Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Saturday. CR South/Conwell Egan and Pennsbury/LC photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for galleries.
Non-league
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 45, SOUDERTON 36
Three Lions finished the game in double figures. Leading the charge was Kayla Fennell, who scored a career high 15 points – 11 in a first half that saw the Lions open up a 28-22 lead on their way to the win.
Julia Purvy’s 13 points led the Indians and included three triples.
Key stretch: The Lions, who led 10-9 after one quarter, outscored the Indians 18-13 in a second quarter that turned out to be the difference in the game. Wilson connected for a pair of 3s for six points while Fennell had one triple and seven points in the quarter. Wilson also had a 3-pointer.
Players of the game: Kayla Fennell (15 points), Izzy Elizondo (12 points) and Emily Wilson (11 points) were the offensive catalysts.
New Hope-Solebury coach Andy Krasna on the game: “The regular season opener for both teams showed some early jitters with missed layups and many early turnovers from both teams, but once the players settled in, the game was very competitive.
“In the end, it was our experience and composure that made the difference and got us over the hump for a nice win.”
–Triple threat: “We are difficult to guard because we can score at every position. Souderton did a great job trying to slow down Emily Wilson and Izzy Elizondo by face-guarding them at different times, however we found ways to free them up with off the ball screens.
“When they drew double teams, we were able to find Kayla Fennell who had a super game (career high 15 pts.) Kayla keeps growing her game each day. Izzy and Emily were aggressively attacking the basket, not settling for the first open look. They controlled the tempo and showed tremendous poise and terrific decision making.”
–Getting defensive: “Ella Dudick altered so many shots and kept the Souderton team out of the paint. Souderton shot only two free throws the entire game. Twenty-one of their 36 points were 3-pointers as our plan was to have them take lower percentage shots and keep them out of the paint.”
–Rookie debut: “Freshman Mary Tresler is no ordinary nineth grader. Our secret weapon is no longer a secret. She rebounded and defended like a veteran and recorded her first five varsity points.”
–Props to the Indians: “Souderton’s young team was impressive. They play hard, they play together, and the final score of the game does not tell the story. It was a close game until they had to foul us in the fourth quarter.
“Coach Carrol had her team ready to play. She coached my daughter at age 15, (twenty-three years ago in AAU basketball), and I knew her team would be ready to battle.”
Next up: New Hope-Solebury (1-0) is off until next Saturday when the Lions will face Kennett in the Bristol Tournament (10 am). Souderton (0-1) will travel to Faith Christian Academy for a non-league game Monday.”
New Hope-Solebury 10-18-6-11 45
Souderton 9-13-6-8 36
New Hope-Solebury (45) – Kayla Fannell 6 2-5 15; Izzi Elizondo 3 4-6 12; Emily Wilson 3 3-4 11; Mary Tresler 1 3-4 5; Ella Dudick 14 12-19 45; TOTALS 14 12-19 45.
Souderton (36) – Julia Purvy 5 0-0 13; Olivia Herron 2 0-0 5; Madison Bealer 2 0-0 5; Kiera Fadden 1 1-2 3; Avie Sackor 1 0-0 2; Alaina Picard 1 0-0 3; Emily Dick 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 14 1-2 36.
3-point goals: NH-S – Izzy Elizondo 2, Emily Wilson 2, Kayla Fannell; S – Julia Purvy 3, Olivia Herron, Madison Bealer, Alaina Picard, Emily Dick.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 50, WEST CHESTER RUSTIN 45
The Bucks opened their season with an impressive road win, rallying from an early five-point deficit to lead 12-11 after one quarter on their way to a 24-15 halftime lead.
Three players finished in double figures for the Bucks.
Key stretch: The Bucks took a 35-28 lead into the fourth quarter, fell behind but rallied to earn the win. Emily Ladley and Scarlett Baumgardner each had a 3-pointer, and the Bucks scored seven points from the foul line in the quarter.
Players of the game: Scarlett Baumgardner (16 points), Peyton Cramer (14 points) and Emily Ladley (13 points) led the Bucks offense.
Central Bucks West coach Zach Sibel on the game: “It was a great game. We were really excited for this game because we thought it would give us a good test to start the year. They came out and threw the first punch. We had a couple of turnovers, got some decent shots but maybe a little quick. You look at the scoreboard, and you’re down 7-2, and you feel like you’re playing decent basketball.
