Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. CB South/Pennridge photos provided courtesy of Jon Sklut, Pennsbury/CR North photos courtesy of Darry Rule of D&J Photography, and Neshaminy/Bensalem photos courtey of John Gleeson. Check back for photos galleries: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f913170668
SOL Patriot Division
NESHAMINY 46, BENSALEM 32
The Redskins took a tenuous one-point lead into the fourth quarter but closed out the game with a 19-6 fourth quarter tear. Reese Zemitis – scoreless through three quarters – was the undisputed catalyst, taking over the game and scoring 12 points to lead the Redskins to the win.
The win snapped the Owls’ seven-game winning streak.
“We were as prepared as we were going to be with the red-hot Bensalem Owls coming to our gym for the final game of the regular season,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “Those plans took an early hit when we lost Devon Bell several times in the first half and watched her knock down three shots from beyond the arc. The lack of defensive awareness was addressed at halftime, and we did a better job in the second half recognizing their shooters.”
Behind a pair of Bell 3-pointers, the Owls led 10-8 after one quarter. The Redskins – sparked by a pair of Ava Irizarry 3s – recuperated to outscore the Owls in the second quarter and took a 21-19 lead into halftime.
“In the first half, our leading scorers were held to just six points,” Gallagher said. “As the season has moved forward, we are getting more and more out of our non-1,000-point scorers. A huge part of that was not in the scoring column but in the incredible performance by Alena Cofield. Alena still gets down on herself when not contributing in the scoring column, but she is somewhat unaware of what she brings to our team.
“Her defense throughout the game was just outstanding. Aside from her five steals, she controls the perimeter of the other team’s defense with her speed and anticipation. Then on the offensive glass, I just see her rise up above taller players to gather rebounds that lead to either points or fouls on the other team. It was the best non-scoring effort that I have seen this year.
“While Alena and our defense kept us in the game in the first half, Ava Irizarry knocked down three shots from long range to lead us with nine points at halftime. Those baskets were enhanced by our ever improving 3-point shooting from freshmen Ashlyn Duffy and Mia Raivich. On the defensive end, I am thrilled with the play of Mia Raivich who is playing like a seasoned senior on that end of the court. Mia had a penchant for unforced turnovers earlier in the year, but through hard work and her intelligence, she has grown each game.”
It was still anybody’s game heading into a fourth quarter that belonged to Zemitis.
“In the fourth quarter, we turned the game over to Reese and said – do your thing,” Gallagher said. “A frustrating first three quarters turned into an excellent fourth quarter when she scored or got fouled possession after possession.”
In addition to scoring 12 points, Zemitis had a team-high nine rebounds as well as four assists and three steals. The Redskins were led offensively by the 13-point efforts of Irizarry and Lola Ibarrondo. Ibarrondo also had eight rebounds, five assists and one steal. Cofield – in addition to five steals – had six rebounds, three assists and one block.
For the Owls, Amber Howard’s 12 points led the way while Bell added nine, and Mikayla Donahue had six points on a pair of 3s.
“I want to mention coach Steve Johnson and his team and their play over the last eight games,” Gallagher said. “After our first game against them, I saw a marked improvement from the previous year. The team had better spacing on offense from previous years, and the ball was being moved quicker on offense. Bensalem continued to improve, and they went through our division taking out every team. While the score tonight is misleading, Bensalem was there and ready to take us down and add us to their list of significant victories.
“I credit our players for their play in the second half when the game was still in the balance. That is a good sign for our team as we enter SOL playoffs.”
Neshaminy (18-4, 14-2 SOL) will host an opening round game of the SOL Tournament Friday. Bensalem (15-6, 10-5) will travel to Central Bucks West for a crossover game on Wednesday.
Bensalem 10-9-7-6 32
Neshaminy 8-13-6-19 46
Bensalem (32) – Talia DiMichele 2 0-0 5; Mikayla Donahue 2 0-0 6; Devon Bell 3 0-0 9; Amber Howard 5 2-9 12; TOTALS 12 2-9 32.
Neshaminy (46) – Ashlyn Duffy 2 0-0 5; Lola Ibarrondo 6 1-2 13; Ava Irizarry 5 0-0 13; Mia Raivich 1 0-0 3; Reese Zemitis 4 3-3 12; TOTALS 18 4-5 46.
3-point goals: Bensalem – Devon Bell 3, Mikayla Donahue 2, Talia DiMichele; Neshaminy – Ava Irizarry 3, Ashlyn Duffy, Reese Zemitis, Mia Raivich.
PENNSBURY 39, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 31
Sofia Vitucci made her final SOL game a good one, scoring a game-high 23 points. Included in another standout effort was a perfect 8-for-8 effort at the foul line in the fourth quarter to seal the Indians’ fate in the tightly contested battle.
