Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Neshaminy/Bensalem photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f913170668 (CB East/NP photos courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
NESHAMINY 48, BENSALEM 35
Reese Zemitis made sure her 18th birthday would be a good one, not only for herself but also her teammates. The Neshaminy senior not only scored a game-high 29 points – which included five 3-pointers – she also had nine rebounds and a pair of steals.
Lola Ibarrondo also turned in an impressive performance, finishing with a double-double that included 14 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists.
“I guess Reese wanted to celebrate her 18th birthday in a big way by leading us in scoring with 29 points,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “Lola stood out in this game by recording a double-double.
“I was really happy with Alena (Cofield) and the way she attacked the offensive boards, pulling down five offensive rebounds that led to several points for us. We were looking to do damage on the offensive glass and were able to secure 13 extra possessions by pounding the backboards.”
The two teams were deadlocked 8-8 after one quarter, but the Redskins used a 14-2 second quarter to go into halftime with a 22-12 lead. Zemitis had 13 points in the half, including three 3-pointers. Ibarrondo added eight points.
Down but not out, the Owls – sparked by seven points from Grace McShane and a pair of Devon Bell 3s – outscored the ‘Skins 17-11 in the third quarter to make it a 33-27 game heading into the final frame.
“I am not sure what Coach (Steve) Johnson said to his players at halftime, but in the third quarter, we gave up 17 points to them,” Gallagher said. “It was the best quarter I have seen them play and they had us on our heels.
“We lost Grace McShane in the quarter several times, and Devon Bell was doing her best big sister impression by knocking down two 3s in the third.”
Zemitis and Ibarrondo combined for 12 points in a fourth quarter that saw the Redskins outscore the Owls 15-8.
For the Owls, Amber Howard led the way with 14 points. McShane added eight and Bell, six points.
“Amber (Howard) gobbled up every defensive rebound on her way to leading them in scoring,” Gallagher said. “Bensalem did a very good job spacing the floor on offense and we were never able to pull away.”
Although veterans Zemitis and Ibarrondo accounted for 43 of their team’s 48 points, Gallagher saw a lot of things he liked from his rookies.
“I’m gaining more confidence in our ninth graders who are logging big minutes for us,” Gallagher said. “Ashlyn Duffy was at her best today in understanding her defensive assignments while rebounding and chipping in with two assists.
“Two other ninth graders off the bench, Mia Raivitch and Grace Weyler, have settled into the rotation and look more confident in their roles. I expect each of them to continue to grow from the experience they are getting in these tough SOL matchups.”
The Redskins’ coach also gave a shoutout to several alums in attendance.
“It was great to see our 2023 graduates and current college students at our games this past week,” Gallagher said. “Anna Soska, Mimi Smith, Jess Purdy and Lindsay Little all came out to cheer us on and that is very appreciated. I see where Taylor Gurysh logged 15 minutes in Kutztown’s win vs Clarion this evening and we wish her well.”
Neshaminy (5-1, 5-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in a crossover game on Thursday, and Bensalem (3-3, 2-3) is off until Wednesday, Jan. 3, when the Owls will host Souderton.
Neshaminy 8-14-11-15 48
Bensalem 8-2-17-8 35
Neshaminy (48) – Grace Weyler 0 1-3 1; Alena Cofield 1 0-0 3; Ashlyn Duffy 0 1-2 1; Lola Ibarrondo 6 2-3 14; Reese Zemitis 9 6-8 29; TOTALS 16 10-16 48.
Bensalem (35) – Grace McShane 3 1-2 8; Talia DiMichele 1 0-0 3; Mikayla Donahue 0 2-2 2; Devon Bell 2 0-0 6; Amber Howard 6 1-2 14; Peyton Miller 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 4-6 35.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 5, Alena Cofield; Bensalem – Devon Bell 2, Grace McShane, Tara DiMichele, Amber Howard.
PENNSBURY 49, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 15
The Falcons bounced back from a loss to a strong Germantown Academy squad to defeat the shorthanded Indians, who were without both Amara Arroyo and Delaney McCaffery.
