Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Thursday. CR South/Lower Moreland 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 Liberty Division
ABINGTON 51, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 48
The Ghosts swept the season series with the Colonials with a hard-fought road win, surviving the loss of three starters to fouls in the fourth quarter.
The Colonials, who led 25-22 at the half, took a 36-32 lead into the fourth quarter when the Ghosts – behind the inspired play of Aniyah Williams – rallied for the win.
Key stretch: The Ghosts’ fourth quarter comeback included some clutch foul shooting, none bigger than the 6-for-7 effort of Aniyah Williams, who scored 10 points in the quarter. Hailey Hernandez had five points, including a huge 3, and Nora Luskin came off the bench and buried a pair at the foul line.
Key players: Aniyah Williams led the Ghosts with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Maya Johnson dished out seven assists, and Shya Crafton had seven rebounds.
For the Colonials, AJ Avery led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds. Grace Harvey had 11 points, including three 3-pointers, and three steals. Eliza Meersman had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Abington coach Allison Lawson: “Our girls knew that this was a must-win game for us since we were not ranked high in districts. They were focused and ready to play from start to finish. They knew this was going to be a team effort, and everyone that played besides one girl scored on our team.
“PW tried to throw some junk defenses at us, but our other players stepped up and hit big shots when we needed them.
“In the fourth quarter, we got in foul trouble early: Maya (Johnson), Mikiaya (Durham), and Vanessa (Griffin) all fouled out with at least two minutes left on the clock. Aniyah (Williams) stepped up big time, handling the ball and PW’s pressure. She took control of the game, kept her composure and made 6 of 7 free throws. Sophomore Nora Luskin came in the game, played great defense, and sealed the deal, hitting two clutch free throws.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty: “Disappointing loss tonight to Abington. Despite not playing very well, we were up four going into the fourth. We didn’t make a single field goal in fourth quarter (0-8) and shot 12-19 from free throw line (in fourth quarter). We still had opportunities, but multiple times we gave up offensive rebounds off Abington free throws. Also, some really poor turnovers late against their press. Give lots of credit to Abington #25 (Aniyah Williams). She killed us the first time we played, killed us again tonight.”
–Props: “A bright spot for us was freshman Grace Harvey. Defensively, she shut down her girl, and she was bright spot for us offensively.”
Up next: Abington (12-7, 6-2 SOL) will host Spring-Ford in a non-league game Friday (3:30 pm), and Plymouth Whitemarsh (14-7, 4-3) will be on the road at Upper Dublin Tuesday.
Abington 13-9-10-19 51
Plymouth Whitemarsh 15-10-11-12 48
Abington (51) – Maya Johnson 3 1-2 7; Nora Luskin 0 2-4 2; Mikiaya Durham 2 0-0 6; Shya Crafton 2 0-2 4; Vanessa Griffin 3 0-0 6; Hailey Hernandez 3 0-2 7; Aniyah Williams 5 7-9 19; TOTALS 18 10-19 51.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (48) – Taylor Williams 1 1-2 3; AJ Avery 4 10-13 18; Kenna Winland 1 4-5 6; Eliza Messner 2 5-6 10; Grace Harvey 4 0-2 11; TOTALS 12 20-28 48.
3-point goals: A – Aniyah Williams 2, Mikiaya Durham 2, Hailey Hernandez; PW – Grace Harvey 3, Eliza Meersman.
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 59, SPRINGFIELD TWP 57
It had been a long time between wins for the Golden Bears, and the Spartans – who celebrated Senior Night – certainly didn’t make it easy.
The two teams were deadlocked at 22 apiece at halftime, but in the third quarter, the Spartans – sparked by a pair of 3s from Chloe Kaczor and seven points from Ava Culler – outscored their visitors 20-11 and took a 42-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter when the Golden Bears rallied.
The two teams combined for 17 3-pointers – 11 by the Golden Bears.
Key stretch: The Golden Bears erupted for 26 points in the fourth quarter. Lianna Adames led the offensive onslaught with 14 points – which included three 3-pointers. Charlie Clement buried a pair of 3s.
Key players: Lianna Adames picked up the slack in the absence of Mikel Lancit (injury), scoring a game-high 21 points. Charlie Clement added 12 points with seven points in the pivotal fourth quarter. Marie Meyers added 11 points, and Brogan Neely had nine points on three 3-pointers.
