Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Upper Dublin/PW photos courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for a gallery of photos. (CB East/NP photos courtesy of Diane Berry/CB East basketball) CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban Sports’ GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Patriot Division
BENSALEM 38, NESHAMINY 37
It was a win that was a long time coming.
Bensalem’s last win over Neshaminy in girls’ basketball was on Jan. 31, 2012, by the score of 31-28.
Since then, there’s been two losses a year. Until Tuesday night, that is, when Grace McShane – with one second on the scoreboard clock and ice water in her veins – sank three foul shots, erasing a two-point deficit and propelling the Owls to the emotional win.
“I’m on cloud nine,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “Coach Tyra (Roberts), was on the team in 2011-12 when they split. So that would be 29 games in a row up to today that we have lost to Neshaminy.
“And funny thing, we had one of our eighth graders at the game – Ella Morris, who will be playing for us the next four years. And I asked her how old she was, and she said 13. And I said, “Throughout your whole life, Bensalem girls’ basketball has not beaten Neshaminy,’ and she cracked up. I thought that put it in context. When you think of it that way, it’s really eye-opening.”
Bensalem trailed by as many as 12 in the second half but refused to lose.
“The Neshaminys, the Council Rocks, the Pennsburys – I make sure our girls know that these teams are very strong programs,” Johnson said. “They have coaches who know what they’re doing. They have girls who play basketball 12 months out of the year. So, you cannot take any game for granted.
“But at the same time, we also have to believe every time we get out on the court that we can beat teams like this. I’ve coached Bensalem long enough to realize there have been years where we went out against Neshaminy or Pennsbury or Council Rock, and we lost before the ref even tipped them off. And I could tell in their eyes.”
This time, however, it was different. With just over one second remaining, the Owls took their first lead. It was the only lead that mattered.
“I would say there was a minute 30 seconds left in the game – we called a timeout, we were down by one, and I had every girl look me in the eyes,” Johnson said. “And I said, ‘We’re going to win this game, girls.’ And every one of those eyes told me the same thing. They agreed with me. In years past, I saw their eyes, and it was like, ‘Yeah, coach, you’re full of it’ Today. I felt it.
“This is what we’ve been practicing for 11 months out of the year. I want our girls to show up early, stay late, put in the extra work, believe in each other, pick each up when they’re down mentally and physically and just constantly believe – why not us?”
Key players: Senior Grace McShane’s 14 points led the Owls. She scored eight of those points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-for-3 effort at the foul line with time about to expire to win the game. Falyn Savage added eight points, and Mischa Ellzy had seven.
For the Redskins, Hayley Kolk led the way with 15 points, including four 3s, and Nicole Trespalacios had 12 points.
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson:
–The game: “We went into halftime, and we were down six, 21-15. Four minutes into the third quarter, we were down by 12 points, 28-16, and then we started fighting back. We got on a little run.
“What we’re doing a better job of is just with our mistakes – we’re not letting our mistakes create double mistakes. If we throw a turnover, we’re sprinting back on defense instead of sulking, little things like that. So, we went into the fourth quarter down by two. And it was just kind of a back-and-forth game.
“It was battling, battling. It was 34-31, 36-33. We didn’t have the lead until one second was left in the game. I used the timeout beforehand, and we didn’t get anything out of the timeout, so I had zero timeouts left. They fouled us with six seconds left, a side out of bounds – they had some fouls to give, so they took some smart fouls, so we had no timeouts with six seconds left, and we kind of were in a broken play with not the best spacing, which is my fault, but Grace did a nice job of having my back.
“Great players make great plays, and she kind of did a little sidestep, almost like step-back three, and she got fouled with 1.2 seconds left, and we were down by two, She makes the first one, nothing but net. Neshaminy calls a great timeout to try to frazzle her. We come to the bench, sit down, and we’re talking about what’s going to happen when Grace makes the two. Second one, nothing but net. That ties the game. Third one hits the back rim and goes in. Neshaminy inbounds the ball, and they didn’t get a shot off, and we won the game.”
