Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Saturday.
Council Rock North Holiday Tournament
Championship Game
SOUDERTON 48, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 40
The Indians once again displayed a resiliency that has become their trademark.
One day after rallying from a five-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat New Foundations Charter, the Indians found themselves on the short end of an 11-5 score at the end of one quarter. Unfazed by their early offensive struggles, they put 20 points on the board in the second quarter and trailed by just one at halftime, 26-25.
In the second half, they limited the host Indians to just 14 points with three of those coming on a 3 at the final buzzer as Souderton earned a win to capture the tournament crown.
Key stretch: The Indians didn’t take the lead with a 20-point second quarter, but it was the turning points for the team. Emily Dick was the catalyst in the quarter, scoring 10 of her team’s points.
Key players: Emily Dick – named the tournament’s outstanding player – scored a game-high 20 points. Julia Purvy, who also earned a spot on the all-tournament team, finished in double figures with 10 – seven in the fourth quarter
For Rock North, Skyler Wright led the way with 14 points – including four 3-pointers – and earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
Souderton coach Lynn Carroll: “Every player that saw action contributed to the win. Madison (Bealer), Liz (Word) and Julia (Purvy) each helped us get big stops or forced turnovers. Liz gives us such a boost off the bench. Her energy is contagious. The way Madison plays defensively makes it hard to take her off the floor. Liv (Herron) got fouled on a 3 in the second quarter and made all three foul shots. Alaina (Picard) had another efficient game on offense going 2-for-3 from the field. She takes such smart shots every night. We continue to play short-handed and are getting really good minutes from Erin (McGee).
“As a team we went 15-for-19 from the line including 7-for-8 in the fourth quarter. Madison and Julia both went 2-for-2 down the stretch. We were able to turn them over a few times in the fourth quarter which gave us some momentum to finish the game.
“Julia had an impressive stat line with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists. You really can’t overstate how important she is to our team.”
–Most Outstanding Player: “Emily (Dick) was great today on the offensive end. She is very good at rising above defenders to take a short jumper in the paint, but she has been saying to me that she thinks she’s been settling for that shot too much and has wanted to get more stuff at the rim and she did that today. She had some really great moves around the basket, and it makes her so much more difficult to guard. She was 9-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the line and led the team in rebounds with seven.”
–Giving credit: “Skylar Wright had a great game for North. She had 4 3s, one in each quarter and really stepped up for them. Alexa Bondra had some nice moves and finished really well around the basket.”
Souderton senior Emily Dick on the tournament win: “To me, winning just shows all of the hard work and accomplishments of a team. Winning is a lot of fun especially when you do it as a team. And right now, we are winning as a team. No matter who the person is, they all have a role of helping us win the game whether they play the whole game or get no minutes at all.
“I enjoy the holiday tournament because we get a chance at a championship, but first, as a team, we have to work hard to get there. Tournaments really show how hard work pays off.”
Council Rock North coach Jack Kelly: “Congratulations to Souderton and Coach Carroll on winning our holiday tournament championship. They played outstanding today, and Emily Dick was a well-deserving most outstanding player – she made a huge impact at both ends.
“On behalf of our athletic department, we would like to thank New Foundations, Hatboro-Horsham, and Souderton for participating in our tournament – all of the games were well-played and competitive.”
Up next: Souderton (8-3, 1-2 SOL) will host North Penn on Friday, Jan. 3, 5:30 pm, and Council Rock North (2-8, 0-3) will be at Pennsbury next Friday.
Souderton 5-25-10-13 48
Council Rock North 11-15-8-6 40
Souderton (48) – Julia Purvy 2 6-8 10; Olivia Herron 2 3-3 7; Madison Bealer 1 2-4 4; Alaina Picard 2 0-0 5; Emily Dick 9 4-4 22; TOTALS 16 15-19 48.
Council Rock North (40) – Skyler Wright 5 0-0 14; Julia Koval 2 0-0 6; Amara Arroyo 0 2-2 2; Addie Martin 1 0-0 3; Cat McBride 2 0-0 4; Brynn Rodgers 0 0-2 0; Alexa Bondra 4 0-2 8; Megan Reichenbach 0 3-4 3; TOTALS 14 5-10 40.
3-point goals: S – Alaina Picard; CRN – Skyler Wright 4, Julia Koval 2, Addie Martin.