“Tonight was a playoff type atmosphere,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “We haven’t had many home games, so I’m sure our community was happy to see us. The Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School sang the national anthem after our visit there yesterday. “Tonight, we honored the 10 alumni mentors that have been mentoring our upperclassman throughout the year. We connected a former player with a current player, and they communicated throughout the season, and it’s been a great opportunity for our girls to learn. Before the game, we had a ceremony, and the group that was able to make it came out to center court, and that was one of the coolest things of the season.”
The Indians gave the Falcons all they could handle, battling to a 16-16 halftime tie. Vitucci’s 11 points led the Falcons while Delaney McCaffery had eight points for the Indians.
Vitucci and Layla Matthias each had four points in a third quarter that saw Pennsbury hold an 8-6 edge. They took that two-point lead into a final quarter that was highlighted by Vitucci burying all her foul shots. Daniella MacDonald had a big 3-pointer in the frame.
In addition to Vitucci’s 23 points, MacDonald added eight points, which included two 3s, and Matthis had six points.
“We got a really big boost off the bench from Emily Panaro, who was able to use her strength and intelligence to match with (Frannie) Boyle,” Sciolla said. “Maggie Burns and Ava Jordan were solid in
making life difficult for McCaffery. Daniella MacDonald knocked down a huge 3 in the second half that bounced more times than the Kawahi Leonard shot versus the Sixers, and Presley Foote mixed with her to give us good minutes on the defensive end.
“Joley Hohman helped us out getting into our offense and is gaining experience every day. And Sofia Vitucci was elite. I truly hope that if there was ever any confusion in people’s minds about what Sof has done and what she has meant to our program that it was eliminated tonight. I hope everyone realizes what we have been able to watch over the last several years. She put a clinic on with ball handling and getting us into an offense, knocked down clutch free throws as she has done her entire career and used her elite shot-making skills to create plays. As her coach, I’ve never been confused, and I hope no one else is either.”
McCaffery’s 16 points led the Indians while Megan Reichanbach added seven.
“This loss really stings – we felt we really were starting to play our best basketball, and unfortunately, we weren’t able to get one final win to get in the postseason,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “However, the loss doesn’t take away from how proud we are of our entire team for their resilience and their buy-in this season. We especially want to thank our seniors – Frannie Boyle, Amelia Furman, Delaney McCaffery, and Ruth O’Keeffe – for their tremendous leadership. 
“If you look at some film of this team from December and compared it to film over the past two weeks, it is incredible how far we came. More importantly, we had a tightknit group that really enjoyed being around one another, and that is a credit to the environment our seniors helped create. They leave behind a lasting legacy, and it is not going to be the same without them. Congratulations to Pennsbury on a hard-fought win, and best of luck to them in the postseason.”
Sciolla – like many others – has concerns about a power ranking system that eliminates the human element when it comes to selecting the district field.
“Council Rock North was in a difficult situation tonight in that they realized they would have to win in order to make the playoffs,” Sciolla said. “Now we can debate the fairness of that. In fact, in 2010, I did debate the fairness of that as my staff developed a logical alternative to the PowerPoint system. It was a system that mostly used to power points but included a small human element. We did it in PowerPoint and spreadsheet fashion, and it was overwhelmingly enjoyed by the coaches.
“We believe that there’s no possible way you can be slotted ahead of teams that finished ahead of you in the league, and we also believe that there must be some human element added if a team loses their best player or one of their best players for a significant period of time. If CR North does not lose Delaney McCaffery earlier in the season, they would be in the playoffs. In 2010, we suggested a method where teams could be moved up as many as five slots or down as many as five slots if there was a major injury or depending on the placement
within the league. And while the coaches did enjoy that system, much like when we went from 24 games to 22 games, no changes were made.
“So, North had the unenviable task to come in tonight in that atmosphere and win, and they played really well. They had a clear game plan and tremendous credit must be given to Frannie Boyle. She has been the X factor in their improvement over the last several weeks with her interior defense and her impact on offense. She has really bought in to what Coach (Jack) Kelly is teaching. Obviously, Delaney McCaffrey is one of the best players in the league. We told our girls that she would go out on the shield tonight, and that’s exactly what she did. When she fouled out of the game, she received a great ovation because people have respected what she has done over the course of her career. Tonight, she was ready to roll and made some incredibly difficult shots from the perimeter. I will reiterate what Coach Gallagher said last week and maintain that she is going to be fantastic at Ursinus.”
Pennsbury (15-6, 11-5 SOL) will host the George School for a non-league game Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Council Rock North closed out its season with a 10-12 record (6-10 SOL).
