Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Saturday.
9th Annual Jim Church Classic
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 53, SOUDERTON 27
The Golden Hawks capped an impressive weekend performance with a win over a young Indians’ squad to capture the title of the Jim Church Classic.
“Coach (Lynn) Carroll has built Souderton into one of the premier programs in the state, and even though they are young and inexperienced, she already has her team competing hard and it was obvious they were prepared with a good scout on us,” Rock South coach Jesse Krasna said. “They did a great job of mixing their defenses up. As they gain experience, they are going to be a tough out.”
Rock South’s Fiona Reckner – who earned tournament MVP honors – led all scorers with 15 points. Her six first-quarter points propelled the Golden Hawks to a 14-6 lead over the Indians. If there was any doubt about the outcome, those doubts were put to rest in a second quarter that saw the Hawks go on a 25-3 tear to go into halftime with a commanding 39-9 advantage.
Reckner’s 13 points in the half led the Hawks, who also received 11 points from Liliana Metrick. Included in Metrick’s points were three 3-pointers. Kathryn O’Kane added seven points in the half – nine in the game – as the trio once again led the Golden Hawks.
“We are really happy for our girls that they got to hoist the trophy following these two games,” Krasna said. “It is even better because we were able to do it with everyone – in both games we had contributions from all 12 of our active players. We are excited about how unselfish the girls played all weekend because that ‘team first’ and ‘make the right play’ mentality will be key to sustaining success as the season goes on.”
Kiera Fadden and Emily Dick both scored seven points to lead the Indians.
In addition to Reckner, Metrick as well as Souderton’s Brooke Fenchel and Jacquelyn Bermel earned spots on the all-tournament team.
Council Rock South (2-0) will host Bensalem in Tuesday’s SOL opener, and Souderton (1-1) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
“We know we have our work cut out for us in league play and look forward to the challenge starting with Bensalem on Tuesday,” Krasna said.
Council Rock South 14-25-8-6 53
Souderton 6-3-5-13 27
Council Rock South (53) – Sarah Freeman 2 1-2 5; Liliana Metrick 3 2-2 11; Maria Freeman 0 2-2 2; Haley Thompson 2 0-0 5; Katie Purpura 1 0-2 2; Kathryn O’Kane 4 1-4 9; Cam Gregory 1 0-0 3; Fiona Reckner 6 2-3 15; Gabriella Hettler 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 19 9-17 53.
Souderton (27) – Jacquelyn Bermel 1 0-0 2; Julia Purvy 1 0-0 3; Brooke Fenchel 2 0-0 5; Kiera Fadden 3 1-2 7; Emily Dick 3 0-0 7; Avie Sackor 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 2-4 27.
3-point goals: CRS – S.Freeman 2, Metrick 3, Thompson, Gregory, Reckner; Ston – Purvy, Fenchel, Dick.
ABINGTON 69, WILLIAM TENNENT 48
The Ghosts rebounded from their opening round loss to notch a decisive win over the Panthers in Saturday’s consolation game.
Point guard Maya Johnson’s eight points – including a pair of 3-pointers – ignited a 23-point opening quarter outburst by the Ghosts, who took a 35-23 lead into halftime and never looked back.
“It was a team effort,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said.
Avery Kocur, whose 19 points led all scorers, kept the Panthers in it, scoring eight of her team’s 12 first-quarter points. The two teams exchanged baskets in the second quarter.
Mikaiya Durham had the hot hand in a 21-point third quarter, scoring eight points in the frame. The Ghosts took a 56-36 lead into the final quarter on their way to the win.
“It was a disappointing performance today after a great effort last night,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “Credit to Abington they made it tough on us and shot the ball extremely well. It’s difficult to play from behind, and Abington makes you pay for your mistakes.
“Even though we lost, it was a good test for us, and we hope to learn from today and continue to get better.”
Durham’s 16 points led the Ghosts with 12 of those points coming after the intermission. Johnson – who had three 3 pointers – finished with 13 points and six assists. Jordyn Reynolds added 10 points, which included a pair of 3s, and Piper McGinley and Zyn McClain each finished with nine points. McGinley had a pair of 3-pointers in a contest that saw the Ghosts connect on nine shots from beyond the arc. Ava Teich chipped in seven points for the Ghosts.
“Zyn McClain came off the bench and gave us a spark to extend the lead,” Lawson said. “Jordyn Reynolds and Piper McGinley’s defense forced a bunch of turnovers in the backcourt.”
In addition to Kocur, Halie Staub had 11 points for the Panthers, and Morgan Volz finished with eight.
