Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action. Pennsbury/CR South photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of JD Photography. (CB East/Souderton photo courtesy of Diane Barry/CB East basketball. Souderton net-cutting photos courtesy of Shannon Nase. HH/Quakertown photo courtesy of Diane Waeltz/HH basketball)
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 56, PENNSBURY 46
Sparked by the dazzling 24-point effort of senior Karissa Smedley, the Golden Hawks made it a clean sweep, defeating the Falcons for the second time this season – this time on Pennsbury’s homecourt.
“This was a really good win for our girls,” Rock South coach Blair Klumpp said. “They’ve won six in a row and have been playing really well. Any time you play there, you know it’s going to be a great atmosphere. Frank (Sciolla) has done an incredible job building that connection with the community on both sides (boys and girls).
“We also knew after beating them at South they would be ready to play. You factor in Senior Night, elementary night, and the fact that they are still in the hunt for our division title – there was a lot on the line. We are trying to play our best basketball, see if we can get in the SOL Tournament and host a district playoff game – goals we had before the season, so both teams had some things at stake, and I thought the game reflected that.”
Smedley set the tone for Friday’s game early, scoring nine points – including a 3 – in the first quarter to lead the visitors to a 14-5 lead after one quarter. The Golden Hawks took a 27-17 lead into halftime with Smedley’s 14 points leading the way. Fiona Reckner added 10 first-half points. For the Falcons, junior Sofia Vitucci led the way with seven points.
The Falcons didn’t go down quietly.
“Our girls did a really great job getting off to a quick start – and I think an even better job handling their counterpunch,” Klumpp said. “I was very cognizant in my use of timeouts – they got it down to one point, and our girls responded and stretched the lead out and got some critical stops and rebounds.”
Smedley also had the hot hand for the Golden Hawks in the second half, added 10 points to her total.
“Smed was fantastic tonight,” Klumpp said. “If you ask her, I probably annoy her with how much I tell her to get aggressive and have a certain mentality in the court, but I know what she is capable of, and I know what she wants out of this season for the team. So, I keep pushing her and the last two games she’s risen her game to a different level.
“Every time we seemed to need a play – she stepped up. She’s such a selfless teammate and player and to see her respond to my challenges to be more aggressive and have the game she had tonight was a lot of fun.”
Sofia Vitucci, meanwhile, kept the Falcons in it, scoring nine points in a third quarter that saw the Falcons trim four points off the Golden Hawks’ lead.
The Golden Hawks withstood every comeback attempt by the Falcons and outscored their hosts 19-15 in the fourth quarter. Smedley’s eight points led the charge for the Golden Hawks, who were 7-for-10 at the foul line in the fourth quarter.
For the Falcons, Vitucci scored 14 of her team-high 21 points after the intermission. Oliveah Gilchrist had all nine of her points in the second half.
“There is no shortage of credit to go around,” Klumpp said. “First and foremost, Vitucci is a fantastic player – the shots she gets off over tough defense and her finishes are really impressive – if she’s not the best scorer in the SOL, she’s really close. I thought (Lil) Metrick did a really good job in primary defense, and for most part, our help was good in blitzing her – a few missed assignments, she always seems to make you pay, but overall, our defensive effort was good.
“The girls deserve a ton of credit, most of our timeouts were to re-focus on the game plan, and the girls responded every time, and I’m incredibly proud of that.”
There was plenty of praise to go around after Friday’s win.
“I thought Kat (O’Kane) did a great job understanding our defensive game plan and being primary defender on (Nevaeh) Dash. (Lil) Metrick really guarded Vitucci tough and didn’t lose her much and, again, she was just important for us on defense as she was a threat offensively, which shows growth and maturity in her game.
“KP (Katie Purpura) was a game changer tonight. She touched different stat areas, she hit a big 3 to start the second half, and she came up with numerous loose balls and key rebounds. I thought she took a pounding tonight and just made tough play after tough play. Fiona (Reckner) was another one who was very active on both ends of the court and very efficient offensively.
“The four girls off the bench all contributed too. Cam (Gregory) hit a big 3, (Lily) Bross guarded Vitucci for a stretch and only lost her once on a screen, and Jess (Mangoni) hit two big threes and had a huge block to end the third. Even Maria Freeman played one possession but was put on Vitucci and knew our defensive game plan and paid attention to the scout. I told them before the game – you don’t come into this environment and win against a top team if you’re not playing together and for one another, and for that to happen, everyone needs to be locked in, and even the girls who didn’t get in were engaged and had great energy.”
In addition to scoring 24 points, Smedley also had two blocks and two steals. Reckner added 10 points, Mangoni had eight, and Metrick, seven points. Purpura led the teams with six rebounds and five steals. She also had three assists. Kat O’Kane finished with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“I’m extremely proud of my girls and their effort,” Klumpp said. “My asst coach Ray Horn deserves a lot of credit – we both watch a ton of film and throw 100 ideas a day at each other, but the trust I have in him has allowed us to try and do different things and the girls responded.