“Then Scarlett Baumgardner really got it going. I thought she took really good shots. She had eight of her 16 points in the first quarter and got us to a 12-11 lead. She didn’t play the second quarter with some foul trouble.”
–Ladley lights it up: “Emily Ladley had 10 of her 13 points in the second quarter and had two 3s. The big thing with Emily is her ability to shoot the ball. She hit a shot that felt like it was from the logo under a ball screen. I really think she is playing her role incredibly. When you have key pieces that are all playing their roles and contributing, you give yourself a chance against really good teams. I thought Emily played great. She had a huge game to end last year, and I think she carried that momentum and focus into this year. She’s really stepped up. To have a 10-point quarter when we needed to score the ball in the second frame is huge.”
–Bench delivers: “I thought our bench did a really awesome job. Erica Madden came in and played really good minutes. She was all over the place defensively. Audra Lawson showed some good minutes as well, and I think that was a testament to this team having a bench that can come in and you don’t lose a step and really helped to get Scarlett through that second quarter.”
–The second half: “We played a decent third quarter, but they started to throw some punches. The next thing you know we start the fourth quarter with two turnovers, and an eight-point lead turns into a four-point lead really quick. Rustin is talented. They have good players. You’ve got to give them credit.
“They started to really hit some 3s. The Stackhouse kid (Mackenzie Stackhouse) had two, and their number two (Natalia Cipolloni) had one, and those are big points. We ended up going down one, and now we’re starting to sweat a little bit.
“The girls did a nice job keeping things steady. When things got fast, they made great adjustments. We made plays at the end that typically we haven’t made – getting to the foul line and finishing out a game. Scarlett Baumgardner hit a huge three to take a one-point lead. We called a timeout, made some adjustments defensively, and we were able to close it out on the defensive end with some big stops. Erica Madden came up with a huge steal, and Peyton Cramer hit some free throws at the end to really seal it for us.
Peyton Cramer did a great job controlling the pace of the game. She knew when to push and when to settle things down. Her four free throw in the fourth kept the lead after Scarlett hit a huge three to retake the lead.
“Erica Madden and Janelle Blokker did a great job on Kraft and Betchyk. Both were pesky on the ball and gave great energy.”
Up next: Central Bucks West (1-0) will travel to Upper Moreland for a non-league game Tuesday.
Central Bucks West 12-12-11-15 50
West Chester Rustin 11-4-13-17 45
Central Bucks West (50) – Erica Madden 0 4-4 4; Peyton Cramer 4 4-10 14; Emily Ladley 4 2-2 13; Scarlett Baumgardner 6 3-4 16; Janelle Blokker 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 15 14-22 50.
West Chester Rustin (45) – Jenna Kraft 4 4-5 13; Natalia Cipolloi 1 0-0 3; Mackenzie Stackhouse 3 2-2 10; Sara Betchyk 0 2-2 2; Samantha Curran 3 4-4 10; Claire Rydel 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 14 12-13
3-point goals: CBW – Emily Ladley 3, Peyton Cramer 2, Scarlett Baumgardner; WCR – Mackenzie Stackhouse 2, Jenna Kraft, Natalia Cipolloni, Claire Rydel.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 55, ABINGTON 24
The Patriots outscored the Ghosts 33-10 in the middle two quarters on their way to the non-league road win.
Natalie Berndt’s game-high 17 points included three 3-pointers while teammate Jess Lockwood had four 3s in her 14 points. All told, the Patriots connected on nine 3-pointers. Haley Moran added nine points.
Berndt and Emma Penecale had seven assists each, and Sydney Ralph had four assists. Penecale also had six points.
Key stretch: The Patriots – sparked by nine points on three 3-pointers by Jess Lockwod – turned a 10-8 deficit after one quarter into a 21-14 halftime lead.
Players of the game: Natalie Berndt (17 points, 7 assists). Jess Lockwood (14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals)
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash: “It was a nice team win to start the year. We had contributions all around. Natalie Berndt continued her solid defense to keep Abington out of their rhythm offensively and chipped in 17 points of her own.
“Jess Lockwood paced us offensively in the first half and had a balanced game on the boards with assists and steals.
“Emma Penecale had huge contributions that don’t necessarily show up on a stat sheet, keeping plays alive and crashing the boards hard.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (1-0) will travel to Central Bucks South on Wednesday, Dec. 11, and Abington (0-1) will travel to Pennsbury on Tuesday for a non-league game.
