Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action. PW/Hatboro-Horsham photos courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for a gallery of photos. (William Tennent team photo provided by Andrew Robinson/ Individual photo provided by Tennent BB)
SOL Freedom Division
WILLIAM TENNENT 63, SPRINGFIELD TWP 45
The night belonged to Avery Kocur.
The Tennent senior – with 4:11 remaining in regulation – buried a 3-pointer that vaulted her over the 1,000-point plateau and assured her a spot in the record books. Kocur is the first female to reach that elusive 1,000-point milestone in the history of the program.
Coming into Tuesday night’s game, Kocur needed 14 points.
Tennent coach Laura Whitney describes the setting.
“With a packed gym full of family, friends, and staff, I knew she was feeling the nerves,” the Panthers’ coach said. “I thought she did a great job staying aggressive while still letting the game come to her and finding her shots within the flow of the offense.
“She hit a deep three with just over seven minutes left to pull within one point, setting the stage. Then, with 4:11 remaining, she fittingly knocked down another three-pointer to score her 1,000th career point.
“The gym erupted, and the bench emptied as her teammates ran out to celebrate with her at half court. It was an unforgettable moment, and I couldn’t be prouder or happier for her. Avery is one of the hardest-working players I’ve had the pleasure to coach, but she’s an even better person. Reaching 1,000 points is an incredible achievement, and what makes it even more special is that she becomes the first female at Tennent in 34 years to reach this milestone.”
For Kucor, it is a memory she will treasure for a lifetime.
“Scoring 1000 points definitely means a lot to me,” she said. “Especially since I was the first female in 34 years to do it.
“It was a full circle moment. It was really stressful for me the past few days just thinking about it. My goal going in was to win the game and not force any shots. It ended up working out, which was great. It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest. It just shows how much my hard work has paid off, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.
As for the game, Kocur and company made sure that had a happy ending for the Panthers as well.
The Panthers – behind six points from both Halie Staub and Megan Volz – led 16-11 after one quarter, and they took a 32-26 lead into halftime. They led 47-39 after three quarter and then put an exclamation point on the win with a 16-6 fourth quarter that featured a pair of 3s for Kocur and six points from Volz.
“Great team win tonight, and the cherry on top was celebrating Avery Kocur reaching 1,000 career points,” Whitney said.
Key players: Megan Volz led the Panthers with 21 points, scoring four or more points in each of the four quarters. Avery Kocur added 16 points, which included three 3s.
Ava Culler’s 22 points led the Spartans, who also received 10 points from Keira Brandon.
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney:
–On the game: “There was a lot of emotion going into this game. On one hand, it was a big division matchup. On the other, there was the added pressure and excitement of hoping to see Avery reach this incredible milestone. We knew Springfield would come in ready to play—they’ve had a strong start to the season, and Ava Culler is a tough matchup, so we knew we had our hands full.
“It was important for us to get off to a good start, stick to the game plan, and not force the issue. In the opening possessions, you could see the nerves a bit, but I thought we were solid defensively. Once we got our first two baskets, we began to relax and play our game—creating turnovers and getting out in transition.
“We rebounded well in the first quarter but missed box-outs in the second, allowing Springfield back into the game. We knew we wouldn’t completely shut Ava down because she’s just that good and so athletic, but I thought Hannah (Wong) and Carissa (Malpezzi) did an excellent job making her work for every shot.
“In the second half, we did a great job sharing the basketball and finding open teammates. This is such a special group of girls, and you can really see how much fun they have playing together.
–Props: “Big V (Megan Volz) had a monster game of her own, showing how much of a force she can be on the offensive end and her relentless toughness on the defensive end despite being smaller than most people she guards.”
Up next: William Tennent will be on the road at Lower Moreland Friday, and Springfield Twp will host Souderton in a non-league crossover game.
Springfield Twp 11-15-13-6 45
William Tennent 16-16-15-16 63
Springfield Twp (45) – Caitlin Lewis 4, Mary Kate Garry 2, Keira Brandon 10, Julia Guicheteau 3, Ava Culler 22, Karly Hartman 4.
