Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Thursday. CR North/CR South photos provided courtesy of Jon Sklut. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL National Conference
NESHAMINY 46, PENNSBURY 25
Neshaminy celebrated Senior Night by defeating archrival Pennsbury, capping a perfect 12-0 conference season.
“This was a great night for our seniors,” coach Joe Lally said. “Their crosstown fun rivalry wasn’t the issue tonight. The issue is – do you want that undefeated league championship? And that’s what they wanted. That was their goal.”
For one half, the visiting Falcons stayed with the Redskins and trailed by four at the intermission. They scored only four points in the second half – none in the fourth quarter.
“It was a good learning experience for us,” Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla said. “I don’t care what people say – seniors are going to beat freshmen. That’s a team with tremendous experience. As they were coming out and they were talking about all the things that they did, it dawned on me that Brooke (Mullin) and Allie (Harvey) have played 100 high school games. They’ve been in so many big spots.
“There was a great crowd tonight and a nice atmosphere. They’re a better team for a longer portion of the game than we are. We walked into the locker room, and we thought – this is their year if they’re going to do it. Let’s not sell (Kristin) Curley, (Kelli) Kowalick and (Olivia) Scotti short either. They’ve been playing and starting varsity since their freshman year.”
Harvey got the ball rolling for the Redskins, burying a three and then connecting on a pair from the foul line to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead. A three-point play by Kowalick gave the Redskins a 15-7 lead, but a Kate Mix three cut that lead to five at the end of the quarter.
After a putback by Kowalick to open the second quarter, Pennsbury freshman Nicole Pompili connected on a three, but Harvey answered with her second three of the game to put the Redskins on top 20-13.
“Allie’s a big point scorer on our team, so when her threes are on, it uplifts our offense,” Kowalick said. “If we go down, it’s – get Allie the ball, she’ll hit a three.”
“She sets the tone when she does that,” Lally said of Harvey. “We can now get the ball inside, there’s more space for cutters flashing to the basket. It opens things up.”
The Falcons refused to go away, and when Ava Sciolla scored on back-to-back drives, Pennsbury trailed by just four. The Redskins took a 25-21 lead into halftime.
“The first half – a little bit anxious, and in the second half, they just settled in,” Lally said. “They were able to lock down on defense.”
The Falcons managed just one field goal in a second half that belonged to Neshaminy – that came on a three by Cami Wiegand.
“Defense is always our key – defense first, offense comes second,” Harvey said. “In the second half, we knew what we had to do. We took who we were guarding personal, and we got stops.”
“We all push each other at practice, which I think make a difference,” Kowalick said. “By playing good defense on each other at practice, it pushes us to be better in actual games. It’s just a fun environment to be in because we have a chance to go far, so we want to play the best we can. We think this year can be a good year for us.”
Harvey led all scorers with 13 points, which included three three-pointers.
“I’m confident in my shots, so when I’m open I’m going to take it,” said Harvey, who nailed her final three when the Redskins spread the floor.
Kristin Curley and Kowalick both finished with 10 points. Kowalick also had eight rebounds.
“She provides a lot of spark,” Lally said of Kowalick. “Pennsbury did a great job the first time against us getting on the glass, so we had a conversation with our players about being smart, being physical underneath the basket and try and keep them off the boards.
“That usually starts with Kelli. She’s a smart physical player. She’ll box out and she’ll create opportunities.”
Brooke Mullin was limited to just six points but was a huge force in the paint, pulling down 11 rebounds and also blocking several shots. She also had three steals in the first half.
“That’s where her game has come so far – she doesn’t need to just score,” Lally said. “She draws enough attention, she’s a good passer, she blocked some shots tonight, she rebounded the ball.”
For the Falcons, Ava Sciolla and Wiegand each had six points.
“We all remarked last week when Neshaminy had beaten Council Rock North that while they were cutting down the nets Allison Harvey was talking about getting ready for Pennsbury, and that’s a level of maturity,” coach Sciolla said. “They had seven days to get ready.
“We got over the glow of Senior Night on Tuesday night, and when we came into practice yesterday, we knew we had a quick turnaround. It’s definitely a challenge because I think they have proven to be maybe the best team in the district and they’re healthy. Tonight was the first night, especially in the second half, where I thought they really looked like they were playing well together at both ends on a consistent basis.
