Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Saturday. CB East/New Hope-Solebury photos provided courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball.
GA GIRLS’ BASKETBALL WINTER CLASSIC
Abington 66, Germantown Academy 51
The Ghosts staged a heroic comeback in the second half of Saturday’s title game, rallying from seven down to win going away. Leading the charge was Cire Worley, who was a one-woman wrecking crew. The junior standout had a career day, scoring 37 points – a modern day Abington record. Nineteen of those points came in the pivotal fourth quarter as she spearheaded the Ghosts wild finish.
“She’s a different player this year – she’s a complete player,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said. “She plays both ends of the floor, and the way we play feeds right into her too.
“We pressed the whole game, and we just wore them down, and they’re good too. They have two D-1 kids, so it was a real good win for us.”
The Ghosts, who trailed 14-6 after one quarter, found themselves on the short end of a 26-22 halftime score.
“We got behind early, and I kept telling our kids – ‘Listen, patience – we’ll wear them down,’” Marsh said. “We were more patient, and we were able to wear them down and took control in the second half.
“Cire (Worley) is at the top of our press, so she’s going to get a lot of the steals because she’s right at the basket. Even when we steal it, they’re feeding it right to her because she’s right there.”
Included in Worley’s 19-point fourth quarter onslaught were two 3-pointers. She finished with five treys and was 11-for-12 at the foul line.
“She scored in every possible situation,” Marsh said. “She was very good tonight, but it was a complete team effort. Everyone played very well together.
“It was our defense that did it – it wore them down, and we were able to capitalize on their mistakes.”
Also for the Ghosts, Jaida Helm and Abril Bowser both added 10 points. Worley and Helm were named to the all-tournament team.
“GA is big – I don’t think they have anyone under 5-8 out on the floor, and we have three little mighty mites out there just pressuring,” Marsh said. “All three of them are 5-2. Jordyn Reynolds and Piper McGinley coming off the bench – it’s constant energy.
“That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to get up and down the floor and get as many easy buckets as we can and force as many turnovers as we can. Cire obviously played great, but there were a lot of deflections and steals that were a total team effort – led by Cire’s leadership, and Jaida was great too. She was in foul trouble, but she was able to play the entire fourth quarter with four fouls.”
Abington (2-0) will host Upper Dublin in Tuesday’s SOL opener. The game will represent a dramatic contrast in styles.
Abington (66) – Cire Worley 11 11-12 37; Jaida Helm 4 2-3 10; Maya Johnson 1 0-0 2; Dani Brusha 1 2-2 4; Piper McGinley 0 2-2 2; Abril Bowser 3 2-4 10
LOWER MERION TIPOFF TOURNAMENT
Council Rock South 70, Chichester 17
The Golden Hawks made easy business of Chichester, rolling to the win in Saturday’s title game and capturing the tournament crown.
“I was happy that the girls finished the tournament strong,” Rock South coach Blair Klumpp said. “Early on in the year with a fairly young team, these types of tournaments can either rattle your confidence a bit or get you some confidence. We were pleased with many things this weekend and also know we have to improve in some areas as league play approaches.”
The Golden Hawks, who led 17-7 after one quarter, erupted for 23 points in the second quarter, opening up a 40-11 lead.
“Karissa Smedley was really aggressive, driving to the basket and playing within herself,” Klumpp said. “We didn’t start the game shooting as well as we did Friday, but we did a great job on the offensive glass and moving the ball to get good looks. I thought the game kind of got out of reach at the end of the second quarter. We ended on something like a 12-0 run going into the half, and it was all within the last two minutes or so.
“Jenna Waterman played a big part in that stretch, she hit a three, had a great rotation on the press to cause a turnover, then had a drive and finish at the halftime buzzer. It was a great job by her just getting back to what she does and being very solid. The thing I am most happy about (aside from two wins) is the number of contributions we are getting from girls and how locked in every single girl is. Our rotation flowed a little differently than Friday, and girls were ready to go.”
Smedley’s 14 points led a balanced Rock South attack. Ryann Szydlik added 11 points while Fiona Reckner had eight points. Lili Metrick and Katie Purpura each contributed seven. Mia Stock had six points.
