Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. NP/Neshaminy photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f226313402 (CB East/Bensalem photos courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball)
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
BENSALEM 48, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 45
The Owls played the role of giant killer, knocking off a Patriot squad that was coming off a title in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational and also owned a share of the top spot in the SOL Colonial Division standings.
“This is without a doubt the biggest win we have had in our program together,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “We – the seniors and I – started together when they were freshmen, and we had our peaks and valleys. We’ve preached since day one we not me.
“We never played selfish, but we never tapped into that next level we were capable of. The basketball we played tonight both offensively and defensively was beautiful to watch, but it’s so much more than that.”
Friday’s win was the ultimate display of team basketball by the Owls, who had four players in double figures with none putting up more than 13, a total shared by both Amber Howard and Devon Bell. Included in Bell’s 13 points were three 3-pointers.
“Amber Howard got three fouls in the first half and didn’t start the second half,” Johnson said of the North Carolina A&T commit. “She could have shut down but instead was talking to girls in the locker room about what would be open and what wouldn’t. She was yelling from the bench, hyping the girls up. That’s leadership. She also handled the ball extremely well in the last few minutes of the game and got it where it needed to be while East was pressuring.
“Driz (Devon Bell) did not make a 3 the other night against Souderton but didn’t let that get to her one bit and knocked three huge 3s down for us. She’s got shooter’s confidence.”
Talia DiMichele and Grace McShane both added 10 points for the Owls.
“I have to give Talia her flowers,” Johnson said. “She is the heart and soul of team. We’ve known since she was in eighth grade that she would be a key player for us. She probably shot double the amount of 3s this time last year, but she is sacrificing looks because she is running our offense for us this year, doing what the team needs her to do. She is a true competitor. We told her she was going to have the job of guarding one of the best shooters in our area in Anna Barry and what did she do? Watched hours of film. She even came to me between classes and asked how she should guard certain actions. That’s a winner.”
The Owls survived some adversity, losing DiMichele when she went down with an injury.
“I’m going to be honest – I thought we were going to lose the game when I saw Talia go down,” Johnson said. “She’s the type of kid – she could get punched in the face, she’ll sub out and she’ll sub back in and be okay.
“I literally carried her off the court to the trainer’s office. She taped her up, and Talia went back in – okay, Talia’s good. As soon as she walked on the court, they played one possession, and she walked off and said couldn’t play. She got subbed out and didn’t play the rest of the game. When she went out, I was really nervous. She plays so hard.”
The Owls’ coach went on to credit the effort of McShane.
“I can’t say enough good things about our sophomore Grace McShane,” Johnson said. “She’s a gym rat. She passed on soccer this year to get shots up in the gym every day in the fall, and it’s paying off immensely. With one minute 20 seconds left in a tie game, away at one of the best teams in our area, Grace catches triple threat – ball fakes, drives to the rim and makes a tough layup. I’m really happy for her finding success. She deserves it. She takes everything I tell her and does it. Never a sigh or shrug.”
Johnson went on to laud the play of several whose contributions might now show up in the box score.
“Peyton (Miller) doesn’t stop talking on the defensive end,” the Owls’ coach said. “She’s the anchor in our defense, and she fouled out with six minutes to go. She didn’t sulk or blame the refs on a questionable call – she jogged right to bench and cheered her family on. Mikayla (Donahue) and Ariana (Jenkins) played more minutes between Peyton’s foul trouble and Talia’s injury and stepped up immensely. Mikayla doesn’t really score for us, but she played so many minutes, played hard, dove on the floor.”
The Owls served early notice that they meant business, opening up a 17-8 lead after one quarter and limiting the Patriots to just one field goal in the frame. Howard’s seven points led the charge. Bell added a pair of 3-pointers in the frame.
Bensalem took a 32-24 lead into halftime. DiMichele’s 10 points led the way while Bell added nine and Howard eight. Jess Lockwood kept the Patriots afloat, scoring 15 of her game-high 21 points in the first half.
Things got tight in the second half. The Patriots trimmed three points off the Owls’ lead in the third quarter, and things got even tighter in the fourth, but the Owls prevailed.
“This is the definition of a program win,” Johnson said. “We have younger girls on bench getting the varsity experience that come to practice each and every day with a positive attitude and make our team better.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this group. Bensalem strong. An hour after the game, I had 12 different Bensalem basketball alumni messaging me and congratulating us. This was a special win.
“We are better together.”
For the Patriots, Barry added 13 points, which included an 8-for-9 effort at the charity stripe.