–Credit to the staff: “A lot of love for our coaching staff, Coach Lally, Tyra, and Taselli. They all do a nice job of having girls that they connect well with. And Coach Lally is always shooting foul shots with Grace and Mary (Beck) before practice. We do something on foul shots called triples. It’s a drill where we want to make three in a row. And Coach Lally’s like, ‘Listen, we’re down two, make three in a row.’ She’s practiced those situations, and luckily for Grace, she’s a hard worker. She wasn’t frazzled in the moment. Especially with a timeout, you have a minute to think about those two foul shots that you have to make. And she did a nice job. She came out confident.
“I’ve been coaching long enough. I can read people’s body language. Not one girl thought we were going to lose the game. And I could tell Grace wasn’t missing those shots the way she was at that line. She was confident, and she knocked them down. Probably the biggest foul shot she’s ever shot. It was really awesome.”
–Props: “Mischa Ellzy had a layup with, with three minutes left in the game. She attacked the basket, and it was almost like an impossible angle to make a layup. She was (darn) near underneath the rim and flipped it up and somehow it went in. It was a crazy take, and it was a great shot by her.
“And Falyn (Savage) – there’s a minute left in the game. We’re down by three. Falyn kind of leaked out when Neshaminy shot a layup. We got the rebound, and Grace had the wherewithal to look up. She passed it ahead to Falyn for a layup to make it a one-point game, which was awesome. Grace had her head on a swivel and made a big play there.
“In the fourth quarter, we had two big turnovers, one by a freshman, one by a senior, and it was in a crucial part of the game where you can kind of give up and lose the game. But the senior who turned it over – Grace went up to her and was like, ‘Yo, it’s okay. You made a mistake. We all make mistakes. It’s okay.’ She picked her teammate up. It’s one thing if I’m yelling to her, ‘It’s okay,’ but it means more coming from peer-to-peer. I truly believe that. And that could have been a turning point of the game. We could have backed down, and we could have given up, but we picked each other up.
“And then we executed down the stretch. And I couldn’t be more excited just to see the buy-in of the girls. It really means a lot. I’m trying to, change the culture of our basketball team and believing we can compete in games like this.
“Sydney Daut started us off with a big three. Kaleaya Wingate came off the bench and hit a massive 3 in the second quarter to help shift momentum. They both had important minutes throughout the game, and when they subbed out, they did a nice job of cheering their squad on.”
Up next: Bensalem will host Pennridge in an SOL non-league crossover game Friday, and Neshaminy will host North Penn in a non-league crossover game Friday.
Neshaminy 12-9-7-9 37
Bensalem 8-7-11-12 38
Neshaminy (37) – Ashlyn Duffy 1 1-2 3; Mia Raivitch 0 0-2 0; Nicole Trespalacios 4 3-6 12; Brynn Klukososki 1 0-0 3; Hayley Kolk 5 1-2 15; Camryn Rodriguez 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 13 5-12 37.
Bensalem (38) – Mischa Ellzy 3 1-5 7; Grace McShane 3 6-7 14; Jordyn Bell 1 0-0 3; Sydney Daut 1 0-0 3; Kaleaya Wingate 1 0-0 3; Falyn Savage 3 2-2 8; TOTALS 12 9-14 38
3-point goals: N – Kolk 4, Trespalacios, Klukososki; B – McShane 2, Bell, Daut, Wingate.
PENNSBURY 40, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 27
Sammie Haws scored 15 points and teammate Joley Hohman added 11 to lead the Falcons to the road win over their division rival. The Falcons led 11-4 after one quarter and took an 18-10 lead into halftime. Alyssa Thomas had all nine of her points in the first half to lead the Falcons.
The two teams exchanged baskets in the third quarter, and the Falcons closed it out with a 13-8 fourth quarter.
Key players: Sammie Haws scored 15 points – seven in the fourth quarter. Joley Hohman had all 11 of her points in the second half. Alyssa Thomas added nine points for the Falcons.
The Golden Hawks were led by the six-point efforts of Gillian Martin and Emerson Gunther – both had a pair of 3s.
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla:
–Game reflections: “CR South really impressed me tonight. Coach Polinsky wasn’t feeling well, but his staff stepped up and helped execute their game plan
“We believed we had a plan the last couple days of practice, but we didn’t quite get there. They goaded us into a number of one-pass jump shots and drives into Bella Hettler on the back line. She had to have blocked or changed a dozen shots as we tried to attack her off one foot.