Central Bucks East 8-13-20-14 55
Abington 10-4-6-4 24
Central Bucks East (55) – Haley Moran 4 0-0 9; Emma Penecale 3 0-0 6; Natalie Berndt 6 2-2 17; Savannah Hayes 2 0-0 4; Delaney Long 2 0-0 5; Jess Lockwood 5 2-2 14; TOTALS 22 4-4 55.
Abington (24) – Maya Johnson 3 2-2 8; Mikiaya Durham 3 0-0 6; Hailey Hernandez 1 1-2 3; Aniyah Williams 2 3-4 7; TOTALS 9 6-8 24.
3-point goals: CBE – Jess Lockwood 2, Natalie Berndt 3, Haley Moran, Delaney Long.
Oreland Lions Tournament
SPRINGFIELD TWP 37, NEW FOUNDATIONS CHARTER 31
It was three-peat for the Spartans, who captured the title of their season-opening tournament for the third straight year with a win over New Foundations in Saturday’s title game.
Ava Culler’s double-double led the Spartans, and her 7-for-8 effort at the foul line led Spartans, who connected on 8 of 10 at the charity stripe.
Turning point: The Spartans, who trailed 21-15 at halftime, outscored New Foundations 15-4 in the third quarter to take the lead and then battled their way to the win.
Player of the game: Ava Culler torched New Foundations for 21 points and also had 20-plus rebounds.
Springfield Twp coach Dave Giordano: “It was another grind-it-out kind of game. New Foundations has some talented girls. They upped the tempo right from the beginning, pressed us a little bit and got us out of our comfort zone. It was 15-9 after one quarter, and we weren’t shooting the ball well. We still need to get back in the gym next week and get some shooting up, but they stayed with it.
“It was one of those games – you escape, you’re happy, and you have things to work on. We’re looking forward to getting better.”
–The second half: “I have to give my coaching staff and the girls some credit. At halftime, we did some tweaking. We changed some things up in our offense. They played a really tight packed 2-3 zone, and then they threw a 3-2 zone at us. We made some adjustments, and we scored 15 in the third quarter. That made a difference. We got over the hump and tied them up. We took a short lead, and then it was basically back and forth until it got to be foul shots and controlling the ball. We took care of the basketball over the last minute or so as they fouled us to get the lead to five. We made some foul shots at the end and kind of escaped. It was a gritty, good win.”
–Coming up big: “Ava had 21 points and had more than 20 rebounds. She was dominant in the paint. At the half, they made some adjustments, and the other girls had some open looks, and they made some shots. It wasn’t just all Ava.
“Keira Brandon played really hard. Caitlin Lewis played well, and at the end, Julia Guicheteau and Chloe Kaczor controlled the ball and did a good job under the pressure they put us under.”
Up next: Springfield Twp (2-0) will travel to Gwynedd Mercy for a non-league game Wednesday.
New Foundations 15-6-4-6 31
Springfield Twp 9-6-15-7 37
New Foundations (31) – Jada Drummond 2 0-0 4; Tiana Thompson 3 1-1 9; Ava Abner 5 0-0 11; Goziyah Fabian 2 2-6 7; TOTALS 12 3-7 31.
Springfield Twp (37) – Keira Brandon 2 0-0 4; Caitlin Lewis 2 0-0 5; Chloe Kaczor 1 0-0 2; Julia Guicheteau 2 1-2 5; Ava Culler 7 7-8 21; TOTALS 14 8-10 37.
3-point goals: NFC – Tiana Thompson 2, Ava Abner, Gaziyah Fabian; S – Chloe Kaczor.
West Chester Henderson Tournament
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 41, BISHOP SHANAHAN 24
The Titans led by just three points after one quarter but outscored the Eagles 33-19 over the final three quarters on their way to their second win in as many games.
South took 24 trips to the foul line, burying 14 of those shots. Mia Klein, whose 11 points led the Titans, was 6-for-8 at the charity stripe.
Turning point: The Titans, who led 8-5 after one quarter, put things together at both ends of the court in the second quarter, outscoring Shanahan 13-3 to go into halftime with a 21-8 lead.
Players of the game: Mia Klein’s 11 points led a balanced South attack that also included 10 points from Ella Wheeler and eight from Jules Tropea – all in the first half.
Central Bucks South coach Beth Mattern on the game: “Ella Wheeler and Jules Tropea got us started with strong play in the first half.
“Mia Klein took off offensively in the second quarter.