“My staff as a whole did a great job making sure we stayed the course with the game plan and the girls’ execution of it was very impressive. You hope a win like this in that environment prepares you for a playoff game but also gives the collective confidence moving forward.”
In addition to Vitucci’s 21 points, Gilchrist had nine and Daniella MacDonald had six on a pair of 3s.
“Tonight was a really tough loss, but you have to give credit to a very talented CR South team,” Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlin Kelly said. “They are the best offensive team in the league. Karissa Smedley had a fantastic night, scoring 24 points.
“We knew coming in that this team was full of shooters, and it still didn’t stop them from making nine 3s. We got into foul trouble early, and it just didn’t allow us to get into our normal defensive groove. From that point on, we were just chasing.”
As a result of the loss, the Falcons are now a game behind Neshaminy in the division standings with one game remaining. The two teams entered Friday’s action sharing the top spot.
Council Rock South (14-6, 9-6) – 15th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings – will travel to neighboring Villa Joseph Marie for a non-league game at 5 p.m., and Pennsbury (16-5, 11-4) will travel to Council North on Tuesday. The Falcons are 12th in the most recent power rankings.
Council Rock South 14-13-10-19 56
Pennsbury 5-12-14-15 46
Council Rock South (56) – Kathryn O’Kane 0 1-3 1; Liliana Metrick 1 4-4 7; Katie Purpura 1 0-0 3; Cam Gregory 1 0-0 3; Fiona Reckner 4 0-0 10; Karissa Smedley 10 2-2 24; Jess Mangoni 2 2-2 8; TOTALS 19 9-11 56.
Pennsbury (46) – Danielle Sherman 1 0-0 3, Sofia Vitucci 8 4-5 21, Oliveah Gilchrist 3 2-3 9, Daniella MacDonald 2 0-0 6, Nevaeh Dash 1 1-2 4, Ava Jordan 1 0-0 2, Neve Davis 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 16 8-12 46.
3-point goals: CRS – Fiona Reckner 2, Karissa Smedley 2, Jess Mangoni 2, Liliana Metrick, Katie Purpura, Cam Gregory; Pennsbury – Daniella Mac Donald 2, Danielle Sherman, Sofia Vitucci, Oliveah Gilchrist, Nevaeh Dash.
NESHAMINY 33, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 26
In a contest that featured more defense than offense, it was the Redskins rallying in the fourth quarter for the come-from-behind win. Neshaminy – as a result of Pennsbury’s loss – now has sole possession of the division’s top spot with one regular season game remaining.
Friday’s win, however, was anything but easy, and the Redskins trailed 9-6 after one quarter.
“The first quarter saw both teams have their share of scoring opportunities with little return on their shots,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “Down 6-4 in the first quarter, Jess Purdy grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a putback to draw the score even, but CR North held the ball for the last shot and was rewarded by a Lizzie Lustig 3-pointer to close out the quarter.
“The pace of the game really slowed in the second quarter, which I thought was in the best interest of CR North. A Lola (Ibarrondo) 3-pointer off transition was the only basket of the quarter for the Lady Skins, but at the same time our defense was stellar.”
The Indians managed just three points in the second quarter, but they still held a 12-9 halftime advantage.
“In the second half, the game became more open which was to the benefit of us,” Gallagher said. “Trailing by two at the end of the third quarter (22-20) and with the ball to start the fourth quarter, we ran a set for Reese (Zemitis) to post, knowing they would give help from the weakside. Taylor Gurysh skipped the ball opposite to Jess Purdy, who knocked down a huge three to put us up 23-22 early in the fourth. Jess has a knack for hitting big shots for us in critical times.
“The fourth quarter belonged to Lola Ibarrondo. We told the girls prior to the start of the fourth quarter, this was a critical game for us in regard to capturing the division, and Lola stepped up. Lola had five steals for the game, but three of them came in the last three minutes of the game. Aside from the five steals, Lola scored seven points in the fourth quarter and assisted on a Zemitis three-point basket in the middle of the quarter. I was very happy with the defense Taylor and Reese played on Jaden (Wan) and Ruth (O’Keefe) throughout the game.”
Zemitis and Ibarrondo led the Redskins with 10 points each. Ibarrondo – in addition to five steals – also had three assists. Zemitis had four rebounds.
For the Indians, Lustig’s 10 points led the way while Delaney McCaffery had seven and Jaden Wan added six.
“We have played so hard and shown so much growth – unfortunately, we have just struggled to get over the hump,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said after his team lost another close one.
Neshaminy (15-5, 12-3 SOL) will host Nazareth Academy on Monday in a non-league game, and Council Rock North (9-12, 4-11) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday.
Neshaminy 6-3-11-13 33
Council Rock North 9-3-10-4 26
Neshaminy (33) – Lola Ibarrondo 2 4-5 10; Taylor Gurysh 3 1-1 8; Reese Zemitis 4 0-1 10; Jess Purdy 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 11 5-7 33.
