Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Neshaminy/Pennsbury photos courtesy of John Gleeson. CB West/CB East photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, and PW/Abington photos courtesy of Larry Small. Check back for galleries of all three games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f226313402
SOL Patriot Division
NESHAMINY 36, PENNSBURY 33 (OT)
They’ve been down this road before – those games where points are scarce and the outcome will most assuredly come down to the wire. Granted, it looked like the Redskins had things under control when Ava Irizarry hit nothing but net on a 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining in regulation to give Neshaminy a 32-26 lead.
“The timeout before that – we were trying to run something, and I thought we’d get Ava on a skip pass,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “I told her, ‘That’s your senior’s shot sitting out there, make sure you hit it.’ We didn’t get it that possession, but the very next possession, they pressed us, we threw over the top. She was unguarded and knocked it down. It was a big shot for us.”
Turns out the game was far from over.
Sofia Vitucci saw to that, calmly connecting on a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute to send the game into overtime where the Redskins eked out the win.
“It was a typical Neshaminy-Pennsbury game,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “The scores are almost identical every time we play.”
The neighboring rivals certainly kept things interesting for Neshaminy’s Youth Night crowd.
“We had a ton of middle school and grade school kids behind our bench, which was pretty exciting to have,” Gallagher said.
Lola Ibarrando’s 16 points led the Redskins with 11 of those coming after halftime. She also had three steals and a team high seven rebounds
“She did a great job with some steals, getting in the passing lanes and getting to the rim – I was real happy with her,” Gallagher said.
It was hardly a surprise that neither team got on the scoreboard until less than three minutes remained in the opening quarter when Ibarrondo broke the drought with a basket.
“It’s just because we know each other so well – it’s hard to score in those type of games,” Gallagher said. “The one ref came down after it was 
scoreless for four or five minutes, and I said, ‘I know this doesn’t look good, but it is really good defense.’
“Pennsbury didn’t get a basket until around a minute was left in the first quarter.”
Neshaminy led 10-3 after one quarter, and the Redskins took a 15-14 lead into halftime. Ibarrondo had a big third quarter, scoring seven of her team’s nine points as the Redskins opened up a 24-18 lead heading into the final quarter. Layla Matthias had a pair of big baskets in the fourth quarter. Her second bucket with 1:28 remaining made it a 29-26 game, but it looked as though the Falcons’ fate was sealed when Irizarry hit her second 3 of the quarter to put the Redskins on top by six.
“Ava Irizarry hit two gigantic 3s for us,” Gallagher said. “More importantly, she held (Daniella) MacDonald to zero points. MacDonald had five 3s the last game for them, and Ava had her for most of the game.”
Vitucci answered Irizarry’s three with one of her own, and after the Redskins misfired on a pair of foul shots, Vitucci buried another three to send the game to overtime.
“We were up six with 40 seconds left, and the game went into overtime,” Gallagher said. “That’s a credit to Sofia Vitucci and her teammates. I have so much respect for Sofia it’s ridiculous.
“She’s on the court, and they have some younger kids – as do we, and I see her coaching them and I see her working the refs, which is what she’s supposed to do when she’s out there. She’s a fabulous basketball player.”
The Redskins ‘outscored’ the Falcons 4-1 in overtime. With the Redskins trailing by one, Ibarrondo connected on a pair of foul shots to give Neshaminy a 34-33 lead. After a Falcon miss at the other end, Reese Zemitis was fouled and buried both shots. The Falcons’ shot for the tie fell short.
“This was really important – being a neighborhood rivalry,” Gallagher said. “I was real happy with the way we defended overall.”
Vitucci’s 24 points led all scorers. Matthias had a big game under the backboards with 11 rebounds, and Maggie Burns had 10 boards.
“This game came down to the basics of basketball, and that is that foul shots and layups will win you ballgames,” Pennsbury assistant Kaitlin Kelly said. “We did an excellent job offensively getting open looks but could not finish the easy baskets.
“But the loss definitively came from the free throws where we went 9 for 22 from the line…and that just can’t happen.”
Also for the Redskins, Zemitis finished in double figures with 10 points. She also had a team-high four steals and three blocks to go along with six rebounds and two assists. Irizarry added six points.
Neshaminy (1-0 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Thursday for a key division battle, and Pennsbury (1-1, 0-1) will be on the road at Harry S Truman Friday.