“We got good balance again offensively,” Klumpp said. “We have stressed to them that we like our depth, and I think you could see them buy into that so far, they don’t really care who gets the credit, and that’s a tribute to our upperclassmen and the foundation they are trying to set and to the younger girls for totally buying into what we want and how we expect to play and carry ourselves.
“I thought Katie Purpura was all over defensively and really gave herself up for her teammates. She was diving for every loose ball, driving and kicking out to open girls, a lot of little things we emphasize that teams need to do to be better than good. Those things are what got someone like Smedley minutes as a freshman, but now you see the trickle down of that stuff being done in practice and emphasized and the girls buying in.”
Cam Gregory was voted to all-tournament team by the opposing coaches.
“She didn’t have the offensive output as game one, but she played within the system and had a few big hustle plays that stick out as well,” Klumpp said. “Mia Stock did a really good job going to the glass, especially the offensive glass. We really controlled the backboard today, led by her.
“Our bench was really good again. Aside from Jenna’s production, we got double digits from Ryann Szydlik. Metrick and Reckner were good in back-to-back games, and as freshmen that’s a good sign. Darcy Leight didn’t play as early as she did Friday but was ready to go and had multiple contributions which speaks to how engaged I think the girls have been.
“This group is engaged in game and seem really close in ways some of my previous teams have not, and that can go a long way in a season. We need to get after each other in practice this week and not get complacent. We play a really tough Neshaminy team Tuesday, and we need to get the best out of one another preparing for that. I’m happy for the girls because their effort and attitude were really good this weekend.”
Council Rock South (2-0) will host Neshaminy on Tuesday.
Chichester 7-4-4-2 17
Council Rock South 17-23-19-11 70
Chichester (17) – Moyer 2, Taylor 2, Jones 8, Madison 4, Scott 1; TOTALS 5 6-10 17.
Council Rock South (70) – Kathryn O’Kane 3, Lili Metrick 7, Lily Bross 4, Jenna Waterman 5, Katie Purpura 7, Ryann Szydlik 11, Cam Gregory 5, Fiona Reckner 8, Mia Stock 6, Karissa Smedley 14; TOTALS 27 9-14 70
SHE GOT GAME CLASSIC
Pennsbury 39, Norview (Va.) 37
The Falcons took early control of their season opener against Norview, turning an 8-5 lead after one quarter into a 17-10 halftime advantage. They opened up a 27-13 lead after three quarters before Norview stated a fourth quarter comeback rally that fell short.
“Norview is impressively long, athletic and well coached,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “I can see why they are successful. They were missing their starting point guard due to injury and that enabled us to create issues for them.
“They play with a level of size and aggressiveness that we don’t often see, but we answered the biggest question for us in regard to rebounding.”
Ava Sciolla led all scorers with 13 points, which included three 3-pointers.
“Daniella MacDonald sparked us off the bench and hit a big momentum killing three for us in the fourth quarter,” Sciolla said of a trey that turned a three-point Falcon lead to seven. “It’s that incredible environment that we are playing in.
“On the court next to us, the number one and number two teams in the country were playing. This is an atmosphere that many of our girls have never seen, and working in four new starters in this world, it’s going to have its ups and downs, but we are proud of them.”
In addition to MacDonald’s big 3-point bucket – she had two treys in the game, Sofia Vitucci buried a pair of clutch free throws to ice the game late. Vitucci was a perfect 4-for-4 at the line in the fourth quarter.
Sciola, Sofia Vitucci and Nevaeh Dash all were battling foul woes.
“It forced us to change how we defended,” Sciolla said.
In addition to scoring 13 points, Sciolla also had five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Nicole Pompili had three assists while Vitucci had four steals. Nevaeh Dash scored seven points.
Pennsbury (1-0) will face Cathedral (Mass.) on Sunday at 9 a.m.
Pennsbury 8-9-10-12 39
Norview (Va.) 5-5-3-24 37
Pennsbury (39) – Ava Sciolla 5 0-1 13; Danielle Sherman 2 1-2 5; Daniella MacDonald 2 0-0 6; Sofia Vitucci 0 4-4 4; Nicole Pompili 1 1-2 4; Nevaeh Dash 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 13 6-9 39.
