Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Thursday.
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
PENNSBURY 51, PENNRIDGE 21
The Falcons led by just a 9-7 score at the end of one quarter but found its offensive stride in a 20-point second quarter that effectively put the game out of reach.
“Pennridge came out very aggressive tonight and did a really nice job defending in the first quarter,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “We got into some early foul trouble, and we were able to navigate that in the second quarter.
“We’ve been having a very difficult time finishing off the end of the first quarter in some of our games, and that was the case again tonight. We play 11 people and that’s probably three too many for consistency. I realize playing too many has always been considered a major Achilles heel of mine and I’ve really tried over the past decade to get better at it, but too often I fall back into it.”
The Falcons took a 29-13 lead into halftime. Sofia Vitucci’s eight points led a balanced attack that also included seven points from freshman Joley Hohman.
“In the second quarter, we were able to get out on transition a little bit and they had a difficult time making shots,” Sciolla said.
The second half belonged to the Falcons – specifically, Daniella MacDonald, who had three 3-pointers and scored 11 points after the break. MacDonald’s 14 points led the Falcons. Vitucci – who was honored prior to the game for surpassing the 1,000-point mark in December – had 10 points, and Joley Hohman contributed seven. Layla Matthias stuffed the stat sheet with 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals.
“Sofia is trying so hard to involve teammates and encourage execution on the offensive end,” Sciolla said. “Watching her maturation with that has been really impressive. She is setting people up constantly for wide open layups or jump shots. Layla also did a great job finding teammates and being active on the glass and in passing lanes.”
Ella Brown accounted for 17 of Pennridge’s 21 points.
“Ella Brown is terrific because she really has an idea of where she wants to get with the basketball, and she consistently does that,” Sciolla said. She has nice touch when she pulls up, and she’s always been successful with the floater.
“She consistently got inside of our defense and scored but the rest of the team had a difficult time knocking down open looks, and so we were able to slowly slip away.”
Pennsbury (7-3, 5-2 SOL) will travel to Souderton for a crossover game on Tuesday.
“We are at a point in the season where we really have to take a deep look at what our goals are and if we are on the same page because each night gets tougher and we want to be lock step together,” Sciolla said. “Ultimately – I have to be the one that takes accountability for that. And I will.”
Pennridge (7-4, 3-4) will host Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Pennridge 7-6-6-2 21
Pennsbury 9-20-10-12 51
Pennridge (21) – Ella Brown 7 2-2 17; Ava Fantaskey 0 0-2 0; Madison Lapp 1 0-0 2; LLayla Verbit 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 9 2-2 21.
Pennsbury (51) – Layla Matthias 2 1-2 5; Danielle Sherman 1 0-0 3; Sofia Vitucci 4 2-3 10; Danielle MacDonald 4 2-3 14; Joley Hohman 3 0-2 7; Ava Jordan 2 0-0 5; Sammie Haws 2 0-0 5; Susan McKeever 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 19 5-10 51.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Ella Brown; Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald 4, Danielle Sherman, Joley Hohman, Ava Jordan, Sammie Haws.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 38, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 36 (OT)
The Colonials are displaying a flare for the dramatic.
Twenty-four hours after eking out a win over Cheltenham with some late-game heroics, Joslyn Perez – with PW trailing by one – buried a baseline 3-pointer as time expired, propelling the visiting Colonials to the dramatic win.
“Incredibly exciting game,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “Two back-to-back exciting games. We really tried to celebrate with the girls afterwards about just what an exciting memory that is to hit the game-winning shot and the game-tying shot.
“Twenty-four hours after praising Marissa Perez for being a multi-sport athlete, here’s her multi-sport athlete sister hitting a 3 to win the game. I was talking to Jos a little bit – next time you step into the (batter’s) box, and the game’s on the line in the bottom of the seventh inning, and you’re up to bat – you just have that much more confidence now because of what you’ve proven on the basketball court.”
The game-tying shot came in equally dramatic fashion when – with 15 seconds remaining in regulation – AJ Avery buried a 3-pointer, erasing a three-point deficit and setting the stage for overtime.
“Just to show the growth from last night against Cheltenham – we were up by one, and we called a timeout because we knew they were going to full-court press,” Dougherty said. “The kids coming out of the timeout as they’re walking onto the court away from me – couldn’t remember what they were supposed to do. We tried to do the press break, and we didn’t run it. Thank goodness we had another timeout to call.
