PW, Souderton, Neshaminy & Abington were winners in the SOL Tournament’s opening round Friday. Pennsbury/Neshaminy photos courtesy of John Gleeson, PW/CR South photos courtesy of Michael Rick, and Abington UM photos courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for galleries of all three games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f884733941
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 49, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 44
Trailing by one with 30.2 seconds remaining, PW’s play for the lead did not exactly go as planned.
The Colonials put the ball in senior Abby Sharpe’s hands out of a timeout. It made perfect sense to assume Sharpe – who already had 15 points in a dazzling second half – would take the shot for the game-winner. The Golden Hawks thought the same thing.
“I saw they hedged out on a trap on me,” Sharpe said. “I was thinking about driving, but I have full confidence in my teammates, so I saw (Angelina) Balcer open on the corner.”
Sharpe passed the ball to Balcer, who drew an immediate crowd as well but spotted Kenna Winland under the basket, and the freshman put it in for the go-ahead basket.
“(The play) was for Abby, but stuff happens,” Balcer said. “If she gets double teamed, you have to find another player, and our freshman stepped up and made a big shot.
“In our Abington game, she hit very big free throws and saved us. I have a lot of faith in my teammates, every one of them.”
Winland’s bucket put the Colonials ahead 45-44 with 14.3 seconds. The Colonials’ defense prevented the Golden Hawks from getting a good shot, Erin Daley came up with the rebound of the miss, and Sharpe was fouled with 5.5 seconds remaining. She buried both shots, and Winland forced a turnover on the press, securing the dramatic come-from-behind win for the Colonials, who notched their 21st win of a remarkable season.
“They found a way,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “To win games like this, you have to play games like this. Where last year, we just steamrolled everybody, this year – both games we lost, we had a shot at the buzzer to tie, but we’ve also now won a handful of games this way.
“Great win by the girls and a great effort by Council Rock South, a very impressive team.”
Friday’s win was anything but easy for the Colonials. The Golden Hawks’ defense was intent on preventing Sharpe and Erin Daley from beating them, and for one half it worked. The duo had just six first-half points – all by Sharpe at the free throw line.
Balcer, however, kept her team in it, scoring 10 first-half points
“I try to use my past experience from other big games with a lot of pressure,” the senior guard said. “So I knew coming into a game like this – there was going to be a lot on Abby and Erin, so I just felt I had to do something, come out of my comfort zone and try and be more confident in myself. I believe in my teammates, but sometimes they get a lot of pressure and I have to step up. I tried stepping up tonight.”
Balcer had six of her team’s points in a first quarter that saw the Colonials take a 9-7 lead. The Golden Hawks’ offense came alive in the second quarter. Liliana Metrick buried three 3-pointers, including a shot at the buzzer to send the visitors into halftime with a 23-20 lead.
“It was definitely frustrating,” Sharpe said. “As a team, I don’t think we came out as intense as we need to. When you have them playing such aggressive defense on me and Erin, we need the other three to step up, and they did a good job of doing that today, and that’s really what we’ve been working on.”
In the third quarter, Sharpe began attacking the basket, scoring six points off pull-up jumpers over her defenders.
“Abby Sharpe made some incredible shots tonight, incredible shots,” Dougherty said. “We work on that a ton in practice and have certain spots you’re trying to get to, then rising up – muscle memory.”
In an era when many players have abandoned the mid-range game in favor of long-range shots from beyond the arc, Sharpe’s ability to score on pull-ups was a game-changer.
“For me, it was just a different mindset,” Sharpe said. “I didn’t come out with the best mindset first half. I wasn’t as intense, I wasn’t as mentally in it, so coming into the second half, I just upped my aggressiveness.
“I was rushing a lot of my shots also in the first, so just taking the shots that I know I practice. It’s muscle memory at this point, so getting out of my head and just playing – that’s really what I was trying to focus on.”
The Golden Hawks, however, refused to go away and led 34-31 after Karissa Smedley scored on a drive at the buzzer. They still led 39-37 after Fiona Reckner connected on a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter, but Sharpe answered with a 3 at the other end, and after a defensive stop by the Colonials, freshman AJ Avery connected on a 3 that put the Colonials on top 43-39.
Cam Gregory pulled the Hawks to within one with 1:39 remaining when she hit nothing but net on a baseline 3-pointer.
