Check out he recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CR North/CR South photos courtesy of John Gleeson, and PW/Hatboro-Horsham photos courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for a galleries of both games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f226313402 (CB East/Pennridge photos provided courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 55, BENSALEM 39
Sofia Vitucci spent the night taking trips to the charity stripe, and the senior guard certainly made the most of them, connecting on 17-of-18 as part of a dazzling 26-point performance.
“Sofia did what Sofia does,” Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlin Kelly said. “She was a senior leader on the court, pushing the ball, making her free throws, and finding teammates – all the while scoring still.”
Joley Hohman had a big night of her own, connecting on 6-of-8 at the foul line and finishing with 14 points. The freshman has also six rebounds and handed out three assists.
“Joley Hohman handled herself well tonight,” Kelly said. “She grew up coming to these games, and now she’s here on the big court making an impact. She handled the ball well, made shots, and rebounded.
“Tonight, we did a good job of being poised and patient on both ends of the floor. Our guards handled pressure, hit gaps and found shooters. Maggie (Burns) and Layla (Matthias) hit the boards hard and were fantastic on defense.”
Matthias led the Falcons with 10 rebounds while Burns had nine. Danielle Sherman added six points.
It was Hohman who ignited the Falcons with seven first-quarter points, giving Pennsbury a 13-4 advantage. By halftime, that lead had grown to 32-15. Vitucci had just one basket in the opening half – a second-quarter 3, but she was 9-for-10 at the line and had 12 points.
“Overall, it was a great effort tonight. Bensalem played aggressive and tough,” Kelly said. “They really competed, and it’s clear they are on an agenda this year.”
Amber Howard’s 12 points led the Owls while Devon Bell and Talia DiMichele each had nine.
Pennsbury (4-1, 2-1 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Thursday, and Bensalem (2-2, 1-2) will host Harry S Truman on Friday.
Bensalem 4-11-8-16 39
Pennsbury 13-19-6-17 55
Bensalem (39) – Grace McShane 2 0-0 4; Talia DiMichele 2 4-4 9; Devon Bell 3 1-4 9; Amber Howard 3 4-4 12; Sydney Daut 1 1-2 3; Peyton Miller 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 12 10-12 39.
Pennsbury (55) – Emily Panaro 1 0-0 2; Layla Matthias 1 0-0 2; Danielle Sherman 2 1-2 6; Sofia Vitucci 4 17-18 26; Daniella MacDonald 2 0-0 5; Joley Hohman 3 6-8 14; TOTALS 13 24-28 55.
3-point goals: Bensalem – Devon Bell 2, Amber Howard 2, Talia DiMichele; Pennsbury – Joley Hohman 2, Daniella MacDonald, Sofia Vitucci, Danielle Sherman.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 50, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 34
The visiting Golden Hawks opened up an 11-7 lead after one quarter and used a big second quarter to extend that to 27-14 by halftime on their way to the win in Tuesday’s rivalry game.
“I am happy for our girls that they were able to get a road rivalry win, and we were able to have so many girls step up in the process,” Rock South coach Jesse Krasna said. “I think the awesome part about our team is we have a lot of scoring balance, and our players are starting to see that on any given night it can be someone else’s night.
“It takes the pressure off us individually where we can just focus on making the right play offensively. If one of our top scorers has an off night shooting the basketball, our team can still get the job done as long as we don’t let missing shots affect our effort and concentration.”
In the first half, Fiona Reckner and Kathryn O’Kane combined for 14 points to lead the Hawks. The teams spent the second half exchanging baskets, and the Indians never could make up the ground they lost in the opening half.
Reckner’s 12 points led a balanced Rock South attack while O’Kane added 10 points.
“Fiona Reckner made great decisions, taking open shots when they presented themselves and getting her teammates the ball when drawing crowds of defenders,” Krasna said. “Kathryn O’Kane was her usual self, playing in attack mode. She knocked down a big 3-pointer, and our bench went crazy which was cool to see for her.
“Kat has been shooting the ball really well in practice and her teammates know she’s unguardable when she is aggressive looking for her 3-point shot.”
Camryn Gregory and Lily Bross each added seven points.
“Camryn Gregory has been really good defensively for us all year, and tonight was no different,” Krasna said. “She battled hard in the post and rooted players out of the lane on shot attempts. She also knocked down a couple of treys.
“This was Lily Bross’ first game of the season, and it was so great to have her back. She wreaked havoc on the defensive end with her ability to pressure the ball and stay in front of ball handlers. She also did a great job getting into gaps and finding her teammates quickly.”
Katie Papura added six points to a balanced Golden Hawk attack.
