Check out the results for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. To view photos of the CB South/CB West and Pennsbury/Bensalem games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 40, NESHAMINY 39 (OT)
Expect the unexpected.
That’s pretty much been the case in all three SOL conferences this season, and on Friday, it was the Golden Hawks pulling off the shocker of the night when they knocked the Redskins out of the ranks of the unbeaten in league play with their thrilling overtime win.
“It was a huge win,” coach Monica Stolic said. “The last time we played them (a 44-38 loss) we were up two with 1:50 left.
“We tried to take away their transition, and we played well defensively. This (win) made their season so far. I was so proud of them. I told them, ‘You can play with them. You can play with anybody. It doesn’t matter who you play. It’s how you play.’”
Junior Allison Taub scored eight of her 14 points in the overtime period – all of her team’s points in the extra period. She also had 16 rebounds.
“She took over,” Stolic said of Taub. “I kept telling her she could beat her girl, and finally she started beating her girl and driving to the basket.
Taylor Dillon added 11 points, and Cara Barlow added eight, including a big three-pointer in the fourth period.
“Taylor did a good job on Megan (Schafer),” Stolic said.
The Golden Hawks found themselves trailing 10-9 at the end of one quarter and 18-14 at halftime. They rallied to knot the score 25-25 heading into the final quarter.
“It was back and forth and back and forth,” Stolic said. “With about a minute left, they were holding for the last shot and turned the ball over.
“We got it back but didn’t score.”
For the Redskins, Maddie Murray led the way with 13 points while McKenna Mullin added nine and Sarah Oliveira, seven points.
The win was the fifth in a row for the suddenly red hot Golden Hawks (8-11, 6-5 SOL). The Redskins are 9-1 in league play (13-3 overall).
Neshaminy 10 8 7 7 7-39
Council Rock South 9 5 11 7 8-40
PENNSBURY 47, HARRY S TRUMAN 44
Sajanna Bethea scored a game-high 25 points, but no shot loomed larger than the three-pointer she buried with 30 seconds remaining to propel the Falcons to the dramatic win. She also pulled down 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Teammate Kaitlin Kelly added seven points.
For the Tigers, Khristaijah Jackson had another huge night, contributing 26 points and 16 rebounds.
The Falcons knew they could be in for a battle after opening up a 10-7 lead after one quarter only to watch the Tigers rally to go on top 19-16 at halftime. The Falcons outscored the Tigers 16-11 in the third quarter and took a 32-30 lead into the final frame when they needed Bethea’s late heroics to earn the win.
The Falcons are 7-5 in the league (8-10 overall), and the Tigers dropped to 1-11 in the league (4-14 overall).
Pennsbury 10 6 16 15-47
Harry S Truman 7 12 11 14-44
ABINGTON 55, WILLIAM TENNENT 39
The Ghosts got off to a quick start, opening up a 14-5 lead after one quarter. They took a 28-20 lead into halftime and then outscored the Panthers 27-19 in the second half.
Deja Rawls led the Ghosts with 17 points, which included a 6-for-8 effort at the foul line. Michael Harris, who was 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, and Leah Simmons, who was 4-for-5, both added 12 points. Sammy Lochner had eight points.
For the Panthers, Emily Wasserleben led the way with 15 points. Kyla Gibson had nine points and Angie Pomponio, eight points.
The Ghosts are 9-2 in league play (12-6 overall) while the Panthers saw their record drop to 5-6 in the league (11-7 overall).
William Tennent 5 15 11 8-39
Abington 14 14 12 15-55
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 56, BENSALEM 21
The Owls battled the Indians to an 11-11 tie at the end of one quarter, but the Indians outscored their hosts 11-4 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 22-15 lead. Any doubts about the outcome were put to rest in a third quarter that saw the Indians go on a 19-3 tear. They outscored the Owls 35-6 in the second half.
Jessica Gerber led the Indians with 18 points to go along with four steals, three assists and one rebound. Emily Mackin added 11 points, six rebounds, one steal and one charge taken. Michaela Finneyfrock had six rebounds, three steals and one block to go along with four points. Madison Attanasio had seven points.
For the Owls, Bridget Watson had seven points and Samantha Wirth, six points.
The Indians are 7-4 in the SOL (9-8 overall) while the Owls fell to 0-10 in league play (1-15 overall).
Council Rock North 11 11 19 15-56
Bensalem 11 4 3 3-21
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 53, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 33
Nicole Munger talked about playing ‘West basketball’ after the Bucks avenged their Jan. 7 loss at the hands of the Titans. By any name, the Bucks controlled play for the better part of 32 minutes and knocked the Titans out of the conference’s top spot they shared with North Penn heading into Friday’s game.