“What was really impressive about them is that they played most of the first half without their leading scorer, Emerson Gunther. She had three fouls and sat out the last 11 minutes. Yet they stayed connected with each other and played with a plan. Our on the ball pressure was very strong and that made it difficult for them, but they never lost their sense of purpose.
“What I really liked about what they showed in a place that is not easy to play is that they were willing to pass up an average shot and make a couple extra passes to get to a really good shot. That shows poise, and it means they are trending upward and will be tough as the season goes on.
“The older I get, the more I’m impressed when I see that as the nature of the game has changed so much. Coach Polinsky was proud, I’m sure, to see how they played.
“The game can be so much fun when you’re connected. It’s why basketball is such a unique game. You get to do it with people you love, and hopefully, if you are a part of something special, you hold tight to it, squeeze it and enjoy it because it can turn the other way in a heartbeat
“I’m certainly happy that our ladies get a chance to hold tight to that and enjoy it.”
Up next: Pennsbury will host Central Bucks East Thursday in an SOL non-league crossover game, and Council Rock South will host Souderton Friday in a non-league crossover.
Pennsbury 11-7-9-13 40
Council Rock South 4-6-9-8 27
Pennsbury (40) – Sammie Haws 6 2-4 15; Alyssa Thomas 4 1-3 9; Shea Quenzer 1 0-0 2; Joley Hohman 3 4-4 11; Keira Socha 1 0-0 3; 15 7-11 40
Council Rock South (27) – Ruby Bross 2 0-0 5; Gillian Martin 2 0-0 6; Emerson Gunther 2 0-0 6; Noelle Lamb 1 0-0 3; Annabelle Kushch 2 0-0 4; Bella Hettler 1 1-1 3; TOTALS 10 1-1 27.
3-point goals: P – Haws, Hohman, Socha; CRS – Martin 2, Gunther 2, Bross, Lamb.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 49, HARRY S TRUMAN 34
The Indians, who led 15-6 after one quarter, took a 27-10 lead into halftime on their way to the win. Leading the way for the Indians was Ella Carroll with 11 first-half points. Alexa Bondra added eight points in the first half.
Key players: Ella Carroll led a trio of Indians in double figures with 15 – 11 in the first half. Alexa Bondra and Julia Koval both added 12 points, and Brynn Rodgers had eight.
For the Tigers, junior Julianna Romer led the way with 17 points while Alivia-Grace Braley added nine.
Council Rock North coach Jack Kelly:
–The game: “Tonight was a good win over an improving Truman squad. In both our JV and varsity games, I thought there were a lot of things that we worked on at Monday’s practice that we started to see come out into game action tonight. There are a lot of things that we have to continue to work on and clean-up to reach our potential.
“Overall, it was nice to see our girls playing with joy and for one another, and we hope we can continue to get better.”
Up next: Council Rock North will host Central Bucks South in an SOL non-league crossover game Thursday, and Harry S Truman will host Central Bucks West Friday in a non-league crossover.
Harry S Truman 6-4-9-15 34
Council Rock North 15-12-16-6 49
Harry S Truman (34) – Julianna Romer 6 4-4 17; Kylee Ennis 1 0-1 2; Brie Philemond 2 0-2 4; Natane Smith 1 0-0 2; Alivia -Grace Braley 4 1-3 9; TOTALS 14 5-10 34.
Council Rock North (49) – Tori Smith 1 0-0 2; Brynn Rodgers 4 0-1 8; Alexa Bondra 6 0-0 12; Julia Koval 5 2-2 12; Ella Carroll 7 1-4 15; TOTALS 23 3-7 49.
3-point goals: HST – Romer.
SOL Colonial Division
SOUDERTON 43, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 39
Sparked by the 17-point effort of freshman Maddie Nenstiel, the Indians defeated the Titans in the final game of the first go-round in division play.
Souderton opened the game with a 13-6 first quarter and took a 25-17 lead into halftime. Olivia Herron’s seven points in the half led a balanced attack.
