Check out the girls’ basketball results for all of Thursday and Friday’s SOL openers. To view photos of the North Penn/Souderton and CB West/Quakertown games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 68, SOUDERTON 51
Erin Maher – in a decidedly upbeat mood - talked about the importance of her team’s rebounding and the significance of Friday’s win, but the North Penn senior kept going back to a recurring theme.
“Vicky just lit it up tonight,” Maher said of her Lady Knight teammate.
Did she ever.
Vicky Tumasz torched the Indians for a game-high 23 points - which included four three-pointers - in a contest that saw the senior sharpshooter pitted against former Fencor AAU teammates Bianca Picard, Katie O’Connor and Allison Gallagher.
“As soon as I saw them when I walked in the gym, we ran up and hugged each other,” Tumasz said. “We’re friends off the court but enemies on the court, so it’s a little intense.”
All told, the Lady Knights buried seven treys. For good measure, they connected on 19-of-22 from the foul line. Throw in a 35-22 rebounding advantage, and it’s easy to understand why they emerged victorious in a game that was not as lopsided as the final score suggests.
“I think we’re a very versatile team this year,” Maher said. “Vicky said it last week – we don’t want to live and die by the three, but when we live by it, I’ll take that any day.”
Maher, who added 13 points, was part of the three-pointer parade burying one while freshman Sam Carangi had a pair of three-pointers and finished with 14 points. Mikaela Giuliani added seven points and 11 rebounds.
“One of the points of our game plan was to crash the boards really hard,” said Maher, who pulled down nine rebounds of her own. “I think Mikaela did an especially great job with that.
“It’s one of the things we’ve been working on – when we’re not making our shots or when one aspect of our game isn’t working, we can always go to the others. Crashing the boards really helped us out tonight.”
Giuliani’s performance under the boards was not lost on her coach.
“She had some health issues and was wearing that mask, and it seemed to inhibit her play,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “I felt like today she really let loose. I thought she did a great job defensively on (Sarah) Derstein, and I thought she did a really good job on the offensive glass and the defensive glass.”
The Indians were led by the 17-point effort of senior Bianca Picard while Allison Gallagher added 12 points and Devon Boehm, 11 points. Sarah Derstein had eight points and 10 rebounds.
While 51 points might win games on most nights, Friday was not most nights as the Lady Knights put on a shooting clinic. The Indians displayed some offensive firepower of their own, opening up a 13-10 lead at the end of one quarter. Gallagher accounted for nine of those points and Picard the remaining four.
The Lady Knights began to find their offensive stride in the second quarter. Maher buried a three to open the frame, and Tumasz, after coming up with a steal at the defensive end, followed with a three of her own. Carangi’s three-pointer after an Indian miss put the Lady Knights on top 18-13.
Picard scored on a tough drive to pull the Indians to within three, but another Tumasz three-pointer gave the Lady Knights a 21-15 lead. The Lady Knights went on to open up a 29-22 lead, but a three-pointer by Souderton’s Devon Boehm made it a 29-25 game at the intermission.
Another Boehm three trimmed North Penn’s lead to 31-30 early in the third quarter, but Carangi hit nothing but net on another three. The Indians trailed by just one (38-37) after Gallagher banked home a three from the top of the circle, but Tumasz once again had an answer at the other end, burying another three. Her fourth three of the night in the closing seconds of the frame put the Lady Knights on top 48-40.
“We weren’t communicating as well as we should have in the beginning,” Tumasz said. “We weren’t switching on screens, and that’s why they were getting open shots.
“After we came out at halftime, we did a lot better.”
The Indians still trailed by just seven with under three minutes to play (58-51), but the Lady Knights connected on 10-of-12 from the foul line down the stretch to ice the win.
“Vicky just made big shot after big shot,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said of Tumasz. “Any time we felt like maybe momentum was going to swing our way or we hit a big three, Vicky hit a big shot for them. Good for her, bad for us.
“They won in every category of the game – shooting percentage, rebounding, big shots made. They played well. They earned this win. We didn’t play well. By no means am I taking anything away from them and their effort, but we are better than this. They were able to dictate a lot on both ends with their physicality compared to ours. They outmuscled us.”
On the other side of the court, deMarteleire was happy to earn the win.
“Whenever we play them, it’s usually a tight game,” the Lady Knights’ coach said. “I feel like we always bring out the best in them.
“Some of our kids really stepped up tonight. Vicky and Erin really showed great leadership and hit big shots.
“Obviously, the next time, we need to improve some things on defense and reduce our turnovers.”
With the win, the Lady Knights improved to 3-0 overall, 1-0 in league play.
