Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. New Hope-Solebury/Tennent photos courtesy of Karla Donohoe, and CR South/Pennsbury photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Coming soon: PW/UD photos by Michael Rice photography. Check back for galleries of all three games. CLICK HERE to view Suburban One Sports’ GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 44, PENNSBURY 35
Things just got very interesting in the Patriot Division.
The Golden Hawks knocked the red-hot Falcons from the ranks of the undefeated in division play. Pennsbury – which brought an eight-game winning streak into Tuesday’s contest – is now one of three teams – along with Rock South and Neshaminy – sharing the top spot in the division standings. All three have identical 4-1 records after one go-round in division play.
“It was a good win for the girls,” Rock South coach Steve Polinsky said. “I think just not winning the last couple years against them – the seniors were really up for this game. I’m just proud of how they played.”
The win was the sixth in a row for the suddenly streaking Golden Hawks.
“Our last two games – Bensalem and tonight’s game – were very close games,” Polinsky said. “This division is not easy. Anybody can beat anybody.
“Frank (Sciolla) does a really good job with his team. He has them ready to play. We were very disappointed that we lost to Neshaminy early in the season, and the girls put the work in. We’re playing eight to nine girls a night, and everyone is really comfortable in their roles.”
The Golden Hawks – behind six points from Kathryn O’Kane – led 14-8 after one quarter, and they added to that lead in the second quarter. Fiona Reckner scored five points, and the Golden Hawks took a 25-13 lead into the intermission. It was a 37-20 game heading into the final quarter when the Falcons rallied, but this time, the deficit was too large for them to overcome.
Key stretch: Both coaches talked about the importance of a fast start, and there’s no mistaking the significance of Rock South’s strong start.
Key players: For the Golden Hawks, Kathryn O’Kane (11 points), Fiona Reckner (10 points) and Sarah Freeman (nine points – 3 3-pointers) led a balanced attack.
For the Falcons, Maggie Burns led the way with 12 points.
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky on the game: “It was important for us to get off to quick start against Pennsbury, and that was pretty much the
goal – to jump on them. Frank (Sciolla) likes to control the tempo, and it was important for us to not let that happen. Once we got ahead, we played really smart. I think it was the best team win we’ve had this year because everyone was involved, everyone was really sold on playing defense against them. We were locked in on defense from the opening tap. We talked a lot and helped each other, and it was a total team effort.
“We were up by as many as 15, and they cut it to seven or eight. We called some timeouts, and the girls just took control. For four quarters, we couldn’t have played any better. Everybody really played well.”
–Props: “Kat O’Kane had a great game on offense and defense. She scored 11 points, but she controlled the tempo of the game at the point guard position. It was a great bounce-back game from her tonight. Fiona Reckner, who has been so consistent all year, added 10 points and was great on defense. She did it all.
“Sarah Freeman added nine points and played her usual scrappy game. Lil Metrick had a great defensive game, and Emerson Gunther, Maria Freeman and Gillian Martin gave us great minutes. Bella Hettler had 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
“I loved how we moved the ball – it was just a great team effort against a talented Pennsbury squad.”
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla on the game: “South got off to a good start. They missed a shot, we didn’t block out and Fiona Reckner got her own miss and scored. And right at that point, they established their dominance. They have a senior-dominated group, and I feel like we’ve been coaching against them forever, and we have maximum respect for them, and every senior played really well.
“Kathryn O’Kane was dominant. We allowed her to get to places on the floor that we didn’t want to happen, and she made us pay for it. Reckner created shots, and Sarah Freeman took advantage of her openings and made shots. Gunther also came off the bench and knocked down a couple big threes. They came out with a good game plan and controlled the game from the start.
“This gives us an opportunity to make corrections that are harder to make when you’re pulling out nail-biting wins because it’s hard harder to sell the need for change when you’re winning
“We have no time to hang our heads because of the Suburban One League’s new form of indentured servitude in the form of non-league games based on (your team’s finish in the standings) from the previous year in order to create an uneven dynamic for the district PowerPoint system, which is staring us in the face with two more road games against really deep and really experienced teams. And that’s cool because these will be more opportunities for us to improve and take a look at the place where we want be at some point.”
Up next: Council Rock South (8-3, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Souderton for a non-league game Friday, and Pennsbury (9-4, 4-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks East for a non-league game Friday.
Pennsbury 8-5-7-15 35
Council Rock South 14-11-12-7 44
Pennsbury (35) – Emily Panaro 1 1-2 3; Maggie Burns 5 2-3 12; Sammie Haws 2 1-2 6; Alyssa Thomas 2 2-3 6; Shea Quenzer 1 0-0 2; Adrianna Oberto 1 0-0 2; Ava Jordan 1 1-2 4; TOTALS 13 7-12 35.