Norview (37) – J. Bryant 3 1-2 7; D.Wiggins 1 2-5 4; T. James 2 0-4 5; Leyla Minor 4 0-0 10; P. Minor 2 1-2 4; T.Taitano 1 0-0 3; J. Smith 1 0-2 2; C.Veal 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 14 5-17 37.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Ava Sciolla 3, Daniella MacDonald 2, Nicole Pompili, Nevaeh Dash; Norview – Leyla Minor 2, T.James, T.Taitano.
Neshaminy 35, South Lakes 27 (Va.)
The Redskins opened up a 24-7 halftime lead, and although South Lakes battled back gamely in the second half, the Redskins buried foul shots when it mattered most to ice the win.
“It was interesting – Pennsbury and us played similar type teams,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “We were better than them. We went up 13 at one point in the second half and couldn’t shake them. The game got a little chippy.
“We made a lot of foul shots. It came down to a foul shooting contest in the last quarter, and we hit a lot of foul shots.”
Sophomore Lola Ibarrondo wasted little time before making her presence felt, scoring seven of her team’s 13 first-quarter points. The Redskins took a seemingly comfortable 17-point lead into halftime and still led 27-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
“South Lakes had two good inside players, and they ran high low, and they got us on the offensive boards in the fourth quarter,” Gallagher said. “Our 13-point lead went down to four at one point, and it was all off of offensive rebounds.
“The other team wasn’t shooting real well, and we actually went to a zone as we had a little bit of foul trouble, and we thought we could get them in a zone. We saw them play on a video, and they went scoreless in the third quarter when the other team came out in a zone. We did the same exact thing in the same quarter, but we stayed with it too long in the fourth quarter. They adapted and started to get us on the offensive glass.”
Reese Zemitis, named game MVP, led the Redskins with 10 points and eight rebounds. Ibarrondo added nine points and seven rebounds while Taylor Gurysh had eight points and five boards.
Neshaminy (1-0) will face Friendship Collegiate from Washington, D.C., on Sunday at 9 a.m.
Neshaminy 13-11-3-8 35
South Lakes 6-1-7-13 27
Neshaminy (35) – Taylor Gurysh 8, Anna Saska 2, Maya Lewis 2, Mimi Smith 2, Lola Ibarrondo 9, Reese Zemitis 10.
SOL CHALLENGE
Central Bucks South 40, Upper Dublin 29
For the second time in as many outings, Taylor Hinkle came up big, scoring 18 points – 16 in the first three quarters to propel the Titans to a 38-23 lead heading into the final quarter. The Flying Cardinals limited the Titans to just one field goal in the final frame, but by then, the outcome had been decided.
“It was a tough one,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “CB South came out in the first half. They shot the ball really well. We feel, as a coaching staff, that we’re still making too many mistakes defensively.
“Even against CB East, we thought we made some mistakes defensively. I think it’s something we’re going to clean up. In the scrimmages, we were pretty solid defensively, but the first couple of games we’re making too many mistakes. We’re obviously not shooting the ball well either. Our shooting numbers are not good. We have to try to get the girls in better spots to be more successful.”
The Titans – behind six points from Hinkle and four from Yoyo Samayoa – led 12-9 after one quarter. They took a 27-17 lead into halftime.
“They’re very disciplined on offense and run their sets,” South coach Beth Mattern said of the Cardinals. “I feel as though everyone on Upper Dublin knows their roles very well. They make you really defend them for an extended period of time.
“The first half we scored 27 points, so we tried to come out, set a tone and control the game.”
Hinkle and Samayoa both had 10 points in the opening half. Amy Ngo paced the Cardinals with 10 points.
The Titans outscored the Cardinals 11-6 in the third quarter, but then endured a two-point fourth quarter.
“We obviously were trying to control the clock, use up time, and Upper Dublin played a nice strong fourth quarter,” Mattern said.
For his part, Funsten liked his team’s fight late in the game.
