Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. Neshaminy/Bensalem photos courtesy of John Gleeson, and William Tennent/New Hope photos courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for galleries of both games. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ GIRLS BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 41, PENNSBURY 35
It’s official.
Council Rock South clinched sole possession of its first championship since 2014, but it wasn’t easy.
The two teams were deadlocked at 18 at halftime, and the Falcons came out in the third quarter and outscored their visitors 13-9 to take a 31-27 lead into the final quarter.
Key stretch: The Golden Hawks turned up their defense in the final quarter, outscoring the Falcons 13-4. Fiona Reckner’s eight points led the charge.
Key players: Fiona Reckner’s 16 points included a pair of 3-pointers and a 6-for-8 effort at the foul line. Bella Hettler added seven points.
Maggie Burns scored 11 points to lead the Falcons. Ava Jordan added 10, and Sammie Hawks had nine on three 3-pointers.
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky on the division title: “It means a lot. I’m really happy for the girls. For the last couple of years, they’ve had different coaches, and that has not been easy, to say the least, and I give them a lot of credit for their perseverance and dedication to the sport. My five seniors just led the team this year, and I’m so proud of them.
“The girls will tell you – this was our goal the whole year. This is the first league championship since 2014. I had no idea. There’s only one championship in 2014, so that gave us ammunition to talk to the team about accomplishments. Every time we were in the gym we looked at that banner. The seniors just did a great job. I’m so proud of them.”
–Coming from behind: “We knew they were going to try to keep the pace of the game slow, and in the fourth quarter, we became a little more aggressive on defense. That gave us a lot more energy, and then we played our type of basketball.
“Pennsbury did a great job. They shot really well. It’s never easy to play Frank (Sciolla) – we know that. They have a great environment, nothing but praise. They played hard. They’re young, and they’re going to be really good, but we just found a way.
“It was the senior leadership – composure at the end, and I think that’s what helped us.”
–Props: “Fiona Reckner had a huge game for us. She played great on both sides of the ball. She scored 16 points and hit some tough foul shots at the end of the game. Our senior leadership was incredible at the end of the game. Fiona, Kat O’Kane, Lil Metrick and Sarah and Maria Freeman all were very steady in the fourth quarter. Our experience helped us pull out this game. Our juniors, Emerson Gunther and Bella Hettler, both had steady games for us tonight.”
Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlin Kelly: “Tonight was a really tough and physical game, and we are proud of how our group of girls has handled themselves throughout the season so far. We know we’re always pinned as the underdogs, and that’s just how we like it.
“This CR South group is one that you cannot make too many mistakes against or they make you pay. We played very tough the entire game, even leading going into the fourth quarter. Try as we may, and we certainly did, but we could not draw a foul no matter how many times we attacked the basket. Congratulations to them on a terrific season. Their group of seniors have been so good for them these past four years. They’ve worked really hard to get to this point, and they deserve it.”
Up next: Council Rock South (18-3, 9-1 SOL), 10th in the latest District 1 6A rankings, is projected to host a home game in Friday’s opening round of the SOL Tournament. Pennsbury (14-8, 7-3), 14th in the latest rankings, is also expected to participate in the upcoming SOL Tournament with the seedings to be finalized Wednesday night.
Council Rock South 9-9-9-14 41
Pennsbury 5-13-13-4 35
Council Rock South (41) – Sarah Freeman 1 0-0 3; Lil Metrick 0 1-2 1; Maria Freeman 1 0-0 3; Emerson Gunther 1 2-2 5; Kathryn O’Kane 1 1-2 6; Bella Hettler 3 1-2 7; Fiona Reckner 4 6-8 16; TOTALS 12 11-16 41.
Pennsbury (35) – Emily Panaro 1 0-0 2; Maggie Burns 5 1-2 11; Sammie Haws 3 0-0 9; Alyssa Thomas 1 1-2 3; Ava Jordan 4 1-1 10; TOTALS 14 3-5 35.
3-point goals: CRS – Fiona Reckner 2, Sarah Freeman, Maria Freeman Emerson Gunther, Kathryn O’Kane; P – Sammie Haws 3, Ava Jordan.
NESHAMINY 38, BENSALEM 32
The Owls needed a win to keep their season alive, and they rebounded from a 9-4 deficit to take a 17-15 lead at halftime. The Redskins came out of halftime and scored 14 points to go on top 29-26 and then
outscored the Owls by three in the fourth quarter.