Bensalem (6-4, 4-3 SOL) will be on the road for a crossover game at Central Bucks West Tuesday, and Central Bucks East (9-2, 5-2) will host Harry S Truman Tuesday.
Bensalem 17-15-6-10 48
Central Bucks East 8-16-9-12 45
Bensalem (48) – Grace McShane 4 1-2 10; Talia DiMichele 4 0-0 10; Devon Bell 5 0-0 13; Amber Howard 5 2-4 13; Ariana Jenkins 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 19 3-6 48.
Central Bucks East (45) – Sydney Ralph 1 0-0 2; Haley Moran 0 2-4 2; Natalie Berndt 2 0-0 5; Anna Barry 2 8-9 13; Jess Lockwood 7 3-4 21; Chantal VanDongeren 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 13-17 45.
3-point goals: Bensalem – Devon Bell 3, Talia DiMichele 2, Grace McShane, Amber Howard: CBE – Jess Lockwood 4, Anna Barry, Natalie Berndt.
NORTH PENN 39, NESHAMINY 31
Defense was the name of the game in this one.
The Redskins limited the Knights to their lowest point total of the season, but the Knights returned the favor, holding the Redskins to their second lowest point output of the
season.
Neshaminy scored 13 points in the first quarter but managed just 18 the rest of the way, and the Knights prevailed in a hard-fought battle.
“It was definitely a team effort on defense,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “Across the board, we had some different matchups going on.
“Everyone really understood their assignment well. We knew that (Reese) Zemitis was going to get her 10, 15, 20 points. That was almost a guarantee, but it was containing everybody else, and they did a really great job with that.”
In the Redskins’ 13-point first quarter, Zemitis – who led all scorers with 15 – had five points, and Neshaminy led 13-9. That lead was erased when the ‘Skins managed just three points in the second quarter as the Knights took an 18-16 lead into halftime.
“They came out hot,” Cullen said of the Redskins.
In the third quarter, Kelly Donnelly connected on a pair of 3s, and the Knights outscored their hosts by four and took a 30-24 lead into the final quarter. They held a 9-7 edge in the fourth quarter and held on for the big win.
“We never felt safe, that’s for sure,” Cullen said. They never backed off, they never made it easy at any point.
“They did a really great job of taking Caleigh (Sperling) out offensively. It’s an adjustment for a player like that to have to take a step back.”
Sperling was limited to eight points. Donnelly shared the team lead in scoring with freshman Lily Brown with 10 points. Brown scored six of her points in the second half.
“She is giving us valuable minutes as a freshman off the bench right now,” Cullen said of Brown. “This type of game with its level of intensity is such good experience for her. She stepped up big when we needed her to.”
With the win and Central Bucks East’s loss to Bensalem, the Knights are in sole possession of the top spot in the SOL Colonial Division standings.
“It’s a huge win,” Cullen said. “I say it’s a rivalry all the time, but the last time we were there two years ago – we had a rough game (in a 55-43 loss).
“Last year playing them at home (a 58-44 loss) – they’re just very well coached, and they work so hard, so it’s nice to get a team in a hard environment to play in. I think it’s a good statement for the girls that the hard work they’re putting in is paying off.”
North Penn (8-2, 6-1) will travel to Council Rock North for a crossover game on Tuesday. Neshaminy (8-3, 6-1 SOL) will be on the road at Pennridge on Tuesday.
North Penn 9-9-12-9 39
Neshaminy 13-3-8-7 31
North Penn (39) – Cameron Crowley 1 1-4 3; Caleigh Sperling 2 3-4 8; Kelly Donnelly 4 0-0 10; Leah Mikulski 1 0-0 3; Olivia Stone 1 0-0 3; Tallie Smink 1 0-2 2; Lily Brown 5 0-0 10; TOTALS 15 4-10 39.
Neshaminy (31) – Grace Weyler 1 0-0 2; Alena Cofield 2 0-0 4; Ashlyn Duffy 1 0-0 2; Lola Ibarrondo 0 3-4 3; Ava Irizarry 1 0-0 3; Mia Raivich 1 0-0 2; Reese Zemitis 6 0-0 15; TOTALS 12 3-4 31.
3-point goals: NP – Kelly Donnelly 2, Caleigh Sperling, Leah Mikulski, Olivia Stone; Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 3, Ava Irizarry.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 54, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 50 (OT)
The Titans won an overtime thriller that was anything but easy.