Council Rock North 9-7-6-9 31
Pennsbury 8-8-8-15 39
Council Rock North (31) – Skyler Wright 2 0-0 5; Julia Koval 1 0-0 3; Delaney McCaffery 5 4-4 16; Megan Reichenbach 3 0-0 7; TOTALS 11 4-4 31.
Pennsbury (39) – Emily Panero 1 0-0 2; Layla Matthias 2 2-4 6; Sofia Vitucci 7 8-8 23; Daniella MacDonald 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 13 10-19 39.
3-point goals: CRN – Delaney McCaffery 2, Julia Koval, Megan Reichenbach, Skyler Wright; Pennsbury – Daniella MacDonald 2, Sofia Vitucci.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 48, HARRY S TRUMAN 16
Council Rock South (13-8, 9-6 SOL) -18th in the latest District 1 6A power rankings – will host Central Bucks South in a crossover game on Thursday.
Harry S Truman (1-19, 0-16) will travel to MaST Charter for a non-league game Thursday.
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN 50, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 34
Sparked by the 19-point effort of senior Caleigh Sperling, the Knights closed out the regular season with their 20th win of the season.
“I think the biggest thing tonight was our willingness to adjust,” NP coach Bri Cullen said. “East is so incredibly well coached, and I knew that (coach Liz Potash) was going to have them prepared, and I told the girls this before the game – we have to be flexible and willing to adjust on the fly, and that’s exactly what they did.”
The Patriots led 13-12 after one quarter with Jess Lockwood accounting for six of those points. East managed just 21 points the rest of the way.
“We tried to take away the outside shot as much as possible,” Cullen said. “They’re a strong outside shooting team, and once they started to score inside, we adjusted and made the changes.”
By halftime, the Knights led 23-18 with Leah Mikulski igniting the offense with three 3-pointers for nine points. The second half belonged to the Knights, who outscored their visitors 27-16.
Sperling scored 12 of her game-high 19 after the break. Included in her 19 points was a 6-for-6 effort at the foul line. Mikulski added 12 points on four 3-pointers, and Olivia Stone had nine points and was 4-for-4 at the foul line. Lily Brown added eight points.
For the Patriots, Lockwood led the way with 17 points, and Natalie Berndt added eight points.
North Penn (20-2, 15-1 SOL) will host an opening round game in the SOL Tournament on Friday.
“The biggest thing and I told the girls ‘This is when the season starts right now,’” Cullen said. “Everything that’s happened – not that it doesn’t matter, but we’re 0-0 as of tomorrow, so we have to come in with a fresh mindset. Everyone is playing to win something better now, you get everybody’s best basketball, so we have to prepare like it’s our first day of the season.”
Central Bucks East (17-5, 11-5) will be competing in the SOL Tournament Friday.
Central Bucks East 13-5-9-7 34
North Penn 12-11-15-12 50
Central Bucks East (34) – Sydney Ralph 0 2-2 2; Haley Moran 1 0-0 2; Natlie Berndt 3 0-0 8; Anna Barry 2 1-2 5; Jess Lockwood 6 4-4 17; TOTALS 12 7-8 34.
North Penn (50) – Cameron Crowley 1 0-0 2; Caleigh Sperling 6 6-6 19; Lily Brown 3 1-2 8; Leah Mikulski 4 0-0 12; Olivia Stone 2 4-4 9; TOTALS 16 11-12 50.
3-point goals: CBE – Natalie Berndt 2, Jess Lockwood; NP – Leah Mikulski 4, Caleigh Sperling, Lily Brown, Olivia Stone.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 54, PENNRIDGE 47
Mia Klein was in some kind of groove, lighting up the net for 15 first-half points and propelling the Titans to a 29-16 halftime lead over their visitors. That early lead loomed large with the Lady Rams staging a gutsy late-game comeback that fell just short.
“I was really happy with the effort and execution we showed on the court tonight.” South coach Beth Mattern said. “Pennridge hit some big shots in the fourth quarter and never quit playing tonight. We will keep working on finishing games while continuing to grow as a team.”
Klein scored eight first-quarter points and teammate Yoyo Samayoa had seven as the Titans opened up a 20-12 lead that grew to 16 points by halftime.
South took a seemingly comfortable 39-25 lead into the final quarter only to watch the Rams erupt for 22 points. The Titans spent the fourth quarter making trips to the foul line, connecting on 10 of 18 in the frame, and they held on for the win.
In addition to Klein, Samayoa and Ella Wheeler each added 10 points while Jules Tropea had nine.
For the Lady Rams, Ella Brown had 19 points, which included two 3-pointers and a 5-for-5 effort at the foul line. Layla Verbit added eight points, which included a 6-for-6 effort at the line. Abby Huskin had seven points, and Emily DeHaven had six on a pair of 3s – both in the fourth quarter.