“Katie Purpura saw the floor really well,” Krasna said. “She was so unselfish offensively and kept some of North’s taller forwards off the glass with her physical presence. She makes the game so much easier for her teammates.
“Miranda Cantor and Sarah Freeman were pests defensively and it’s always fun seeing them find a way to get the job done when fronting the post while giving up about a foot of height. 
“Lil Metrick was in some foul trouble tonight, but when she was in there, she was active guarding the ball and got her hands on some deflections which is something we love in our program.”
For the Indians, Delaney McCaffery’s 12 points led the way. Ruth O’Keefe added nine points, and Megan Reichenbach had seven.
“Coach (Jack) Kelly runs really good offensive sets and Ruth O’Keefe, Megan Reichenbach and Delaney McCaffery played strong and got to the basket frequently for North,” Krasna said.
Council Rock South (4-1, 2-1 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Thursday, and Council Rock North (3-3, 1-2) will host Neshaminy on Friday.
Council Rock South 11-16-9-14 50
Council Rock North 7-7-10-10 34
Council Rock South (50) – Sarah Freeman 1 0-0 3; Lil Metrick 1 0-0 2; Lily Bross 2 3-4 7; Miranda Cantor 1 0-0 3; Katie Papura 3 0-0 6; Kathryn O’Kane 3 3-4 10; Camryn Gregory 2 1-2 7; Fiona Reckner 4 3-4 12; TOTALS 17 10-14 50.
Council Rock North (34) – Amara Arroyo 1 0-0 2; Delaney McCaffery 6 0-0 12; Megan Reichenbach 3 1-2 7; Ruth O’Keefe 3 2-2 9; Frannie Boyle 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 15 3-4 34.
3-point goals: CRS – Sarah Freeman, Camryn Gregory 2, Miranda Cantor, Kathryn O’Kane, Fiona Reckner; CRN – Ruth O’Keefe.
NESHAMINY 65, HARRY S TRUMAN 39
Reese Zemitis once again had the hot hand for the Redskins, following her career best 30-point effort last Thursday with 24 points in three quarters of action Tuesday. She also had seven assists, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Zemitis – just three points shy of 1,000 – had 15 points in a first half that saw the visiting ‘Skins open up a 31-19 lead.
“We spent the first half looking to speed the game up, and Truman was more than willing to play that type of game,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said.
Shylah McCleve’s seven points led the Tigers in the half.
Zemitis added nine points in the third quarter, and Lola Ibarrondo had five as the Redskins opened up a 49-28 lead on their way to the win.
Ibarrondo also finished in double digits with 12 points to go along with seven assists and three steals. Erin Dougherty and Alena Cofield each added seven points for the ‘Skins.
“Six different players knocked down long range 3-point shots, including sophomore Erin Dougherty who scored seven points off the bench,” Gallagher said. “Lola Ibarrondo and Reese Zemitis combined for ten assists in the first half, and each finished with seven assists each.”
Three freshmen scored their first varsity points with Mia Raivitch and Grace Weyler both scoring five points and Ashlyn Duffy netting three points.
McCleve’s 11 points led the Tigers while Erynn Bond added 10. Terrion Hurt had seven points and Yamazjiah Thomas had six.
“Truman center Shylah McCleve led Truman with 11 points, and had for around 20 rebounds as she stood out in the game,” Gallagher said.
Neshaminy (3-0 SOL) will host Lansdale Catholic on Wednesday, and Harry S Truman (1-5, 0-3) will be on the road at Bensalem on Friday.
Neshaminy 13-18-18-16 65
Harry S Truman 7-12-9-11 39
Neshaminy (65) – Grace Weyler 2 0-0 5; Alena Cofield 3 0-0 7; Ashlyn Duffy 1 1-2 3; Lola Ibarrondo 5 1-2 12; Mia Raivich 2 0-2 5; Ava Irizarry 0-0 2; Reese Zemetis 11 0-0 24; Erin Dougherty 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 28 2-4 65.
Harry S Truman (39) – Terrion Hurt 3 0-0 7; Erynn Bond 4 1-2 10; Kiera Martinez 1 0-0 2; Shylah McCleve 5 1-4 11; Yamazjiah Thomas 3 0-0 6; Niya Lynch 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 17 2-6 39.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Reese Zemetis 2, Grace Weyler, Alena Cofield, Lola Ibarrondo, Mia Raivich, Erin Dougherty; HST – Terrion Hurt, Erynn Bond, Niya Lynch.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 34, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 29
The Titans recuperated from a slow start, turning a 20-11 halftime deficit into the win with a strong second-half effort. They kept the Bucks off the scoreboard in the third quarter and allowed just nine second-half points, thanks to their tenacious defense.
“I’m really happy with our second half defensive effort,” South coach Beth Mattern said. “It was our best overall team defense of the season.