Pennsbury 3-11-4-14-1 33
Neshaminy 10-5-9-8-4 36
Pennsbury (33) – Layla Matthias 2 0-2 4; Danielle Sherman 0 0-2 0; Sofia Vitucci 9 4-8 24; Joley Hohman 0 1-4 1; Avan Jordan 0 4-6 4; TOTALS 11 9-22 33.
Neshaminy (36) – Alena Cofield 2 0-2 4; Lola Ibarrondo 6 4-6 16; Ava Irizarry 2 0-0 6; Reese Zemetis 3 4-4 10; TOTALS 13 8-12 36.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Sofia Vitucci 2; Neshaminy – Ava Irizarry 2.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 51, BENSALEM 39
The Golden Hawks continued to establish themselves as a team to beat, notching their third win in as many games.
“Bensalem is a very hard-nosed team and they made big shots tonight,” Rock South coach Jesse Krasna said. “We weren’t really able to put them away until late in the game and that is a credit to the job Coach (Steve) Johnson does with his program.”
The Hawks, who led 12-9 after one quarter, took a 27-20 lead into halftime. Fiona Reckner was once again a catalyst, scoring eight points in the half. Amber Howard’s 10 points kept the Owls close.
“Fiona Reckner hit two timely 3s when our offense needed a jolt,” Krasna said. “She had some really great finishes through contact in the second half, too.
“We decided to let her play with three fouls with three minutes to play in the third quarter, and the gamble paid off because she immediately came in and provided a spark to help us finish the quarter on a run to give us some breathing room heading into the final frame. She is a really bright kid and handled playing with three fouls very intelligently.”
Kathryn O’Kane’s 16 points led a balanced Rock South attack. She scored 12 of those points in the second half when the Hawks put the game out of reach.
“Kathryn O’Kane really brought it defensively and she had some big steals that led to runouts for us,” Krasna said. “She lived in the lane and put paint pressure on the Owls all night.”
In addition, Reckner finished with 13 points while Camryn Gregory and Liliana Metrick both had six points.
“Cam Gregory stepped up and battled #15 for Bensalem (Howard), which was huge because it allowed us the flexibility to play certain lineups when we were in foul trouble,” Krasna said.“Katie Purpura led us in rebounds tonight and when she checked in she brought an element of physicality and energy that lifted our team.
“Sarah Freeman brought so much energy, toughness and competitiveness. She had several rebounds where she leaped over taller defenders. She has a nose for the ball and is fearless in her pursuit of it.
“Liliana Metrick was really disruptive pressuring the basketball on defense. It was clear Bensalem wanted to limit her touches and she did a great job taking what the defense gave her. Her gravity pulled a lot of defenders out of help position which opened up driving gaps for her teammates.”
Bensalem’s Howard – who had three 3-pointers – led all scorers with 17 points. Talia DiMichele had 10 points, and Ariana Jenkins added seven.
Council Rock South (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy for a key division battle on Thursday, and Bensalem (1-1, 0-1) will host Council Rock North on Friday.
Bensalem 9-11-9-10 39
Council Rock South 12-15-12-12 51
Bensalem (39) – Talia DiMichele 3 2-2 10; Devon Bell 2 0-0 5; Amber Howard 7 1-2 17; Ariana Jenkins 3 0-1 7; TOTALS 15 3-5 39.
Council Rock South (51) – Sarah Freeman 2 0-0 5; Liliana Metrick 1 3-4 6; Maria Freeman 0 1-2 1; Haley Thompson 1 0-0 2; Katie Purpura 1 0-0 2; Kathryn O’Kane 6 4-7 16; Camryn Gregory 2 1-2 6; Fiona Reckner 5 0-0 13; TOTALS 18 9-15 51.
3-point goals: Bensalem – Amber Howard 2, Talia DiMichele 2, Devon Bell, Ariana Jenkins; CRS – Fiona Reckner 3, Camryn Gregory, Liliana Metrick, Sarah Freeman.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 46, HARRY S TRUMAN 12
Delaney McCaffery scored 20 points – which included a pair of 3s and an 8-for-8 effort at the foul line – to lead the Indians to the decisive win. McCaffery’s eight first-quarter points propelled the Indians to an 18-2 lead, and they never looked back.
“Today was another step forward for us,” Rock North coach John Kelly said. “We keep stressing playing with discipline, playing with tremendous effort, and playing for one another.