Council Rock North (26) – Lizzie Lustig 4 0-0 10; Delaney McCaffery 3 1-2 7; Jaden Wan 3 0-0 6; Ruth O’Keefe 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 11 1-2 26.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Lola Ibarrondo 2, Reese Zemitis 2, Taylor Gurysh, Jess Purdy; CRN – Lizzie Lustig 2, Ruth O’Keefe.
BENSALEM 67, HARRY S TRUMAN 28
Kylie Smith had herself a Senior Night to remember.
Bensalem’s lone senior turned in a glittering 23-point performance to lead her team to the decisive win.
“It was a nice win on Senior Night for Kylie Smith’s last game of her career in our gymnasium,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “I am very pleased with the way we shared the ball. Everyone contributed to the game in a positive manner. Hopefully we can bring this momentum into our last game of the season at Neshaminy on Tuesday.”
Smith and teammate Amber Howard combined for 15 first-quarter points to propel the Owls to an early 20-5 lead. By halftime, Howard had 13 points, Smith had 10, and the Owls led 37-18 on their way to the big win in a battle of neighboring rivals.
Smith added 13 points in the second half while Howard had three to finish with 16 points. Sydney McCoy also finished in double figures with 10 while Talia DiMichele had a pair of 3s and eight points.
For the Tigers, Shylah McCleve’s 13 points led the way.
Bensalem (8-13, 3-12 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (0-19, 0-15) will be on the road at Council Rock South on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 5-13-4-6 28
Bensalem 20-17-18-12 67
Harry S Truman (28) – Zakiyah McDuffie 2 0-0 4; Saniya Blount 1 0-0 2; Erynn Bond 2 0-2 5; Kiera Martinez 1 0-2 2; Shylah McCleve 5 3-6 13; Ya’mazijah Thomas 1 0-2 2; TOTALS 12 3-12 28.
Bensalem (67) – Grace McShane 1 0-0 2; Talia DiMichele 3 0-2 8; Mary Beck 2 0-1 4; Victoria Mathieu 0 0-1 0; Devon Bell 1 0-0 2; Sydney McCoy 4 2-3 10; Kylie Smith 10 1-2 23; Ariana Jenkins 1 0-0 2; Amber Howard 7 1-1 16; TOTALS 29 4-10 67.
3-point goals: HST – Erynn Bond; Bensalem – Talia DiMichele 2, Kylie Smith 2, Amber Howard.
SOL Colonial Division
SOUDERTON 41, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 34
Listen to Casey Harter tell it, Senior Nights don’t get any better than this.
“You couldn’t ask for anything better,” the Indians’ senior point guard said. “It was like the perfect night. Just being able to play East on Senior Night and come out with a win, it was an awesome
team effort, and just to cut down the net at the end like we did last year, it was the best feeling.”
For the Indians, it was their second division title in as many years, and according to the players, cutting down the net with Queen’s “We are the Champions” blasting over the sound system will never get old.
“Obviously, we want to get far in districts and states, but just to have this moment and be able to cut down the net with the team is something huge you can’t take for granted,” Harter said.
“It was so fun,” senior Erin Bohmueller said. “We weren’t going to cut the net down tonight, but we really wanted to, so we convinced coach. It was just really good to have it in the same night.”
Harter’s 16 points led the Indians, and also giving the team a huge lift was Bohmueller, who added 11, including a pair of huge 3s.
As for her strong showing, the senior had a simple explanation.
“There’s no science to it – it just happens or it doesn’t,” said Bohmueller, who suffered a painful calf bruise in Souderton’s win over Pennsbury on Jan. 10. “That set me back a little bit, but it’s fully healed now, so I feel good.”
So does her coach.
“Any time (the ball) leaves her hand, I’m happy,” coach Lynn Carroll said. “We need her to take more shots, especially from three. When she’s shooting well, it takes some of the pressure off Casey (Harter) and Teya (McConnaha) to create. The same thing with Mikayla (McGillian).
“One of our goals was for players other than Teya to get offensive rebounds, and I thought Mikayla really went after them tonight. Again, when those kids are playing well, it just takes so much of the pressure off other people.”
The Indians struggled to get separation from the Patriots. It looked as though they would head into halftime with some breathing room after a McGillian putback gave Souderton a 24-17 advantage with 20 seconds remaining in the first half, but with time about to expire, Shayne LeRay buried a 3 to make it a 24-20 game at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Indians opened up a 26-20 lead after McGillian scored yet again on a follow of a Souderton miss, and a 3-pointer by Bohmueller – her second of the night – put the Indians on top 29-20
“I’m so happy for her – she needs to keep shooting, and I’m so glad she had an awesome night,” Harter said of Bohmueller. “She hit shots, and it was huge.”
The Indians took a 34-23 lead into the fourth quarter, allowing the Patriots to score just three points in the third quarter.
“Our third quarter defense was very, very good,” Carroll said. “We made things difficult for them, and to be able to do this on Senior Night, it just makes it an even more special night.
