Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action. (CB East/CB South photos provided courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
BENSALEM 41, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 40
Talk about fantastic finishes – this was it.
Just when it looked as though the Owls, who trailed by two, would come up short when their shot for the lead fell and bounced off the rim, Devon Bell deflected the loose ball rebound that was snagged by teammate Talia DiMichele, who immediately passed the ball to Amber Howard. The North Carolina A&T commit hit nothing but net on a 3-pointer, giving the Owls the you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it win in Friday’s thriller.
“It shouldn’t have been that hard, but that was a thing of beauty,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “That was a beautiful ending. We’ve never been part of a buzzer beater. It was awesome to see. The girls were excited.
“Amber’s three went in with two seconds left. It was like Amber knew what was going to happen. Amber was in her spot. Four seconds left, Amber shoots it. Two seconds left, North didn’t have any timeouts and shot it from three-quarter court, the buzzer sounded, and we won the game.”
The game itself was a back-and-forth affair. Behind five points from Amara Arroyo, the Indians led 10-7 after one quarter. The Owls responded, outscoring the Indians 14-8 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 21-18 lead. DiMichele’s two 3-pointers ignited the Owls in the second quarter.
“In the third quarter, we were up by as many as six or eight, but North came back,” Johnson said. “People say the mid-range is dead, but they hit a couple of nice mid-range pull-ups. Skyler Wright had a mid-range pull-up. She played great.
“We only had one big at the time, and they ran Fran (Boyle) and Ruth (O’Keefe), so we were mismatched until I could get my other big in the game. Ruth took advantage of the mismatch and made two clutch buckets.”
O’Keefe had seven points in the third quarter, and the Owls found themselves clinging to a 32-31 lead heading into the final quarter.
“They took the lead at the beginning of the fourth, and we were down the whole fourth quarter,” Johnson said. “We fought back.
“The thing I’m happiest about – you learn more from a close win than a big win. We’re preaching ‘together.’ There were times when I think we could have made the extra pass. We were throwing so many ill-advised passes, turnovers. Whether we were in the half court set or in transition, we were throwing it at people’s legs, throwing it at people under the rim already, but I was the one that was upset.
“The girls stayed even keeled. I heard Talia and Amber reassuring their teammates – ‘Make better passes, fake a pass and make a pass.’ No one ever yelled at anybody. An older version of us could have resorted to that, and then you’re in a negative mindset, and you’re not going to make the next positive play.”
The Indians had 40-38 lead and were just seconds away from a win, but that didn’t happen, thanks to Howard’s last-second heroics.
“Obviously, this loss really, really stings,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “Amber Howard’s a great player, and great players make big plays – she seems to have a knack for hitting long 3s at the buzzer.
“Unfortunately, the ball bounced the wrong way, and we came up on the wrong end of the scoreboard. But we can’t let the loss take away from the improvement and resolve that we have shown. After being down 28-19, our kids worked so hard to fight back. We are so proud of them. We once again have to take this, learn from it, and stay committed to getting better.”
Howard’s 19 points led the Owls while DiMichele added 11.
“Amber’s been doing everything we’ve asked of her this season,” Johnson said. “She didn’t shoot the ball particularly well percentage-wise this game, but that’s what we preach – the next shot is always going in.
“She kept shooting, and she kept shooting. Some shots were falling, but at the end of the day, the last one went in, and that’s what we needed to win. Each day and each practice, every girl on our team is just bringing positive energy, and the more positive people you’ve got around, the better you’re going to be.”
Delaney McCaffery’s 10 points led a balanced Rock North offense. O’Keefe and Arroyo both had nine points, and Wright finished with eight.
“I really have to give credit to coach (Jack) Kelly,” Johnson said. “His teams always find a way to be in a game. Council Rock North is no easy win. You see them on your schedule, and you know it’s going to be gritty, you know they’re going to switch defenses on you. You know you’re not going to see one set the whole game, and they did a great job doing that. Hats off to them – they played their tails off.”
Bensalem (2-1, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (3-2, 1-1) will host Council Rock South on Tuesday.