“We are getting better, but we have to continue to be patient because growth and chemistry with one another takes time. Our players are working to get better each and every day. Our coaching staff was proud of how we came out and executed to start the game, and we certainly showed improvement. It was unfortunate that Truman was without a few key pieces tonight, but credit to Coach (Ashida) Cooper and her players – they just kept fighting for the entire game.”
In addition to McCaffery, Ruth O’Keefe scored 10 points, and Megan Reichenbach added six.
Council Rock North (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Great Valley in a non-league game on Thursday, and Harry S Truman (1-2, 0-1) will host Pennsbury on Friday.
Harry S Truman 2-0-7-3 12
Council Rock North 18-4-15-9 46
Harry S Truman (12) – Ayla Beitler 1 1-2 3; Erynn Bond 1 2-2 5; Miera Martinez 0 0-2 0; Yamazjiah Thomas 0 2-2 2; Niya Lynch 1 0-0 2; Natane Smith 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 3 5-10 12.
Council Rock North (46) – Skyler Wright 1 0-0 2; Julia Koval 1 0-1 2; Amara Arroyo 1 0-0 2; Delaney McCaffery 5 8-8 20; Meg Reichenbach 3 0-0 6; Ruth O’Keefe 4 2-2 10; Frannie Boyle 2 0-2 4; TOTALS 17 10-13 46.
3-point goals: HST – Erynn Bond; CRN – Delaney McCaffery 2.
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN 49 PENNRIDGE 38
The Knights found themselves on the short end of a 17-10 score after one quarter and still trailed by three at halftime. The second half was another story entirely as they outscored their hosts 25-12 to earn the win. Caleigh Sperling was the catalyst on offense for the Knights, leading all scorers with 22 points.
“She just is working so hard off the ball, and it really impacts how our offense runs,” North Penn coach Bri Cullen said.
The Knights’ coach was pleased with her team’s ability to make adjustments after falling behind.
“Pennridge came out really strong in the first quarter,” Cullen said. “They definitely dictated the pace in the first half, and we made some big adjustments.
“Defensively, we changed some of the matchups that we had going, and offensively, we were much more patient with our shot selection.”
Also for the Knights, Cameron Crowley and Olivia Stone both had eight points.
“This was also the first time I had my whole team,” Cullen said. “We were missing Liv Stone in our first game, and that helped just having that experience on the floor. Her defensive presence makes us run, and having her back on the floor – her length and speed fills in a lot of gaps. If we make mistakes, Liv is there to pick us back up.”
Ella Brown’s 12 points led the Rams. Abby Huskin added 11 points – eight in the first half, and Ava Fantaskey had six points.
North Penn (1-1, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West on Thursday, and Pennridge (2-1, 0-1) will host Souderton on Friday.
North Penn 10-14-14-11 49
Pennridge 17-10-6-5 38
North Penn (49) – Cameron Crowley 3 1-2 8; Caleigh Sperling 9 6-6 24; K Donnelly 1 0-0 2; Leah Mikulski 2 0-0 4; Olivia Stone 3 2-2 8; Tallie Smink 0 1-2 1; Lily Brown 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 19 10-12 49.
Pennridge (38) – Ella Brown 4 1-1 12; Ava Fantaskey 2 2-2 6; Emily DeHaven 1 0-0 3;Nikki Rindone 1 0-0 2; Abby Huskin 3 3-4 11; Layla Verbit 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 13 6-7 38.
3-point goals: NP – Cameron Crowley; Pennridge – Ella Brown 3, Abby Huskin 2, Emily DeHaven.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 41, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 23
The Patriots threw some serious defense at the Bucks, limiting their hosts to just seven first-half points as they opened up a 16-7 
lead on their way to the win in Tuesday’s SOL opener.
“We were really pleased with the effort and intensity tonight in what’s always a battle with CB West,” East coach Liz Potash said. “This group is working really hard on defense, and it showed with tonight’s effort.
“We struggled in the beginning to get points on the board, but the second half was a great display of driving and kicking out to open shooters.”
Anna Barry’s eight first-half points led the Patriots, who – behind the hot hand of Natalie Berndt – outscored the Bucks 25-10 after the intermission. Berndt buried three 3-pointers and scored 11 points.
The Patriots also capitalized on their trips to the free throw line, connecting on 15 of 19 for the game.
Berndt led a balanced East attack with 13 points while Barry added 12. Chantal Van Dongeran added six points.