Council Rock South (44) – Bella Hettler 3 0-0 6; Sarah Freeman 3 0-0 9; Kathryn O’Kane 4 2-4 11; Fiona Reckner 4 1-2 10; Emerson Gunther 2 0-0 6; Maria Freeman 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 16 5-8 44.
3-point goals: P – Sammie Haws, Ava Jordan; CRS – Sarah Freeman 3, Emerson Gunthers 2, Kathryn O’Kane, Fiona Reckner.
NESHAMINY 47, BENSALEM 43
The two teams found themselves deadlocked at 28 after a shootout in the first half.
For the Owls, Talia DiMichele – on her way to a career night – had 13 points and three 3-pointers by halftime. Grace McShane added 12 points as the duo combined for 25 of their team’s points.
The Redskins, meanwhile, were led by the nine-point effort of Alena Cofield while Hayley added six points. Five different players contributed 3-pointers for Neshaminy in the first half.
The second half featured a whole lot more defense with the Redskins prevailing in a tight one.
Key stretch: Neshaminy limited the Owls to just 15 points in the second half.
Player of the game: Alena Cofield led Neshaminy with 17 points and 10 rebounds
For Bensalem, Talia DiMichele finished with a career-high 28 points.
Neshaminy coach John Gallagher on the game: “This was a high school game that everyone there could appreciate. Bensalem shot the ball extremely well, and they got their shooters open with good spacing and screening. It was really a fun game to watch if you didn’t have an invested interest one way or the other. The game was relatively high scoring with some fantastic individual offensive performances; none better than Talia DiMichele. I believe each player on our team took turns trying to contain her with little success. Despite Talia’s performance, we were able to get a very important road win against a very focused Bensalem team.
“We spoke at halftime about us giving up 28 points in the (first) half and why that happened and our disappointment in our ability to defend. We challenged them to focus more on what we spoke about in our walk through earlier today. We were able to shut them out in the entire second half except for the 15 points Talia had in the half.
“From our side, we had five different players knock down a 3-point basket, and all seven players who took the floor scored for us. We stretched the lead in the third quarter to eight points (36-28) but gave up an offensive rebound and missed a couple of easy inside baskets to give Bensalem momentum heading into the fourth quarter. A Hayley Kolk three got our legs back under us, and Alena made back-to-back baskets, the second one being an incredible reverse layup in traffic. This was an important win for us, both teams were shut out from practice yesterday due to the snow, and it was a really well-played game considering the missed practice time for both teams.
“As a team, we only had five turnovers with Bensalem pressing for large portions of the game. Grace Weyler did an excellent job getting us into offense at important times of the game.”
–Props: “There were several opportunities for us to lose our discipline, and with a young team, it is easy to fold. I was proud of how we withstood several runs by them. Mia Raivitch did a very good job on whomever she was assigned, and it varied throughout the game. Mia had a huge block late in the game when Bensalem was scrambling to get shots up to the rim. Mia added another four-assist game to her season. Ashlyn Duffy connected from three twice, and her basket in the third quarter stretched our lead to eight points while adding five rebounds.”
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson: “The silver lining in our loss is that Talia had a fantastic game. Career high night for her and she did it shooting 10-for-16 from the field. Even more impressive in my eyes is that she also led our team in rebounding and is our shortest girl on the court. We shot a great percentage from the field, but the game came down to getting out rebounded yet another game.
“Hats off to Alena Cofield. The kid has gotten better each and every year. She is knocking down the 3 consistently this year which is a testament to her hard-work in the offseason.”
Up next: Neshaminy (9-2, 4-1 SOL) will travel to North Penn for a non-league game Friday, and Bensalem (4-5, 2-3) will be on the road at Pennridge for a non-league game.
Neshaminy 15-13-10-9 47
Bensalem 16-12-6-9 43
Neshaminy (47) – Grace Weyler 1 0-0 2; Cofield 8 0-2 17; Ashlyn Duffy 2 0-0 6; Mia Raivitch 1 0-0 3; Auslyn Wilkins 1 0-0 2; Sydney Snyder 1 0-0 3; Hayley Kolk 4 3-4 14; TOTALS 18 3-4 47.
Bensalem (43) – Talia DiMichele 10 2-3 28; Grace McShane 5 1-2 12; Jordyn Bell 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 16 3-5 43.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Hayley Kolk 3, Ashly Duffy 2, Alena Cofield, Mia Raivitch, Sydney Snyder; B – Talia DiMichele 6, Grace McShane, Jordyn Bell.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 48, HARRY S TRUMAN 41
The Indians needed a heroic late-game comeback to defeat the Tigers in a spirited contest.