Council Rock North 10-8-13-9 40
Bensalem 7-14-11-9 41
Council Rock North (40) – Skyler Wright 3 0-0 8; Amaro Arroyo 3 1-2 9; Delaney mcCaffery 3 3-3 10; Megan Reichenbach 0 4-6 4; Ruth O’Keefe 3 3-3 9; TOTALS 12 11-14 40.
Bensalem (41) – Talia DiMichele 4 0-0 11; Mikayla Donohue 1 2-2 5; Devon Bell 2 0-0 4; Amber Howard 6 4-6 19; Sydney Daut 1 0-0 2; Peyton Miller 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 14 6-10 41.
3-point goals: CRN – Skyler Wright 2, Amaro Arroyo 2, Delaney McCaffery; Bensalem – Amber Howard 3, Talia DiMichele 3, Mikayla Donahue.
PENNSBURY 70, HARRY S TRUMAN 15
Daniella MacDonald’s 14-point game led a balanced attack in a contest that saw 12 Falcons put their names in the scorebook. The Falcons, who led 17-1 after one quarter took a 39-8 lead into halftime on their way to the convincing win.
“The team did a great job on both ends of the floor tonight,” Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlin Kelly said. “We passed the ball well and played very unselfish. This led to every Falcon scoring tonight. Our assist-to-turnover ratios was great, with our guards really taking care of the ball and finding the open players.”
Also for the Falcons, Sofia Vitucci had 10 points while Sammie Haws and Joley Hohman – who had a pair of 3s – each had eight points. Ava Jordan and Maggie Burns both added seven points.
“Sofia (Vitucci) and Joley (Hohman) did a good job pushing the ball up the court to find girls who were running the floor well,” Kelly said. “Layla (Matthias) and Maggie (Burns) were beasts on the backboard per usual. And it was overall great effort from each player tonight.”
Pennsbury (2-1, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Nazareth Academy for a non-league game on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Pennsbury 17-22-13-18 70
Harry S Truman 1-7-7-0 15
Pennsbury (70) – Emily Panaro 1 0-0 2; Presley Foote 0 1-4 1; Layla Matthias 1 0-0 2; Danielle Sherman 2 0-0 5; Maggie Burns 3 1-2 7; Sofia Vitucci 3 3-4 10; Oliveah Gilchrist 1 0-1 2; Daniella MacDonald 6 0-0 14; Joley Hohman 3 0-2 8; Ava Jordan 3 1-1 7; Sammie Haws 3 2-3 8; Susan McKeever 1 2-2 4; TOTALS 27 10-19 70.
Harry S Truman (15) – Terrion Hurt 1 0-0 3, Shylah McCleve 0 3-4 3; Yamazjiah Thomas 2 0-0 4; Niya Lynch 1 0-0 3; Natane Smith 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 5 3-4 15.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald 2, Joley Hohman 2, Danielle Sherman, Sofia Vitucci; HST – Torrion Hurt, Niya Lynch.
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 52, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 49
The Patriots put on quite a display of long-range shooting, connecting on 10 shots from beyond the arc. Sophomore Jess Lockwood and senior Anna Barry did most of the damage with Lockwood burying four and Barry finishing with three.
East’s proficiency from the outside is underscored by the fact that they made four less field goals than the Titans but both totaled 42 points. The difference came at the foul line where the Patriots were 10-for-13 while the Titans were 7-for-12.
“We shot the ball well – we’ve got kids that can shoot,” East coach Liz Potash said. “We know how they play – when you drive, they all collapse, and you kick out.
“I do have kids that can make shots. We had kids play well, and I give our kids credit at the end of the day.”
Barry led all scorers with 18 points, which included a 7-for-7 effort at the foul line. The senior sharpshooter had seven of her points in the fourth quarter and connected on 4-for-4 from the foul line down the home stretch. Lockwood also had quite an offensive showing with 16 points.
The Patriots gave a preview of things to come in the first quarter, opening up a 12-5 lead. All 12 of their points came on 3-pointers with Sydney Ralph connecting on a pair. Behind eight points from Ella Wheeler and six from Mia Klein, the Titans went on a 22-15 second quarter tear to knot the score 27-27 at the intermission.