“We received a great defensive effort by all our guards, led by Casey Balkir, Ella Wheeler and Julianna Tropea.”
In the opening half, the Bucks, who led 7-4 after one quarter, were sparked by the seven-point effort of Scarlett Baumgardner, who had a pair of 3s. Gabby Reichner added five second-quarter points.
“We were out of synch in the first half offensively – a credit to West’s defense and our overall struggle to execute,” Mattern said.
The Titans evened the score 20-20 with a 9-0 third quarter that included a 5-for-8 effort at the foul line. They outscored the Bucks 14-9 in the fourth quarter.
“Mia Klein hit the go-ahead 3 with about 1:30 left in the game, and Yoyo (Samayoa) sealed the game by going 2-for-2 from the foul line with under a minute in the game,” Mattern said. “Megan Schmidt came off the bench and hit two big baskets with Gabby Tropea coming up big on the boards.”
Samayoa and Gabby Tropea both scored seven points to lead a balanced Titan attack. Gabby Tropea scored all of her points at the foul line where she was 7-for-10. Samayoa was 4-for-6 at the line in a contest that saw the Titans connect on 15 of 26 from the charity stripe.
Baumgardner’s seven points led the Bucks while Gabi Senior added six points.
Central Bucks South (3-2, 2-1 SOL) will travel to North Penn on Friday, and Central Bucks West (1-6, 0-3) will host Pennridge on Friday.
Central Bucks South 4-7-9-14 34
Central Bucks West 7-13-0-9 29
Central Bucks South (34) – Megan Schmidt 2 0-0 5; Ella Wheeler 2 0-0 4; Casey Balkir 1 0-0 2; Juliana Tropea 0 4-6 4; Yoyo Samayoa 1 4-6 7; Mia Klein 2 0-0 5; Gabby Tropea 0 7-10 7; TOTALS 8 15-26 34.
Central Bucks West (29) – Gabi Senior 2 2-4 6; Erica Madden 1 0-0 3; Peyton Cramer 1 0-0 3; Aniya McDaniel 1 0-0 2; Alexis Castro 0 3-4 3; Gabby Reichner 2 1-2 5; Scarlett Baumgardner 2 1-2 7; TOTALS 9 7-12 29.
3-point goals: CBS – Megan Schmidt, Yoyo Samayoa, Mia Klein; CBW – Scarlett Baumgardner 2, Erica Madden, Peyton Cramer.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 42, PENNRIDGE 21
The Patriots threw some serious defense at the visiting Rams, limiting them to just two baskets while they opened up a 21-4 halftime lead. It was East’s third win in as
many games.
“It was a nice team win tonight, and we were so happy with the execution on the defensive end of the floor,” East coach Liz Potash said. “Our shots weren’t falling from the outside tonight, but our defense was able to contain a team that has been putting up a lot of points.”
The Patriots had a 9-2 lead after one quarter, sparked by five points from Jess Lockwood. They outscored the visiting Rams 12-2 in the second quarter. Haley Moran was the catalyst with seven points.
Not a whole lot changed in a third quarter that saw the Patriots – behind nine points from Anna Barry – open up a 34-8 lead. The Rams scored 13 of their points in the final quarter.
Barry’s 14 points led the Patriots and included three 3s and a perfect 5-for-5 effort at the foul line. Moran finished with nine points, and Lockwood had seven. Chantal van Dongeren added six points.
“Chantal van Dongeran takes so much pride in her defense, and it was fun to watch her battle Ella Brown all night,” Potash said. “Haley Moran provided a nice spark for us off the bench and had a really solid all-around game.”
Brown’s seven points led the Rams – she scored five of those in the final quarter.
Central Bucks East (3-0 SOL) will travel to Souderton on Friday, and Pennridge (4-2, 1-2) will be on the road at Central Bucks West.
Pennridge 2-2-4-13 21
Central Bucks East 9-12-13-8 42
Pennridge (21) – Ella Brown 3 0-0 7; Ava Fantaskey 1 2-2 5; Abby Huskin 1 0-0 3; Allie Smith 2 0-2 4; Layla Verbit 0 2-4 2; TOTALS 7 4-10 21.
Central Bucks East (42) – Sydney Ralph 0 2-2 2; Haley Moran 3 3-4 9; Natalie Berndt 1 0-0 2; Savannah Hayes 1 0-0 2; Anna Barry 3 5-5 14; Jess Lockwood 3 0-0 7; Chantal van Dongeren 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 13 12-13 42.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Ella Brown, Ava Fantasky, Abby Huskin; CBE – Anna Barry 3, Jess Lockwood.