Springfield had four players in double figures. Ava Culler led the way with 17 points, Chloe Kaczor added 14, which included four 3s. Julia Guicheteu had 11 points, and Caitlin Lewis contributed 10.
Upper Moreland coach Josh Adelman: “What a game! It was Springfield’s Senior Night. Decent crowd. The game was back and forth all game long. Their guards kept hitting shots from outside. (Chloe) Kaczor hit four 3s for them, (Caitln) Lewis was hitting floaters and bank shots, (Julia) Guicheteau made some nice shots, and Ava Culler played her Dennis Rodman type of rebounding and relentless effort on both ends of the floor. But we finally sustained the 32-minute intensity to win a close game at the end.
“At one point, Springfield pulled away by six, and we came back and answered. We got an all-around great game by Lianna Adames. She led all scorers with 21 points. Charlie Clement played her best game finishing with 12 points, and Marie Meyers had 11. Brogan Neely keeps getting better and better and chipped in nine points. It was a much-needed win after so many close games. And without our leading scorer and point guard, Mikel (Lancit), who was out again, the girls had to rise to the occasion and played together. I saw such great togetherness tonight. There was no quit on either side, but we truly gutted this one out tonight. As a team, we made 11 threes and hit so many layups in keys parts of the game. Hard work paid off tonight.:
Up next: Upper Moreland (8-12, 2-7 SOL) will host Lower Moreland Tuesday, and Springfield Twp (6-15, 0-9) will be on the road at Cheltenham Tuesday.
Upper Moreland 14-8-11-26 59
Springfield Twp 11-11-20-15 57
Upper Moreland (59) – Brogan Neely 9, Lianna Adames 21, Hailey Kramer 6, Charlie Clement 12, Marie Meyers 11, Tierney Hogan 2
Springfield Twp (57) – Caitlin Lewis 10, Chloe Kaczor 14, Julia Guicheteau 11, Keira Brandon 4, Ava Culler 17.
3-point goals: UM – Lianna Adames 4, Brogan Neely 3, Charlie Clement 3, Marie Meyers; S – Chloe Kaczor 4, Julia Guichetea, Caitlin Lewis.
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 62, LOWER MORELAND 36
CR South honored its five seniors, and then they went out and put on quite a show, combining for 54 of their team’s 62 points in Thursday’s non-league win.
Key stretch: The Golden Hawks – behind eight points from Lil Metrick – opened up a 15-10 lead after one quarter and extended that to 31-19 by halftime. A 23-point third quarter put the game completely out of
reach and was highlighted by 11 points (3 3-pointers) from Metrick.
Key players: The night belonged to Rock South’s seniors. Lil Metrick led the Golden Hawks with 19 points (5 3-pointers), and Fiona Reckner added 14 points – seven in the third quarter. Kat O’Kane added 10 points – seven in the first half. Maria Freeman had nine points on three 3-pointers, and Sarah Freeman added a basket.
For the Lions, Dani (Brusha) finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Bri (McFerran) finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky: “It was a great night to honor our seniors – Sarah and Maria Freeman, Lil Metrick, Kat O’Kane and Fiona Reckner. All the seniors had a really good night. We shot the ball really well tonight. Our ball movement was much better in the second half of the game. LM is such a well-coached team, and they did not make things easy for us.”
Props: “Lil Metrick is such a great shooter, and she was missing some shots in the first half but really got it going in the second half. Shooters shoot, and I loved how she responded tonight. Fiona Reckner has another solid game offensively defensively. She has been so consistent in her play all season long. Kat (O’Kane) did another solid job in pushing the ball and playing downhill. Kat has done great job not turning the ball over this year. Maria Freeman did what she does every game, hit some 3s and played solid defense. Sarah Freeman played another gritty game, rebounding and setting her teammates up for easy
shots.
“It was great to see all seniors contribute in the win but not surprised because they have done it all year.”
Lower Moreland coach Rich Becker: “We lost by 26 points today, and I can’t even be upset with our girls. We ran into a team that hasn’t lost since Dec. 13 and has now won 14 games in a row. Having competed against Steve’s teams for years when he was at New Hope, and knowing how well coached his teams always were, I’m not surprised that given the talent he has that they’re having the success they are having.