Central Bucks South (12-9, 8-7 SOL) – 22nd in the latest District 1 6A power rankings – will travel to Council Rock South on Thursday for a crossover game. Pennridge closed out its regular season with an 11-11 record.
Pennridge 12-4-9-22 47
Central Bucks South 20-9-10-15 54
Pennridge (47) – Ella Brown 6 5-5 19; Julia Reavy 1 0-0 2; Ava Fantaskey 2 0-2 5; Emily DeHaven 2 0-0 6; Abby Huskin 2 2-4 7; Layla Verbit 1 6-6 8; TOTALS 14 13-17 47.
Central Bucks South (54) – Megan Schmidt 0 0-2 0; Ella Wheeler 3 3-4 10; Casey Balkir 1 0-0 2; Jules Tropea 3 3-4 9; Yoyo Samayoa 3 3-4 10; Mia Klein 7 3-5 19; Gabby Tropea 2 0-1 4; TOTALS 19 12-20 54.
3-point goals: Pennridge – Ella Brown 2, Emily DeHaven 2, Ava Fantaskey, Abby Huskin; CBS – Mia Klein 2, Yoyo Samayoa, Ella Wheeler.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 47, SOUDERTON 39
The Bucks rallied from an early deficit and celebrated Senior Night with a hard-fought win over the visiting Indians. Sophomore Scarlett Baumgardner led the way with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
“It was a dogfight,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “It was a good game for Senior Night, and I was happy with the result.
“The seniors really set the groundwork. They worked really hard. They really kept the ship for us this year. I know there’s been a lot of peaks and valleys, but they’ve done a nice job of setting the tone and continuing to compete. When you have seasons like this, it can be hard to continue to bring that energy and effort every single practice, and these seasons are a grind, but they were able to do that.”
The Indians scored 16 points in the opening quarter and led 16-10 but saw that lead disappear in the second quarter when they managed just five points, and the Bucks – sparked by eight points from Gabi Senior and seven from Baumgardner – went into halftime with a 24-21 lead.
It was still anyone’s game heading into the fourth quarter when the Bucks closed it out with an 11-7 quarter. Aniya McDaniel was 4-for-4 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
“Aniya McDaniel has been awesome this year,” Sibel said. “She’s given us so much. She had 11 points today.
“(Alexis) Castro was Castro. She was on the backboard on every single play, really rebounding and getting things going, keeping possessions alive and then ending possessions on the defensive end.
“Gabi Senior and Gabby Reichner really, really pushed the envelope defensively. Gabi Senior had eight points, and Gabby Reichner probably had about five blocks. It was cool to see each one of those seniors really play their role.
“You have to give Scarlett Baumgardner her flowers too. She made big shots when we really needed it and led us with 13. I thought she played with incredible spirit.”
For the Indians, Brooke Fenchel – the team’s lone senior – shared team scoring honors with nine points in her final high school game. Emily Dick also had nine points, and Alaina Picard added six.
“Any time you play a Lynn Carroll team, you can’t take anything lightly,” Sibel said. “You have to give her a lot of credit and give that team a lot of credit. When we were watching film, we said at practice – this is a completely different team than earlier in the year. This is a team that’s gotten better and has really improved. I think they get a lot from those girls”
Central Bucks West (6-15, 4-11 SOL) will host Bensalem in a crossover game Wednesday. Souderton closed out its season with a 3-19 record.
Souderton 16-5-11-7 39
Central Bucks West 10-14-12-11 47
Souderton (39) – Jacquelyn Bermel 1 1-2 4; Julia Purvy 2 0-0 5; Olivia Herron 1 0-0 2; Brooke Fenchel 3 2-2 9; Kiera Fadden 2 0-2 4; Alaina Picard 2 0-2 6; Emily Dick 4 1-3 9; TOTALS 15 4-11 39.
Central Bucks West (47) – Gabi Senior 3 1-2 8; Peyton Cramer 1 0-0 3; Aniya McDaniel 3 4-4 11; Alexis Castro 2 0-0 4; Emily Ladley 1 0-0 3; Gabby Reichner 2 1-2 5; Scarlette Baumgardner 5 0-0 13; TOTALS 17 6-8 47.
3-point goals: Souderton – Alaina Picard 2, Julia Purvy, Jacquelyn Bermel, Brooke Fenchel; CBW – Scarlett Baumgardner 3, Peyton Cramer, Aniya McDaniel, Emily Ladley. Gabi Senior.
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 66, HATBORO-HORSHAM 18
It was raining 3s at Upper Dublin Tuesday.
And no one was feeling it more from beyond the arc than Nora Brady and Amy Ngo. Both seniors buried five 3-pointers, connecting on a combined 10-for-21. Not a bad way to celebrate Senior Night and close out a perfect league season.
