Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. UM/Cheltenham photos provided courtesy of Kathy Leister Photography. Wissahickon/PW photos courtesy of Kim Supko. Check back for galleries of both games.
A pair of SOL players – CB West senior Maddie Burke and Upper Dublin senior Jackie Vargas – both reached the 1,000-point milestone on Friday. Check back for a follow-up story about both players.
SOL National Conference
NESHAMINY 40, BENSALEM 32
The Owls struggled against the Redskins’ pressure defense and scored just 13 points in the first half, but the ‘Skins weren’t doing any better, and the two teams were deadlocked.
Sparked by seven points from Emily Tantala and six from Olivia Scotti, the Redskins outscored their hosts 21-6 in the third quarter to go on top 34-19. The Owls never could make up the ground they lost.
Tantala led the Redskins with 12 points. Kristin Curley added nine, Scotti had eight and Sydney Tryon chipped in six.
Haley Keenan’s 17-point effort – which included 11 of her team’s 13 first-half points – led all scorers. The Owls’ senior connected on a pair of three-pointers and 5-of-6 at the charity stripe. Chloe Munyon added seven points.
Neshaminy (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Tuesday, and Bensalem (1-2, 0-1) will host Unionville on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Neshaminy 5-8-21-6 40
Bensalem 6-7-6-13 32
Neshaminy (40) – Sydney Tryon 3 0-0 6; Emily Tantala 5 1-3 12; Olivia Scotti 3 2-2 8; Kristin Curley 3 3-4 9; Alex Ziegler 0 0-3 0; Kelli Kowalick 1 3-7 5; TOTALS 26 9-29 40.
Bensalem (32) – Averi McCoy 1 0-0 2; Emily Wineburg 2 0-3 4; Mia Parker 0 2-2 4; Haley Keenan 4 5-6 17; Chloe Munyon 3 0-2 7; TOTALS 9 7-13 31.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Emily Tantala, Bensalem – Haley Keenan 2, Chloe Munyon.
SOL Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 56, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 37
It doesn’t get much better than this – playing a high energy game in front of a large crowd against a sister school and coming away with a win that was capped when Maddie Burke buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
Burke – who needed 16 points – was plagued with foul troubles the entire night but finished with exactly 16.
“She’s a smart player,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “She’s aggressive and wants to make plays, and (fouls) happen, but she stayed in the game, which was awesome. She didn’t take a step back, she was a leader on the bench. That allowed her to continue to stay in it and have opportunities down the stretch.”
Behind a pair of three-pointers by Anna Blue, the Bucks opened up an 11-8 lead after one quarter. They erupted for 20 points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 31-19 lead. Jess Broskey led the Bucks with seven points while Burke, who was whistled for her third foul, added five. Both had a three-pointer. Emily Chmiel’s 10 first-half points led the Patriots.
Both teams managed just six points in the third quarter, but the Bucks – behind nine points from point guard Olivia Irons – outscored the Patriots 19-12 in the fourth quarter to close out the win.
Irons also finished in double figures with 14 points, which included two threes and a 2-for-2 effort at the foul line.
“We talked at the beginning of the season – we demanded a lot of from her,” Sibel said of his senior point guard. “We said – ‘This is how we want to play, and this is what you need to do in order for us to be successful. We want you to push the ball, we want you to play at a fast pace,’ and she did. She stayed with it.
“It wasn’t pretty in the summer to start, but she got so much better every step of the way. It was cool to see her have that success. She stepped up big against Abington for us, and she stepped up again.”
Broskey added eight and limited the dangerous Emily Chmiel to 11 points – just one in the second half.
“She’s such a tough kid, and she’s such a smart kid,” Sibel said of Broskey. “This team so far has played to scout incredibly.
“We look at key matchups, we look at key players. Chmiel is an incredible player. What she’s been doing is no accident – she’s an awesome player. They run really good stuff for her. They’re a well-coached team, so anytime you look at that – you ask girls to step up, and that was Jess tonight, for sure.
“You can’t say enough about the senior leadership of this team and what they bring to the table and the examples they’re setting for the girls coming up in this program.”
Also for the Bucks, Emily Spratt added eight points and Blue finished with six.