The Titans didn’t go down quietly and made things real interesting with a 13-7 third quarter that made it a 32-30 game heading into the final quarter. The Indians – behind eight points from Nenstiel – edged the Titans 11-9 in the final frame to eke out the win. Nenstiel not only had a clutch 3 in the fourth quarter but also buried 5 of 6 from the foul line.
Key players: Maddie Nenstiel led all scorers with 17 points – 13 in the second half. Olivia Herron added seven while Avie Sackor and Alaina Picard both had six.
For the Titans, Jules Tropea (14 points) and Gabby Tropea (11 points) led the way. Riley Campbell added seven.
Souderton coach Eric Houston:
–The game: “We didn’t shoot the ball well tonight, but we did a great job on the defensive side.
“We hit some big shots in the fourth to help with the lead. We played very aggressive on both sides of the ball. I’m very pleased with how you played together and managed to control the tempo while South tried to make a run.
“It was definitely a great conference win, for sure.”
Up next: Souderton will travel to Council Rock South Friday for a non-league crossover game, and Central Bucks South will be on the road at Council Rock North for an SOL non-league crossover Thursday.
Central Bucks South 6-11-13-9 39
Souderton 13-12-7-11 43
Central Bucks South (39) – Jules Tropea 6 2-7 14; Rylie DiCesare 2 0-2 4; Alexandra Tropea 0 0-2 0; Riley Campbell 2 2-2 7; Gabby Tropea 4 2-2 11; Anna Granito 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 15 6-15 39.
Souderton (43) – Maddie Nenstiel 5 5-6 17; Olivia Herron 3 0-0 7; Madison Bealer 0 2-2 2; Kiera Fadden 1 1-2 3; Avie Sackor 3 0-0 6; Alaina Picard 2 1-2 6; Rae Wallace 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 15 9-12 43.
3-point goals: CBS – Campbell, G.Tropea, Granito; S – Nenstiel 2, Herron, Picard.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 39, PENNRIDGE 32
The Bucks, who led 13-2 after one quarter, took a 22-4 lead into halftime, but what appeared to be a comfortable lead evaporated quickly in a third quarter that saw the Lady Rams’ offense come to life as they outscored their hosts 17-4.
Just like that, the Bucks’ lead was trimmed to 26-21 heading into the fourth quarter. West edged Pennridge 13-11 in the final frame to hold on for the win.
Key players: Marleigh Mallon and Scarlett Baumgardner led the Bucks with 11 points each. Both had four points in the pivotal fourth quarter.
For the Lady Rams, the trio of Sam Murphy (11 points), Madison Lapp (8 points) and Megan Moylan (7 points) scored all of their points in the second half. Murphy’s eight points – which included two 3s – sparked the Lady Rams in their 17-point third quarter.
Central Bucks West coach Sydney Ott:
–The game: “We played a great well-rounded first half. Pennridge got a little momentum in the third quarter, but we worked to stay disciplined, cleaned up some mistakes and fought to finish it out. It was a nice team win to start the week.”
Pennridge coach Jason Rapp:
“I’m really proud of how our girls played in the second half. After a slow start, they never quit. Hopefully we can build on that second half.
“Credit to West. They play hard. Baumgardner and Mallon did a really nice job for them and made some clutch plays in the fourth.”
Up next: Central Bucks West will travel to Harry S Truman for an SOL non-league crossover on Friday, and Pennridge will be on the road at Bensalem for a non-league crossover Friday.
Pennridge 2-2-17-11 32
Central Bucks West 13-9-4-13 39
Pennridge (32) – Ari Lauf 2 0-0 4; Julia Lenox 1 0-0 2; Sam Murphy 4 0-0 11; Madison Lapp 3 2-2 8; Megan Moylan 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 13 2-2 32
Central Bucks West (39) – Amber Madden 1 0-0 2; Erinn McCusker 2 0-0 5; Marleigh Mallon 4 2-4 11; Leah Cipollo 2 1-2 5; Audra Lawson 1 2-2 5; Scarlett Baumgardner 4 2-2 11; TOTALS 14 7-10 39.