“They were really physical and really solid on defense. We’ve played a lot of teams recently who’ve had a really good defensive game plan, but they haven’t had the personnel to enact it. You could tell that was a team that had a week to get ready and had really smart kids. They went out and executed exactly what they wanted to do on both ends of the floor.”
Neshaminy (20-2, 12-0 SOL) will face Souderton in an opening round game of the SOL Tournament Saturday at Council Rock South (1:30 p.m.). Pennsbury – 14th in the latest District One 6A power rankings – closed out the regular season with a 17-5 record overall (8-4 SOL).
“We’re going to have a home playoff game, which happens about as often as a lunar eclipse for our girls’ program,” Sciolla said. “We’ll be ready to roll, we’ll be better for it, and we’re very excited.”
The opportunity to compete in the postseason is especially significant to Mix, who was sidelined with a torn ACL when the Falcons earned a playoff berth last year.
“It’s a new experience for me,” Mix said. “We’re all just super excited to have a home playoff game next week.”
Pennsbury 10-11-4-0 25
Neshaminy 15-10-17-10 46
Pennsbury (25) – Bella Arcuri 3, Kate Mix 4, Mary Miller 3, Nicole Pompili 3, Ava Sciolla 6, Cami Wiegand 6.
Neshaminy (46) – Emily Tantala 2, Oliva Scotti 4, Brooke Mullin 6, Kristin Curley 10, Alexis McCoy 2, Kelli Kowalick 10, Allison Harvey 13
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 62, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 55
What a difference a couple of weeks can make.
On Jan. 15, Rock North put a 75-36 beating on neighboring Rock South. On Friday night in the second game of a boys/girls twinbill, the Golden Hawks gave the playoff-bound Indians all they could handle.
"Our effort was fantastic," South coach Blair Klumpp said. "I talked to them all year about playing together, giving effort from tip-off to final buzzer, giving themselves up for each other on both ends of the floor, and being part of something bigger than themselves.
"We really started to do that over this past week, and tonight it kind of amplified. I've also said to them since the day I took the job – if you put the work in and buy in to what we want to do, we will beat some teams we haven't beaten in quite some time. We are knocking on that door.
"I challenged them tonight to match the effort and execution we had versus Neshaminy a couple weeks ago. We trumped that. It was a a fantastic effort. To say I am proud of this group and how they played till the end of this game – and the entire season – would be an understatement. I don't know a word that's applicable to how I feel about their effort tonight. North is a really good team. They're so well coached, they move the ball well, make the extra pass, they are physical – you can go on and on about what they bring to the table."
Olivia Boyle buried a pair of threes and scored eight points to lead the visiting Indians to a 12-11 lead after one quarter. The Indians took a 34-26 lead into halftime. Dana Bandurick went to work in the second quarter, scoring eight points to lead the Indians.
Camryn Polinsky had five points, including a three. Sophomore Nicole Blaustein kept the Golden Hawks in it, scoring 12 of her team’s 15 points.
The two teams exchanged baskets in the third quarter. Sydney Blum sparked the Indians with seven points, including two threes. The Golden Hawks refused to go down quietly, edging the Indians 18-17 in the final quarter, but they never could get over the hump. Four Hawks – Montanna Chambers, Blaustein, Jenna Culp and Hannah Binder – each contributed a three in the final quarter. The Indians sealed the win by burying 9-of-9 at the foul line in the frame. Blum was 3-for-3 and also had a three-pointer in the quarter.
"I thought Lou (Palkovics) made a nice adjustment in the fourth, and Anna Cairone hit some shots out of the high post," Klumpp said. "We adjusted, but we just came up a little short, but it wasn't for lack of effort.
"We have had some kind of mental block, more so against North than some other top teams – even before I took over. It was just always a team we struggled to get going against. I think we took a really big step tonight in that area. We matched their toughness, their physicality and we went blow to blow with them and never backed down.