“Overall, it was great to get everyone on the court and contributing to our success.”
Up next: Central Bucks South (2-0) will travel to Neshaminy for a non-league game Tuesday.
Bishop Shanahan 5-3-6-10 24
Central Bucks South 8-13-10-10 41
Bishop Shanahan (24) – Garrity 0 3-4 3; Bergy 1 1-2 3; Foster 4 2-2 12; Decker 2 0-0 4; Udo 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 8 6-8 24.
Central Bucks South (41) – Ella Wheeler 4 1-1 10; Jules Tropea 2 4-8 8; Rylie DiCesare 1 0-0 3; Mia Klein 2 6-8 11; Gabby Tropea 2 2-5 6; Sophie Mills 1 0-0 2; Megan Schmidt 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 12 14-24 41.
3-point goals: Shanahan – Foster 2; CBS – Ella Wheeler, Rylie DiCesare, Mia Klein.
Conwell Egan Tipoff Tournament
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 59, CONWELL EGAN 57
The Golden Hawks bounced from a loss to Lansdale Catholic less than 24 hours earlier to defeat the host Eagles.
Fiona Reckner scored 11 of her team-high 19 points in a first quarter that saw the Golden Hawks open up a 21-14 lead. They extended that lead to 34-23 by halftime and then held off a furious Conwell Egan rally.
Key stretch: South had control early, opening up a 34-23 halftime lead.
Players of the game: Fionna Reckner had a team-high 19 points. Lil Metrick scored 12 points and Kathryn O’Kane added 10 points
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky on the game: “I thought we played the right way and had a lot of positives today. I’m getting to really know the players and we are figuring things out as a team.
“It was a hard fought game. I give credit to Conwell Egan and their fight to come back. They played really well.”
Up next: Council Rock South (1-1) will travel to Upper Dublin on Wednesday for a non-league game.
Council Rock South 21-13-13-12 59
Conwell Egan 14-9-11-23 57
Council Rock South (59) – Bella Hettler 3 2-4 8; Sara Freeman 2 1-2 6; Lil Metrick 5 0-0 12; Kathryn O’Kane 3 3-4 10; Fiona Reckner 7 3-8 19; Maria Freeman 1 2-3 4; TOTALS 21 11-21 59.
Conwell Egan (57) – C.Bennett 1 0-0 2; B.Jackson 3 3-4 10; J.Butler 0 3-4 3; A Parks 1 0-0 2; L.Milewski 8 7-8 24; H.Prince 1 2-2 4; O.Dellavecchio 4 1-4 11; O.Pittman 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 18 17-24 57.
3-point goals: CRS – Lil Metrick 2, Fiona Reckner 2, Sara Freeman, Kathryn O’Kane; CEC – Dellavecchio 2, Milewski, Jackson.
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 33, PENNSBURY 19
The Falcons turned in an impressive defensive effort but once again struggled to score. They trailed just 7-3 after one quarter. The Crusaders scored 13 points in the
second quarter – the only quarter they scored in double digits against a pesky Falcon squad.
The Falcons held a 14-13 edge in the second half.
Sophomore Sammie Hawes led the Falcons with nine points.
Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlin Kelly on the game: “It was a much better defensive effort for us today. The way we defended a team of that caliber is something our girls should be proud of.”
–Learning on the job: “(Freshman) Alyssa Thomas did a great job again, facilitating the ball and handling pressure against a tall and athletic defense. There would be times where we had four or more freshmen on the floor. Watching them, as well as sophomore Sammie Hawes, get better every game is something we’re excited about. We will take our lessons as they come, and we’ll continue to learn and grow from them.”
Up next: Pennsbury (0-2) will host Abington in a non-league game Tuesday.
Lansdale Catholic 7-13-4-9 33
Pennsbury 3-2-5-9 19
Lansdale Catholic (33) – Allie Esposito 1 0-0 2; Nadia Yemola 2 0-0 6; Lily Clair 3 0-0 6; Grace McDonough 3 0-0 6; Ali Kaltenbacher 4 3-4 11; Aubrey Mobley 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 3-4 33.
Pennsbury (19) – Bella Stewart 1 0-0 2; Maggie Burns 1 0-0 2; Sammie Hawes 3 1-2 9; Alyssa Thomas 0 2-2 2; Keira Socha 1 0-0 2; Adrianna Oberto 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 7 3-4 19.
3-point goals: LC-Nadia Yemola 2; P – Sammie Hawes 2.
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