NORTH PENN 76, SOUDERTON 30
Kelly Donnelly was on fire from beyond the arc, connecting for six 3-pointers and torching the visiting Indians for a game-high 28 points.
Olivia Stone had the hot hand in the opening quarter, scoring nine points and propelling the Knights to a 17-6 lead. Included in those nine points was a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the foul line as well as a 3-pointer.
North Penn added to its lead with a 23-4 second quarter to go into halftime with a 40-10 advantage. Caleigh Sperling led a balanced Knight attack with seven points in the quarter while Donnelly and Cameron Crowley both had five points.
The second half belonged to Donnelly, who buried three 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the third quarter and added three more 3s in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points in the half.
In addition to Donnelly, Sperling had 15 points, and Stone had eight, which included a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line.
“We played excellent all-around team basketball,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “Our defensive energy fueled the offense tonight.”
For the Indians, Brooke Fenchel’s nine points led the way while Jacquelyn Bermel had eight and Emily Dick, seven points.
North Penn (3-1, 3-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Friday, and Souderton (1-4, 0-3) will host Central Bucks East on Friday.
Souderton 6-4-13-7 30
North Penn 17-23-19-17 76
Souderton (30) – Jacquelyn Bermel 2 4-5 8; Madison Bealer 1 0-1 2; Brooke Fenchel 4 0-0 9; Kiera Fadden 2 -01 4; Emily Dick 2 3-4 7; TOTALS 11 7-11 30.
North Penn (76) – Cameron Crowley 2 0-0 5; Lailani Williams 1 0-0 2; Caleigh Sperling 5 4-4 15; Brown 3 0-0 6; Cailin Halfpenny 0 0-2 0; Kelly Donnelly 9 4-5 28, Jadyn Sperling 1 0-0 2; Olivia Stone 2 8-8 13; TOTALS 24 16-19 76.
3-poing goals: Souderton – Brooke Fenchel; NP – Kelly Donnelly 6, Cameron Crowley, Caleigh Sperling Olivia Stone.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 54, ABINGTON 45
Tamia Clark served notice that she will be heard from. The UD freshman scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in a stellar outing.
“Tamia Clark had a breakout game,” “UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “She got out in the open space, and that’s where she’s best. She put up some big numbers tonight.”
The two teams were deadlocked 13-13 after one quarter, and it was the Flying Cardinals holding an edge in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 27-22 lead that, according to Funsten, could have been more.
“We went on a nice run, and we were up 10 with two minutes to go in the second quarter,” the UD coach said. “It seemed like we had a lot of momentum heading into halftime, but they scored the last five points of the quarter, and the momentum definitely shifted.”
Mikiaya Durham ignited the Ghosts with 12 first-half points.
“(Abington’s momentum) carried over into the third quarter, and Durham got hot,” Funsten said. “She had three 3s in the third quarter. They took a lead in the third quarter and went up 33-32 midway through the quarter. Our girls did a nice job of bouncing back to go back up three going into the fourth quarter.”
The Ghosts didn’t go away, but the Cardinals maintained the lead until the final horn.
“We were up by three, 40-37, with four minutes to go,” Funsten said. “We turned the ball over, and as they came down, Brighid Brady stepped up and took a charge, and on our next possession on offense, she made a three, so that was a huge swing there – back-to-back plays from the senior leader.”
In addition to Clark, Amy Ngo had 10 points and five assists. Megan Ngo added nine points, which included a 7-for-10 effort at the foul line. She also had six rebounds, four assists, three deflections and two steals. Brighid Brady added eight points while Nora Brady had six points, two assists and two steals. Bridget DiMartile had five rebounds.
“So far with this team this year – Scranton Prep and tonight’s game, if somebody makes a mistake, a teammate picks them up on the next possession,” Funsten said. “A different teammate makes a mistake, and a different teammate picks them up. It’s been really cool to watch this team pick each other up. Each girl has been taking their turn, and it’s been really fun to see so far.
“We are still making way too many mistakes – we’re not doing a great job of executing on offense right now, but all that being said, we’re winning games, so we feel like we can learn. It’s the most fun to learn after winning. It’s not as much to learn after losses. It’s a good start. We know we have a quick turnaround with PW on Thursday night. We’re excited for that challenge.”
Durham’s 21 points – which included five 3-pointers – led the Ghosts. Jordyn Reynolds added seven points, which included a pair of 3s. Piper McGinley added six points.
“We played great on both ends of the floor,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said. “We did a great job of containing their guards.
“In the fourth quarter, foul trouble and settling for the jump shot hurt us.”
Upper Dublin (4-0, 3-0 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday, and Abington (3-2, 2-1) will host Wissahickon on Friday.