“The game was not as close as the final score,” the UD coach said. “They were up 17, and it looked like they were about to run away with it, and our girls in the last minute-and-a-half really showed a lot of fight and basically scored the last six points of the game. We’re trying to take the positives out of everything, especially not having a ton of experience right now.
“That’s what we’re trying to build off of – how we finished strongly. Aditi Foster came off the bench and gave us some really good minutes and provided a nice spark. Amy (Ngo) shouldered the load offensively. She battled, and all the girls battled. It was a very tough day but a strong finish, and we’re going to try and take the momentum into Abington on Tuesday.”
For the Cardinals, Ngo led the way with 20 of her team’s 29 points with three other teammates combining for the remaining nine. She also had six rebounds, three deflections and four steals. Klammer led the Cardinals with seven rebounds and also had three deflections, one assist and one block. Geena Sarnoski had four assists.
For the Titans, in addition to Hinkle, Samayoa had 10 points, including a pair of 3s, and Mackenzie Erb had six.
“Taylor once again had a nice game,” Mattern said. “She pulled a lot of defensive boards for us.
“Also, Maddy Tantum had a big block that led to some transition points, and she just played really tough and smart inside.”
Central Bucks South (2-0) will travel to Souderton on Tuesday, and Upper Dublin (1-1) will be on the road at Abington.
Central Bucks South (40) – 8 1-2 18; Alyssa D’Orazio 1 0-0 2; Mackenzie Erb 2 1-3 6; Maddy Tantum 2 0-0 4; Yoyo Samayoa 4 0-0 10; TOTALS 17 3-5 40.
Upper Dublin (29) – Aditi Foster 1 0-0 2; Geena Sarnoski 2 0-0 5; Colleen Klammer 1 0-0 2; Amy Ngo 9 1-2 20; TOTALS 13 1-2 29.
3-point goals: CBS – Yoyo Samayoa 2, Mackenzie Erb, UD – Amy Ngo, Geena Sarnoski.
Central Bucks East 51, New Hope-Solebury 35
Anna Barry buried four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the first quarter, igniting the Patriots and setting the tone for Saturday’s decisive win.
“That’s always huge – that was her role last year,” East coach Liz Potash said. “It was usually in the second quarter she would come in and do it, so now it’s a little different coming in off the bat, but Anna can shoot the ball.
“Any time she has a good look, we want her to shoot it, and she was hot from the beginning. Even the ones she didn’t make were in and out. She had some really good looks, good takes. She was being smart going to the basket. Life becomes easy when kids make some shots.”
The win came on the heels of a disappointing 28-23 loss to Upper Dublin less than 24 hours earlier that saw Barry limited to just two points.
“Yesterday was frustrating because it could have been a win,” Potash said. “Defensively, I was really happy with what we did, keeping them at 28, but you’re not going to win games scoring 23.
“We know that we can put some points on the board. We saw it throughout the fall, but it’s all making good, smart reads on defense, and we were really happy with how we kind of came back in terms of what we wanted to improve from yesterday to today. We thought the girls did that well. There were definitely some areas where we thought we could have done better last night, and we did it today. We’re not so much a young team but an inexperienced team. It’s a lot of new pieces and new roles, and they did a great job today bouncing back.”
Sparked by Barry’s early heroics – she connected on 4-of-5 threes in the first quarter, the Patriots led 18-12 after one quarter and stretched that to 30-17 by halftime. They never looked back.
Also coming up big for the Patriots was Elise Duffy, who had 10 first-half points and scored in every quarter on her way to a 16-point effort. One night earlier, Duffy – a standout soccer player who has signed with Drexel University – led the Patriots with 11 points.
“Elise is interesting,” Potash said. “She’s a four-year varsity player and a two-year starter, but she played significant minutes her sophomore year. I always get defensive when they say she’s just a soccer player.
“Elise a good basketball player. I’m sure if she had devoted as much time to it as she has to soccer – she’d be playing basketball in college somewhere. She’s just so athletic. We need her to be more of an offensive threat this year than she’s ever had to be, and she’s doing it, and she can. What she’s always given us is drives around the basket, but she’s been hitting outside shots the last two games, and she’s been doing it in practice. It’s exciting.”