Kocur earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
“Avery Kocur led us again in scoring and played a complete game,” Whitney said. “She was active defensively getting several deflections and steals and offensively made some great decision and was looking to be aggressive.”
Abington (1-1) will open SOL play on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and William Tennent (0-2) will host Springfield Twp on Tuesday.
William Tennent 12-11-13-12 48
Abington 23-12-21-13 69
William Tennent (48) – Aubrey Lynch 1 0-1 2; Katherina Balibar 0 2-2 2; Ella Mednick 1 1-1 3; Avery Kocur 7 4-5 19; Halie Staub 4 3-10 11; Jess Whisler 1 1-1 3; Morgan Volz 3 2-3 8; TOTALS 17 13-23 48.
Abington (69) – Ava Teich 3 0-0 7; Maya Johnson 5 0-0 13; Mikiaya Durham 6 3-3 16; Jordyn Reynolds 4 0-0 10; Piper McGinley 3 1-1 9; Sarah Oleary 1 0-0 2; Zyn McClain 4 1-1 9; Griffin 1 0-0 2; White 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 27 5-6 69.
3-point goals: WT – Avery Kocur; Abington – Maya Johnson 3, Piper McGinley 2, Jordyn Reynolds 2, Ava Teich, Mikiaya Durham.
Oreland Lions Tournament
SPRINGFIELD TWP 43, NEW FOUNDATIONS CHARTER 31
The Spartans defended a tournament title they owned, opening up an 11-3 lead after one quarter and maintaining a lead the rest of the way. Sophomore Ava Culler once again led the way for the Spartans, scoring a game-high 17 points while also pulling down 15 rebounds.
“It was a hard-fought game,” Springfield coach Dave Giordano said. “We got out to a little bit of a lead – the halftime lead was 20-12, and we did a really good job defensively as a team and held them without a field goal in the first half.
“They scored 12 points in the first half, and all of them were from the foul line. I’m not sure what we did right with that, but it was certainly noticeable. We did a good job rebounding the ball. We have been stressing defense, rebounding and run, but I know we can’t always do that.”
New Foundations generated more offense in the second half, but the Spartans still held a 23-19 advantage after the intermission.
“They made a couple runs, and we answered back and we handled their press pretty well and controlled the ball,” Giordano said. “I would have liked to see us do a little better from the foul line, but we closed it out, and it was a good win for the girls.”
In addition to Culler, Alana Decker had eight points while Grace Dailey had seven and Jayla Daniels finished with six.
“We had great contributions from Grace Dailey, Jayla Daniels and Samiyyah Thompson,” Giordano said. “It was a good team effort as far as how they picked up for each other.”
Springfield Twp (2-0) will travel to William Tennent for Tuesday’s SOL opener.
New Foundations Charter 3-9-11-8 31
Springfield Twp 11-9-16-7 43
New Foundations Charter (31) – J.Drummond 0 5-9 5; A.Thompson 1 3-4 6; A.Abner 3 3-4 9; K.Moody 2 2-4 7; N.Smart 1 0-0 3; G.Fabian 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 7 14-23 31.
Springfield Twp (43) – Alana Decker 3 1-2 8; Hannah Brandon 1 0-0 2; Samiyyah Thompson 1 1-2 3; Jayla Daniels 1 4-12 6; Grace Dailey 3 1-4 7; Ava Culler 8 1-11 17; TOTALS 17 8-31 43.
3-point goals: NFC – Thompson, Moody, Smart; Springfield – Decker.
Pennridge Tipoff Tournament
PENNRIDGE 61, QUAKERTOWN 28
Ella Brown once again had the hot hand for the Rams, scoring 16 of her game-high 19 points in the first half as the Rams rolled to their second win in as many outings.
Brown – who finished with three 3-pointers – buried a three and then added three more baskets for nine first-quarter points. Ava Fantaskey contributed seven in the quarter. Brown added seven points in the second quarter while teammate Emily DeHaven buried a pair of 3s, and the Rams took a commanding 36-9 lead into halftime.
Abby Huskin and Erin McCormick – who connected on a pair of 3s – both had six points in a 17-point third quarter for the Rams.
In addition to Brown, DeHaven added eight points while Huskin and Fantaskey both had seven. McCormick finished with six points.
For the Panthers, Ava Pistone’s 14 points – which included two 3-pointers – led the way. Truly Heft had seven points.
Pennridge (2-0) will host North Penn in Tuesday’s SOL opener, and Quakertown (0-2) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday.
