Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CR South/Pennridge photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 58, PENNRIDGE 41
Four players finished the game in double figures for the Golden Hawks, who took a 28-23 lead into halftime and extended that in the second half.
Lil Metrick – who put her name in the record book for career 3-pointers – led the balanced Rock South attack with 14 points while Fiona Reckner had 11. Belle Hettler and Sara Freeman both added 10, and Kathryn
O’Kane had nine.
For the Lady Rams, Ella Brown led the way with 18 points while Layla Verbit had 14.
Key Stretch: The Golden Hawks outscored the Rams 35-21 in the middle two quarters to take control of the game.
“Our pace in second quarter really impacted the game,” Rock South assistant coach Blair Klumpp said. “We ball pressured on defense and got out in transition. We came out in the third and really tried to carry over that momentum.”
Council Rock assistant coach Blair Klumpp on the game: “Overall, we were really happy with our preparation and approach prior to game, and the execution in the game was good. The girls were locked into what we wanted to do and deserve a ton of credit. It was a total team effort.”
–Key to the game: “It was really practice and preparation. We have had some very good practices, and our film session was great. As a staff, we were most impressed with the execution of the game plan. Coach P (Steven Polinsky) always emphasizes the importance of first three minutes of third quarter, and tonight was our best job of doing that.
–Getting defensive: “We had tremendous balance offensively, and it was a team effort on defense with Fiona (Reckner) and Maria (Freeman) being the two defenders on Ella Brown, but it’s a team effort to stop a talented player like her, and everyone was locked in, but Fi really made her work for everything. Maria did a good job of what we wanted in her possessions on her too.”
–Special shoutout: “Lil Metrick became the programs all-time leader in 3-point field goals made tonight. She will be the first one to give credit to her teammates past and present, which is justified, but it’s a great accomplishment that happens within the success of the team’s success. She also puts in a ton
of work outside of normal hours that nets the results of such a great accomplishment. She’s at 136 career 3s and counting.”
–Key reserves: “Our bench gave us so much production. Gill (Martin) hit big shots for us and defended well, Emerson (Gunther) made some really nice passes and Maria (Freeman) did a nice job on Brown for spurts and played within the offense. Our starters all played well on both ends, Fiona was relentless on Brown; Lil Sarah and Kat were shot ready and hit shots, and I thought Bella played her best game of her varsity career. She really impacted the game on both ends of the court and was a presence in the paint. Coach Rapp knows our girls’ strengths so well and really emphasized locating shooters in transition and they slowed us down a bit in the first quarter. 
They deserve credit for executing early and how well they’ve played early on this year. Our point of emphasis to our girls was trusting the game plan and each other, and they proved what that can yield.”
Pennridge coach Jason Rapp: “Tough one tonight for the Lady Rams. I thought our girls really competed tonight. We had a few assignment breakdowns which allowed South to go on a few of their runs. We just couldn’t get some stops when we needed to.
“Give South a ton of credit. Their coaching staff had a plan, and their girls executed it. (Fiona) Reckner made (Ella) Brown work for everything, and their guards’ speed gave us some trouble.
“Not happy with the result, but it was a step in the right direction in terms of our effort and attitude.”
Up next: Council Rock South (2-2) will host Neshaminy in Friday’s SOL opener, and Pennridge (3-1) will host Souderton on Friday.
Pennridge 14-9-12-6 41
Council Rock South 11-17-18-12 58
Pennridge (41) – Ella Brown 7 3-4 18; Emily DeHaven 1 0-0 3; Samantha Murphy 2 0-0 6; Layla Verbit 3 8-16 14; TOTALS 13 11-20 41
Council Rock South (58) – Belle Hettler 5 0-0 10; Sara Freeman 2 1-2 6; Lil Metrick 4 4-5 14; Kathryn O’Kane 3 1-2 9; Fiona Reckner 5 0-0 11; Maria Freeman 1 0-1 2; Gillian Martin 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 22 6-10 58.
3-point goals: P – Samantha Murphy 2, Ella Brown, Emily DeHaven; CRS – Lil Metrick 2, Gillian Martin 2, Kathryn O’Kane 2, Fiona Reckner, Sara Freeman.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 41, WILLIAM TENNENT 33
Council Rock North got its first win of the season with a 41-33 come-from-behind victory over William Tennent. The Panthers got off to a hot start, taking a 12-7 lead at the end of one quarter and a 21-16 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Avery Kocur hit a 3 to make it 27-20, but Amara Arroyo scored all eight of her points in the quarter to help the Lady Indians trim Tennent’s lead to 30-28 at the end of the third.