“The harshness of the Bensalem defeat was not lost on our players or coaches,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “The realization that your four years has come to an end hits hard and was very evident tonight after the game. Those three seniors have given their very best to Coach Johnson and the program. Their disappointment is a credit to the Bensalem program and that it meant so much to them.”
With the win, the Redskins finished the regular season in second place in the SOL Patriot Division, one game behind Council Rock South.
At halftime of Tuesday’s regular season finale, the Redskins honored the Maple Point Middle School team that won their league championship for the second consecutive year.
Key stretch: The Redskins limited the Owls to just 15 second-half points.
Player of the Game: Mia Raivitch 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals
Also for the Redskins, Hayley Kolk added 12 points, and Alena Cofield had eight points, 11 rebounds and four steals.
For the Owls, Devon Bell led the way with 15 points on five 3-pointers.
Neshaminy coach John Gallagher on the game: “Bensalem was in a win or go home situation tonight facing us. We knew they were playing for everything to continue their season and in general we do not match up well with their roster. This made it a very dangerous situation for us, and when you add in senior night, along with a boys varsity game played before us going into double OT, it gave me cause to worry. While we led 9-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, it was only because Bensalem got great looks that didn’t fall for them, it was nothing we did on defense. We
reminded the players that we were not stopping them, but they were missing makeable shots. Unfortunately, we are good at predicting the future, as Bensalem knocked down eight three-point baskets in the last three quarters.
“Sophomore Mia Raivitch, who has been invaluable for us this season, stepped forward to score some huge baskets for us when we were struggling on the offensive end. Mia scored six of her game high 12 points in the fourth quarter, including two big foul shots to help ice the game. Mia’s understanding of our concepts on both ends of the floor is off the charts and a main reason she plays so many minutes for us; she is hard to take off the court. Mia wasn’t feeling well since Friday but fought through it and came out tonight with a purpose to ensure we did not lose Alena’s senior day game.”
–Props: “To our TEAM: As a staff we could not be prouder of what this team has accomplished so far this year. We spoke after the game in the locker room how last year three seniors combined for 2,800 varsity points and they were gone to graduation. In year-end individual close-out meetings, we had to convince the players that we were going to be alright the upcoming season. The players asked point blank, who is going to score for us; what will my role be? We had to figure out how to score with Alena Cofield being our leading returning scorer with an average of just 4.2 points per game last season.
“In the locker room, we tracked our rise from being ranked 24th in the district to currently sitting at 11th on the heels of our current five-game win streak. We did that to mentally engage the players and give them a visual of where we were and where we
need to go. This is our fourth year as coaches and this team is the most engaged roster from top to bottom that we have ever had here. This is directly attributed to senior captain Alena Cofield. From the day she was chosen as captain, she did everything possible to shape the demeanor of our players into a team that is now 17-5.”
Bensalem coach Steve Johnson: “Really proud of the way our team, especially our three seniors carried themselves throughout this year. Talia, Devon, and Ariana are three great basketball players but even better human beings. They did things the right way and showed up each and every day ready to go. They should be proud of the way they represented themselves and Bensalem Girls’ Basketball. I know for sure I am proud of them.”
Up next: Neshaminy (17-5, 8-2 SOL) will be in action in the Suburban One League Tournament while Bensalem saw its regular season end with a 12-10 record.
Bensalem 4-13-9-6 32
Neshaminy 9-6-14-9 38
Bensalem (32) – Talia DiMichele 2 2-2 7; Mary Beck 2 0-0 6; Grace McShane 1 0-0 2; Devon Bell 5 0-0 15; Ariana Jenkins 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 11 2-2 32.
Neshaminy (38) – Alena Cofield 3 2-4 8; Ashlyn Duffy 1 0-0 3; Auslyn Wilkins 1 0-0 3; Mia Raivitch 4 3-4 12; Hayley Kolk 3 4-5 12; TOTALS 12 9-13 38.
3-point goals: B – Devon Bell 5, Mary Beck 2, Talia DiMichele; N – Hayley Kolk 2, Auslyn Wilkins, Ashlyn Duffy, Mia Raivitch.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 40, HARRY S TRUMAN 37
The Indians won a thriller at Truman on their Senior Night. The Tigers honored Camille Monroe and Shy McCleave prior to the game.