Abington 13-9-13-10 45
Upper Dublin 13-14-11-16 54
Abington (45) – Maya Johnson 1 0-0 2; Mikiaya Durham 8 0-0 21; Jordyn Reynolds 4 1-2 11; Piper McGinley 3 0-0 6; Sarah Oleary 2 0-0 5; Zyn McClain 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 18 1-4 45.
Upper Dublin (54) – Brighid Brady 2 2-2 8; Bridget DiMartile 0 1-2 1; Megan Ngo 1 7-10 9; Tamia Clark 10 1-1 21; Amy Ngo 4 2-2 10; Nora Brady 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 19 13-17 54.
3-point goals: Abington – Mikiaya Durham 5, Jordyn Reynolds 2, Sarah Oleary; UD – Brighid Brady 2, Nora Brady.
WISSAHICKON 36, QUAKERTOWN 33 (OT)
The visiting Panthers took a 27-23 lead into the final quarter when the Trojans rallied to even the score and then won it with a 5-2 scoring edge in the OT.
“We are excited for the girls to get their first win of the season,” Wissahickon assistant coach Holly Schneider said. “They played hard and never gave up – we are really proud of them.”
Ashley Klein and Maura Jacob Both had 10 points to lead the Trojans. Klein also had four rebounds, three steals and a block while Jacob had three rebounds and two steals. Chloe Acuna added eight points, including a pair of 3s, and also had three rebounds and a steal. Julia Lettieri contributed five points, six rebounds, two assists and four steals while Ava Stout had three points and three rebounds.
For the Panthers, Truly Heft’s 13 points led the way while Addyson Davis also finished in double figures with 10 points. Ava Pistone had six points.
“Addyson (Davie) had another standout game for us,” Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford said. “She did a great job at the top of our defense causing pressure with two steals and four deflections. She also had nine rebounds, and three of those offensive rebounds she was able to put back which contributed to many of her points for us.
“Ava (Pistone) had a tough time offensively tonight, but she made up for that in her leadership on the court and her aggressive defense with three steals and one deflection. Having the ball in her hands is important while some of our younger girls get used to the plays and the speed of high school basketball.
“Props to Wissahickon who didn’t give up for one second. They kept fighting till the end, and those last couple minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime they really brought the energy and made their outside shots. “
Wissahickon (1-4, 1-2 SOL) will travel to Abington on Friday, and Quakertown (0-6, 0-3) will host Upper Perkiomen on Wednesday.
Quakertown 12-6-9-4-2 33
Wissahickon 8-8-7-8-5 36
Quakertown (33) – Mackenzie Clayton 0 1-2 1; Paisley Heft 1 0-0 2; Addyson Davis 5 0-3 10; Ava Pistone 3 1-5 7; Truly Heft 5 3-6 13; TOTALS 14 5-16 33.
Wissahickon (36) – Maura Jacob 4 1-2 10; Ava Stout 1 0-0 3; Ashley Klein 1 8-11 10; Julia Lettieri 1 3-4 5; Chloe Acuna 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 10 12-17 36.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Chloe Acuna 2, Maura Jacob, Ava Stout.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 45, HATBORO-HORSHAM 23
AJ Avery scored a game-high 18 points while McKenna Winland – who connected on three 3-pointers added 11 points to lead the Colonials to the big win.
“We were led by AJ Avery’s defense and Kenna Winland’s shooting,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “Once again, Marissa Perez provided solid defense and rebounding to anchor the young team.”
In addition to scoring 18 points, Avery stuffed the stat sheet with five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Marissa Perez led the Colonials with eight rebounds to go along with a 3-for-4 effort at the foul line.
Avery had nine first-half points as the Colonials opened up a 20-7 halftime lead. Winland added a pair of 3s.
“We’re a young team continuing to win ugly with gritty defense and good ball movement on offense,” Dougherty said. “Hatboro was without Kitty Randa, which had a big impact on their ability to score.”
Angelica Visceglia’s seven points led the Hatters.
“Tonight we played better defense than we have in a while, but it just wasn’t enough,” HH assistant coach Nicole Miletto said. “PW always plays aggressive and with intensity. While we handled the
pressure better than we have in the last couple games, we still made too many unforced errors. We were able to keep them in single digits in the second quarter, but our offense just wasn’t there.