To start the fourth, Aubrey Lynch hit a 3 to open the quarter and extend Tennent’s lead to five. However, those were the last points Tennent would score. Alexa Bondra had a go-ahead hook shot to give North its first lead of the game, 34-33 with three minutes remaining, and it held on from there.
Kocur’s 16 points led all players.
Key stretch: The Indians won it with a 13-3 fourth quarter surge that was highlighted by Bondra’s nine points, which included a 5-for-6 effort at the foul line.
Key players: Bondra led North with 14 points, Megan Reichenbach added 11, and Julia Koval also pitched in 6. Tennent was led by Kocur’s 16 followed by Lynch’s 8.
Council Rock North coach Jack Kelly on the game: “We are really happy for our girls to pick up their first win of the season. I think overall we are just proud of the resilience and fight we showed throughout the game and to start the season.
“There were definitely moments in the second and third quarters tonight where it felt like Tennent was on the verge of pulling away, but credit to our girls, they made plays when they had to.
–Props: “I thought Megan Reichenbach made some crucial plays in the first half at both ends which helped us generate a little bit of scoring and kept it close. Amara Arroyo had a huge third quarter that helped cut into their lead after it felt like they might pull away. Alexa (Bondra) really asserted herself in the second half. Julia (Koval) was aggressive on the boards. We really got contributions from everyone. Addie, Brynn and Josie gave us phenomenal minutes off the bench that jolted some life into us. Skyler Wright’s more so known for her scoring, but her defense down the stretch was really important.”
“We have talked a lot as a team about how the margin of error that can decide winning and losing is very small. I thought tonight we did a good job, especially down the stretch of making winning plays.
–Praise for the Panthers: “Credit to Laura and her staff for the job they do – they presented a lot of challenges for us, especially defensively. They do such a good job of spacing the floor, and some of their actions are really hard to guard. Avery Kocur is a phenomenal player, and they do a good job of getting her shots. Overall, we are just really pleased with the growth we showed. Now we have to build on it.”
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney: “Tough loss tonight. This one definitely hurts. I thought our girls came out ready to play and had great energy the first half. It was probably the best team defense we’ve played so far this season. We had active hands and were so connected with our rotations and help defense. Offensively, we got out in transition and were sharing the basketball and getting good looks. We maintained control of the game for three quarters. Unfortunately, in the fourth quarter, our offense started to skid. We lost our rhythm and struggled to score. As a result of our offensive struggles and some tired legs, we lost our defensive intensity. We started to give up some offensive rebounds and 50/50 balls. CR North took advantage and was able to get some easy baskets inside and draw some fouls. Once they took a one-point lead, we never recovered and were forced to foul.
“Tomorrow is all about getting back in the gym and getting better. It’s a quick turnaround with divisional play starting Thursday so we need to be ready for a tough Upper Moreland team.”
–Props: “Avery Kocur led the way with 16 points. She continues to improve each game and has the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor.
“Halie Staub had an uncharacteristic game tonight. She’s such a tough kid, who’s so hard on herself. We rely a lot on her and unfortunately tonight she just couldn’t buy a basket. However, she was still being disruptive on defense and finding ways to contribute.”
Up next: Council Rock North (1-3) will travel to Bensalem for Friday’s SOL opener. William Tennent (1-2) will host Upper Moreland in Thursday’s SOL opener.
William Tennent 12-9-9-3 33
Council Rock North 7-9-12-13 41
William Tennent (33) – Aubrey Lynch 3 0-0 8; Lindsey Catoni 1 0-0 3; Avery Kocur 9 1-2 16; Hollie Staub 0 2-4 2; Megan Volz 1 2-4 4; TOTALS 11 5-10 33.
Council Rock North (41) – Julia Koval 2 2-2 6; Amara Arroyo 3 0-0 8; Addie Martin 0 2-4 2; Alexa Bondra 4 3-6 14; Meg Reichenbach 2 6-8 11; TOTALS 11 13-20 41.