3-point goals: P – Murphy 3, Moylan; CBW – McCusker, Mallon, Lawson, Baumgardner.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 59, NORTH PENN 47
The Patriots led 16-15 after one quarter and took a 32-25 lead into halftime. Leading the Patriots in the opening half was Payton Williams with 11 points while Natalie Berndt had 10 points, and 
Haley Moran, eight points. Paityn Debro scored 12 of her team’s first-half points.
East outscored its visitors 17-13 in the third quarter on its way to the win.
Key players: The Patriots were led by the 18-point effort of Haley Moran, whose seven points sparked a 17-point third quarter. Natalie Berndt and Payton Williams both had 16 points with both players scoring 11 of their points in the first half. Williams also had eight rebounds and three steals.
Paityn Debro’s 22 points led the Knights. She scored 12 points in the opening quarter. Lily Brown added 18 points – 12 in the second half.
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash:
“It’s always a grind when we play North Penn, and they got off to a hot start tonight. Debro and Brown are tough, but we had a balanced attack on offense to withstand their runs. “Nice way to finish up league play the first time through before seeing some top non-league opponents this week.”
Up next: Central Bucks East will be on the road at Pennsbury for an SOL non-league crossover game Thursday, and North Penn will travel to Neshaminy for a non-league crossover Friday.
North Penn 15-10-13-9 47
Central Bucks East 16-16-17-10 59
North Penn (47) – Saniah Hammond 0 2-2 2; Paityn Debro 10 0-0 22; Lily Brown 8 1-1 18; Mehya Godhania 1 0-0 2; Tallie Smink 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 20 3-3 47.
Central Bucks East (59) – Haley Moran 7 2-4 18; Emma Penecale 1 2-2 4; Natalie Berndt 6 2-2 16; Payton Williams 6 3-4 16; Jess Lockwood 0 1-2 1; Hailey Helmstetter 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 21 12-16 59.
3-point goals: NP – Debro 2, Brown, Godhania; CBE – Moran 2, Berndt 2, Williams.
SOL Liberty Division
HATBORO-HORSHAM 37, WISSAHICKON 24
The Hatters took a 13-9 lead into halftime and then put some distance between themselves and the Trojans with a 12-4 third quarter. Angelica Visceglia’s seven points, led the Hatters in the third quarter.
Key players: Angelica Visceglia’s 17 points led the Hatters. Izzie Allen added 11 points.
For the Trojans, Kai Potter led the way with 14 points.
Hatboro-Horsham associate head coach Nicole Miletto.
–The game: “This game was really a must win for us. We knew this wasn’t going to be an easy game, but we really needed this one. We started the season off well but struggled the last few outings. After a slow start where we made many of the same mistakes that have hurt us, we got down to business in the second half. Wissahickon never backed down, and it was a dog fight really. They had cut into our lead to make if four or five at one point in the second half and it looked like our girls were getting down on themselves, but to their credit, they kept fighting. We did the little things like rebound and finish some easy shots.”
–Props: “Senior Izzie Allen had a great second half with some key blocks and rebounds, and she added a couple of 3s and ended the night with 11. Junior Ang Visceglia did a stellar job running the offense and hit some really tough shots for us at key moments. She led scorers with 17. Every player that got minutes tonight contributed. It was a great team win. Junior Madison Siegfried and sophomore Sarah Gleason played solid defense, keeping two of their scorers in check, and they both added to our scoring. Senior Mia Fisher is always consistent for us. She started off our scoring and did lots of things that don’t show up in the box score. Junior Cora Saxer, senior Natalie Linn and sophomore Bella Lowande gave us good minutes off the bench.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham will host William Tennent in a non-league crossover Friday.
Wissahickon will host Quakertown in a non-league crossover Wednesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 8-5-12-12 37
Wissahickon 3-6-4-11 24
Hatboro-Horsham (37) – Izzie Allen 4 1-4 11; Angelica Visceglia 6 1-2 17; Mia Fisher 2 0-0 4; Madison Siegfried 1 0-0 3; Sarah Gleason 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 2-6 37.
Wissahickon (24) – Maura Jacob 1 0-0 2; Bella Butcher 1 0-0 2; Katelyn Thomson 1 3-4 6; Kai Potter 6 2-3 14; TOTALS 9 5-7 24.
