Check out the results for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action on Saturday.
UPPER DUBLIN 49, ABINGTON 45
Julie Cross doesn’t have problems connecting on foul shots during her team’s warm-ups. The games, according to the junior center, are sometimes another story entirely.
“I make them during warm-ups, but when I get into the game, I always start shaking,” Cross said.
Cross was one cool customer at the foul line in the fourth quarter with the outcome of Saturday’s Cardinal Classic title game still very much in doubt. Twice she stepped to the line in the final 98 seconds, and twice she buried both shots.
“I definitely was nervous,” she said. “Making those was really important, especially seeing my coach smile on the sidelines after they went in.”
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten had every reason to smile. When Cross buried her second set of two, the Flying Cardinals led 46-42 with 30 seconds left.
“I consider her one of the leaders on the team,” Funsten said. “It doesn’t surprise me that when it’s a difficult situation, she rises above.
“She might not be the best foul shooter in the league, but she’s a leader, and that’s what leaders do. When tough situations come up, you either hide in the corner, or you stand up and do something about it. That’s her.”
The Cardinals needed every one of those points to stay on top as Deja Rawls answered with a three-point play at the other end to make it a 46-45 game.
Kayla McAneney, who was fouled with nine seconds remaining, sank the first of two foul shots, and when Cross tracked down the long rebound of the second, a Flying Cardinal win was all but assured.
“The ball just popped out – I was lucky to get that,” said Cross, who also had seven rebounds. “It was huge because it could have changed the game.”
If there were any doubts about the outcome, they were erased when McAneney sank a pair from the foul line.
“We knew going in we were going to have a tough game,” Cross said. “This gets us ready for big games in the future. Getting this win is definitely a big confidence booster for us.”
While Cross came up big down the stretch, she wasn’t the only hero for Upper Dublin. McAnneney, who led the Cardinals with 18 points, connected on 5-of-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, and it was the senior sharpshooter hitting nothing but net on a three-pointer from the top of the circle to give the Cardinals a 39-33 lead after the Ghosts – thanks to a three-point play by Michael Harris – made it a three-point game.
“A good word to use for Kayla is ice because she’s not afraid in any situation,” Funsten said. “As a four-year varsity player, she’s been the one who has needed to step up from last year. She’s stepped up and is averaging 16 a game, so for her to hit that shot doesn’t surprise me, but it was huge. We needed something like that.”
Senior Regan Gallagher, who earned tournament MVP honors, finished the game with nine points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.
“Regan is one of the steadiest players I have ever coached,” Funsten said. “You can rely on her for rebounding, finishing or a nice defensive play. She fills the stat sheet up, and her leadership by example is really impressive.”
The Ghosts, who trailed 15-4 at the end of one quarter and still trailed 31-20 entering the fourth quarter, staged a furious fourth quarter rally. Rawls had just two points through three quarters but exploded for 12 points – including two three’s - in the fourth quarter. Michael Harris also had a big fourth quarter, adding eight points.
“Obviously, we didn’t execute very well in the first quarter defensively or offensively,” coach Dan Marsh said. “After that, I thought we were okay.
“We came in and we had to stop 21 (Gallagher). Their whole offense runs through her, and after the first quarter, we played pretty well against her.
“We needed to change the pace (in the fourth quarter), we needed to get up and down the floor to open it up a little bit. We needed to get some offense from our defense. We went to (the trapping pressure) a little too late, but it’s hard to play like that for 32 minutes.”
While the Ghosts fell to 4-4, the Flying Cardinals upped their record to 7-0, and Marsh tipped his hat to Funsten and his players.
“They’re unbelievable out of timeouts,” he said. “He might be the best coach I’ve coached against in 15 years.
“Every time they needed a big bucket, he called a timeout, and they got a great look, and they always buried it. I have seen this team play four times this year, and they never shoot like they do against us. They execute so well, and we knew that coming in. We thought about playing zone, but we’re more athletic and we should be able to defend their girls. I think we did for three quarters, but the first quarter killed us. I told my girls – this team executes better than anybody we’ll play against.”