3-point goals: WT – Avery Kocur 3, Aubrey Lynch 2, Lindsey Catoni; CRN – Amara Arroyo 2, Alexa Bondra 3, Meg Reichenbach.
UPPER DUBLIN 62, CHELTENHAM 48
Three players scored in double figures for the visiting Cardinals in Tuesday’s non-league game. Junior Emilia Coleman led the way with 18 points – which included four 3-pointers. Freshman Lexi Ngo added 12 points with a pair of 3s, and sophomore Tamia Clark added 11 points.
Cheltenham’s Jiah Price led all scorers with 25 points (4 3-pointers) while Maya Simmons added 13.
The Cardinals buried four 3-pointers in the opening quarter and took a 14-9 lead over the Lady Panthers. Price accounted for all nine of her team’s points. Upper Dublin took a 29-23 lead into halftime and extended that with a 17-point third quarter that was highlighted by the 11-point effort of Coleman, who connected on three 3s in the quarter.
Although the Lady Panthers came up short, it was a dramatic improvement over last year’s 34-point loss to the Cardinals.
“They played well,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said of the Lady Panthers.
By the numbers: In addition to scoring 18 points, Coleman had six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Lexi Ngo also had six rebounds to go along with three assists. Bridget DiMartile had a team-high seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Megan Ngo had 10 assists and three steals.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten:
–Props: “We received a very balanced effort scoring-wise. Lexi Ngo gave us a big boost off the bench and Megan Ngo facilitated all night and finished with 10 assists. Emilia Coleman got hot in the third quarter. She and Megan have a special connection, and Meg knows how to find her. Our defense continues to be a work in progress and is what we need to improve on to take the next step as a team.
Impressive rookie: “I’m very happy for Lexi. She was our point guard all offseason, and now with Meg coming back it has been an adjustment for her to find a role on the team. I thought she played very simple and made good, confident decisions.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (2-1) will travel to Wissahickon for its SOL opener that will be part of a twinbill with the boys’ squad. Cheltenham (1-1) will host Lower Moreland on Friday.
Upper Dublin 14-15-17-16 62
Cheltenham 9-14-11-14 48
Upper Dublin (62) – Bridget DiMartile 1 2-4 5; Tamia Clark 4 3-4 11; Megan Ngo 1 6-6-8; Lexi Ngo 5 0-0 12; Emilia Coleman 7 0-0 18; Ella Morris 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 21 11-14 62.
Cheltenham (48) – Jiah Price 9 3-4 25; Piage Powell 2 0-0 4; Maya Simmons 5 2-3 13; Zoe Thompson 2 1-6 6; TOTALS 18 6-13 48.
3-point goals: UD – Bridget DiMartile, Emilia Coleman 4, Lexi Ngo 2, Ella Morris 2; C – Jiah Price 4, Maya Simmons, Zoe Thompson.
NORTH PENN 47, UNIONVILLE 27
It’s a whole new world for the Knights.
Last year, a veteran North Penn squad advanced to the PIAA 6A state quarterfinals. This year, the Knights’ roster is filled with a whole lot of new, young faces.
After back-to-back losses to open the season against a pair of tough opponents, the Knights notched their first win of the young season.
“I definitely think there’s a benefit,” NP coach Bri Cullen said of facing tough competition. “I’ve always said I’d rather have a hard schedule. Sometimes obviously in the record book, it doesn’t always look as though things are going as good as they might actually be going. I really think if we had come in and won those first two games – there wouldn’t be a whole lot of growth.
“We preach culture over and over again. I think when you start off losing – you have the option to either buy into it or it kind of crumbles, and you’re going to find out really quick.
Fortunately, this group is really buying in.”
The Knights needed a gritty second-half rally to earn the win. After opening up a 15-6 lead in the opening quarter, they did not score a point in the second quarter, but they still took a 15-11 lead into halftime.
North Penn all but put the game out of reach with a 13-5 third quarter, upping the lead to 28-16 heading into the final frame.
Nine players contributed to the scoring – four are sophomores and one is a freshman.
Key players: Senior Cam Crowley and sophomore Lily Brown – two of a handful returning veterans – both had eight points to lead a balanced attack. Leah Mikulski added seven while Lacie Haddock and Tallie Smink both had six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
North Penn coach Bri Cullen: “The key is relying on our defense. With a new group, a young group, a lot of girls playing have never even seen varsity minutes. The biggest thing is buying into the defensive plan, and the offense we’ll figure out.