3-point goals: HH – Visceglia 4, Allen 2, Siegfried; W – Thomson
ABINGTON 53, QUAKERTOWN 20
The Ghosts opened up a 20-5 lead after one quarter and extended that to 30-9 by halftime on their way to the big win.
Key players: Shya Crofton led the Ghosts with a double-double that included 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with five steals. Aniyah Willliams also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Asaliya Ortiz had nine points on three 3s.
Allison Lawson: “We played good team basketball again. We found the open girl on offense and communicated on defense.”
Up next: Abington will host Cheltenham in an SOL non-league game Saturday at 12 noon, and Quakertown will be on the road at Wissahickon for a non-league crossover game Wednesday.
Quakertown 5-4-7-4 20
Abington 20-10-15-8 53
Quakertown (20) –
Abington (53) – Lana Preno 1 0-0 2; Rhyane Rogers 4 1-2 10; Asaliya Ortiz 3 0-0 9; Nora Luskin 3 0-1 6; Shya Crofton 4 4-5 12; Caleigh Fitzgerald 2 0-0 4; Emma Felix 0 0-2 0; Aniyah Williams 4 2-2 10; TOTALS 21 7-11 53.
Quakertown (20) – Seneca 2 1-2 5; Reich 0 2-2 2; McGovern 0 2-2 2; Heft 2 0-0 6; Henry 1 0-0 2; Mordzinski 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 6 6-8 20.
3-point goals: A – Ortiz 3, Rogers; Q – Heft 2.
UPPER DUBLIN 58, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 19
The Cardinals – behind the hot hand of Tamia Clark – opened up a 23-6 lead after one quarter and never looked back. Clark had 10 points in the frame and was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc in the quarter. Also in the quarter, Emilia Coleman and Megan Ngo added six and five points respectively.
Key players: Tamia Clark (19 points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field, 7 steals, 6 rebounds) led the Cardinals. Emila Coleman added 16 points, which included four 3-pointers, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Megan Ngo had 14 points, four assists and five steals.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten:
–The game: “PW came in at 4-0, so I thought it was important that we came out with great energy and we did. We were able to turn them over 21 times in the first half while only committing one turnover ourselves.
–Props: “Tamia Clark was unbelievable for us with 19 points (on 9 shots), 7 steals, and 6 rebounds. Emilia Coleman made some great passes and knocked some shots down as well. The girls consistently looked for the extra pass, and it was fun to watch their performance.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty:
–The game: “I thought we gave ourselves opportunities in the first half to make it a game, we just couldn’t finish. Being so physically overmatched from a height and speed aspect, we came up with a few things in practice, but we were not able to execute in the speed that they played at. Proud of our kids’ willingness to compete for four quarters.”
Up next: Upper Dublin will be on the road at Imhotep for a non-league game Saturday 3:45 pm, and Plymouth Whitemarsh will host West Philadelphia High School on Thursday in a non-league game.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 6-2-3-8 19
Upper Dublin 23-18-10-7 58
Plymouth Whitemarsh (19) – Liv Patete 2 0-0 4; Kenna Winland 1 0-0 3; Mia Baron 1 0-0 3; Eliza Meersman 1 0-0 2; Liv Brodzinski 0 1-2 1; Brooke Peduzzi 1 0-0 2; Grace Harvery 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 7 3-4 19.
Upper Dublin (58) – Shannon Connaughton 1 0-0 2; Bridget DiMartile 1 0-0 2; Tamia Clark 7 3-4 19; Megan Ngo 6 0-0 14; Lexi Ngo 1 1-2 3; Emilia Coleman 5 2-3 16; Ella Morris 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 22 6-9 58.
3-point goals: PW – Winland, Baron; UD – Coleman 4, M.Ngo 2, Clark 2.
SOL Freedom Division
CHELTENHAM 67, SPRINGFIELD TWP 38
Maya Simmons’ triple double led the Lady Panthers in Tuesday’s division win. Her 31 points led all scorers, and teammate Paige Powell added 22 points.
The Lady Panthers held a 13-12 lead after one quarter and then took charge with a 21-6 second quarter to go into halftime with a 34-18 lead on their way to the win.
The Spartans, who were without Ava Culler, were led by the double-digit efforts of Keira Brandon and Mary Kate Garry.
