Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Thursday. Pennsbury/CR North photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos. (CB East photos provided by Diane Barry/CB East BB, and HH photo provided by Diane Waeltz)
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 40, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 35
The Falcons – sparked by another dazzling offensive showing by Sofia Vitucci – dug their way out of an early hole to earn the hard fought win over a pesky Rock North squad. The contest part of a spirited boys/girls doubleheader at Pennsbury.
“Tonight was another fantastic game in what is clearly the best atmosphere around,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “Tip of the cap Council Rock North for making this doubleheader happen for (Council Rock North boys’ coach) Jesse Krasna and his family. Our community showed up as they always do.
“We fell behind double digits in the first quarter, and we were having a difficult time making shots, but Layla Matthias, as she always does, kept us in the game with her offensive rebounding and her intensity. Layla Matthias has the ability to dominate a game without taking a shot, and there have only been a few players in our league that could do that over the last 10 years.”
Matthias scored just two points but pulled down nine rebounds and also had four steals.
Early on, the Indians – sparked by a pair of Delaney McCaffery 3s – led 10-4 after one quarter and took a 17-15 lead into halftime.
The third quarter, however, belonged to the Falcons or, more specifically, Vitucci, who torched the Indians for 13 points in the quarter. Pennsbury outscored their visitors 15-5 to go into the final quarter with a 30-22 lead.
The Indians outscored the Falcons 13-10 in the final quarter but could not make up the ground they lost. Senior Nevaeh Dash had five of the Falcons’ points in the quarter, including a 3-for-4 effort at the foul line.
“Sofia Vitucci’s third quarter was incredible – her ability to play on balance and create space is really impressive,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “She took over the game for them, and it was the difference in the end. Also, credit Navaeh Dash and Layla Matthias for hitting some big free throws for them down the stretch.”
Vitucci led all scorers with 21 points, which included a pair of 3s. She scored 16 of her points in the second half.
“North’s game plan understandably was to take away Sofia, and they did a good job of that,” Sciolla said. “They rolled their defenses toward her, and we were having a difficult time making shots both with her and the entire team. But Layla kept us in it, and that’s the name of the game for our team as I have now said four or five times. We simply need to get to the final couple minutes and have a chance.
“We have spent the last few years playing the role of Apollo creed. We have been working from on top and we have been the hammer. This year we are working from underneath, and we are the nail, and while it’s not optimal, it does make for fun, and we have a fantastic group that understands their roles. Nevaeh Dash bounced back from her sickness early in the week and had a huge finish for us late in the game and knocked down big free throws.
“Ultimately, Sofia took over the game offensively. Let’s be real clear here and let’s not mince words – Sof is one of the best guards in the state. She is an elite shot maker at all three levels. She has now seen every type of defense, and she just takes a deep breath and keeps playing. We got contributions from all 12 girls that played tonight. And we have absolutely no argument being where we are right now because this was a really good win against a team that very soon is going to start winning these types of games.”
Dash added 10 points for the Falcons.
McCaffery’s 14 points led the Indians. Jaden Wan added nine points.
“Tonight’s result was tough, but we are just so incredibly proud of our entire team for the way they are battling each night – every single player on our roster is contributing in their own way,” Kelly said. “The energy and enthusiasm our team is showing has been remarkable, and tonight we really showed tremendous resilience.
“We have had some tough losses in the past two weeks that have been a punch to the gut, but there have been so many positive takeaways. It is a credit to our players who have really bought into growing each and every day. We know we are right there, and we are going to keep working. I am just so proud of this entire group, and I know we can get over the hump.”
Sciolla had high praise for Kelly and his squad.
“It’s been a practice over the last several years to toss a bouquet to the opposing coach and their team, and I think that’s always a good idea but I’m going to be really clear here and say the Council Rock is going to be a handful now and in the future under Jack Kelly,” Sciolla said. “From watching all of their games so far this year and then competing against him tonight, it is really clear that he has created a culture and he has his kids competing hard and smart. He’s one of the best young coaches that I’ve seen. Obviously, he comes from great bloodlines with his father being a longtime coach of Dunmore High School, but he has put his stamp on North in a short time.”
Pennsbury (7-2, 4-1 SOL) will face Unionville on the opening day of the Ridley Holiday Tournament Tuesday at 5 p.m. Council Rock North (3-5, 0-4) will travel to Harry S Truman on Wednesday for an 11:30 a.m. contest.