Truman led 9-6 after one quarter, but the Indians outscored their hosts 15-7 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 21-16 lead. The second half was evenly played with both teams scoring 13 in the third quarter, allowing the Indians to maintain their five-point lead on their way to the win.
Key players: Three players scored 11 points each for the Indians – Skyler Wright, Julia Koval and Amara Arroyo.
For the Tigers, Niya Lynch scored nine points, and Shy McCleve had eight.
Council Rock North coach Jack Kelly: “First off, hats off to Coach McMiller on the fabulous job she has done in her first year at Truman. Her team has grown a lot, and tonight I thought they played some inspired basketball on their senior night. Shy McCleve came out and set the tone early for them with her rebounding and physical post play.
“I thought overall we showed some really good resilience in a tough environment. After a slow start, we had a much better second quarter.
“However, after getting up 10 and seemingly being in control in the third, we made some crucial mistakes that let them get back in the game, and they just fed off the energy and momentum.:
–Props: “In the fourth, Skyler hit a big jumper, and Julia had some huge plays around the rim, and we did a good job defensively to finish the job. We did some good things tonight, we were able to pull out a win, but there are certainly areas that we need to improve ahead of our final game on Thursday.”
“Amara Arroyo had a huge impact on the game with her aggressive takes to the basket and active hands defensively. In the third quarter, Julia Koval, Brynn Rodgers, and Addie Martin were huge on the boards. Megan Reichenbach came up with some huge deflections defensively as well. And Josie Boyle gave us good minutes as we dealt with foul trouble.”
Up next: Council Rock North (4-17, 2-8) will host Hatboro-Horsham in a non-league game Thursday. Harry S Truman closed out its season with a 2-16 record.
Council Rock North 6-15-13-6 40
Harry S Truman 9-7-13-8. 37
Council Rock North (40) – Skyler Wright 4 1-2 11; Julia Koval 4 3-5 11; Amara Arroyo 3 5-8 11; Addie Martin 0 3-6 3; Brynn Rodgers 0 0-4 0; Megan Reichenbach 2 1-2 6; TOTALS 13 13-27 42.
Harry S Truman (37) – Niya Lynch 2 0-0 4; Julianna Romer 0 4-4 4; Kylee Ennis 3 0-0 6; Brie Philemonde 1 2-2 5; Shy Mccleve 3 2-7 8; Mikaisa Jones 3 0-0 6; Smith 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 8-11 37.
3-point goals: CRN – Skyler Wright 2, Meg Reichenbach; HST – Brie Philemond.
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN 54, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 44
The visiting Knights handed the Patriots – who clinched sole possession of the SOL Colonial title on Friday – their first and only loss in league play.
North Penn, which led 13-8 after one quarter, took a tenuous 25-24 lead into halftime. Lily Brown (9 points) and Mehya Godhania (8 points) combined for 17 points in the half. Jess Lockwood kept the Patriots in it with 13 first-half points.
Key stretch: The Knights outscored their hosts 18-10 in the third quarter. Brown had six points, which included a 4-for-4 effort at the foul line. Godhania and Cam Crowley both added five points in the quarter.
Key players: Lily Brown once again led the Knights, scoring a team high 19 points. Sophomore Mehya Godhania added three 3s and scored 13 points, and Cam Crowley contribued 10 points. Leah Mikulski had eight, which included a perfect 6-for-6 at the foul line.
For the Patriots, Jess Lockwood led the way with 21 points, which included five 3-pointers. Haley Moran added 12 points.
North Penn coach Bri Cullen: “It was close the whole game. I think the biggest thing is we really, really executed our defense tonight. I tell them all the time – ‘Defense is going to win you big games,’ and all season it’s been the same story. When we win, it’s been our defense is executing the plan. Our energy on defense reflected on our decision making on offense.
“The last game they had 30 points in the paint against us, so we really tried to pack the paint, we really tried to protect the rim. We forced maybe a little more uncomfortable jump shots.
“East is very good. They’re very well coached, so we had to commit to a plan and live and die by it. All the credit in the world to my girls because they really bought in.”
“I don’t think our record is indicative of our talent. I think we took the first half of the season and really needed to grow and learn. It was a whole different team. We’re starting to mold together right now at the perfect time.