Abington 4 10 6 25-45
Upper Dublin 15 5 11 18-49
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 44, BALWIN 25
Alynna Williams scored a game-high 22 points to lead PW to the title in their own Lady Colonials Holiday Classic. She was named tournament MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Asia Baker, who added 11 points.
“It was a tough win,” coach Daniel Dougherty said. “Baldwin was a very big team, definitely the tallest team we played this year, and our team doesn’t have very much height.”
The Colonials led 8-7 at the end of one quarter and then outscored Baldwin 18-10 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 26-17 lead. Williams led a three-point barrage by PW, connecting on three treys in the first half. All told, PW had five three-pointers in the first half and six for the game.
“They came out in a zone defense and just used their height,” Dougherty said. “Alynna came out on fire tonight and was able to shoot over top of their zone.
“Chrissie Mesunas – the one three she had in the first half really got them to extend their zone, and once they extended their zone, we were able to penetrate in the second quarter and the second half.”
The Colonials close out the calendar year with a perfect 7-0 record.
“It’s a great start for us,” Dougherty said. “The girls put in a lot of work in the offseason.”
The addition of transfer Asia Baker also has been a big plus.
“She brings this level of intensity to practice and just that desire and enjoyment of playing basketball,” Dougherty said. “It’s really great to see a kid that’s so talented in basketball so motivated every day. Alynna has really fed off that as well.
“Rachel Konowal being a Division One field hockey player and her attitude of going hard every day has added a lot of enthusiasm every day at practice.”
The team’s fast start, according to Dougherty, has been a team effort.
“Most of our games have been pretty close,” he said. “The tough thing is not everyone is making it into the box score.
“We carry 12 kids on the varsity, and they’ve worked so hard. We all hung out today for a while just enjoying being 7-0. It’s a big accomplishment for us. Our schedule is definitely going to get a lot tougher, but we’re enjoying getting off to a good start.”
Baldwin 7 10 6 2-25
Plymouth Whitemarsh 8 18 9 9-44
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 35, HAVERFORD 23
Courtney Webster contributed 17 points and nine rebounds in a standout effort to lead the Patriots to a championship in the Unionville Tournament Saturday. For her performance, Webster earned tournament MVP honors.
“Courtney had a great tournament,” coach Liz Potash said. “Tonight was really a complete game for her.
“She really did play well. She dominated the first half, and she was solid. She had a couple of blocked shots, and it was just a good all-around effort tonight. That’s what we need out of her.”
Webster’s numbers aside, Potash was most pleased to see her senior center draw a pair of charges in the tournament.
“We’ve been preaching to the kids that we want them to play hard and we want them to play tough,” the Patriots’ first-year coach said. “When we started doing some charge drills at practice, they all kind of wide-eyed us because they had never done that before.
“We took three charges this weekend. Courtney had one yesterday and one today, and we were excited about that, getting into that style of play.”
Seniors Emily Sebesky and Karoline White also earned spots on the all-tournament team.
“Emily had a big third quarter, and the third quarter is when we pulled away tonight,” said Potash. “She hit some shots that really helped us, and she had four assists.
“Karoline had five assists was just solid with her assists and steals.”
Kate Miller had four steals on a night that saw the Patriots collect 11 steals. They also had five blocked shots and 11 assists in a win that was a team effort.
“We really cut down on our turnovers tonight, and we really took care of the ball a lot better than what we’ve been,” Potash said. “They really just played well together as a team.
“It was nice to get a couple of wins this weekend because our schedule was not easy to start off the year.”
With the win, the Patriots evened their record at 3-3. Their three losses came at the hands of teams that boast a combined 22-3 record in Garnet Valley, North Penn and Central Bucks West.
“We were playing really good competition, and we were right there with them,” Potash said. “We have a lot of games in a short amount of time, so it was nice to get a couple of wins under our belt.”