“Anna Blue came in and hit two threes,” Burke said. “Emily Spratt played really well. Everybody that came in contributed. It was great. We came together as a team and got a team win.”
Chmiel and Mia Salvati, who had a pair of threes, both had 11 points to lead the Patriots. Emily Barry had seven points.
Central Bucks West (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Souderton on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Central Bucks East (1-2, 0-1) will travel to Central Bucks South on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Central Bucks East 8-11-6-12 37
Central Bucks West 11-20-6-19 56
Central Bucks East (37) – Gabby Wilga 1 0-2 2; Mia Salvati 3 3-4 11; Elise Duffy 0 0-1 0; Emily Chmiel 5 1-2 11; Emily Barry 2 3-4 7; Aubrey DeAngelis 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 14 7-13 37.
Central Bucks West (56) – Paige Gilbert 1 0-2 2; Olivia Irons 5 2-2 14; Anna Blue 2 0-0 6; Emily Spratt 2 3-4 7; Jess Broskey 3 1-2 8; Maddie Burke 5 3-4 16; Mady McGarry 0 1-2 1; Lilly Evans 0 2-2 2; TOTALS 18 12-18 56.
3-point goals: CBW – Maddie Burke 3, Olivia Irons 2, Anna Blue 2, Jess Broskey, CBE – Mia Salvati 2.
3-point goals: CBE – Mia Salvati 2, CBW – Maddie Burke 3, Olivia Irons 2, Anna Blue 2.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 50, QUAKERTOWN 22
Sparked by 11 points from sophomore Taylor Hinkle, the visiting Titans opened up a 24-14 halftime lead. They went on to outscore the Panthers 26-8 in the second half.
Hinkle led all scorers with 15 points, which included a pair of threes. Mackenzie Erb, who also had two threes, added 10 points,
Central Bucks South (2-2, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh for a non-league game on Monday. Quakertown (1-2, 0-1) will travel to Salisbury for a non-league game Saturday at 2:15 p.m.
Central Bucks South 10-14-13-13 50
Quakertown 8-6-4-4 22
Central Bucks South (50) – Maddie White 0 1-2 1; Taylor Hinkle 3 6-10 14; Mary Kate McShane 1 1-2 3; Alyssa D’Orazio 1 0-0 3; Mackenzie Erb 3 2-2 10; Erin Kelly 0 3-4 3; Samantha Waltrich 2 0-0 4; Allie Burke 1 0-2 2; Kirsten Schaller 1 0-0 2; Samantha Schiesser 1 0-0 2; Kristen Conway 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 15 13-22 50.
Quakertown (22) – Carolyn Sipprell 1 2-4 4; Abigail Dickson 0 2-5 2; Katie Catalano 0 1-2 1; Kayla Horning 1 0-0 2; Kennedi Pellegrini 0 2-2 2; Maureen Healy 0 1-2 1; Alexis Miccuci 2 0-0 4; Fallon Grandinetti 2 0-0 4; Abigail McClaskey 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 7 8-15 22.
3-point goals – CBS – Taylor Hinkle 2, Mackenzie Erb 2, Maddie White, Alyssa D’Orazio, Kristen Conway.
SOL American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 63, HATBORO-HORSHAM 23
Jackie Vargas had herself a night.
The Lehigh University-bound senior put on an offensive clinic, scoring 28 points to go along with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. When she buried both ends of a one-and-one in the fourth quarter for her final points of the night, Vargas reached the 1,000-point milestone, delighting the partisan crowd.
Behind eight points from Vargas, the Flying Cardinals led 14-8 after one quarter. Vargas had six points in a 23-point second quarter that sent the Cardinals into halftime with a commanding 37-15 halftime lead.
In addition to Vargas, Dayna Balasa added 11 points, including a pair of threes. Ten players contributed scoring for the Flying Cardinals.
Upper Dublin (2-1, 2-0 SOL) will leave for Arizona on Tuesday to compete in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix where they will face some of the nation’s top high school programs. Hatboro-Horsham (2-3, 0-1) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 8-7-4-4 23
Upper Dublin 14-23-11-15 63
Hatboro-Horsham (23) – Emily Thomas 2 0-0 4; Cam Ryan 1 0-2 2; Caroline Shegogue 1 2-4 5; Jess Howard 1 0-0 3; Graceanne Griffis 1 0-0 3Alice Hall 2 0-1 4; Jada Mills 1 0-0 1; TOTALS 9 2-7 23.
