Check out the results for SOL girls' basketball teams in action Tuesday. CR South/Truman photos provided courtesy of Diana Leferovich. CB South/CB West photo provided courtesy of Lisa Henderson. Check back for photo galleries of both games.
National Conference
NESHAMINY 43, ABINGTON 38 (OT)
The Redskins won an overtime thriller against their archrivals in a key conference battle Tuesday, outscoring their hosts 11-6 in OT.
“Both teams had a chance to win it at the end of regulation,” Neshaminy coach Joe Lally said. “It was really a hard fought defensive game on both sides.”
Just four players contributed scoring for the Ghosts, who were led by Lizzie O’Leary’s game-high 20 points. Kassondra Brown added 10 points, but the rest of the team combined for just eight points.
“While the stats will show that Lizzie O’Leary and Kassondra Brown had 30 of their points, we don’t have anybody that’s their size, but I thought we did a yeoman’s job battling them inside,” Lally said. “They earned everything they got, and at the same time I thought we did a really nice job getting out to the perimeter, covering their shooters and contesting their shots.”
The Redskins led 9-7 after one quarter but found themselves on the short end of an 18-13 score at halftime. A 13-4 third quarter burst put the Ghosts back on top 26-22.
“Our defensive intensity – we were able to tighten it up in the third quarter and make some adjustments on offense where we were struggling a little bit,” Lally said.
“In the third quarter, we were able to get Allie Harvey going a little bit, which was big for us. She had a couple of three-balls in the quarter. Kristin Curley went to the foul line, Brooke Mullin had a three-point play, and Devon Storms had a nice drive and a bucket. We had some balanced scoring.”
The Ghosts rallied to knot the score in the fourth quarter, outscoring the ‘Skins 10-6.
“The fourth quarter was a dogfight,” Lally said. “They were up two at one point and appeared to be holding the ball.
“We forced a turnover, and we got a running drive from Allie Harvey to tie it.”
The Redskins closed it out by outscoring the Ghosts 11-6 in overtime. Nine of those points came at the foul line where the ‘Skins converted 9-of-10 shots. Harvey was a perfect 4-for-4, and Curley iced the win by burying a pair, turning a three-point lead to a five-point lead with 18 seconds remaining.
“In overtime, our defensive intensity stayed up,” Lally said. “We were able to make a few more plays than they did. It was a great game to be part of.”
Harvey led a balanced Redskin attack with 14 points and five rebounds. Storms and Mullin both had nine points. Storms also had five rebounds. Emily Alexis added seven points and five rebounds. Curley had four points and four assists with just one turnover.
Jordyn Allen added six points for the Ghosts.
The road win loomed large for the defending conference champions, whose roster includes just three seniors, three sophomores and six freshmen. The team’s lone junior is injured.
“We’re kind of growing into everyone’s role,” Lally said. “I think it was a really big win for us.
“It’s just a tough place to win. We’ve been able to hunker down and play disciplined when we go there, and I think that’s the key to playing there. For some reason, we’ve played some of our best, disciplined basketball when we go there.”
Defense, according to Lally, was key.
“Holding Abington to four points in a quarter (the third) is pretty good,” the Redskins’ coach said. “They only had seven in the first and six in overtime. Allie Harvey battled all night, Emily Alexis, Brooke Mullin, Devon Storms – we threw bodies at their kids and asked them to switch out and fire out at shooters. They did a tremendous job, they really did.”
Neshaminy (3-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Thursday night, and Abington (3-2, 1-1) will be on the road at Council Rock North on Thursday.
Neshaminy 9-4-13-6-11 43
Abington 7-11-4-10-6 38
Neshaminy (43) – Devon Storms 9, Emily Alexis 7, Allison Harvey 14, Brooke Mullin 9, Kristin Curley 4.
