Check out the recaps for SOL Girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. Upper Dublin/North Penn photos courtesy of Michael Rice Photography, and CR South/Neshaminy photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for galleries of both games. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GALLERIES.
SOL Tournament
#1 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 41, #8 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 38 (OT)
The Colonials served early notice that they were not going to make life easy for the SOL Colonial champions, opening up a 17-6 lead after one quarter.
Eliza Meersman ignited PW, scoring seven points in the frame while Taylor Williams had five. It was still an 11-point game at halftime (26-15).
Then came a third quarter that saw the Patriots shut out the Colonials while erasing the 11-point deficit in a quarter that featured a whole lot of Haley Moran. The sophomore point guard scored all 11 of East’s points.
The two teams went into the fourth quarter deadlocked at 26. The score was still knotted at the end of regulation, and the Patriots – behind five straight points from Jess Lockwood – took an early lead in OT they would not lose.
Key players: Haley Moran’s 19 points led the Colonials. Jess Lockwood added 14.
For the Colonials, Eliza Meersman led the way with 14 points, and Taylor Williams added nine.
Central Bucks East coach Liz Potash on the win. “It was a very, very gutsy win to be able to pull out. It is not easy to be down double digits at halftime at this part of the season and think you can get a win, but we came out in the third quarter and held them scoreless in the third, so we took an 11-point deficit at half where we were not playing our best basketball and had it tied going into the fourth.
“Haley (Moran) had some great finishes in the third quarter. We really defended well, and then it’s a brand new game going into the fourth quarter. You’re back to where it should be, but it takes a lot. It’s hard to play down. It takes a lot of mental toughness to be able to face that deficit and go ahead. We had opportunities to win it in the fourth quarter.
“In overtime, we came out and scored right away. Jess (Lockwood) had five points right off the bat, and everyone could take a big sigh of relief. You have a little breathing room, you make a couple foul shots, you got a couple stops. We did enough of what we needed to do, but that’s a big hole we dug ourselves in to be able to come out of.”
–Moran a difference maker: “What Haley Moran was able to do – especially in the second half to lead that comeback – honestly, it was on both ends. Obviously, it helps when she’s scoring for us, and she was our leading scorer, but her effort – she’s just such a competitor. Even defensively, you just see it in her eyes where it’s like – we have to find a way to get back in this game. It’s an aggressive double team or it’s her scoring or finding someone in scoring position. Her whole body language just changes. She gets excited, the kids get excited for her. It’s not in a showy way. It’s just – ‘Let’s do this.’ It’s so rare to see that as a sophomore, someone who’s starting for us for the first time this year. She played a lot of minutes last year, but it’s this whole new role. It’s like having a senior on the floor who’s been playing varsity basketball for four years. I can’t say enough good things about what she does. Her energy and her competitiveness and relentlessness – it fuels the whole team.”
–Props: “Jess (Lockwood) is an unbelievable shooter. I think it was the first possession of overtime where she caught the ball at the high post, and it was like – turn and face the basket. She’s sitting there – in my mind, it’s five minutes, but it’s probably two seconds. I’m like – ‘Shoot the ball,’ and she does, and it’s nothing but net. She’s an unbelievable shooter, and we always want her to shoot the ball when she has the opportunity. She went on a 5-0 run to start overtime, and it got us off on a good foot to be able to not look back from that.”
—Winning a close one: “Last year we were in so many close games, and we did really well in those games. We executed really well. We struggled tonight putting this game away. We haven’t been in a lot of close games. Of course, we work on it in practice all the time, but it’s different when the game’s on the line, and we talked about that after the game – this is only going to make us better because we had three tough possessions where it’s like – guys, you can’t do that in close games, but to their credit, we haven’t really been in those situations. It’s really hard to simulate at practice, so I hope – even just tonight being in that spot – that we learned from it, and the next close game we’re in it’s like– ‘Okay, we’ve done this before.’ It is weird to say in this season with as much success as we’ve had that we haven’t really had to execute, but we haven’t.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Dan Dougherty: “We had a great start today, we were able to get some early stops, Taylor Williams knocked down two threes, and we were successful breaking East’s pressure. Unfortunately, from the last couple minutes of second quarter and entire third quarter, we hit a drought of missed shots, turnovers, and defensive breakdowns. Kids fought hard to tie the game in the fourth. End of OT we were able to get decent look for a 3, just couldn’t get it to fall.”