They took a tenuous 22-20 lead into halftime. Alexa Bondra’s six points led the Indians in the half while Shylah McCleve had seven for the Tigers.
Truman’s Julianna Romer had the hot hand in the third quarter, scoring nine points and propelling the Tigers to a 37-29 advantage heading into the final frame.
An inspired Rock North squad exploded for 19 points in the fourth quarter while limiting the Tigers to just four to earn the win. Bondra’s nine points led the Indians while Skyler Wright buried a pair of 3s in the quarter.
Key Plays: To start the fourth quarter, Alexa Bondra converted a 3-point play off a Sasha Galarza assist, which was then followed by a Skyler Wright assist in transition to a running Brynn Rodgers for a layup to cut the deficit to 37 – 34.
Brie Philemond hit a deep corner 3 to extend the lead to 40-34 with 6 minutes to go, but that was the last Truman would score until the final minute. Wright hit a 3 to make it 40 – 39, and then Bondra had the go-ahead hook to give North its first lead since halftime. The Indians would only extend it from there.
Key players: Skyler Wright and Alexa Bondra shared game scoring honors with 15 points each.
For the Tigers, Julianna Romer and Shy McCleave both had 12 points.
Council Rock North coach Jack Kelly: “First, hats off to Truman – Coach Gallagher alluded to it on Saturday, but Coach McMiller is doing a great job there. They have really improved from the beginning of the season. We knew they would present a fair share of problems for us – Shy McCleve is as good an offensive rebounder as I have seen, and Julianna Romer is really finding her form shooting the ball. For the first three quarters, they really shot it as well as I have seen them shoot it.
“For us, I am really proud of our girls for fighting their way back and coming away with a win. Recapping the game, there were certainly some mistakes and probably some things we would like to do differently, but overall, I thought we showed some improvement, especially on things we emphasized following the loss to Pennsbury.”
–Props: “Skyler (Wright) shot the ball really well tonight, and I think we did a good job of finding her. I thought Alexa (Bondra) had an outstanding fourth quarter and was more decisive and assertive. I thought we made winning plays down the stretch – Sasha Galarza finding Alexa running the floor for the 3-point play was crucial to settling us down. Brynn Rodgers had two huge assists in the fourth quarter, and Addie Martin really played under control.
“Overall, I thought everyone did some good things and contributed. We especially did a nice job of responding to their torrid shooting in the third quarter, and we rebounded the ball really well in the fourth quarter.”
Up next: Council Rock North (3-9, 1-4 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks South for a non-league game Friday, and Harry S Truman (0-7, 0-5) will travel to Central bucks West for a non-league game Friday.
Harry S Truman 5-15-17-4 41
Council Rock North 9-13-7-19 48
Harry S Truman (36) – Niya Lynch 2 0-0 5; Julianna Romer 5 0-0 12; Shylah McCleve 2 8-11 12; Brie Philemond 1 0-0 3; Keira Martinez 1 0-0 3; Kylee Ennis 0 1-2 1; Mikasia Jones 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 13 9-13 41.
Council Rock North (48) – Skyler Wright 5 0-0 15; Kayla Smith 0 1-2 1; Amara Arroyo 0 3-6 3; Addie Martin 2 1-2 6; Sasha Galarza 0 2-4 2; Cat McBride 1 0-0 2; Brynn Rodgers 1 0-0 2; Alexa Bondra 5 5-5 15; Josie Boyle 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 15 12-17 48.
3-point goals: HST – Julianna Romer 2, Niya Lynch, Brie Philemond, Mikasia Jones, Keira Martinez; CRN – Skyler Wright 5, Addie Martin.
SOL Colonial Division
PENNRIDGE 44, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 43
The Lady Rams came out of the gate on fire, scoring 20 points in the first quarter behind seven points from both Ella Brown and Layla Verbit.
Despite the Rams’ big offensive quarter, they led by just five as Emily Ladley had the hot hand for the Bucks with 11 points that included three 3-pointers.
The scoring pace for both teams slowed down considerably in the second quarter with the Rams holding a 6-2 advantage to go into halftime with a 26-17 lead. They took a 33-25 advantage into the final quarter when the Bucks erupted for 18 points to make things very interesting. Peyton Cramer buried a pair of 3s in a quarter that saw the Bucks connect on four shots from beyond the arc.
Key stretch: The Rams – sparked by 11 points from Ella Brown – took a nine-point lead into halftime and needed every one of those points to eke out the win.
Key players: Pennridge was led by Ella Brown (21 points) and Layla Verbit (9 points).
For the Bucks, Emily Ladley led the way with 14 points, which included four 3-pointers.