Ngo did most of her damage in the first quarter, burying three 3s and scoring 16 to propel the Cardinals to a 21-4 lead after one quarter. By halftime, the Cardinals led 40-11. Ngo’s 25 led the way while Brady had nine points on three 3s.
By game’s end, Ngo had a team-high 22 points to go along with five assists and two steals. Nora Brady had 15 points on five 3s and also had three assists, three steals and one block. The team’s third senior – Brighid Brady – finished with nine points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal.
The night belonged to the three seniors, who combined for 46 of their team’s points.
“It was a fun night celebrating our three seniors who have meant so much to our program,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “I’ve never had a group of seniors who worked on their games as much as these three, and they are such great role models for the younger girls in our program and in our district. It has been fun to watch them grow, and they have all improved so much in their four years.
“Brighid Brady has done a lot of the dirty work over the last two seasons and has been clutch when we’ve needed her most this year. Nora Brady has been a lights-out shooter and defensive stopper for the past two seasons and always answers the call when asked to guard an opposing team’s best player.
“Amy Ngo is one of the greatest basketball players Upper Dublin has ever seen. Her willpower and determination to come back from her injury was an inspiration to witness. She never accepts anything but full effort from herself, and her energy and passion for the game are contagious. We will miss these girls immensely but are hoping we have a good chunk of basketball still to play this postseason.”
Also for the Cardinals, Kaitlyn Zacharia had six points on a pair of 3s.
The Hatters were led by the nine-point effort of senior Kitty Randa.
“Their seniors had a nice night,” Hatters’ assistant Nicole Miletto said. “They are all great players who give their all. It’s just a shame we were on the other end tonight. We couldn’t find any offense and we didn’t take advantage of their slow start. If we could have capitalized on some of their misses early on, we may have gotten some momentum.
“But give UD credit – they come out ready to play every game, and when you think you have gotten a steal or a clean board, they pester you and most of the time get it right back. We have to pick ourselves up and try to end on a high note at home Thursday.”
Upper Dublin (21-1, 16-0 SOL) – the tournament’s top seed – will host an opening round game in the SOL Tournament Friday at 7 p.m. Hatboro-Horsham (9-12, 6-9) will host Upper Moreland in a crossover game Thursday.
Hatboro-Horsham 4-7-5-2 18
Upper Dublin 21-19-16-10 66
Hatboro-Horsham (18) – Angelica Visceglia 2 0-0 5; Kitty Randa 4 1-2 9; Alyssa Tooley 1 0-1 2; Mya Stevens 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 8 1-3 18;
Upper Dublin (66) – Brighid Brady 4 0-0 9; Bridget DiMartile 2 0-0 4; Megan Ngo 2 0-0 5; Tamia Clark 2 0-2 4; Amy Ngo 8 1-1 22; Julia Scullen 0 1-2 1; Kaitlyn Zacharia 2 0-0 6; Nora Brady 5 0-0 15; TOTALS 25 2-5 66.
3-point goals: HH – Angelica Visceglia; UD – Nora Brady 5, Amy Ngo 5, Kaitlyn Zacharia 2, Megan Ngo, Brighid Brady.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 35, WISSAHICKON 20
The Colonials opened up a 12-4 lead in the opening quarter and extended that lead to 26-14 by halftime on their way to the win.
Kenna Winland and Taylor Williams both finished in double figures to lead the Colonials. Winland had 12 points, eight in the first half, while Williams had 10 – all in the first half. Joslyn Perez and Eliza Meersman both had six points.
“Marissa Perez did not score but played great – she had eight rebounds,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “At the start of the season, our goal was to be a top 16 seed; we missed that goal, but with tonight’s win, we are excited to be in district playoffs.
“We have one more game Thursday night and not sure how much it will even affect seeding. For such a young team and playing our seventh straight game without AJ Avery, I’m very proud of the accomplishment. This is our 10th straight season in playoffs.”
For the Trojans, Julia Lettieri led the way with 12 points.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (13-8, 8-7 SOL) will host William Tennent in a crossover game Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and Wissahickon (2-19, 1-14) will host Springfield Twp in its season finale on Wednesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 12-14-4-5 35
Wissahickon 4-10-4-2 20
Plymouth Whitemarsh (35) – Joslyn Perez 2 1-4 6; Taylor Williams 4 0-0 10; Oliviai Patete 0 1-4 1; Kenna Winland 3 5-6 12; Eliza Meersman 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 11 9-16 35.
Wissahickon (20) – Maura Jacob 1 0-0 2; Julia Lettieri 5 2-2 12; Lydia Schultz 1 0-0 2; Ashley Klein 1 0-0 2; Ava Stout 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 9 2-2 20.
3-point goals: PW – Taylor Williams 2, Joslyn Perez, Kenna Winland.