“Anna Barry led us in the first half and Natalie Berndt hit some
big shots in the second half,” Potash said. “It was a really nice team effort to start off the year.”
Aniya McDaniels scored seven points to lead the Bucks. Gabi Senior had six.
Central Bucks East (1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South on Friday, and Central Bucks West (1-2, 0-1) will host North Penn on Thursday.
Central Bucks East 11-5-15-10. 41
Central Bucks West 6-1-7-9. 23
Central Bucks East (41) – Haley Moran 1 1-2 3; Sydney Ralph 0 2-2 2; Natalie Berndt 4 2-2 13; Anna Barry 2 8-11 12; Jess Lockwood 1 2-2 5; Chantal Van Dongeran 3 0-0 6; TOTALS 11 15-19 41.
Central Bucks West (23) – Gabi Senior 2 2-5 6; Erica Madden 1 0-0 2; Peyton Cramer 0 0-2 0; Aniya McDaniels 3 0-0 7; Alexis Castro 1 3-4 5; Gabrielle Reichner 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 8 6-13 23.
3-point goals: CBE – Natalie Berndt 3, Jess Lockwood; CBW – Aniya McDaniels.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 44, SOUDERTON 20
Sparked by six points from Yoyo Samayo, the Titans opened up an 11-4 lead after one quarter and extended that to 26-8 by halftime on their way to the convincing road win. Gabby Tropea’s six points keyed the Titans’ 15-point second quarter.
“I thought my team as a whole played hard, but Gabby Tropea’s second quarter was a great spark,” South coach Beth Mattern said. “I’m proud of the effort everyone gave on the court.”
Samayo’s 10 points led a balanced Titan attack. Ella Wheeler and Gabby Tropea each added eight points while Jules Tropea had seven.
For the Indians, Madison Bealer’s six points on a pair of 3s led the way.
Central Bucks South (1-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Friday, and Souderton (1-2, 0-1) will host Pennridge on Friday.
Central Bucks South 11-15-17-1 44
Souderton 4-4-6-6 20
Central Bucks South (44) – Ella Wheeler 3 1-1 8; Casey Balkir 1 0-0 3; Jules Tropea 3 1-2 7; Yoyo Samayoa 4 1-2 10; Emma Carner 1 0-0 2; Gabby Tropea 4 0-0 8; Morgan McKeever 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 18 4-6 44.
Souderton (20) – Jacquelyn Bermel 1 1-2 3; Julia Purvy 1 0-0 3; Olivia Herron 1 0-0 2; Madison Bealer 3 0-0 6; Brooke Fenchel 1 0-0 2; Kiera Fadden 1 0-0 2; Alaina Picard 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 8 1-2 20.
3-point goals: CBS – Ella Wheeler, Casey Balkir, Yoyo Samayoa, Emma Carner; Souderton – Madison Bealer 2, Julia Purvy.
SOL Liberty Division
HATBORO-HORSHAM 47, WISSAHICKON 31
The Hatters took a tenuous 19-17 lead into halftime but came out in the third quarter and – sparked by a pair of Angelica Visceglia 3 pointers – outscored the Trojans 18-7 to take control of the contest.
“The Lady Hatters were able to overcome an aggressive start by Wissahickon tonight,” H-H assistant Nicole Miletto said. “They came out in the first half and played good defense and knocked down some shots. Our team defense wasn’t bad, but we weren’t closing out on shooters or rebounding the ball well. The second half we got back to our game of looking for open shots and they started to come.”
Maddy Patel – who had six points on a pair of 3s in the opening half – led a balance Hatter attack with 13 points. Visceglia added 11 points – 9 nine in the second half. Kitty Randa had nine points – all in the second half, and Gabby Fisher added eight points.
“Senior forward Kitty Randa was doubled a good part of the game and got into some foul trouble and didn’t have as big of an impact as we would have liked,” Miletto said. “We needed others to step up and they did. Sophomore guard Mia Fisher played very well for us. She had some key rebounds and steals to spark our offense.
“Junior guard Maddy Patel found her shot in the second half as well as freshman Ang Visceglia. Ang played good defense and got some steals and was able to put pressure on their hot-handed shooter. It was a good win for us and a great way to start our season. There were lots of positives as well as things to work on.”
Coach Eric Glemser noted his young team is a work in progress, but he was happy with the effort.