“Our girls did a fantastic job regrouping from the weekend for tonight’s game,” Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlin Kelly said. “We had tremendous energy from the start. We were patient on offense and executed.
“Overall, we were very happy with our play on both sides of the floor. Unfortunately, CR North had some starters who were sick and couldn’t participate. That left them without significant guard play and some upperclassmen experience on the floor, but they played hard from start to finish.”
The Falcons took a 14-5 lead after one quarter and extended that by halftime on their way to the road win.
“We were aggressive on defense, getting 15 steals and causing 10 turnovers in first half alone,” Kelly said. “Sofia (Vitucci) did a fantastic job having her head up while pushing the ball, as did all our guards. This led to finding girls like Mac (Daniella MacDonald) to knock down some shots.”
Vitucci led all scorers with 16 points, which included a pair of 3s and a 4-for-6 effort at the foul line. MacDonald buried four 3s and added 14 points – 12 in the first half.
Skyler Wright’s six points on a pair of 3s led the Indians.
Pennsbury (6-2, 4-1 SOL) will travel to North Penn for a crossover game on Thursday, and Council Rock North (3-3, 1-4) will host Central Bucks West on Friday.
Pennsbury 14-18-10-7 49
Council Rock North 5-1-5-4 15
Pennsbury (49) – Emily Panaro 2 0-0 4; Layla Matthias 1 0-0 2; Maggie Burns 1 0-0 2; Sofia Vitucci 4 6-8 16; Oliveah Gilchrist 1 0-0 2; Daniella MacDonald 5 0-0 14; Joely Hohman 1 0-0 2; Ava Jordan 2 1-2 5; Sammie Haws 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 18 7-10 49.
Council Rock North (15) – Skyler Wright 2 0-0 6; Kayla Smith 1 0-0 2; Sasha Galarza 1 0-0 2; Megan Reichenbach 1 0-0 2; Frannie Boyle 0 1-2 1; Isabel Mayarovich 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 6 1-2 15.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald 4, Sofia Vitucci 2; CRN – Skyler Wright 2.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 63, HARRY S TRUMAN 29
Katie Purpura scored 14 points to lead a balanced Golden Hawk attack. Lily Boss also finished in double figures with 11 points – all in the first half. Liliana Metrick buried three 3-pointers for nine points, and Camryn Gregory added eight points. Maria Freeman contributed seven, and Fiona Recker had six in a contest that saw nine Hawks contribute scoring.
All told, the Golden Hawks, who led 16-5 after one quarter, connected on 11 3-pointers.
For the Tigers, Shylah McCleve’s 11 points led the way. Kiera Martinez and Erynn Bond both had six points.
Council Rock South (5-3, 3-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Thursday in a crossover game, and Harry S Truman (1-7, 0-5) will host Hatboro-Horsham in a non-league game on Wednesday.
Harry S Truman 5-9-2-13 29
Council Rock South 16-23-11-13 63
Harry S Truman (29) – Chealia Kpou 1 0-0 2; Erynn Bond 2 2-2 6; Kiera Martinez 2 1-1 6; Shylah McCleve 5 1-7 11; Yamazjiah Thomas 0 2-2 2; Natane Smith 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 6-12 29.
Council Rock South (63) – Sarah Freeman 1 0-0 2; Liliana Metrick 3 0-0 9;Maria Freeman 3 0-1 7; Lily Bross 4 12 11; Miranda Cantor 1 0-0 3; Gillian Martin 1 0-0 3; Katie Purpura 6 1-1 14; Camryn Gregory 3 0-0 8; Fiona Reckner 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 25 2-4 63.
3-point goals: HST – Kiera Martinez; CRS – Liliana Metrick 3, Lily Bross 2, Camryn Gregory 2, Maria Freeman, Miranda Cantor, Gillian Martin, Katie Purpura.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 65, NORTH PENN 56
Jess Lockwood is a newcomer to the varsity scene, but the East sophomore is rapidly establishing herself as a bona fide offensive threat. Teams that have routinely made Anna Barry the focal point of their defense must now add Lockwood to that list.