Third place
HATBORO-HORSHAM 49, NEW FOUNDATIONS CHARTER 40
Angelica Visceglia and Maddy Patel combined for 40 points, leading the Hatters to the win in Saturday’s third place game.
Both did most of their damage in a big second half that saw the Hatters turn a 19-18 deficit into the nine-point win.
Visceglia and Patel were both coming off 15-point efforts in the Hatters’ loss to Council Rock North Friday. Patel was named to the all-tournament team.
Key stretch: The Hatters still trailed by one heading into the final quarter when they erupted for 20 points. Patel accounted for 10 of those while Visceglia had eight.
“That’s probably the most we’ve scored in a quarter all year,” Hatters’ coach Eric Glemser said.
Key players: Angelica Visceglia (21 points) & Maddy Patel (19 points). The duo combined for 13 first-half points with Visceglia leading the way with nine. Patel had four first-half points and 15 after halftime. Visceglia’s 21 points included three 3-pointers.
Hatboro-Horsham coach Eric Glemser: “This was the first time this year that we were not panicky in everything we did. It was the first time that we slowed down, worked the ball, and we got a lot of good looks. Ang is my point guard, but Maddy helps bring the ball up as well. Ang played well – passed the ball, ran the floor. She’s been injured all year.
“They really didn’t press us that much. They played mostly in a zone. They did switch to man-to-man in the second half, and we handled it.
“We finally started relaxing, hitting open shots. Even when the other team hit a couple of baskets, we didn’t panic. We played relaxed for the first time all year. Even if we had lost today, we played a good game.”
“The big difference in the game was we were rebounding. They were bigger and stronger than us. We played a zone mostly. I played Gabby Fisher and Madison Duggan. They must have played three-and-a-half quarters, and they didn’t score a point. They were just rebounding.
“Olivia Grant, my 6-1 freshman, had seven points. We’ve been working on low post moves, and she had a couple of nice moves. Ang and Maddy were hitting their shots like they’re capable of. If we can get scoring like that from those two, we will be in games.
“We’ve been struggling, and we needed a win.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham (2-6, 0-2 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin next Friday.
Hatboro-Horsham 7-11-11-20 49
New Foundations 12-7-11-10 40
Hatboro-Horsham (49) – Angelica Visceglia 7 4-5 21; Maddy Patel 8 2-2 19; Cora Saxer 1 0-0 2; Olivia Grant 3 1-2 7; TOTALS 19 6-9 49.
New Foundations (40) – Gaziyah Fabian 1 4-8 6; Jade Drummond 1 0-2 2; Kaniyah Moody 2 1-2 6; Ava Abner 7 3-6 17; Tiana Thompson 2 3-5 9; TOTALS 13 11-23 40.
3-point goals: HH Anglica Visceglia 3, Maddy Patel ; NFC – Tiana Thompson 2, Kaniyah Moody.
Upper Merion Holiday Tournament
WILLIAM TENNENT 44, UPPER MERION 30
The Panthers rebounded from a slow start to control play in Saturday’s title contest, rallying from an 8-3 deficit after one quarter to outscore their hosts 31-9 over the middle two frames on their way to the no-doubt-about-it win.
Key stretch: The second and third quarters belonged to the Panthers. Avery Kocur and Halie Staub were the offensive catalysts, both scoring nine points in that span.
Key players: Halie Staub (12 points), Avery Kocur (11 points), Meg Volz (9 points) & Aubrey Lynch (7 points) led a balanced Panther attack.
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney on the game: “We struggled early offensively to find our rhythm. For whatever reason we seemed to play a bit hesitantly and forced a few shots. I was proud of how resilient our girls were the second quarter.
“In the past, we would have easily hung our heads, but for such a young group they never seem to get fazed and continued to battle. We were down 13-9 with a few minutes left to go in the second quarter and closed out the half on a 7-0 run to take a 16-13 lead. I feel like that momentum shift was a huge reason for the turnaround. We carried that momentum into the second half and were able to open up the game more with our press. We finally started to hit shots and our pressure created a lot of opportunities for easy baskets. We had great balance today. It was nice to defend our title and get contributions for everyone.”
–Props: “Avery (Kocur) and Halie Staub have really stepped up as leaders and put the team on their backs when we needed it this season and today was another example of that.
“Meg Volz gets better with each game and continues to show a lot of toughness.”