Council Rock North 10-7-5-13 35
Pennsbury 4-11-15-10 40
Council Rock North (35) – Skyler Wright 2 0-0 5; Lizzie Lustig 1 0-0 3; Delaney McCaffery 5 0-0 14; Ruth O’Keefe 2 0-0 4; Jaden Wan 4 0-0 9; TOTALS 14 0-0 35.
Pennsbury (40) – Emily Panaro 1 0-0 2; Layla Matthias 0 2-5 2; Maggie Burns 1 0-0 2; Sofia Vitucci 9 1-2 21; Daniella MacDonald 1 0-0 3; Nevaeh Dash 3 3-4 10; TOTALS 15 6-11 40.
3-point goals: CRN – Delaney McCaffery 4, Lizzie Lustig, Jaden Wan, Skyler Wright; Pennsbury – Sofia Vitucci 2, Daniella MacDonald, Nevaeh Dash.
NESHAMINY 43, BENSALEM 17
The Redskins opened up a 10-3 lead after one quarter and took a 27-4 lead into halftime on their way to the convincing win.
“The game started the same as our game vs CR North with Jess Purdy hitting a baseline three,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “Taylor Gurysh hit a three to start the second quarter setting us off on a 17-1 quarter.”
The Owls’ offense received a lift in the third quarter when Talia DiMichele connected on a pair of 3s and scored eight points in the frame, but they never could make up the ground they lost in the first half.
“DiMichele hit two 3s from the baseline corner for Bensalem to give them life while we were overplaying Amber (Howard) in the post area,” Gallagher said.
Reese Zemitis scored 15 to lead the Redskins while Lola Ibarrondo added 11, but they weren’t the only players to contribute.
“Alena Cofield and Ava Irizarry were both singled out after the game by our assistant coaches,” Gallagher said. “Alena had four points, six rebounds, two steals and three assists in a game that saw her play her most minutes for the year. Her four offensive rebounds led the team. Each minute Alena earns is a deposit in the bank for the player she will become.
“Ava Irizarry has earned her playing time this year as a junior due to her ability to space the floor with her outside shot, but more importantly, her effort has been off the charts this year. Her ability to tip offensive rebounds, check out on the defensive end and her awareness of the slides in our zone have made her a valuable asset off the bench.
“Elle Norat, a four-year member of the program, notched her first varsity points in the game. Elle Norat is a program player who has worked hard to make a spot for herself on the varsity team. High school basketball teams sometimes overlook the effect a player like Elle has on the team. Our players and coaches are aware of the value and role Elle supplies us throughout the offseason workouts and each season.”
DiMichele’s eight points led the Owls while Howard had six.
“Hats off to Neshaminy,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “They played a stellar game from start to finish, both on offense and defense. Coach Gal does one heck of a job, and I’ll be the first to say I got outcoached. Neshaminy’s big three played tremendous and so did their role players.”
According to Gallagher, LaSalle women’s head coach Mountain MacGillivray attended the game to check in on Amber and Reese, as both 2024’s have been offered by the Explorer program.
Neshaminy (6-2, 4-1 SOL) is off until Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Redskins will host Central Bucks South. Bensalem (3-4, 2-3) will travel to Wildwood to compete in the Boardwalk Classic. The Owls will face Oakcrest High School on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.
Neshaminy 10-17-12-4 43
Bensalem 3-1-8-5 17
Neshaminy (43) – Alena Cofield 2 0-1 4; Lola Ibarrondo 4 3-5 11; Taylor Gurysh 1 2-2 5; Ava Irrizarry 0 1-4 1; Reese Zemitis 6 2-2 15; Jess Purdy 1 0-0 3; Elle Norat 0 1-4 1; Lindsay Little 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 15 9-18 43.
Bensalem (17) – Talia DiMichele 3 0-1 8; Mikayla Donahue 0 0-2 0; Mackenzie Kramer 0 0-2 0; Ariana Jenkins 1 1-2 3; Amber Howard 2 1-4 6; TOTALS 6 2-11 17.
3-point goals: Neshaminy Taylor Gurysh, Reese Zemitis, Jess Purdy, Lindsay Little; Bensalem – Talia DiMichele 2, Amber Howard.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 58, NORTH PENN 52
Led by the 17-point efforts of freshman Natalie Berndt and junior Anna Barry, the Patriots bounced back after a pair of disappointing losses to defeat a Knight squad that is off to a strong start.