For the Trojans, Maura Jacob led the way with 14 points – which included three 3-pointers – to go along with two rebounds and four steals. Ashley Klein added six points, two rebounds and one block. Also contributing were Ava Stout (4 points, rebound, assist, steal), Julia Lettieri (4 points, 3 rebounds, steal), Casey Burden (2 points, 2 rebounds) and Skye Sydney (1 point, 2 rebounds).
Hatboro-Horsham (1-0 SOL) will travel to Abington on Thursday, and Wissahickon (0-2, 0-1) will host Norristown in a non-league game on Wednesday..
Wissahickon 6-11-7-7 31
Hatboro-Horsham 5-13-18-11 47
Wissahickon (31) – Maura Jacob 5 1-2 14; Julia Lettieri 1 2-6 4; Casey Burden 1 0-0 2; Ava Stout 1 1-2 4; Ashley Klein 3 0-0 6; Skye Sydney 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 11 5-12 31.
Hatboro-Horsham (47) – Angelica Visceglia 3 3-6 11; Mia Fisher 2 0-2 4; Kitty Randa 4 0-0 9; Maddy Patel 5 0-0 13; Gabby Fisher 3 2-4 8; Madison Duggan 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 18 5-12 47.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Maura Jacob 3, Ava Sout; HH – Maddy Patel 3, Angelica Visceglia 2, Kitty Randa.
ABINGTON 37, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 32
The Colonials – behind six points from McKenna Winland – took a 19-18 lead into halftime, but the Ghosts outscored their hosts 
11-4 in the third quarter on their way to the win in Tuesday’s SOL opener.
“It was a great team effort,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said. “Everyone contributed today.”
The first-year coach was especially pleased with the Ghosts’ defensive effort.
“Our tenacious defense disrupted PW’s offense,” Lawson said. “Our guards did a great job containing (Alyssa) Avery and making it hard for her to score.”
Leading the Ghosts’ defensive charge were guards Maya Johnson, Jordyn Reynolds and Piper McGinley.
Johnson’s 10 points led the Ghosts while Piper McGinley and Zyn McClain each added seven points.
Avery’s 11 points led the young Colonials, who received eight points from Winland and seven from Joslyn Perez.
Abington (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (1-1, 0-1) will travel to Quakertown on Thursday.
Abington 9-9-11-8 37
Plymouth Whitemarsh 9-10-4-9 32
Abington (37) – Maya Johnson 5 0-0 10; Mikiaya Durham 1 0-2 3; Jordyn Reynolds 2 0-0 4; Piper McGinley 3 0-0 7; Sarah O’Leary 1 2-6 4; Zyn McClain 3 1-1 7; Kayla Rice 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 16 3-9 37.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (32) – Joslyn Perez 3 0-3 7; Taylor Williams 1 0-0 2; Alyssa Avery 4 3-5 11; McKenna Winland 2 3-3 8; Eliza Meersman 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 12 6-11 32.
3-point goals: Abington – Mikiaya Durham, Piper McGinley, PW – McKenna Winland, Joslyn Perez.
UPPER DUBLIN 54, QUAKERTOWN 17
Tamia Clark and Amy Ngo jumpstarted the Flying Cardinals in their season opener, combining for 19 first-quarter points and propelling UD to a 24-8 lead after one quarter.
Clark led all scorers with 19 points – 11 in the first quarter. Ngo finished with 15 points – eight in the opening frame. She had three 3-pointers.
Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford was impressed with what she saw from the Cardinals.
“We got off to a great start offensively, making easy layups as well as executing defensively, but Upper Dublin did a great job of making us move faster than we would like, causing us to make mistakes,” the Panthers’ coach said. “Freshman #15 Clark is one athletic kid. She crashes the boards hard and finds the little openings underneath the basket. She really hurt us tonight. She is going to be a tough player to defend over the next four years.”
In addition to scoring 19 points, Clark.- who connected on 8 of 12 shots from the floor – had a team-high seven rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots. She also had six deflections.
Amy Ngo had four assists and seven deflections. Megan Ngo was a terror on defense, finishing with 11 steals. She also handed out eight assists and had six rebounds and five deflections.
For the Panthers, Carli Maha led the way with seven points.
“Ava Pistone showed great composure and control on offense tonight for us bringing the ball up,” Bamford said. “She also had seven defensive rebounds which we needed each one as Upper Dublin capitalized on their offensive boards.