ABINGTON 54, QUAKERTOWN 29
Abington celebrated its eight seniors with a win that saw 12 players put their names in the scoring column.
“All eight seniors scored,” Abington coach Allison Lawson said. “This is a fun group of girls who made my first year as head coach an easy one. They work hard and have each other’s back. It was fun to see smiles on everyone’s face tonight.”
The Ghosts had plenty of reasons to smile, opening up a 24-11 halftime lead and extending that to 40-13 heading into the final quarter.
Piper McGinley’s nine-point game led the Ghosts while Harper McGinley and Sarah Oleary both had eight. Kara Slavin and Jordyn Reynolds both contributed six points.
For the Panthers, Ava Pistone closed out the game with an 11-point fourth quarter. She finished the game with 13 points. Addyson Davis added six points and six rebounds.
“I’m so proud of all five seniors in their last high school game,” Quakertown coach Jillian Martin said. “It was fantastic to get all of them in the scoring column tonight.
“Mackenzie Clayton had a beautiful offensive rebound and putback, and Shiancye Silver had two strong finishes underneath as well. Ava (Pistone), Addyson (David), and Truly (Heft) were attacking the basket strong all night which is what they have been doing all year. I’m happy they were able to finish their careers strong and together with each other.:
Abington (17-5, 14-2 SOL) will return to action Friday in an opening round game of the SOL Tournament. Quakertown closed out its season with a 2-19 record.
Quakertown 5-6-2-16 29
Abington 12-12-16-14 54
Quakertown (54) – Mackenzie Clayton 1 0-0 2; Addyson Davis 3 0-0 6; Ava Pistone 6 0-0 13; Truly Heft 1 2-8 4; Shiancye Silver 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 13 2-8 29
Abington Ava Teich 1 1-1 3; Harper McGinley 3 0-0 8; Kyla Day 1 1-2 4; Mikiaya Durham 0 2-2 2; Jordyn Reynodls 2 1-2 6; Piper McGinley 4 0-0 9; Sarah Oleary 3 1-2 8; Kara Slavin 2 2-2 6; Zyn McClain 1 2-4 4; Kaylia Kice 0 1-4 1; Gabrielle White 0 1-2 1; Aniyah Williams 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 18 12-21 54.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Ava Pistone; Abington – Harper McGinley 2, Kyla Day, Jordyn Reynolds, Piper McGinley, Sarah Oleary.
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 52, WILLIAM TENNENT 48
The Lions used an inspired fourth quarter to rally from a 41-33 deficit to earn a 52-47 win that clinched the program’s first SOL Freedom Division title.
“This was probably our most satisfying win of the year, not just because it won us at least a share of the league title, but because of the way we won the game,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “We couldn’t buy a shot for most of the night and went into the fourth quarter losing 41-33.
“During the time between quarters, we stressed that we need to take it one possession at a time. Our assistant coach, Jerry Frasca, has been emphasizing to the girls all year long to ‘stay in the moment’ and ‘next play.’ It took 20 games for the message to kick in, but that’s exactly what the girls did.”
The Lions’ coach recapped his team’s dramatic comeback.
“To start the fourth, every time we would score, they would answer, and with 5:13 left in the game, they scored to go up 48-41,” Becker said. “After that basket, we scored on three straight possessions. Dani Brusha drove, drew the foul and made 1 of 2. On the ensuing inbounds, we got a steal, and Briana McFerran scored to make it 48-44. After another turnover and timeout, Emma DiJoseph on the assist from Sydney Santora knocked down a corner three to make it 48 -47.
“After that, neither team scored, and on a missed free throw, Syd (Santora) came up with a huge defensive rebound against Morgan Volz, got fouled, and with about 3:30 to go made both and gave us our first lead of the game to go up 49-48. From that point on, both teams played strong defense. Bri forced a jump ball with 2:09 left to get us another possession. With 50 seconds to go, Bri got a steal and made both (foul shots) to make it a three-point lead, and again, our girls played tight defense, and with 11 seconds to go, Mollie Martin made 1 of 2 at the line to make it a four-point game. I am so proud of how resilient our girls were. They were not hitting their shots, but they picked it up on defense and shut them out for the final 5:13 of the game. They definitely earned this win.”
DiJoseph’s 13 points – which included three 3s – led the Lions. McFerran, Brusha and Santora each had 10 points while Mollie Martin had six.
“William Tennent played a great game,” Becker said. “Laura (Whitney) had her girls ready to go, and her game plan forced us to make some adjustments. They attacked us from the start and outplayed us for most of the game. This was a game that could have gone either way.”
One team’s joy is another team’s heartbreak, and that was certainly the case on Tuesday.