“We had our share of tough losses last year, and like any team we play, we’re like – ‘All right, we need a little revenge from last year,’” East coach Liz Potash said. “I said to the girls yesterday, ‘You better be ready for a battle’ because it came down to the last game of the season last year – us versus them. The team that won was going to the playoffs, the team that lost wasn’t, and we won at our place. I said, ‘I’m sure that is fresh on their minds because they’re playing really well.’”
The Knights had the hot hand early, outscoring the Patriots 19-11 in a first quarter that featured nine points from Caleigh Sperling. By halftime, Sperling had 18 points, and the Knights led 30-26. Freshman Natalie Berndt kept the Patriots in it with four 3-pointers for 12 points. Anna Barry added eight points.
“Sperling has always given us a lot of problems defensively,” Potash said. “So we switched the matchup in the second half.
“In the second half, we turned to Chantal (Van Dongeren) and said, ‘All right, you’ve got her.’ I was real nervous to take her off (Abby) Plaugher because she was doing a good job on her, and she’s a tough player too, but we made that switch, and Chantal held her to five in the second half. She didn’t score in the fourth quarter. Chantal is such an unbelievable defender, so that was huge for us. Plaugher got into some foul trouble, but Natalie Berndt did a great job on her defensively.”
The Patriots erased the four-point deficit with a 17-11 third quarter. Kendall Gregor’s six points led a balanced attack while Berndt added five. The Patriots were clutch from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Barry, who had nine points in the frame, was a perfect 7-for-7 at the stripe. All told, the Patriots connected on 9 of 11 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, 14 of 17 in the game.
Berndt’s 17 points included five 3-pointers as she connected on 5 of 6 shots from beyond the arc. Barry’s 17 included a 10-for-11 effort at the foul line. Gregor added 10 points while Van Dongeren and Erin LeRay each had six.
“Kendall Gregor had some really big finishes inside for us,” Potash said. “Kendall, Anna and Natalie scored 44 of our 58 points, and that’s huge. Anna has been guarded so tough, and she’s done such a great job of keeping her composure on the offensive end because she’s getting two or three defenders thrown at her. She really had a good game tonight. She’s been playing such great defense all year and has had some quick looks and opportunities on offense, but she was really able to get it going tonight, so I was happy for her.”
Sperling’s 23 points led the Knights. Plaugher and Oliva Stone both had nine points while Kelly Donnelly added eight. Plaugher, Sperling and Donnelly each had a pair of 3s.
“They make a lot of shots, so they’re tough,” Potash said of the Knights. “We had a really strong third quarter and a good finish to the fourth quarter. We came off two tough losses in our last two games. We had a one-point loss to Pennridge and then a two-point loss to Souderton the other night. We knew this was a tough three-game stretch, and it was really important that we had a good showing tonight to come out with a win.”
Central Bucks East (5-2, 3-2 SOL) will face Friere Charter Academy Tuesday in the Interboro Holiday Tournament. North Penn (4-4, 3-2) is off until Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Knights will travel to Pennsbury for a crossover contest.
Central Bucks East 11-15-17-15 58
North Penn 19-11-11-11 52
Central Bucks East (58) – Erin LeRay 2 2-3 6; Natalie Berndt 6 0-0 17; Anna Barry 3 10-11 17; Chantal Van Dongeren 3 0-1 6; Kendall Gregor 4 2-2 10; TOTALS 19 14-17 58.
North Penn (52) – Cameron Crowley 1 0-0 3; Caleigh Sperling 8 5-8 23; Abby Plaugher 3 1-2 9; Kelly Donnelly 3 0-0 8; Olivia Stone 4 0-2 9; TOTALS 19 6-12 52.
3-point goals: CBE – Natalie Berndt 5, Anna Barry; NP – Caleigh Sperling 2, Abby Plaugher 2, Kelly Donnelly 2, Cameron Crowley, Olivia Stone.
PENNRIDGE 56, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 38
Katie Yoder scored 21 points – 16 in the middle two quarters – to lead the visiting Rams to the win. Propelled by Yoder’s hot hand, the Rams outscored their hosts 27-15 in the second and third quarters combined to blow open a close game.
“I’m really proud of how the girls responded after a tough loss the other night,” said Pennridge coach Jason Rapp, whose team was coming off a 50-44 loss to Central Bucks West. “It was a great team effort.”