After the two teams exchanged turnovers, point guard Kat O’Kane turned a steal on the defensive end into a layup that put Rock South on top 44-43 with 30.2 seconds remaining, setting the stage for the Colonials’ gutsy comeback.
“I think it’s a testament to our mental toughness as a team, the fact that we can bounce back from those bleak moments,” Sharpe said. ”It shows our grit as a team.”
Free throws have not been the Colonials’ ally this season, but they were in Friday’s win. Sharpe buried 12 of 13 for the game and 8 of 8 in the pivotal fourth quarter.
“We’ve definitely been working on our free throws a lot at practice and a lot on our own,” Sharpe said. “We play this free throw game, and I said, ‘Free throws and layups win games,’ and moving into playoffs, we have to be at least a 70 percent free throw shooting team. Today, we really saw that improvement. For me, I really want to focus on that and step up.”
Sharpe’s 23 points led all scorers while Balcer added 12 points. Avery and Winland both had six.
“Credit to Balcer for getting us going early,” Dougherty said. “And then credit Kenna Winland to have the presence of mind to spin, turn, (score), and then she forces the ball out of bounds for a turnover at the end.
“AJ’s a budding star. I’ve had conversations with her. Similar to Abby’s freshman year, Abby could rely on everyone on the court freshman year, just learn the game. She is a kid as a freshman and Kenna Winland too – all this experience they’re getting is going to pay huge dividends.”
For the Golden Hawks, Metrick had 15 points on five 3s in a standout effort. Smedley added eight while O’Kane and Gregory both had six.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (21-2, 15-1 SOL) will host Abington in Saturday’s semifinal round at 7 p.m. Dougherty will not be on the sidelines. Instead, he will be on his way to the Super Bowl.
“We bought tickets in November in this hope,” the PW coach said. “My dad’s 75, and he’s a huge Eagles fan. My dad and sister are already there. If I could be here, I’d be here tomorrow, but I just couldn’t. I can’t miss this once in a lifetime experience.”
Council Rock South (16-7, 10-6) will return to action next Friday in the opening round of the District 1 6A Tournament.
Council Rock South 7-16-11-10 44
Plymouth Whitemarsh 9-11-11-18 49
Council Rock South (44) Kat O’Kane 2 2-3 6; Liliana Metrick 5 0-0 15; Lily Bross 1 0-0 2; Katie Purpura 1 0-0 2; Cam Gregory 2 0-0 6; Fiona Reckner 2 0-0 5; Karissa Smedley 3 1-3 8; TOTALS 16 3-6 44.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (49) – Angelina Balcer 5 2-2 12; AJ Avery 2 1-4 6; Kenna Winland 3 0-0 6; Erin Daley 1 0-1 2; Abby Sharpe 5 12-13 23; TOTALS 16 15-20 49.
3-point goals: CRS – Liliana Metrick 5, Cam Gregory 2, Fiona Reckner, Karissa Smedley; PW – AJ Avery, Abby Sharpe.
NESHAMINY 45, PENNSBURY 33
If there’s such a thing as setting the tone for the game on a team’s very first possession, Reese Zemitis did just that. The junior forward – unwilling to settle for a perimeter shot – scored on a tough shot in traffic on Neshaminy’s first possession.
“Recently, we’ve been working a lot on getting the ball inside and really emphasizing that we have to look inside because we are a good team if we’re able to get it in
and kick it out,” Zemitis said. “So, we were really trying to focus on that, and I think it worked. I think the first play really gave us the confidence to continue to do that. It made a huge difference getting the ball inside and taking it to the hoop rather than passing it around.
“We were becoming a more predictable team, and when we get the ball inside, we’re either going to go to the hoop or we’re going to kick it out. Towards the end of the season, we realized the difference it actually makes in the game, and we’ve been continuing doing that.”
Sofia Vitucci answered the Zemitis basket with a 3 for the Falcons, but Jess Purdy had an immediate answer for the Redskins, connecting on her first of two 3-pointers. Then it was Taylor Gurysh sinking two from the foul line after pulling down an offensive rebound. Another Purdy 3 put the Redskins on top 10-3.
“That’s huge,” Zemitis said of Purdy’s clutch 3-pointers. “For our players to make shots like that, it picks up everyone else’s momentum, and it just gives them the confidence even more to make those big shots. It can’t always be the usual scorers. We’re going to need them, so for them to hit those for us, it’s really big.”