“As a young team, we are still looking for who is going to step up and provide a spark of offense for us. This was a tough stretch for us, and we are learning from each game. It’s still early and we need to build in our strengths and correct the mistakes. Freshman Angelica Visceglia led us with seven, but we need more offense from everyone. There’s no time to dwell on the loss we have another tough match tomorrow night.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-1, 2-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Thursday, and Hatboro-Horsham (1-3, 1-2) will be on the road at Norristown for a non-league game Wednesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 5-2-11-5 23
Plymouth Whitemarsh 12-8-14-11 45
Hatboro-Horsham (23) – Angelica Visceglia 3 0-0 7; Mia Fisher 2 1-2 5; Maddy Patel 2 0-0 4; Gabby Fisher 2 0-0 4; Madison Duggan 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 10 1-2 23.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (45) – Joslyn Perez 1 0-0 3; Taylor Williams 1 0-0 3; Alyssa Avery 7 4-7 18; McKenna Winland 4 0-0 11; Bailey Riley 2 0-0 4; Eliza Meersman 1 1-2 3; Marissa Perez 0 3-4 3; TOTALS 16 8-13 45.
3-point goals: HH – Angelica Visceglia, Madison Duggan; PW – McKenna Winland 3, Taylor Williams, Joslyn Perez.
SOL Freedom Division
WILLIAM TENNENT 55, CHELTENHAM 39
William Tennent led 25-18 at halftime but saw that lead trimmed to four heading into the final quarter when Halie Staub took over, erupting for 15 points – which included three 3s – as the host Panthers scored 26 points on their way to the big win.
Staub led all scorers with 24 points, which included four 3-pointers.
“This was a great team win,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “I’m really pleased with the strides we’ve been making the last few games. Our division is wide open this year, and all six teams have a legitimate chance to win the title. No game is guaranteed, so it pushes you to keep getting better. It’s been a lot of fun.
“Halie Staub had a huge game tonight, and it was great to see her find her stroke. She’s always a great downhill player, but she has struggled a bit with her outside shot early in the season. So, I was happy to see her knock down a few tonight.”
Also finishing in double figures for Tennent were Ashley Kocur, who had three 3s, with 11 points and Jess Whisler with 10, but there were others who contributed.
“Katherine Balibar continues to give us that instant energy off the bench,” Whitney said. “It’s a testament to how hard she has worked in the offseason and I’m so happy to see her get rewarded.
“Jess Whisler made some timely shots and plays tonight. Ella Mednick is the heart and soul of our team. She’s not going to show up in the box score as making an impact, but she does all the little things to help you win.”
For the visiting Lady Panthers, who are still without Paige Powell, Maya Simmons led the way with 15 points – 10 in the first half. Jiah Price added 10 points, and Ije Ojukwu had six points.
“Ben (Bowman) does a great job of preparing his girls and mixing up his defense to keep you off balance,” Whitney said. “Early on, we had to make a few adjustments, but once we settled down and found our rhythm, I thought we did a great job of controlling the game.
“However, I was most pleased with how we closed out the game. I know it’s only one game, but we showed a lot of growth in how patient we were and in our overall execution. We were making the extra pass and finishing plays.”
The Lady Panthers coach acknowledged this was another tough loss for his squad.
“Much like last game, we competed for three quarters, but there is always one that kills us,” Bowman said. “Regardless of who is in the lineup, we have to find ways to compete the whole game. I give credit to William Tennent, they hit some big shots in the fourth that we couldn’t overcome. We must use the next two days of practice to get healthy and focus on two tough games this weekend.”
William Tennent (2-4, 1-2-1 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Friday, and Cheltenham (3-2, 1-2) will be on the road at Upper Moreland on Friday.
William Tennent 11-14-4-26 55
Cheltenham 9-9-7-14 39
William Tennent (55) – Katherine Balibar 1 0-0 2; Ella Mednick 1 0-0 2; Avery Kocur 4 0-0 11; Halie Staub 10 0-0 24; Jess Whisler 3 3-4 10; Morgan Volz 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 22 3-4 55.
Cheltenham (39) – Jiah Price 5 0-1 10; Maya Simmons 5 3-6 15; Amelia Kapp 1 0-0 2; Iju Ojukwu 3 0-0 6; Cassie Bugg 2 0-0 4; Ali Charles 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 3-7 39.
3-point goals: WT – Halie Staub 4, Avery Kocur 3, Jess Whisler; Cheltenham – Maya Simmons 2.
LOWER MORELAND 54, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 39
The visiting Lions opened up a 13-5 lead after one quarter, but Lower Moreland’s offense came to life in the second quarter, erupting for 19 points to go into halftime with a 24-23 edge. That offensive onslaught continued with a 19-point third quarter as the host Lions earned the impressive win.
“As I was walking out of the gym tonight after everyone left to make sure I had everything, our night custodian, Will, stopped me and asked, ‘You know what I like about watching your team?’ When I asked him what, he replied, “How much pressure you put on the other team and how hard your girls play,’” LM coach Rich Becker said. “When you get that type of unsolicited feedback, it’s usually indicative that you’re on the right track, and tonight it was the difference in the game, and it’s why we were able to walk out of tonight’s game with a very hard fought 15-point win.”