Behind six points from Anna Croyle, the Rams held a tenuous 15-13 lead after one quarter but then outscored the Titans 14-7 in the second to go into halftime with a 29-20 lead. Yoder was the catalyst in her team’s 13-8 third quarter as she scored nine points, giving the Rams a 42-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In addition to Yoder, Croyle contributed 11 points and Ella Brown had nine.
“Katie Yoder was great tonight – she defended and rebounded,” Rapp said. “Ella Brown did a great job defending and rebounding as well. Anna Croyle was aggressive on offense and her usual self on defense.”
For the Titans, Yoyo Samayoa led the way with 12 points while Mia Klein had 10. Ella Wheeler added seven points, and Jules Tropea had six.
Pennridge (5-3, 2-3 SOL) will play Lansdale Catholic on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. on day one of the Boyertown Holiday Tournament. Central Bucks South (1-6, 0-5) will face Downingtown East in the opener of the Garnet Valley Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.
Pennridge 15-14-13-14 56
Central Bucks South 13-7-8-10 38
Pennridge (56) – Ella Brown 3 3-4 9; Grace Rosica 2 0-0 5; Anna Croyle 4 2-2 11; Katie Yoder 8 3-4 21; Ava Fantaskey 1 0-0 2; Emily DeHaven 1 0-0 2; Olivia Poole 2 0-0 5; Samantha Murphy 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 21 9-12 56.
Central Bucks South (38) – Ella Wheeler 3 1-2 7; Jules Tropea 2 2-2 6; Yoyo Samayoa 3 4-4 12; Mia Klein 4 1-2 10; Gabby Tropea 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 13 9-12 38.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Katie Yoder 2, Anna Croyle, Grace Rosica, Olivia Poole; CBS – Yoyo Samayoa 2, Mia Klein.
SOUDERTON 51, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 28
Casey Harter can’t be kept down for long.
After scoring just eight points in Tuesday’s come-from-behind win over CB East, the senior point guard was once again all but unstoppable, scoring 29 points – 20 in a brilliant first half to propel the Indians to a commanding 32-12 halftime lead.
The Northwestern-bound senior connected on 13 of 18 shots from the field – she was 10-for-13 from two and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Harter also had six rebounds, five steals and four assists.
“Casey had another impressive performance filling the stat sheet,” Carroll said. “She really helped get us going defensively with steals and deflections, and we were able to get out and run on them and score in transition early.
Teya McConaha added 11 points and 10 rebounds while Erin Bohmueller had seven points and five assists.
“Teya had another double-double and really owned the boards,” Carroll said. “She was going up strong in the post and getting to the foul line.
“Erin did a great job on (Tai) Henkels, holding her to one field goal. Brooke (Fenchel) and Mikayla (McGillian) were in a little bit of foul trouble for us in the first half, but they were solid defensively throughout the game. We got great contributions off the bench from Grace (McDonough), Jac (Bermel) and Alexis (Stefanowicz). Grace isn’t quite 100 percent yet but is battling through and making her presence felt. Jac is continuing to make strides. She saw the floor well tonight and made some great passes. Alexis helps change the pace of the game when she comes in because of what she brings defensively. It was an all-around team effort tonight.”
For the Bucks, who were without point guard Katie Finnan, Gabi Senior led the way with 11 points, and Ava Longo added seven.
“Katie Finnan was not able to play, and she was coming off of one the best games I’ve seen her play the other night against Pennridge,” Carroll said. “That’s obviously a huge loss for them. Tai Henkels was in some foul trouble, and they had a difficult time getting into any kind of rhythm. I thought Gabi Senior played very well given the circumstances and had a few nice moves to the baskets.
“We’re looking forward to a few practices where we can focus on ourselves a little bit before we head to Tampa next week.”
Souderton (6-1, 5-0 SOL) will travel to Tampa, Fla., to compete in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational. On Wednesday, the Indians will face Luella High School (Ga.) at 3:35 p.m. Central Bucks West (3-4, 2-3) is off until Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Bucks will host Council Rock North in a crossover contest.
Souderton 19-13-13-6 51
Central Bucks West 6-6-6-10 28
Souderton (51) – Erin Bohmueller 3 0-0 7; Mikayla McGillian 1 0-0 2; Casey Harter 13 0-0 29; Grace McDonough 1 0-0 2; Teya McConnaha 4 3-5 11; TOTALS 22 3-5 51.