"I was so impressed with our effort. It's always tough ending a season, but this year was a lot tougher because ther were more 'what ifs.' Hopefully, the group coming back can kind of use the effort we showed the last week and those 'what if' moments as motivation for a productive and focused offseason. I can't thank my seniors enough for what they brought to the program. Bailey (Vetter) helped lay the foundation for the group of returning players to be successful, and I'm just proud of the entire group. They're a great group to coach and be around every day."
Blum’s 17 points led the Indians. Bandurick posted yet another double-double, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots and three steals.
"Dana, in my opinion, is a top three talent in our division, if not the toughest player to guard, and we did a fantastic job of making things difficult for her," Klumpp said. "The girls deserve all the credit for executing that.
"We played her exactly how we wanted to. They are such a tough guard because you focus on her and then they have their three seniors – Olivia (Boyle), Sydney (Blum) and Cam (Polinsky) – who can shoot it. Cam hit some shots in the first half, and Olivia hit back-to-back threes early. It's just tough to take everything away, but our girls really did a good job with attention to the game plan."
Polinsky had eight assists to go along with seven points and two steals. Boyle finished with 13 points, including three threes, and Anna Cairone came off the bench to score 10.
Blaustein’s 21 points led all scorers. She also had four rebounds and three assists. Chambers had 12 points on four threes while Culp had nine, and Binder, six. Bailey Vetter led the Golden Hawks under the boards with 10 points to go along with two assists while Culp had seven rebounds and two assists. Binder had five rebounds.
Council Rock North (10-2 SOL) – seeded seventh in the latest District One 6A power rankings – closed out its regular season with a 17-4 record. Council Rock South (4-8) closed out its season with an 8-14 mark.
Council Rock North 12-22-11-17 62
Council Rock South 11-15-11-18 55
Council Rock North (62) – Camryn Polinsky 7, Anna Cairone 10, Sydney Blum 17, Oliva Boyle 13, Dana Bandurick 15.
Council Rock South (55) – Montanna Chambers 12, Carley Irvin 5, Nicole Blaustein 21, Bailey Vetter 2, Jenna Culp 9, Hannah Binder 6.
WILLIAM TENNENT 65, HARRY S TRUMAN 42
Haley Crossley had herself a night to remember in her final high school game, turning in a glittering 29-point effort to lead the Panthers to the win.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the character and effort our girls showed,” coach Laura Whitney said. “I was so happy to see them get this win, but especially for our seniors. Haley (Crossley) was incredible tonight. She probably had her best all around game of the season. She dominated inside on both ends of the floor.
“It was a great team win to end the season. Last time we played Truman they were without their best players, (Haniyyah) Jones and (Daisha) Campbell. Jones was still out tonight, but Campbell was back so we knew it was going to be a different game.”
The Tigers – sparked by eight points from Hannah Smith and five from Campbell – had a 15-13 lead after one quarter. The Panthers erased that with a 22-point second quarter and took a 36-28 lead into halftime. Crossley had 16 points to lead the Panthers while Campbell had 13 for the Tigers. Hannah Reimel had nine points in the second quarter for the Panthers.
“Early on we forced them to make outside shots and to their credit they stepped up and knocked them down,” Whitney said. “Both teams went back and forth and answered each other basket for basket. You could tell it was the last game of the season by the intensity and that both teams were going to do whatever it took to get the win.
“We made some adjustments defensively the second quarter and the girls really responded and executed. The second half we only gave up four field goals, one was off of a missed box out for a layup and the other three were tough contested drives.”
The Panthers, who took a 44-35 lead into the final quarter, outscored the Tigers 29-15 in the second half.
“Before the game we talked about how it’s been a tough season and that it would be really easy to come out tonight and go through the motions and take Truman lightly, but we can’t let that happen,” Whitney said. “We told them that they have to leave everything on the floor and leave with no regrets. Give our girls credit for rising to the occasion and fighting for each other one last time.
“It obviously wasn’t the season we were hoping for or expected, but we learned a lot about ourselves this year. The biggest positive was the valuable experience that our young girls gained. They now know what it takes to get to the next level and are better prepared for those moments.”
In addition to Crossley, Reimel had 18 points and Chelsea Meltzer had seven.
For the Tigers, Campbell finished with 22 points while Smith had 14. Kayla Becker added six points.