“Six seniors who have given a tremendous amount to this program over four years and all in different ways. I couldn’t be happier that this is how they get to end their night.”
Also for the Indians, McGillian scored eight points and pulled down six rebounds. Teya McConnaha had a team-high eight rebounds. In addition to scoring 16 points, Harter had seven rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot. Bohmueller had three assists.
“We wanted to play well tonight,” Carroll said. “East always makes things difficult for us, and we wanted to feel good about offensively our ability to still be successful against teams that are well coached and are trying to take away our strengths. I thought our girls did that tonight.”
The Indians have won four straight since falling to top-seeded Perkiomen Valley 46-23 on Jan. 21.
“It definitely was not the ideal situation for us with back-to-back games, but obviously, we had no excuses – that wasn’t the excuse for us,” Harter said of her team’s Saturday noon game on the heels of a win at Council Rock South the preceding night. “We didn’t have a good shooting day, we didn’t play as a team. I think we’ve definitely come out better. We had an awesome game today. Since then, it’s been good.”
Bohmueller echoed a similar sentiment.
“That was a Saturday game, and we had just played the night before, so it wasn’t the same feel as the rest of the games,” she said of the PV loss. “But we’re really trying to keep that pregame energy, coming out strong every single time. I think we got just a little too comfortable where we were, and we didn’t come in with the same energy we were hoping
“Our season’s just starting really. We’re really excited for the postseason.”
Chantal Van Dongeren’s eight points, which included two 3s, led the Patriots. Kendall Gregor added seven, and Shayne LeRay had six on a pair of 3s.
Souderton (18-3, 14-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks West in Tuesday’s regular season finale, and Central Bucks East (14-6, 10-5) will host Mount St. Joseph in a non-league game Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Central Bucks East 8-12-3-11 34
Souderton 13-11-10-7 41
Central Bucks East (34) – Erin LeRay 2 1-2 5; Natalie Berndt 1 0-0 3; Shayne LeRay 2 0-0 6; Anna Barry 2 0-0 5; Chantal Van Dongeren 3 0-0 8; Kendall Gregor 1 4-6 7; TOTALS 11 5-8 34.
Souderton (41) – Erin Bohmueller 4 1-2 11; Mikayla McGillian 4 0-2 8; Casey Harter 6 3-5 16; Grace McDonough 2 0-0 4; Teya McConnaha 0 2-5 2; TOTALS 16 6-14 41.
3-point goals: CBE – Shayne LeRay 2, Chantal Van Dongeren 2, Kendall Gregor, Natalie Berndt, Anna Barry; Souderton – Erin Bohmueller 2, Casey Harter.
PENNRIDGE 54, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 48 (OT)
Coach Jason Rapp has seen enough of Central Bucks West for one season.
On Dec. 22, the Bucks handed Rapp’s Pennridge squad a 50-44 loss, and on Friday, West extended the Rams to overtime before they eked out the win in a nail biter.
“CB West, my goodness, both times they played us – they beat us the last time,” the Rams’ coach said. “They’re a tough matchup for us or something. It was a fight. I think we got a little lucky. I would say we escaped this one. We got it to overtime, and we were able to finish the game.”
The difference this time around was the Rams’ 18-for-22 effort at the foul line.
“We attacked the rim, and we made free throws,” Rapp said. “We have not been great from the line. We were 3-for-11 the last game against East.”
The Bucks – behind eight points from Gabi Senior and six from Tai Henkels – took a 30-26 lead into halftime. Katie Yoder’s 12 points led the Rams in the opening half. West took its four-point lead into the fourth quarter but managed just five points in the frame as the Rams – sparked by five points from Yoder – scored nine to knot the score and set the stage for overtime.
In OT, the Rams did all of their damage at the foul line, connecting on 9-of-12 with Yoder’s 4-for-4 leading the way.
Yoder led all scorers with 24 points, which included a perfect 7-for-7 effort at the foul line and three 3-pointers. Anna Croyle had one three and was 6-for-6 at the foul line – she finished with 15 points while Ella Brown added 14 with a pair of 3s and a 4-for-5 effort at the line.
“I thought this was Anna Croyle’s best game offensively – she was really good offensively,” Rapp said. “Brown was her normal self – she was consistent, and Katie was Katie.
“(West) hit shots – they hit 3s against us. We’ve been pretty good defending the 3-point shot this year. They just got loose, and they hit shots.
“You hate playing teams on their Senior Night. They had great energy. They had a couple of girls early in the game who got to start and did a nice job for them. Again, they play hard for Zach, and they did tonight on Senior Night and we were fortunate to come out with a win.”
For the Bucks, Henkels led the way with 12 points on four 3s while Gabi Senior had eight, including two 3s. Ava Longo added seven points while Katie Finnan had six.
Pennridge (15-6, 10-5 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in Tuesday’s regular season finale, and Central Bucks West (7-14, 5-10) will travel to Souderton on Tuesday.