William Tennent junior Avery Kocur on winning the tournament: “I think it means a lot to win games, especially a holiday tournament. The holidays are mainly about spending time with your family, but it’s also a time to get better while we don’t have school. Every win makes us better as a team. We are a close team, and all get along well which definitely helps us. When someone isn’t making shots, everyone says to keep shooting. We weren’t doing that good in the first half today, and before our coaches came in, we discussed on what we needed to do better. Our team is young, and each game they get more and more comfortable playing with us. It just means a lot to win this tournament and hopefully we continue to go up from here.”
Up next: William Tennent (6-3, 2-1 SOL) will host Lower Moreland next Friday.
William Tennent 3-13-18-10 44
Upper Merion 8-5-4-13 30
William Tennent (44) – Aubrey Lynch 3 1-2 7; Olivia Urban 1 0-0 3; Avery Kocur 4 2-3 11; Carissa Malpezzi 1 0-0 2; Halie Staub 5 1-3 12; Megan Volz 4 1-2 9; TOTALS 18 5-10 44.
Upper Merion (30) – Emily Nguyen 1 2-4 4; Devon Maiden 6 7-8 21; Kennedy Coles 2 0-0 5; Sheridan Zeiss 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 9 9-14 30.
3-point goals: WT – Olivia Urban, Avery Kocur, Halie Staub; UM – Devon Maiden 2, Kennedy Coles.
West Windsor Plainsboro Classic
PENNSBURY 41, SOMERVILLE (N.J.) 38
It was a game the Falcons had every reason to lose. Instead, they found a way to come up with an improbable win. A post on the team’s X account might have said it best: “The (orange and black) never give in and will play for the tournament championship on Monday afternoon.”
The Falcons’ will to win was never more apparent than in Saturday’s remarkable comeback after trailing 11-0 at the end of one quarter and 27-11 at halftime.
Against all odds, they somehow, some way found a way to earn the win.
Key stretch: The entire second half that saw the Falcons’ defense limit Somerville to just 11 points while they put 30 points on the scoreboard.
Key players: This win belonged to everyone wearing a Falcon uniform, but it’s impossible to ignore the second-half performance of Ava Jordan, who scored all 14 of her points after the intermission. Included in those 14 points was a 3-pointer as well as a near-perfect 7-for-8 effort at the foul line. Jordan finished with 14 points, eight deflections and two steals.
Also not to be ignored was the nine-point effort Emily Panaro, who saw action at every position on the court. Sammie Haws added five points – which included a huge 3 in the fourth quarter – three assists and three steals.
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla: “Before the game, I told our staff that I felt like we were going to fall behind today, and I truly felt that we were due for a team to open up a game and hit a flurry of shots in the fashion that we did yesterday. It was an actual conversation that we had, and we brought it up to our team at the half.
“Somerville won 24 games last year, they return everyone with a senior laden team, and they are tough. They presented issues for us with some looks that our fledglings had not seen before. They shot the ball really well, and we were down 13-0 at the end of the first quarter and then 27-11 at the half. Obviously, there was no panic at halftime. We realize with the construction and make up of our team that we are going to have quarters and halves that look not tremendous, but as we continue to gather learning experiences, we will just stay positive and try to battle one possession at a time.
–The second half: “We started that in the third quarter behind the relentless defense of Ava Jordan,and she also made really big plays for us in the half court and at the foul line down the stretch. Sammie Haws got herself into a little funk where she wasn’t looking at the basket, and I had a quick discussion with her in regard to that, and on the next possession, she called for the ball and she looked at the basket and she did what she can do and knocked down a massive 3 for us that kick started fourth quarter run. Maggie Burns made two big baskets for us in the fourth quarter. One of them was a really tough drive to cut the game to one point and another was a jump shot that gave us a five-point lead which was our largest lead of the game.
“Emily Panaro played every position from point guard to center and did it with her usual poise. This was a really good win for our program and gave us the type of game that we really needed to play.
“We are really looking forward to a chance that could be for a championship on Monday as we will play an undefeated Delaware Valley team that is very athletic.”
Up next; Pennsbury (7-3, 3-0 SOL) will face Delaware Valley in Monday’s championship game.
Pensbury 0-11-12-18 41
Somerville (N.J.) 13-14-4-7 38
Pennsbury (41) – Emily Panero 4 1-2 9; Maggie Burns 5 1-3 11; Sammie Haws 2 0-0 5; Alyssa Thomas 0 2-4 2; Ava Jordan 3 7-8 14; TOTALS 14 11-16 41.