William Tennent (2-10 SOL) closed out its season with a 5-17 record. Harry S Truman (0-12) was 2-20.
William Tennent 14-22-8-21 65
Harry S Truman 15-13-7-8 42
William Tennent (65) – Caitlin Somerville 1, Chelsea Meltzer 7, Hannah Reimel 18, Jenna Rodebaugh 5, Chase Dubzak 3, Kirsten Scott 2, Haley Crossley 29.
Harry S Truman (42) – Daisha Campbell 22, Hannah Smith 14, Kayla Becker 6, Dahlia Gumaa 1.
SOL Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 67, PENNRIDGE 57
Jen Carangi had to like the 40 points the Knights put on the scoreboard in the opening half, but the Knights’ first-year coach wasn’t especially pleased that they allowed 31 – 21 in the first quarter.
“Pennridge is so scrappy – they were driving and we were fouling, worst case scenario,” Carangi said. “We aim to give up no more than 40 points in a game, and at halftime we had given up 31.
“I said, ‘What are we doing?’ But we managed to get it together in the second half, and it was just a good team win. I feel like the further we get into the season the kids aren’t caring as much about who’s scoring – the important thing is our team is scoring. We’re making the extra pass. In transition on offense, we’re advancing the ball down the floor. All those things you want to see as a coach – I feel like we’re getting that now. A lot of it too is just experience playing with each other.”
Alli Lindsay set the tone for the Knights’ strong offensive showing, connecting on four threes in the first quarter and scoring 14 points. Alaina Mullaly also had a three and scored five points in the quarter.
Corinn Mart led the Rams with seven first-quarter points, and Julia Kreider had five. The Knights added to their lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Rams 15-10. Val McGriff, Cayla Sharkey and Carley Adams each had four points in the frame. The Knights and Rams exchanged baskets in the second half.
“Alli Lindsay was knocking down shots,” Carangi said of her sophomore point guard. “Our post players played well. Val McGriff scored 11 and Cayla Sharkey had six, and they were both very efficient inside. We wanted to get the ball inside because we did have a little bit of a size advantage on them. Our girls were able to finish, and we got some offensive rebounds. The offense kind of took care of itself, but it was one of those games we just had to grind it out. It was a tough win.”
Lindsay led all scorers with 22 points, which included six three-pointers. Adams and McGriff each added 11 points while Mullaly had nine.
Thursday’s win came on the heels of the Knights’ big win over Central Bucks South Tuesday.
“We kind of thought win or lose tonight we would get into playoffs,” Carangi said. “Just mentally for my kids going in having these two wins against two strong teams – that’s the way we wanted to go in the playoffs.
“We know it all starts over with playoffs, and everybody is 0-0, but we knew mentally for the kids, this was something. I was thrilled for them. They were beyond psyched at the end of the game.”
The Rams – clinging to the 24th spot in the latest District One 6A rankings – were led by the 13-point effort of Kreider. Sam Muredda added 11 points and Mart finished with nine. Evelyn Loughery had eight points, Emilee Cramer had seven and Ashley Gordon chipped in six.
North Penn closed out its regular season with a 10-12 record (6-6 SOL). Pennridge (8-12, 2-10) will close out its regular season Friday with a non-league game against Villa Joseph Marie at 2 p.m.
North Penn 25-15-12-15 67
Pennridge 21-10-14-12 57
North Penn (67) – Cayla Sharkey 6, Laynie Doran 4, Alli Lindsay 22, Rachel Dunn 4, Alaina Mullaly 9, Carley Adams 11, Val McGriff 11.
Pennridge (57) – Corinn Mart 9, Sam Muredda 11, Sophie Cweiber 3, Julia Kreider 13, Evelyn Loughery 8, Ashley Gordon 6, Emilee Cramer 7.
SOUDERTON 51, QUAKERTOWN 24
The Indians notched their 20th win of the regular season, opening up a 16-6 lead after one quarter and taking a 29-10 advantage into halftime.
Junior Mikaela Reese’s 12 points led the Indians, who received scoring from all 12 players who saw action. Gabby Ziegler added seven.
For the Panthers, Katie Offner’s six points led the way.