Central Bucks East 8 10 10 7-35
Haverford 6 6 0 11-23
CHELTENHAM 62, CHESTER 55
Ashley Jones has officially served notice that she is a force to be reckoned with this season – and the next three. The freshman standout scored 30 points, including 12 in a fourth quarter that saw the Lady Panthers rally from a 42-35 deficit to earn the win and the championship trophy at the Ridley Christmas Tournament. Jones, who also had four steals, is averaging over 20 points a game through seven games.
Teammate Amarri Truehart added 14 points while Gabrielle Wright had seven points and nine rebounds for the Lady Panthers, who upped their record to 4-3.
SPRINGFIELD 44, UPPER MORELAND 25
The Spartans won the championship of the Robert Hopf Holiday Tournament at Jenkintown. Molly Dugan led a balanced attack with 11 points while Veronica Asman added 10. Bailey Krewson had six assists, and Maura Ryan led the Spartans on the defensive boards with eight.
While the Golden Bears, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped, fell to 3-5, the Spartans improved to 2-7 on the season.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 47, ST HUBERT’S 37
The Indians staged a heroic comeback to earn the win in their opening round game of the Boardwalk Classic in Wildwood, N.J., on Saturday afternoon.
The Indians found themselves staring at a 16-5 deficit at the end of one quarter, and despite rallying to make it a 23-20 game at halftime, they still trailed by nine midway through the third quarter.
“They were very physical and very intense,” coach Lou Palkovics said of St. Hubert’s. “My girls were shell shocked, and then their press gave us problems.
“We finally made adjustments. Our girls weren’t looking at all their options, but then they finally did, and they took their press off. They have three girls between 5-10 and 6-0 who are big girls. It just their physicalness.”
Palkovics had been forewarned by scouting reports that St. Hubert’s (3-3) had a penchant for moving screens, and in the second half, the fouls began piling up for Hubert’s.
The Indians took a 33-32 lead into the final quarter when they outscored Hubert’s 14-5. Included in the Indians’ second half comeback was a 13-0 run.
“We started matching their physical play, and we kind of wore them down because they had no subs,” Palkovics said. “We stayed in a one-three-one trap in the second half, and it gave them a lot of trouble.”
The Indians, who were without Michaela Finneyfrock and were battling foul woes of their own, received a lift from a trio of freshmen. Megan Haggerty, Emily Mackin and Hannah Weiler all give the Indians valuable minutes off the bench. Mackin nailed a pair of clutch three-pointers to help spark the Indians’ comeback.
“They played amazing off the bench in the second half,” Palkovics said.
Jessica Gerber led the Indians with 16 points while Madison Attanasio added 12 points.
The Indians (3-3) will face Lower Cape May in the John Carlson Memorial Bracket championship game on Sunday at 2:15 p.m.
Council Rock North 5 15 13 14-47
St. Hubert’s 16 7 9 5-37
WILLIAM TENNENT 59, QUAKERTOWN 34
Three players finished the game in double figures for Tennent. Angie Pomponio led the way with 19 points while Nikki Alden added 18 and freshman Kyla Gibson had 11 points.
Gibson jumpstarted Tennent with seven points in the first quarter, including a trey. Alden added six and Pomponio four as Tennent opened up a 17-10 lead. They took a 29-19 lead into halftime and sealed Quakertown’s fate with a 20-6 third quarter burst.
Sophomore Olivia Morano led Quakertown with nine points while Ashlee Ruzicka added eight.
While Quakertown fell to 1-5, Tennent upped its record to 6-3.
William Tennent 17 12 20 10-59
Quakertown 10 9 6 9-34
PENNRIDGE 63, DANIEL BOONE 43
Shelby Schoonover scored 14 points, which included a pair of three-pointers, to lead the Lady Rams, and teammate Lydia Konstanzer added 10 points. Jenna Dominic had eight points, and Ashley George had six as the Rams received scoring from 12 different players in Saturday’s win in the consolation round of the Boyertown Bear Classic. Schoonover also led the Lady Rams under the boards with eight rebounds while Konstanzer added seven. Devan Rimmer chipped in five points and also had three steals. The Lady Rams evened their overall record at 4-4.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 62, STRATH HAVEN 39
The Titans exploded for 40 first-half points on their way to Saturday’s rout of Strath Haven. The Titans, who took a 40-21 lead into the intermission, were led by the 17-point effort of Taylor Dunn. Jordan Vitelli added nine points while Emma Gardy and Smith both added seven points. South upped its record to 6-2.