Somerville (38) – Charlotte Taylor 2 2-2 6; Amaya Hiller 8 2-2 18; Kaylee Lauber 2 0-0 5 Lily Taylor 1 0-0 3; Riley DeSorno 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 15 4-4 38.
3-point goals: Somerville – Amaya Heller 2, Kaylee Lauber, Lily Taylor: Pennsbury – Sammie Haws, Ava Jordan.
Diamond State Classic
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 65, APPOQUINIMINK 32
The Colonials won their eighth game in as many outings, and this one represented the end of a special chapter. It was the finale of the 33rd (and last) Diamond State Classic, and the Colonials made it a good one.
PW led 18-10 after one quarter and extended that to 36-12 by halftime on their way to the rout.
Key players: Freshman Grace Harvey led the way with 14 points and five steals, and AJ Avery added 13 points and seven rebounds. Eliza Meersman had nine points while Taylor Williams and McKenna Winland both had eight in a win that was a team effort.
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty: “It was another great team win. Seven kids scored in first quarter, sparked by five points from Gracie Kerns – yes, our elite field hockey star!
“The second and third quarters we pulled away again.”
–Props: “Tonight it was freshman Grace Harvey’s night to shine. She had 14 points to go with five steals. AJ Avery was tough on the glass and had seven rebounds to go with 13 points. McKenna Winland, Liv Patete, and Eliza Meersman all made big plays during the run in second and third quarters.”
–A weekend to remember: “The team had a blast this weekend. Along with winning two games, we had Christmas show, we went to a Wicked movie sing-along (poor other people in movie theater!). Today we did escape rooms and finished the night off with Delaware staple – Grotto’s pizza and gelato.
“So fun to have the girls in my hometown and to have them play so well in front of my family and friends. Looking forward to a day off, then we start preparing for much tougher schedule – we play at Abington, then West Catholic, then Upper Dublin, and then Lower Moreland,”
Up next: Plymouth Whitemarsh (8-0, 2-0 SOL) will travel to Abington next Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 18-18-19-10 65
Appoquinimink 0-2-12-8 32
Plymouth Whitemarsh (65) – Gracie Kerns 2 0-0 5; Taylor Williams 4 0-0 8; Olivia Patete 3 0-0 6; AJ Avery 4 5-6 13; McKenna Winland 2 4-6 8; Mia Baron 1 0-0 2; Eliza Meersman 3 2-3 9; Grace Harvey 4 4-6 14; TOTALS 23 15-21 65
Appoquinimink (32) – G.Ramos 4 1-4 11; Bingham 2 1-1 6; S.Ramos 1 0-0 2; Smith 2 4-4 8; Wilson 0 1-2 1; Mastrandrea 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 11 7-11 32.
3-point goals: Grace Harvey 2, Gracie Kerns, Eliza Meersman; A – G Ramos 2, Bingham.
Hilltopper Classic
NESHAMINY 61, WESTMONT HILLTOP 37
Ashlyn Duffy could not miss.
The sophomore sharpshooter buried nine 3-pointers and finished with a game and career-high 29 points to lead the Redskins to the convincing win over the host team in Saturday’s title game.
Duffy’s five 3-pointers for 15 points propelled the Redskins to a 30-13 halftime lead. They never looked back.
Key stretch: The tone for this one was set in a 16-6 opening quarter that saw the Redskins bury three 3-pointers.
Key players; Ashlyn Duffy was a one-woman wrecking crew, scoring a game-high 29 points. Hayley Kolk added 14 points, which included four 3-pointers, and 12 rebounds. Alena Cofield had seven steals, six points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Neshaminy coach John Gallagher: “We got off to a shaky start with Alena Cofield picking up two quick fouls which hindered her playing time and aggressiveness.
“On Friday, we watched Westmont play a 1-3-1 defense, so we were able to go over some items related to that zone. No one took better advantage of that than Ashlyn Duffy, who hit nine 3-point shots from several areas on the court. Ashlyn found a groove early in the game, hitting two of those baskets in the first quarter. Ashlyn’s teammates did an excellent job of recognizing she had the hot hand and kept an extra eye out for her in our half-court offense. The 29 points is a personal high for Ashlyn, and I would think the nine 3-point baskets is a school record. I’m aware that Reese Zemitis had a high of seven 3-point baskets in her time here. I also recall watching Allison Harvey have a few games of knocking quite a few shots down from distance.