They needed a 3-pointer by Ella Wheeler with 20 seconds remaining in regulation to knot the score, and in extra time, the Titans – behind five points from Wheeler – outscored the Indians 10-6 to earn the hard-fought win.
Making the win even more gratifying for the Titans was the fact that they were minus a pair of regulars – Jules and Gabby Tropea – due to illness. They were two of four players in the program out sick.
Wheeler (18 points) and Yoyo Samayoa (17 points) did their part to pick up the slack, combining for 35 of the Titans’ points.
“They definitely stepped up big in the scoring department,” Mattern said. “We were obviously down the Tropea twins. Council Rock North had to deal with that right before break, so they played games without people. It’s winter, and it happens.
“People had to play positions they’re not used to playing in, but again, that’s why we practice. That’s why we talk things out, and people are prepared to go on the court. I was really proud of the effort everyone gave from the bench to the court.”
The Titans – sparked by five points from Megan Schmidt – led 10-5 after one quarter, but the visiting Indians used a 17-point second quarter to go into halftime with a 22-21 lead. Delaney McCaffery buried a pair of 3s and scored nine points. Skyler Wright also had two 3-pointers for the Indians.
“I was proud of the way my girls kept fighting back because we came out and had a nice start, but then we struggled in the second quarter to score and also defensively,” Mattern said. “Council Rock North, to their credit, played really hard and took advantage of that.
“Casey Balkir hit a big 3 at a buzzer going into halftime and was able to make a big shot to keep (their lead) to one.”
The Indians took a 34-30 lead into the final quarter that saw the Titans rally to even the score. Samayoa connected on a pair of 3s and Wheeler had five points – including the clutch equalizer with 20 seconds remaining. The Titans’ defense held, and the stage was set for overtime.
In addition to Wheeler and Samayoa, Mia Klein had seven points and Balker had six.
“I thought everyone in a different way stepped up big tonight,” Mattern said. “Anna Granito has not been getting a lot of varsity minutes and ended up playing the majority of the second half guarding McCaffery. Megan Schmidt made the most of her minutes tonight. I was just really proud of the effort everyone gave today.”
McCaffery’s 23 points led all scorers and included five 3-pointers. Ruth O’Keeffe added 10 points – all after the break. Wright contributed eight points, and Megan Reichenbach had seven.
“Congrats to CB South on a hard-fought win tonight,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “We feel terrible for our players that we were not able to get over the hump, but both teams played their hearts out, and I thought both teams really played well in front of a great environment.
“Credit to them, they just made one or two more plays than we did. However, the loss doesn’t take away from how proud we are of the improvement our players are beginning to show. We just have to stay the course.”
Central Bucks South (7-5, 4-3 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Tuesday for a crossover game. Council Rock North (4-7, 1-6) will host North Penn on Tuesday.
Council Rock North 5-17-12-10-6 50
Central Bucks South 10-11-9-14-10 54
Council Rock North (50) – Skyler Wright 3 0-1 8; Amara Arroyo 1 0-0 2; Delaney McCaffery 7 4-6 23; Megan Reichenbach 1 4-4 7; Ruth O’Keeffe 5 0-1 10; TOTALS 17 8-12 50.
Central Bucks South (54) – Megan Schmidt 2 1-1 5; Ella Wheeler 7 1-3 18; Casey Balkir 2 1-4 6; Yoyo Samayoa 6 1-5 17; Mia Klein 2 2-2 7; Anna Granito 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 19 7-17 54.
3-point goals: CRN – Delaney McCaffery 5, Skyler Wright 2, Megan Reichenbach; CBS – Yoyo Samayoa 4, Ella Wheeler 3, Casey Balkir, Mia Klein.
SOUDERTON 61, HARRY S TRUMAN 35
It’s a win that has been a long time coming for a young Souderton squad.
The Indians returned just one starter – senior Brooke Fenchel – from last year’s SOL Colonial Division championship squad. The rest of the lineup consisted new and very young faces that were forced to learn the ropes of playing varsity basketball.
After winning their first game of the season over William Tennent, the Indians were 0-for-December, and on Wednesday, they dropped their first game in January, but this season – a rebuilding one in the truest sense of the word – has not been only about wins and losses for this young squad. It’s about laying the foundation for the future.
Friday’s road win brought a welcome end to the Indians’ nine game skid.
“I’m incredibly happy for our girls,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “It’s tough to hang in and continue to want to compete when you have a long stretch of losses, but they show up each game and play hard regardless of the scoreboard or the outcome of the previous game.