“It was a heartbreaking loss tonight,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “I feel awful for our girls. They played their hearts out tonight and left it all on the court. You’re constantly building throughout the season with the goal of playing your best basketball down the stretch, and that’s exactly what we’ve done these last five games. We’ve played some great team basketball and have really competed, but unfortunately, we don’t have the wins to prove it. I can’t say enough how proud I am of this group of girls and the effort they bring on a daily basis. It’s been so much fun coaching these girls this season. They deserve more success than our record shows.”
Things certainly looked promising when the Panthers – behind eight points from Morgan Volz – opened up an 18-11 lead after one quarter. They took a 27-21 lead into halftime and outscored the Lions 14-12 in the third quarter. Avery Kocur led the charge with eight points in the quarter.
“Before the game we talked about the importance of these last two games this week and how there’s still a lot to play for,” Whitney said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game. At this point in the season, everyone is a bit mentally and physically fatigued, but our girls responded and played with such focus and intensity.
“We jumped out to an early lead and did a great job of setting the tone. Lower Moreland made a little run midway through the second quarter, but our girls did a nice job of weathering the storm to keep the lead heading into halftime.
“Third quarter we stayed aggressive and extended the lead to 11 before Lower Moreland made another run and cut it to eight. It was one of those games where you never felt completely comfortable. Lower Moreland has a lot of talented players, and they can turn things around in a hurry.”
Kocur’s 16 points – 11 in the second half – led the Panthers. Jessica Whisler finished with 10 while Volz had nine points, Halie Staub contributed seven, and Ella Mednick had six.
“You never want to put the game in the hands of the refs, and unfortunately, we let that happen a bit in the fourth quarter,” Whitney said. “Lower Moreland came out looking to attack on every possession, and unfortunately for us, we picked up some bad fouls and put them in the bonus for the final five minutes.
“Seventeen of their 24 free throws for the game came in the fourth quarter, which turned out to be the difference. Credit to them for making some big shots and putting us back on our heels. It then allowed them to pick up their pressure, and we had some costly turnovers as a result. Even with all that said, we had some opportunities to take the lead but failed to execute when we needed it most. This one definitely hurts, especially when you had the lead for close to 28-29 minutes of the game. Somehow, we have to pick ourselves back up and refocus for our final game Thursday against a competitive PW team.”
The Lions received the news after the game that New Hope-Solebury had defeated second place Upper Moreland, giving Lower Moreland sole possession of the division crown.
Lower Moreland (15-6, 12-4 SOL) will travel to Jenkintown for a non-league game on Thursday, and William Tennent (8-13, 6-9) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh for a crossover game Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
William Tennent 18-9-14-7 48
Lower Moreland 11-10-12-19 52
William Tennent (48) – Ella Mednick 3 0-0 6; Avery Kocur 7 0-2 16; Halie Staub 3 0-0 7; Jessica Whisler 3 4-6 10; Morgan Volz 3 1-2 9; TOTALS 19 5-10 47.
Lower Moreland (52) – Briana McFerran 4 2-3 10; Dani Brusha 2 6-9 10; Sydney Santora 3 2-2 10; Mollie Martin 2 2-8 6; Emma DiJoseph 5 0-0 13; Nikki Sahl 1 0-2 3; TOTALS 17 12-24 52.
3-point goals: WT – Avery Kocur 2, Morgan Volz 2, Halie Staub; LM – Emma DiJoseph 3, Sydney Santora 2, Nikki Sahl.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 40, UPPER MORELAND 36
Less than two weeks after falling to the Golden Bears, the Lions avenged that loss with a big win in their regular season finale.
“Our team goal was to finish the season strong against Abington and Upper Moreland,” New Hope-Solebury coach Steve Polinsky said. “We played really well tonight, and it was a team effort from start to finish.”
Upper Moreland jumped out to a 14-6 lead after one quarter. Holly Gohl accounted for nine of her team’s points. Nina Meixler buried a pair of 3s and scored eight points in the second quarter, and Kayla Fennel added four for the Lions, who outscored their visitors 14-7 and trailed by just one at halftime, 21-20.
The Lions took a tenuous 33-31 lead into the fourth quarter, and behind six points from Emily Wllson edged the Golden Bears 7-5 to eke out the win.
Meixler’s 12 points led a balanced New Hope attack. Wilson added 11, Fennel had seven while Izzy Elizondo had six.
“Nina Meixler played her best game of the season tonight,” Polinsky said. “She scored 12 points, but she created opportunities for her teammates. We ran a couple of different offenses, and our point guard, Emily Wilson, did a great job getting the girls in the right position. Ella Dudick and Kayla Fennel both came up big time rebounding in the second half.”
For the Golden Bears, Gohl led the way with 18 points – 16 in the first half.