Abington (38) – Lizzie O’Leary 20, Kassondra Brown 10, Jordyn Allen 6, Sam Brusha 2.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 42, HARRY S TRUMAN 38
Sparked by six points from Faith Turner, the Golden Hawks led 11-8 after one quarter and took an 18-14 lead into halftime. They put some distance between themselves and their visitors with a 15-6 third quarter surge, but the Tigers didn’t go down quietly, outscoring the Hawks 18-9 in the final quarter. Jayda Campbell scored eight of her game-high 14 points – which included a pair of three’s – in the final quarter.
Turner led a balanced South attack with 11 points, and Payton Spadaccino added nine. Kasey Schlupp had seven points while Allison McGowan and Hannah Binder both had six points.
Coach Jason Rapp was pleased with his team’s balanced scoring and lauded the solid performance of a pair of players off the bench – Claudia Steinmetz and Bailey Vetter.
“It was a total team effort,” the Golden Hawks’ coach said. “Truman played extremely hard. Collette (Munford) has done a really nice job with them.”
Also for Truman, Sabria Lytes added 10 points and five rebounds. Sophomore Alexis McCoy had a team-high nine rebounds to go along with three steals and five points.
Council Rock South (3-2, 1-1 SOL) is off until next Tuesday when it will compete in the Upper Merion Holiday Invitational. Harry S Truman (3-1, 0-1) will be on the road at Bensalem on Thursday.
Harry S Truman 8-6-6-18 38
Council Rock South 11-7-15-9 42
Harry S Truman (38) – Daeja Moore 2, Daisha Campbell 2, Roneisha James 1, Briana Cliney 4, Alexis McCoy 5, Sabria Lytes 10, Jayda Campbell 14.
Council Rock South (42) – Kasey Schlupp 7, Payton Spadaccino 9, Allison McGowan 6, Faith Turner 11, Bailey Vetter 2, Hannah Binder 6, Claudia Steinmetz 1.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 67, BENSALEM 30
Becca Margolis led the Indians at both ends of the court, scoring a team-high 19 points while also collecting seven steals. She also had six assists. Dana Bandurick also had a big night, contributing 11 points and four steals. Kaelin Mealy added eight points while Emily Mackin had seven. Hannah Weiler, Mackenzie Tinner and Megan Haggerty each added six points. Haggerty and Mealy each had two three-pointers.
The Indians – who had 21 steals – dominated the backboards against a young Bensalem squad that starts four freshmen and a junior. Bandurick and Tinner both had six offensive rebounds while Weiler added five as the trio combined for 17 of their team’s 28 offensive rebounds.
Bensalem was led offensively by Haley Keenan with 16 points while Anna Dean added eight, which included a pair of three’s.
Council Rock North (4-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Abington on Thursday night, and Bensalem (1-4, 0-2) will host Harry S Truman Thursday.
Bensalem 4-12-8-6 30
Council Rock North 16-28-16-7 67
Bensalem (30) – Sydney Bawuah 5, Haley Keenan 16, Anna Dean 8, Alayna McSeed 1.
Council Rock North (67) – Becca Margolis 19, Megan Haggerty 6, Sydney Blum 2, Olivia Boyle 2, Emily Mackin 7, Dana Bandurick 11, Kaelin Mealy 8, Hannah Weiler 6, Mackenzie Tinner 6.
SOL Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 44, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 43
Alexa Brodie found herself thrust into the role of floor general for an entirely new starting lineup this season. That’s a tough position for a sophomore, but Brodie has proven she’s more than capable of handling the task.
Credit for that, according to the sophomore captain, goes to last year’s seniors, who prepared her to step into a key leadership position.
“I grew as a person, and I grew as a player from that senior class, and when I saw them walking in the doors to see this game tonight, that was the best feeling in the world knowing they were coming to support us,” Brodie said.
Actually, it’s safe to say the sophomore point guard trumped that ‘best feeling’ when she hit nothing but net on a shot from just beyond midcourt at the buzzer. In a matter of seconds – five to be exact, Brodie turned what appeared to be a certain loss into an improbable win.
“I said I was under their wing all freshman year, and I guess I really was under the wing of Jordan Vitelli because I hit one of her shots,” said Brodie.