William Tennent (63) – Aubrey Lunch 4, Avery Kocur 16, Carissa Malpezzi 6, Halie Staub 8, Hannah Wang 8, Megan Volz 21.
3-point goals: WT – Kocur 3.
CHELTENHAM 56, UPPER MORELAND 32
The Lady Panthers raced out of the gate to a 21-6 lead after one quarter and upped its advantage to 36-14 by halftime on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win.
Key players: Paige Powell’s 22 points led the Lady Panthers. She also had five rebounds and six steals. Isabella Brown added 18 points to go along with five steals. Maya Simmons also finished in double figures with 11 points to go along with eight assists, seven steals and four rebounds.
Sheila Mangin’s nine points led the Bears, who received eight points from both Maggie Brophy and Hailey Milks.
Up next: Cheltenham will host Cardinal O’Hara in a non-league game Thursday, and Upper Moreland will be on the road at Springfield Twp Friday.
Upper Moreland 6-8-8-10 32
Cheltenham 21-15-15-5 56
Upper Moreland (32) – Brogan Neely 3, Maggie Brophy 8, Emma Kramer 2, Sheila Mangin 9, Riley Skedzielewski 2, Hailey Milks 8.
Cheltenham (56) – Paige Powell 22, Kaylyn Washington 3, Aniyah Wallace 2, Maya Simmons 11, Isabella Brown 18.
3-point goals: UM – Brogan Neely, Maggie Brophy; C – Isabella Brown 2, Maya Simmons.
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 24, NESHAMINY 23
In what is always an emotionally charged game between the two rivals, the Falcons escaped with a one-point win in a contest that featured a whole lot more defense than offense.
“It’s always a rock fight between the two teams,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “Neither team held the ball, but both teams defended so well because we both know what we run and we take that away, and the game starts to become about who’s going to make the biggest and last play.”
And it was the Falcons’ Alyssa Thomas delivering the big play, scoring a basket out of a timeout to give the Falcons the lead and the win after a final defensive stand.
Key players: Alyssa Thomas led the Falcons with 10 points – all in the second half. Keira Socha hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers for six points.
For Neshaminy, Grace Weyler and Hayley Kolk led the way with eight points each.
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla:
–The rivalry: “To paraphrase a good friend that knows more than a little bit about Neshaminy – ‘When you get older, it just means a little more.’
“We knew that we were in for a tremendous challenge today, and we have maximum respect for Neshaminy because they return so many good pieces, they have size and length that is impossible to replicate, and they are very well coached .
“I think we were fortunate to play them when we did because they certainly have a high ceiling, and they were coming off an emotional win in Washington DC.”
–On the game: “We are very concerned with Nicole Trespacios. She is definitely my type of player when it comes to her activity level on both ends, and obviously, we don’t have the size to match up with Hayley Kolk.
“I feel like they did a really good job of shutting down our transition game tonight, which has been really successful for us. They also did an excellent job using their size to pack the paint and their length to run us off the three-point line.
“Right now, we have players that are adjusting to being defended in a way that they have never been defended in their life, so we are going to have to coach them up and teach them where to find their spots and how to be most effective, and I’m confident we will be able to do that. Sometimes it’s hard for younger players to understand that what works against one team will not work against a better team.”
–The ending: “Keira Socha made an enormous jump shot late in the game, and this was a 3-pointer to tie the game up with about two minutes to go.
“After taking a one point lead, Neshaminy rebounded a missed jumper with under a minute to go and got the putback from Grace Weyler to take a lead.
“Neshaminy did a really good job defensively as we came down, and we had to burn a couple timeouts, but we were able to have some success in a side out as Alyssa Thomas – who was absolutely sensational throughout the game and especially in the second half and fourth quarter – was able to get downhill and hit a spinning layup to give us a one-point lead.
“We weathered the storm at the end as the ‘Skins wound up getting a shot at the basket, and once again we had a classic matchup between two rivals who most likely should play the final game of every league season, but as they say in wrestling, I’m not the man with the pencil.