“When Ashlyn wasn’t available to shoot from distance, Hayley Kolk knocked down four shots from beyond the arc to finish with 14 points. It was Hayley’s best game in regard to rebounding as she collected 12 rebounds, with six on the offensive end. Despite the Cofield early foul trouble, she still finished with four assists and seven steals. Grace Weyler and Auslyn Wilkins each finished with four assists and were very responsible for our successful day from the three-point line.
“Alena and Hayley were selected to the All-Tournament team and Ashlyn Duffy was named tournament MVP.”
–Away for the holidays: “There were a ton of positives from our team traveling to Johnstown, Pa., aside from the two victories. Our JV picked up an impressive win earlier on Saturday, and we were able to spend valuable time together at team meals and learn a little bit more about each other. There were a ton of laughs and mutual respect with our opponents as we shared a hotel with Damascus of Maryland. Both teams spent a couple of hours entertaining each other at the hotel.”
Up next: Neshaminy (6-2, 2-1 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman next Friday.
Neshaminy 16-14-16-15 61
Westmont Hilltop 6-7-10-14 37
Neshaminy (61) – Grace Weyler 1 2-2 5; Alena Cofield 3 0-0 6; Ashlyn Duffy 10 0-0 29; Mia Raivitch 1 0-4 3; Auslyn Wilkins 1 0-0 2; Hayley Kolk 4 2-2 14; Camryn Rodriguez 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 22 4-8 61.
Westmont Hilltop (37) – Zoey Lynch 2 3-3 7; Maggie O’Neil 5 0-0 14; Devyn Shingler 1 3-4 6; Sarah Gibbons 0 2-4 2; Cali Lynch 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 12 8-11 37.
3-point goals: N – Ashlyn Duffy 9, Hayley Kolk 4, Grace Weyler, Mia Raivitch; WH – Maggie O’Neil 4, Devyn Shingler.
Boardwalk Classic (Mary T Vey Memorial Showcase)
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 49, BERKS CATHOLIC 41
The Patriots took a 21-17 lead into halftime and extended that to eight points heading into the final quarter. They led by as many as 18 in the fourth quarter before the Saints staged a late rally.
Key players: Sophomore point guard Haley Moran led the Patriots with 15 points, four steals and four assists. Jess Lockwood added 12 points, six rebounds and three steals. Natalie Berndt had nine points on three 3s. Savannah Hayes had four steals, and Syd Ralph contributed five assists.
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash: “I didn’t think we got off to a great start. We were a couple ahead at halftime, and we had a good third quarter, and we were up (11). One of my kids at the buzzer fouled their top scorer on a 3. Instead of (11) points heading into the third, now it’s nine. Then we hit a couple of shots, and the next thing you know we’re up 16 with two-and-a-half to go. It felt like we were up more the majority of the second half, and it ended up being an eight-point win.
“Their leading scorer tonight (Madison Landgon) scored her 1,000th point yesterday. She’s a nice little guard. They’ve got some size, so that was the only thing I worried about. I only saw them on film, and the heights listed on MaxPreps were bigger than us, but their size didn’t really hurt us.
“We were able to turn them over a lot with our full-court pressure. Nat (Berndt) hit a couple 3s, Jess (Lockwood) hit a couple of 3s. we were able to hang on.
“After the game, we were talking to the girls – that was a big win against Conestoga yesterday. They’re good and will have some really good wins this year. I think Berks Catholic will win a lot of games. Their losses were to good teams, but to me, it’s kind of the up and down nature of what we’ve seen. Nazareth we blew a big lead, Pennridge we blew a big lead. We have other games where we close out games well, so I think we’re still trying to figure those pieces out.”
–Props: “Haley (Moran) did a really nice job again. She had a great tournament. When Savannah Hayes went in, she had some big steals for us in the pressure. We’re getting other things from other kids, so it’s good.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (7-1, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West next Friday (6 pm).
Central Bucks East 13-8-13-15 49
Berks Catholic 10-7-9-15 41
Central Bucks East (49) – Sydney Ralph 2 0-0 5; Haley Moran 6 3-4 15; Emma Penecale 3 0-0 6; Jess Lockwood 4 1-2 12; Natalie Berndt 3 0-0 9; Delaney Long 1 0-0 2; 19 4-6 49.