In Tuesday’s battle of the Colonial Division’s unbeaten squads, the duo combined for 47 points, and they were the offensive catalysts in a win that keeps East atop the division standings with a perfect 5-0 record heading into crossover play.
“We’ve got three kids that are very solid 3-point shooters and a couple others that are making shots right now,” East coach Liz Potash said. “Some of these other kids draw so much attention – they’re getting open looks, and they make them too. We’ve got kids that can shoot the ball.”
Lockwood’s 24 points led the Patriots and included four 3-pointers. Her 10 first-quarter points propelled the Patriots to an 18-15 lead, and the transition from jayvee to varsity has been a smooth one for the sophomore.
“We got her into some varsity games when we could last year, but her minutes were mainly at the jayvee level,” Potash said. “We knew as our senior class graduated – all right, we’ve got to get you ready. She worked so hard over the summer between AAU and working out on her own.
“We’ve known her since she was little, and there’s so much potential because she’s got good size, so you would think she’s a forward, but she’s one of the best 3-point shooters we have. So, she can step out and hit a 3, and she can finish inside. She does a lot of things. She’s really having a great season for us, which is exactly what we needed. She didn’t have a ton of varsity experience, and you weren’t sure if she’d be ready. She’s just playing lights out right now.”
Barry’s 23 points also included four 3-pointers. The senior sharpshooter had 13 first-half points and broke a 27-27 tie when her shot from well beyond half court fell through the net at the buzzer.
“She hits a four-point play tonight, she hits a half-court three going into halftime, and everyone is surprised – I’m like, ‘We’re not surprised, we’ve seen her do it for four years,’” Potash said. “You never want to take Anna Barry for granted, but I’m not surprised. It’s what she does. She’s a special player to have. I’ve been really blessed to have her four years in the program.”
For the Knights in the opening half, Caleigh Sperling led the way with nine points while Cameron Crowley had eight. Both had a 3-pointer in a half that saw the Knights connect on four shots from beyond the arc.
In the third quarter, the Patriots – behind seven points from Lockwood and five from Sydney Ralph – outscored their visitors 16-10 to go into the final frame with a 46-37 lead. The two teams exchanged baskets in the fourth quarter.
In addition to Lockwood and Barry, Ralph added 10 points, and there were other contributors.
“I know Natalie Berndt hasn’t been scoring a ton, but she frustrated Olivia Stone on defense,” Potash said. “I don’t know what Stone ended up with, but it was hard earned.
“Nat’s defense this season – we always think about Chantal (van Dongeren) as being our top defender, but Nat’s been getting the (opposing team’s) second scorer, and they’re not even getting shots off when Nat’s on them.”
Berndt wasn’t the only player providing a defensive spark.
“I was surprised when I looked in the book and saw how many points (Caleigh) Sperling had because Chantal frustrated Sperling to no end, and I was shocked to see she ended up with 17,” Potash said. “I’m thinking it’s the hardest 17 that she’s ever had to earn because Chantal was all over her. I realize she didn’t score a point tonight, but it’s so unbelievable that
you could have a kid who could make such an impact on a game without scoring. She was all over the rebounds, she had a couple assists for kick-out 3s and she just really made Sperling work, so give her a ton of credit too.
“The girls are playing so well as a team. It’s just really fun to watch them play. They don’t care who scores the ball as long as we score. It makes no difference to them who has the hot hand that night. They’re all capable of doing a lot of things. The bench energy was great. It was a really nice win for the girls tonight. I was happy for them.”
While Sperling’s 17 points led the Knights, Crowley added 13 and Kelly Donnelly had nine on three 3-pointers. Lily Brown had eight points while Stone added six.
Central Bucks East (6-0, 5-0 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Thursday for a crossover game, and North Penn (4-2, 4-1) will host Pennsbury on Thursday.
North Penn 15-12-10-19 56
Central Bucks East 18-12-16-19 65
North Penn (56) – Cameron Crowley 5 0-0 13; Caleigh Sperling 5 6-8 17; Lily Brown 3 2-2 8; Kelly Donnelly 3 0-0 9; Leah Mikulski 1 0-0 3; Olivia Stone 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 20 8-10 56.