Pennridge 15-11-10-9-9 54
Central Bucks West 12-18-10-5-3 48
Pennridge (54) – Ella Brown 4 4-5 14; Grace Rosica 0 0-2 0; Anna Croyle 4 6-6 15; Katie Yoder 7 7-7 24; Ava Fantaskey 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 15 18-22 54.
Central Bucks West (48) – Gabby Senior 3 0-0 8, Tia Henkels 4 0-0 12, Taylor Madden 1 0-0 2, Katie Finnan 2 2-2 6, Nia Perry 2 0-0 5, Alexis Castro 1 0-0 2, Ava Longo 3 1-2 7, Rechner 0 3-3 3, Janelle Blokker 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 17 6-7 48
3-point goals: Pennridge – Katie Yoder 3, Ellal Brown 2, Anna Croyle; CBW – Tai Henkels 4, Gabi Senior 2, Nia Perry, Janelle Blokker.
NORTH PENN 43, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 29
Abby Plaugher celebrated Senior Night with a glittering 21-point performance, leading the Knights to the big win on a night to honor the team’s four seniors.
“Obviously, you always want to win, but tonight it was for the seniors, and the underclassmen really knew that,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “We have some seniors that don’t always get big minutes in each game, but they do make this team go, and it was really important that they got a win tonight.”
The Titans – behind five points from Ella Wheeler – led 11-9 after one quarter, but the Knights took an 18-17 lead into halftime. Plaugher and Olivea Stone accounted for 16 of the Knights’ 18 first-half points with Plaugher contributing nine and Stone, seven.
Plaugher added five points in a third quarter that saw the Knights keep the Titans off the scoreboard as they opened up a 28-17 lead on their way to the win.
“Our defense was really promising,” Cullen said. “We kept Yoyo Samayoa to 11 points, and that was our game plan to take her out of the game and make some other players put up big points. That really helped us.”
In addition to Plaugher, Stone scored 15.
Samayoa’s 11 points led the Titans while Wheeler had nine. Jules Tropea added six.
North Penn (11-10, 9-6 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East in Tuesday’s regular season finale. The Knights are 22nd in the latest District 1 6A powering rankings. Central Bucks South (7-13, 3-12) will travel to Upper Moreland for a non-league game Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
Central Bucks South 11-6-0-12 29
North Penn 9-9-10-15 43
Central Bucks South (29) – Ella Wheeler 4 0-0 9; Jules Tropea 2 2-4 6; Yoyo Samayoa 4 2-2 11; Mia Klein 0 3-6 3; Emma Carver 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 10 7-14 29.
North Penn (43) – Caleigh Sperling 2 0-0 4; Abby Plaugher 6 7-8 21; Kelly Donnelly 1 0-0 3; Liv Stone 6 3-4 15; TOTALS 15 10-12 43.
3-point goals: CBS – Ella Wheeler, Yoyo Samayoa; NP – Abby Plaugher 2, Kelly Donnelly.
SOL Liberty Division
HATBORO-HORSHAM 38, QUAKERTOWN 32
The Hatters trailed by five at the end of the first quarter and five at halftime. They still trailed by three after three quarters. It turns out they saved their best for last, outscoring their visitors 16-7 to earn the hard-fought win that snapped a three-game losing streak.
“It is a big win – we’ve really been struggling,” HH coach Eric Glemser said. “I was happy for the seniors, I was happy for the team. They really needed a win.”
The Hatters were 24 hours removed from a 51-27 loss to Great Valley, and they responded with a defensive gem Friday but trailed 18-13 at halftime.
“I said to them at halftime, ‘Listen, you played a great defensive half,’” Glemser said. “The problem is we missed layups, we struggled from the free throw line and even down the stretch we did when they were fouling us. We’re up a couple of points and I’m telling them to be patient, and we’re jacking up shots. Quakertown hammered us on the boards.
“It was one of those games – even though we were winning, we were hanging on for dear life. For us, our problem all year is scoring single points or no points in a quarter. We scored 16 in the fourth quarter and held them to single digits in all four quarters, which might be a first for us this year.”
The key to the Hatters win was unquestionably their defense that limited Quakertown’s Carolyn Sipprell and Katie Catalano to just three field goals and 12 points between them.
“We basically played a triangle-and-two on Sipprell and Catalano,” Glemser said. “Kitty (Randa) played Sipprell the whole time. Caroline (Shegogue) and Alyssa Tooley were taking turns on Catalano.
“We haven’t really run the tandem that much this year, but we tried it tonight because Catalano and Sipprell lit us up the last time we played them. Sipprell’s coming off a 30-point game. We wanted to let everyone else beat us, and they didn’t.”
Sipprell and Kayla Sicher led the Panthers with 12 points each. Sipprell’s 12 points included a 6-for-8 effort at the foul line. Catalano was kept off the scoreboard. Sipprell led the Panthers under the backboards with 12 rebounds to go along with two blocks and two steals. Sicher added 10 points, and Ava Pistone had six.