“Another player that played hard tonight was junior Carli Maha. She was our leading scorer and she had seven rebounds total tonight. 6 being defensive. I love how she has no problem being physical in a game. We have a quick turnaround this week with two other games. Need to learn from our mistakes as we play on Thursday. “
Upper Dublin (1-0 SOL) will host Wissahickon on Friday, and Quakertown (0-3, 0-1) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday.
Upper Dublin 24-12-12-6 54
Quakertown 8-0-5-4 17
Upper Dublin (54) – Brighid Brady 2 0-0 5; Bridget DiMartile 1 0-0 2; Makyla Keyes 1 0-0 2; Megan Ngo 2 0-0 5; Tamia Clark 8 3-9 19; Amy Ngo 5 2-2 15; Julia Scullen 1 0-0 2; Nora Brady 1 1-2 4; TOTALS 21 6-13 54.
Quakertown (17) – Ambri Dager 1 0-0 2; Ava Pistone 2 0-0 5; Carli Maha 2 3-5 7; Truly Heft 0 3-4 3; TOTALS 5 6-9 17.
3-point goals: UD – Amy Ngo 3, Brighid Brady, Nora Brady, Megan Ngo; Quakertown – Ava Pistone.
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 41, LOWER MORELAND 36
Holy Gohl put her name in the record books.
The Upper Moreland senior made history when she converted a layup in the third quarter, reaching the 1,000-point plateau with plenty of games still remaining in her senior year.
“It was really exciting for everybody to see Holly accomplish such a great feat,” UM coach Josh Adelman said. “In our first game on Saturday, she had 22 points and was six shy of a thousand. There was a nice big crowd for her tonight. Lots of her friends and family were there, and we were playing our big rival in Lower Moreland. She hit the layup, and the place just erupted.
Gohl’s basket was part of the Golden Bears’ second half comeback after going into halftime on the short end of a 19-13 score.
“It’s amazing – those six points can take a little while, and you feel for her with the pressure to get it,” Adelman said. “She was getting good looks and so were her teammates, but they just weren’t falling in the first half.
“We came out and executed a play for her. She gets a layup, and you could just see the relief on her face. The next time down, she hits a three.”
Gohl is the second UM player in as many years to reach the 1,000-point milestone, following in the footsteps of former teammate MaryFaith Wood. She entered her senior season just 28 points shy of the milestone.
“That’s pretty remarkable,” Adelman said. “Thousand-point scorers don’t come around all the time. Back-to-back years is neat.
“Matt Carroll and his staff were there tonight. They had a gigantic part in her accomplishments. She’s just a great girl.”
After connecting on the big bucket, Gohl – who had just four points in the first half – was off and running, scoring 11 points in a third quarter that saw the Golden Bears outscore the visiting Lions 18-11 on their way to the win in the spirited contest.
Gohl finished with a game high 22 points, including a pair of 3s.
“Congratulations to Holly Gohl (for scoring) her 1000th point tonight,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “She’s a really strong player who has clearly worked hard at her game. Even though it was against us, it’s always nice to see players realize an impressive milestone.”
Also for the Golden Bears, Marie Meyers added 10 points.
For the Lions, Brianna McFerran’s 10 points led the way. Sydney Santora and Emma DiJoseph each added seven points.
“This was one of those games where you’re not sure how to feel afterwards,” Becker said. “We lost to a much bigger and much more physical team, but it was very winnable. The coaching staff was encouraged at the effort and improved rebounding. As a coach, what impressed us the most was that our girls were not intimidated. That being said, we need to be more aware down the stretch. There were a few mental lapses that cost us the opportunity to pull out the win.
“Credit to Josh and UM, they had a lot to do with that. Defensively they did a really nice job of getting out and contesting shots. Their length gave us some difficulty. They also took advantage of their size. As a coach I was hoping that there would be some drop off after Matt (Carroll) and his staff left, but it looks like their team has not missed a beat.”
Upper Moreland (2-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Thursday, and Lower Moreland (1-2, 0-1) will host Cheltenham on Friday.
Lower Moreland 5-14-11-6 36
Upper Moreland 8-5-18-10 41
Lower Moreland (36) – Brianna McFerran 4 0-0 10; Dani Brusha 2 0-0 5; Sydney Santora 2 3-4 7; Mollie Martin 1 2-2 4; Emma DiJoseph 2 1-2 7; Maddie Broderick 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 12 6-8 36.