For the Lions, Madi Fasti had another big game, finishing with 15 points, which included three 3-pointers. Reagan Chrencik added eight points.
Central Bucks East (1-1) will travel to Pennridge for Tuesday’s SOL opener. New Hope-Solebury (0-2) will be on the road at Springfield Township Tuesday.
New Hope-Solebury 12-5-10-8 35
Central Bucks East 18-12-9-12 51
New Hope-Solebury (35) – Sammy McAndrew 2 0-1 5; Isabella Elizardo 0 2-2 2; Reagan Chrencik 2 3-4 8; Madi Fasti 5 2-2 15; Emma Ives 1 0-0 2; Grace Fitzgerald 1 0-0 2; Isha Mukherjee 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 11 8-11 35.
Central Bucks East (51) – Erin LeRay 1 0-0 3; Chantal Van Dongeren 2 0-0 5; Shayne LeRay 1 0-0 2; Anna Barry 6 3-4 19; Elise Duffy 8 0-0 16; Kendall Gregor 1 0-0 2; Emily Curran 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 20 5-6 51.
3-point goals: NHS – Madi Fasti 3, Sammy McAndrew, Reagan Chrencik; CBE – Anna Barry 4, Erin LeRay, Chantal Van Dongeren.
8th ANNUAL JIM CHURCH CLASSIC
Souderton 61, Abington Heights 32
Lynn Carroll never doubted her team would be fine despite its disappointing loss to Lansdale Catholic in Friday’s opener
Erin Bohmueller and Brooke Fenchel validated their coach’s faith in her young squad in Saturday’s no-doubt-about-it win over Abington Heights in a consolation round contest. The sharpshooting duo combined for eight 3-pointers and 32 points with Bohmueller leading all scorers with five 3’s and a career high 18 points. Fenchel added three 3-pointers and 14 points.
“Erin is an incredibly skilled player who is unselfish to a fault,” Carroll said. “She sees the court well and is a great passer, but we need her looking for her shot more. She played with so much confidence today.
“They came out in man and then sat back in a zone. Based on last night, they tried to take away our bigs in the middle. Our girls played smart basketball, kept working the ball around until we got a good look. Erin and Brooke were the recipient of those looks, and they knocked them down.”
Bohmueller had the hot hand early, burying a pair of 3s in a first quarter that saw the Indians open up a 14-3 lead. By halftime, she had four 3-pointers and 14 points, and the Indians – who also received eight points from Teya McConnaha inside – led 33-15.
In the third quarter, it was Fenchel’s turn to shine. The sophomore sank a pair of 3’s and also had a conventional 3-point play, leading an 18-8 Indians’ tear.
“What we talked about in the locker room after the game was – teams are going to have to choose,” said Carroll, whose team led 51-23 heading into the final quarter. “They’re going to have to choose between keeping the ball out of the middle either by pass penetration to Teya (McConnaha) and Mikayla (McGillian), dribble penetration by Casey (Harter) or get out on our shooters.
“They really packed it in. I think everybody wished they had played better yesterday, and Erin and Brooke did not play the way they’re capable of playing yesterday. I think first game jitters definitely had an impact, so for them to turn around in less than 24 hours and both have career nights was just huge. If they don’t hit those shots, they can stay in that zone and pack it in. They hit big shots, and they were not hesitant at all and played with a ton of confidence.”
In addition to Bohmueller and Fenchel, McConnaha – who earned a spot on the all-tournament team – had 14 points to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks. Harter added 10 points, which included a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line. She also had seven rebounds and eight assists. The Indians connected on 17-of-18 at the foul with McConnaha a perfect 4-for-4 and Fenchel 3-for-3.
“We had four kids in double figures,” Carroll said. “I think it’s going to be that way all year. I think a different kid could step up every night. We don’t need one or two of them to be big scorers. It can be anybody.”
The veteran coach also lauded her team’s defensive play.
“Our defense was great – it was really, really solid,” Carroll said. “Their point guard is a great athlete, and Casey (Harter) did what Casey always does on defense.
“They have a post player who’s solid, but it was an all-around team effort with good man defense and good help defense off the ball.”