“I shortened the bench tonight – only six people saw the floor, but the entire team contributed today, so it wasn’t just the girls who played. Everybody knew the game plan, everybody was participating on the bench, so I couldn’t ask for more.”
–Upping their game: “With the postseason coming up, the returners know how much talent they’re going to see, how fast the pace of the game is, and the underclassmen are starting to step up, and they’re starting to buy in. You can just see they’re starting to play together and play for something bigger than just themselves. I’m hoping this continues. I’m proud of them for how hard they worked tonight.”
Up next: North Penn (12-10, 8-2 SOL), 17th in the latest District 1 6A rankings, is on the bubble to earn a spot in the SOL Tournament. Central Bucks East, the third seed in the latest rankings, will host a home game Friday in the opening round of the SOL Tournament. The eight-team field will be finalized Wednesday night.
North Penn 13-12-18-11 54
Central Bucks East 8-16-10-10 44
North Penn (54) – Cam Crowley 4 1-2 10; Lily Brown 7 4-4 19; Leah Mikulski 1 6-6 8; Jadyn Sperling 2 0-0 4; Mehya Godhania 5 0-0 13; TOTALS 19 11-12 54.
Central Bucks East (44) – Marley Metz 1 0-0 2; Sydney Ralph 0 2-2 2; Haley Moran 6 0-0 13; Emma Penecale 1 1-2 3; Natalie Berndt 1 1-2 3; Jess Lockwood 8 0-0 21; TOTALS 17 4-6 44.
3-point goals: NP – Mehya Godhania 3, Cam Crowley, Lily Brown; CBE – Jess Lockwood 5, Haley Moran.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 43, SOUDERTON 37
The Titans, who led by one after a quarter, took a 21-17 lead into halftime. Mia Klein – whose 24 points led all scorers – had the hot hand for the Titans, scoring 10 first-half points.
In the third quarter, Souderton – behind six points from Emily Dick – trimmed a point off South’s lead to remain within striking distance heading into the final quarter, trailing 32-29. The Titans outscored their hosts by three in the fourth quarter to earn the win in their regular season finale.
Key players: Mia Klein connected on three 3-pointers and finished with 24 points to lead all scorers. Gabby Tropea (8 points) and Jules Tropea (7 points) also made important contributions.
Emily Dick’s 10 points led the Indians, who got eight points from Julia Purvy and seven from Kiera Fadden.
Central Bucks South coach Beth Mattern: “Tonight’s game was a hard-fought win as Souderton played hard and left it all on the court for their seniors tonight.
“I thought we played a better second half than first. We definitely struggled to finish at times. Luckily, Mia Klein was able to put us on her back and finished well tonight. Overall, it was a hard-fought team win.”
Up next: Central Bucks South (12-10, 6-4 SOL) is ranked 24th in the latest District 1 6A rankings. Souderton closed out its season with a 9-13 record overall.
Central Bucks South 8-13-11-11 43
Souderton 7-10-12-8 37
Central Bucks South (43) – Ella Wheeler 0 2-4 2; Jules Tropea 2 3-5 7; Mia Klein 7 7-13 24; Gabby Tropea 4 0-1 8; Rylee Campbell 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 14 12-23 43.
Souderton (37) – Jacquelyn Bermel 1 0-0 2; Julia Purvy 3 2-4 8; Olivia Herron 1 0-0 2; Madison Bealer 1 0-0 2; Kiera Fadden 3 1-1 7; Avie Sackor 1 0-0 2; Alaina Picard 1 2-2 4; Emily Dick 5 0-0 10; TOTALS 16 5-9 37.
3-point goals: CBS – Mia Klein 3.
PENNRIDGE 57, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 41
The night belonged to the Pennridge seniors, and they delivered.
“It was a special night for our seniors tonight,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said. “Ella Brown, Emily DeHaven, Erin McCormick, Allie Smith and Layla Verbit got us off to an 18-4 first quarter.”
Key stretch: The tone for the game was set in the first quarter when Pennridge’s five seniors combined for all 18 points and a commanding 14-point lead.