Central Bucks West (28) – Gabi Senior 5 0-3 11; Tai Henkels 2 0-2 5; Alexis Castro 1 1-3 3; Ava Longo 1 5-6 7; Gabby Reichner 1 0-4 2; TOTALS 10 6-18 28.
3-point goals: Souderton – Casey Harter 3, Erin Bohmueller; CB West – Gabi Senior, Tai Henkels.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 48, HATBORO-HORSHAM 27
Freshman Colleen Besachio scored 17 points and Brighid Brady added 13 to lead the Flying Cardinals to the convincing win.
The Cardinals – sparked by a pair of Brady 3s – led 8-4 after one quarter and then put some distance between themselves and the Hatters with an 18-point second quarter. Kaitlyn Zacharia ignited the Cards with eight points, which included two 3-pointers. The Cardinals took a 26-10 lead into halftime and never looked back.
“We got off to a little bit of a slow start, but Brighid Brady made two threes in the first quarter to give us an early lead,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “Kaitlyn Zacharia came off the bench in the second quarter to help us make a run before halftime.
“Colleen Besachio was active all night and put up another huge double-double with 17 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks – it was an believable game by her. Megan Ngo finished with six points and nine assists. We had good balanced scoring. It was a good team win.”
Allie Hewish’s nine points led the Hatters. Caroline Shegogue added eight points, and Kitty Randa had six.
“We had a really good defensive effort in the first quarter but none of our shots were falling,” HH assistant coach Nicole Miletto said. “We missed a lot of layups in the first half that would have kept us in the game. We were able to handle the pressure but had no offense for the second straight game.
“We did a better job keeping pace in the second half, but we were too far behind. UD was hitting lots of outside shots, and about half of them were 3s. They’re a nice strong aggressive team that plays hard and they showed it tonight. We do get to play them again at our place and hopefully we’ll produce more offense. Abby Waeltz Alli Hewish and Caroline Shegogue were effective on defense getting some steals, but we couldn’t convert layups in transition.”
Upper Dublin (4-2, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Abington on Thursday for a noon contest, and Hatboro-Horsham (3-5, 1-4) will compete in the Boardwalk Classic on Thursday.
Upper Dublin 8-18-9-13 48
Hatboro-Horsham 4-6-8-9 27
Upper Dublin (48) – Brighid Brady 5 0-0 13; Lillian Kleiman 2 0-0 6; Sofia Teles Viana Machado 1 0-0 2; Kaitlyn Zacharia 3 0-0 8; Maisie McGarvey 1 0-0 2; Colleen Besachio 7 1-2 17; TOTALS 19 1-2 48.
Hatboro-Horsham (27) – Caroline Shegogue 3 2-4 8; Abby Waeltz 1 0-0 2; Maggie Smith 1 0-0 2; Kitty Randa 2 2-3 6; Allie Hewish 3 2-3 9; TOTALS 10 6-10 27.
3-point goals: UD – Colleen Besachio 2, Brighid Brady 3, Lillian Kleinman 2, Kaitlyn Zacharia 2; HH – Allie Hewish.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 54, WISSAHICKON 27
Abby Sharpe and Erin Daley.
Both play major roles in last year’s perfect season and run to the PIAA 6A state title. In Thursday’s win, the duo once again showcased their talents, combining for 41 points in three quarters and leading the Colonials to their seventh win of the young season.
In the first quarter, Daley scored eight points and Sharpe had seven as PW opened up a 20-7 lead. By halftime, Sharpe had 16 points and Daley had 15, and the Colonials led 39-14 on their way to the win.
Daley’s 21 points led the Colonials while Sharpe added 20.
For the Trojans, Kylie Friedman’s nine points led the way. She also had one steal. Kaitlyn McGeary added eight points and 10 rebounds while Claira Baldasano had eight points and three rebounds.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-1, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Greenville, Del., to compete in the Diamond State Classic Wednesday and Thursday. Wissahickon (2-5, 0-5) is off until Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Trojans will host William Tennent in a crossover game.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 20-19-12-3 54
Wissahickon 7-7-8-5 27
PW (54) – Angelina Balcer 1 0-0 3; AJ Avery 2 0-2 5; Erin Daley 8 5-7 21; Abby Sharpe 8 2-3 20; Joslyn Perez 0 1-2 1; Quinn Daley 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 21 8-14 54.