Their strong performance came on the heels of an overtime loss to archrival Central Bucks East two days earlier.
“We knew if we played West basketball – I don’t think we did that well at East, but if we play West basketball and just get back to the fundamentals, we knew hopefully things would turn out the right way,” Munger said.
Munger finished the game with 12 points while junior Corrinne Godshall led the way with 17 points. The junior guard/forward buried a pair of three-pointers and also scored on drives to the hole and putbacks.
“She was monster,” coach Terry Rakowsky said of Godshall. “She did a really good job on the boards. She’s very aggressive.”
The Bucks, who led 11-10 after one quarter, went on a 15-4 second quarter tear and took a 26-14 lead into halftime. Munger accounted for 10 of those points while Godshall had eight
“They came out from the beginning with a lot of energy,” South senior Lauren Mosher said. “They had a lot of desire to win.”
Godshall scored on a baseline drive to open the third quarter, and the Bucks were off and running. They went on top 39-22 late in the third quarter when Mackenzie Carroll, who scored all 10 of her points in the second half, buried a three-pointer.
South junior Kaley Smith opened the fourth quarter with a personal 8-0 tear, which included a pair of three-pointers, and suddenly a 17-point lead had been trimmed to nine.
Munger turned a steal into a layup, and four straight points from Carroll were followed by a Maggie Rakowsky bucket to put the Bucks back on top 47-30.
“They came out ready to play tonight,” South coach Beth Mattern said of the Bucks. “They were really focused, they were hitting shots, and they really executed very well.
“I thought we fought harder in the second half. Unfortunately, our run – they were able to stop it.”
The Titans (16-4, 9-3) were once again without sophomore Jordan Vitelli.
“It’s 100 percent a loss that we don’t have Jordan, but we have people who can fill her role,” Mosher said. “At the end of the day, we did beat them the first time, and we still have two big games next week to end the (regular) season. We still have a lot to be happy about.”
The Bucks boast an identical 9-3 record in league play (16-4 overall), and they will face North Penn (10-2, 17-3) in the season’s biggest showdown on Tuesday at West.
Central Bucks West 11 15 13 14-53
Central Bucks South 10 4 8 11-33
NORTH PENN 65, HATBORO-HORSHAM 36
The Lady Knights find themselves alone atop of the Continental Conference standings, thanks to their win over the Hatters and West’s win over Central Bucks South.
Senior Erin Maher finished the game with a double-double to lead the Lady Knights, contributing 14 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Vicky Tumasz added 13 points and freshman Sam Carangi, 10 points.
The Lady Knights led 11-2 after one quarter and took a 28-14 lead into halftime. A 20-6 third quarter sent them into the final frame with a 48-20 lead.
Sophomore Cassidy Quattro led the Hatters with nine points.
North Penn is 10-2 in league play (17-3 overall) while the Hatters fell to 1-11 in the league (1-17 overall).
North Penn 11 17 20 17-65
Hatboro-Horsham 2 12 6 16-36
SOUDERTON 61, PENNRIDGE 33
Bianca Picard, slowed by an injury in recent outings, exploded for 24 points to lead the Indians to the big win over the Lady Rams. The Indians led 19-12 at the end of one quarter and then blew the game wide open with a 20-3 second quarter surge to go into halftime with a 39-15 lead.
Also for the Indians, Katie O’Connor added 12 points while Sarah Derstein and Allison Gallagher both added eight points.
The Lady Rams were led by the 11-point effort of Lydia Konstanzer, who also had a team high eight rebounds. Devan Rimmer added seven points. Jess Tennent had seven rebounds and a team high three steals.
The Indians are 8-4 in league play (14-6 overall) while the Lady Rams are 4-8 in the league 7-12 overall.
Pennridge 12 3 4 14-33
Souderton 19 20 17 5-61
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 50, QUAKERTOWN 19
The Patriots led 18-6 after one quarter and took a 28-11 lead into halftime. Courtney Webster led East with 15 points while Bridget Birkhead added nine points. Lindsay Nier had eight points and eight rebounds, and Kyra Scaliti had seven points and two blocks.
The Patriots are 7-5 in league play (12-6 overall) while the Panthers fell to 0-12 in the league (1-17 overall).
Quakertown 6 5 2 6-19
Central Bucks East 18 10 9 13-50
American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 56, NORRISTOWN 47
The Colonials needed a big win, and they got just that when they travelled to Norristown, downing an Eagles squad that had 24 hours earlier defeated Souderton by 10 points.
“This was huge, especially after losing heartbreaking games to Upper Merion and Cheltenham,” said PW coach Daniel Dougherty. “This a big turnaround because we have Upper Dublin on Tuesday night, and we were staring at four straight losses in the league right in the face.