The Patriots – sparked Lockwood’s eight points – edged the Titans 13-12 in the third quarter to go up by one heading into the final frame.
“As much as we return kids like Anna (Barry), Chantal (Van Dongeren) and Natalie (Berndt) who got a lot of (varsity) time, there’s other kids who are playing that aren’t used to these large varsity minutes,” Potash said.
“The game got close. We just had trouble finishing it out, but in true Anna Barry fashion, she goes 4-for-4 from the line with under a minute to go. They had a look to be able to tie the game, but we’re proud of the effort.
“We said to the girls – it’s a gutsy effort. We’ve been in a lot of close games in the last two years, and we didn’t pull them out a lot. We could play everyone close, but we didn’t necessarily get the win, so we were happy. Second game of the year. I knew it was going to be a battle, I knew it was going to be a tough game. They return all their kids. We’re always happy to get the win at the end of the day. Obviously, there’s plenty to work on, but I said to the girls – when you’re shooting the ball the way that we did and you’re scoring points the way that we can –it obviously helps. It helps to make up for some of the issues we had.”
Wheeler’s 13 points led the Titans while Yoyo Samayoa and Klein each ad 10 points. Jules Tropea contributed eight points.
For the Patriots, Ralph finished with eight points.
“It was a battle all the way through,” Potash said. “(South) had balanced scoring. (Mia) Klein, (Ella) Wheeler and Yoyo (Samayoa) were each in double figures, so it’s certainly not a one-man show. They play hard, they deny passing lanes – they do all the things they normally do. They’re a full year older, and you can tell.”
Central Bucks East (2-0 SOL) will host Pennridge on Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (1-2, 1-1 SOL) will host William Tennent in a non-league game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Central Bucks East 12-15-13-12 52
Central Bucks South 5-22-12-10 49
Central Bucks East (52) – Sydney Ralph 3 0-0 8; Haley Moran 0 2-3 2; Natalie Berndt 2 0-0 5; Savannah Hayes 1 1-2 3; Anna Barry 4 7-7 18; Jess Lockwood 6 0-0 16; TOTALS 16 10-13 52.
Central Bucks South (49) – Ella Wheeler 5 2-3 13; Casey Balkir 2 0-0 4; Jules Tropea 2 0-0 4; Yoyo Amayoa 4 1-1 10; Emma Carner 1 0-0 2; Mia Klein 4 2-2 10; Gabby Tropea 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 20 7-12 49.
3-point goals: CBE – Jess Lockwood 4, Anna Barry 3, Sydney Ralph 2, Natalie Berndt; CBS – Ella Wheeler, Yoyo Samayoa.
PENNRIDGE 67, SOUDERTON 36
The Rams took a 31-28 lead into halftime, and then came a third quarter that belonged to Layla Verbit. The Pennridge junior buried three 3-pointers and scored 13 points to ignite a 22-point outburst that put the Rams on top 53-31 on their way to the big win.
“It was a fast-paced first half,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said. “Both teams shot the ball very well.
“In the third quarter, I thought we guarded much better. I thought our girls did a great job executing, making extra passes and got some great shots. Layla Verbit was incredible tonight with five 3s and did a really nice job defensively on (Brooke) Fenchel.”
In the opening half, the Rams took a 23-17 lead after a high-scoring first quarter. Ella Brown scored nine points while Verbit – who connected on a pair of 3s – had eight. For the Indians, Jacquelyn Bermel had nine points, and Alaina Picard had six on a pair of 3s. The Indians – behind nine points from Emily Dick – edged the Rams 11-8 in the second quarter to make it a three-point game at halftime.
The third quarter – and the hot hand of Verbit – swung momentum squarely in the Rams’ favor, and they never looked back.
Brown’s 22 points – 13 in the second half – led the Rams while Verbit added 21, which included five 3-pointers. Ava Fantaskey added 11 points, and Abby Huskin had nine.