Pennridge coach Jason Rapp on the game: “We were able to hang on tonight at West. Both teams had big first quarters, and we were able to go into the half up nine. West battled their way back in the second, and we were able to hang on for a nice road win.”
–Props: “Ella Brown and Layla Verbit led us offensively with 21 and 9 respectively.
“Props to our guards – Sam Murphy, Madison Lapp and Emily DeHaven, who did a great job taking care of the ball vs the West pressure.
“I’m really proud of the way our girls came out tonight after a tough loss last Friday. Hoping we can keep it going this weekend.”
Props to West: “Zach (Sibel) always has his team ready to play. We always seem to be in a nail biter when we play in that gym.
“Also, 23, (Emily) Ladley, got off to a great start with three first quarter 3s, and 5, (Peyton) Kramer hit a few 3s in the fourth. They would not go away.”
Up next: Pennridge (6-4, 2-3 SOL) will host Bensalem in a non-league game Friday, and Central Bucks West (2-10, 0-5) will host Harry S Truman in a non-league game Friday.
Pennridge 20-6-7-11 44
Central Bucks West 15-2-8-18 43
Pennridge (44) – Ella Brown 7 5-6 21; Emily DeHaven 1 0-0 3; Samantha Murphy 1 0-2; Madison Lapp 2 2-4 6; Peyton Rabinowitz 1 0-0 2; Allie Smith 0 1-2 1; Layla Verbit 3 3-4 9; TOTALS 15 11-16 44.
Central Bucks West (43) – Erica Madden 0 0-2 0; Peyton Cramer 2 0-0 6; Miya McDaniel 1 0-0 2; Addy Fay 2 0-0 4; Audra Lawson 2 0-0 4; Emily Ladley 5 0-0 14; Scarlett Baumgardner 3 0-0 8; Fallon Darrows 0 2-2 2; Adelaide Stromberg 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 16 2-2 43.
3-point goals: P – Ella Brown 2, Emily DeHaven; CBW – Emily Ladley 4, Scarlett Baumgardner 2, Peyton Cramer 2, Stromberg.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 61, NORTH PENN 49
Haley Moran served notice that this could be her night, torching the Knights for nine first-quarter points. By halftime, Moran had 15 points, and she upped that total to 23 after three quarters as the Patriots – who led 21-14 after one quarter – took a 53-32 lead into the final quarter. East’s Jess Lockwood had eight first-half points and also played a starring role in the Patriots’ strong showing, adding 10 more in the third quarter.
Behind seven points from Cam Crowley and a pair of 3s from Leah Mikulski, the Knights outscored the visiting Patriots 17-8 in the fourth quarter but could not put much of a dent in their lead.
With the win, the Patriots completed their first trip around the division with a perfect 5-0 record.
Key players: Sophomore point guard Haley Moran was all but unstoppable, scoring a game-high 28 points and also pulling down six rebounds. Jess Lockwood added 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
The Knights had four players in double figures – Lily Brown (13 points), Leah Mikulski (13 points), Mehya Godhania (11 points) and Cam Crowley (10 points).
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash: “This game was a game of runs, and all the credit to North Penn for making up a lot of ground going into the fourth. North Penn had balanced scoring, but I was proud of the resilience it took to pull this game out against a scrappy team.
“We’re fortunate to get through the league the first time without a loss and looking forward to our crossovers coming up. We’re really looking forward to having our first home game of the year – we spent the first 11 on the road and are excited to compete in our gym.”
–Props: “Haley Moran had a monster night for us, both in handling the ball and scoring around the basket. Jess Lockwood had a big night in scoring and pulled down nine rebounds.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (9-2, 5-0 SOL) will host Pennsbury in a non-league game Friday, and North Penn (5-7, 4-1) will host Neshaminy in a non-league game Friday.
Central Bucks East 21-12-20-8 61
North Penn 14-9-9-17 49
Central Bucks East (61) – Sydney Ralph 3 1-2 7; Haley Moran 9 9-11 28; Emma Penecale 2 1-2 5; Natalie Berndt 1 1-2 3; Jess Lockwood 7 1-2 18; TOTALS 22 13-19 61.
North Penn (49) – Cam Crowley 4 2-3 10; Paityn Debro 1 0-0 2; Lily Brown 5 2-3 13; Leah Mikulski 5 0-0 13; Mehya Godhania 4 0-0 11; TOTALS 19 4-6 49.
3-point goals: CBE – Jess Lockwood 3, Haley Moran; NP – Leah Mikulski 3, Mehya Godhania 3, Lily Brown.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 44, SOUDERTON 28
The Titans led 13-7 after one quarter and took a 24-12 lead into halftime. They put the game completely out of reach with a 17-2 third-quarter burst, burying 11 of 12 foul shots in the frame. Gabby Tropea led the way with eight points that included a 4-for-4 effort at the foul line. Ella Wheeler added five points.