“Going into the game, we knew it was going to be a tough matchup. They’ve got good speed on the perimeter, and they shoot well. We tried to duplicate what Plymouth Whitemarsh did, and we were able to stick around for a bit, but they really shot well, and by midway through the third quarter, the game was out of reach.
“On our end, we only had five turnovers, but their speed on the perimeter combined with how well they fought through our screens took us out of our offensive rhythm. Dani and Bri did the heavy lifting for us both offensively and defensively. Dani (Brusha) finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Bri (McFerran) finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.”
Up next: Council Rock South (16-3, 7-1 SOL) will host Bensalem on Friday, and Lower Moreland (11-8, 5-3) will host William Tennent Friday.
Lower Moreland 10-9-10-7 36
Council Rock South 15-16-23-8 62
Lower Moreland (36) – Briana McFerran 4 4-6 12; Dani Brusha 7 1-3 17; Emma DiJoseph 1 0-0 3; Mady Rossiter 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 14 5-9 36.
Council Rock South (62) – Sarah Freeman 1 0-0 2; Lil Metrick 7 0-0 19; Maria Freeman 3 0-0 9; Emerson Gunther 1 0-0 3; Kathryn O’Kane 3 2-4 10; Bella Hettler 2 1-2 5; Fiona Reckner 5 3-3 14; TOTALS 22 6-9 62.
3-point goals: LM – Dani Brusha 2, Emma DiJoseph; CRS – Lil Metrick 5, Maria Freeman 3, Kathryn O’Kane 2, Emerson Gunther, Fiona Reckner.
WILLIAM TENNENT 49, VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 42
The Panthers opened up a 14-point lead in the first quarter and led wire to wire.
Key stretch: The Panthers erupted for 19 first-quarter points. Avery Kocur buried a pair of 3s and had eight points, and Halie Staub added seven points.
Key players: Avery Kocur led all scorers with 22 points, which included four 3-pointers. She scored 13 points in the first half that saw the Panthers open up a 29-18 lead. Halie Staub added 17 points – 12 in the first half. Megan Volz had eight points.
For Villa, Riley Deal led the way with 16 points.
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney: “Great team win tonight as we celebrated our Senior, Megan Catoni. Senior night is always filled with lots of emotions, so there’s always the fear of how it may impact the game. But to our girls’ credit, they came out firing on all cylinders. I thought we played inspired basketball on both ends of the court the first half. (Halie) Staub especially was unstoppable the first half. She played with such confidence and was attacking downhill and making great decisions.”
The second half: “In the second half, I thought we stayed aggressive and had some nice possessions. But credit to Villa, they didn’t quit. We had control of the game from the tip, and despite us being up double digits several times, they didn’t go away easily. Our girls showed a little panic, which hasn’t really happened much this season, and as a result had some bad turnovers. Fortunately, we got some big stops down the stretch and made the plays when we needed to.”
–Props: “Avery was solid all game despite them trying to send multiple defenders at her. She impacts the game in so many ways and is so good at finding her shot when she needs to or being a facilitator.
“Staub has been so good the last few games and was really the engine that got us going tonight. Her defense is underrated, but when she is dialed in, she causes so much chaos.
“Congratulations to our senior Meg Catoni. She hasn’t gotten the playing time she was hoping for this season, but she’s inspired everyone by the example she sets. Since day one, she’s been a team player, always willing to do what’s best for the team. She’s been a reminder to us all that it’s not just about what happens on the court but about the heart and commitment you put into the team every single day.”
Up next: William Tennent (12-8, 4-4 SOL) will be on the road at Lower Moreland Friday.
Villa Joseph Marie 5-13-10-14 42
William Tennent 19-10-13-7 49
Villa Joseph Marie (42) – Lucy Jasionis 3 2-3 9; Riley Deal 6 1-1 16; Grace Pizzica 2 1-2 5; Haley Dickson 2 0-0 5; Avery Akright 3 1-6 7; TOTALS 16 5-12 42.
William Tennent (49) – Aubrey Lynch 1 0-0 2; Avery Kocur 7 4-6 22; Halie Staub 7 2-4 17; Megan Volz 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 19 6-10 49.