Central Bucks East – Sydney Ralph 2 5-6 10; Haley Moran 1 2-3 4; Natalie Berndt 1 2-2 4; Anna Barry 7 5-7 23; Jess Lockwood 8 4-8 24; TOTALS 19 18-26 65.
3-point goals: NP – Cameron Crowley 3, Kelly Donnelly 3, Leah Mikulski, Caleigh Sperling; CBE – Jess Lockwood 4, Anna Barry 4, Sydney Ralph.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 43, PENNRIDGE 39
In a battle for third place in the SOL Colonial Division standings, it was the Titans using a big fourth quarter to earn the hard-fought win. Both teams entered Tuesday’s contest – the final in the first go-round in divisional play – with identical 2-2 records.
“You could tell that both teams really were playing hard and really wanted to win tonight,” South coach Beth Mattern said. “They had a good game plan against us, and at the end, we executed well defensively to pull it out.”
The Titans – sparked by five points from Jules Tropea – led 13-7 after one quarter, but the Rams came back to make it a one-point game at halftime, 20-19. Ella Brown’s 11 points led the Rams in the half.
The Rams erased that one-point deficit with a 10-6 third quarter and took a 29-26 lead into the final quarter. They increased that lead to as many as seven early in the frame (37-30), but sparked by seven points from Ella Wheeler, the Titans came roaring back, outscoring their hosts 13-2 to close out the game.
“Ella Wheeler gave us a good spark in the fourth,” Mattern said. “She knocked down a couple of shots, and it really snowballed from there.
“I remember Mia Klein creating a couple of turnovers in a row on the defensive end. From there, we were able to get a couple baskets, and we made foul shots at the end to seal it. Yoyo Samayoa and Casey Balkir both went 2-for-2, and Mia Klein knocked down one in the last minute, and those were really important.”
Making the Titans’ comeback even more impressive was the fact that they did it on the road.
“We’ve been on the road a lot – we’ve only had one league game at home so far,” Mattern said. “Pennridge is a tough place to go in and play, the way their baskets are a little different from our gym.
“It was a great team effort because it took defending all of them because they have a couple of players who are really starting to knock down some shots – they’re deeper than Ella (Brown) and Ava Fantaskey, and I thought those two played really well tonight. You have to defend them all from the 3-point line in, and it’s never easy.”
Jules Tropea’s 12 points led a balanced Titan attack while Wheeler added 11. Samayoa, Balker and Gabby Tropea each had six points.
For the Rams, Brown led all scorers with 18 points, Fantaskey added nine, and Abby Huskin had six on a pair of 3-pointers.
Central Bucks South (4-3, 3-2 SOL) will host Neshaminy in a crossover game on Thursday, and Pennridge (6-3, 2-3) will host Harry S Truman on Thursday.
Central Bucks South 13-7-6-17 43
Pennridge 7-12-10-10 39
Central Bucks South (43) – Megan Schmidt 0 1-2 1; Ella Wheeler 4 3-4 11; Casey Balkir 2 2-2 6; Jules Tropea 4 4-5 12; Yoyo Samayoa 1 3-3 6; Mia Klein 0 1-2 1; Gabby Tropea 3 0-2 6; TOTALS 14 14-20 43.
Pennridge (39) – Ella Brown 6 5-6 18; Ava Frantaskey 3 1-2 9; Abby Huskin 2 0-0 6; Nikki Rindone 1 1-2 3; Allie Smith 1 0-0 2; Layla Verbit 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 13 8-12 39.
3-point shots – CBS – Yoyo Samayoa; Pennridge – Ava Fastaskey 2, Abby Huskin 2, Ella Brown.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 50, SOUDERTON 29
In a battle of teams in search of their first league win, it was the visiting Bucks opening up a 16-6 lead after one quarter on their way to the decisive win.
“We played a complete game,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “I think that’s something that we haven’t done yet this year, and we did the little things.
“It was nice to see the girls really take ownership of it and take ownership of their team. They played great. This was more the kind of basketball we want to play. We’ve got good leadership – they really took the reins and were able to make things happen tonight because of that. It’s funny – when you start to do a couple of the little things, the big things are a little bit easier.”