Key players: Gabby Tropea led a balanced South attack with 14 points that included an 8-for-9 showing at the charity stripe. Jules Tropea and Mia Klein both added nine points.
Emily Dick led the Indians with 10 points.
Up next: Central Bucks South (6-7, 3-2 SOL) will host Council Rock North in a non-league game Friday, and Souderton (8-5, 1-4) will host Council Rock South in a non-league game Friday.
Souderton 7-5-2-14 28
Central Bucks South 13-11-17-3 44
Souderton (28) – Julia Purvy 2 0-2 4; Olivia Herron 1 3-7 5; Madison Bealer 2 0-0 5; Liz Word 2 0-0 4; Emily Dick 4 2-24 10; TOTALS 11 5-13 28.
Central Bucks South (44) – Ella Wheeler 2 0-0 6; Jules Tropea 2 5-8 -9; Emma Carver 0 2-2 2; Alexandra Tropea 0 0-4 0; Riley Campbell 1 0-0 2; Mia Klein 3 2-2 9; Gabby Tropea 3 8-9 14; Megan Schmidt 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 12 17-25 44.
3-point goals: S – Madison Bealer; CBS – Ella Wheeler 2, Mia Klein
SOL Liberty Division
HATBORO-HORSHAM 35, WISSAHICKON 25
The Hatters found themselves on the short end of an 18-16 score at halftime. Junior Maura Jacob led the Trojans with eight points in the first half.
The second half belonged to the Hatters, who outscored their visitors 11-7 in the third quarter to go into the final frame with a 27-25 advantage. They shut out the Trojans in the fourth quarter.
Key stretch: The Hatters trailed by two at halftime but limited the Trojans to just seven second-half points – none in the fourth quarter.
Key players: Hatboro-Horsham was led by Angelica Visceglia with 13 points and Maddy Patel with seven.
For the Trojans, Maura Jacob led the way with 11 points, which included a pair of 3-pointers.
Hatboro-Horsham assistant coach Nicole Miletto on the game: “We started out slow and didn’t execute the way we needed to. There was sloppy play, and we weren’t hitting our outside shots and didn’t box out. Wissahickon played tough and hustled the whole game. They put pressure on us to take quick off-balance shots.
“We came out in the second half with some more composure and started to hit the boards. That was probably the difference. We also held them scoreless in the fourth, something we don’t usually do. It’s always a good game when we play Wissahickon. They are well coached and disciplined. It’s nice to start the week out with a win at home with two road games later this week.”
Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims: “The girls played hard and played smart, we just got outplayed in the fourth quarter.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham (3-7, 1-3 SOL) will travel to William Tennent for a non-league game Friday, and Wissahickon (2-7, 0-4) will be on the road at Springfield Twp for a non-league game Friday.
Wissahickon 9-9-7-0 25
Hatboro-Horsham 7-9-11-8 35
Wissahickon (25) – Katelyn Thomson 2 0-2 4; Kai Potter 2 0-0 4; Maura Jacob 4 0-1 11; Julia Lettieri 1 0-0 2; Casey Burden 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 11 0-3 25.
Hatboro-Horsham (35) – Angelica Visceglia 6 0-0 13; Madison Duggan 2 0-0 4; Maddy Paten 1 4-4 7; Gabby Fisher 1 0-0 2; Cora Saxer 1 0-0 2; Madison Siegfried 1 1-2 3; Olivia Grant 1 2-4 4; TOTALS 13 7-10 35.
3-point goals: W – Maura Jacob 3; HH – Angelica Visceglia, Maddy Patel.
UPPER DUBLIN 55, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 35
Sparked by seven points from AJ Avery, the Colonials raced out of the gate to a 12-4 lead. The visiting Cards responded with a 12-2 run to close out the quarter, and although they still trailed by two, they had sent a message.
UD outscored its hosts 13-5 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 25-19 advantage. The Colonials hung tough never could battle back into the game.
Key players: For UD, Emilia Coleman scored 26 points, connecting on 11 of 20 shots from the floor in a dazzling offensive performance. She also had six rebounds and three assists. Tamia Clark added 10 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Bridget DiMartile had eight points, five rebounds, four assists and five blocks. Megan Ngo had just two points but handed out five assists and four steals.
For the Colonials. Eliza Meersman shared team scoring honors with 12 points – which included a 3-for-3 effort beyond the arc. She also had a team-high five rebounds and two blocks. AJ Avery also had 12 points to go along with four rebounds.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten on the game: “We fell behind early 12-4 in the first quarter after some hot shooting by PW, and we were just a little slow in our responsibilities defensively. We knew PW was going to compete hard tonight, and we did a nice job of settling in after a slow start.”