By the numbers: Maya Simmons led all scorers with 31 points, which included three 3-pointers. She also had 13 rebounds and 10 assists as well as eight steals. Paige Powell had 22 points, four assists, five steals and three rebounds while Isabella Brown had five points, four assists and three steals. Autumn Kimble had 10 rebounds.
For the Spartans, Keira Brandon had 12 points while Mary Kate Garry had 10. Caitlin Lewis contributed eight points.
Up next: Cheltenham will travel to Quakertown for an SOL non-league crossover game Friday, and Springfield Twp will host Sacred Heart in a non-league game Wednesday.
Cheltenham 13-21-16-17 67
Springfield Twp 12-6-10-10 38
Cheltenham (67) – Autumn Kimble 4, Isabella Brown 5, Paige Powell 22, Kaylynn Washington 5, Maya Simmons 31.
Springfield Twp (38) – Caitlin Lewis 8, Olivia Beck 2, Mary Kate Garry 10, Keira Brandon 12, Julia Guicheteau 4, Karly Hartman.
3-pint goals: C – Paige Powell 4, Maya Simmons 3, Isabella Brown.iouu76a
LOWER MORELAND 47, UPPER MORELAND 45
In a spirited neighborhood rivalry game, it was the Golden Bears edging the Lions, but this win was anything but easy.”
The Golden Bears led 14-12 after one quarter and still led by two at halftime. A 17-8 third quarter gave the Lions a lead they would not lose. Mollie Martin scored all eight of her points in the second half.
Key players: LM’s Emma DiJoseph led all scorers with 18 points, Sydney Santora added 12 points, and Mollie Martin had eight.
For the Golden Bears, Hailey Kramer had 13 points and Mia Taliaferro had 12.
Lower Moreland coach Andy Krasna:
–The game: “This was a great game for the spectators and fans who got their money’s worth tonight watching a close, back-and-forth contest with lead changes and great execution at times by both teams. This game triggered an increased heart rate and nonstop adrenaline for me and our coaches, but our players found a way to close-out the game with a win.
“The coaches at Upper Moreland did a super job getting their players high percentage shots, and we were struggling to slow them down. Upper Moreland was making open perimeter shots and getting to the rim and finishing. Defensively, in the half court, we struggled. They were also flying to the backboards, getting rebounds, and they out-hustled us in many stretches of the game. We did not play in ten days, and I think it showed, especially on the backboards.”
Props: “Emma DiJoseph was helping to keep the game close for us and making some timely buckets. Emma has a calmness about her that is contagious. Sydney Santora drew so much attention yet was still able to find ways to score and pushed the ball in transition after key rebounds to help us get some easy baskets. Mollie Martin has a huge second half scoring eight critical points. Maddie Broderick and Mady Rossiter played virtually the entire game and showed composure; even after making a mistake. They moved on from a mistake and made some big plays for us when the game was on the line.”
Upper Moreland coach Josh Adelman:
–The game: “It was a really great battle tonight. Back and forth. I said to Andy at the end of the game, it seems like every-time we play each other it’s a close battle. Very proud of the way the team battled. The girls are working hard, overcoming a lot, and learning what it takes to compete for four quarters and give yourself a chance at the end. We did that tonight.
“Andy is a very good coach and uses his timeouts so well and puts his players in positions to attack the basket. His team made some clutch shots and free throws. And we did also, which is great to see. It’s a shame someone has to lose, but they got us by two. We will continue to learn from these games and surprise some teams before this season is over.”
Up next: Lower Moreland will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh Friday for an SOL non-league crossover, and Upper Moreland will host Pottsgrove in a non-league game Friday.
Upper Moreland 14-9-8-14 45
Lower Moreland 12-9-17-9 47
Upper Moreland (45) – Brooklyn Kavanagh 2, Brogan Neely 7, Sheila Mangin 7, Mia Taliaferro 12, Hailey Kramer 13, Maggie Brophy 4.
Lower Moreland (47) – Mady Rossiter 6, Maddie Broderick 3, Mollie Martin 8, Emma DiJoseph 18, Sydney Santora 12.
3-point goals: UM – Mangin, Neely; LM – DiJoseph.
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