Quakertown 3-6-9-10 28
Pennridge 19-17-17-8 61
Quakertown (28) – Addyson Davis 0 3-4 3; Ava Pistone 6 0-0 14; Carli Maha 2 0-0 4; Truly Heft 3 1-4 7; TOTALS 11 4-8 28..
Pennridge (61) – Ella Brown 8 0-0 19; Julia Reavy 2 0-0 4; Ava Fantaskey 3 1-1 7; Emily DeHaven 2 2-2 8; Samantha Murphy 1 0-0 2; Madison Lapp 2 0-0 4; Abby Hustin 3 1-2 7; Erin McCormick 2 0-0 6; Layla Verbit 1 2-3 4; TOTALS 24 6-8 61.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Ava Pistone 2; Pennridge – Ella Brown 3, Emly DeHaven 2, Erin McCormick.
VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 45, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 36
The Indians – who trailed 13-8 after one quarter – rallied to take a 19-18 lead into halftime. The Jems answered with a 15-6 third-quarter surge, and the Indians never could make up the ground they lost.
“Today was a tough loss, but I want to give a lot of credit to Villa Joe for a job well done,” Rock North coach John Kelly said. “Offensively, they effectively spaced the floor, shared the ball, and hit big shots. Defensively, they did a good job of guarding the ball, and they rebounded. Unfortunately for us, they just made more plays and executed better in the second half.
“As disappointing as this loss is, our season is still young, and we have to stay committed to the process of getting better one day at a time.”
Amara Arroyo’s seven points – which included a 3 – led the Indians in the opening half.
For the game, Skyler Wright led the Indians with 11 points. She scored nine of those points – which included a pair of 3s and a 3-for-3 effort at the foul line – in the fourth quarter. Arroyo added nine points, and Ruth O’Keefe had six.
Council Rock North (1-1) will host Harry S Truman in Tuesday’s SOL opener.
Council Rock North 8-11-6-11 36
Villa Joseph Marie 13-5-15-12 45
Council Rock North (36) – Skyler Wright 2 5-5 11; Julia Koval 1 0-0 2; Amara Arroyo 3 2-4 9; Delaney McCaffery 1 2-2 5; Meg Reichenbach 1 0-0 3; Ruth O’Keefe 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 10 11-13 36.
Villa Joseph Marie (45) – Gayton 1 0-0 2; Grunwell 0 1-2 1; Gumienny 5 0-0 13; Mack 3 0-2 7; Deal 4 2-3 12; Pizzica 3 4-6 10; TOTALS 16 7-13 45.
3-point goals: CRN – Skyler Wright 2, Amara Arroyo, Delaney McCaffrey, Meg Reichenbach; VJM – Gumienny 3, Deal 2, Mack.
Red Devils Tipoff Tournament
AVON GROVE 37, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 32
The Bucks and Red Devils were deadlocked 12-12 after a low scoring opening half in Saturday’s title game. The host Red Devils held a two-point edge heading into the final quarter when they outscored the Bucks 11-8 to earn the win.
“It was a slow start for us, and we didn’t capitalize on their mistakes, vice versa for them,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “The kid (Maiya) Murphy hit some big shots when they needed them.”
Gabi Senior’s five points led the Bucks in the opening half. Senior led all scorers with 12 points. Erica Madden added six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
Avon Grove’s Maiya Murphy scored all nine of her points in the second half.
“There are a lot of good things for us to learn from to get better,” Sibel said. “Any road game is tough, and we just have to continue to compete each possession. I thought Erica Madden had a really good performance off the bench – she was so active on defense and knocked down some big shots for us.”
Central Bucks West (1-1) will host Central Bucks East in Tuesday’s SOL opener at 5:30 p.m.
Central Bucks West 5-7-12-8 32
Avon Grove 8-4-14-11 37
Central Bucks West (32) – Gabi Senior 5 1-2 12/ Erica Madden 2 0-0 6; Aniya McDaniel 2 0-0 4; Alexis Castro 1 2-4 5; Gabrielle Reichner 1 0-2 2; Scarlette Baumgardner 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 12 3-8 32.
Avon Grove (37) – Maiya Murphy 4 0-0 9; Brooke Huver 2 0-2 5; Lila Klimas 1 0-0 2; Anna Heisier 2 0-0 4; Bridget Lange 1 0-0 2; Addison Stenz 2 1-2 5; Gabbie Beltran 5 0-0 10; TOTALS 16 ¼ 51.
3-point goals: CBW – Eric Madden 2, Gabi Senior, Scarlett Baumgardner; AG – Maiya Murphy, Brooke Huver.