Emily Wilson, whose 12 points led New Hope-Solebury, scored six of her team’s 13 first-quarter points. Ella Dudick added 10 points while Izzy Elizondo had six for the visitors, who were outscored 49-26 over the final three quarters.
“We started really well and then we got away from it and we started turning the ball over,” New Hope-Solebury coach Steve Polinsky said. “Coach Becker and his team totally outplayed us the last three quarters. LM team moved the ball so well and played team basketball. (Briana) McFadden had a nice game again – she was a force all game long.”
McFadden 19 points led Lower Moreland with 10 of those coming in the fourth quarter to hold off a New Hope comeback. Dani Brusha added 12. Mollie Martin had 10 points – all in the middle two quarters when the host Lions made their move. Sydney Santora had nine points – eight in the pivotal second quarter.
Becker tipped his hat to his counterpart and also had high praise for his players.
“Steve (Polinsky) is such a good coach, and any time you play New Hope, you know that they will be prepared, and they will not beat themselves,” the LM coach said. “We knew that we were going to have to try to force them into some tough situation and after a slow start, we were able to do that. After losing the first quarter 13-5, we were able to win the middle two quarters 38-17.
“To New Hope’s credit, they fought back, and with about five minutes to go, they got it back to a six-point game. Fortunately for us, Briana McFerran stepped up in a big way. She had 10 of our 11 fourth quarter points and was just exceptional tonight. Against Cheltenham, Dani Brusha, took over in the fourth quarter, tonight it was Briana. This might have been the most complete game that she’s played for us.
“Also really big for us tonight was freshman Sydney Santora. She was probably the biggest reason we went from down eight after the first quarter to up one at the half. With senior Amelia Brown, one of our better perimeter defenders, out with an illness, freshman Mollie Martin had a great game. She scored 10 points and was relentless on defense. Continuing on the defensive theme, Nikki Sahl, for the second game in a row, harassed the other team’s guards and played a great defensive game.
“We still have a lot of things to get better at, not starting slow is one of them, but overall, we’re happy with the growth we’re seeing out of our girls. They’re playing selflessly and hopefully we can continue to grow as a team.”
Lower Moreland (3-3, 2-1 SOL) will travel to Springfield on Friday, and New Hope-Solebury (3-3, 0-3) will host William Tennent on Friday.
New Hope-Solebury 13-10-7-9 39
Lower Moreland 5-19-19-11 54
New Hope-Solebury (39) – Kayla Fennel 2 0-0 4; Ella Dudick 4 2-2 10; Izzy Elizondo 2 2-2 6; Nina Meixler 2 1-2 5; Emily Wilson 5 1-2 12; Elena Shire 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 16 6-8 39.
Lower Moreland (54) – Brianna McFerran 9 1-4 19; Dani Brusha 4 2-10 12; Sydney Santora 4 1-2 9; Mollie Martin 5 0-0 10; Emma DiJoseph 1 0-0 2; Nikki Sahl 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 24 4-18 54.
3-point goals: NH-S – Emily Wilson; LM – Dani Brusha 2.
UPPER MORELAND 41, SPRINGFIELD TWP 40
Sparked by the 16-point effort of Mikel Lancit, the Golden Bears won a thriller on Tuesday, edging the Spartans for a road win that upped the team’s record to 3-0 in league play.
“It was a great high school basketball game between two conference teams,” UM coach Josh Adelman said. “It was a back-and-forth game all night.”
UM led 9-8 after one quarter and took a 21-16 lead into halftime. Lancit was the catalyst, scoring 12 of her game-high 16 in the quarter.
The Spartans came roaring back with a 16-10 third quarter burst that featured eight points from Jayla Daniels – including two 3s – and five from Alana Decker to go on top 32-31. The fourth quarter was an exciting one with the Golden Bears edging the Spartans 10-8. Eight of their points came at the foul line where they were 8-10. Lianna Adames led the way with a 3-for-4 effort at the line and five points.
“We had leads in the first half and second half, but Springfield got hot, and Daniels and Decker hit some clutch threes,” Adelman said. “Their center, (Ava) Culler, did a great job on the glass and had lots of putbacks in the paint with our defenders all over her.
“But I really credit our experience in big games over the years and the leadership of Holly Gohl, Lilly Hansen, Mikel Lancit, and our whole team for that matter. We never gave up when Springfield got hot. We executed our plays down the stretch, handled their fullcourt pressure, hit some nice shots and crucial foul shots.”
The UM coach explained the sequence
“Their crowd was loud, our fans were loud, it was a game that would be decided in the final seconds, and it was,” Adelman said. “A foul was called with .5 seconds left on the clock, and their shooter Decker was at the line for two shots to tie it. She hit 1 of 2, and we walk away with a win. Decker had an outstanding game and was not the person you want if you are an opponent on the line, but the ball bounced our way tonight. It was a great game to be a part of, and both teams left it all on the court.”