3-point goals: VJM – Riley Deal 3, Lucy Jasionis, Haley Dickson; WT – Avery Kocur 4, Halie Staub.
PENNRIDGE 47, VILLA MARIA ACADEMY 38
Ella Brown put on quite an offensive show, torching VMA for 33 points and leading the Rams to the non-league win.
“Ella put on an unbelievable offensive display,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said. “If we keep playing these Villa teams – she had 36 against Villa Joe and 33 against Villa Maria.
“It was nice because they’re good. They always play so hard. Kathy McCartney runs a first class program. We needed this one.”
Key stretch: Villa led 13-12 after one quarter but then was limited to just six points in each of the next two quarters as the Rams opened up a 40-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Key player: The night belonged to Ella Brown. The Holy Family commit was the undisputed catalyst of the Rams 28-12 tear in the second and third quarters. She scored 12 in the second quarter and had 10 more in the third quarter, accounting for 22 of her team’s 28 points in that pivotal span.
Pennridge coach Jason Rapp: “Ella offensively was unbelievable. She was great tonight, and we were 16-for-18 from the free throw line. It was physical. They’re tough. They play a physical brand of basketball, but I thought tonight was one of the best defensive games we’ve played. We did an awesome job.
“We really competed on the glass. Because of their size, they usually outrebound a lot of teams. We did a really good job. All of our guards rebounded.
“We got some minutes from Paige Rabinowitz tonight who did a really nice job for us. It was a really nice solid win as a team against a good team.
Up next: Pennridge (14-6, 3-5 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South Friday.
Villa Maria Academy 13-6-6-13 38
Pennridge 12-14-14-7 47
Villa Maria Academy (38) – Sophia Tray 2 4-4 9; Briella Romeo 2 3-4 8; B Croft 1 0-0 2; Anna Vickers 2 0-0 5; Abby Ferry 1 0-0 2; Sophia Iacone 1 0-1 2; Ava Broadhurst 2 0-0 4; Erin Urbanski 1 2-4 4; Sierra Dean 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 12 11-15 38
Pennridge (47) – Ella Brown 11 8-9 33; Samantha Murphy 0 6-6 6; Peyton Rabinowitz 1 0-0 2; Layla Verbit 2 2-3 6; TOTALS 14 16-18 47.
3-point goals: VMA -Sophia Tray, Briella Romeo, Anna Vickers; P – Ella Brown 3.
CHELTENHAM 63, WISSAHICKON 34
Cheltenham notched its 17th win of the season, taking control of Thursday’s non-league game from the outset.
Zoe Thompson recorded her fourth straight double-double and sixth of the season with 14 points and 16 rebounds. During that four-game stretch, Thompson is averaging 16.8 points and 17.5 rebounds.
Key stretch: The Lady Panthers opened up a 20-5 lead after one quarter on their way to the big win.
Key players: Maya Simmons led the Lady Panthers’ attack with 19 points, which included a pair of 3s. She also had three assists and three steals. Paige Powell added 16 points, five steals and three assists, and Zoe Thompson had 14 points and 16 rebounds. Jiah Price added six points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.
For the Trojans, Kai Potter led the way with 13 points.
Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims: “Our defense struggled in the first half tonight, which put us at a disadvantage. However, this game serves as a learning opportunity, and we will use it to improve and come back stronger in the future. Kai Potter had 13 points, Maura Jacob, Katelyn Thomson, and Julia Littieri each had six points.”
Up next: Cheltenham (17-2, 8-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland Friday with a chance to clinch sole possession of the SOL Freedom Division title. Wissahickon (4-15, 0-7) will travel to Norristown for a non-league game Monday.
Cheltenham 20-17-19-7 63
Wissahickon 5-8-15-6 34
Cheltenham (63) – Jiah Price 6, Paige Powell 16, Maya Simmons 19, Ali Charles 3, Marguerite Reiner 5, Zoe Thompson 14.
Wissahickon (34) – Maura Jacob 6, Julia Lettieri 6, Katelyn Thomas 6, Kair Potter 13, Ava Stout 3.
3-point goals: C – Maya Simmons 2, Jiah Price, Alie Charles, Zoe Thompson; W – Maura 2, Ava Stout.
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