“Fast forward to tonight – we are down by three, there’s about 20 seconds to go in the game. I draw up the sidelines out-of-bounds play, and I said, ‘If this doesn’t work, we’re going to go to this man plan to try and get AJ Avery a 3-point shot.’ It’s a play we never practiced. They ran it to perfection, and AJ Avery hits the shot. Twenty-four hours after they couldn’t remember what to do out of a timeout, they were able to execute that play and tie the game.”
The Colonials trailed by two in overtime with less than a minute remaining.
“New Hope has the ball, and they’re kind of stalling, thinking we’ll foul them,” Dougherty said. “Kenna Winland and AJ Avery kind of coral trap their point guard, and she falls to the ground and is called for traveling, so now we have the ball. I don’t call a timeout. I let our motion offense get moving. AJ Avery collapses their defense and kicks the ball out to Joslyn Perez, who hits the game-winning shot.”
Avery (15 points) and Joslyn Perez (12 points) led the Colonials. Winland added seven points.
“Marissa Perez played phenomenal for us again tonight,” Dougherty said. “AJ Avery hits that huge shot and had the big assists, but the star of the night is Jos Perez – not just for that shot, but she also was guarding number 10 (Izzy Elizondo) and held her to six points. Three of them were not on her – three of them we lost her on the press.
“(Elizondo) had the ball at the end of regulation after AJ made the 3, and Jos shut her down, and she didn’t even get a shot off. Exciting win – it made the long, long drive home a little more bearable. I’m excited for this young group. We’re such a young group. Every night is a learning experience. To be able to pull out last night’s game against Cheltenham and to be able to pull this game out tonight – there were nine lead changes in the second half and overtime. It was back and forth and back and forth.
“I thought Steve (Polinsky) did a good job of adjusting. We don’t have anyone near the height of number 21 (Ella Dudick), who scored 14 of their points. He was able to dial up ways to get her the ball within her comfort zone by the basket. We also lost her a couple of times on the press.”
Dudick – who scored all four of the Lions’ points in overtime – led NH-S with 14 points. Kayla Fennel added nine points, and Elizondo had six.
“It was a really well-played game,” Polinsky said. “It was a great learning experience for the future. We need to learn how to close out a game and work the clock.
“They did a great job not giving Emily (Wilson) and Izzy (Elizondo) open looks. What was really positive for us was seeing Ella Dudick having a strong game and stepping up. Also, Kayla Fennell stepped up on defense and offense. A shoutout also to Grace Kerns on a big time shot at the end.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-3, 5-2 SOL) will host Lower Moreland on Tuesday in a crossover game, and New Hope-Solebury (5-5, 2-4) will host Abington on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11-8-2-11-6 38
New Hope-Solebury 10-5-10-7-4 36
Plymouth Whitemarsh (38) – Joslyn Perez 4 2-4 13; AJ Avery 6 2-4 15; Kenna Winland 2 1-2 7; Eliza Meersman 0 1-2 1; Marissa Perez 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 6-12 38
New Hope-Solebury (36) – Kayla Fennel 4 0-0 9; Ella Dudick 7 0-0 14; Izzy Elizondo 2 0-0 6; Nina Meixler 2 0-0 5; Emily Wilson 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 15 2-2 36.
3-point goals: PW – Joslyn Price 3, Kenna Winland 2, AJ Avery; NH-S – Izzy Elizondo 2, Kayla Fennel, Nina Meixler.
Non-league
KENNETT 49, QUAKERTOWN 29
The visiting Blue Demons jumped out to a 19-6 lead after one quarter and added 22 points in the second quarter. The Panthers outscored their visitors 15-8 in the second half.
Ava Pistone and Addyson Davis both scored eight points to lead the Panthers. Davis connected on 4 of 5 shots. Carli Maha added seven points.
Quakertown (1-10, 0-6 SOL) will host Springfield Twp on Friday in a crossover game.
Kennett 19-22-7-1 49
Quakertown 6-8-7-8 29
Kennett (49) – Quinn Simmons 4 0-0 10; Greta Burns 5 0-2 14; Frazier 0 1-4 1; Carroll 2 2-2 6; Mia Matthews 4 0-0 12; Bianca Commanda 2 0-0 4; Harper 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 18 3-8 49.
Quakertown (29) – Paisley Heft 1 0-0 2; Addyson Davis 4 0-0 8; Ava Pistone 3 2-6 8; Carli Maha 1 2-4 4; Truly Heft 2 3-4 7; TOTALS 11 7-17 29.
3-point goals: Kennett – Greta Burns 4, Quinn Simmons 2, Mia Matthews 4.
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