Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Thursday. Pennsbury/CR South photos provided by John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL National Conference
PENNSBURY 59, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 35
Ava Sciolla turned in a stellar performance at both ends of the court to lead the Falcons to the conference win. The sophomore point guard turned in an impressive double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. For good measure, she added four assists and four steals. Senior Mary Miller also had a big night, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Sciolla and Miller both contributed seven points and accounted for all of the Falcons’ points in a first quarter that saw the two teams battle to a 14-14 tie. Nicole Blaustein’s six points led the visiting Golden Hawks.
The Falcons seized control of the game with a 16-3 second quarter tear that featured a whole lot of Mary Miller. The senior scored 10 points, which included a three as well as a 3-for-4 effort at the foul line. The Falcons took a 30-17 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Sciolla and Arcuri stole the spotlight. Sciolla had eight points, including a pair of 3s while Arcuri had seven. The Golden Hawks exchanged baskets with the Falcons but could not cut into their lead and trailed 47-32 heading into the final quarter.
Arcuri also finished in double figures with 11 points – nine in the second half. Mia Spinelli contributed seven points – all after the intermission.
For the Golden Hawsk, Blaustein’s 11 points led the way. Hannah Binder added seven points while Montanna Chambers had six on a pair of 3s.
Pennsbury (15-3, 9-1 SOL) will host Audenreid Charter Friday in a non-league contest, and Council Rock South (9-10, 5-5) will host Wissahickon Monday in a non-league game.
Council Rock South 14-3-15-3 35
Pennsbury 14-16-17-12 59
Council Rock South (35) – Ryann Szydlik 0 1-2 1; Nicole Blaustein 5 0-0 11; Carley Irvin 1 0-0 3; Karissa Smedley 3 0-1 7; Hannah Binder 3 0-0 7; Montanna Chambers 2 0-0 6; Totals 14 1-4 35.
3-point goals: CRS – Montanna Chambers 2, Hannah Binder, Karissa Smedley, Carley Irvin, Nicole Blaustein, Pennsbury – Ava Sciolla 3, Bella Arcuri, Mary Miller.
BENSALEM 72, HARRY S TRUMAN 35
It was a game that spotlighted the Owls’ standout senior class, which accounted for 52 of the team’s points.
Chloe Munyon turned in a glittering 21-point performance to lead the Owls, and fellow senior Haley Keenan had 20 points. Senior Mia Parker also finished in double figures with 11 points.
“Mia Parker stepped up huge in the absence of Emily Wineburg due to sickness,” Bensalem assistant Steve Johnson said. “Mia went for a career high in both points and rebounds with 11 and seven respectively. Mia gave 110 percent on both sides of the floor and dove for every loose ball near her.
“Chloe Munyon played her best game of the season, in my opinion, on offense and defense. She had the job of guarding (Daisha) Campbell and did a pretty good job on her, and with what energy she had left used it well on the offensive end, shooting 3-for-5 from 3-point land.”
The Owls raced out of the gate to a 17-7 lead and stretched that to 42-19 by halftime. They scored 49 points in the middle two quarters combined.
Campbell’s 16-point effort led the Tigers. Hannah Smith added seven points.
Also for the Owls, Averi McCoy had six points.
Bensalem (9-9, 6-5 SOL) will host Nazareth Academy in a non-league on Saturday at 1:45 p.m., and Harry S Truman (4-16, 0-10) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 7-12-12-4 35
Bensalem 17-25-24-6 72
Harry S Truman (35) – Shjon Hall 3, Daisha Campbell 16, Hannah Smith 7, Saniya Blount 2, Antoinette Collins 2, Kiera Smith 3, Valentina Munoz 2.
Bensalem (72) – Averi McCoy 6, Sam Daut 5, Pooja Singameni 5, Mia Parker 11, Haley Keenan 20, Chloe Munyon 21, Delaney Bell 4.
Non-league
WILLIAM TENNENT 41, UPPER MORELAND 33
The Panthers opened up a 15-3 lead over the visiting Golden Bears after one quarter and led the rest of the way, winning for the third time in four games after a 4-10 start.
“In the beginning of the season, we were a little downhill, a little uphill because we were still finding each other and what we were all about,” senior Hannah Reimel said. “We just need to trust each other. Finding the extra pass and sharing the ball – that was key.
“They’re really well matched with us, and coach was telling me – they do have good wins, but I knew we could get this game, and I trusted the game plan.”
Reimel, whose 15 points led all scorers, scored five points in her team’s 15-point first quarter, burying a 3 that gave the Panthers a 3-2 lead. Chase Dubzak connected on a pair of 3-pointers in the frame.
“Something we talked about before the game is we wanted to come out and really set the tone, basically take it to them and make them chase us the rest of the game because there’s been so many games this season where we’ve gotten off to slow starts,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “It’s tough when you’re playing from behind. You wear down easily, and you can’t always recover.
“That was a big point of emphasis tonight was to come out to a good start, and I think we did that.”
In the second quarter, freshman EmmyFaith Wood scored seven points to spark the Golden Bears, who trimmed the Panthers led to eight at halftime (23-15).
A pair of baskets – a 3-pointer from Emma Meakim and a two from deep by AbbyEllen Wood – around a Bean Hughes steal made it a 23-20 game, and it looked like the Panthers were reeling as they were held scoreless for the opening five minutes of the half.
Back-to-back driving buckets by Erin Hart allowed the Panthers to regain their composure and upped their lead back to seven.
“They were huge plays,” Whitney said. “We were in a lull and nothing was really going for us, so she did keep us afloat.