Bristol Tipoff Tournament
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 43, MORRISVILLE 21
The Lions raced out of the gate to an 18-8 lead after one quarter and extended that to 35-10 by halftime on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win in Saturday’s title game of the Bristol Tipoff Tournament.
“We came out strong and played a solid all-around game,” coach Steve Polinsky said. “We played the right way all weekend long.
“There was a lot of ball movement, and we improved our chemistry all tournament long.”
Emily Wilson earned tournament MVP honors, and Izzy Elizondo was named to the all-tournament team. The duo played key roles in the Lions’ strong start with both scoring eight points in the opening half. Elizondo had a pair of 3-pointers in the half.
Elizondo’s 10 points led the Lions while Wilson added eight and Nina Meixler had six points.
New Hope-Solebury (2-0) will travel to Cheltenham for Tuesday’s SOL opener.
Morrisville 8-2-7-4 21
New Hope-Solebury 18-17-6-2 43
Morrisville (21) – Adriane Williams 1 0-0 3; Faith Graham 4 2-5 11; Tahnia Carr 1 0-0 2; Victoria Reiner 2 1-1 5; TOTALS 8 3-6 21.
New Hope-Solebury (43) – Kayla Fennell 1 2-4 4; Elena Shire 1 0-0 2; Izzy Elizondo 4 0-0 10; Emily Wilson 3 2-2 8; Nina Meixler 3 0-0 6; Sam McAndrew 1 0-0 3; Naava Richlin 0 2-2 2; Ella Dudick 2 0-0 4; Isha Mukherjee 2 0-2 4; TOTALS 17 6-10 43.
3-point goals – M – Williams, Graham; NH-S – Elizondo 2, McAndrew.
LOWER MORELAND 62, BRISTOL 19
The Lions rebounded from a disappointing loss to New Hope-Solebury to notch a convincing win over the host Warriors in Saturday’s consolation game.
“After a frustrating game last night where we shot 1-for-21 from the perimeter and just 22 percent from the field, it was good to see the girls shoot well,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “Overall, I thought that the team did a nice job of finding that balance of not playing down to our opponent and creating bad habits, while still being respectful of them. Rocco does a nice job with limited numbers, I think they only have nine in the entire program, so both him and the team are in a difficult position.”
Sydney Santora had an impressive varsity debut in the season-opening tournament. Her 10 first-quarter points highlighted the Lions’ 23-point opening frame.
“I was really impressed by my new ninth graders,” Becker said. “Sydney Santora was our leading scorer and rebounder in both games. In the loss to New Hope, she had 12 points, 12 rebounds and five steals. Today, in limited minutes, she scored 16 points to go with seven rebounds, four steals and seven assists.
“Another freshman, Emma DiJoseph knocked down three 3’s, and Mollie Martin continues to impress us as a complete all-around player. We had one other ninth grader, Maddie Broderick, step up today and score seven points off of the bench.”
Lower Moreland (1-1) will host Villa Maria Academy in a non-league game Monday.
“All in all, it was a good team win, and hopefully we can carry some of our shooting over to Monday night when we host Villa Mari,” Becker said.
Lower Moreland 23-13-7-9 62
Non-league
BENSALEM 47, ST. HUBERT 23
Amber Howard scored 15 of her game-high 18 points in the first half, propelling the Owls to a 31-7 halftime lead on their way to the convincing win in Saturday’s non-league opener.
“It’s a great feeling starting the season on a positive note with a nice team win,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “Amber Howard led us with 18 points and eight boards, and she did a fantastic job of getting in passing lanes and running the floor.
“I think we did a nice job setting the tempo defensively and that starts with our senior captain Peyton Miller. Her communication and commitment on the defensive side is second to none.”
In addition to Howard, Devon Bell – who nailed three 3-pointers – also finished in double figures with 12 points. Talia DiMichele added nine points for the Owls.
“Juniors Devon Bell and Talia DiMichele both had a very efficient day from the field and Tal did a wonderful job running the offense,” Johnson said. “Sophomore Grace McShane – whose role on our team drastically changed from playing maybe 5-6 minutes a game last year to being in our starting five this year – had a strong day for us on the defensive side. The more game reps she gets, the better she will be. Grace will be a special player for us this season and in years to come. Freshman Sydney Daut scored her first varsity points of her career and made her presence felt on the defensive side. “
Bensalem (1-0) will travel to Council Rock South for Tuesday’s SOL opener.