Souderton (20-2, 11-1 SOL) will face Neshaminy in Saturday’s opening round of the SOL Tournament at Council Rock South (1:30 p.m.). Quakertown (0-12) closed out its season with a 2-10 mark.
Souderton 16-13-12-10 51
Quakertown 6-4-3-11 24
Souderton (51) – Jordan Zimmerman 5, Megan Bealer 4, Olivia Schneider 2, Megan Walbrandt 2, Erica Stephens 4, Hannah Alderfer 1, Gabby Ziegler 7, Curran O’Donnell 4, Kathryn Diehl 4, Megan O’Donnell 2, Mikaela Reese 12, Hayley Fenchel 4.
Quakertown (24) – Abigail Dickson 3, Kimmy Best 3, Morgan Sipprell 4, Kayla Horning 2, Fallon Grandinetti 4, Emma Pizzullo 2, Katie Offner 4.
SOL American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 70, HATBORO-HORSHAM 35
The Colonials closed out their regular season with an impressive win over the visiting Hatters, opening up a 25-9 halftime lead and then outscoring their visitors 45-26 in the second half.
“We did a much better job tonight containing their post player (Alice) Hall,” PW coach Dan Dougherty said. “We held her to four points for the game.”
PW celebrated its two seniors – Sydney Kesselman and Brooke Felgoise. Both contributed seven points.
“It was a good Senior Night memory,” Dougherty said. “They both contributed to the win. It was a very positive Senior Night for them.”
The game also showcased the Colonials’ promising young talent.
Freshman Lainey Allen led the Colonials with 18 points and eight rebounds while sophomore Anna McTamney added 12 points and 12 rebounds in an impressive double-double. Freshman point guard Kate Flanagan also finished in double figures with 10 points. She also had eight assists, five steals, four rebounds and two blocks.
“Those three were just phenomenal tonight,” Dougherty said.
Plymouth Whitemarsh – 13th in the latest District One 6A power rankings – closed out its regular season with an 18-4 record (10-4 SOL).
“For a team that plays three freshmen and two sophomores, that’s just outstanding,” Dougherty said. “Never in my wildest dreams at the beginning of the year did I think we could go 18-4. The four losses were to Abington and Upper Dublin.
“It’s probably one of the most satisfying years we’ve had, especially these last two games. There was a quote on the board tonight – I left it up after our Abington loss. We really had a chance to beat Abington, and I said to the kids, ‘When are we going to stop losing games because we’re young and start winning games because we’re getting better.’
“We played Upper Dublin tight and then we fell apart at crunch time, and then Tuesday night against Upper Moreland and tonight – things got a little hectic in the third quarter tonight. They made a run in the third quarter, but the youth went away and the kids started making plays to win the game. It was really nice to see.”
Freshman Emily Thomas led the Hatters with 17 points.
Hatboro-Horsham closed out its season with a 10-12 record (6-8 SOL).
Hatboro-Horsham 6-3-19-7 35
Plymouth Whitemarsh 15-10-19-26 70
Hatboro-Horsham (35) – Emily Thomas 17, Cam Ryan 3, Logan Cummings 4, Maddie Throne 4, Alice Halll 4, Kara Kaminski 2.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (70) – Kaitlyn Flanagan 10, Leah Kaye 3, Marcaela Allen 3, Sydney Kesselman 7, Gabby Cooper 4, Brooke Felgoise 7, Anna McTamney 12, Lainey Allen 18, Jordyn Thomas 6.
UPPER MORELAND 42, WISSAHICKON 26
The Golden Bears took a tenuous 13-12 lead into halftime but came out strong in the second half, outscoring the shorthanded Trojans 29-14 to win going away.
“I’m so happy we are done Senior Nights,” UM coach Matt Carroll said. “We had three Senior Nights this week and we had bad first halves in all of them. Wissahickon has a ton of injuries, but they came out fired up for their Senior Night. Rodney (Cline) had them ready to go.
“Injuries can be exhausting for all coaches and players, but you couldn’t tell by watching them. Both teams really struggled to score in the first half. We get going offensively by our full-court defense. Since we couldn’t score in the first half, we weren’t able to put pressure on them. We came out in the second half and were able to score early and then could put more pressure on them. Our girls didn’t panic after a tough first half. They responded well like they always do. We are ready for a couple days off and then back to work as we get ready for the playoffs.”