Vitelli – who is now excelling at University of the Sciences – made halfcourt buzzer beaters look almost routine, nailing four her senior year alone.
“We’re not done with buzzer beaters,” South coach Beth Mattern said. “Jordan finished her four years of high school, and I’m not sure how many buzzer beaters she had, but you know when the first one started? Against CB East her sophomore year.
“Alexa now is a sophomore, and she added one right to that legend.”
Brodie’s heroics seemed unlikely at best when – with the score deadlocked 41-41 – freshman Maddie Burke capped a wild offensive sequence by hitting nothing but net on a shot from the top of the circle, giving the Bucks a 43-41 lead with just over five seconds remaining.
“Maddie is one of my really close friends,” Brodie said. “I played basketball with her elementary school, middle school, AAU, everything, so this was my first game in many, many years going against her.
“I saw her get that ball, I saw her rhythm, and I knew coming from her fingertips that was going in.”
Unfazed by Burke’s go-ahead basket, Brodie went to work, dribbling to the midcourt stripe and putting up a shot that fell through the net at the buzzer. While the Titans converged for a jubilant celebration, West’s players walked off the court in stunned disbelief.
“It was insane – I was so shocked,” said South junior Haley Meinel, who was on the sidelines after going down with a cramp in her calf with 26 seconds remaining. “Oh my gosh – that was so clutch. I’m so happy for her to because she has a lot of friends on that team.”
Tuesday’s game could have gone either way. The Titans led 8-7 after Meinel scored on a putback in the final seconds of the opening quarter. Tori Abelson’s short jumper in the opening minute of the second quarter gave the Bucks a lead they maintained until the fourth quarter.
West took a tenuous 16-14 lead into the intermission as both teams struggled to get untracked offensively. Senior Alex Burkauskas led the way with seven points while Abelson had six. Brodie (12 points) had five assists for the Titans.
“I know at times the execution wasn’t what it could have been, but I thought both teams fought really hard and really wanted it,” Mattern said. “There’s a lot of anxiety of both sides to really pull that game out.”
The Bucks opened up a 21-16 lead after Diane Nicholson buried a three-pointer, but a three-point play by Meinel – who led the Titans with 14 points and nine rebounds – pulled the Titans to within two. With 10 seconds remaining in the quarter, Burke sank a pair from the foul line to send the Bucks into the final quarter with a 29-24 lead.
A three-pointer by Lexi Edwards (nine points) knotted the score 31-31, and the Titans took the lead for the first time since the opening half when Meinel buried both ends of a one-and-one with 3:19 remaining. Burke answered with a pair of foul shots at the other end, and after Izzy Treon came up with a steal, Burke sank two more from the charity stripe.
Meinel’s second three-point play of the half after an offensive rebound put the Titans on top 38-37, but Treon was fouled on a putback and completed the three-point play to give the Bucks a 40-38 lead with 1:09 showing on the scoreboard clock. Brodie scored on a nifty drive to knot the score with 35 seconds remaining. In a span of less than a second, the two teams exchanged 1-of-2 efforts at the foul line, and West had possession with 24.8 seconds remaining. Burke hit what looked for all the world as though it would be her second game winner in as many games, but Brodie had other ideas, doing her best Jordan Vitelli imitation and making it look easy with a buzzer beater to win it.
The loss was the first of the young season for the Bucks.
“Too many turnovers offensively, but our kids are young,” West coach Terry Rakowsky said. “Plus, in a rivalry game like this you just never, never know.
“It was a great game at the end to watch. It went back and forth. It never comes down to one shot. We just have to execute better. We have to execute on offense better and on defense better, especially on offense.”
The Bucks entered Tuesday’s game ranked fourth in the state after last Friday’s upset of highly-regarded North Penn, but Mattern wasn’t concerned about that.
“It’s always nice when people recognize how hard your team works, but I think we really care about the state rankings in March,” the Titans’ coach said. “I think that’s what most people would say – they would trade in an early ranking for that one.