“Tonight, we had good contributions from a lot of people, starting with Brooke Fenchel. It hasn’t exactly been an easy year for her. She could’ve had 16-18 points tonight but was unselfish with the ball and ended up with six assists. That says all you need to know about her. She set the tone defensively, continues to sacrifice her body every game and just battles from start to finish. Everyone else is following her lead.
“I’ve told this group many times how much we’re enjoying coaching them. I give them so much credit for continuing to battle every possession and get better every day.”
The Indians – sparked by four points from both Olivia Herron and Emily Dick – led 16-8 after one quarter.
“Emily Dick has turned into a legit scoring option for us,” Carroll said of the junior. “She does such a good job creating scoring opportunities for herself in the paint. She was 6-for-10 from the field tonight.
“(Freshman) Olivia Herron is just starting to show what she’s capable of. She has so much potential and is destined to have a great high school basketball career.”
Truman kept it close with a 13-point second quarter and trailed 27-21 at halftime. Shylah McCleve led the Tigers with nine points in the half while Dick had eight for the Indians and Fenchel had six.
Behind six points from Kiera Fadden and four from Julia Purvy – both freshmen, the Indians outscored their hosts 13-8 in the third quarter and took a 40-29 lead into the final quarter.
“Kiera Fadden works incredibly hard to the point where it’s hard to take her off the court,” Carroll said. “She’s turned herself into a great defender in a short amount of time. She leads the team in rebounds and had a double-double tonight with 10 points and 11 rebounds against a much bigger and physically stronger team.
“Julia Purvy has been giving us great minutes. She started the season as a swing player and is now playing 20-plus minutes a game. Working hard is in her DNA. She’s a competitor and is a big reason why we’ve been playing better recently.”
The Indians closed out the game with a 21-6 burst in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Madison Bealer led the charge with six points.
“Madison Bealer was limited tonight because she’s just coming back from an injury, but every time she was on the court she made a difference,” Carroll said. “She was battling hard for rebounds and looked confident on offense. We’re looking forward to getting her back to full strength.”
Dick’s 12 points led the Indians while Fadden contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds. Fenchel – the third player in double figures – added 10 points and six assists. Purvy and Herron both finished with nine points while Bealer had six points.
The Indians’ coach lauded the efforts of several players who are also leaders but whose contributions don’t always show up in the box score.
“Jac Bermel gives a consistent effort every day,” Carroll said. “She works hard at practice, leads the team in diving on the floor for loose balls. As a junior with some varsity experience, she is helping to lead the way and show what hard work looks like.
“Alaina Picard, the first sophomore I’ve ever named captain, is a good-to-the-core kid who leads by example and is determined to contribute in positive ways on and off the court. She so incredibly coachable and is only going to get better and better.”
The Indians’ coach also acknowledged several other young players.
“We have a group of freshmen and sophomores who have been thrown to the wolves a little bit but are getting better and better every day,” Carroll said. “Freshman Liz Word has been getting some minutes here and there and is proving to be a fierce competitor who wants to get better every day and do whatever it takes to help her team be successful.
“And two kids who don’t get many minutes for us, Erin McGee and Avie Sackor, show up every day and work hard at practice and do what they can get better and challenge their teammates to get better.”
For the Tigers, McCleve led the way with 13 points while Terrion Hurt added seven. Erynn Bond and Yamazjiah Thomas both had six points.
Souderton (2-9, 1-6 SOL) will travel to Pope John Paul II for a non-league game Saturday at 1:15 p.m. Harry S Truman (1-10, 0-7) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Tuesday.
Souderton 16-11-13-21 61
Harry S Truman 8-13-8-6 35
Souderton (61) – Jacquelyn Bermel 1 1-2 3; Julia Purvy 3 3-4 9; Oliva Herron 3 3-4 9; Madison Bealer 3 0-0 6; Brooke Fenchel 4 2-2 10; Kiera Fadden 4 2-2 10; Alaina Picard 1 0-0 2; Emily Dick 6 0-2 12; TOTALS 25 11-16 61.
Harry S Truman (35) – Terrion Hurt 3 0-0 7; Erynn Bond 3 0-0 6; Shylah McCleve 5 5-9 15; Yamazjiah Thomas 2 2-4 6; Natane Smith 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 13 8-15 35.
3-point goals: HST – Hurt.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 40, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 23
The visiting Golden Hawks opened up a 10-2 lead after one quarter, and although the Bucks fought gamely, they never could dig themselves out of that early hole.