–Props: “They played us in zone the entire game and Emilia Coleman did a great job of finding gaps and making several 10-15 footers in the second half while playing in the high post against it. We haven’t seen a ton of zone this year and hopefully a game like tonight will help prepare us for it if we see it again down the road.
“Bridget Dimartile, I thought did a great job defensively protecting the rim and was very active all night. Our defense forced 21 turnovers that led to 25 points, and we are happy to get a win in a rivalry game on the road.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty on the game: “We jumped out to an early lead behind seven quick points from AJ Avery. We led 14-12 after one. At the end of the first and beginning of the second, we had to go to our bench more than we wanted because a few of our top five couldn’t handle the pace (conditioning). One of the most telling sequences in the game was start of the third quarter. UD was up 25-19. We get a designed wide open 3 for one of our shooters, missed everything by three feet, UD sprints the airball up the floor, and their freshmen (Morris) drills
a transition 3 at other end.
“Upper Dublin’s top six kids are elite. Obviously, they work on their games year-round, and to top it off, they are in outstanding physical condition. Meanwhile, we are playing a 10-kid rotation to start the game and had to use two of our timeouts to try to let kids catch their breath. We have two complete mental mistakes to end first half and end of the third quarter, mostly from physical fatigue.”
–-The positives: “The positive for tonight – without a doubt, Upper Dublin is best team in all of SOL and possibly district – they are at least even with PV. I have seen/studied both. With no prep, our kids executed our game plan and hung with them for three-plus quarters. We have no answer for the height of Coleman and DiMartile, athleticism of Ngo(s) and Clark or the shooting of Morris and Coleman. Yet in the third, start of fourth, we still had a shot at them. Hopefully, the girls build off that moving forward.”
–Props: “I can’t say enough positive things about the effort Eliza Meersman gave us tonight. She is a kid that uses every drill, every practice to try to get better. She uses every second of down time at practice to work on her game, and it paid off for her tonight. She was hands down our best player tonight.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (11-2, 4-0 SOL) will be on the road at New Hope-Solebury for a non-league game Thursday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-3, 2-2) will travel to Lower Moreland Friday for a non-league game.
Upper Dublin 12-13-17-13 55
Plymouth Whitemarsh 14-5-13-3 35
Upper Dublin (55) – Bridget DiMartile 3 2-2 8; Tamia Clark 5 0-0 10; Megan Ngo 1 0-0 2; Lexi Ngo 1 0-0 3; Emilia Coleman 11 2-2 26; Ella Morris 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 23 4-4 55.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (35) – AJ Avery 5 1-2 12; McKenna Winland 3 1-2 7; Eliza Meersman 4 1-2 12; Grace Harvey 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 14 3-6 35.
3-point goals: UD – Emilia Coleman 2, Ella Morris 2, Lexi Ngo; PW – Eliza Meersman 3, AJ Avery.
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 51, UPPER MORELAND 49 (OT)
In a classic battle between the neighboring rivals, it was the Lions eking out the win in Tuesday’s overtime thriller when – with 2.6 seconds remaining – Bri McFerran turned a pass from Dani Brusha into the game-winning 3-pointer.
Lower Moreland led by two after one quarter, three at halftime and four heading into the final quarter when the Golden Bears, between the hot hand of Marie Meyers, rallied to knot the score. Included in Meyers’ eight fourth-quarter points was a 3 to send the game into overtime where the Lions outscored the Golden Bears 7-5.
Key stretch: Too many to count.
Key players: Dani Brusha’s 21 points led all scorers and included a 9-for-11 effort at the foul line. Briana McFerran added 14 points – five in OT.
For UM, Mikel Lancit led the way with 19 points, which included three 3-pointers. Marie Meyers added 15 points – 13 after halftime – that also included three 3s.
Lower Moreland coach Rich Becker on the game: “Years ago, Mark Weaver, who used to coach at Delco Christian, said to me, ‘When your sanity depends on teenage girls, you’ll never be bored.’ Tonight’s game was that game. It drastically aged the coaches and simultaneously reminded us why we enjoy coaching this team so much.
“Neither team was sharp on offense. Other than a brief stretch in the third quarter when we went up eight, I don’t think either team ever got up more than four points. Both teams did things that took the other out of their rhythm, both teams had to grind, and both teams competed down to the very end.