“Both teams are pretty young and have a lot to play for. It’s pretty exciting. Our league is tough. We know we have to be ready to go for each game.”
Rakowsky echoed similar sentiments.
“We play East on Thursday,” the Bucks’ coach said. “That’s a big game for us, that’s a huge game for us.
“Then we come back (in January), and we have Souderton. Then we have North Penn again, these guys again, East again. It’s a very difficult league this year.”
Central Bucks South (5-0, 2-0 SOL) will host William Tennent on Thursday, and Central Bucks West (3-1, 1-1) will host Central Bucks East on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Central Bucks West 7-9-13-14 43
Central Bucks South 8-6-10-20 44
Central Bucks West (43) – Alex Burkauskas 7, Abbey Spratt 1, Diane Nicholson 3, Maddie Burke 15, Tori Abelson 9, Izzy Treon 8.
Central Bucks South (44) – Melissa Veal 2, Natalie DeSandro 2, Meghan Kuypers 5, Haley Meinel 14, Alexa Brodie 12, Lexi Edwards 9.
Non-league
SOUDERTON 49, PENN WOOD 26
Megan Bealer led a balanced Souderton attack with 12 points, and it was Bealer jump starting the Indians with seven first-quarter points, which included a three-pointer. Tori Dowd scored six of her 10 points in the opening frame as the Indians raced to a 17-4 lead. By halftime, the Indians led 31-10 on their way to the no-doubt-about-it non-league win.
Alana Cardona added 11 points for the Indians, and Kate Connolly had eight.
Souderton (4-0, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Pennridge on Thursday night.
Souderton (49) – Tori Dowd 10, Megan Bealer 12, Alana Cardona 11, Curran O’Donnell 5, Sami Falencki 3, Kate Connolly 8.
Penn Wood (26) – Khalia Gordon 8, Brianna Moore 2, Carle Andrews 8, Saleia Matthews 4, Kianna Elam 4.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 59, PENNRIDGE 40
The Patriots were doing a lot of things right in their first three games of the season but couldn’t convert that solid play into a win. That trend changed in Tuesday’s contest that saw four Patriots finish in double figures.
Bridget Birkhead led all scorers with 15 points. Junior Sophia Mancuso scored 13 points, Bailey McManus added 11 while Bri Talbot had 10. Grace Stewart contributed six points.
“It was a nice team win,” coach Liz Potash said. “The girls have been playing well, just haven’t been able to score.
“It was good to put it all together and have balanced scoring.”
Pennridge was led by the 12-point effort of Samantha Muredda. Gillian Anderson added eight points, and Brooke Bachtle had seven.
Central Bucks East (1-3, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West on Thursday for a 5 p.m. contest, and Pennridge (3-3, 0-2) will host Souderton on Thursday.
Central Bucks East 19-13-18-9 59
Pennridge 12-6-9-13 40
Central Bucks East (59) – Sophia Mancuso 13, Bridget Birkhead 15, Megan Browne 4, Bailey McManus 11, Bri Talbot 10, Grace Stewart 6.
Pennridge (40) – Samantha Muredda 12, Madison Pennie 2, Brooke Bachtle 7, Gillian Anderson 8, Rose McCormick 2, Claire Podraza 2, Evelyn Loughery 2, Emilee Cramer 5.
NORTH PENN 59, WILLIAM TENNENT 41
Bri Hewlett scored 18 points and Jess Huber had 15 to lead the Knights. Sam Carangi also finished in double figures with 10 points.
North Penn opened the game with a 14-5 first quarter and added to that lead in the second to go into halftime with a 33-16 lead.
Tennent coach Laura Whitney credited her team for its performance against the defending conference champions.
“North Penn is a very good team with a lot of offensive weapons,” the Panthers’ first-year coach said. “They can beat you from the outside, and they also have the ability to take it to the basket.