–A learning curve: “I think it’s learning trust, it’s learning your teammates – what they like, how they play, where they’re open. That’s the kind of stuff that comes. Obviously, we lost a lot of talent, and it’s going to take a little bit to figure out. I’m learning how to coach some of the girls, they’re learning how to play for me.
“You don’t realize the intensity of a varsity game until you’re in it. It’s easy to look at our record and say – ‘Oh, they’re losing,’ but the reality is I have a great group. I couldn’t be happier with them. They’re working hard, they’re willing to learn. What more can you ask?”
–Veteran leadership: “You have Cam Crowley, who is a four-year starter. This is a challenge for her because she’s used to playing with the same girls. Honestly, (senior) Leah Milkulski has really stepped up. It’s not always on the scoreboard. We’re not scoring a bunch of points right now. She knows the culture, she’s been part of the rebuilding of it, and she’s really, really staying on the underclassmen to buy into it.
“You have Lily Brown who’s only a sophomore, but we’re expecting big things from her, and that type of pressure sometimes is just hard to get used to.
“I work them hard. They put a ton of time in, so sometimes they really need a win.”
Up next: North Penn (1-2) will travel to Central Bucks West for Friday’s SOL opener.
Unionville 6-5-5-11 27
North Penn 15-0-13-19 47
Unionville (27) – Jenna Bowman 1 0-0 2; Allie D’Angelo 0 5-8 5; E.Kucharczuk 0 0-2 0; Izzy Della Barba 1 4-8 6, Shannon Megill 3 1-3 7; Bethan Bowden 3 1-3 7; TOTALS 8 11-24 27.
North Penn (47) – Saniah Hammond 0 1-2 1; Cam Crowley 3 2-3 8; Paityn Debro 0 2-2 2; Lily McGee 2 0-0 4; Lily Brown 3 0-0 8; Leah Mikulski 3 1-1 7; Mehya Godhania 1 0-0 2; Lacie Haddock 2 0-0 6; Lailani Williams 1 1-2 3; Tallie Smink 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 17 7-10 47.
3-point goals: NP – Lily Brown 2, Lacie Haddock 2, Tallie Smink 2.
ABINGTON 60, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 34
The Ghosts’ offensive attack has shown continued improvement.
Since scoring just 24 points in a season-opening loss to Central Bucks East, the Ghosts have upped their point total in every game, erupting for 41 points in an explosive first half on their way to the big win.
Aniyah Williams led the Ghosts with 16 first-half points. Maya Johnson had all nine of her points in the opening half. The crafty point guard also had nine assists. Mikiaya Durham added 14 points, including 4 3-points – three in the first half.
Player of the Game: Aniyah Williams had a breakout game, leading the Ghosts with 24 points in just three quarters. Included in those points were three 3-pointers and a 5-for-8 effort at the foul line.
Abington coach Allison Lawson: “Coming into this game, we had a game plan: move the ball on offense and find the mismatch. We executed that great today. We moved the ball and found the open player.”
–Props: “(Aniyah) is finally feeling confident in herself and her game. Maya is doing a great job running the point guard position and getting her teammates involved. Mikiaya did a great job moving to the open area to find her shot.
“We are starting to play as a team, and everyone is starting to gel together.”
The Ghosts took a 41-17 lead into halftime on their way to the big win.
Up next: Abington (1-3) will host Hatboro-Horsham in Thursday’s SOL opener, and Central Bucks West 1-4) will host North Penn Friday.
Abington 20-21-12-7 60
Central Bucks West 11-6-7-10 34
Abington (60) – Maya Johnson 9, Mikiaya Durham 14, Shaya Crafton 4, Caliegh Fitzgerald 2, Hannah Gilchrist 2, Vanessa Griffin 2, Hailey Hernandez 1, Arianna Lipford 2, Aniyah Williams 24.
Central Bucks West (34) – Erica Madden 3, Peyton Cramer 9, Miya McDaniel 1, Addy Fay 4, Marleigh Mallon 4, Audra Lawson 8, Emily Ladley 5.
3-point field goals: A – Mikiaya Durham 4, Aniyah Williams 3, Maya Johnson; CBW –
UPPER MORELAND 45, WISSAHICKON 26
The visiting Golden Bears opened up a 26-10 halftime lead and never looked back on their way to the win over the Trojans.