The Bucks’ offense was sparked by seven first-quarter points from Aniya McDaniel. She had nine points in the first half and Erica Madden added eight, propelling West to a 26-13 halftime lead.
“Aniya McDaniel was great,” Sibel said. “She slowed herself down. She was locked in at practice on the things she needed to do, and she saw them translate today.
“She had 13 points and some really big points. She was in passing lanes and had a couple of steals and turned turnovers into points, and that was big for us.
In the second half, the Bucks outscored their hosts 24-16 on their way to the win.
In addition to McDaniel, Gabby Reichner scored 10 points – eight in the second half. Erica Madden added eight points while Gabi Senior and Scarlett Baumgardner both had six.
“Gabby Reichner had one of her best games yet in a West jersey,” Sibel said. “She had 10 points, she was under control, she was being the presence that she can be and really did a nice job.
“Scarlett Baumgardner added six points, and she got things going. Gabi Senior controlled pace and did a really nice job defensively, and we got a huge bench performance from Erica Madden, who shot 100 percent from the floor. She was the first one to tell us when we told her she shot a hundred percent that she missed a free throw. That’s a cool kid right there.
“We played a larger lineup tonight, and everyone that got in contributed. It was cool to see different faces step up when we needed them.”
For the Indians, Emily Dick’s eight points led the way while Jacquelyn Bermel had six points.
Central Bucks West (2-7, 1-4 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North for a crossover game on Friday, and Souderton (1-6, 0-5) is off until Wednesday, Dec. 27, when the Indians will face Germantown Academy at Cardinal O’Hara at 5 p.m.
Central Bucks West 16-10-13-11 50
Souderton 6-7-8-8 29
Central Bucks West (50) – Gabi Senior 3 0-0 8; Erica Madden 3 0-1 8; Eve Damsker 1 0-0 2; Aniya McDaniel 6 0-0 13; Alexis Castro 1 1-2 3; Emily Ladley 1 0-0 2; Gabby Reichner 3 2-2 8; Scarlett Baumgardner 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 21 3-5 50.
Souderton (29) – Jacquelyn Bermel 2 2-2 6; Julia Purvy 2 0-0 5; Olivia Herron 2 0-0 5; Brooke Fenchel 1 1-2 3; Alaina Picard 1 0-0 2; Emily Dick 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 12 3-5 29
3-point goals: CBW – Erica Madden 2, Scarlett Baumgardner 2, Aniya McDaniel; Souderton – Julia Purvy, Olivia Herron.
SOL Liberty Division
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 40, WISSAHICKON 18
Alyssa Avery scored 17 points to lead the Colonials, who led 7-2 after one quarter, took a 16-7 lead into halftime. Leading 20-10, PW went on an 11-1 run to go on top 31-15 on its way to the win.
Avery also had a team-high seven rebounds. McKenna Winland added nine points while Taylor Williams had five points and four rebounds, and Bailey Riley also had six points.
“It was just another ugly win,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “Gave up a couple threes really late, defensively definitely getting better, offensively it was the cliche of “we couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean if we were standing on the beach.’”
For the Trojans, Maura Jacob led the way with 11 points.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-2, 3-2 SOL) will face Pikesville (Md.) in an opening round game of the Diamond State Classic on Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 5:30 p.m. Wissahickon (1-6, 1-4) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Friday.|
Wissahickon 2-5-8-3 18
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7-9-18-6 40
Wissahickon (18) – Maura Jacob 11, Julia Lettieri 3, Chloe Acuna 2, Lydia Schultz.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (40) – Joslyn Perez 3, Taylor Williams 5, Alyssa Avery 17, Kenna Winland 9, Bailey Riley 6
ABINGTON 66, QUAKERTOWN 22
The visiting Ghosts received contributions up and down their lineup with 13 players putting their names in the scoring column. The 13-point efforts of Mikiaya Durham and Piper McGinley led a balanced Abington attack.
“This was a good team win,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said. “We were missing a starter due to illness, but everyone on our team scored.
Also for the Ghosts, Maya Johnson had nine points, and Ava Teich had six points on two 3-pointers.