Upper Moreland (41) – Mikel Lancit 2 1-2 5; Lianna Adames 2 0-0 5; Marie Meyers 4 1-2 10; Lilly Hansen 0 2-2 2; Holly Gohl 7 2-4 18; Makaela Allen 0 1-4 1; TOTALS 15 7-12 41.
3-point goals: LM – Brianna McFerran 2, Emma DiJoseph 2, Maddie Broderick, Dani Brusha; UM – Holly Gohl 2, Lianna Adames, Marie Meyers.
CHELTENHAM 57, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 41
Maya Simmons scored 21 points while teammate Jiah Price added 17 to lead the Lady Panthers to the impressive win. The duo combined for seven 3-pointers with Simmons burying four. While Simmons and Price were igniting the offense, the Lady Panthers put on a defensive clinic in the first half, limiting the visiting Lions to just four points.
“We came out ready to go on both ends of the court. We set the tone early and played a solid half of basketball,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “Second half we took our foot off the gas and played sloppy. I give it to Coach (Steve) Polinsky and his team, they did not give up and worked hard to the end. This is a huge win for us, but we still have a lot of room to improve.”
Simmons came out of the gate on fire, burying three 3s and scoring 14 first-quarter points to lead the Lady Panthers to a 19-1 lead after one quarter. They took a 37-4 advantage into halftime. Price had nine points in the half. The Lions offense came to life in the second half, but it was too little too late.
“Definitely a big win for us,” Bowman said. “This is our first time beating New Hope, and they have set the bar high in our league.
“I think the key is our defense right now. We are aggressive and really try to make things hard for teams. We have several kids stepping up early in the season which I love. Whether it be Paige Powell’s defense or Jiah’s offense, we have someone different stepping up in different areas. Maya Simmons is leading us on and off the court and that speaks volumes to the good start we are having.”
Powell added seven points for the Lady Panthers.
Izzy Elizondo’s 14 points – all in the second half – led the Lions. Emily Wilson added 13 points, and Nina Meixler had eight.
“We were totally outplayed and outcoached tonight,” Lions’ coach Stever Polinsky said. “Big time credit to Coach Bowman and his team. They came out and did a great job totally dominating us.
“Coach Bowman ran some great stuff, and his squad was very aggressive. Credit to Coach Bowman and his team and hopefully a valuable learning lesson for us.”
Cheltenham (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Lower Moreland on Friday, and New Hope-Solebury (2-1, 0-1) will host Springfield Twp on Friday.
New Hope-Solebury 1-3-16-21 41
Cheltenham 19-18-13-7 57
New Hope-Solebury (41) – Elena Shire 1 0-0 2; Izzy Elizondo 5 3-3 14; Nina Meixler 3 1-1 8; Emily Wilson 5 1-2 13; Naava Richlin 0 0-2 0; Devon Maguire 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 15 6-12 41.
Cheltenham (57) – Jiah Price 7 0-0 17; Paige Powell 3 1-2 7; Maya Simmons 8 1-1 21; Arianna Davis 2 0-1 4; Ije Ojukwu 2 0-0 4; Cassie Bugg 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 24 2-4 57.
3-point goals – NH-S – Emily Wilson 2, Izzy Elizondo, Nina Meixler; Cheltenham Maya Simmons 4, Jiah Price 3.
SPRINGFIELD TWP 53, WILLIAM TENNENT 30
William Tennent has not been an especially kind destination for the Spartans in past years, but all that changed in Tuesday night’s SOL opener as they turned in a strong outing to notch the convincing win.
“We don’t play well in that gym, but tonight it was really awesome to watch,” Spartans’ coach Dave Giordano said. “We are doing our best to play a scrambling man-to-man defense, we rebound, and they love to run the floor, they love to fast break.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but we’re going to keep riding it. Even when they settle in and we run our offense, they seem to be very confident, and they look for each other going to the basket, and they’re converting easy shots.”
The Spartans were led by yet another standout effort by sophomore Ava Culler, who led the way with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Keira Brandon came off the bench added 10 points and nine rebounds. Jayla Daniels and Samiyyah Thompson each had eight points while Hannah Brandon had six.
“People chipped in with four, six, eight, eight, two, and we just kept rolling,” Giordano said. “Their team defense has really, really improved, and tonight, in my mind, was a big test because I know that Avery (Kocur) is a good player, and trying to stop Morgan (Volz) when she gets herself on the block in the paint is never easy, but they played off each other defensively, helped out when they needed to. It was an outstanding game by them. I’m so proud of them. They played really, really well.”