“We really respect their program, and coach Gallagher knows so many of our girls because he coached them so well in the summer. I fully expect them to be significantly better when we play them at Neshaminy.”
–Props: “Milan Reeves was very good in affecting the Neshaminy offense and forcing them to start higher than they wanted much as she did in our first game last year.”
Up next: Pennsbury will travel to Council Rock North Friday, and Neshaminy will host Lansdale Catholic in a non-league game Wednesday.
Neshaminy 6-8-5-4 23
Pennsbury 7-4-5-8 24
Neshaminy (23) – Grace Wyler 4 0-0 8; Nicole Trespalacios 0 0-2 0; Brynn Klukososki 1 0-0 2; Hayley Kolk 3 0-0 8, Camryn Rodriguez 2 1-2 5; TOTALS 10 1-4 23.
Pennsbury (24) – Sammie Haws 1 1-2 3; Alyssa Thomas 2 6-9 10; Joley Hohman 0 2-2 2; Keira Socha 2 0-0 6; Milan Reeves 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 6 9-13 24.
3-point goals: N – Hayley Kolk 2; P – Socha 2, Reeves.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 53, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 14
The Golden Hawks led 8-3 after one quarter and then blew the game wide open with a 23-4 second quarter on their way to the win.
Key players: Gillian Martin’s 15 points led the Hawks and included three 3-pointers. Bella Hettler and Anabella Kushch each had nine points for the Hawks.
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky:
–On the game: ‘ Tonight we got off to a slow start shooting the basketball. Our second quarter, we started really shooting the ball well. Gillian Martin had a great game, scoring 15 pts and really playing well on the defensive side of the basketball. We had a lot of contributors off the bench tonight, and they were locked in defensively all game long.”
–Props: Anabelle Kushch had another very good game offensively tonight. Anabelle and Bella Hettler give us a post threat on offense.”
Council Rock North coach Jack Kelly:
“We are very proud of our kids for the way we competed tonight – we have been bitten by the injury bug, but this adversity has provided a tremendous opportunity for our younger players to get their first varsity experience. Our kids played really, really hard and did a lot of good things. We hope this will be a valuable learning experience for us to build more depth for the remainder of the season.
“Make no mistake – our injuries should not take any credit away from Council Rock South. Martin and Guenther are strong perimeter threats, and Hettler and Kushch do a great job of playing off one another on the inside. And the team as a whole is always in the right positions defensively which makes it difficult to score. Coach Polinsky has done a great job with their team, especially given the high roster turnover they had from last year.”
Up next: Council Rock South will host Bensalem Friday, and Council Rock North will host Pennsbury Friday.
Council Rock South 8-23-16-6 53
Council Rock North 3-4-5-2 14
Council Rock South (53) – Ruby Bross 2, Gillian Martin 15, Emerson Gunther 4, Bella Hettler 9, Anabelle Kusch 9, Carly Conetta 5, Noelle Lamb 5, Jules Bachman 2, Tori Rahill 2
Council Rock North (14) – Racheal Hoffman 3, Laney Duchnowski 2, Lauren Smith 6, Ella Carroll 3.
3-point goals: CRS – Martin 3, Conetta, Lamb; CRN – Carroll.
BENSALEM 64, HARRY S TRUMAN 23
The Owls – sparked by eight points from Grace McShane and seven from Falyn Savage – led 26-5 after one quarter on their way to the decisive win.
Key players: Grace McShane scored 15 points – all in the first half – to lead the Owls. Falyn Savage added 11 points. Jordyn Bell scored all eight of her points in the first half.
Natane Smith’s 11 points led the Tigers.
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson:
–On the game: “Our girls played tough from the start. Shoutout to sophomore Kylie Smith on her first varsity points tonight along with freshman Falyn Savage who scored hers Thursday against Pennsbury.”
Up next: Bensalem will be on the road at Council Rock South Friday, and Harry S Truman will travel to Neshaminy Friday.
