Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. (CB East/Souderton photos provided courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
NESHAMINY 54, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 32
The Redskins bounced back from Wednesday’s disappointing outing against Lansdale Catholic in their first loss of the season, racing out of the gate to a 19-6 lead after one quarter and stretching that into a 40-19 lead at halftime on their way to the win.
“We spoke before the game as to how losing in the manner we did against Lansdale Catholic can easily snowball into a poor frame of mind,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “I warned them I have seen that happen over the years. The players took my comments personally and came out on fire in the first half. It carried over into the second quarter with us scoring 40 first half points.”
Leading the first-half charge was Reese Zemitis, who was unstoppable. The Bucknell-bound senior scored 13 of her team’s 19 first-quarter points, which included three 3-pointers. She added two 3s in the second quarter and went into halftime with 19 points. She finished with a game-high 23 points in three quarters, which included five 3-pointers. Lola Ibarrondo added 13 points, five assists and three rebounds. She also had a pair of 3s. Alena Cofield added six points on two 3s and led the ‘Skins with three steals. All told the Redskins buried 11 3-pointers.
“Two items stood out to me in this game,” Gallagher said. “The first thing was Alena Cofield’s defense on Delaney McCaffery, holding her scoreless. Delaney has been a thorn in our side the last couple of games and Alena took the challenge to heart.
“The second item was watching freshman Auslyn Wilkins play a terrific JV game, and I mentioned to our coaches to give her a meaningful run in this game. Auslyn took two charges in the JV game and then another in the varsity game while rebounding and scoring her first varsity basket.”
For the Indians, Ruth O’Keefe led the way with 10 points while Megan Reichanbach and Skyler Wright both added eight points. Reichenbach and O’Keefe each had a pair of 3-pointers.
“Skyler Wright came off the bench for North and had a very strong game for them, netting eight points in the first half,” Gallagher said. “I was impressed with her when she had the ball in her hands.”
Neshaminy (4-1, 4-0 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (3-4, 1-3) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Neshaminy 19-21-8-6 54
Council Rock North 6-13-6-7 32
Neshaminy (54) – Grace Weyler 2 0-0 5; Alena Cofield 2 0-0 6; Ashlyn Duffy 1 0-0 2; Lola Ibarrondo 5 1-2 13; Auslyn Wilkins 1 0-0 2; Ava Irizarry 1 0-0 3; Reese Zemitis 8 2-2 23; TOTALS 20 3-4 54.
Council Rock North (32) – Skyler Wright 3 1-2 8; Kayla Smith 0 1-2 1; Amara Arroyo 0 1-2 1; Megan Reichenbach 2 2-4 8; Ruth O’Keefe 3 2-2 10; Frannie Boyle 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 9 9-14 32.
3-point goals – Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 5, Lola Ibarrondo 2, Alena Cofield 2, Grace Weyler, Ava Irizarry; CRN – Ruth O’Keefe 2, Megan Reichenbach 2, Skyler Wright.
BENSALEM 42, HARRY S TRUMAN 21
Amber Howard scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the first quarter, igniting a 19-point first quarter for the Owls who opened up an early lead and never looked back.
In addition to Howard, Talia DiMichele also finished in double figures with 10, which included a pair of 3s. Devon Bell added eight points.
For the Tigers, Erynn Bond led the way with 10 points while Shylah McCleve added six points.
Bensalem (3-2, 2-2 SOL) will host Neshaminy on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (1-6, 0-4) will be on the road at Council Rock South Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 3-8-6-4 21
Bensalem 19-7-7-9 42
Harry S Truman (21) – Brianna Philemond 1 0-0 3; Erynn Bond 4 1-4 10; Shylah McCleve 2 2-6 6 Niya Lynch 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 8 3-12 21.
Bensalem (42 – Talia DiMichele 4 0-1 10; Jordyn Bell 0 1-2 1; Ashley Tarr 0 1-2 1; Mikayla Donahue. 1 0-0 2; Devon Bell 3 1-2 8; Amber Howard 7 1-4 15; Sydney Daut 0 1-2 1; Ariana Jenkins 2 0-2 4; TOTALS 17 5-15 42.