For the Hatters, Randa and Leah Harrington led the way with 10 points each. Allie Hewish added eight points.
“We got Caroline Shegogue back after missing three straight with a back injury, Maggie Smith was back – she had stiches in the Abington game,” Glemser said. “It was a little disappointing – we had a lot of injuries this year. We lost to Lower Moreland by one missing three starters. It’s just tough.”
Hatboro-Horsham (8-13, 6-9 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday, and Quakertown (10-11, 7-8) will host Abington on Tuesday.
Quakertown 13-5-7-7 32
Hatboro-Horsham 8-5-9-16 38
Quakertown (32) – Carolyn Sipprell 3 6-8 12; Addyson Davis 2 0-0 4; Ava Pistone 0 1-4 1; Kayla Sicher 6 0-1 12; Carli Maha 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 12 8-15 32.
Hatboro-Horsham (38) – Caroline Shegogue 1 1-4 3; Abby Waeltz 2 0-0 4; Kitty Randa 3 3-8 10; Allie Hewish 3 1-2 8; Leah Harrington 2 6-7 10; Alyssa Tooley 0 1-3 1; Maddy Patel 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 12 12-24 38.
3-point goals: HH – Kitty Randa, Allie Hewish.
ABINGTON 64, WISSAHICKON 40
The Ghosts took an early lead and never looked back on their way to the decisive win. Appropriately, it was a pair of seniors – Cire Worley and Abril Bowser – leading the Ghosts to the Senior Night win. Worley had a game-high 23 points while Bowser added 13, which included four 3-pointers in a contest that saw the Ghosts bury nine shots from beyond the arc.
“A big thanks to the seniors – Maura Day, Carley Slavin, Abril Bowser and Cire Worley,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said.
Worley’s 14 points led the Ghosts to a 33-18 halftime lead. Bowser had eight points in the first half.
In addition to Worley and Bowser, Maya Johnson added six points for the Ghosts.
For the Trojans, Kaitlyn McGeary posted another double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Kylie Friedman added 11 points and two steals. Claira Baldasano added three rebounds while Julia Lettieri had two assists and one steal.
Abington (18-4, 13-2 SOL) will close out its regular season Tuesday at Quakertown, and Wissahickon (5-16, 3-12) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh Tuesday.
Wissahickon 10-8-12-10 40
Abington 20-13-17-14 64
Wissahickon (40) – Eva Schools 1 0-2 2; Kaitlyn McGeary 7 6-8 20; Julia Lettieri 1 0-0 2; Claira Baldasano 1 1-2 3; Kylie Friedman 3 3-3 11; Chle Acuna 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 10-15 40.
Abington (64) – Cire Worley 7 8-8 23; Maya Johnson 2 2-2 6; Harper McGinley 1 0-0 3; Abril Bowser 5 2-3 16; Mikiaya Durham 2 0-2 5; Jordyn Reynolds 0 1-2 1; Piper McGinley 0 0-2 0; Sarah Oleary 1 0-0 2; Carley Slavin 1 0-0 3; Florence Ajunwa 1 1-2 4; Haley Hernandez 0 1-2 1; 20 15-23 64.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Kylie Friedman 2; Abington – Abril Bowser 4, Cire Worley, Harper McGinley, Mikiaya Durham, Carley Slavin, Florence Ajunwa.
SOL Freedom Division
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 59, WILLIAM TENNENT 46
The Lions erupted for 21 first-quarter points, opening up a 14-point lead that proved to be the difference in the game. A senior and freshman once again were the catalysts for the Lions with Reagan Chrencik leading all scorers with 19 points and Gabby D’Agostino adding 18.
“We had really good shooting performance tonight,” New Hope coach Steve Polinsky said. “Reagan played really well, and she and Gabby really played off each other.
“Izzy Elizondo had another double figure game since her injury. Gabby and Reagan combined for 9-for-10 from the foul line in the second half.”
D’Agostino’s five points led the Lions in their first-quarter uprising. By halftime, D’Agostino had 11 points, and the Lions led 38-24. Izzy Elizondo added nine points while Chrencik had seven and Emily Wilson, six points. Morgan Volz ad Alyssa Lewicki each had 10 points in the half to lead the Panthers.
“The first quarter was the difference in the game,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We got off to a slow start and New Hope was hot. It seemed like it didn’t matter what defense we played they moved the ball so well and shot the lights out – 24 of their 38 points the first half were 3s.
“It’s tough to make that up and win, but I’m extremely proud of how hard we played and the fact that we didn’t quit. In years past we would have folded if a team had a first half start like that and probably end up losing by 30-40 points, but that’s not the case with this team. They find a way to keep playing and compete. Our future is definitely bright.”
The second half was pretty much a draw with the visiting Panthers holding a 22-21 edge.
“Laura’s has that team playing so well and the future is bright for them,” Polinsky said. “They play the right way and never give up. Morgan Volz had a very nice game tonight.”
Volz led all scorers with 20 points, Lewicki finished with 10 while Avery Kocur and Halie Staub both had seven.