Harry S Truman 5-9-4-5 23
Bensalem 26-21-11-6 64
Harry S Truman (23) – Brie Philemond 4, Natane Smith 11, Avery Friel 2, Alivia-Grace Braley 2, Deborah Sakyiama 2.
Bensalem (64) – Kamiya Alexander 8, Mary Beck 6, Mischa Ellzy 4, Grace McShane 15, Gianna Creque 2, Jordyn Bell 8, Sydney Daut 3, Kyllie Smith 3, Kaleaya Wingate 4, Falyn Savage 11.
3-point goals: B – Beck 2, Bell 2, Smith, McShane, Savage.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 43, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 34
Behind the hot hand of Scarlett Baumgardner, who scored eight first-quarter points, the Bucks led 13-9 after one. They managed only five points in the second quarter and led by just an 18-16 score at halftime. Baumgardner accounted for 11 of West’s points in the half while Jules Tropea’s 11 points led South.
The Bucks took a 32-27 lead into the final quarter when they outscored their visitors 11-7 with Amber Madden accounting for six of those points.
Key players: The Bucks were led by Scarlett Baumgardner’s 17-point effort. Marleigh Mallon added 11 points.
South’s Jules Tropea led all scorers with 21 points.
Central Bucks West coach Sydney Ott:
“This group is exceptionally hard working. They are looking to make a statement. Each game we talk about what they are capable of, and they came out and handled business tonight. They are really playing within themselves and for each other. It’s exciting to see.”
Props – “It’s helpful having many leaders out there. Scarlett Baumgardner set the tone offensively, shooting with confidence and helping create opportunities for her teammates. Everyone contributed to help get stops on D and to put the ball in the basket. I’m proud of all of them.”
Up next: Central Bucks West will host Central Bucks East Friday, and Central Bucks South will host Pennridge Friday.
Central Bucks South 9-7-11-7 34
Central Bucks West 13-5-14-11 43
Central Bucks South (34) – Amanda Zakrewski 1 1-2 3; Jules Tropea 7 7-10 21; Rylie DiCesare 2 1-4 6; Alexandra Tropea 1 0-0 2; Gabby Tropea 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 12 9-16 34.
Central Bucks West (43) – Amber Madden 1 2-4 5; Erinn McCusker 1 3-4 6; Evelyn Moore 0 1-2 1; Marleigh Mallon 4 2-2 11; Audra Lawson 1 0-0 3; Scarlett Baumgardner 7 1-4 17; TOTALS 14 9-16
3-point goals: CBS – DiCesare; CBW – Baumgardner 2, Madden, Mallon, McCusker, Lawson.
NORTH PENN 66, PENNRIDGE 38
The Knights – showing no ill effects from their loss to Central Bucks South Friday – opened the game with 12-2 first quarter and took a 26-13 lead into halftime. Paityn Debro’s seven points led a balanced Knight attack in the opening half of a contest that saw three North Penn players finish in double figures.
Key players: Paityn Debro’s 16 points – 14 in the middle two quarters combined – led the Knights. Meyha Godhania added 13 points, which included three 3s, and Saniah Hammond buried four 3-pointers for 12 points. Lily Brown added nine points.
For the Lady Rams, Sam Murphy led the way with 17 points.
North Penn coach Bri Cullen:
“I think it was a really good team win! We are coming off of a hard loss to South, and Pennridge is a really hardworking and well-coached team, so we spent the last few days really preparing and working on improving where we could. I’m proud of them for showing up big when we needed it.”
Pennridge coach Jason Rapp:
“I’m proud of the way our girls competed but had a tough first half shooting tonight.
“Credit NP – they are talented, athletic, can shoot it and are very well coached.”
Up next: North Penn will host Souderton on Friday, and Pennridge will travel to Central Bucks South.