Souderton (1-1) will host Central Bucks South in its SOL opener on Tuesday.
Abington Heights 3-12-8-9 32
Souderton 14-19-18-10 61
Souderton (61) – Brooke Fenchel 4 3-3 14; Erin Bohmueller 6 1-2 18; Mikayla McGillian 2 1-1 5; Casey Harter 1 8-8 10; Teya McConnaha 5 4-4 14; TOTALS 18 17-18 61.
Abington Heights (32) – Zalewski 1 0-0 2; Coleman 2 0-0 5; Dammer 5 0-1 10; McDonald 0 2-2 2; Scoblick 4 5-6 13; TOTALS 12 7-9 32
3-point goals: AH – Coleman; Souderton – Erin Bohmueller 5, Brooke Fenchel 3.
BRISTOL TIPOFF TOURNAMENT
Lower Moreland 45, Bristol 12
The Lions saw Friday’s season opener against Nazareth Academy cancelled due to a COVID outbreak, so instead of playing one game both Friday and Saturday, they played two on Saturday and easily won both.
Sparked by the hot hand of Jess Dugo, the Lions opened up a 14-1 lead over Bristol after one quarter and never looked back.
“Jess Dugo got off to a strong start by hitting her first three 3-point attempts,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “We were able to win the first quarter 14-1 and were up 29-6 at the half.
“Overall, we played 14 players in the game and were able to get eight different girls to score.”
Dugo led all scorers with 11 points and freshmen Briana McFerran contributed nine points off of the bench.
Lower Moreland 14-15-8-8 45
Bristol 1-6-9-2 12
Lower Moreland (45) – Amelia Brown 2 0-0 5; Jess Shein 0 1-2 1; Liz Neeld 3 1-2 7; Jess Dugo 3 2-8 11; Grace Curran 2 0-0 4; Zoe Alden 0 0-2 0; Briana McFerran 3 3-4 9; Kiera Hubler 2 0-0 4; Nikki 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 17 7-18 45.
3-point goals: LM – Jess Dugo 3, Amelia Brown.
Lower Moreland 48, Morrisville 24
The Lions notched their second win of the day, but this one was much more challenging.
Behind five points from Liz Neeld, the Lions led 9-7 after one quarter and took a 22-16 lead into halftime. Neel accounted for nine of her team’s points.
“We started slow, and part of that is a credit to what (Morrisville coach) Tanya (Argueta) did with having her girls ready to play,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “They were energetic and took us out of our rhythm for a little while.
“At the half we made a few adjustments, and we were able to start the fourth quarter with a 38-17 lead. The key for us was that Tori Finnegan and Liz Neeld were excellent on the defensive and were able to get out in transition.”
Neeld and Finnegan led the Lions in scoring with 12 and 10 points respectively. Sam Moshinski added six points.
“Sam Moshinski came off the bench and hit a few baskets to help get us going,” Becker said. “Overall, it was a good way to start the season, but if we want to be competitive with Upper Moreland on Tuesday, we have a lot to tighten up.”
Lower Moreland (2-0) will travel to Upper Moreland for Tuesday’s SOL opener.
Lower Moreland 9-13-16-10 48
Morrisville 7-9-1-7 24
Lower Moreland (48) – Tori Finnegan 5 0-0 10; amellia Brown 2 0-0 5; Jess Shein 1 1-2 3; Liz Neeld 5 2-3 12; Jess Dugo 1 1-3 3; Sam Moshinski 3 0-0 6; Grace Curran 1 0-0 2; Brianna McFerran 2 0-0 5; Nikki Sahl 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 21 4-8 48.
3-point goals: LM – Brian McFerran, Amelia Brown.
11TH ANNUAL PENNRIDGE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Council Rock North 47, Quakertown 27
What a difference a day makes.
Twenty-four hours after managing just nine field goals in a crushing 56-23 loss to Pennridge, the Indians bounced back with an impressive shooting effort, burying nine 3-pointers and scoring 47 points in a decisive win over the Panthers.