“Now we have to have the best practice of the year on Monday in preparation for one of the better teams in the SOL in CR South,” Johnson said.
St. Hubert 3-4-9-7 23
Bensalem 16-15-11-5 47
St. Hubert (23) – Ginter 0 0-2 0; J.Miller 0 2-2 2; C.Dietz 2 1-2 5; A.Price 3 0-0 7; L.D’Andrew 1 2-2 5; C.Hunter 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 8 5-8 23.
Bensalem (47) – Grace McShane 1 0-0 2; Talia DiMichele 4 1-2 9; Mikayla Donahue 1 0-0 3; Devon Bell 4 1-1 12; Amber Howard 8 2-4 18; Sydney Daut 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 19 5-9 47.
3-point goals: St. Hubert – A.Price, L.D’Andrea; Bensalem – Amber Howard 3, Devon Bell.
UPPER MORELAND 57, HARRY S TRUMAN 13
Holly Gohl had herself a day on Saturday.
The senior standout erupted for 15 first-half points and led all scorers with 22 points, which included a pair of 3s. She also pulled down 13 rebounds.
Gohl and teammate Olivia Meakim both had seven points in the opening quarter that saw the Golden Bears open up a 24-2 lead over the visiting Tigers. They added 20 points in the second quarter with Gohl contributing eight and Mikel Lancit adding five.
“We played a very good game,” UM coach Josh Adelman said. “We had the opportunity to get many players into the game to contribute.
“Eight girls contributed in scoring today. It was a great team win.”
Meakim also finished the game in double figures with 10 points while Lancit had seven and Marie Meyers had six on a pair of 3s. The Golden Bears connected on nine 3-pointers in the contest with Meakim and Makaila Allen also contributing two 3s each.
Erynn Bond’s nine points led the Tigers.
“Truman played a good game,” Adelman said. “They were coming off a nice win versus Wissahickon the previous night, and with a quick turnaround, it wasn’t an easy game to play.”
Upper Moreland (1-0) will host Lower Moreland in Tuesday’s SOL opener, and Harry S Truman (1-1) will host St. Hubert in a non-league game on Monday.
Harry S Truman 2-3-5-3 13
Upper Moreland 24-20-7-6 57
Harry S Truman (13) – Amiyam Washington 1 1-2 3; Erynn Bond 4 0-0 9; Shylah McCleve 0 1-4 1; TOTALS 5 2-6 13.
Upper Moreland (57) – Mikel Lancit 2 2-2 7; Lianna Adames 1 0-0 2; Marie Meyers 2 0-0 6; Lilly Hansen 1 1-1 3; Holly Gohl 10 0-0 22; Makaila Allen 2 1-2 5; Olivia Meakim 4 0-0 10; Molly Meakim 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 21 4-5 57.
3-point goals: HST – Erynn Bond; UM – Marie Meyers 2, Holly Gohl 2, Makaila Allen 2, Olivia Meakim 2, Mikel Lancit.
CHELTENHAM 52, ABINGTON FRIENDS 15
Maya Simmons and Ike Ojukwu combined for 30 points to lead the Lady Panthers to the no-doubt-about-it win on Saturday. Simmons outscored visiting AFS singlehandedly with 16 points while Ojukwu added 14.
It was the Lady Panthers’ second win in as many days, and they took care of business in a hurry, opening up a 25-1 lead after one quarter and never looking back.
Always good to start the season off with two wins,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “Looking forward to getting back to full strength headed into league play this week. We want to carry this energy and momentum throughout the season.”
Both Simmons and Ojukwu were instrumental in the Lady Panthers’ fast start. Simmons erupted for 11 first-quarter points, which included a 3-pointer, while Ojukwu had eight points in the frame.
Paige Powell added eight points for the Lady Panthers – six in the opening half.
Cheltenham (2-0) will host New Hope-Solebury in Tuesday’s SOL opener.
Abington Friends 1-4-2-8 15
Cheltenham 25-19-6-2 52
Abington Friends (15) – Kennedy G 4 3-4 12; Ella H 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 5 4-6 15.
Cheltenham (52)- Paige Powell 4 0-0 8; Maya Simmons 7 0-0 16; Kaylyn Washington 1 0-0 2; Amelia Kopp 2 0-0 4; Arianna Davis 1 0-0 2; Ije Ojukwu 7 0-0 14; Marguerite Reimer 1 0-0 2; Tori Simmons 1 0-0 2; Autumn Kimble 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 25 0-0 52.
3-point goals – AFS – Kennedy; Cheltenham – Maya Simmons 2.
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