“No matter who you concentrate on and try to slow down, they are balanced enough to get points from other people. That proved to be the difference in the game tonight. I thought we did a good job as a team of containing Huber and Carangi early, but give credit to Bri Hewlett for stepping up and knocking down shots.
“Offensively, we need to do a better job of taking care of the ball and executing. Despite our struggles at times, I was very pleased with how hard we played and that we didn’t quit.”
Kyla Gibson led the Panthers with 18 points, and Emma Stanfield added 10.
North Penn (4-1, 1-1 SOL) will host Lansdale Catholic in a non-league game on Friday at 6 p.m. William Tennent (1-4, 0-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks South on Thursday night.
William Tennent 5-11-9-16 41
North Penn 14-19-16-10 59
William Tennent (41) – Kelly Scipione 3, Kyla Gibson 18, Jenna Rodebaugh 2, Emma Stanfield 10, Evans 2, Jess Rutkowsky 2, McCarty 2, Paige Schmidt 2.
North Penn (59) – Emily Groarke 2, Irisa Ye 5, Jess Huber 15, Alaina Mullaly 3, Sam Carangi 10, Katie Early 2, Jess McKenzie 4, Bri Hewlett 18.
American Conference
HATBORO-HORSHAM 45, QUAKERTOWN 38
In a contest that was a roller coaster ride for both squads, the Hatters raced out of the gate to a 21-8 lead after one quarter. The Panthers responded with a 17-2 second quarter tear to go into halftime with a 25-23 lead. The Hatters responded with a 14-7 third quarter to go on top 37-32 on their way to the win.
Defense, according to coach Kathie Sims, was the key to the victory.
“We contained Jill Martin and forced other players to beat us,” the Hatters’ coach said of the Panthers’ senior center who was held to four points. “Despite losing the lead, we kept working hard and kept our composure.
“We’re starting to learn how to win.”
Bergen Sims played a major role in the Hatters’ win, finishing with a game-high 18 points, which included five three-pointers – three in the second half. She also had six rebounds, three steals and clutch foul shots down the stretch to seal the game.
Lexi Brett added nine points and five rebounds while Julia Thornton had eight rebounds and five assists, and Kylie Halko had eight points and six rebounds. Nikki Williams added seven rebounds.
Freshman Caitlin Rosenberger led the Panthers with 15 points. Marina Cooke added 11 points, and Maggie Garlick had eight in a contest that saw just four Panthers contribute scoring.
Hatboro-Horsham (3-3, 2-1 SOL) will host Springside School in a non-league contest on Thursday. Quakertown (1-3, 0-1) will host Cheltenham on Friday.
Hatboro-Horsham (45) – Bergen Sims 18, Julia Thornton 8, Lexi Brett 9, Kylie Halko 8, Nikki Williams 2.
Quakertown (38) – Maggie Garlick 8, Marina Cooke 11, Caitlin Rosenberger 15, Jill Martin 4.
CHELTENHAM 38, UPPER MORELAND 22
Mia Leonard didn’t let the fact that she was playing on a sprained ankle slow her down. The Lady Panthers’ senior captain still found a way to put up a double-double, scoring a team-high 10 points while also pulling down 11 rebounds.
On a night that saw both teams struggle to score, the Lady Panthers led 9-2 after one quarter and took a 15-11 lead into halftime. It was still anyone’s game after three quarters as the Lady Panthers took a 21-16 lead into the final quarter when they closed it out with a 17-6 tear.
Also for the Panthers, Nashira Brown scored eight points while Danielle Brown added six. Caitlin Corr led the Golden Bears with nine, and Noelle Woodman added six.
Cheltenham (2-3, 2-0 SOL) will host Academy Park in a non-league game Wednesday, and Upper Moreland (0-5, 0-2) will travel to Lower Moreland for a non-league game on Wednesday.
Upper Moreland (22) – Phoebe Longstreth 4, Caitlin Corr 9, Brianna Hughes 1, Noelle Woodman 6, Maura Casey 2.