Central Bucks South 18 22 12 10-62
Strath Haven 14 7 4 14-39
HARRY S TRUMAN 62, BRISTOL 31
The Tigers found themselves staring at a 12-10 deficit at the end of one quarter but then outscored the Warriors 25-9 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 35-21 lead. They never looked back, outscoring Bristol 27-10 in the second half.
“We were playing man, and they were beating us down the court and getting quick scores,” coach Collette Munford said. “I switched to a two-three, and we started getting steals and scoring off of those steals.”
Shappelle Brewton led all scorers with 16 points while Khristaijah Jackson added 15. Jasmyn Wilson added eight points, Tiannna Coleman, seven points and Taylor Gasperi and Jayda Campbell had six points each.
“They came out a little sluggish in the first quarter, but after that, they did well,” Munford said. “It was a good game. We got a ‘W.’”
The Tigers upped their overall record to 3-5.
Harry S Truman 10 25 10 17-62
Bristol12 9 4 6-31
WILSON (VA.) 73, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 71 (OT)
For the third time in as many days, the Bucks found themselves facing a formidable opponent, and they gave the defending Virginia 5A state champions all they could handle before falling in OT.
“It was awesome,” coach Terry Rakowsky said. “It was back and forth the whole game.
“We were up by six early in the fourth quarter, they hit a couple of three’s to go back on top. We came back. It was a great game.”
Nicole Munger led the Bucks with 27 points. The junior guard was joined on the all-tournament team by junior Corrinne Godshall, who was playing on a sore ankle today and was questionable until game time.
“She gutted it out and played a great game against a kid that’s 6-5,” Rakowsky said. All three teams West faced came into their games against the Bucks without a loss. Last year, the Bucks – who were without Munger – lost to Wilson 67-44.
“Our kids played great,” Rakowsky said. “Some of the stuff I was worried about up north, we worked on down there.
“We handled our foul trouble pretty well. We’re playing against really big kids, so there are some things that are just going to happen.
“Taylor (Moylan) did a good job. We’re trying to get a little more out of some of our kids, and they really stepped up down there.”
West is 6-2 heading into January.
HEMPFIELD 54, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 43
The Golden Hawks took a 21-18 lead into halftime but found themselves staring at a 34-31 deficit heading into the final quarter when they were outscored 20-12.
Taylor Dillon led the Hawks with 14 points. Allison Taub (nine points) and Emily DeAngelis (eight points) also made contributions. The Golden Hawks fell to 2-5.
Council Rock South 8 13 10 12-43
Hempfield 7 11 16 20-54
NORTHAMPTON 73, PENNSBURY 57
Sajanna Bethea had 18 points, and teammate Maggie Kane added 10. Sarah Alturuse had seven points while Farryl Groder and Kaitlin Kelly both had six, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with a red hot Northampton squad. Pennsbury is 4-3 overall.
Northampton 20 21 11 21-73
Pennsbury 10 19 12 16-57
WEST CHESTER EAST 66, BENSALEM 42
Lyric Lewis scored 19 points, and Bridget Watson added 14 as the Owls battled but came up short in Saturday’s consolation game at the Plymouth Whitemarsh Holiday Tournament.
“We played better today, but injuries and foul trouble hurt us,” coach Don Bogan said. “Our center, Kelsey Long, was hurt in the first two minutes of last night’s game and missed today’s game, but the girls played hard and showed promise for the rest of the season.”
The Owls fell to 0-7.
MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH 53, NORRISTOWN 25
The Magic defeated the Eagles in the championship game of the George W. Snear Holiday Basketball Tournament.
FREEDOM 44, HATBORO-HORSHAM 28
Sophomore Cassidy Quattro earned a spot on the all-tournament squad at the Salisbury Holiday Tournament. The Hatters saw their record drop to 0-7.
- Log in to post comments
