Teich had nine points on three 3-pointers, and Aniyah Williams had six points.
“We played a well-rounded game with everyone contributing,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said. “Our bench came in and gave us some more momentum with Kaylia Rice (10 points, 6 rebounds), Zyn McClain with 11 rebounds and Ava Teich had nine points.”
For the Spartans, Ava Culler’s 18 points led the way. Jayla Daniels added eight points while Grace Dailey and Alana Decker both had seven.
Abington (14-4, 11-1 SOL) – 12th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings – will host Upper Dublin in a Liberty Division showdown on Tuesday. Springfield Twp (9-8, 4-7) will travel to Upper Moreland Tuesday. The Spartans are third in the District 1 4A rankings.
Abington 28-20-21-18 87
Springfield Twp 18-16-13-8 55
Abington (87) – Ava Teich 3 0-0 9; Maya Johnson 6 0-0 12; Harper McGiinley 1 0-0 3; Mikiaya Durham 5 1-2 12; Jordyn Reynolds 4 2-2 11; Piper McGinley 5 1-1 11; Sarah Oleary 1 1-2 3; Kara Slavin 2 0-2 4; Vanessa Griffin 1 0-0 2; Zyn McClain 2 0-0 4; Kaylia Rice 1 8-12 10; Aniyah Williams 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 33 13-21 87
Springfield Twp (55) – Alana Decker 3 0-0 7; Hannah Brandon 2 0-0 4; Caitlin Lewis 1 0-0 3; Jayla Daniels 3 2-4 8; Grace Dailey 3 1-2 7; Guicheteau 1 4-4 6; Kaleigh Evans 1 0-0 2; Ava Culler 7 4-8 18; TOTALS 21 11-21 55.
3-point goals: Abington – Ava Teich 3, Aniyah Williams 2, Harper McGinley, Mikiaya Durham, Jordyn Reynolds; Springfield Twp – Alana Decker, Caitlin Lewis.
SOL Freedom Divison
UPPER MORELAND 45, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 37
Not a whole lot separated the SOL Freedom Division rivals on Monday.
Both teams scored 11 points in the first and six in the second to go into halftime deadlocked at 17 apiece. In the third quarter, the Golden Bears outscored their visitors 13-7 and edged the Lions in the fourth quarter to earn the hard-fought win.
UM’s Lilly Hansen led all scorers with 20 points.
“It was another great Freedom Division game,” UM coach Josh Adelman said. “This division is really competitive, and preparing for these games is so crucial. Steve (Polinsky) does a great job, and watching their tapes, you knew they would be ready.
“I thought New Hope did a great job, and Izzy Elizondo was hitting threes in the first half with a hand in her face.”
Hansen had the hot hand for the Bears, scoring nine of her team’s 11 points in the first quarter. By halftime she had 13 points.
Elizondo had three 3-pointers and 11 points in the first half to lead the Lions. She did not have a field goal in the second half, but Emily Wilson picked up the slack, scoring 12 of her 14 points after the break.
In the third quarter, Holly Gohl (nine points) and Lianna Adames (six points) scored all of UM’s points.
“Our girls have been working extremely hard on defense, and we switched Mikel Lancit on Izzy, and she did a nice job slowing her down,” Adelman said. “And then Emily Wilson hit a few 3s in the second half, and Lianna Adames did a really nice job making her work hard for her shots.
“Lilly Hansen had another monster game, scoring 20, but she really let the game come to her. Holly Gohl does so many little things that add up to winning basketball games – rebounding, outlet passes, three pointers, etc. She was so tough tonight.
“Lianna got going and hit some crucial jumpers, and Mikel, besides her defense, went 4-for-4 from the foul line and handled the ball so well. Marie Meyers had her best defensive game, and the bench chipped in and played really well. These last couple of games have been close contests that can really build our confidence by playing a full 32 minutes and closing out the game. We return home tomorrow for our Senior Night with Springfield, so we definitely have to be ready for another tough divisional opponent.”
Wilson’s 14 points led the Lions while Elizondo added 13 points.
“Give credit to UM – they played with more energy and effort than us tonight,” Polinsky said. “They made shots when they needed to at the end of the game.
“Josh and his team did a nice job tonight. We play four games in five days, and they need to figure this out. Our leadership really needs to step it up tomorrow night and the rest of the week.”
Upper Moreland (12-6, 8-4 SOL) will host Springfield Twp on Tuesday, and New Hope-Solebury (8-8, 5-6) will host Lower Moreland on Tuesday.
New Hope-Solebury 11-6-7-13 37
Upper Moreland 11-6-13-15 45
New Hope-Solebury (37) – Emily Wilson 5 1-2 14; Ella Dudick 1 0-0 2; Nina Meixxler 2 0-0 4; Izzy Elizondo 5 2-2 13; Isha Mukherjee 1 0-0 2; Devon Maguire 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 3-4 37.
Upper Moreland (45) – Mikel Lancit 1 4-4 6; Lianna Adames 3 4-4 10; Lilly Hansen 7 4-7 20 Holly Gohl 4 0-1 9; Makaila Allen 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 15 12-16 45.
3-point goals: NH-S – Emily Wilson 3, Izzy Elizondo 3; UM – Lilly Hansen 2, Holly Gohl.
Non-league
PENNRIDGE 27, VILLA MARIA ACADEMY 26
The visiting Rams – who trailed by as many as eight – won a thriller when Ella Brown scored the game-winner with five seconds remaining.
“By the time Villa inbounded, they had like one dribble and a heave, and it missed,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said. “It was funny because neither team was scoring the entire game, and there might have been 10 points scored in the last minute-and-a-half or two minutes. When you have only 50 points scored in the whole game, that was a lot.