“Overall, it wasn’t our prettiest win, but West had everything to do with that,” Rock South coach Jesse Krasna said. “We are proud of our girls because of how hard they competed, and they continued to trust each other when shots weren’t falling early on. A win on the road is always a good win, and we are motivated to earn the respect of teams around the SOL.”
Kathryn O’Kane was an offensive catalyst in the Hawks’ strong start, scoring five points in the first quarter.
The Golden Hawks took a 20-15 lead into halftime. O’Kane accounted for 10 of those points.
“Kathryn O’Kane made great decisions when she penetrated,” Krasna said. “When she plays in attack mode, there isn’t anyone who can stop her from going where she wants to go. There were so many times our bench yelled ‘great pass’ when Kat was driving and kicking. She played a superb game overall.”
The Hawks went on to outscore their hosts 20-8 in the second half to earn the win.
“West’s players, Coach (Zach) Sibel and his staff deserve a ton of credit because they battled early foul trouble and were shorthanded tonight, but they showed a lot of heart and they had lots of girls step up to make life difficult on us,” Krasna said. “We had success with our pressure and we’re able to convert off of some live ball turnovers in the second and third quarters that helped us take control of the game.
“Katie Purpura had 3 big steals and went coast to coast for layups on all three in the third quarter. She was a force on the offensive glass for us too.”
O’Kane’s 12 points led a balanced Rock South attack. Lil Metrick added eight points, which included a pair of 3s in a third quarter that saw the Hawks hold a 12-4 advantage. Fiona Reckner, who had a pair of 3s, added seven points while Purpura had six points.
“Liliana Metrick was disruptive with her on ball pressure and knocked down some big shots in the second half,” Krasna said. “Cam Gregory really fought to defend the post and helped us limit West to one shot by keeping her assignment off the glass. She had some great box outs tonight.
“Fiona Reckner took a charge on a breakaway layup that saved two points in a critical part of the game.”
West was led by the six-point effort of Gabby Reichner.
Council Rock South (8-3, 5-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in a crossover game Tuesday. Central Bucks West (3-8, 2-5) will host Bensalem on Tuesday.
Council Rock South 10-10-12-8 40
Central Bucks West 2-13-4-4 23
Council Rock South (40) – Lil Metrick 3 0-0 8; Lily Bross 1 2-4 5; Katie Pupura 3 0-0 6; Kathryn O’Kane 4 3-8 12; Camryn Gregory 1 0-1 2; Fiona Reckner 2 1-2 7; TOTALS 14 6-15 40.
Central Bucks West (23) – Gabi Senior 2 0-0 4; Erika Madden 2 0-0 5; Aniya McDaniels 1 0-0 2; Gabby Reichner 3 0-3 6; Scarlett Baumgardner 1 0-0 2; Janelle Blokker 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 11 0-3 23.
3-point goals: CRS – Lil Metrick 2, Fiona Reckner 2, Lily Bross, Kathryn O’Kane; CBW – Erika Madden.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
SPRINGFIELD TWP 40, QUAKERTOWN 28
The Spartans and Panthers battled to a 13-13 halftime tie, but the Spartans found their offensive stride in the third quarter, outscoring their hosts 22-11 to seize control of Friday’s crossover game.
“It wasn’t our best first half – give some credit to Quakertown for playing some really tough defense and causing us to turn the ball over,” Springfield Twp coach Dave Giordano said. “We got ourselves together at halftime and executed a lot better.
“We had a big third quarter and played better defense overall in the second half, but they gave us a good battle. They’re well coached, and defensively, they presented us some problems, but we got ourselves untracked in the second half and finished out the fourth quarter strong, taking care of the ball. Going there is not always an easy ride up the 309, but we’re happy to get a win and move on.”
In the third quarter, Alana Decker was the Spartans’ catalyst, scoring all 11 of her points in the frame. Jayla Daniels added seven points for the Spartans.
For the Panthers, Ava Pistone scored all 11 of her team’s third-quarter points.
“It was a fun back and forth game for us tonight offensively,” Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford said. “Our girls played very hard tonight defensively and played within their roles for the team.
“We did not rotate well in the third quarter and were not as aggressive as we were the other three quarters which Springfield was able to capitalize. In the first quarter (Ava) Culler did a great job of getting offensive rebounds against us, and we were lucky that she picked up three fouls in the first half.”
Decker’s 11 points led the Spartans while Daniels added 10. Culler finished with eight points – she had six in the first half. Grace Dailey added seven points – all before the break.
Pistone’s 16 points, which included three 3-pointers, led all scorers with 16 points – 13 in the second half. Carli Maha added six points.