North Penn 12-14-25-15 66
Pennridge 2-14-11-11 38
North Penn (66) – Saniah Hammond 4 0-0 12; Ava Wood 1 2-2 4; Paityn Debro 6 3-5 16; Lily Brown 3 3-4 9; Ryan Copeland 0 2-2 2; Cailin Halfpenny 1 0-0 2; Mehya Godhania 5 0-0 13; L Lacie Haddock 2 0-0 5; Tallie Smink 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 23 10-13 66.
Pennridge (38) – Emma Rapp1 0-0 3; Ari Lauf 2 0-0 4; Julia Lenox 2 0-0 4; Sam Murphy 7 2-4 19; Madison Lapp 2 0-0 6; Megan Moylan 1 0-0 3; Reese Hopkins 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 15 3-6 38.
3-point goals: NP – Hammond 4, Godhania 3, Debro, Haddock, Smink; P – Lapp 2, Moylan, Murphy, Rapp.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 64, SOUDERTON 44
The Patriots came out of the gate firing on all cylinders.
Payton Williams scored nine first-quarter points while teammates Natalie Berndt and Haley Moran added seven and six points respectively. All told, the Patriots, put 24 points on the board in the quarter, opening up a 16-point lead that would be impossible for the Indians to erase. At halftime, the Patriots led 36-17 on their way to the big win.
Key players: Natalie Berndt led all scorers with 23 points that included three 3-pointers and a perfect 6-for-6 effort at the foul line. Payton Williams added 17 points and was also 6-for-6 from the foul line. Haley Moran contributed 11 points, and Hailey Helmstetter had eight and was 6-for-6 from the foul line.
For the Indians, freshman Maddie Nenstiel led the way with 16 points, which included four 3-pointers. Olivia Herron added nine points.
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash:
–On the game: “Proud of the girls for battling through many challenges tonight to get the win.”
Up next: Central Bucks East will be on the road at Central Bucks West, and Souderton will be on the road at Springfield Twp on Wednesday for a non-league crossover game.
Souderton 8-9-15-12 44
Central Bucks East 24-12-15-13 64
Souderton (44) – Maddie Nenstiel 5 2-2 16; Olivia Herron 2 4-4 9; Madison Bealer 2 0-0 6; Kiera Fadden 0 3-4 3; Avie Sackor 1 2-2 4; Alaina Picard 2 0-0 5; Rae Wallace 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 12 12-14 44.
Central Bucks East (64) – Delaney Long 1 1-2 3; Haley Moran 5 1-2 11; Emma Penecale 1 0-0 2; Natalie Berndt 7 6-6 23; Payton Williams 5 6-6 17; Haley Helmstetter 1 6-6 8; TOTALS 20 20-22 64.
3-point goals: S – Nenstiel 4, Bealer 2, Picard, Sackor; CBE – Berndt 3, Williams.
SOL Liberty Division
ABINGTON 56, WISSAHICKON 36
The Trojans – behind six points from Katelyn Thomson and five from Maura Jacob – led 15-10 after one quarter, but the Ghosts erased that deficit with a 19-8 second quarter to go into halftime with a 29-23 lead. They went on to outscore the Trojans 27-13 in the second half.
Key players: Aniyah Williams led the Ghosts with 22 points and six assists, and Shya Crafton added six points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.
For the Trojans. Maura Jacob (15 points) and Katelyn Thomson (12 points) led the way.
Abington coach Allison Lawson:
–On the game: “We had a slow start in the first quarter. Once we settled in, we started playing with better pace and making the right reads on both ends of the floor.”
–Props: “Shya Crafton did an excellent job guarding Wissahickon’s post player and Nora did a great job on their PG.
“Aniyah led the way with 22 points and 6 assists, consistently creating opportunities for herself and her teammates, and Shya added 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks, providing a strong presence in the paint on both ends.
Up next: Abington will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh Friday, and Wissahickon will host Quakertown Friday.
Wissahickon 15-8-9-4 36
Abington 10-19-11-16 56
Wissahickon (36) – Maura Jacob 6 0-1 15; Kai Potter 2 0-3 4; Katelyn Thomson 5 2-3 12; Georgia McNichol 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 15 2-7 36.