“Morgan Volz had a monster game tonight,” Whitney said. “It was by far her best all-around performance of the season. She was really assertive offensively with some strong post-ups and finished well around the basket.
“Defensively she played smart and was a big presence around the basket. She also did a great job on the boards at both ends. That’s one area she has really improved this season is how well she is pursuing the rebounds and being stronger with the ball.”
New Hope-Solebury (14-7, 12-3 SOL) will be on the road at Upper Moreland for a key division contest Tuesday. William Tennent (9-12, 6-9) will host Lower Moreland on Tuesday.
New Hope-Solebury 21-17-10-11 59
William Tennent 7-17-13-9 46
William Tennent (46) – Ella Mednick 1 0-0 2; Avery Kocur 3 1-3 7; Halie Staub 2 2-2 7; Alyssa Lewicki 3 2-2 10; Morgan Volz 10 0-2 20; TOTALS 19 5-9 46.
New Hope-Solebury (59) – Gabby D’Agostino 5 5-6 18; Ella Dudick 1 0-0 2; Izzy Elizondo 5 0-0 11; Emily Wilson 2 0-0 6; Reagan Chrencik 7 4-4 19; Kayla Fennell 0 0-3 0; Anna Chur 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 21 9-13 59.
3-point goals: WT – Halie Staub 2, Avery Kocur; NHS – Gabby D’Agostino 3, Emily Wilson 2, Izzy Elizondo, Reagan Chrencik, Anna Chur.
UPPER MORELAND 55, CHELTENHAM 36
Holly Gohl scored 10 points in the first quarter, propelling the Golden Bears to an 18-5 lead on their way to the decisive win. Gohl finished with 23 points – which included two 3s – to lead UM in a contest that saw the Golden Bears connect for nine 3s.
“We came out red hot and really jumped on them early,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “We made five first half 3s and did a great job pushing the ball in transition.
“Mikel (Lancit) facilitated well off misses and got her teammates easy baskets. Holly was really good running rim to rim, and she got rewarded for her efforts.
“Alyssa (Wiley) and Allie (LaRocco) were great for us all night and knocked down open shots created by their teammates. We get open looks consistently, and when we shoot a high percentage on open looks, we can be very balanced offensively and tough for teams to focus in on one player. We had six different girls make a 3 for us tonight which is big. Defensively we were really disciplined in the first half, contested shots without fouling and rebounded well.”
By halftime, Gohl had 14 points, and the Golden Bears led 32-10. The Lady Panthers outscored their hosts 26-23 in the second half but never could put a dent in UM’s lead. Paige Powell’s 11 second-half points led the Lady Panthers.
“As they always do, Cheltenham and Coach Bo didn’t stop coming at us, regardless of the score,” Carroll said. “Without Jiah Price, they are a little short-handed, but Powell stepped up big time for them. She was extremely aggressive, especially in the second half and I was really impressed. She didn’t care who was around her, she was destined to get into the paint and make something happen.
“We got a little lackadaisical in the second half and fouled way too much. We just have to be more consistent for four quarters, regardless of the score. This win guaranteed us at least a share of the league championship for the third straight year. I hope that the players, coaches, and even the fans don’t take this accomplishment for granted. A lot of time and energy has gotten us to this point. When we get a chance to really reflect on it, I hope everyone is extremely proud.”
In addition to Gohl, LaRocca and Wiley each added eight points.
For the Lady Panthers, Powell led the way with 16 while Maya Simmons added eight.
“Matt does a fantastic job with his team,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “No matter who is in the lineup, they don’t miss a beat. We played hard for four quarters but just couldn’t keep up. We look to end the season on a high note with Tuesday’s Senior night finale.”
Upper Moreland (18-2, 13-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks South in a non-league game Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Cheltenham (6-15, 2-13) will host Springfield Township on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 5-5-10-16 36
Upper Moreland 18-14-11-12 55
Cheltenham (36) – Paige Powell 4 7-13 16; Maya Simmons 3 2-4 8; Janiya Townes 2 0-0 4; Arianna Davis 2 0-0 5; Cassie Bugg 0 2-4 0; Katie Barnes 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 11 12-21 36.
Upper Moreland (55) – Mikel Lancit 1 0-0 3; Lianna Adames 2 0-0 5; Alyssa Wiley 3 0-0 8; Lilly Hansen 1 2-4 4; Holly Gohl 9 3-4 23; Marie Meyers 1 1-2 4; Allie LaRocco 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 20 6-10 55.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Paige Powell, Arianna Davis; UM – Alyssa Wiley 2, Holly Gohl 2, Allie LaRocco 2, Mikel Lancit, Lianna Adames, Marie Meyers.
LOWER MORELAND 57, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 28
The Spartans celebrated Senior Night prior to Friday’s game and then came out and edged the visiting Lions 10-9 in the opening quarter. The Lions outscored their hosts 16-9 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 25-19 lead. They put the game out of reach with a 19-4 third quarter.