“Ella Brown was efficient on the offensive end shooting 8-for-12 and adding 22 points,” Rapp said. “Ava Fantaskey and Abby Huskin did really solid job on both ends. Nikki Rindone and Allie Smith did a solid job controlling the paint area.”
For the Indians, Bermel and Dick led the way with nine points each. Picard and Kiera Fadden each added six points.
“It’s been a while since Pennridge has beaten Souderton and that is a credit to Lynn (Carroll) and her staff,” Rapp said. “That team is not going to be fun to play the second time around.”
Pennridge (3-1, 1-1 SOL) will host Boyertown in a non-league game Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and Souderton (1-3, 0-2) will travel to North Penn on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. contest.
Souderton 17-11-3-5 36
Pennridge 23-8-22-14 67
Souderton (36) – Jacquelyn Bermel 3 2-2 9; Madison Bealer 1 0-0 2; Brooke Fenchel 0 2-6 2; Liz Word 0 2-2 2; Kiera Fadden 3 0-0 6; Alaina Picard 2 0-0 6; Emily Dick 4 1-2 9; TOTALS 13 7-12 36.
Pennridge (67) – Ella Brown 8 5-5 23; Ava Fantaskey 3 3-3 11; Abby Huskin 3 1-1 9; Allie Smith 2 0-2 4; Layla Verbit 7 2-2 21; TOTALS 23 11-13 67.
3-point goals: Souderton – Alaina Picard 2, Jacquelyn Bermel; Pennridge – Layla Verbit 5, Abby Huskin 2, Ava Fantaskey 2, Ella Brown.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 61, WISSAHICKON 18
Amy Ngo put on quite an offensive show.
The senior guard buried 8 of 12 shots in the opening half of Friday’s game, 5 of 9 from beyond the arc. By halftime she had 21 points in a dazzling offensive showing, and her UD squad led 43-12 on its way to its second win of the week. Ngo finished with 23 points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks.
Ngo wasn’t the only star in the first half. Freshman Tamia Clark also was all but unstoppable, connecting for all 12 of her points before the intermission. She needed just 10 shots to get those 12 points and also had seven rebounds.
Megan Ngo added seven points and was the ultimate facilitator, handing out nine assists. She also had a team-high five steals and one block.
Bridget DiMartile led the Cardinals under the backboards with nine rebounds to go along with two assists and two blocks. Nora Brady added six points on a pair of 3-pointers.
Brighid Brady had three steals, Makyla Keyes had four rebounds and three blocks.
For the Trojans, Ashley Klein led the way with seven points and also had a rebound, assist and steal. Maura Jacob added six points.
Upper Dublin (2-0 SOL) will host Scranton Prep in what promises to be an interesting non-league contest on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Wissahickon (0-4, 0-2) will host Quakertown on Tuesday.
Wissahickon 8-4-2-4 18
Upper Dublin 26-17-9-9 61
Wissahickon (18) – Maura Jacob 2 0-0 6; Julia Lettieri 0 2-4 2; Ashley Klein 1 5-6 7; Chloe Acuna 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 4 8-12 18.
Upper Dublin (61) – Brighid Brady 1 0-0 2; Bridget DiMartile 1 0-0 2; Makyla Keyes 2 0-0 4; Megan Ngo 2 2-2 7; Tamia Clark 6 0-1 12; Amy Ngo 8 2-2 23; Julia Scullen 1 0-0 2; Kaitlyn Zacharia 1 0-0 3; Nora Brady 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 24 4-5 61.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Maura Jacob 2; UD – Amy Ngo 5, Nora Brady 2, Megan Ngo, Kaitlyn Zachari.
SOL Freedom Division
SPRINGFIELD TWP 55, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 50
What a difference a year makes.
On Friday, the visiting Spartans defeated the Lions to earn their fourth win without a loss to open the season. To put that accomplishment in perspective, consider only that Springfield Twp did not win its fourth game last year until Jan. 26 when the Spartans defeated Sacred Heart in a non-league contest. They went on to win just five games all season.
It’s another story this time around.