Abington (56) – Rhyane Rogers 1 4-6 6; Asaliya Ortiz 2 0-0 5; Nora Luskin 3 0-0 6; Shya Crafton 3 0-0 6; Caleigh Fitzgerald 3 0-0 7; Emma Felix 2 0-0 4; Aniyah Williams 7 6-7 22; TOTALS 21 110-13 56.
3-point goals: W – Jacob 3, McNichol; A –Williams 2, Ortiz
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 46, HATBORO-HORSHAM 16
The Colonials jumped out to a 14-7 lead after one quarter and then put the game out of reach with a 19-2 second quarter to go into halftime with a 33-9 lead. Eliza Meersman had 10 points in the half, and Grace Harvey added nine.
Key players: Eliza Meersman, who was 6-for-6 from the foul line, led PW with another double-double – 14 points and 13 rebounds. She also had three assists. Grace Harvey added 11 points and was a catalyst on defense with six steals. Olivia Patete added seven points and 10 rebounds. Kenna Winland had five points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty:
–Props: “The girls came out strong again today. Kenna Winland and Grace Harvey were all over the place, getting deflections and steals; Eliza Meersman did a great job converting them into points. Olivia Patete and Brooke Peduzzi gave great effort rebounding, especially in transition, which we were really emphasizing going into the game. Can’t say enough about the spark Mia Baron has been providing off the bench this year. Her tenacity is infectious, really gets the team going. Really, really proud of this group for the way they have started the season.”
Up next: Plymouth Whitemarsh will host Abington on Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham will host Upper Dublin on Thursday.
Hatboro-Horsham 7-2-4-3 16
Plymouth Whitemarsh 14-19-4-9 46
Hatboro-Horsham (16) – Izzie Allen 3 0-2 6; Ciara Lacey 1 0-0 2; Angelica Visceglia 2 0-0 4; Madison Siegfried 1 2-4 4; TOTALS 7 2-8 16.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (46) – Luca Juliano 1 0-0 2; Olivia Patete 3 0-1 7; Kenna Winland 2 0-0 5; Mia Baron 1 0-0 2; Eliza Meersman 4 6-6 14; Liv Brodzinski 0 1-2 1; Brooke Peduzzi 2 0-0 4; Grace Harvey 5 0-0 11; TOTALS 18 7-9 46.
3-point goals: PW – Patete, Winland, Harvey.
UPPER DUBLIN 79, QUAKERTOWN 20
Ella Morris scored 12 first-quarter points as the Cardinals opened up a 31-0 lead over Panther squad that is in its first year of varsity action after cancelling last season.
Key players: Tamia Clark scored a game-high 15 points while teammate Julia Scullen buried four 3-pointers and 14 points. Ella Morris added 12 points – all in the first quarter, Megan Ngo had 10, and Ryniah Sharpe added eight.
For the Panthers, Alex Seneca’s 12 points led the way.
Quakertown coach Dan Cymerman:
–On the game: “We didn’t get the start we had hoped for, but we talked at halftime about finishing in the second half with more energy and keeping our heads held high. I was happy with the second-half effort and never-give-up attitude the girls displayed.”
Up next: Upper Dublin will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham Thursday, and Quakertown will travel to Wissahickon Friday.
Upper Dublin 31-20-23-5 79
Quakertown 0-2-11-7 20
Quakertown (20) – Alexa Seneca 12, Aleena Flores 3, Paityn Heft 5.
Upper Dublin (79) – Bridget DiMartile 1 0-0 2; Tamia Clark 6 2-4 15; Maeve Hogan 3 0-0 6; Megan Ngo 3 2-2 10; Lexi Ngo 3 0-0 6; Emilia Coleman 2 0-0 4; Ella Morris 5 0-0 12; Julia Scullen 5 0-0 14; Ryniah Sharpe 4 0-0 8;
3-point goals: UD -Scullen 4, Morris 2, M.Ngo 2, Clark ; Q – Seneca 2, Flores, Heft.
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