“With 4:37 left in the game, (Marie) Meyers hit a big 3 to give UM their first lead of the second half. From then on, it was back and forth. From 4:37 to 2:10 left in the game, there were four lead changes. After Lianna Adames made a running layup with 13.8 seconds to go, we were up 42-41. When they fouled Dani with 8.2 seconds to go, we got a timeout and discussed what to do. After she made both, I thought we were good, but to UM’s credit, they took advantage of a defensive lapse, and Meyers hit an open 3 to send the game into OT.”
–Overtime: “Going into OT, we reminded the girls that every time we’ve been in this situation, we’ve come out on top. We won Friday in OT and beat Villa Marie on a late possession win. To our girls’ credit, we came out strong. We scored the first four points and were up four with just over a minute to go and to UM’s credit, they fought back. After an ill-advised 3, Lancit hit a 3 to make it a one-point game.
“Once again, we weren’t smart with the ball, and with 24 seconds to go, UM got possession, and out of the timeout, Josh made a great call, and they ran a well-designed play for Meyers, who once again made a big shot that put them up one with 14 seconds to go. We inbounded quickly, in transition, Dani (Brusha) got into the lane, drew three girls and hit Bri (McFerran) who knocked down the game-winning 3 with 2.6 seconds to go.”
–Props: “This was a game that both teams deserved to win. Lancit was strong all game for them, Meyers hit multiple big shots, and I was happy with how we responded. The girls were down after Meyers sent it to overtime, but they picked each other up and never quit.
“Dani (Brusha), our point guard, was exceptional tonight. She did not have a great game from the field but stayed aggressive and was 9-for-11 from the free throw line and had 21 points, 18 rebounds and at least 7 steals.
“Bri (McFerran) also struggled offensively but came up huge when it mattered. Aside from hitting the winning basket, she had 14 rebounds and 14 points.
“The fact that the girls didn’t mentally fold after giving up two late leads and hit a 3 with 2.6 seconds left to get the win is a reflection of their character and resilience.”
Upper Moreland coach Josh Adelman: “It was a back-and-forth game. Two teams both really played well in spurts. Rich did a nice job with his team. They mixed up pressuring full court and playing man-to-man throughout the game. I thought Dani (Brusha) played both ends of the floor for them, and Bri (McFerran) came alive in the second half after not doing too much offensively in the first half. Of course, she hits the three at the buzzer to win it! Have to give her credit. She made a game-winning shot,
“I’m really pleased with my team though. They never quit. And no lead was too big tonight. Mikel (Lancit) played another terrific game, never leaving the floor. Marie Meyers hits a 3 at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. She played great tonight. Parker Kurtz steps in and hit crucial foul shots and a layup to keep us close. We defended well tonight. Left it all on the floor, LM just had the ball in their possession last and made it count. You have to give them credit. It was a fun high school game to coach.”
Up next: Lower Moreland (5-6, 3-2 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh for a non-league game Friday, and Upper Moreland (7-5, 1-4) will host Abington in a non-league game Friday.
Upper Moreland 9-11-9-15-5 49
Lower Moreland 11-12-10-11-7 51
Upper Moreland (49) – Mikel Lancit 6 4-6 19; Lianna Adames 1 0-0 2; Marie Meyers 4 4-6 15; Hailey Kramer 3 2-2 8; Parker Kurtz 1 3-4 5; TOTALS 15 13-18 49.
Lower Moreland (51) – Briana McFerran 6 1-3 14; Dani Brusha 5 9-11 21; Emma DiJoseph 1 3-4 5; Maddy Rositer 1 1-2 3; Nikki Sahl 3 0-0 8; 16 14-20 51.
3-point goals: UM – Mikel Lancit 3, Marie Meyers 3; LM – Dani Brusha 2, Nikki Sahl 2, Briana McFerran.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 45, WILLIAM TENNENT 32
The host Lions celebrated Senior Night with a win over Tennent.
Appropriately, the seniors played a key role in the big win, but they had plenty of help. Junior Kayla Fennell and freshman Mary Tresler both had four points in a first quarter that saw NH-S open up a 14-4 lead over its visitors.
Tennent – propelled by six points from Megan Volz and five from Avery Kocur – outscored its hosts 14-11 in the second quarter, but NH-S still took 25-18 lead into halftime. An 11-4 third quarter sent the host Lions into the final quarter with a 36-22 lead on their way to the big win.
Key players: Seniors Izzy Elizondo and Ella Dudick both had 13 points to lead the Lions. Adding six points each were senior Emily Wilson, junior Kayla Fennell and freshman Mary Tresler.
For Tennent, Megan Volz had 11 points, Avery Kocur had nine, and Halie Staub added seven.
New Hope-Solebury coach Andy Krasna on the game: “Senior nights are difficult to figure out for high school coaches because the planning, gym set-up, and the anticipation at tipoff can often lead to distractions and a lack of focus. That was not the case for us tonight. We were ready to play, and our team followed the game plan to near perfection.