Cheltenham (38) – Mia Leonard 10, Caitlin Wallace 5, Taylor Johnson 2, Danielle Brown 6, Kelia Holmes 3, Kai Williams 4, Nashira Brown 8.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 54, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 36
The Colonials led by just one after one quarter (11-10) but blew the game open over the next two quarters. They outscored their visitors 17-6 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 28-16 lead and added to that with a 14-5 third quarter.
Taylor O’Brien was one of four Colonials in double figures, leading all scorers with 17 points. Lauren Fortescue added 11. Laurel Suchsland and Lauren Coscia both scored 10 points with Suchsland burying a pair of three-pointers.
Molly Dugan led the Spartans with 13 points, and Grace Barraclough had 10 points.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-0, 2-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland in a battle of unbeaten conference foes on Friday night. Springfield (2-3, 1-2) will travel to Upper Moreland on Thursday.
Springfield 10-6-5-15 36
Plymouth Whitemarsh 11-17-14-12 54
Springfield (36) – Molly Dugan 13, Jameson Krewson 3, MaryKate Smith 8, Siana Wynne 2, Grace Barraclough 10.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (54) – Taylor O’Brien 17, Lauren Fortescue 11, Ali Diamond 2, Sarah Putsch 4, Laurel Suchsland 10, Lauren Coscia 10.
UPPER DUBLIN 48, WISSAHICKON 15
The Flying Cardinals sprinted to an 18-1 lead after one quarter and never looked back on their way to the win.
“We didn’t play our game,” said Wissahickon coach Rodney Cline, whose team scored just three points in the first half. “We just didn’t play with poise.
“Not taking anything away from them – they’re a very good team. They shot very well from the outside. They were hot, but we just didn’t play our game. It was one of those games – it’s was a chain reaction from jayvee to varsity. We’re a lot better than that.”
Maggie Weglos led a balanced UD attack with 14 points – four three’s in the first half. She also had four rebounds and three steals. Jackie Vargas had eight points, five rebounds and two blocks, and Nicole Kaiser also had eight points.
Upper Dublin (3-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh for a key conference showdown on Friday, and Wissahickon (1-3, 0-2) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
Wissahickon 1-2-5-7 15
Upper Dublin 18-11-12-6 48
Wissahickon (15) – Brianna Tilghman 2, Carolina Mack 2, Sydney Ott 3, Hilma Meiby 4, Victoria Selverian 3, Carly Fadel 1
Upper Dublin (48) – Taylor Purshock 5, Meghan Barbera 4, Nicole Kaiser 8, Josie Barrett 5, Hannah Reape 2, Maggie Weglos 14, Becky Browndorf 1, Jackie Vargas 8..
Monday, Dec. 19
EPISCOPAL ACADEMY 51, ABINGTON 45
The Ghosts led for the better part of Monday’s non-league contest, opening up a 13-9 lead after one quarter and taking a 26-20 lead into halftime. They still led by five heading into the final quarter when the Churchwomen closed it out with a 16-5 frame.
Sam Brusha led the Ghosts with 15 points while Kassondra Brown added 10, Jordyn Allen added eight and Lizzie O’Leary had seven.
Episcopal Academy 9-11-15-16 51
Abington 13-13-14-5 45
Episcopal Academy (51) – Elodie Furey 21, Reilly Wright 8, Luca Mamula 7, Seanna McNamara 3, Katie Weaver 1, Olivia Dirks 3, Cara Harty 3, Raeleen Keffer-Scharpf 1.
Abington (45) – Britney James 3, Lizzie O’Leary 7, Tamia Wessles 2, Kassondra Brown 10, Jordyn Allen 8, Sam Brusha 15.
PENNSBURY 41, CONWELL EGAN 15
The Falcons picked up a decisive win in a non-league contest Monday. Katie Mix led a balanced Falcon attack with 14 points, and Meredith Webber added nine. Mary Miller contributed eight points, Cami Wiegan five, Sydney Buell, three and Danielle Cady, two points.
Pennsbury (2-2, 0-1 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy on Thursday night.
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