3-point goals: HST – Brianna Philemond, Erynn Bond; Bensalem – Talia DiMichele 2, Devon Bell.
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN 64, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 39
The Knights led 17-13 after one quarter and then outscored their visitors 28-13 over the middle two quarters to seize control on their way to their fourth conference win of the season without a loss.
“South played a very hard game,” North Penn coach Bri Cullen said. “We had to make a lot of adjustments defensively tonight.
“Offensively, we pushed the ball and looked for the openings, so I am pleased with how things turned out, and we’re looking forward to the next game.”
Caleigh Sperling, Olivia Stone and Cameron Crowley combined for 48 points. Sperling’s 18 points led the way. Stone added 17, which included three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Crowley had 13 points – 11 in the middle two quarters when the Knights took charge.
Also for the Knights, Lily Brown and Kelly Donnelly both added six points.
South was led by the nine-point efforts of Casey Balkir and Juliana Tropea. Ella Wheeler and Yoyo Samayoa each added seven points.
North Penn (4-1, 4-0 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (3-3, 2-2) will travel to Pennridge Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 13-5-8-13 39
North Penn 17-11-17-19 64
Central Bucks South (39) – Ella Wheeler 3 0-2 7; Casey Balkir 3 1-2 9; Juliana Tropea 1 7-9 9; Yoyo Samayoa 2 2-3 7; Mia Klein 1 1-2 4; Anna Granito 0 1-2 1; Morgan McKeever 1 0-4 2; TOTALS 11 12-24 39.
North Penn (64) – Cameron Crowley 6 1-1 13; Lailani Williams 0 1-2 1; Caleigh Sperling 8 2-2 18; Lily McGee 0 1-4 1; Lily Brown 3 0-0 6; Kelly Donnelly 2 0-0 6; Olivia Stone 7 0-0 17; Olivia Stevens 0 0-2 0; Tallie Smink 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 27 5-11 64.
3-point goals: CBS – Casey Balkir 2, Ella Wheeler, Yoyo Samayoa, Mia Klein; NP – Olivia Stone 3, Kelly Donnelly 2.
PENNRIDGE 36, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 33
Ella Brown buried a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining, breaking a 33-33 tie and propelling the Rams to the dramatic win.
“It was back and forth – it was a good game,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said. “They pressured us, they made it tough for us to get our offense going, and they absolutely destroyed us on the offensive glass. I don’t have the stats, but we got outrebounded significantly.
“I give our kids a lot of credit. This was the first big-time adverse situation for this crew, and they got through it and did a really good job. I’m really proud of them.”
There was nothing to suggest it would come down to the wire as the Rams led for the better part of the contest, leading by three to five points. Brown scored seven first-quarter points to propel the Rams to a 9-7 advantage. By halftime, she had 14 points, and the Rams led 21-16. Scarlett Baumgardner kept the Bucks within striking distance with six points while Erica Madden had five.
With around two minutes remaining in regulation, the Rams were whistled for a technical foul, and the Bucks took a two-point lead.
“That might have been their first lead since early in the game,” Rapp said. “A couple of possessions go by, and Layla Verbit hit a three to tie it.
“We got possession, and Ella hits a three to win it. It was her first bucket of the second half – they did a really good job on her the second half. With 5.1 to go, they ran a little play, and we were fortunate that they just missed a three at the end. Ava Fantaskey did a great job guarding it.”
Rapp was asked if he considered fouling with just 5.1 seconds remaining and a three-point lead.
“I told my staff – we’re getting outrebounded by probably 25 rebounds. I can’t foul. I’d rather they hit a running three to tie the game to go to overtime than do something where they get a putback,” Rapp said. “It was wild. West took us out of our offense. They guarded us really hard tonight.”
Brown’s 17 points – 14 in the first half – led the Rams. Fantaskey added nine points.
“Ella Brown was great, scoring 17,” Rapp said. “Fantaskey was amazing – handling the ball because they really got after her. She was fantastic tonight.