For the Panthers, Ava Pistone led the way with 10 points.
“Ava played hard tonight as she does every game and practice of the season,” Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford said. “The rest of the girls kept fighting and played till that final buzzer which is tough to do when the other team has scored that much. I hope my girls keep their heads high as they played with honor and integrity.”
Abington (6-2, 4-1 SOL) will host Upper Moreland in a crossover game on Thursday, and Quakertown (1-8, 0-5) will host Lower Moreland on Friday.
Abington 20-24-17-5 66
Quakertown 3-6-5-8 22
Abington (66) – Ava Teich 3 0-0 6; Maya Johnson 3 1-2 9 Harper McGinley 2 0-0 4; Kyla Day 1 0-0 2; Mikiaya Durham 5 0-0 13; Piper McGinley 5 1-1 13; Sarah Oleary 1 1-2 3; Kara Slavin 1 1-2 3; Vanessa Griffin 1 0-0 2; Zyn McClain 2 0-0 4; Kayla Rice 0 3-4 3; Aniyah Williams 1 0-0 2; Gabrielle White 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 25 7-11 66.
Quakertown Ambri Dager 1 0-0 2; Ava Pistone 4 2-6 10; Truly Heft 1 3-5 5; Talyn Nielsen 1 0-0 2; Alexa Seneca 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 8 5-11 22.
3-point goals: Abington – Mikiaya Durham 3, Ava Teich 2, Maya Johnson 2, Piper McGinley 2; Quakertown – Alexa Seneca.
SOL Freedom Division
CHELTENHAM 73, SPRINGFIELD TWP 56
Playing with a full lineup once again, the Panthers – sparked by eight points from Cassie Bugg – raced out of the gate to a 22-5 lead after one quarter on their way to the big win. Four players finished in double figures, including Paige Powell who just returned to the lineup.
“This was a huge win for us and nice to have Paige back,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “She helped set the tone early for us on both ends of the court.
“We also had some good contributions from a few younger players as well as, which I loved to see. Now we look to build on this team win tomorrow night against Jenkintown.”
Jiah Price’s 24 points, which included a 5-for-7 effort at the foul line, led the Lady Panthers. Maya Simmons added 22 points, which included three 3s. Bugg finished with 14 points, and Powell added 11.
Despite trailing by 17 after one quarter, the Spartans responded with a huge second quarter, pulling to within 34-28 by halftime.
“The third and fourth quarter – it was a game of runs,” Giordano said. “We had way too many turnovers, but give them credit – they’re a good team, but our girls didn’t give up.
“We hung in there. We just couldn’t get over the hump, but it was a good game. We had balanced scoring and got some good efforts from some girls that don’t normally get floor time. It was a 73-57 score, but I think it was much closer than that.”
For the Spartans, Grace Dailey led the way with 16 points, which included a pair of 3s. She scored seven points in the Spartans’ 22-point second quarter. Jayla Daniels added 14 while Kaleigh Evans contributed 10 points. Ava Culler had eight points, and Hannah Brandon had six.
Cheltenham (4-4, 2-3 SOL) will host Jenkintown on Wednesday, and Springfield Twp (4-3, 2-3) will host Upper Dublin on Thursday.
Springfield Twp 5-22-16-13 56
Cheltenham 22-12-20-19 73
Springfield Twp (56) – Hannah Brandon 3 0-0 6; Jayla Daniels 4 5-8 14; Grace Daily 6 2-3 16; Keira Brandon 1 0-2 2; Kaleigh Evans 4 1-2 10; Ava Culler 2 4-6 8; TOTALS 20 12-21 56.
Cheltenham (73) – Jiah Price 9 5-7 24; Paige Powell 4 3-4 11; Maya Simmons 9 1-2 22; Cassie Bugg 7 0-0 14; Tori Simmons 2; Aniyah Wallace-Solomon 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 30 9-15 73.
3-point goals: Springfield – Grace Daily 2, Jayla Daniels, Kaleigh Evans; Cheltenham – Maya Simmons 3, Jiah Price.