Upper Dublin (63) – Bliss Brenner 0 2-2 2; Rachel Bilger 0 2-2 2; Brianna Felgoise 1 0-0 2; Jess Polin 1 0-0 3; Geena Sarnoski 1 0-0 3; Kara Grebe 0 4-4 4; Jackie Gorman 2 0-0 4; Dayna Balasa 3 2-2 11; Jackie Vargas 11 6-9 28; TOTALS 20 17-22 63.
3-point goals: HH- Caroline Shegogue, Jess Howard, Graceanne Griffis, UD – Dayna Balasa 3, Jackie Gorman, Geena Sarnoski, Jess Polin.
UPPER MORELAND 49, CHELTENHAM 34
The Golden Bears were without their do-everything player – Bean Hughes (injury), but her teammates more than picked up the slack in her absence.
No performance loomed larger than the 18-point effort of freshman EmmyFaith Wood.
“With Bean being out we talked about someone having to step up,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “She averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and two blocks in our first four games. We are very good defensively with Bean but struggle to score.
“Tonight we had to turn our defense into offense. We planned to play full court trapping defense throughout the game, but we fouled way too much in the first half and had to go zone. I thought our girls adjusted well to the change in defense and game plan. We always preach every game is different and everyone has to be ready.”
The Golden Bears led 11-7 after one quarter and then put some distance between themselves and the Lady Panthers with a 15-6 second quarter to go into halftime with a 26-13 lead.
There were heroes galore for the Golden Bears.
“Emma Hurley really stepped up for us tonight off the bench,” Carroll said. “She practices with varsity but gets most of her minutes in jayvee. Going zone meant we needed more size and less guards. She got seven rebounds and gave us great minutes. Hannah Finn stepped up offensively and knocked down some timely baskets.
“EmmyFaith, our freshman guard, really stepped up for us. She started in Bean’s absence and played 31 minutes. They full-court pressed us and eventually face-guarded her. She looked exhausted but really fought through it. It was a good team win and it was good to see the girls step up in Bean’s absence.”
Also for the Golden Bears, Hannah Finn added nine points while Kaitie Opferman and Emma Meakim both had six.
For the Lady Panthers, Umayrah Sulayman’s 11-point effort led the way. Taylor Johnson contributed nine points, and Tyrina Ragsdale added six
Upper Moreland (3-2, 1-0 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (2-2, 0-1) will host Central High School in a non-league game Monday.
Cheltenham 7-6-10-11 34
Upper Moreland 11-15-12-11 49
Cheltenham (34) – Mikahila Leighton 1 0-0 2; Assata Robinson 1 0-0 3; Taylor Johnson 4 1-2 9; Umayrah Sulayman 2 5-7 11; Cashmere Moore 1 0-2 3; Tyrina Ragsdale 1 4-9 6; TOTALS 9 10-20 34.
Upper Moreland (49) – Kathryn Morrow 1 0-0 2; Kaiya Herb 1 2-4 4; EmmyFaith Wood 5 6-8 17; Kaitie Opferman 2 1-5 6; Emma Meakim 2 1-6 6; Hannah Finn 4 0-0 9; Kiera Coyle 1 1-1 3; Emma Hurley 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 17 10-26 49.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Umayrah Sulayman 2, Assata Robinson, Cashmere Moore, UM – EmmyFaith Wood, Kaiatie Opferman, Emma Meakim, Hannah Finn.
ABINGTON 80, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 33
The Ghosts once again were on fire from downtown, burying 12 three-pointers for the second consecutive game.
Amanda Jackson was all but unstoppable from beyond the arc, connecting on seven threes and finishing with a game-high 23 points. Khalis Whiting buried a pair of threes and added 16 points. Cire Worley also had 16, including a three.
The visiting Ghosts roared out of the gate to a 29-10 lead after one quarter and took a 52-24 lead into halftime on their way to the decisive win.
Abington (2-3, 1-1 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Springfield Township (1-3, 0-1) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 68, WISSAHICKON 23
The Colonials wasted no time before seizing control of Friday’s SOL opener, racing to a 22-2 lead after one quarter and extending that to 42-9 by halftime. The Trojans never threatened.