“Going into this season, I honestly thought Norristown and Upper Dublin were neck in neck with each other, but (Norristown) had injuries and transition stuff. At Souderton last night, Norristown looked like one of the best teams in all of Suburban One. When they’re healthy, they are. This is such a huge win for the girls. Everyone’s spirits were really low after losing to Upper Merion and Cheltenham.”
The Colonials, in Dougherty’s own words, “shot the lights out” in the first half. His team’s stats back up that statement. The Colonials buried seven three-pointers in the first half, and senior Rachel Konowal made all three free throws when fouled on another three-point attempt.
All told, the Colonials buried 10-of-13 shots from beyond the arc, topping their 10-of-19 effort at the free throw line. Alynna Williams was a perfect 6-for-6 from three-point land, and Asia Baker buried all three of her attempts. Williams finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and two assists and, according to Dougherty, handled Norristown’s fullcourt pressure in the second half to keep PW in the lead. Baker finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds (14 defensive), two assists and two steals. She connected on 5-of-6 free throws in the fourth quarter to ice the game.
“Asia is finally starting to feel healthy,” Dougherty said. “She really had a good practice, and she was dominant.
“The biggest thing that doesn’t show up in the box score is Cara Sweeney. Cara Sweeney doesn’t score for us tonight, but she held Keifonna Ferguson to five points. She takes it personal when she defends a girl who’s that good, and that was her mission tonight – her mission was to shut her down, and she did. She kept her off the glass too.”
The Colonials, who led 14-10 after one quarter, took a 35-20 lead into halftime. It was a far cry from their performance in Tuesday’s loss to Cheltenham that saw them open the game by connecting on 1-of-15 shots from the floor. They also missed two foul shots in that span.
“The kids battled to come back in that game,” Dougherty said of the Cheltenham loss. “I said, ‘It’s not that you’re not playing well, but we can’t execute plays and we can’t make adjustments because we don’t practice.’
“To the kids’ credit, they came in yesterday and had one of the best practices of the year. They really recommitted to work on their shooting, working on our team defense, and it really, really showed tonight. The kids came out and put together a really big win.”
According to Dougherty, Thursday’s practice was the team’s first good one since the day after their previous Norristown game.
“After that game, we took the day off the next day because it was such a physical game, and we wanted to rest up for Upper Dublin a little bit,” the PW coach said. “That day off led into a bad practice the day before the Upper Dublin game. We lost the Upper Dublin game, and then the next day we had a flat performance against Marple-Newtown and lost that game.
“Ever since, we haven’t had a good practice. Asia had been sick for almost three weeks, and then we had the snow days. After the snow days, we had make-up games. We really haven’t been able to have a good practice.”
That changed on Thursday, and while the Eagles fell to 7-5 in the league (10-9 overall), the Colonials upped their record to 9-3 in league play (15-4 overall).
“In the beginning of the season, our goal was to just qualify for the playoffs,” Dougherty said. “You come out and start your season 14-2 – you’ve already qualified for the playoffs.
“The other big thing for the kids now is – let’s get in a position to maybe try and win a playoff game. They’re really embracing that too. They’re such a great group of kids to coach. They really play hard for each other. This is a team that really cheers each other on, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh 14 21 11 10-56
Norristown 10 10 15 12-47
UPPER MERION 34, WISSAHICKON 29
On a night that saw both teams struggle offensively, Viking junior Regie Robinson led all scorers with 24 points.
“Wissahickon has been playing better down the stretch, and they’re a good defensive team,” Upper Merion coach Tom Schurtz said. “We just had one of those games where the ball wouldn’t go down.
“They did a nice job of controlling the offensive tempo. I give our girls credit. Despite trailing for most of the fourth quarter - with four minutes to go, we took the lead and didn’t give it back.”
The Vikings led 8-6 after one quarter and took a 19-12 lead into halftime but then managed just three points in the third quarter as the Trojans rallied to go on top 24-22.
“They did a nice job clogging the lane, and we literally did not make a shot in the third quarter,” Schurtz said. “All of our points came from the free throw line.
“We actually didn’t make a shot until three minutes into the fourth quarter. Wissahickon is a tough place to play. We don’t traditionally play well there, and tonight was no exception. It’s not that we didn’t play well – we didn’t shoot well. ”
While the Trojans fell to 2-10 in league play (4-13 overall), the Vikings improved to 8-4 in the league (12-7 overall).