Springfield Twp coach Dave Giordano had absolutely no complaints about his team’s gritty effort.
“We probably had four shots in the last 10 seconds and had a chance to tie it with .5 to tie it, but it didn’t go our way,” the Spartans’ coach said. “It was a great game. It was back and forth.
“Upper Moreland is a really solid team, there’s no doubt about that. Josh (Adelman) has them playing really hard. We took a couple shots, and we gave a couple back. It was back and forth. It was maybe not the prettiest fourth quarter for either team, but it was played hard.
“It was a good experience, and from Springfield’s point of view, we just have to understand now that we are in a position where we just have to make a play here and there to finish, and we’ll be successful. In mind – as corny as this sounds, it was a win because now we know that we can play with teams like this. We just have to execute.”
In addition to Lancit’s 16-point effort, Lilly Hansen had eight while Adames and Holy Gohl both had seven.
“Mikel Lancit was incredible tonight,” Adelman said. “She really did it on both ends of the floor, but when we needed a basket, she found ways to attack the basket.
“Lilly Hansen was a monster on the offensive glass and blocked countless shots from Springfield, especially towards the end of the game. Holly provides such leadership for our team. She blocks shots, rebounds, and makes sure to be that calming presence in the huddles during timeouts.
“We knew Springfield was doing very well in the beginning of the season, starting with a 4-0 record and knew at their place especially it would be a tough game.”
For the Spartans, Daniels led the way with 13 points while Decker and Culler both had 12.
“Jayla Daniels guarded Holly Gohl, and we held her to seven points,” Giordano said. “(Gohl) is a thousand-point scorer, a great girl, a great player inside and out.
“They made some plays at the end, and we need to learn to do the same. It was a great game. We’re looking forward to playing them again – let’s play tomorrow. Effort-wise, our girls couldn’t have played any better.”
Upper Moreland (5-2, 3-0) will host Cheltenham on Friday, and Springfield Twp (4-1, 2-1) will host Lower Moreland on Friday.
Upper Moreland 8-13-10-10 41
Springfield Twp 9-7-16-8 40
Upper Moreland (41) – Mikel Lancit 7 2-2 16; Lianna Adames 2 3-4 7; Lilly Hansen 3 2-6 8; Holly Gohl 2 2-2 7; Olivia Meakim 1 0-0 2; Makaila Allen 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 15 10-16 41.
Springfield Twp (40) – Alan Decker 4 1-2 12; Samiyyah Thompson 1 0-0 3; Jayla Daniels 5 0-0 13; Ava Culler 5 2-9 12; TOTALS 15 3-11 40.
3-point goals: UM – Holly Gohl; Springfield Twp – Alana Decker 3, Jayla Daniels 3, Samiyyah Thompson
Monday, Dec. 11
UPPER MORELAND 53, POTTSGROVE 20
The Golden Bears raced out of the gate to a 22-2 lead after one quarter on their way to the no-doubt-about-it non-league win.
“The team bounced back from two recent losses with a nice home win against Pottsgrove,” UM coach Josh Adelman said. “The team continued to play a strong defensive game, but found some offense tonight with eight different girls scoring points for the Golden Bears.”
Lianna Adames jumpstarted the Golden Bears, connecting on a pair of 3s and scoring eight first-quarter points. Mike Lancit also connected on a 3-pointer and scored seven points in the first quarter while Lilly Hansen added a fourth 3 and five points in the quarter.
Adames, who had 15 points by halftime, led the Golden Bears with 20 points, which included four 3-pointers. Lancit scored eleven points – nine in the opening half.
“The team has four games this week, so it was great to get a nice win and to have lots of players see playing time against a young Pottsgrove squad,” Adelman said.
Pottsgrove 2-4-3-11 20
Upper Moreland 22-16-11-4 53
Pottsgrove (20) – Aleah Rockmore 3 5-8 14; Ava Leaman 1 2-2 4; Vivan Kyler 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 5 7-10 20.
Upper Moreland (53) – Mikel Lancit 3 4-4 11; Lianna Adames 8 0-0 20; Marie Meyers 2 0-0 4; Lilly Hansen 2 0-0 5; Holly Gohl 2 0-0 4; Oliva Meakim 1 0-0 2; Molly Meakim 1 0-0 3; Makaila Allen 2 0-2 4; TOTALS 21 4-6 53
3-point goals: Pottsgrove – Aleah Rockmore 3; UM – Lianna Adames 4, Mike Lancit, Lilly Hansen, Molly Meakim.
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