“In the third quarter, Abby Huskin hit two huge shots, and then Verbit hits a three to tie it. We have to grind out these points.”
For the Bucks, Baumgardner led the way with nine points, and Gabby Rechner had eight points.
Pennridge (5-2, 2-2 SOL) will be on the road at Upper Perkiomen for a non-league game on Monday, and Central Bucks West (1-7, 0-4) will travel to Souderton on Tuesday.
Pennridge 9-12-5-10 36
Central Bucks West 6-10-7-10 33
Pennridge (36) – Ella Brown 6 2-2 17; Ava Fantaskey 3 3-4 9; Abby Huskin 2 0-0 5; Allie Smith 0 0-2 0; Layla Verbit 1 2-2 5; TOTALS 12 7-11 36.
Central Bucks West (33) – Gabi Senior 2 0-0 4; Erica Madden 2 0-0 5; Addy Fay 1 0-0 2; Emily Ladley 1 3-7 5; Gabby Reichner 2 4-6 8; TOTALS 10 10-16 33.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Ella Brown 3, Abby Huskin, Layla Verbit; CBW – Scarlett Baumgardner 2, Erica Madden.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 51, SOUDERTON 26
The Patriots won for their fourth time in as many games, opening up a 16-5 lead after one quarter and leading from wire to wire.
In the opening quarter, the Patriots buried four 3-pointers. Natalie Berndt and Jess Lockwood both had five points in the quarter. By halftime the Patriots had a 34-13 lead. Sydney Ralph’s 11 points – eight in the second quarter, including three 3s – led the Patriots.
Lockwood 16 points – eight in the first half – led the Patriots. She connected on four of East’s nine 3-pointers in the game. Ralph finished with 11 points while Anna Barry had eight points, and Berndt, seven points.
Souderton was led by the 12-point effort of Emily Dick. No other player had more than five.
Central Bucks East (4-0 SOL) will travel to West Chester Rustin for a non-league game on Saturday (1 p.m.). Souderton (1-5, 0-4) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Central Bucks East 16-18-4-13 51
Souderton 5-8-10-3 26
Central Bucks East (51) – Sydney Ralph 3 2-4 11; Haley Moran 1 0-0 3; Natalie Berndt 3 0-0 7; Savannah Hayes 1 0-0 2; Anna Barry 2 2-2 8; Jess Lockwood 6 2-2 16; Chantal van Dongeren 1 2-3 4; TOTALS 17 8-11 51.
Souderton (26) – Jacquelyn Bermel 1 0-0 2; Julia Purvy 1 0-0 2; Olivia Herron 0 1-2 1; Brooke Fenchel 2 0-0 5; Kiera Fadden 2 0-0 4; Emily Dick 5 2-3 12; TOTALS 11 3-5 26.
3-point goals: CBE – Sydney Ralph 3, Anna Barry 2, Jess Lockwood 2, Haley Moran, Natalie Berndt; Souderton – Brooke Fenchel.
SOL Liberty Division
HATBORO-HORSHAM 56, QUAKERTOWN 24
Sparked by the hot hand of Maddy Patel, the Hatters opened up a 19-9 lead after one quarter and never looked back on their way to their second win in as many days. Patel buried a pair of 3s and scored 13 of her team’s 19 first-quarter points.
Patel led all scorers with 20 points, which included three 3s, and Kitty Randa added 12 points.
“We had a pretty balanced night,” HH assistant coach Nicole Miletto said. “Junior Maddy Patel and senior Kitty Randa led the way, helping us jump out to a lead after the first quarter.
“Maddy got hot in the first half and was hitting her shots. Kitty added 12 and was strong on the boards and defensively. The team played with some confidence and were able to execute. We cut down on the turnovers tonight and took our time on offense. We had been coming down and taking quick shots and tonight we were more patient. There are still things to work on, but it was a good win.
Also contributing for the Hatters was freshman Angelica Visceglia with nine points.
For the Panthers, Truly Heft scored nine points, and Ava Pistone had seven.