“Before the game started, we made a goal of getting to the foul line more, and tonight we were able to get to the foul line six times in the first quarter, which is more than we usually do in an entire game, which is our girls crashing the boards offensively and attacking the basket,” Bamford said. “Ava had a monster third quarter and hit three 3s in a row and a drive to the basket when they went zone. Then Springfield went a box-and-one on Ava to shut her down for the fourth quarter. I’m happy that we were able to rebound and play better tonight than last night.”
Springfield Twp (6-5, 3-4 SOL) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham Tuesday for a crossover game. Quakertown (1-11, 0-7) will travel to William Tennent on Tuesday.
Springfield Twp 9-4-22-5 40
Quakertown 9-4-11-4 28
Springfield Twp (40) – Alana Decker 5 0-1 11; Hannah Brandon 2 0-0 4; Jayla Daniels 4 1-1 10; Grace Dailey 3 0-2 7; Ava Culler 4 0-4 8; TOTALS 18 1-8 40.
Quakertown (28) – Mackenzie Clayton 0 0-2 0; Paisley Heft 0 1-4 1; Addyson Davis 1 1-2 3; Ava Pistone 5 3-6 16; Carli Maha 2 2-4 6; Truly Heft 1 0-1 2; TOTALS 9 7-19 28.
3-point goals: Springfield Twp – Alana Decker, Jayla Daniels, Grace Dailey; Quakertown – Ava Pistone 3.
ABINGTON 52, CHELTENHAM 44
The Ghosts took a 25-23 lead over their neighboring rival into halftime and then put some distance between themselves and the Lady Panthers with a 13-6 third quarter on their way to the win.
“We haven’t played since Dec. 22, so I knew there was a chance we could have a slow start,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said. “We still played hard and came out with a win.
“Cheltenham played us tough, but I think we did a good job keeping our composure and controlling the game.”
In the opening quarter, Piper McGinley buried a pair of 3s and scored seven points, propelling the visiting Ghosts to a 17-14 lead. Maya Simmons marked her return to the lineup with a pair of 3s.
McGinley and Sarah Oleary each had four points in the pivotal fourth quarter.
McGinley and Mikiaya Durham both scored 13 points to lead the Ghosts. Point guard Maya Johnson added eight while Oleary and Zyn McClain both had six.
“Piper McGinley did a great job on both ends of the floor, and our bench stepped up when we needed them,” Lawson said. “Maya Johnson did a great job on defense and had some key steals when needed.”
For the Lady Panthers, Simmons led the way with 12 points, Paige Powell added 10, and Jiah Price had eight. Ije Ojukwu contributed six points.
“It was another tough loss but we are showing we can compete,” Abington coach Ben Bowman said. “Now we have to find ways to turn these close games from loses to wins. That starts tomorrow when we play Ryan. But I’m very happy with the effort and look forward to how the second half of the season plays out.”
Abington (8-2, 6-1 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury Tuesday for a crossover game. Cheltenham (5-7, 2-5) will host Archbishop Ryan Saturday for a non-league game at 1:30 p.m.
Abington 17-8-13-14 52
Cheltenham 14-9-6-15 44
Abington (52) – Maya Johnson 3 0-0 8; Mikiaya Durham 4 2-3 13; Jordyn Reynolds 2 0-0 4; Piper McGinley 3 5-8 13; Sarah Oleary 3 0-4 6; Zyn McClain 3 0-0 6; Kaylia Rice 0 1-2 1; Aniyah Williams 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 18 9-19 52.
Cheltenham (44) – Jiah Price 4 0-6 8; Paige Powell 2 5-6 10; Maya Simmons 4 2-4 12; Arianna Davis 2 0-0 4; Ije Ojukwu 3 0-0 6; Cassie Bugg 2 0-2 4; TOTALS 17 7-18 44.
3-point goals: Abington – Mikiaya Durham 3, Piper McGinley 2, Maya Johnson 2; Cheltenham – Maya Simmons 2, Paige Powell.
UPPER DUBLIN 80, WILLIAM TENNENT 40
Remember the days when Upper Dublin was known for its low-scoring defensive battles?
Those days are apparently over.
The Flying Cardinals have scored less than 50 points just once in 10 games, and that came in a win over highly regarded Scranton Prep.
In Friday’s crossover win, the Cardinals had their highest point output of the season, and setting up many of those points was junior point guard Megan Ngo, who finished with a remarkable 17 assists.