“A night after a dispiriting loss and against a dangerous Quakertown team, I was really proud of the way the girls bounced back,” Rock North coach Jim Roynan said. “From the opening tip to the final buzzer, they played with the energy and effort that is really fundamental to the way we want to play.
“We shot the ball very poorly last night, which led to a lot of easy run-out baskets for Pennridge. A lot of that was due to a lack of ball movement, something that we’ve really embraced as the way we want to play on offense this season. Tonight against Quakertown, we committed to running our offense, moving the ball, being patient, and finding good shots. We made nine 3-pointers and got a lot of really good looks from our offense.”
In the second quarter, the Indians, who led 10-4 after one frame, outscored the Panthers 17-5 to go into halftime with a commanding 27-9 lead. Riley Hamilton’s eight points – which included two 3s – led a balanced attack in the half. Kristen Polinsky added a pair of 3-pointers for six points.
Hamilton – who added three more 3s after the intermission – finished with a game-high 19 points, which included five 3s. Delaney McCaffry also finished in double figures with 10 points and had a pair of 3-pointers.
“Riley was terrific, not only leading the team in scoring but battling hard all night for rebounds,” Roynan said. “Her shooting really gave us a lift, and the rest of the team followed suit.
“Delaney pitched in on the offensive end by hitting some key threes and making some tough shots in traffic, and she really had an all-around excellent game on both ends of the floor. She did a great job finding teammates for open looks, and she was also really engaged on the defensive end and also on the glass.”
The Indians’ coach saw a lot of things he liked in Saturday’s win.
“Delaney (McCaffry) and Kiera (Katz) did a great job running the team, handling pressure, and defending on the perimeter,” Roynan said. “They were the primary defenders on (Katie) Catalano and held her scoreless.
“Lizzie (Lustig), Ruth (O’Keefe), and Riley (Hamilton) were all excellent in holding (Carolyn) Sipprell to nine points. And the team in general was excellent in our defensive rotations. We really fought for every rebound and loose ball. There were probably 10 times tonight where our girls were the first ones on the floor to get a loose ball. That kind of effort is really contagious.
“When we can get teams to run halfcourt offense, our defense has been really solid. Tonight, the whole team was locked in and playing together. We really got a lot of energy from our defensive intensity, and that translated into confidence on the offensive end.”
Sipprell’s nine points led the Panthers. Laney Mitchell added six.
Council Rock North (1-1) will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday, and Quakertown (1-1) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh Tuesday.
Council Rock North 10-17-12-8 47
Quakertown 4-5-12-6 27
Council Rock North (47) – Claire Pirkle 1 0-0 2; Kiera Katz 1 0-0 2; Lizzie Lustig 2 0-0 4; Delaney McCaffry 3 2-2 10; Riley Hamilton 6 2-4 19; Sofia Shields 1 0-0 2; Kristen Polinsky 2 0-0 6; Ruth O’Keefe 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 4-6 47.
Quakertown (27) – Carolyn Sipprell 2 5-6 9; Katie Haggerty 2 0-0 4; Laney Mitchell 3 0-1 6; Maureen Heely 1 0-0 2; Ava Pistone 1 1-1 3; Katie Offner 1 1-1 3; TOTALS 10 7-11 27.
3-point goals: CRN – Riley Hamilton 5, Delaney McCaffry 2, Kristen Polinsky 2.
Pennridge 52, Southern Lehigh 20
For the second time in as many days, Katie Yoder and Anna Croyle led the way as the Rams picked up a win.
Yoder scored 19 while Croyle chipped in 10 for a fast-starting Pennridge team. Behind the force of their defense, which accumulated six steals and three blocks in the first quarter, the Rams raced out to a 21-7 lead after eight minutes.
“Last year was a matter of not having experience, now they all have that year under their belt and they’ve been working hard,” Pennridge coach Mike Elton said. “They work hard in the offseason and it’s starting to click.”
Ryan Hodder contributed five helpers to lead a pass-happy offense that assisted 12 of its 20 made field goals. Yoder finished with five steals, a block and four rebounds while Croyle chipped in two blocks, two assists and four rebounds.
Pennridge (2-0) travels to Central Bucks East on Tuesday to begin SOL play.