Hatboro-Horsham (3-3, 2-2 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Monday, and Quakertown (1-7, 0-4) will host Abington on Tuesday.
ABINGTON 58, WISSAHICKON 20
The Ghosts led by five after one quarter and then blew the game wide open with a 21-3 second quarter to go into halftime with a 34-11 lead on their way to the convincing win.
Jordyn Reynolds scored seven points to lead a balanced second-quarter effort.
“Ava Teich had two big 3s in a row off the bench to spark our run in the second quarter,” Abington coach Ava Lawson said.
Teich finished with eight points – all in the first half. Mikiaya Durham’s 16 points led the Ghosts. Reynolds added 11 points and five steals. Maya Johnson contributed six points and handed out 12 assists in a standout effort at point. Piper McGinley added four points and six assists. Zyn McClain added six points.
For the Trojans, Julia Lettieri led the way with 12 points to go along with two rebounds. Maura Jacob added five points and two boards while Ashley Klein had two points, three rebounds and two steals.
Abington (4-2, 3-1 SOL) will face West Catholic at Jefferson University on Sunday at 6:15 p.m., and Wissahickon (1-5, 1-3) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday.
Wissahickon 8-3-6-3 20
Abington 13-21-17-7 58
Wissahickon (20) – Maura Jacob 2 0-0 5; Julia Lettieri 3 3-5 11; Ashley Klein 0 2-2 2; Chloe Acuna 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 6 5-7 20.
Abington (58) – Ava Teich 3 0-0 8; Maya Johnson 3 0-0 6; Harper McGinley 0 1-2 1; Mikiaya Durham 7 0-0 16; Jordyn Reynolds 4 0-0 11; Piper McGinley 2 0-0 4; Sarah Oleary 0 1-2 1; Kara Slavin 1 1-3 3; Zyn McClain 2 2-4 6; Kaylia Rice 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 23 5-11 58.
3-point goals: Wissahickon Maura Jacob, Julia Lettieri 2; Abington – Jordyn Reynolds 3, Ava Teich 2, Mikiaya Durham 2.
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 76, SPRINGFIELD TWP 59
The visiting Lions led 16-13 after one quarter and then – behind 12 points on four 3s from Dani Brusha – exploded for 27 points in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 43-23 advantage on their way to the win.
“Our last few games, we’ve not been happy with our starts, so one of our team goals was to not come out slow, and fortunately, the girls responded,” LM coach Rich “Freshman Emma DiJoseph got us going with eight first-quarter points. and in the second quarter, we just started to click and were able to score 27 points to give us 43 for the first half.
“In the second quarter, Dani Brusha started to feel it and knocked down four 3-pointers.”
Briana McFerran, despite only playing 90 seconds of the first quarter due to two quick fouls, led the team in scoring with 22 points. She also had eight rebounds and four steals.Three other starters finished in double figures. Brusha had all 17 of her points in the first half. DiJosph added 15 points.
“Emma (DiJoseph) had a strong game,” Becker said. “As a ninth grader, she’s starting to adjust to the high school game, and all of the hard work she’s putting in in practice is starting to translate to the games.”
Sydney Santora added 12 points, which included a 6-for-8 effort at the foul line.
“We had a nice game tonight, but I think the biggest reason was that Sydney Santora took over the second quarter and set the tone for the rest of the game,” Becker said. “In the second quarter, Sydney had four rebounds, five assists and four steals. She imposed her will on the other team and finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.
“There are times when I re-watch the games and am amazed at the little things she does that a freshman is not supposed to do. Her vision and passing are exceptional. Before the game, she told me her goal was to draw two charges – she drew one. It was probably the only goal she did not meet.”
Also for the Lions, Mollie Martin had seven points.
Jayla Daniels turned in a huge performance for the Spartans, sharing team scoring honors with 24 points – she had 16 in the first half. Ava Culler added 22 points – 19 in the second half. Grace Dailey contributed eight points.
The two teams combined for 42 points in the third quarter, and despite scoring 20 points in the frame, the Spartans trailed 65-43 after three quarters.