“Tonight was senior night for Springfield, and one of our goals was to match their intensity early,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “I think the girls took that too far as we had six fouls in the first five minutes of the game, including two starters with two apiece.
“That hurt our rhythm early. Early in the second quarter, our fouls continued, and it was back and forth, and our bench players came in and did a nice job keeping us in the game and then some. It was back and forth in the first half, and freshman Alexis MacPhee hit a couple of corner 3s in transition, and that seemed to settle us down. Her 3s along with a pair of Amelia Brown 3-pointers allowed us to take a six-point lead into the half.
“During halftime, we got after the girls and challenged them to do a better job of defending in the paint and boxing out as 16 of Springfield’s first half points were in close and 12 of those were the result of offensive rebounds and putbacks. The girls responded in a big way, winning the second half 32-9. They really rebounded well, and they attacked the zone by going inside out and we made a season high nine 3-pointers.”
Liz Neeld’s 15 points, which included four 3-pointers, led the Lions. Amelia Brown had three 3s for nine points, and Brianna McFerran added eight. Jess Shein had seven points while Nikki Sahl and MacPhee each had six.
“Our unofficial stats had us shooting 9-for-16 from the 3-point line – when I saw that we shot so well from beyond the arc, I had to make sure it wasn’t New Hope’s 3-point shooting percentage,” Becker said with a laugh. “Last night Liz Neeld fouled out in 13 minutes of game time and was held scoreless (in LM’s win over Jenkintown), so I thought she might have a big game for us, and we were right. Liz had 15 points while going 4-for-5 from behind the arc and was strong all game long on the defensive end. This was one of her two best games of the year for her.
“It was the first time this year that I thought the girls consistently worked inside out against the zone, protected the ball and converted on our open looks. Hopefully that can carry over to our season finale Tuesday against William Tennent.”
For the Spartans, Ashley Jenkins had 10 points while Alana Decker had nine points, which included two 3s.
Lower Moreland (7-14, 4-11 SOL) will be on the road at William Tennent Tuesday, and Springfield Township (5-15, 0-15) will be on the road at Cheltenham Tuesday.
Lower Moreland 9-16-19-13 57
Springfield Township 10-9-4-5 28
Lower Moreland (57) – Brianna McFerran 3 2-4 8; Maddy Rossiter 2 0-2 4; Amelia Brown 3 0-0 9; Jess Shein 3 1-3 7; Liz Neeld 5 1-2 15; Nikki Sahl 3 0-0 6; Keira Huber 1 0-0 2; Alexis MacPhee 2 0-0 6; TOTALS 22 4-11 57.
Springfield Twp (27) – Alana Decker 3 0-0 8; Jayla Daniels 2 1-3 5; Paige Robinson 2 0-0 4; Delaney Lake 0 1-3 1; Ashley Jenkins 3 4-5 10; Ava Culler 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 10 6-11 28.
3-point goals: LM -Liz Neeld 4, Amelia Brown 3, Alexis MacPhee 2; Springfield Twp – Alana Decker 2.
Non-league
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 52, DOBBINS TECH 22
A last- minute cancellation by Scranton Prep – PW’s scheduled opponent at the Maggie Lucas Classic – gave the Colonials an opening to schedule another game. While the level of competition was vastly different than if they had played Scranton Prep, Friday’s non-league game against Dobbins Tech served a useful purpose.
“We got a chance to rest Abby (Sharpe), Erin (Daley) and (Angelina) Balcer,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “It allowed kids that don’t get to play a lot to have a bigger role today – Azzy Crumpton, Joslyn Perez, Haley O’Hara and Taylor Williams.”
Those players seized the moment as all nine players who saw action seized the moment.
The Colonials, who led 20-4 after one quarter, took a 30-11 lead into halftime on their way to the lopsided win.
Crumpton’s 10 points led PW’s balanced attack. Freshman AJ Avery added nine points. Abby Sharpe and Erin Daley added eight and seven points respectively in limited action. Taylor Williams finished with six points.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (19-2, 14-1 SOL) will celebrate Senior Day Tuesday when the Colonials host Wissahickon in their regular season finale.
Dobbins Tech 4-7-6-5 22
Plymouth Whitemarsh 20-10-16-6 52
Dobbins Tech (22) Elnora 4 0-4 8; Synii 4 0-0 9; J.Raniyah 1 0-0 2; M.Raniyah 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 10 0-4 22.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (52) – Azzy Crumpton 3 4-6 10; Angelina Balcer 1 1-2 4; Taylor Williams 2 1-1 6; AJ Avery 2 4-6 9; Kenna Winland 1 0-0 2; Haley O’Hara 1 0-0 3; Erin Daley 3 0-0 7; Abby Sharpe 4 0-0 8; Joslyn Perez 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 18 10-15 52.
3-point goals: Dobbins Tech – Synii, M.Raniyah; PW – Angelina Balcer, Taylor Williams, AJ Avery, Haley O’Hara, Erin Daley, Joslyn Perez.
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