Key players: All the seniors. Ella Brown led the way with 23 points, which included a 6-for-6 effort at the foul line. Emily DeHaven added nine on three 3-pointers, and Layla Verbit also had nine points, which included a 5-for-5 effort at the line. Allie Smith and Erin McCormick both added five points, and all told, the seniors were a perfect 12-for-12 at the charity stripe.
For the Bucks, Scarlett Baumgardner led the way with 10 points while Audra Lawson had nine, and Peyton Cramer contributed eight.
“I wanted to thank Zach Sibel, his staff and the CB West players for being a first class program,” Rapp said.
Pennridge coach Jason Rapp: “Our coaching staff is so proud of this team. I told them in the locker room after the game that it is awesome to see a group genuinely happy for all their teammates’ successes.”
–Props: “It was a really cool fourth quarter with Erin (McCormick) burying a 3 and Allie (Smith) making a driving layup. I’m really happy that those two ladies had those moments.
“Our three captains, Ella, Emily and Layla, had great regular seasons.
“Ella was an offensive machine all season and still continued to make all the right plays for her teammates. She led by example and has a special knack for instilling confidence in her teammates.
“Emily hit some huge 3s in some of our biggest wins this year and was asked to do things out of her comfort zone and handled that like a senior captain.
“Layla for two straight years was asked to defend the opponent’s biggest player and ‘just go get rebounds’ by our staff. Not only did she do that, but she added some major contributions on the offensive end this year. She played with grit, toughness and displayed amazing leadership all season. I’m very thankful for be able to coach this group.”
Up next: Pennridge (15-7, 4-6 SOL) is 16th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings and will await its seed in the upcoming tournament. Central Bucks West closed out its season with a 7-15 record overall.
Central Bucks West 4-13-10-14 41
Pennridge 18-10-11-18 57
Central Bucks West (41) – Erica Madden 2 0-0 4; Peyton Cramer 3 1-2 8; Addy Fay 2 0-0 4; Miya McDaniel 0 0-2 0; Marleigh Mallon 1 0-0 3; Audra Lawson 4 0-0 9; Emily Ladley 1 0-0 3; Scarlett Baumgardner 4 0-0 10; TOTALS 17 1-2 41.
Pennridge (57) – Ella Brown 8 6-6 23; Emily DeHaven 3 0-0 9; Samantha Murphy 1 0-0 2; Madison Lapp 2 0-0 4; Erin McCormick 2 0-0 5; Allie Smith 2 1-1 5; Layla Verbit 2 5-5 9; TOTALS 20 12-12 57.
3-point goals: CBW – Scarlett Baumgardner 2, Peyton Cramer, Marleigh Mallon, Audra Lawson, Emily Ladley; P – Emily DeHaven 3, Erin McCormick, Ella Brown.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 54, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 27
The Flying Cardinals wrapped up a perfect SOL season in impressive fashion, opening up a 24-9 lead after one quarter and never looking back.
Key stretch: The tone was set in a 24-point first quarter that featured nine points from Emilia Coleman and 3-point baskets from four different players.
Key players: Emilia Coleman’s 16 points led all scorers and included three 3-pointers. She also had a team-high nine rebounds as well as two assists, four deflections, three steals and one blocked shot. Tamia Clark added 11 points and eight rebounds. She led UD with 10 deflections and also had three assists. Megan Ngo had seven points, seven assists and seven steals to go along with four deflections and four rebounds. Bridget DiMartile added nine points, two steals and three blocks.
For the Colonials, Eliza Meersman’s eight points led the way.
Sidenote: UD coach Morgan Funsten and PW coach Dan Dougherty both became head coaches 13 years ago. This is the 13th straight year one of them has won the division title. This is UD’s seventh – six outright. PW has six titles – all outright.
“Congrats to him/them – I feel like we both have pushed each other in a good way over the years,” Dougherty said.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten: “We had already clinched the league when we won at Hatboro the other night but being at home the last game of the season, tonight’s game definitely affects the Suburban One rankings and the District 1 rankings, so we wanted to finish on a high note.
“We came out in the first quarter and shot the ball great, but the rest of the game we did not shoot the ball great, but we had 56 field goal attempts to their 30 attempts. We were able to turn them over 20 times, and we were able to get 17 offensive rebounds, which contributed to being able to still win easily despite not shooting great outside the first quarter.”