Berks Catholic (41) Liv Welker 3 0-0 8; Madison Landgot 5 3-3 17; Sydney Corado 4 0-0 8; Molly McFadden 2 0-0 4; Giana Mirenda 1 0-0 2; Abby Cannon 1 0-1 2; TOTALS 16 3-4 41.
3-point goals: CBE – Jess Lockwood 3, Natalie Berndt 3, Sydney Ralph; BC – Madison Landgon 4, Liv Welker 2.
Boardwalk Classic (Showcase)
BENSALEM 44, METHACTON 39
The Owls picked up a big win in the Boardwalk Classic Saturday, upending a Methacton squad that brought a 6-2 record into the contest. Sparked by its defense, Bensalem opened up a. 9-4 lead after one quarter and took a 22-13 advantage into halftime.
Talia DiMichele connected on a pair of 3-pionters and led the Owls with 10 points in the opening half. Devon Bell also had a pair of 3s for six points in the half. The Owls maintained their lead in the second half to earn the big win.
Key stretch: The tone was set in a first half that saw the Owls bury four 3-pointers and limit the Warriors to just 13 first-half points.
Key players: Talia DiMichele had a big game, scoring a game-high 19 points, while Grace McShane added 12 – 10 in the second half. Devon Bell had nine points on three 3-pointers. Sydney Daut led the Owls with eight rebounds.
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson: “Awesome win against a talented and tough Methacton team. We come to Wildwood to bond and get closer as a group, but obviously, you want to win as well. I think our team took a huge step in the right direction with today’s performance.
–Props: “Talia (DiMichele) and Grace (McShane) led us offensively. Talia had a great all-around game also adding in five rebounds and three assists. Devon Bell found her shot, knocking down three 3s.
“But before the game and the two practices we had leading up to today’s game, we talked about everyone playing their role and doing it the best you can. It’s human nature for everyone to want to score and looking at if they had a ‘good game or bad game’ based on how much they scored, but basketball is so much more than that. Sydney Daut did a phenomenal job on the glass today, notching eight boards (two of them offensively) and Ariana Jenkins/Devon Bell/Jordyn Bell did one heck of a job on a really talented scorer in Arnold, holding her to eight points. Our bench did a great job of keeping the energy up when Methacton started cutting down our lead. All around great day for our Owls.”
Up next: Bensalem (3-3, 2-1 SOL) will face Millville on Sunday at 10 am.
Bensalem 9-13-8-14 44
Methacton 4-9-10-16 39
Bensalem (44) – Talia DiMichele 8 1-2 19; Devon Bell 3 0-0 9; Ariana Jenkins 1 0-0 2; Grace McShane 4 4-4 12; Sydney Daut 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 5-6 44.
Methacton (39) – Avery Kenny 1 0-0 2; Lila Cingiser 0 2-2 2; Abby Arnold 3 0-0 8; Lindsay McCann 1 0-0 3; Ava Wolf 5 0-0 10; Penny Wolf 4 0-0 8; Sydney Hockenbrock 1 0-0 2; Olivia Organtini 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 17 2-2 39.
3-point goals: B – Devon Bell 3, Talia DiMichele 2; M – Abby Arnold 2, Lindsay McCann.
Cardinal O’Hara Holiday Classic
UPPER DUBLIN 53, VILLA MARIA ACADEMY 25
UD coach Morgan Funsten was concerned his team might have lost its edge during the holiday break.
He needn’t have worried.
If anything, the Cardinals had even more energy and intensity, putting on a defensive clinic in a first half that saw the Hurricanes score just two points – both at the foul line.
This game was never competitive
Key players: The Cardinals had four players in double figures, led by the 14-point efforts of Tamia Clark and Emilia Coleman – who had four 3-pointers. Megan Ngo added 13 points, which included two 3s. Bridget DiMartile had 10 points and also had a pair of 3s.
And there’s more.
DiMartile also had six rebounds and seven blocks. Clark added seven rebounds and three deflections. Megan Ngo dished out seven assists and also had four rebounds. Coleman added seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten on the game: “We had been playing really well going into break, and I was hoping the girls could find the same energy that we played with prior to break. We definitely did as we didn’t give up a field goal in the first half and ended the first half on a 30-0 run. A big reason was because we were able to force 16 first half turnovers. We had four girls finish in double figures and had 15 assists on 19 field goals.