Wissahickon (27) – Eva Schools 1 0-0 2; Kaitlyn McGeary 3 1-2 8; Kylie Friedman 3 2-2 9; Claira Baldasano 3 2-2 8; TOTALS 10 5-6 27.
3-point goals: PW – Abby Sharpe 2, Angelina Balcer, AJ Avery; Wissahickon – Kaitlyn McGeary, Kylie Friedman.
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 38, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 36 (OT)
Holly Gohl’s clutch basket with 10 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Golden Bears the lead and ultimately the win in another classic battle between the division rivals.
“Holly made the biggest play of the game to win it for us,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “Whatever play I drew up at the end didn’t work, and Holly bailed me out.
“I wish we could play New Hope 22 times. It’s always competitive and what I love about high school basketball. I wish it wasn’t so stressful, but it was fun.”
New Hope coach Steve Polinsky echoed a similar sentiment.
“This type of game is what makes high school basketball great,” the Lions’ coach said. “It was punch, counterpunch all night. All credit to Matt (Carroll) and Upper Moreland for pulling it out at the end.”
“I am really proud of the way our team battled. Reagan (Chrencik), as always, was a consummate leader, but I am really impressed with how our younger kids fought. This type of game will really benefit us as the season goes on.”
The Golden Bears – after forcing a turnover on a five-second violation – had a chance to win it in regulation but they were denied.
“We ran a play for Holly to get a three, the pass was deflected, and Chrencik was able to recover and made a great play and blocked Holly,” Carroll said.
The Lions led 5-3 after one quarter and then – behind 10 points by freshman Gabby D’Agostino – outscored their visitors 16-11 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 21-14 lead.
“I give New Hope and Steve (Polinsky) a ton of credit,” Carroll said. “They went box-and-one on makes, and it threw us off a little bit in the first half. Defensively, they are a tough cover. D’Agostino is really, really good as a freshman. We lost her in transition a couple times and on switches, and she went off for 10 points in the second.”
The tide turned in the second half, and sparked by six points from Gohl and five each from Mikel Lancit and EmmyFaith Wood, the Golden Bears outscored the Lions 18-8 to go on top 32-29 heading into the final frame. Neither team generated much offense in the fourth quarter, and the two teams were deadlocked 34-34 after regulation.
Gohl scored both of her team’s baskets in OT, including the game-winner.
“This game was exactly what we thought it would be,” Carroll said. “These are two teams who really respect each other but really want to beat each other. We know we are currently the top tier of our division, and the league runs through one of us.”
Gohl’s 12 points led the Golden Bears while Wood and Marie Meyers both had seven points. Allie LaRocco and Mikel Lancit each added six points.
D’Agostino’s 12 points led the Lions. She scored just two points in the second half, and those came from the foul line in the third quarter.
“Mikel was responsible for covering her and was amazing, making life difficult for her in the second half,” Carroll said. “We went into halftime down and we deserved to be losing.
“I wasn’t helpful enough against their box-and-one, and we had some careless turnovers and lapses defensively. New Hope doesn’t miss open shots and they had too many in the first half. (Emily) Wilson and (Izzy) Elizondo are knock-down shooters so we couldn’t help off them a ton. This left EmmyFaith and Mikel on islands, and New Hope got very little dribble penetration. Reagan is awesome and EmmyFaith played her really tough.
“I take EmmyFaith’s and Mikel’s defense for granted because that was the difference tonight. We really clamped down defensively in the second half and came out shooting the ball much better. Allie and Alyssa were unreal defensively. We usually go seven players deep, but we really couldn’t take out our starters because of how they were defending. We just had to make plays on offense, and we made enough. Mikel made some huge shots early in the second half which took them out of their box-and-one.”
Also for New Hope, Chrencik had 11 points, Elizondo had seven, and Wilson had six.
Upper Moreland (8-0, 5-0 SOL) is off until Tuesday, Jan. 3, when the Golden Bears will host Abington in a crossover game. New Hope-Solebury (5-3, 4-1) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
Upper Moreland 3-11-18-2-4 38
New Hope-Solebury 5-16-8-5-2 36
Upper Moreland (38) – Mikel Lancit 2 1-2 6; EmmyFaith Wood 3 0-0 7; Holly Gohl 5 0-0 12; Marie Meyers 3 0-0 7; Allie LaRocco 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 15 1-2 38.