Zemitis followed with a 3 of her own to give the Redskins a 13-3 lead, but there was no mistaking the significance of her first power move in the paint.
“We worked inside and then we worked the ball back out,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “When we didn’t have an advantage or they doubled or tripled us in the post, we kicked it out, and players like Lindsay (Little) and Jess (Purdy) hit 3s.
“We relied previously too much on the 3-point shot against Pennsbury, and obviously, they’re small. They’re really good defensively, but I don’t think people realize how good they are offensively. They take really good shots, and they don’t turn the ball over. Everybody says they’re great at defense, which they are, but their offense is a big part of why they’re good at defense.”
A basket by Neve Davis at the buzzer made it a 15-8 game after one quarter. A Gurysh 3-pointer opened a second quarter that saw the Redskins outscore their visitors 14-6 to go into halftime with a 29-14 lead. The Redskins closed out the half with a 6-0 run that included Alena Cofield finding Zemitis for a basket, and then Cofield connected on a shot just inside the arc. Zemitis scored on a drive to the basket
“Alena Cofield has taken huge steps for us throughout the year,” Gallagher said. “The staff committed ourselves that with her dedication, we could grow her skill set on the offensive side. There were some lumps early as teams played off her. She has been averaging seven points a game for us recently.”
The Redskins added to their lead with back-to-back baskets to open the second half by Zemitis and Lola Ibarrondo, who took a steal coast to coast for a layup that put the Redskins on top 33-14. The junior point guard had nine points in the frame.
“I thought Lola had a lot of good steals in the third quarter that kept the distance,” Gallagher said.
Zemitis and Ibarrondo both scored 11 points to lead the Redskins. Zemitis also had a team-high eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks while Ibarrondo had three rebounds and two steals. Cofield finished with seven points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Purdy added six points, and Gurysh had five points, three assists and two steals.
“We just have to keep it going,” Zemitis said. “We have a big game again tomorrow, so we’re hoping to keep it going. We have all the pieces. It’s just a matter of what we do with it.”
For the Falcons, Daniella MacDonald led the way with 12 points on four 3-pointers – three in the second half. Vitucci added 10 points.
“Neshaminy came out really strong tonight and either scored or grabbed an offensive rebound on their first 11 possessions,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “They were fantastic shooting the ball and solid defensively. Reese (Zemitis) made some very difficult shots and did a great job using her size/length tonight. Size/length are a bit of an Achilles heel for us
“We were able to accomplish what we wanted to tonight, so it was a very positive experience. Neshaminy was really prepared, and we wish them the best of luck on their trip out to Harleysville tomorrow afternoon to play a very good Souderton club. Both teams are district title contenders and that will be a fun game to watch.
“We will use this weekend to rest up and get ready for districts because we are happy to have another chance to play at home.”
Neshaminy (18-5, 13-3 SOL) will travel to Souderton for Saturday’s semifinal at 3 p.m. Pennsbury (17-6, 12-4) will be back in action next Friday in the opening round of the District 1 6A Tournament.
Pennsbury 8-6-9-10 33
Neshaminy 15-14-11-5 45
Pennsbury (33) – Layla Matthias 0 0-2 0; Danielle Sherman 1 0-0 3; Sofia Vitucci 4 0-0 10; Daniella MacDonald 4 0-0 12; Nevaeh Dash 2 0-0 4; Ava Jordan 1 0-0 2; Neve Davis 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 0-2 33.
Neshaminy (45) – Alena Cofield 3 1-2 7; Lola Ibarrondo 5 0-0 11; Taylor Gurysh 1 2-2 5; Ava Irizarry 0 2-2 2; Reese Zemitis 5 0-0 11; Jess Purdy 2 0-0 6; Lindsay Little 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 17 5-6 45.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald 4, Sofia Vitucci 2, Danielle Sherman; Neshaminy Jess Purdy 2, Lola Ibarrondo, Taylor Gurysh, Reese Zemitis, Lindsay Little.
SOUDERTON 54, PENNRIDGE 40
The Indians took a tenuous 27-25 lead over the Rams into halftime but seized control of the game with a 15-4 third quarter on their way to the win.
“They threw some different stuff at us defensively that we haven’t seen them do before, and once our girls adjusted to that, we felt pretty good about what we were doing offensively,” Souderton coach Lynn Carroll said. “It was a close game at halftime, and we held them to four points in the third quarter. Our defense was really solid, and I think our balanced scoring was the story of the game offensively.”