Behind eight points from Culler and five from Jayla Daniels, the Spartans opened up a 15-4 lead after one quarter. They went into halftime with a 25-14 lead and put some distance between themselves and the Panthers with a 10-5 second quarter. They outscored their hosts 28-16 in the second half.
“We didn’t deserve to win tonight,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We got outplayed in every facet of the game, plain and simple. Credit to Springfield for playing hard and making plays.
“It’s disappointing that we didn’t even come out and compete. We have some things to fix and need to get back to the basics. Hopefully, we can turn things around quickly because we are right back at it on Thursday against another tough divisional team in Upper Moreland.”
For the Panthers, Halie Staub and Morgan Volz both had eight points, and Jess Whisler had six.
“We did our scouting report, and we know Avery Kocur – they had played two games, and she had scored 17 and she had scored 19,” Giordano said. “She didn’t score tonight, and a lot of it was the defense of Jayla Daniels. We held their big girl, Morgan Volz, to eight points.”
Springfield Twp (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Friday, and William Tennent (0-3, 0-1) will host Upper Moreland on Thursday.
Springfield Twp 15-10-10-18 53
William Tennent 4-10-5-11 30
Springfield Twp (53) – Alana Decker 2 0-0 4; Hannah Brandon 3 0-0 6; Samiyyah Thompson 4 0-2 8; Jayla Daniels 3 1-2 8; Grace Dailey 1 0-0 2; Keira Brandon 5 0-0 10; Ava Culler 7 1-2 15; TOTALS 25 2-4 53.
William Tennent (30) – Aubrey Lynch 1 0-0 3; Katherine Baliber 0 0-2 0; Megan Catoni 0 1-4 1; Ella Mednick 1 2-3 4; Halie Staub 3 1-4 8; Jess Whisler 2 2-4 6; Morgan Volz 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 11 6-17 30.
3-point goals: Springfield – Jayla Daniels; WT – Aubrey Lynch, Halie Staub.
Monday, Dec. 4
VILLA MARIA ACADEMY 49, LOWER MORELAND 41
The Lions came out on the short end of the score, but coach Rich Becker liked a whole lot of things he saw in Monday’s non-league test.
“After losing to New Hope Friday, beating Bristol on Saturday and not getting a chance to practice for today, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Becker said. “Overall, I was proud of the adjustments that the girls made during the game and the grit that they showed. Our girls went right after them.
“This was a game where we challenged our girls to attack and be aggressive against a physically bigger team and the girls were up to the challenge. At the end of the day, rebounding out of the zone really hurt us. After the game the girls were aware that if we would have rebounded better, we could have won that game.”
The Lions, who trailed 24-19 at halftime, hung tough but could not get over the hump.
Dani Brusha’s 15-point effort led the Lions, and Emma DiJoseph added 13, which included three 3-pointers. DiJoseph scored all of her points in the final three quarters.
“Dani Brusha, we exceptional tonight,” Becker said. “I think this was the first time her new teammates fully realized how good she is. There are a few plays that she made where the coaches just looked at each other and said ‘wow.’ She is very effective attacking the basket.
“Emma DiJoseph scored 13 points off of the bench for us and gave us a spark that we needed.
“After the game we told the girls that while we need to do a better job on the boards and we need to talk more on the defensive side, all of those can be corrected. If they commit to tightening those things up and continue to play for each other, we should be a team that has a chance to be that team that no one wants to play.”
Villa Maria Academy 13-11-13-12 49
Lower Moreland 10-9-11-11 41
Villa Maria (49) – Sophia Tray 4 0-2 9; Briella Romeo 1 0-0 3; Liz Sharp 4 0-0 8; Carly Catonia 8 3-3 20, Emma O’Hare 2 0-0 5; Abby Ferry 1 2-3 4; TOTALS 20 5-8 49
Lower Moreland (41) – Brianna McFerran 2 2-4 6; Dani Brusha 6 2-5 15; Amelia Brown 0 0-2 0; Sydney Santora 1 0-0 2; Mollie Martin 2 1-1 5; Emma DiJoseph 4 2-2 13; TOTALS 15 7-14 41.
3-point goals: VMA – Sophia Tray, Briella Romeo, Carly Catonia, Emma O’Hare; LM – Emma DiJoseph 3, Dani Brusha.
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