“She’s a senior that just has continued to get better. She’s extremely coachable, she works hard. She had a few moments early this season where she was struggling, but the last two-and-a-half weeks she’s been really solid on both ends of the floor.”
Another AbbyEllen Wood basket made it a 27-22 game heading into the final quarter.
Reimel scored on a drive to open the fourth quarter, but the Panthers’ lead was once again trimmed to five after EmmyFaith Wood turned a steal into a bucket. Direidy Serrano’s layup at the end of the press and another drive and basket by Reimel put the Panthers on top 33-24. Attacking the basket, according to Reimel, is part of the Panthers’ game plan.
“That’s of our style,” Reimel said. “We’re more of an aggressive team, more of a driving team. We’re good around the basket. We’re strong with the ball. We’re okay shooters, but we like shots around the basket.”
When Reimel sank one-of-two at the foul line midway through the quarter, the Panthers had a double-digit lead, 34-24. The lead grew to 12 after she buried a pair.
The Golden Bears had one last rally left in them, reeling off seven straight points to pull to make it a 36-31 game. EmmyFaith Wood’s three-point play was followed by a pair of Kaitie Opferman foul shots, and when Bean Hughes turned a steal into a layup, the Panthers’ lead was trimmed to five with 1:39 remaining.
“We definitely made it interesting,” Whitney said. “In the third quarter, we reminded them – we have the lead, there’s no need to rush on offense. I think they started panicking because of the lack of experience.”
Hart buried both ends of a one-and-one out of a Tennent timeout, and although a Kaiya Herb basket pulled the Golden Bears within five, they would get no closer, and Courtney Dubzak all but sealed their fate, connecting on both ends of a one-and-one.
“I just think we’ve got to believe and trust our coaches, really trust each other out there,” Reimel said. “We know what we can do, and we’re starting to really find each other and our abilities.
“I think we need to trust each other on the shots. We know what all of us can do together, and we play the best when we’re together.”
The Panthers were 8-of-10 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.
“That was huge because we’ve had games where we didn’t shoot well from the free throw line, but lately girls are making the big shots,” Whitney said. “When the pressure’s on, they’re stepping up, they’re calm and they knock them down.”
“We’ve always been a team that scraps, claws, grinds it out. They always play hard, they fight to the end. There’s going to be games where we’re going against teams that are more talented than we are, but our girls know that hard work can beat talent any day. That’s all I ask of them – go in, play as hard as you can.”
In addition, Reimel, Hart added 10 points while Dubzak and Bragen both had seven.
For the Golden Bears, EmmyFaith Wood’s 12 points led the way. No other player had more than five.
William Tennent (7-11, 2-7 SOL) will host Neshaminy on Friday, and Upper Moreland (10-9, 6-5) will host Springfield Township Friday.
Upper Moreland 3-12-7-11 33
William Tennent 15-8-4-14 41
Upper Moreland (33) – Kaiya Herb 2 0-2 4; EmmyFaith Wood 5 1-1 12; Katie Opferman 0 3-6 3; Emma Meakim 2 0-0 5; AbbyEllen Wood 2 0-0 4; Bean Hughes 1 1-2 3; Kiera Coyle 1 0-0 2; Totals 13 5-11 33.
William Tennent (41) – Direidy Serrano 1 0-0 2; Hannah Reimel 5 4-6 15; Chase Dubzak 2 1-2 7; Courtney Bragen 2 3-4 7; Erin Hart 4 2-2 10; Totals 14 10-14 41.
3-point goals: UM – EmmyFaith Wood, Emma Meakim, WT – Courtney Bragen 2, Hannah Reimel.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 52, CHELTENHAM 19
The Titans opened up a 20-8 lead after one quarter and never looked back. They buried four 3-pointers in the quarter with Taylor Hinkle accounting for two of them while Caroline McSorley and Mackenzie Erb each added a three.
By halftime, the Titans led 34-14. Hinkle and Mary Kate McShane – who had six points in the opening quarter – led a balanced attack with eight points each.
“Beth (Mattern) has them playing well right now,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “They really worked hard tonight. We competed but just can’t put it all together right now.”
Hinkle led the Titans with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. McShane added eight and McSorley had seven in a contest that saw 10 Titans put their names in the scoring column.
Umayrah Sulayman led the Lady Panthers with 12 points.
Central Bucks South (8-11, 3-7 SOL) will host Perkiomen Valley in a non-league game on Saturday at 1 p.m., and Cheltenham (6-13, 2-9) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
Cheltenham 8-6-3-2 19
Central Bucks South 20-14-16-12 52
Cheltenham (19) – Maycie Cedeno 1 0-0 3; Assata Robinson 1 0-0 2; Umayrah Sulayman 5 2-7 12; Nailah Johnson 1 0-0 2; Totals 8 2-7 19.
Central Bucks South (52) – Maddie White 1 2-3 4; Mary Kate McShane 3 2-4 8; Taylor Hinkle 5 0-0 13; Alyssa D’Orazio 2 0-0 4; Mackenzie Erb 1 0-0 3; Reilly Monson 0 0-2 0; Allie Burke 1 0-0 2; Madelyn Tantum 1 1-2 3; Samantha Schliesser 2 0-0 5; Samantha Waltrich 1 0-0 3; Caroline McSorley 2 2-2 7; Totals 29 7-13 52.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Maycie Cedeno, CBS – Taylor Hinkle 3, Mackenzie Erb, Samantha Schliesser, Samantha Waltrich, Caroline McSorley.
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