Check out the SOL girls’ basketball teams that were in action on Wednesday.
NESHAMINY 58, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 53
The Redskins had an impressive debut on Wednesday, using their aggressive pressure defense to hand the Bucks their first loss of the season.
“I think we’re similar teams except they’re bigger,” Neshaminy coach Joe Lally said. “They have more size than we do, so we knew we had to use our speed. Our press was very effective tonight.”
The catalyst for the Redskins’ press was junior point guard Megan Schafer, who came close to notching an unlikely triple double with 11 points, 11 assists and eight steals.
“She played really well,” Lally said. “We got really good contributions from a lot of players.
“Sarah Oliveira had 16 points, Lori Paulits had 15, and down the stretch, McKenna Mullin had a huge three when they were battling back. They’re a very well-coached team, and those kids don’t quit. I was at their Abington game, and they just endure. They battle. I was really proud of our kids to be able to fight the test against a really good team like CB West.”
The Redskins led 12-9 at the end of one quarter and took a 21-18 lead into halftime. It was a one-point game heading into the fourth quarter (34-33), but the Skins held on for the win.”
“This was huge,” Lally said. “I really can’t put into words how important it is for us to start off on the right foot and to start confident.”
The first-year coach starts one senior, three juniors and two sophomores.
“We’re on the young side, and we changed our style to completely press and run and create some turnovers to make up for our lack of size,” Lally said. “The girls were phenomenal. They played their hearts out.
“We worked hard to get a good game plan. We did watch them on Friday and Saturday at the Abington Tournament, but I have the ultimate respect for Terry (Rakowsky). I think he’s done a great job with the program and really turned it around. It’s a great win to beat a solid team like that.”
Mackenzie Carroll (13 points) and Nicole Munger (12 points) led the Bucks, who fell to 2-1.
NORTH PENN 36, DOWNINGTOWN WEST 35
The Maidens didn’t make life easy for themselves when they made the trek to Downingtown on Wednesday night and found themselves trailing 28-21 late in the third quarter.
Erin Maher buried a three-pointer, and Vicky Tumasz added a pair of treys to propel the Maidens to a 33-32 lead at the end of three quarters. They never trailed again, but this one was anything but easy.
“We did not hit the open person,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “People would break long, and we wouldn’t see them. People on the weak side – we didn’t see them. We would be double or triple teamed, and we didn’t hit the open person.
“I think we just did a poor job passing, but at different times different kids stepped up. In the last three minutes of the third quarter, Vicky and Erin hit three three-pointers. Jenn Halcovage went 2-for-2 from the foul line. Jackie Bilotti had some good plays, Brianna Cullen had some good plays. Lauren (Crisler) continued to rebound.”
Maher led the Maidens with 11 points while Tumasz added eight and Crisler had 11 points and seven rebounds.
With the win, the Maidens improved to 3-0.
“Really, I’m just happy that we won,” deMarteleire said. “In all my years of coaching both at LC and North Penn, I’ve only won (at Downingtown) one time.”
That win came when Lisa Strom hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to propel LC to a win over Unionville. Wednesday’s win was the first for deMarteleire over Downingtown on its own court.
“We just have not played well on that court, and we really didn’t play well tonight,” the Maidens’ coach said. “But they played tough. They’re very physical and very smart. They do a lot of things right. If you’re not playing well, they can make you look bad.
“With that being said, we won, and that’s really all that matters. It doesn’t matter in the district power points that we got an ugly win.”
The Whippets actually got a shot off for the win, but it hit the back of the rim.
HARRY S TRUMAN 58, FRANKLIN TOWNE 42
The Tigers bounced back from a disappointing loss to Hatboro-Horsham 24 hours earlier to defeat Franklin Towne on Wednesday.
“Not being cocky, but I think we should have won last night,” Truman coach Colette Munford said. “We missed 20 foul shots (the Tigers were 17-for-37 against the Hatters). We were making them in the first half, and in the second half, we had them in so much foul trouble, but we were missing our foul shots, and they were making theirs. That was the turning point in the game, and it hurt them.
“They were so upset after that game, but I said to them, ‘You know what, you’ve got to be proud of yourselves because you came out totally different than Saturday (in a loss to Conwell Egan). We hustled. The coach came to me after the game and said, ‘You have a good team, but you need one more person.’”
The Tigers took out any frustration that remained from Tuesday’s loss on Franklin Towne as they sprinted to a 33-27 halftime lead. The Tigers went on a 19-5 third quarter run to put the game completely out of reach.
“We came out tonight and took it out on them,” Munford said. “We had the same game plan. We started out in man and didn’t press fullcourt.
“We came out in the second half and went into a two-one-two, and it worked. They tried to shoot outside, but they couldn’t hit anything. I just said to them, ‘Do the basics – box out and just hustle,’ and they did.”
The Tigers won the game without the services of their leading scorer, Khristaijah Jackson.
“In the beginning of the game, it started to get a little sloppy,” Munford said. “I called a timeout and said, ‘Look, you’re here. Khristaijah’s not here. Go out there and hustle. Show these people you’ve been working hard.
“They took it to heart and went out and showed improvement, and we came out with a ‘W.’ I was proud of them.”
In Wednesday’s win, Taylor Gasperi scored 17 points, Shappelle Brewton added 13 points and Jazmyn Wilson contributed 12 to lead the Tigers. Kaijah Willis had nine points.
“Everybody stepped up,” Munford said. “We had nine girls on the roster, and out of the nine, seven or eight put points on the board.
“I still have a young squad.”
The Tigers have just two seniors on their roster to go along with five juniors and four sophomores.
“I’m still building, and it’s paying off,” Munford said. “This was a really good win for them today.”
The Tigers are 2-2 on the season.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 74, CHELTENHAM 41
The Titans blew open a close game with a dazzling 29-point third quarter explosion. The Titans led by just a 30-26 score at the intermission but came out of halftime and outscored the Lady Panthers 29-2 to take a commanding 59-28 lead.
“Our defense was overwhelming in the third period,” coach Beth Mattern said. “We played with more intensity.”
In the first half, the Titans were hampered by the fact that both Alysha Lofton and Rachel Falkowski picked up two fouls in the first quarter and took a seat on the bench for a considerable period of time. Those foul woes were quickly forgotten in the third quarter.
Falkowski led a balanced attack with 14 points while Lofton added 12, nine in the pivotal third quarter. Amber Eife (nine points) and Lauren Mosher (11 points) also made important contributions for the Titans, who improved to 2-1. The young and inexperienced Lady Panthers are 0-3 on the season.
NOTRE DAME 45, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 38
Notre Dame buried four three-pointers in the opening quarter on its way to a 14-10 lead. The Leprechauns added three more treys in the second quarter to go on top 29-17 at the intermission. The Patriots outscored the Leprechauns 21-16 in the second half but never could dig their way out of their first-half hole.
Courtney Webster had a big game for the Patriots, scoring eight first half points and seven more in the second half en route to a 15-point effort. Karoline White added eight points, and Lindsey Nier had six for the Patriots, who fell to 1-1.
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