“Megan Ngo is amazing, and her stat line night after night looks like a misprint,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “Seventeen assists is definitely a UD girls single game record in the past 20 years. Her assist-to-turnover ratio is approaching 5:1. She dominates games in a different way every night.”
Megan’s sister, Amy Ngo, buried six 3-pointers on her way to a 22-point game while freshman Tamia Clark led all scorers with 24 points – 20 in a dazzling first-half performance.
“We shot the ball great all night and made 14 threes,” Funsten said. “Tamia Clark was on fire and continues to be unique in her knack for putting the ball in the basket, only needing 15 shots to score 24 points. Amy Ngo made six 3s in the first three quarters.”
The Cardinals – behind seven points from Clark and six from Amy Ngo – led 18-11 after one quarter. A 28-point second quarter featured 13 points from Clark and eight from Amy Ngo. The Cardinals took a 46-22 lead into halftime.
“I thought we came out strong and played with great energy,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We missed some opportunities early and gave up an offensive rebound to end to first quarter but were still in a good spot to end the quarter 18-11.
“Halfway through the second quarter, I looked up at the score and saw we were down 22-16 and still felt good about how it was going, and then – just like that – things changed in a hurry. Aside from a few missed rebounds, I thought our defense was pretty good, but Upper Dublin is so patient and execute so well. They had some great ball movement and hit a barrage of 3s, and suddenly, we went from being down six to down 20. Unfortunately, we were never able to recover.”
For good measure, the Cardinals outscored their visitors 34-18 in the second half with their reserves starring in a 21-point fourth quarter that included nine points on three 3-pointers from Kaitlyn Zacharia.
“It was very exciting in the fourth quarter because we had our bench players make five 3s,” Funsten said. “The 3-point shooting was contagious tonight.”
Nora Brady added six points on a pair of 3s.
In addition to handing out 17 assists, Megan Ngo also had eight rebounds, four deflections and four steals. Bridget DiMartile had seven points and a team-high 12 rebounds. In addition to scoring 22 points, Amy Ngo had five rebounds, six assists and three steals.
“We are happy we improved our defensive rebounding numbers from last week because that was a big focus of ours in practice,” Funsten said. “We should find out a lot about ourselves on Sunday against Notre Dame because they should be playing with a lot of confidence coming off a win over Penn Charter.”
For the game, UD shot 14-for-27 from beyond the arc with Amy Ngo connecting at a 75 percent clip, burying 6 of 8 shots from long range. All told, the Cardinals were 32-for-62 from the floor.
“Credit to Upper Dublin on a great performance tonight,” Whitney said. “I have a ton of respect for Morgan and the program that he has built. His teams are always so prepared, and they play the right way. They make you pay for your mistakes and can put up a lot of points quickly.
“It was one of those games where the final score shows we got blown out, but I was really pleased with how hard our girls competed. You have to tip your hat to Upper Dublin. They shot the lights out tonight and there’s not much you can do when a team is that hot. They made 14 3’s and I’d bet they shot the ball around 70 percent or maybe even higher. We need to have a short memory and start focusing on our next game.”
For the Panthers, Morgan Volz’s 13-point effort led the way. Avery Kocur, Halie Staub and Ella Mednick all had eight points.
Upper Dublin (10-0, 6-0 SOL) will face Notre Dame in a non-league game at the Sunday’s Blue Star Invitational at Jefferson University at 9:15 a.m. William Tennent (5-6, 3-3) will host Quakertown on Tuesday.
William Tennent 11-11-11-7 40
Upper Dublin 18-28-13-21 80
William Tennent (40) – Ella Mednick 4 0-0 8; Avery Kocur 3 0-0 8; Halie Staub 3 2-4 8; Jess Whisler 1 0-0 3; Morgan Volz 6 0-0 13; TOTALS 17 2-4 40.
Upper Dublin (80) – Brighid Brady 2 0-0 5; Bridget Dimartile 3 0-0 7; Megan Ngo 2 0-0 4; Tamia Clark 11 2-3 24; Amy Ngo 8 0-0 22; Jordan Siegel 1 0-0 3; Kaitlyn Zacharia 3 0-0 9; Nora Brady 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 32 2-3 80.
3-point goals: WT – Avery Kocur 2, Jess Whisler, Morgan Volz; UD – Amy Ngo 6, Kaitlyn Zacharia 3, Nora Brady 2, Brighid Brady, Bridget Dimartile, Jordan Siegel.
UPPER MORELAND 49, WISSAHICKON 22
The Golden Bears raced out of the gate to a 16-4 lead after one quarter and extended that to 27-9 by halftime on their way to the road win in crossover play.