–Props: “I thought we took the lead from Megan Ngo tonight. She wasn’t happy with how she played against PW the first time, and I thought she played one of her best games of the year tonight. She only scored seven points, but she had seven steals, seven assists, four rebounds and four deflections. She was just all over the place, and she really dominated the game without scoring a lot of points, which is what she can do.
“Emilia Coleman got hot early and scored a bunch in the first half.
“Tamia Clark had 10 deflections. We did a great job staying connected defensively. We know that if you play in the half court with PW – they were going to try and shorten the game against us tonight. I thought we did a great job of putting pressure on and crashing the boards.
“We just played with a ton of energy, and I thought it started with Megan.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Daniel Dougherty: “Tough loss at Upper Dublin. Tried to come out with same game plan from our first game, but UD was red hot in the first quarter, and we couldn’t keep pace. We had a couple good looks go in and out, a couple layups not drop. Once we made a change, it was too late. We were never really able to cut into that first quarter hole.
“I appreciate that UD kept pressure on, and that despite the score, the game was still an intense learning experience. It gives our team a chance to keep trying to get better against one of the top teams in SOL.”
–Props: “AJ Avery, Taylor Williams, and Eliza Meersman gave tons of energy and effort tonight, Grace Harvey, Mia Baron, and Gracie Kerns gave us quality minutes in both halves as well.
“I’m really proud of our team/program for getting to 14-8 for the season. We haven’t talked about it much, but we lost one of top players/leaders five games into the season (junior captain Joslyn Perez). We were hopeful she’d be able to come back, but the injury turned out to be far more severe than originally thought. To lose one of our top players, a vocal leader, and ultimate character kid, has been a tremendous challenge. “To our credit, we’ve weathered the ups and downs and still find ourselves in the district playoffs. I have to give a ton of credit to assistant coach TJ DeLucia, His tireless film study and scouting report prep, makes my job as a head coach much easier.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (18-4, 8-0 SOL) will host an opening round SOL Tournament game on Friday at 5:30 pm as part of a girls/boys doubleheader. Plymouth Whitemarsh (14-8, 4-4) is 14th in the latest District 1 6A rankings and will return to action in the district tournament.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 9-6-6-6 27
Upper Dublin 24-8-8-14 54
Plymouth Whitemarsh (27) – Taylor Williams 2 2-2 6; Olivia Patete 1 0-0 2; AJ Avery 1 4-4 6; McKenna Winland 1 0-0 3; Eliza Meersman 4 0-0 8; Grace Harvey 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 10 6-6 27.
Upper Dublin (54) – Bridget DiMartile 4 0-0 9; Tamia Clark 4 3-4 11; Megan Ngo 3 0-0 7; Lexi Ngo 2 0-0 6; Emilia Coleman 6 1-2 16; Ella Morris 2 0-0 5; TOTALS 21 4-6 54
3-point goals: PW – McKenna Winland; UD – Emilia Coleman 3, Lexi Ngo 2, Ella Morris, Megan Ngo, Bridget DiMartile.
WISSAHICKON 30, HATBORO-HORSHAM 27
The Trojans found themselves on the short end of an 11-6 score after one quarter but erased that deficit with a 10-2 second quarter to go into halftime with a 16-13 advantage. The teams exchanged baskets in the second half, and Wissahickon won by that three-point margin.
Key players: Maura Jacobs buried a pair of 3s and led the Trojans with 10 points, Casey Burden added nine points.
For the Hatters, Angelica Visceglia scored 10, and Maddy Patel added nine.
Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims: “I was thrilled to see the girls pull off the win tonight! It was a hard-fought battle that came down to the very last moments, and they gave it their all. Their teamwork, determination, and effort were incredible to watch.”
Hatboro-Horsham assistant coach Nicole Miletto: Good battle tonight at Wissahickon. They had a nice crowd for their Senior Night, and it’s always fun playing in front of fans. Wiss has been playing us tough the last couple games, and tonight we just couldn’t capitalize on any stops we got defensively. We had plenty of opportunities to cut the lead to two or tie and we’d force a turnover but just couldn’t score in our end.”
Up next: Wissahickon (6-15, 1-7 SOL) will travel to Delaware County Christian for a non-league game Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham (4-17, 1-7) will be on the road at Council Rock North Thursday for a non-league game.