“Josh (Adelman) did a nice job with his team tonight,” Polinsky said. “Holly Gohl was great for them. She always plays well against New Hope. What a terrific player with a bright college basketball future.”
Adelman credited the performance of the Lions.
“It was a tough loss, but credit to Steve and his team tonight,” the UM coach said. “They hustle and never take a play off. They hit some clutch shots and ran some great sets. They played very well.
“I thought we defended extremely well tonight. We held their leading scorer (Izzy Elizondo) to (six) points, but they had another player (Meixler) step up and score twelve to go with Emily Wilson’s 11 points. That is the sign of a good team. Someone steps up.
“We have really been playing well on both sides of the ball but couldn’t make a basket at the end. It happens, but I have no doubt we will regroup and bounce back to get ready for another game on Thursday against Hatboro. There’s still lots to play for this season.”
New Hope-Solebury – second in the District 1 2A rankings – closed out its regular season with a 11-10 record. Upper Moreland (14-7, 10-5 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham for a crossover game Thursday.
Upper Moreland 14-7-10-5 36
New Hope-Solebury 6-14-13-7 40
Upper Moreland (36) – Mikel Lancit 2 1-2 4; Lianna Adames 2 0-0 5; Marie Meyers 1 0-0 3; Lilly Hansen 2 1-5 5; Holly Gohl 7 2-4 18; TOTALS 14 4-11 36.
New Hope-Solebury (40) – Kayla Fennel 3 1-2 7; Emily Wilson 4 2-2 11; Ella Dudick 2 0-2 4; Izzy Elizondo 3 0-0 6; Nina Meixler 4 1-2 12; TOTALS 16 4-8 40.
3-point goals: UM – Holly Gohl 2, Marie Meyers, Lianna Adames; NHS – Nina Meixler 3, Emily Wilson.
CHELTENHAM 60, SPRINGFIELD TWP 56
Paige Powell turned in a glittering 28-point effort to lead the visiting Lady Panthers to the hard-fought win.
“This was a wild, emotional game,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “Both teams left it all on the floor and we found a way to win. We wanted to finish the season strong, and we accomplished that.”
The Lady Panthers opened up a 15-9 lead after one quarter and took a 32-23 lead into halftime. Powell’s 16 first-half points led the visitors.
The Spartans – behind eight points from Ava Culler and seven from Jayla Daniels – came out of halftime and outscored the Lady Panthers 26-14 in the third quarter to go into the fourth quarter with a 49-46 advantage. The Panthers came roaring back, outscoring their hosts 14-7 in the final quarter to earn the win. Powell was in the middle of the action with seven fourth quarter points.
In addition to Powell, Jiah Price and Maya Simmons both added 11 points for Cheltenham.
For the Spartans, Daniels (12 points) and Alana Decker (10 points) both finished in double figures. Hannah Brandon added eight points.
Although the loss put a damper on the Spartans’ Senior Night celebration, Springfield coach Dave Giordano had nothing but good things to say about his team’s effort.
“It was a great exciting atmosphere,” the Spartans’ coach said. “We have seven seniors, including our manager, so we had a big crowd, so that was a great thing. The crowd was awesome.
“We started out slow – I think we had Senior Night jitters, which happens. At one point in the first half, we may have been down 15 or 16. At halftime, we cut it down to nine. In the third quarter and start of the fourth, we went up by five, and then we ran out of gas emotionally and had some interesting turnovers, but it was a great game.”
The Spartans’ coach gave props to several of his players.
Jayla Daniels had a dozen and probably had about 10 assists,” Giordano said. “Ava Culler had 22. We had a lot of girls, not just seniors, but everyone who played contributed something. We had good balance. It was just a situation where we need to understand time of possession – you have to take care of the basketball.
“The effort was incredible, the atmosphere was awesome. You couldn’t have asked for a better Senior Night other than the score, so we’re going to brush it off, we’re going to get back up, and we’re going to go to Wissahickon tomorrow and see if we can do something positive.”
Cheltenham closed out its season with an 11-11 record.
Cheltenham 15-17-14-14 60
Springfield Twp 9-14-26-7 56
Cheltenham (60) – Jiah Price 4 1-2 11; Paige Powell 10 5-8 28; Maya Simmons 3 3-6 11; Ije Ojukwu 2 1-2 5; Cassie Bugg 2 1-4 5; TOTALS 21 11-22 60
Springfield Twp (56) – Alana Decker 3 1-2 10; Hannah Brandon 3 1-2 8; Jayla Daniels 3 5-8 12; Keira Brandon 1 2-4 4; Ava Culler 8 6-10 22; TOTALS 18 15-26
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Paige Powell 3, Jiah Price 2, Maya Simmons 2; Springfield Twp – Alana Decker 3, Hannah Brandon, Jayla Daniels.
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