A new challenge: “We are very excited about the challenge we have tomorrow in St. Frances from Maryland. They are one of the top teams in the Maryland/DC area, and that’s saying something because there’s some really good basketball down there. We got to see them play before our game today as they beat Carroll. They are huge, athletic, and skilled. We will have to play smart and tough, and I’m hoping we can rise to the challenge.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (8-1, 2-0) will face St. Frances (Md.) on Sunday at 3 pm.
Upper Dublin 14-21-11-7 53
Villa Maria 2-0-13-10 25
Upper Dublin (53) – Bridget DiMartile 4 0-0 10; Tamia Clark 6 2-2 14; Megan Ngo 3 5-6 13; Lexi Ngo 1 0-0 2; Emilia Coleman 5 0-0 14; TOTALS 19 7-8 53.
Villa Maria Academy (25) – S.Tray 4 4-5 12; B.Croft 1 0-0 3; A.Ferry 2 0-0 4; A.Broadhurst 0 0-2 0; E.Urbanski 0 2-2 2; K.Delfra 1 0-0 2; S.Dean 1 0-1 2; TOTALS 9 6-10 25.
3-point goals: UD – Emilia Coleman 4, Bridget DiMartile 2, Megan Ngo 2. VM – B Croft.
Marian Catholic Christmas Tournament
MARIAN CATHOLIC 47, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 44
This was everything a championship game should be, and the outcome wasn’t decided until the final buzzer sounded.
Marian Catholic took a 24-20 lead into halftime, but the Lions – thanks to a 17-point third quarter – trimmed that lead to one heading into the final quarter.
The Lions connected on seven three-pointers – three each from Emily Wilson and Izzy Elizondo, but the Saints connected on 11 shots from beyond the arc and just four two-pointers.
Kay players: Emily Wilson (14 points) and Izzy Elizondo (11 points) earned all-tournament honors. Mary Tresler added nine points.
New Hope-Solebury coach Andy Krasna on the game: “It was an exciting championship game where we had five New Hope starters play their hearts out for 32 minutes. I felt like I was watching a Rocky movie…Every time Marion Catholic went on a run, we responded, and counter punched. We fought so hard, and at one point, the hostile crowd at Marion Catholic appeared to be cheering for us as our players were diving after loose balls and outhustling a very talented home team. However, our inability to secure defensive rebounds in the fourth quarter gave Marian Catholic second and third shot opportunities which they were able to capitalize on.
“We did a super job of keeping them out of the paint, but they made us pay on the perimeter, knocking down twelve 3-point shots. Kayla Fennell got a huge steal with 18 seconds to go in the game. We needed a 3-pointer to tie but couldn’t get the final shot to drop.”
–Props: “Emily Wilson and Izzy Elizondo were named to the all-tournament team. They were tremendous in both games. Mary Tresler had another impressive outing and battled in the paint against some very athletic and experienced Marian post players.”
–A small but special squad: “The past two days, I spent 10 hours on the bus with Kevin Gallagher (assistant coach and friend) and a group of special girls who had us smiling and laughing all weekend. It was a fantastic tournament experience for all of us. Coach Gallagher and I feel so fortunate and proud to be able to coach this small group of New Hope warriors.”
UP next: New Hope-Solebury (7-1, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Cheltenham next Friday for a Freedom Division showdown.
New Hope-Solebury 12-8-17-7 44
Marian Catholic 17-7-14-9 47
New Hope-Solebury (44) – Emily Wilson 4 2-2 13; Izzy Elizondo 4 0-0 11; Ella Dudick 2 0-0 4; Kayla Fennell 3 0-0 7; Mary Tresler 3 3-3 9; TOTALS 16 5-5 44.
Marian Catholic (47) – Olivia Serfus 1 0-0 3; Addy Fritz 5 2-3 15; Deanna Pugh 6 0-0 18; Carly Hasara 1 1-2 4; Addy Marek 3 0-1 7; TOTALS 15 3-6 47.
3-point goals: NH-S: Emily Wilson 3, Izzy Elizondo 3, Kayla Fennell; MC – Deanna Pugh 6, Addy Fritz 3, Carly Hasara, Olivia Serfus.
Marple Newtown Holiday Tournament
(Championship game)
FREIRE CHARTER 36, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 24
Erica Madden’s seven points led the Bucks.
Up next: Central Bucks West (2-8, 0-3) will host Central Bucks East Friday (6pm).
(Third place game)
MARPLE NEWTOWN 59, SPRINGFIELD TWP 47
Ridley Holiday Tournament
(Third place game)
UNIONVILLE 60, NORTH PENN 47
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