“Playing Souderton our first game – that’s always a big game for us, especially because of the rivalry,” Tumasz said. “Mikaela crashed the boards incredibly, especially in the first half, and we were hitting our shots.
“If we hit our shots, no one can stop us.”
“This was big,” Maher added. “We have one of the toughest league schedules right off the bat. We see South and East next week, and I think this was a good start for our freshmen, builds their confidence, gets them in the flow of things and sets the tone for next week.”
The Indians are 1-2 overall (0-1 SOL).
North Penn 10 19 19 20-68
Souderton 13 12 15 11-51
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 47, HATBORO-HORSHAM 19
Courtney Webster led the Patriots with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Karoline White had five assists in a game the Patriots led wire to wire. They held a 6-2 lead at the end of one quarter and took an 18-6 lead into halftime.
The Patriots evened their record at 1-1 (1-0 SOL) while the Hatters fell to 0-2 (0-1 SOL).
Hatboro-Horsham 2 4 9 4-19
Central Bucks East 6 12 15 14-47
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 69, QUAKERTOWN 19
Nine players contributed scoring for the Bucks, led by the 16-point effort of junior Nicole Munger. Freshman Maggie Rakowsky added 14 points, including a pair of three’s, while Corrine Godshall had 11 points and Mackenzie Carroll, nine points.
The game featured Brittany Remmey, a former assistant at CB West under Terry Rakowsky, facing her former team for the first time since taking over the helm at Quakertown.
The Bucks improved to 2-0 (1-0 SOL) while the Panthers are 1-1 (0-1 SOL).
Central Bucks West 25 21 13 10-69
Quakertown 4 2 3 10-19
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 47, PENNRIDGE 36
Lauren Mosher led the Titans with 14 points while senior Alysha Lofton had nine points and 14 rebounds. Taylor Dunn added 11 points.
Devan Rimmer led the Lady Rams with 15 points and four steals. Sophomore Lydia Constanzer added a double-double, contributing 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jess Tennett had a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Titans led 18-12 at the end of one quarter and took a 24-17 lead into halftime. They outscored the Lady Rams 23-19 in the second half.
The Titans improved to 4-0 overall (1-0 SOL) while the Lady Rams are 1-3 (0-1 SOL)
Pennridge 12 5 8 11-36
Central Bucks South 18 6 11 12-47
American Conference
CHELTENHAM 55, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 50
Junior Amarri Trueheart scored 19 points to lead all scorers while freshman Ashley Jones, Cheltenham’s top scorer in its first two games, added 15. Gabrielle Wright added a double-double for the Lady Panthers, contributing 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Senior Veronica Asman led the Spartans with 13 points while Jewell Ringgold had 12. Junior Bailey Krewson and sophomore Maura Ryan both added eight points, and senior Meghan Wheatley chipped in with seven points.
The Spartans had the lead for the better part of Friday’s league opener. After the two teams battled to a 12-12 tie at the end of one quarter, the Spartans went on a 22-17 tear in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 34-29 lead.
“We were in real foul trouble early in the game,” Cheltenham coach Brendan Nolan said. “Ashley Jones had to sit the whole second quarter – she picked up her third foul in the first quarter.
“Nashira Brown also had to sit the whole second quarter, and we really don’t have a very deep bench, so we were in a little bit of trouble at that point.”
The Spartans took a 44-43 lead into the final quarter only to watch the Lady Panthers close it out with a 12-6 run.
Despite his team’s come-from-behind win, Nolan was a bit disappointed.
“They’re 0-3, and it’s our home opener, and I expected us to play a little better than this,” Nolan said. “We played Harrisburg in their own gym in their own tournament and had a chance to beat them.
“I expected a little better out of us in our home opener. We don’t transition well. We were trying to put pressure on them. When we didn’t cause a turnover, we just don’t transition back well into our regular defense, and we get real robotic on offense. We stand still and had a lot of unforced turnovers.”
The Lady Panthers improved to 2-1 overall (1-0 SOL) while the Spartans fell to 0-3 (0-1 SOL).
Springfield 12 22 10 6-50
Cheltenham 12 17 14 12-55
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 68, UPPER MORELAND 39
The Colonials came out on fire from three-point land and also played solid defense, sprinting to a 23-8 lead at the end of one quarter. They took a 35-20 lead into halftime. Junior point guard Alynna Williams led PW with 22 points, connecting on 3-of-4 from three-point range. Asia Baker added 20 points and also was 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. She also had five rebounds and five assists. Senior guard Rachel Konowal, who had a pair of three-pointers, added 12 points, three rebounds and five assists. The Colonials buried nine three-pointers.