Against a team that is best known for its outstanding perimeter play, the Indians relied on their post players to carry the offensive load. Mikayla McGillian, Teya McConnaha and Grace McDonough combined for 31 points.
“Our post players really played well,” Carroll said. “We got a lot of offensive rebounds, we were attacking the offensive glass.”
McDonough gave the Indians a huge lift in the first half, connecting on all four of her shots from the field and scoring nine points. Casey Harter added eight and McGillian had six. For the Rams, Anna Croyle had seven points and Olivia Poole added six.
“Olivia Poole really, really played well for them,” Carroll said. “She was looking to go to the basket, she was finishing on contested shots, and that’s not a player that probably gets a lot of recognition in terms of the points she puts on the board, but she played really well.
“We try to take away kids like Ella Brown, Anna Croyle, Katie Yoder – good teams need somebody else to step up, and she did that for them.”
It was the Indians stepping up in the second half. McConnaha’s six third-quarter points led the Indians, who took a 42-29 lead into the final quarter on their way to the win.
Harter and McGillian shared team scoring honors with 12 points each. Harter also had three assists. McConnaha added 10 points – eight in the second half, and McDonough came within one point and one rebound of a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine rebounds to go along with three assists. Erin Bohmueller added five points, three rebounds and three assists while Brooke Fenchel had four points, five rebounds and four assists.
For the Rams, Croyle’s 12 points led the way while Poole had 10, and Brown added seven.
Souderton (20-3, 15-1 SOL) will host Neshaminy in a semifinal game Saturday at 3 p.m. Pennridge (16-7, 11-5) will return to action in the opening round of the District 1 6A Tournament.
Pennridge 15-10-4-11 40
Souderton 13-14-15-12 54
Pennridge (40) – Ella Brown 3 0-0 7; Anna Croyle 3 4-4 12; Katie Yoder 2 1-1 5; Ava Fantaskey 1 0-0 2; Olivia Poole 5 0-0 10; Abby Huskin 1 0-0 3; Layla Verbit 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 15 6-7 40.
Souderton (54) – Erin Bohmueller 2 0-0 5; Brooke Fenchel 1 2-3 4; Mikayla McGillian 5 2-2 12; Casey Harter 4 4-4 12 Grace McDonough 4 1-1 9; Alaina Picard 1 0-0 2; Teya McConnaha 5 0-1 10; TOTALS 22 9-13 54.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Anna Croyle 2, Ella Brown, Abby Huskin; Souderton – Erin Bohmueller.
ABINGTON 61, UPPER MORELAND 41
The Ghosts just had too many weapons for a short-handed Golden Bear squad that was once again without three of its top six players.
The Bears – who received their SOL Freedom Division trophy prior to the game – battled gamely and led 11-10 after one quarter, but sparked by five 3-pointers from Abril Bowser, the Ghosts erupted for 24 points in the second quarter and took a 34-23 lead into halftime on their way to the win. Bowser led all scorers with 18 points on six 3s. Cire Worley added 10 points, and Jordyn Reynolds had eight. Mikiaya Durham finished with seven points.
For the Golden Bears, Holly Gohl had 14 points while Mikel Lancit and Wiley each had nine points. Marie Meyers added six points.
Abington (20-4, 14-2 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh for Saturday’s semifinal game at 7 p.m., and Upper Moreland (18-5, 13-3) is off until next Friday’s opening round of the District 1 5A Tournament.
Upper Moreland 11-12-11-7 41
Abington 10-24-19-8 61
Upper Moreland (41) – Mikel Lancit 4 0-1 9; Alyssa Wiley 3 1-2 9; Eliza Feil 1 0-2 3; Holly Gohl 5 3-4 14; Marie Meyers 1 4-7 6; TOTALS 14 8-16 41.
Cire Worley 5 0-0 10; Harper McGinley 1 0-0 3; Abril Bowser 6 0-0 18; Mikiaya Durham 3 1-1 7; Jordyn Reynolds 4 0-2 8; Piper McGinley 3 1-2 9; Sarah Oleary 1 0-0 2; Florence Ajunwa 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 25 2-5 61.
3-point goals: UM – Alyssa Wiley 2, Mikel Lancit, Olivia Meakim, Marie Meyers; Abington – Abril Bowser 6, Harper McGinley, Piper McGinley 2.
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