“In spite of scoring 76 points, we gave up 59, and that’s a credit to the Springfield girls and Dave (Giordano),” Becker said. “At one point in the third quarter, we were up 25 and shooting free throws, and a few possessions later, it was back to 17 and they never let us feel comfortable with the lead. They kept attacking and answering back to our made baskets. Both Ava Cullen and Jayla Daniels were exceptional for Springfield. Jayla scored 24 despite being constantly pressured. Ava Cullen scored 22 and probably had more rebounds than points.”
With the win, the Lions upped their league record to 3-1 and share the top spot with Upper Moreland.
Lower Moreland (5-3, 3-1 SOL) will be on the road at William Tennent on Tuesday, and Springfield Twp (4-2, 2-2) will travel to Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Lower Moreland 16-27-22-11 76
Springfield Twp 13-10-20-16 59
Lower Moreland (76) – Brianna McFerran 9 2-4 22; Dani Brusha 5 2-2 17; Sydney Santora 3 6-8 12; Mollie Martin 1 5-6 7; Emma DiJoseph 6 0-0 15; Nikki Sahl 0 1-2 1; Maddie Broderick 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 25-16-22 76.
Springfield Twp (59) – Alana Decker 0 1-2 1; Hannah Brandon 1 0-0 2; Jayla Daniels 10 3-5 24; Grace Dailey 2 3-5 8; Devan Nolan 1 0-0 2; Ava Culler 10 2-4 22; TOTALS 24 9-16 59.
3-point goals: LM – Dani Brusha 5, Emma DiJoseph 3, Brianna McFerran 2; Springfield – Jayla Daniels, Grace Dailey.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 64, WILLIAM TENNENT 54
Emily Wilson buried three 3-pointers in the opening quarter, propelling the Lions to a 22-14 lead after one quarter. By halftime, Wilson had 15 points, and the Lions had a commanding 37-20 lead on the way to their first win in league play. Ella Dudick also had a big first half, scoring 10 points.
“Tonight was the most complete game of the early season,” NH-S coach Steve Polinsky said. “We shot the ball well, and we were consistent all game long.”
In the second half, the Panthers outscored the Lions 34-27 but never seriously threatened.
“I did not feel safe with our lead because Tennent has been playing some very good basketball,” Polinsky said. “Laura (Whitney) has them playing so well together.”
Wilson’s 22 points led the Lions, but scoring points was just one piece of her game.
“Emily’s point guard play was outstanding,” Polinsky said. “She dictated the pace and got us into our offenses.”
Dudick added 19 points.
“Ella Dudick scored 19 points and played her best game of the season,” Polinsky said. “Ella was very active rebounding, blocking shots. A great game by her. Kayla Fennel was impressive on the glass. Our sophomore had 11 rebounds.”
Fennel also had eight points as did Izzy Elizondo. Nina Meixler added seven.
For the Panthers, Halie Staub led the way with 19 points, which included an 8-for-10 effort at the foul line. Avery Kocur added 18 points, which included four 3s.”
“It was the tale of two halves tonight,” Whitney said. “I thought we played hesitant and sloppy the first half. Offensively, we looked out of rhythm and played with a lack of urgency. As a result, it affected our defense. We lost focus and weren’t always in help position and didn’t do a great job of boxing out.
“Second half we did a better job of putting more pressure on the ball and speeding New Hope up and forcing some quicker shots. We were able to capitalize on some turnovers and moved the ball better on offense. I was pleased with the fight our girls showed and how we competed the second half. Unfortunately, we dug ourselves a big hole the first half and it was a little too much to overcome.
“Hats off to New Hope on a well-played game. Steve is a great coach and his teams always play the right way. New Hope shot the ball extremely well and everyone really stepped up for them tonight and made some big plays.”
New Hope-Solebury (4-3, 1-3) will host St. Hubert’s on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., and William Tennent (2-5, 2-2 SOL) will host Lower Moreland on Tuesday.