Upper Moreland was led by the gutsy 18-points effort of Lindsey Walder. Pisut added eight points, and Karli Lynch, seven points.
The Colonials are 2-0 (1-0 SOL) while the Golden Bears fell to 0-3 (0-1).
Upper Moreland 8 10 8 13-39
Plymouth Whitemarsh 23 12 19 14-68
UPPER DUBLIN 54, WISSAHICKON 37
Kayla McAneney continued her torrid offensive production, scoring 21 points – which included six three-pointers – to lead the Flying Cardinals. Regan Gallagher also had a big night, scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds for a double-double. She also had five steals. Taylor Linus had nine assists.
Bridget Sweeney led the Trojans with 16 points.
The Flying Cardinals led 9-4 at the end of one quarter and took a 24-17 lead into halftime. They outscored the Trojans 30-20 in the second half.
The Flying Cardinals are 3-0 overall (1-0 SOL) while the Trojans fell to 1-2 (0-1 SOL).
Upper Dublin 9 15 17 13-54
Wissahickon 4 13 12 8-37
NORRISTOWN 52, UPPER MERION 30
The Eagles stormed out of the gate to a 21-8 lead at the end of one quarter on their way to the big win.
“Our defense really played well today,” coach Vince Catanzaro said. “Upper Merion played hard.
“Our matchup zone is our key because we have no height. Even this team is very tall compared to our team. We just played very good defense, rotating when somebody’s out. It’s not that we’re big, but we cover the spot that’s open, and we constantly put pressure on the ball. We’re not letting anybody shoot the ball without a hand in their face, and that’s the key for us.”
Briana Hedgepath turned in a superb 24-point effort to lead the Eagles while Essence Milligan-Williams added eight points for the Eagles, who were without Pattie Fortescue.
Catanzaro, who received scoring from eight players, lauded the performance of point guard Brianna Schools.
“She does a great job bringing the ball up,” the Eagles’ coach said. “She’s a key. If she’s out of the game, we have a little bit of a problem because I’m already missing (Fortescue), and that hurts us.
“I’m really pleased with how we played today without her. A lot of kids are playing well.”
The Vikings were led by the 11-point effort of Regie Robinson.
The Eagles are 2-1 (1-0 SOL) while the Vikings fell to 1-3 overall (0-1 SOL).
Upper Merion8 11 1 10-30
Norristown 21 9 9 13-52
National Conference
ABINGTON 50, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 32
The Ghosts, who led 13-11 at the end of one quarter, blew open a close game with a 15-1 scoring burst in the second quarter.
“Basically, we were just able to take them out of their rhythm,” coach Dan Marsh said. “We were denying (Taylor) Dillon the ball.
“Sammy Lochner and Deja Rawls did a really good job on her. I don’t think they were ever comfortable getting into their offense. They only made one free throw the whole quarter. I think we’re a pretty good defensive team, and between the two of those girls – I think they can guard anybody, and they were just taking turns.
“They both did a really good job because they run everything through her, and we knew that coming in. We wanted to be sure we stopped her.”
Dillon, who had seven points in the first quarter, finished the game with 11 points. She did not score a field goal after the opening quarter.
Deja Rawls led the Ghosts with 15 points. Sammy Lochner added 10 points while Leah Simmons had seven points to go along with 12 rebounds.
While the Golden Hawks fell to 0-3 on the season (0-1 SOL), the Ghosts improved to 2-1 (1-0 SOL).
“Because we thought we played so poorly against Norristown, I really wanted to bounce back, and they did,” Marsh said.
Council Rock South 11 1 10 10-32
Abington 13 15 6 16-40
PENNSBURY 50, BENSALEM 43
The Falcons sprinted to a 19-0 lead at the end of one quarter and never looked back. They took a 42-23 lead into the fourth quarter when the Owls staged a late-game comeback attempt.
“We just came out and we played at a high level,” coach Keith Gabor said. “After that first quarter, I played every girl. I have 13 girls on the roster so I played all of them.
“I pulled most of our seniors and juniors, and I tried to go with some of our younger girls because the bottom line is this – Sajanna Bethea is a very good player, and Kaitlin Kelly is a very good player, but they need help. If the younger girls are never in a position where they have to do it themselves, they’re always going to rely on Sajanna and Kaitlin.
“Bensalem did a real nice job, and they got it to six. We called a timeout and talked about it. The girls settled in. Tara Israel made some big free throws down the stretch, and that kept them at bay.”
Israel finished with seven points. Bethea led the Falcons with 20 points while Kelly added six and Maggie Kane, five points.
For the Owls, Lyric Lewis led the way with 20 points while Kelsey Long and Bridget Watson both added 11 points.