“Our girls just fight – they compete, and I give them a lot of credit. I’m happy for them.”
The Rams managed just seven points in the first half and trailed by six. They trimmed two points off Villa’s lead in the third quarter and – sparked by six points from Brown – outscored their hosts 11-6 in the final quarter.
In a game that didn’t feature a lot of offense for either side, the Rams were 2-for-21 from the field in the opening half and 4-for-11 from the foul line for the game.
“And we won – that rarely happens,” Rapp said. “We defended really well, and we have been the last couple of games. The girls really played their butts off, they executed. We really didn’t throw away many possessions
“This team was big, and our girls just fought to rebound. They tried to make sure they didn’t get clean stick-backs, and they did a really good job with that. And we took care of the ball.”
The Rams had just six turnovers in the game and improved their shooting percentage considerably in the second half, connecting on 9-of-18 from the field.
“The second half was obviously a lot different than the first.,” Rapp said. “I was really happy for the girls.
“We’ve never played a game this early after school. We took the bus down – there was a 3:45 tip time for the jayvee and a 5:15 varsity after an hour ride.”
The win over a Villa Maria squad with 12 wins loomed large for a Pennridge squad looking to earn a spot in districts. The Rams are 27th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings in what will be a 24-team field with four games remaining.
“I don’t know how these power points work, but if we can go 3-1, we might be able to sneak in,” Rapp said.
Pennridge (10-8, 4-8 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
Pennridge 4-3-9-11 27
Villa Maria Academy 6-7-7-6 26
Pennridge (27) – Ella Brown 4 2-2 11; Ava Fantaskey 3 0-0 6; Abby Huskin 3 0-2 6; Nikki Rindone 0 0-2 2; Layla Verbit 1 2-5 4; TOTALS 11 4-11 27.
Villa Maria Academy (26) –Sophia Tray 1 0-0 2; Liz Sharp 2 0-2 4; Carly Catania 6 0-0 12; Emma O’Hare 2 1-1 6; Abby Ferry 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 12 1-3 26.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Ella Brown, VMA – Emma O’Hare.
NESHAMINY 58, NAZARETH ACADEMY 45
Reese Zemitis continues to rewrite the record books at Neshaminy.
The Bucknell-bound senior broke her own single game scoring record of 30 with a dazzling 35-point effort in the Redskins’ non-league road win Monday.
Not a bad start for the first of four games this week.
“Many teams are facing a heavy schedule this week and into next due to the postponements earlier this month,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “We will now play four games this week with little time to practice. 
“Again, most teams face a similar situation. However, the lack of practice didn’t stop Reese Zemitis from scoring 35 points this evening on Grant Avenue against Nazareth.”
Zemitis scored eight points in a first quarter that saw the Redskins open up a 14-10 lead, but she was officially on fire in the second quarter, torching the Pandas for 14 points – which included a pair of 3s. Neshaminy took a 30-23 lead into halftime.
“Nazareth junior Abby Rock hit a very long range 3-pointer to make it 14-10 at the end of the first,” Gallagher said. “In the second quarter we used Reese more and more inside, and she was able to finish around the basket and got good post feeds from her teammates.
“In the third and fourth quarters, Reese found the three-point line to be more to her liking. At one point she brought the ball up the sideline near our bench, and I just said, ‘go ahead’ and she hit a three closer to the half court line than the three-point line. It was that kind of night.”
Zemitis, who had 22 points at halftime, added 13 points in a second half that saw the Redskins outscore the Pandas 28-22.
“Coming into the game, we knew Nazareth had a really strong lineup of juniors with plenty of experience,” Gallagher said. “I was particularly impressed with their point guard Reese Power. I have known Reese Power for a while and was genuinely happy and impressed with her game this evening. She has matured and controlled the offense for Nazareth throughout all four quarters.
“As a team, I’d like us to play cleaner on both sides of the basketball and pay greater attention to the smaller details of winning basketball. Our defensive assignments and attention to detail have been lacking recently up and down the lineup. As I have learned, that can come back as quick as it might have slipped away.”
Power’s 22-point effort led the Pandas.
With her 35-point effort, Zemitis – who had six 3-pointers – passed 1982 Neshaminy graduate Rhonda McDuffie and moved into fourth place on the school’s all-time career scorers. She also had seven rebounds, three blocked shots and one steal.
Lola Ibarrondo added 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal. Ashlyn Duffy finished with six rebounds, four assists and a steal, and Alena Cofield had five rebounds and three steals.
“Ashlyn Duffy has led us in the last three games in rebounds per minutes played,” Gallagher said. “Lola Ibarrondo finished just three points shy of 1,000 points. We look forward to Tuesday’s game at home and a chance to celebrate an achievement only 12 other players in school history have attained.”
Neshaminy (14-4, 10-2 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Neshaminy 14-16-14-14 58
Nazareth Academy 10-13-11-11 45
Neshaminy (58) – Grace Weyler 1 0-2 2; Alena Cofield 1 0-0 2; Ashlyn Duffy 2 0-0 4; Lola Ibarrondo 4 3-5 11; Ava Irizarry 1 0-0 2; Mia Raivich 1 0-1 2; Reese Zemitis 13 3-3 35; TOTALS 23 6-11 58.
Nazareth Academy (45) – Reese Power 8 4-6 22; Abby Rock 4 1-2 11; Rileigh Donahue 1 0-0 3; Natalie D’Alfonso 0 2-2 2; Grace Sullivan 3 0-0 6; Anna Kane 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 16 8-12 45.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 6; Nazareth – Reese Power 2, Abby Rock 2, Rileigh Donahue.
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