New Hope-Solebury (36) – Gabby D’Agostino 4 2-2 12; Izzy Elizondo 2 3-4 7; Emily Wilson 3 0-0 6; Reagan Chrencik 4 2-2 11; TOTALS 13 7-8 36.
3-point goals: UM – Holly Gohl 2, Allie LaRocco 2, Mikel Lancit, EmmyFaith Wood, Marie Meyers; NHS – Gabby D’Agostino 2, Reagan Chrencik.
CHELTENHAM 51, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 44
Maya Simmons continued her productive rookie season, scoring a game-high 23 points, which included three 3-pointers. She scored eight points in the first quarter, helping to propel the Lady Panthers to a 21-10 lead. The Spartans made things interesting, rallying to knot the score by halftime.
The Spartans were led by the six-point efforts of Ashley Jenkins and Ana Culler in the half while Simmons’ eight points led the Lady Panthers. Cassie Bugg added seven points and Jiah Price had six.
Simmons scored seven points in the third quarter and Price added five as the Lady Panthers outscored the Spartans 16-14 and then put the game away with a 12-7 fourth quarter.
“None of our games have been easy and this was no different,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “We came out strong but eased up a bit in the second quarter to let them back in the game. We battled in the second half and got a much-needed win.”
In addition to Simmons, Price added 11 points while Bugg and Paige Powell both contributed eight points.
For the Spartans, Jenkins led the way with 13 points. Culler added nine, and Daniels finished with eight.
Cheltenham (4-4, 2-3 SOL) will compete in the Boardwalk Classic while Springfield Township (2-5, 0-5) will travel to South Hunterdon for the Over the River Classic.
Cheltenham 21-2-16-12 51
Springfield Twp 10-13-14-7 44
Cheltenham (51) – Jiah Price 5 0-0 11; Paige Powell 3 1-5 8; Maya Simmons 6 7-10 22; Cassie Bugg 2 4-8 8; Ije Ojukwu 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 12-23 51.
Springfield Twp (44) – Alana Decker 2 0-2 4; Samiyah Thompson 2 0-0 4; Jayla Daniels 4 0-3 8; Grace Daily 1 0-0 2; Delaney Lake 2 0-0 4; Ashley Jenkins 5 3-4 13; Ava Culler 4 1-5 9; TOTALS 20 4-14 44.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Maya Simmons 3, Jiah Price, Paige Powell.
WILLIAM TENNENT 47, LOWER MORELAND 27
The visiting Panthers raced out of the gate to a 16-4 lead after one quarter and never looked back on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win.
“It was a great team win to finish out the week 2-1,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We continue to get big contributions from everyone, which has been a huge part of our success this season.”
Morgan Volz jumpstarted the Panthers with eight first-quarter points. By halftime, the Panthers led 25-10. The Lions never threatened.
“We started the game strong and we’re aggressive offensively,” Whitney said. “Defensively, we did a great job of forcing some turnovers and were able to convert them into some easy baskets. Second quarter Lower Moreland did a nice job of mixing up their defenses and keeping us off balance. We got a little sloppy and careless with the ball, but luckily, our defense held up. The second half I thought we settled down and played our game.”
Volz scored 14 points to lead a balanced Tennent attack. Halie Staub added nine points while Avery Kocur had eight.
“As a team we have been making some great strides the last two weeks,” Whitney said. “The girls are buying in and we are starting to see the results. It’s a great group of girls and they are having a lot of fun this season. We’re going to enjoy the next few days off and then it’s right back to work on Monday.”
For the Lions, Brianna McFerran and Liz Neeld both scored nine points.
“We had ugly sweater day at school, and unfortunately, it carried over to the basketball court,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “In the first half we had 10 total points and 13 turnovers, nine of them unforced. When you combine that with shooting 2-for-17 from the floor, you get a 20-point loss that was not as close as the score would indicate.
As a coach, you realize that every once in a while you have one of those games. Sometimes you see it coming – tonight was not one of them. Yesterday we had a productive practice, pre-game I thought we were dialed in, then the game started. The frustrating part was that they did nothing we did not anticipate or practice, we just did not execute. To Tennent’s credit, they came out and shot really well. They just beat us tonight, it’s that simple.”
William Tennent (5-3, 3-2 SOL) will compete in the Upper Merion Holiday Tournament. Lower Moreland (3-5, 1-4) will travel to Quakertown on Tuesday, Jan. 3.