“Once they relaxed, they played very well,” Bensalem coach Don Bogan said. “Pennsbury did do a lot of subbing the last three quarters, but the young Bensalem team kept fighting and never gave up.
“The game was one that we can build off and improve.”
The Falcons upped their record to 2-1 (1-0 SOL) while the Owls fell to 0-3 (0-1 SOL).
Pennsbury 19 9 14 8-50
Bensalem 0 13 10 20-43
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 49, WILLIAM TENNENT 39
After battling to a 10-10 tie at the end of one quarter, the Panthers edged the Indians 13-11 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 23-21 lead.
The game turned in a third quarter that saw the Indians go on a 19-5 tear to open up a 40-26 lead. They never looked back.
Madison Attanasio and Michaela Finneyfrock led a balanced Indian attack with 10 points each. Jessica Gerber and Tara Garfield both added nine points.
Angie Pomponio led the Panthers with 11 points while Nikki Alden added 10 and Alyssa Christiansen had eight.
The Indians are 1-1 on the young season (1-0 SOL) while Tennent falls to 3-1 (0-1 SOL)
Council Rock North 10 11 19 9-49
William Tennent 10 13 5 11-39
NESHAMINY 64, HARRY S TRUMAN 22 (Thursday, Dec. 12)
Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 48, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 43
The Titans looked as though they might be on their way to a relatively easy win, going on top 14-7 after a three-point play by Jordan Vitelli to close out the first quarter. They suffered a setback when senior Alysha Lofton was whistled for her third foul with 1:35 remaining in the first quarter and took a seat on the bench for the remainder of the half.
Despite Lofton’s absence, the Titans stretched that lead to 18-10 after a Lauren Mosher bucket at the 4:25 mark of the second quarter, but on the Indians ensuing possession, Jessica Gerber – who buried five three-pointers – hit nothing but net on the third of her rainbow treys in the half, and a Rock North comeback was underway.
“Jessica Gerber is a fantastic shooter,” South coach Beth Mattern said. “Some of those shots, she did not have a lot of room to get a shot off, and it was nothing but net.”
Gerber’s three-pointer sparked a 10-2 Rock North run to close out the first half, and the two teams went into halftime deadlocked 20-20.
The second half was a tightly-contested affair. The Titans took a 33-32 lead into the final quarter, and the two teams were deadlocked 37-37 after Gerber buried a pair from the foul line with 3:44 remaining in regulation.
Lofton found Mosher for a basket in close at the other end to put the Titans on top by two, but Madison Attanasio sank the front end of a one-and-one to make it a 39-38 game. Vitelli buried a pair of foul shots to put the Titans on top 41-38, marking the beginning of an overpowering stretch by the sophomore guard who scored eight of her team’s final nine points in the final two minutes of the game.
Gerber led all scorers with 20 points while Michaela Finneyfrock had seven. Vitelli led the Titans with 19 points, which included a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line. Mosher also finished in double figures for the Titans with 10 points. The Titans connected on 17-of-20 from the charity stripe with Lofton, who finished with eight points, burying 4-of-4 and sophomore Chloe Entenberg connecting on 5-of-6.
Central Bucks South 14 6 13 15-48
Council Rock North 7 13 12 11-43
PENN WOOD 73, UPPER MERION 53
The Vikings battled the Patriots to a 32-32 halftime tie, but the Patriots seized control of the game in the third quarter.
“We just didn’t do a good enough job on the defensive glass, and Penn Wood was able to get a number of putbacks to blow the game wide open,” coach Tom Schurtz said.
Regie Robinson led the Vikings with 20 points.
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 50, PENNRIDGE 49
Rachel Konowal drained a three-point shot from the corner with seven seconds remaining in regulation, propelling the Colonials to the dramatic win on Wednesday. It was Konowal’s lone basket of the game.
Down by four with just under a minute to play, PW was able to force a turnover and cut the Lady Rams’ lead to one. Then, trailing by three, junior guard Alynna Williams tied the game with a three-point basket off an inbounds play. Pennridge’s Devan Rimmer sank two free throws to give the Rams a 49-47 advantage, setting the stage for Konowal’s late-game heroics. The Colonials played tough defense the final seven seconds to escape with the win.
“It was a tremendous high school basketball game, back and forth the whole way with both teams making big play after big play,” PW coach Daniel Dougherty said.
Senior guard/forward Asia Baker had a brilliant debut for the Colonials, scoring a game high 21 points. Williams added 12 points.
For the Lady Rams, Rimmer had 17 points while sophomores Shelby Schoonover (13 points) and Lydia Konstanzer (12 points) also came up big for Pennridge.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11 10 11 18-50
Pennridge 15 7 10 17-49
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