Upper Merion 8 11 3 12-34
Wissahickon 6 6 12 5-29
CHELTENHAM 61, UPPER MORELAND 44
By Antonio Pelullo, Cheltenham High School, special to SuburbanOneSports.com
At 8-4 in league play (13-6 overall), the Lady Panthers continue their road to the district playoffs while Upper Moreland (4-15, 2-10) looked to play the part of seed buster at Cheltenham on Friday night.
Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, Gabrielle Wright was on a mission, putting up career highs with 26 points and 16 rebounds. The always upbeat coach Brendan Nolan of the Panthers said of Wright’s performance “(It’s) the best game of her career, and I said to her at halftime, ‘Thank God you showed up tonight.’”
Upper Moreland coach Ed Decker had no complaints about his team’s performance.
“We played hard, both teams played hard,” he said. “I think what it came down to tonight - they didn't miss any foul (shots) and that won the game for them if you look at the score.”
Cheltenham hit 19-of-27 free throws, but Nolan was not especially pleased with his team’s performance.
”It’s sad to say it was one of our worst games of the season,” the Lady Panthers’ coach said. “I don’t think mentally we were ready to play from the start. We started well for the first couple minutes but then we just lost focus.”
The Lady Panthers led 12-3 after one quarter and took a 25-19 lead into halftime.
“We came out really cold today,” Decker said. “That’s what we talked about at halftime, but as bad as we started, we were (only) down) by six at halftime.”
Karil Lynch led the Golden Bears with 18 points, and right behind her was Lindsay Walder with 12
“She is our go-to person, she’s our quarterback,” Decker said of Walder.
Maddy Pisut added eight points for the Golden Bears, including a 6-of-9 effort at the foul line.
On a night that saw high-scoring freshman Ashley Jones limited to eight points, Amarri Trueheart added 18 points for the Lady Panthers. Nashira Brown also had eight points.
Upper Moreland 3 16 8 17-44
Cheltenham 12 13 16 20-61
UPPER DUBLIN 54, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 15
The Flying Cardinals (17-2, 11-1) jumped out to a 13-4 lead at the end of one quarter and never looked back on their way to a win that clinched at least a tie for the conference crown.
Julie Cross led the way with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. Jackie Lillo added nine points and five rebounds. Regan Gallagher had eight points, seven rebounds and five steals. Allison Chernow contributed seven points and seven rebounds.
Maura Ryan led the Spartans (4-15, 1-11) with four points.
Upper Dublin 13 12 15 14-54
Springfield 4 2 7 2-15
Thursday, Jan. 30
NORRISTOWN 58, SOUDERTON 48 (Thursday, Jan. 30)
Vince Catanzaro has been waiting a long, long time to put his projected starting lineup on the court. It finally happened on Thursday night, and the result was an impressive win over the Indians.
“We finally got everybody back,” coach Vince Catanzaro said. “This is the first game that we finally had the kids playing like I envisioned before I got the job.”
The Eagles established the early tone, opening up a 16-10 lead at the end of one quarter and increasing that to 28-18 by halftime. Catanzaro attributed his team’s strong start to the play of his guards – Pattie Fortescue, Tatiana DeWalt and Precious Milan.
“The speed those guards put on Souderton’s guards was unbelievable,” Catanzaro said. “They’re three of the quickest girls I’ve ever seen, and we just wore them down.
“As soon as I saw them take Bianca Picard out, I put them in, and we went on a run I haven’t seen all year. It was fun to watch them play like that.”
Briana Hedgepath and Keifonna Fergus led the Eagles with 16 points each.
“What can you say?” Catanzaro said. “Hedge was in mode – the purest jump shooting you have seen where every shot was just going down. You don’t see that too often.
“Keifonna played unbelievable. I gave her one 30-second break. She just played phenomenal out there.”
For good measure, the Eagles outscored the Indians 17-10 in the third quarter and took a 45-28 lead into the fourth quarter when the Indians closed it out with a 20-13 run.
“The one thing I couldn’t control was telling them to slow down,” Catanzaro said. “I called three timeouts in the fourth quarter because they just don’t know how to slow down.
“That’s how we lost the Upper Merion game. We were up 11 in that game, and we just gave it away. You know Souderton is going to make a little bit of a comeback. They’re a solid team.”
Fortescue and Brianna Schools both added eight points.
“Essence Milligan-Williams played well,” Catanzaro said. “She made some super passes. (Briana) Schools made some nice plays. This was the best team game we played all year. We played as a team, and we played solid ‘D’ the whole game. It was exciting to be involved in something like this because it hasn’t been this way all year.”
Sarah Derstein led the Indians with 16 points, 15 rebounds and four steals. Allison Gallagher added 13 points.
Norristown 16 12 17 13-58
Souderton 10 8 10 20-48
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