Wissahickon 6-10-9-5 30
Hatboro-Horsham 11-2-5-9 27
Wissahickon (30) – Julia Lettieri 2 1-4 5; Casey Burden 4 0-0 9; Maura Jacob 4 0-0 10; Kai Potter 2 0-0 4; Katelyn Thomson 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 1-4 30.
Hatboro-Horsham (27) – Angelica Visceglia 2 5-8 10; Mia Fisher 1 0-0 2; Maddy Patel 3 2-2 9; Gabby Fisher 0 1-4 1; Cora Saxer 1 0-0 2; Olivia Grant 1 1-1 3; TOTALS 8 9-15 27.
3-point goals: W -Maura Jacob 2, Casey Burden; HH – Angelica Visceglia, Maddy Patel’
SOL Freedom Division
CHELTENHAM 76, SPRINGFIELD TWP 53
There were plenty of reasons to celebrate at Cheltenham Tuesday night.
For starters, it was a night to celebrate the team’s four seniors, and at halftime, the 25th anniversary of the Lady Panthers’ 2000 PIAA State championship was celebrated with coaches and members of the team recognized.
Then it was Maya Simmons stealing the spotlight by reaching the 1,000-point milestone. The junior guard needed 22 points to reach the milestone. She scored 32.
“She’s a hard worker.” Cheltenham coach Monique Boykins said. “She means a whole lot to this team – Maya is one of the captains. She doesn’t just hold the title, she wears it. She walks the walk.”
For Simmons, the milestone was secondary.
“I was mostly here for my seniors,” Simmons said. “I wanted to leave them with a nice memory. Coming from my freshman year, I saw them trying to get better, and I said, ‘I’m going to help my team. I’m going to make sure they go out with a bang.’”
And go out with a bang they did in their regular season finale..
Simmons credited Cheltenham assistant Paya Williams for her development as a player.
“Coach Paya is the one that really pushed me to start playing basketball,” Simmons said. “I was one of the girls on her first AAU team. She pushed me. She let me know that I can be great, but I have to keep working, and it will show.
“She keeps pushing me to this day. She cheers me on, she helps me when I’m down. She’s very helpful to me.”
Tuesday’s win was the 10th of a perfect league season for the Lady Panthers, who won the program’s first title since 2012.
Cheltenham took a 31-27 lead into halftime and then blew the game wide open with a 45-point second half.
It was yet another reason to celebrate.
Key players: Maya Simmons torched the Spartans for 35 points and also had seven steals, five assists and four rebounds. Jiah Price added 18 points, seven rebounds, six steals and seven assists. Zoe Thompson had eight points, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Paige Powell had eight points, three assists and two steals.
For the Spartans, Ava Culler finished with a double-double – 17 points and 20 rebounds. Chloe Kaczor had 12 points, and Maddie Decker added nine points.
Up next: Cheltenham (19-2, 10-0 SOL) will be in action Friday in the opening round of the SOL Tournament. Springfield Twp closed out the regular season with a 6-16 record.
Springfield Twp 9-18-14-12 53
Cheltenham 21-10-21-24 76
Spriingfield Twp (53) – Maddie Decker 9, Caitlin Lewis 4, Chloe Kaczor 12, Keria Brandon 4, Julia Guicheteau 7, Ava Culler 17.
Cheltenham (76) – Jiah Price 18, Piage Powell 8, Maya Simmons 35, Cassie Bugg 2, Ali Charles 5, Zoe Thompson 8.
3-point goals: S – Maddie Decker 2, Chloe Kaczor 2, Julia Guicheteau; C – Maya Simmons 3, Jiah Price 2, Ali Charles.
WILLIAM TENNENT 50, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 45
The Panthers found themselves in an 18-4 hole at the end of one quarter, and they still trailed by nine at halftime (29-20). The second half, however, belonged to the Panthers, who outscored their visitors 30-16 to earn the gutsy win and close out the season on a high note.
Key stretch: A 16-7 third quarter burst by the Panthers was highlighted by six points from both Avery Kocur and Halie Staub. Kocur scored 12 of her team’s 14 points in the fourth quarter when the Panthers sealed
the Lions’ fate.
Key players: Avery Kocur led all scorers with 22 points – 18 in the second half. She was a near-perfect 6-for-7 from the free throw line in the second half. Halie Staub added 14 points, which included a 6-for-6 showing at the free throw line.