“It’s so enjoyable to watch them be so successful,” Springfield coach Dave Giordano said. “They worked really hard for years to get to this point.
“This was a big test for us to go to New Hope because they’re a really good shooting team. We were rebounding well as a team. As a coach, to watch them execute how they are playing and looking for each other, moving with the ball and doing the basic stuff that you hope happens as a coach – it’s a really good feeling, and they deserve all the ink they can get.”
The four straight wins to open the season is not only a first for the Spartans but also their coach, and no one is sure when – or if – the Spartans ever opened their season with a perfect 4-0 mark.
Jayla Daniels led the Spartans with 19 points, which included a pair of 3s. She also had 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Samiyyah Thompson added 13 points – 11 in the middle two quarters. Ava Culler had 11 points, and Alana Decker had eight.
“Jayla Daniels and Ava Culler controlled the tempo of the game – offensively together and defensively,” Giordano said. “Ava – I checked it with my assistant a couple of times -had 25 rebounds tonight.
“Again, we had other people step up and contribute. Samiyyah Thompson had 13 and played really well on the floor – attacked the basket.”
The two teams were deadlock at 12-12 at the end of one quarter. The Spartans outscored the Lions 18-14 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 30-26 lead. Daniel and Thompson both had seven points in the second quarter.
The Lions, who trailed 42-34 after three quarters, outscored the Spartans 16-13 in the fourth quarter but could not make up the ground they lost.
“I knew they were going to go on a run – they have really good shooters,” Giordano said. “They had three 3s in the fourth quarter. They closed (the gap), but we really kept our composure, took care of the basketball and made some foul shots at the end.
“They’re a really good team, and I knew they were going to make their runs. We kept our heads together, took their best shot and held them off.”
For the Lions, Izzy Elizondo led the way with 23 points, which included three 3s. Wilson added 11 points – all in the first half. Ella Dudick had eight points – all in the second half.
“We played really good defense,” Giordano said. “For the game, we had a total of eight team fouls. Jayla Daniels, who led the team in scoring, had two fouls in the first quarter and ended up with four. She got her second two in the fourth quarter. Team defense-wise, we really played well.
“Elizondo had 23 points, but we made her work for those. It was spread out where it didn’t hurt us in long stretches.
“Everyone who played contributed – little things like going for steals and loose balls and diving on the floor. We had a key rebound by Alana Decker late when we were shooting fouls that saved a possession. We had a chance to cut some time off. It really was a good team effort.”
New Hope-Solebury coach Steve Polinsky credited the Spartans.
“We played a very good, well-coached Springfield team, and I thought we played well,” the Lions’ coach said. “The girls had great energy and played hard. Our shots just were not falling.
“We are just trying to figure things out as a team, but we are going in the right direction. We knew Springfield was going to be tough. Their big is good and a relentless rebounder. She had a nice game. Dave has them playing solid basketball.”
Springfield Twp (4-0, 2-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday, and New Hope-Solebury will host Lehigh Valley Academy in a non-league on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Springfield Twp 12-18-12-13 55
New Hope-Solebury 12-14-8-16 50
Springfield Twp (55) – Alana Decker 2 3-4 8; Hannah Brandon 1 0-0 2; Samiyyah Thompson 6 0-2 13; Jayla Daniels 8 1-2 19; Grace Dailey 1 0-0 4; Ava Culler 2 7-12 11; TOTALS 20 11-24 55.
New Hope-Solebury (50) – Kayla Fennel 1 1-2 3;Ella Dudick 4 0-0 8; Izzy Elizondo 9 2-2 23 Nina Meixler 2 0-0 5; Emily Wilson 5 0-0 11; TOTALS 21 3-4 50.
3-Point goals: Springfield – Jayla Daniels 2, Alana Decker, Samiyyah Thompson. NH-S -Izzy Elizondo 3, Emily Wilson, Nina Meixler.
LOWER MORELAND 66, CHELTENHAM 54
Sparked by the glittering 28-point effort of Dani Brusha, the Lions notched a win over the visiting Lady Panthers.