“The team was coming off a long winter break,” UM coach Josh Adelman said. “Our last game was Dec. 21.
“We came out with a lot of energy and played very well defensively.”
Mikel Lancit was a catalyst in the Golden Bears’ fast start, scoring six first-quarter points and eight in the first half.
Lancit’s 13 points led the Golden Bears. Olivia Meakim added eight points, Lianna Adames had seven, and Marie Meyers scored six.
“We had eight girls score tonight and made eight 3-pointers,” Adelman said. “The girls played a very patient and unselfish game tonight.”
For the Trojans, sophomore Maura Jacob led the way with 10 points, and Chloe Acuna added six points.
Upper Moreland (8-3, 4-2 SOL) will host Upper Dublin in a crossover game on Tuesday.
Wissahickon (2-9, 1-6) will be on the road at Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Upper Moreland 16-11-17-5 49
Wissahickon 4-5-9-4 22
Upper Moreland (49) – Mikel Lancit 5 1-2 13; Lianna Adames 3 0-0 7; Marie Meyers 2 0-2 6; Lilly Hansen 2 0-0 4; Holly Gohl 2 0-0 5; Olivia Meakim 3 0-0 8; Molly Meakim 1 1-2 3; Makaila Allen 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 19 3-8 49.
Wissahickon (22) – Maura Jacob 3 1-2 10; Skye Sydney 1 0-0 2; Chloe Acuna 2 0-0 6; Lydia Schultz 1 0-0 2; Ashley Klein 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 8 1-2 22.
3-point goals: UM – Mikel Lancit 2, Marie Meyers 2, Holly Gohl, Olivia Meakim 2, Lianna Adames; Wissahickon – Maura Jacob 3, Chloe Acuna 2.
LOWER MORELAND, 62, HATBORO-HORSHAM 29
It was raining 3s at Lower Moreland on Friday.
The Lions connected on 11 shots from beyond the arc – believed to be a program record, and no one had a hotter hand than Dani Brusha, who connected on five and scored a game-high 17 points.
Brusha had two 3s and eight points in the first quarter to propel the Lions – alone in first place in the SOL Freedom Division – to a 15-6 lead. They never looked back.
“All things considered, we were happy with the results,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “We haven’t played since Dec. 21, and for most of the first half, it showed.
“We missed a lot of shots early and had way too many reaching fouls, credit to Hatboro, on that. They did a nice job of getting us out of our stance, and our help defense was late. Fortunately, we were able to apply enough pressure to take a 15-point lead into the half.”
The Lions took a 30-15 lead into halftime. Briana McFerran’s 11 points led the way while Brusha and Emma DiJoseph both had eight points.
In the second half, the Lions outscored the Hatters 32-14.
“Eventually, we settled in and the girls started to find their rhythm, and the girls met most of our pre-game goals,” Becker said. “As a team we took four charges and were able to get an over the back call.
“After the game, we told the girls it was a nice win, but with PW, Abington and Upper Dublin coming up in the next two weeks, we have a lot we need to tighten up.”
Also for the Lions, McFerron had 13 points, DiJoseph had 12, and Amelia Brown and Sydney Santora both had six. Santora also had 11 rebounds and nine assists in a strong outing.
For the Hatters, Kitty Randa’s eight points led the way.
Lower Moreland (8-3, 6-1 SOL) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh for a crossover game Tuesday. Hatboro-Horsham (4-8, 2-5) will host Bristol in a non-league game on Monday.
Hatboro-Horsham 6-9-12-2 29
Lower Moreland 15-15-18-14 62
Hatboro-Horsham (29) – Angelica Visceglia 2 1-2 5; Kitty Randa 4 0-0 8; Maddy Patel 2 1-2 5; Gabby Fisher 0 1-2 1; Alyssa Tooley 1 3-6 5; Madison Duggan 1 1-2 3; Madison Siegfried 0 1-2 1; Mya Stevens 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 10 9-18 29.
Lower Moreland (62) – Briana McFerran 6 0-2 13; Dani Brusha 6 0-2 17; Amelia Brown 2 0-2 6; Sydney Santora 3 0-2 6; Mollie Martin 1 2-4 4; Emma DiJoseph 4 2-2 12; Maddy Rossiter 0 1-2 1; Maddie Broderick 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 23 5-16 62.
3-point goals: LM – Dani Busha 5, Amelia Brown 2, Emma DiJoseph 2, Maddie Broderick, Briana McFerran.
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