“They’re a very good team, and we didn’t execute our game plan in any way, shape or form,” Wissahickon coach Rodney Cline said. “They forced us out of that – I give all the credit to them.
“We didn’t play like we needed to in order to compete tonight. PW came out – they played well, they executed, they were poised, they finished. Their rebounding was tremendous, especially on the offensive glass. That seems to be their staple. They’re a big team, and they crash the glass well. They’re good. I give it to them.”
Eleven players got their names in the scoring column for the Colonials. Erin Daley’s 13 points led the balanced attack, and Kate Flanagan added 10. Jordyn Thomas finished with nine points, Gabby Cooper had seven and Ally Zolty chipped in six.
“It’s our first game – no excuses but first-game jitters, home crowd, and we didn’t do the fundamental things that we know how to do well,” Cline said.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in a non-league game on Monday, and Wissahickon (0-1) will travel to Penncrest Saturday for a non-league game Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 22-20-12-14 68
Wissahickon 2-7-2-12 23
Plymouth Whitemarsh (68) – Ally Zolty 2 0-0 6; Kate Flanagan 3 4-4 10; Abby Sharpe 2 0-0 4; Erin Daley 6 1-5 13; Gabby Cooper 3 0-2 7; Haley Felgoise 0 2-2 2; Chloe McGrorty 1 2-2 4; Anna McTamney 1 3-5 5; Jordyn Thomas 3 3-4 9; Lily Belle McGrorty 0 3-4 3; Deja Evans 1 3-4 5
Wissahickon (23) – Lily Hyatt 2, Anna Schools 5, Leah Dubin 10, Julia Verrier 2, Marie Dreyer 2, Kaitlyn McGeary 2.
Non-league
PENNRIDGE 49, WILLIAM TENNENT 22
The Rams, who led 9-4 after one quarter, used a 16-2 second quarter burst to go into halftime with a 25-6 lead. They never looked back on their way to the non-league win.
“It was a slow start for both teams,” coach Laura Whitney said. “There didn’t seem to be much of any rhythm.
“Unfortunately for us, the second quarter it didn’t get any better. We struggled to get quality looks, and the open shots we got we didn’t make. On top of that we were battling foul trouble, which created some tough matchups. We had some turnovers, which led to easy baskets in transition, and we just never seemed to recover. Even in the second half when we made a little run, we couldn’t string together enough stops to change the momentum.”
Ten players contributed scoring for the Rams. Ashley Gordon’’s 12 points – which included a 5-for-5 effort at the foul line – led a balanced attack. Julia Kreider added seven points while Evelyn Loughery had six.
Chase Dubzak’s seven points led the Panthers.
“I give a lot of credit to Pennridge,” Whitney said. “They are a tough team with some talented players. They play hard and Mike (Elton) does a great job with them.
“We have had so many close games with them the last three years, so I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to be competitive tonight. Every night the games get tougher and tougher. Hopefully, our girls can learn from tonight and we can get back to work tomorrow and start getting ready for league play.”
Pennridge (3-1) will host Quakertown on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and William Tennent (3-1) will be on the road at Bensalem on Tuesday.
Pennridge 9-16-12-12 49
William Tennent 4-2-10-5 22
Pennridge (49) – Corinn Mart 0 4-8 4; Grace Rosica 1 0-0 2; Katie Yoder 2 1-3 5; Julia Kreider 2 3-4 7; Kiersten Moyer 2 -0 4; Emma Pyne 1 0-0 3; Evelyn Loughery 3 0-2 6; Jillian Coughlin 2 0-0 4; Ryan Hooper 1 0-0 2; Ashley Gordon 3 5-5 12; TOTALS 17 13-22 49.
William Tennent (22) – Emily Thran 0 1-2 1; Olivia Kaczmarck 0 2-2 2; Direidy Serrano 2 0-2 4; Hannah Reimel 2 0-0 5; Chase Dubzak 2 2-2 7; Courtney Bragen 1 0-1 2; Erin Hart 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 7 5-11 22.
3-point goals – Pennridge – Emma Pyne, Ashley Gordon, WT – Hannah Reimel, Chase Dubzak.
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