William Tennent 16-9-11-11 47
Lower Moreland 4-6-6-11 27
William Tennent (47) – Katherine Balibar 1 0-0 2; Ella Mednick 1 00 3; Avery Kocur 4 0-1 8; Halie Staub 4 1-2 9; Alyssa Lewicki 1 2-7 4; Haley Dickson 2 0-0 5; Jess Whisler 1 0-2 2; Morgan Volz 6 1-1 14; TOTALS 20 4-13 47.
Lower Moreland (27) – Brianna McFerran 4 0-0 9; Maddy Rossiter 1 0-0 2; Amelia Brown 1 3-4 5; Liz Neeld 2 5-9 9; Nikki Sahl 0 2-4 2; Sofia Fey 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 8 10-19 27.
3-point goals: WT – Ella Mednick, Haley Dickson, Morgan Volz; LM – Brianna McFerran.
Non-league
ABINGTON 67, WILLIAM PENN CHARTER 63
The Ghosts played their fifth game in six days Thursday but showed no signs of fatigue, defeating a high-powered Penn Charter squad on its home court. Cire Worley led the charge, scoring 25 points in another brilliant outing. Jordyn Reynolds added 18 points.
“It was a fantastic win,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said. “That’s an extremely talented team with four Division 1 players, and for us to go in there and get that win was great – a big atmosphere, a big game, and our kids stepped up.
“We played really good defense, played good help defense. We didn’t really pressure them like we normally would because first of all – they’re very comfortable playing the style that we play, so we knew that we didn’t have to force the pace. They normally play with a shot clock, so that was never an issue. We just played more of a straight up defense. It was just a great team effort. Everybody did their job.”
Penn Charter took an 8-0 lead out of the gate on eight straight points from Bella Toomey, but the Ghosts responded, outscoring the Quakers 17-8 the rest of the frame to go on top 17-16 after one quarter. Worley’s seven points led the Ghosts.
Worley added 13 points in the second quarter as the Ghosts exchanged baskets with the Quakers, and the two teams went into halftime deadlocked 35-35.
In the third quarter, the Ghosts connected on four 3-pointers and outscored the Quakers 20-10 to open up a 55-45 lead heading into the final quarter when the Quakers came storming back, benefitting from some turnovers forced by their pressure defense. The Ghosts, however, would not be denied.
“These games we scheduled were for these moments, so that we can be in the big moment, and win or lose, we go through it and we get the experience,” Marsh said.
Maya Johnson (3-for-4) and Reynolds (3-for-3) buried some clutch free throws down the stretch, and the Ghosts held on for the impressive win.
“Maya Johnson did a phenomenal job running the point,” Marsh said. “I knew Cire was locked in – she’s best friends with their kid who’s going to St. Joe’s, Aleah (Snead), so she was ready to go and got the team ready to go.
“She picked up two fouls at the end of the game and she fouled out, so we had to survive the last two minutes without Cire. It was another character-building moment. The refs actually did a fantastic job – they let us play, which you don’t see all the time in the girls’ game.”
In addition to Worley and Reynolds, Johnson added nine points, Abril Bowser had eight and Piper McGinley finished with seven.
Ryan Carter’s 21 points led Penn Charter. She is a familiar face to the Ghosts.
“She’s an Abington kid,” Marsh said. “She’s a top Division 1 prospect – I think she’s a top five player in her position in her grade in the country.
“They have a kid going to St. Joe’s, they have a kid going to Fairleigh Dickinson. They’re loaded, but we came to play.”
Abington (8-1, 4-0 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Thursday at noon.
Abington 17-18-20-12 67
Penn Charter 16-19-10-18 63
Abington (67) – Cire Worley 9 4-4 25; Maya Johnson 2 5-6 9; Abril Bowser 3 0-0 8; Piper McGinley 3 0-0 7; Jordyn Reynolds 6 3-3 18; TOTALS 23 12-13 67.
Penn Charter (63) – Kaylin Bethea 4 1-5 11; Ryan Carter 9 0-2 21; Gracia Shoup 1 0-0 2; Aleah Snead 3 3-6 9; Bella Toomey 10 0-0 20; TOTALS 27 4-13 63.
3-point goals: Abington – Cire Worley 3, Jordyn Reynolds 3, Abril Bowser 2, Piper McGinley; Penn Charter – Ryan Carter 3, Kaylin Bethea 2.
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