“We were able to limit the touches of Avery Kocur and Halie Staub, who are very good offensive players for Tennent.”
–Props: “Much credit goes to junior Kayla Fannell and senior Izzy Elizondo for their defensive effort and execution. Seniors Emily Wilson and Ella Dudick were always in the right spot helping defensively, and Mary Tresler came away with some key defensive rebounds when we really needed them. Offensively, we showed patience and worked for high percentage shots. It was clear that Tennent was trying to slow down Emily and Izzy; however, their ability to make the right play and get the ball in to Ella paid huge dividends and allowed us to extend our lead in the third quarter. 
“Kayla was rock solid tonight on both ends. Her focus was as good as I have seen. She gave up some good looks at the basket and made the extra pass, allowing her teammates to get great looks. Emily broke pressure and her composure and leadership was fun to witness. Izzy can score in so many ways, and when Tennent chased her off the perimeter, she was able to attack space and score or make a nice pass.
“It was great to see us play to our potential in front of a large crowd, thanks to the Wilson family attending. Our five seniors are truly special student athletes, and it was fun to see them celebrate a hard-fought victory.”
Up next: New Hope-Solebury (8-2, 4-1 SOL) will host Upper Dublin in a non-league game Thursday, and William Tennent (6-5, 2-3) will travel to Boyertown for a non-league game Wednesday.
William Tennent 4-14-4-10 32
New Hope-Solebury 14-11-11-9 45
William Tennent (32) – Aubrey Lynch 2 0-0 4; Lindsey Catoni 0 1-2 1; Avery Kocur 4 0-0 9; Halie Staub 1 4-6 7; Megan Volz 3 5-6 11; TOTALS 10 10-14 32.
New Hope-Solebury (45) – Izzy Elizondo 5 2-2 13; Emily Wilson 3 1-2 7; Ella Dudick 5 3-5; Kayla Fennell 3 0-0 6; Mary Tresler 2 2-2 6; 18 8-11 45.
3-point goals: WT – Avery Kocur, Halie Staub; NH-S – Izzy Elizondo.
CHELTENHAM 66, SPRINGFIELD TWP 38
The Lady Panthers put an exclamation point on their first go-round in division play, rolling to their fifth win in as many games.
Maya Simmons and Paige Powell combined for 48 points, and when they weren’t scoring, they were setting up their teammates, combining for 12 assists. Making important contributions in supporting roles were Cassie Bugg (8 points) and Zoe Thompson (6 points).
Cheltenham, once again without leading scorer Jiah Price, led 11-6 after one quarter and took a 34-17 lead into halftime on their way to the win.
Key players: Maya Simmons (27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals), Paige Powell (21 points, 5 assists, four steals, 2 blocks), Cassie Bugg (8 points, 10 rebounds), Zoe Thompson (6 points, 9 rebounds, 8 blocks, 2 steals), Ali Charles (4 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists).
For the Spartans, Ava Culler finished with 15 points and 20 rebounds.
Cheltenham assistant coach Chris Manser on the game: “Our focus defensively was to try and make Ava Culler work as hard as possible to get her points, and that responsibility fell on the shoulders of Zoë Thompson. Despite Culler’s outstanding numbers (15 points and 20 rebounds), Zoë contested everything, blocking eight shots and forcing Culler into shooting 6-for-22 from the floor.
Offensively, we keyed on winning the guard matchup. Maya Simmons, Paige Powell, and Ali Charles combined to limit Springfield’s starting guards to 13 points while scoring 52 points and handing out 17 assists.”
Props: “Cassie Bugg played her best game of the year, and while her numbers might not jump off the page, she played good on-the-ball defense, and she was always on the fence to provide help in the paint, constantly altering shots when Springfield got in the lane.”
Up next: Cheltenham (7-1, 5-0 SOL) will travel to Pottsgrove on Friday for a non-league game and will be on the road at Chester Saturday (3 pm), and Springfield Twp (2-9, 0-5) will be on the road at Sacred Heart Academy for a non-league game Wednesday.
Cheltenham 11-23-21-11 66
Springfield Twp 6-11-17-4 38
Cheltenham (66) – Paige Powell 21, Maya Simmons 27, Cassie Bugg 8, Ali Charles 4, Zoe Thompson 6.
Springfield Twp (38) – Caitlin Lewis 8, Chloe Kaczor 3, Kamryn Wells 2, Keira Brandon 6, Julia Guicheteau 2, Emerson Rutkowski 2, Ava Culler 15.
3-point goals: C – Maya Simmons 4, Paige Powell 2; S – Caitlin Lewis 2, Chloe Kaczor.
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