Pennridge 21-17-6-8 52
Southern Lehigh 7-4-2-7 20
Pennridge (52) – Anna Croyle 10, Katie Yoder 19, Ava Unzicker 4, Emma Pyne 4, Ava Fantaskey 9, Emma Brown 6. Totals: 20 7-10 52
Southern Lehigh (20) – Lewis 5, Weirer 4, MacIntosh 4, McInhold 4, Vande-Bunte 1, Seagreave 2. Totals: 8 3-6 20
3-pointers: P – Yoder 2, Fantaskey 2, Pyne; SL – Lewis
WILDCAT CLASSIC
Coatesville 43, Cheltenham 21
The Red Raiders – behind nine points from Danae Ellzy – opened up a 22-3 lead over the Lady Panthers after one quarter and extended that to 37-8 at halftime. Ellzy accounted for 19 of her team’s points.
“Number 10 on Coatesville had it going early, and we didn’t adjust in time,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “We need to take what positives we can from this weekend and get ready for conference play this week.”
Mikahila Leighton’s eight points led the Lady Panthers. Cassie Bugg added seven.
Cheltenham (0-2) will travel to William Tennent on Tuesday.
Coatesville 22-15-6-0 43
Cheltenham 3-5-4-9 21
Cheltenham (21) – Mikahila Leighton 8, Arianna Davis 2, Tyrina Ragsdale 3; Cassie Bugg 7; Saniyah 1
Non-league
Upper Moreland 50, Academy of the New Church 38
The Golden Bears needed a bounce-back win after Friday’s season-opening loss to Bensalem. They got it less than 24 hours later with a convincing win over ANC.
“We had an emotional loss last night,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “We didn’t play our best, I didn’t coach my best and it was a tough one to get over. Thankfully our game ended at 7:30, and we only had about 17 hours before our next game, so we had to move on quick.”
UM took a 10-5 lead into the second quarter when the Golden Bears erupted for 17 points to go into halftime with a 27-15 lead. Emmy Faith Wood and Holly Gohl both scored 11 points in the half to ignite the offense. The two teams exchanged baskets in the second half as the Golden Bears went on to earn the important win.
“We knew ANC had some good guards who looked to attack the basket and for the most part we contained them,” Carroll said. “Osborne for ANC is a really good player, and I thought EmmyFaith did a great job covering her and holding her to two. Xola and Omega Wade are two other guards who can attack the basket and shoot, and a combination of Mikel (Lancit), Brooke (Lubban), and Kiera (Coyle) helped keep them in check for the most part.”
Wood led all scorers with 18 points while Gohl added 13. Emma Hurley chipped in eight points.
“Last night we were 4-for-23 from three and only took two free throws,” Carroll said. “We made a conscience effort to get to the basket and get to the foul line.
“We took 27 (foul shots) today, a lot in the second half when we got them in the penalty. Overall, we lost some key players to graduation last year and we are still trying to figure out our roles. Thankfully, EmmyFaith is our constant and she really led the way today offensively both creating for herself and for others. She should shoot the ball 20-plus times a game, but she’s so unselfish and looks to create for her teammates. We gotta start to find out way and our identity as we start league play next week.”
Upper Moreland (1-1) will host Lower Moreland in Tuesday’s SOL opener.
Academy of the New Church 5-10-13-10 38
Upper Moreland 10-17-12-11 50
Academy of the New Church (38) – R.Clark 1 2-4 4; X.Wade 3 4-8 10; O.Wade 3 0-0 7; T.Richards 3 0-2 6; A. Frank 3 1-2 9; A.Mejia 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 7-16 38.
Upper Moreland (50) – Brooke Lubban 0 0-2 0; EmmyFaith Wood 6 4-6 18; Kiera Coyle 2 0-2 5; Marie Meyers 0 2-4 2; Abby Engart 0 0-2 0; Holly Gohl 6 1-2 13; Emma Hurley 2 4-5 8; Mikel Lancit 1 2-4 4; TOTALS 16 13-27 50.
3-point goals: ANC – A.Frank 2, O.Wade; UM – EmmyFaith Wood 2, Kiera Coyle.
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