William Tennent 14-6-17-17 54
New Hope-Solebury 22-15-13-14 64
William Tennent (54) – Avery Kocur 7 0-0 18; Halie Staub 5 8-10 19; Jess Whisler 2 3-6 9; Morgan Volz 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 18 11-16 54.
New Hope-Solebury (64) – Kayla Fennel 3 1-2 8; Ella Dudick 9 1-2 19; Izzy Elizondo 2 3-3 8; Nina Meixler 2 2-6 7; Emily Wilson 7 4-5 22; TOTALS 23 11-18 64.
3-point goals: WT – Avery Kocur 4, Jess Whisler 2, Halie Staub; NH-S: Emily Wilson 4, Kayla Fennel, Izzy Elizondo, Nina Meixler.
UPPER MORELAND 65, CHELTENHAM 39
The Golden Bears capped a stretch of four games in five days with their fourth straight win, taking control of this one from the outset. UM opened a 20-8 lead with all five starters scoring. Mikel Lancit’s seven first-quarter points included a pair of 3s. It turned out to be a preview of things to come as Lancit buried five 3-pointers and led the Golden Bears with 18 points.
“It was another great team win,” UM coach Josh Adelman said. “We came out on fire tonight. The exclamation (point) was a half-court heave by Mikel Lancit that banked in at the first quarter buzzer.”
The Golden Bears took a commanding 36-17 lead into halftime. The Lady Panthers never threatened.
In addition to Lancit, Lilly Hansen had 13 points while Holly Gohl had 11. Lianna Adames added eight points.
“Nine girls scored for us tonight,” Adelman said. “Holly Gohl probably four blocked shots.
“Defensively, the girls were locked in and had several rebounds, deflections, and steals. It was a great way to end our week of four games in five days. The girls have now won four consecutive games and really are playing with a lot of confidence. “I’m so proud of their effort on both ends of the floor and unselfish play.”
The UM coach had plenty of praise to go around.
“It was great to have the bench also contribute,” Adelman said. “Makaila Allen is such a hard worker. She rebounds, probably sets the best picks I have ever seen, and works so hard on finishing around the basket.
“Olivia and Molly Meakim come off the bench and have provided such a spark on both ends of the floor. Lianna Adames is also playing at such a high level right now. Her shot is falling, and she is constantly in motion finding openings to grab offensive rebounds and hitting jumpers in the lane. And Holly was so tough inside tonight. She was finishing with hands in her face and allowed us to stretch our lead.”
For the Lady Panthers, Maya Simmons led the way with 14 points while Jiah Price had six.
“Right now we are struggling to find ourselves,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “Losing two starters is not easy on any team, but we can’t force the issue and tonight we did that.
“Upper Moreland is a good team and went 4-0 this week for a reason. We need to find our rhythm again and trust in ourselves and our teammates. We need to get back to playing team basketball. Much like we did in the first three games of the season. Tomorrow is our chance to do that.
Upper Moreland (6-2, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Abington on Thursday, and Cheltenham (3-3, 1-3) will host Mount St. Joseph Academy on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Cheltenham 8-9-10-12 39
Upper Moreland 20-16-15-14 65
Cheltenham (39) – Jiah Price 2 2-2 6; Maya Simmons 5 2-2 19; Kaylyn Washington 2 2-2 4; Amelia Kapp 2 0-0 5; Ije Ojukwu 2 1-1 5; Cassie Bugg 1 1-2 3; Marguerite Reimer 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 8-9 39.
Upper Moreland (65) – Mikel Lancit 6 1-2 18; Lilly Hansen 4 4-4 13; Molly Meakim 1 0-0 3; Charlie Clements 1 0-0 3; Lianna Adames 4 0-0 8; Holly Gohl 5 0-0 11; Marie Meyers 1 0-0 3; Olivia Meakim 1 0-0 3; Makaila Allen 1 1-4 3; TOTALS 24 6-10 65.
3-pont goals: Cheltenham.- Maya Simmons 2, Amelia Kapp; UM – Mike Lancit 5, Lilly Hansen, Molly Meakim, Charlie Clements, Holly Gohl, Marie Meyers, Olivia Meakim.
About the Author