Junior Bean Hughes led all scorers with 17 points, and her 11 third-quarter points, ignited the Golden Bears. Emma Meakim added seven points.
Lauren Fadel’s 12 points led the Trojans.
“We played pretty well,” said Wissahickon coach Rodney Cline. “They just came out on top.”
Upper Moreland (8-6 SOL) – 10th in the latest District One 5A power rankings – closed out its regular season with a 14-8 record. Wissahickon (7-14, 4-10) will close out its season with a non-league game against Chester on Friday.
Upper Moreland 5-8-17-12 42
Wissahickon 6-6-2-12 26
Upper Moreland (42) – Phoebe Longstreth 5, Kaiya Herb 5, Emma Meakim 7, Bean Hughes 17, Hannah Finn 6, Kelley Leighton 2.
Wissahickon (26) – Lily Hyatt 6, Lauren Fadel 12, Julia Verrier 2, Victoria Williams 2, Brianna Tilghman 2, Sam Comonitski 2.
ABINGTON 76, CHELTENHAM 36
The Ghosts made it official, clinching a share of the SOL American conference with a resounding win over the visiting Lady Panthers in the opening game of a girls/boys doubleheader. The Ghosts led 19-3 after one quarter and never looked back.
Four players finished the game in double figures for the Ghosts. Kassondra Brown led the way with 16 points while Khalis Whiting added 15, including a pair of threes. Amanda Jackson and Cam Lexow both had 12 points. Lexow connected on a pair of threes while Jackson had four three-pointers. Tamia Wessels added eight points, including two threes in a game that saw the Ghosts bury 11 shots from beyond the arc.
The Lady Panthers were led by the double-digit scoring efforts of Kai Williams (13 points) and Madison Rorer (11 points). Umayrah Sulayman had six points.
Abington (19-3, 13-1) will square off against Upper Dublin for the third time this season in Saturday’s opening round of the SOL Tournament at Council Rock South (3 p.m.) Cheltenham closed out its season with a 3-19 record (1-13 SOL).
“We played hard but Abington is an elite team and we are trying to get to that level,” Cheltenham first-year coach Ben Bowman said. “This has been a first season to build off of. Loved the work the girls put in but we have a long way to go.”
Cheltenham 3-5-19-9 36
Abington 19-23-20-14 76
Cheltenham (36) – Madison Rorer 11, Umayrah Sulayman 6, Tyrina Ragsdale 1, Kyla Ogden 3, Kelia Holmes 2, Kai Williams 13.
Abington (76) – Tamia Wessels 8, Camryn Lexow 12, Kassondra Brown 16, Miranda Liebtag 5, Khalis Whiting 15, Becca Pohle 2, Amanda Jackson 12, Kaeleigh Sierianni 4, Krysten Brown 2.
UPPER DUBLIN 65, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 13
The Flying Cardinals clinched a share of the SOL American Conference title with their win over the Spartans. They led from wire to wire, scoring 52 points in the first half.
Dayna Balasa had five three-pointers in the first half, accounting for her game-high 15 points. She also had five rebounds. Sarah Eskew added 13 points, which included three three-pointers. Jackie Vargas added 12 points, five rebounds and four blocks. Jess Polin contributed nine points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Kara Grebe had eight points and four rebounds.
Rileigh Serroni’s seven points led the Spartans, who were without Grace Barraclough.
Upper Dublin closed out its regular season with a 13-1 record in conference play and a 19-3 mark overall. The Flying Cardinals will take on Abington in Saturday’s opening round of the SOL Tournament at Council Rock South (3 p.m.) Springfield Township (3-18, 1-13) will host Dock Mennonite Academy in a non-league game Friday.
Upper Dublin 32-20-9-4 65
Springfield Township5-2-4-2 13
Upper Dublin (65) – Bliss Brenner 2, Jess Sobieski 2, Anajae Smith 4, Meg Barbera 2, Jess Polin 9, Kara Grebe 8, Sarah Eskew 13,
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