“I got a text from another coach asking if our game was live streamed because he wanted to see if ‘Cheltenham was legit,’” LM coach Rich Becker said. “The answer to that, in my opinion, is a definite is yes. Going into the season, I thought that Cheltenham was going to be a tough team to beat, and I was right.”
Becker and the Lions found out just how tough in a first half that saw the Lady Panthers open up a 32-28 advantage. In the half, the Lady Panthers were led by Jiah Price (12 points) and Maya Simmons (8 points). Ije Ojukwu added six points. For the Lions, Brusha led the charge with 11 points while Sydney Santora added seven.
The third quarter proved to be the difference in the game as the Lions – behind 12 points from Brusha – outscored the Lady Panthers 20-5 to go on top 48-37. The Lady Panthers never could make up the ground they lost.
“We’re not going to out-big anyone this year, and once we saw that Powell was out with an injury, we decided to go up-tempo and try to wear down Simmons and Price,” Becker said. “In the first half, I was starting to doubt that decision as we were down 32-28, but in the third quarter, we started to see the benefit.
“We were able to get some of their girls in foul trouble, and at that point, we were able to take advantage of a few favorable matchups. Just when it looked like we were starting to pull away, my freshman point guard made a rookie mistake and picked up her fourth foul on a close play then got a technical and was out of the game. The silver lining to was that the rest of the team rallied and really picked up the slack behind her.”
Brusha led all scorers while teammate Briana McFerran added 15 – nine in the fourth quarter. Nikki Sahl added nine points, and Santora had seven.
“Dani Brusha, in spite of a tough game at the foul line (6-for-16), was exceptional, she scored 28 points – 12 of which were in the fourth quarter,” Becker said. “In addition to that, she stepped up and had to play tough defense on Simmons. She’s an exceptional player and person, and I’ve just been so impressed with her this year. She’s a calming influence on a relatively young team.
“As Dani was starting to wear down a bit, Briana McFerran stepped up and scored nine fourth quarter points. Perhaps, the biggest revelation for us tonight was Nikki Sahl. Nikki missed the start of the season and had the most complete game of her career. She came off the bench and totally changed the dynamic of the game.
“All in all, this was one of those games that you hope is the start of something good. It was a total team effort, and for the first time, we saw that, in spite of giving up 54 points, we were connected on defense. We played full court the entire game, and the girls dug deep and were able to hold on.”
Simmons led the Lady Panthers with 21 points – 11 in the fourth quarter. Jiah Price added 16.
“Maya Simmons is as good as anyone in the league, and Jiah Price just seemed to make big shot after big shot to keep them in it,” Becker said. “We were fortunate that Powell was out. They do a lot of things well, and as their bench players mature, they’re going to continue to be a tough matchup.”
Also for the Lady Panthers, Ojukwu contributed eight.
“I knew tonight was going to be tough,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “LM likes to speed things up and put pressure on. We handled it pretty well in the first half, but in the third quarter, we lost composure and mental lapses on the defensive end killed us.
“Not having Paige Powell due to injury was also rough, but I thought we had some people step up in her absence. In the end, Brusha dictated the game on the offensive end and moving forward we have to do a better job on defense as a whole.”
Lower Moreland (2-1, 1-1 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (3-1, 1-1) will host William Tennent on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 16-16-5-17 54
Lower Moreland 14-14-20 18 66
Cheltenham (54) – Jiah Price 6 3-6 16; Maya Simmons 7 6-9 21; Amelia Kapp 1 1-2 3; Ije Ojukwu 3 2-2 8; Cassie Bugg 1 0-0 2; T Simmons 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 20 12-19 54.
Lower Moreland (66) – Briana McFerran 7 0-1 15; Dani Brusha 10 6-16 28; Amelia Brown 1 0-0 2; Sydney Santora 2 2-4 7; Mollie Martin 1 2-2 5; Nikki Sahl 2 5-8 9; TOTALS 23 15-31 66.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Jiah Price, Maya Simmons; LM – Dani Brusha 2, Briana McFerran, Sydney Santora, Mollie Martin.
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