William Tennent coach Laura Whitney: “Another huge win tonight. It was a tale of two halves. We came out flat with no intensity, and New Hope took advantage and got whatever they wanted on offense.
“We were down 18-4 at one point the first half, and it wasn’t looking like we would turn things around, but credit to our girls – they did what they’ve done all season which is fight. We managed to cut it to seven and then fell asleep defensively right before the half and gave up an offensive rebound and putback to go into halftime down nine.
“We challenged our girls at halftime to bring the intensity the second half and get after them on defense. Wilson and Elizondo are both such savvy players and know how to hunt their shots. I thought the first half we gave them too much space and let them feel comfortable”
–The second half: “The second half we were more connected on defense and made both Wilson and Elizondo work harder for their shots. We were able to extend our defense, and our pressure definitely created some problems. We managed to come all the way back and tie it up at 36 after the third quarter.
“The fourth quarter was back and forth until the key moment with about 1:15 left. We had a great possession and cut their lead to one with a layup. Next possession we forced a five-second (call) on the inbounds. We get the ball back but don’t get a great shot, and it ends up going out of bounds off of us. Next possession we get a steal and the go-ahead layup to go up 44-43 with 52 seconds left. From there it was about getting stops and making free throws, and for the second straight game, we were a perfect 6-6 from the line to seal the game.”
–Props: “I’m just so incredibly proud of this group of girls. If you would have told me before the season that this would be the year we finally get over the hump and make the playoffs I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I would have thought our inexperience would be too much for us to overcome, but they have continued
to get better every single game. They rise to the occasion in the biggest moments and show so much resilience. I’m so excited that we get to keep playing for at least one more game.
“Avery had a slow start offensively but did a great job of staying patient and letting the game come to her. Even when her shots were not dropping, she finds other ways to impact the game and then comes up with clutch plays when it matters most. She’s a gamer and I’m so glad she’s on my team.
“Staub was a force at both ends of the floor. When she’s not attacking the basket, she’s getting it done on the defensive end.
“Big V (Megan Volz) didn’t have the offensive scoring night she’s capable of but came up with some big time rebounds.”
Up next: Both William Tennent (14-8, 6-4 SOL) and New Hope-Solebury (12-9, 6-4) will return to action in the District 1 Tournament.
New Hope-Solebury 18-11-7-9 45
William Tennent 4-16-16-14 50
New Hope-Solebury (45) – Kayla Fennell 1 2-2 4; Izzy Elizondo 6 0-0 13; Emily Wilson 6 1-2 15; Mary Tresler 3 3-6 11; Ella Dudick 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 17 6-10 45.
William Tennent (50) – Megan Catoni 1 0-0 2; Aubrey Lynch 1 0-0 2; Lindsey Catoni 0 1-2 1; Avery Kocur 8 6-7 22; Carissa Malpezzi 1 0-0 2; Halie Staub 4 6-6 14; Megan Volz 3 1-2 7; TOTALS 18 14-17 50.
3-point goals: NH-S – Emily Wilson 2, Izzy Elizondo, Mary Tresler 2.
LOWER MORELAND 61, UPPER MORELAND 54
(A complete boxscore will be added when it is received)
Lower Moreland coach Rich Becker: “This was a hard fought and competitive game. In practice we talked about this being the time of year where the intensity picks up, and we certainly saw that tonight. Josh (Adelman) had his girls ready to go. UM played us tough and did a nice job contesting shots. Considering that they were missing (Mikel) Lancit, they really played well.
“We’ve been slumping on offense lately, and with Lancit out, our girls did a nice job pressuring them and getting turnovers. That and containing Marie Meyers were, in my opinion the difference in the game.
“Bri McFerran really contested the inbounds pass, we had her with five deflections. Her disruptiveness allowed our guards to pressure them. And even though Mady Rossiter only scored three points, she did a great job of marking Meyers.
“Dani (Brusha) got off to a slow start on offense, but she got going and led us with 27 points.”
—Key Moment – End of third beginning of fourth: “In the third quarter, they cut the lead down to two points, but our girls finished the quarter strong, and we maintained the lead we had at the half and stopped their momentum. I told my assistant that we handled their run, and we should be good. We were fortunate to make a few shots to start the fourth to open the lead up to 16 to give us some breathing room.”
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