Key players: Mikel Lancit had 12 of her 16 points in the first half, and Lianna Adames hit two 3 pointers in the first half (finished with 13).
Katelyn Thomson led the Trojans with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Upper Moreland coach Josh Adelman: “The story of the night for us was a total team effort on the defensive end. Quality contributions from Emma and Hailey Kramer and Hailey Milks and Marie Meyers on the boards really kept Wissahickon from going on a run.
“The Dome is a tough place to play, but luckily Mikel and Lianna hit some clutch first half shots, and we built a nice lead. It was a nice win for us and allowed us to bounce back from a tough loss this weekend.”
Props to Trojans: “Katelyn Thomson really played a great game for Wissahickon, and they kept battling for 32 minutes.”
Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims: “It was a tough loss, but credit to Upper Moreland for their impressive performance. They shot the ball extremely well and executed their offense efficiently throughout the game.”
Up next: Upper Moreland (5-1) will travel to William Tennent Thursday for its SOL opener. Wissahickon (2-2) will host Villa Joseph Marie in a non-league game Wednesday.
Upper Moreland 13-13-9-10 45
Wissahickon 4-6-11-5 26
Upper Moreland (45) – Mikel Lancit 6 2-2 16; Lianna Adames 5 0-0 13; Hailey Kramer 1 2-2 4; Marie Meyers 2 1-2 6; Emma Kramer 1 0-1 2; Hailey Milks 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 17 5-7 45.
Wissahickon (26) – Julia Lettieri 1 1-4 3; Maura Jacob 1 0-0 3; Casey Burden 3 0-0 6; Katelyn Thomson 6 0-1 12; Kai Potter 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 12 1-5 26.
3-point goals: UM –Leanna Adames 3, Mikel Lancit 2, Marie Meyers; W – Maura Jacob.
AGNES IRWIN 43, PENNSBURY 36
The Falcons found themselves on the short end of a 21-13 score at halftime but – behind three 3-pointers by Ava Jordan – outscored their hosts 14-7 in the third quarter to make it a 28-27 game after three quarters.
The fourth quarter belonged to Agnes Irwin’s Simone Harvey, who scored 13 of her game-high 20 points in the final frame.
“We had a nice comeback in the second half on some Ava Jordan 3s and cut it to one midway through the fourth, but we lost Harvey on the next possession and that’s something that will happen when people are thrust into different situations and learning the game,” Pennsbury coach Fran Sciolla said. “From that point, she went crazy and made some really difficult shots that were impressive.”
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla: “We are still at a point where we are establishing roles, almost every player is in a new role. We are thankful that we have an eager group of young women who really wants to learn. We also saw this coming a few years ago, so we knew that this year was going to be one where we would be able to take a number of lessons as they come.
“The key for us is staying positive and using moments like today as a learning experience.
“Watching the game through the eyes of so many 9th and 10th graders and seniors who are in different roles has been a great experience. “Confidence is the key, and we will keep trying to build it.”
–Props to Owls: “Agnes Irwin is a very nice school with a beautiful campus, and they do have one of the better guards in the 2027 class. Simone Harvey is a smooth shooting lefty and she was in foul trouble in the first half and we had an opportunity to make a move, but we are not at that point yet of maturity where we can do that.
“I was especially impressed with some of their other players as three different players that were not traditionally 3-point shooters were able to knock 3s down, and that’s really big in close games.”
Up next: Pennsbury (1-3) will host Harry S Truman in its SOL opener Thursday.
Pennsbury 8-5-14-9 36
Agnes Irwin 8-13-7-15 43
Pennsbury (36) – Emily Panero 0 0-2 0; Grace Schaufler 2 0-0 4; Maggie Burns 1 1-2 3; Sammie Haws 3 3-4 10; Alyssa Thomas 1 0-0 1; Ava Jordan 4 3-4 14; Keira Socha 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 12 7-12 36.
Agnes Irwin (43) – S.Harvey 8 0-0 20; M.Harvey 1 0-0 2; Seibert 1 0-0 3, Comly 1 0-0 3; Lynch 2 0-0 6; Perkins 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 17 0-0 43.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Ava Jordan 3, Keira Socha, Sammie Haws; AG – S.Harvey 4, Lynch 2, Seibert, Comly, Perkins.
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