LOWER MORELAND 56, WILLIAM TENNENT 40
With more than a few key players under the weather, Lions’ coach Rich Becker wasn’t sure what to expect when his team travelled to William Tennent. He certainly liked what he saw as the Lions – behind 10 points, including a pair of 3s, from Briana McFerran – jumped out to an 18-7 lead after one quarter and never looked back.
“Yesterday when I walked into practice, I could see the girls were clearly not feeling well, so we made it more of game prep/shootaround and cut the practice down to just under an hour,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “Four of our starters are either just getting over or just coming down with something, so we were not sure what to expect. To be able get a ‘character’ type game and to beat a team as well coached as William Tennent was very satisfying. “
The Lions, who took a 34-22 lead into halftime, outscored their hosts 22-18 in the second half.
“Once again, the girls just played selflessly and for one another,” Becker said. “I was really proud of how, for the most part, they played within themselves.
“Most impressive was the grit that the team showed. We were able to get up 18-7 in the first quarter, but after that it was a battle. The shots weren’t falling like they had been, and every time Tennent threatened to get back into it, the girls answered. Tennent battled and got it down to seven with about five minutes to go, and Emma DiJoseph, on consecutive possessions, hit two big shots in transition to get it back to double digits. After that we were able to settle down and close out the game.”
McFerran led all scorers with 17 points. Emma DiJoseph (11 points) and Sydney Santora (10 points) also finished in double figures. Dani Brush added nine points.
“Dani Brusha was clearly not feeling well, and once she saw that every one of her outside shots were short, she adjusted and attacked the rim and got to the line or found an open teammate,” Becker said. “Amelia Brown, another starter, is getting over pneumonia and only played about two minutes per quarter, but with other girls under the weather, they were important minutes and were enough to get her teammates the rest they needed.
“Once again, Briana was a force on both sides of the court, and Sydney Santora led our team in rebounding and steals.”
The Lions’ coach also had high praise for his young players.
“I can’t say enough about our three ninth graders who started,” Becker said. “Sydney has been special from day one, Emma DiJoseph is starting to find her rhythm, and Mollie Martin is often asked to defend the other team’s better perimeter players. Even though I sometimes forget that they’re only 14 or 15 years old and get after them, they’re playing well and are all very coachable. At this point in their high school careers, we really could not ask for much more.”
For the Panthers, Avery Kucur’s 12 points led the way. Halie Staub, Jess Whisler and Morgan Volz each added eight points.
“It was the second straight game where we didn’t get a great start, and we let it affect us the rest of the game,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We need to be able to handle adversity and show more mental toughness.
“The first half we missed a ton of shots. Defensively, we got beat in transition a few times and gave up too many offensive rebounds.
Despite some struggles, I thought our girls played hard and we had opportunities. Unfortunately, every time we got it to seven or eight points, we would either make a mental mistake or Lower Moreland would answer with another big bucket.”
The Tennent coach credited the play of the Lions.
“Rich has his girls playing really well,” Whitney said. “They have a nice mix of experience and young talent.
“Right now, we have to take the positives from these tough losses and find a way to turn things around. There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played this season and it’s just a matter of time before we put it all together.”
Lower Moreland (6-3, 4-1 SOL) will host Quakertown in a crossover game on Thursday, and William Tennent (2-6, 2-3) will host Wissahickon on Friday.
Lower Moreland 18-16-7-15 56
William Tennent 7-15-9-9 40
Lower Moreland (56) Briana McFerran 7 1-3 17; Dani Brusha 4 1-2 9; Sydney Santora 4 1-2 10; Maddie Martin 1 1-2 3; Emma DiJoseph 5 0-0 11; Nikki Sahl 2 0-0 4; Maddy Rossiter 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 24 4-9 56.
William Tennent (40) – Katherine Balibar 0 2-2 2; Ella Mednick 1 0-1 2; Avery Kocur 5 2-4 12;Halie Staub 3 2-2 8; Jess Whisler 2 2-4 8; Morgan Volz 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 15 8-13 40.
3-point goals: LM – Briana McFerran 2, Sydney Santora, Emma DiJoseph; WT – Jess Whisler 2.
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