–Props: “Big positives was the play of our young players, (sophomore) Eliza Meersman, (freshman) Grace Harvey, and (sophomore) Gracie Kerns. Three young players we will look to build around the rest of this year and hopefully for years to come. Eliza was great at both ends of the floor tonight. We wouldn’t be where we are without a breakout season from her this year.”
Up next: Central Bucks East (19-4, 8-0 SOL) will host Council Rock South in a battle of division champions in Saturday’s semifinal at 1 pm. Plymouth Whitemarsh is off (14-9, 4-4) until the District 1 6A Tournament.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 17-9-0-7-5 38
Central Bucks East 6-9-11-7-8 41
Plymouth Whitemarsh (38) – Taylor Williams 3 1-2 9; AJ Avery 2 0-2 4; Kenna Winland 2 2-2 7; Eliza Meersman 5 3-3 14; Grace Harvey 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 14 6-9 38.
Central Bucks East (41) – Sydney Ralph 2 1-2 6; Haley Moran 7 4-4 19; Savannah Hayes 1 0-0 2; Jess Lockwood 6 0-0 14; TOTALS 16 5-6 41.
3-point goals: PW – Taylor Williams 2, Kenna Winland, Eliza Meersman; CBE – Jess Lockwood 2, Sydney Ralph, Haley Moran.
#2 UPPER DUBLIN 62, #7 NORTH PENN 25
The Flying Cardinals seized early control of Friday’s SOL Tournament opener and never looked back.
Emilia Coleman was the catalyst in a first quarter that saw the Cards open up a 17-8 lead over their visitors. The junior sharpshooter connected on a pair of 3s and scored eight of her team’s points.
Key stretch: In the second quarter, the Cards threw some serious defense at the Knights, limiting them to just two points. At the offensive end, the quarter belonged to Tamia Clark and Megan Ngo. Clark accounted for eight points while Ngo had seven as the Cards opened up a 35-10 halftime lead on their way to the big win.
Key players: Tamia Clark’s 18 points led the Cards. Emilia Coleman added 13 points – 11 in the first half – and six rebounds. Megan Ngo had 10 points and nine assists, and Bridget DiMartile contributed eight points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
For the Knights. Lily Brown’s 14 points led the way.
Upper Dublin coach Morgan Funsten: “North Penn had come off a couple big wins over Pennridge and CB East, so we knew we were going to get their best punch. I thought Emilia Coleman got us off to a good start – she had eight in the first quarter. The first quarter was a little back and forth, and Bridget DiMartile hit a 3 at the buzzer to make it 17-8, and then we really rode the momentum in the second quarter.
“Tamia Clark finished with 18, and she only played three quarters, and she was scoring in a variety of ways. I thought Megan Ngo was awesome again tonight. For the second consecutive game, she had nine assists and no turnovers.
“One area we need to continue to improve on – we gave up 20 offensive rebounds, which is just way too much. North Penn was not shooting the ball great, but they were going after the ball like crazy. We have to be better as a defensive rebounding team.
“I thought we played with great energy. It was a fun atmosphere with the girls/boys doubleheader. It’s really fun to watch how good our boys’ team
is, and we’re feeding off the energy from the two programs. We’re looking forward to several doubleheaders in February with the boys.”
–Breaking the zone: “Offensively, especially – we’ve actually been seeing a lot of zones against us recently, and I know tomorrow against Cheltenham we’re most likely going to see it again. It’s something I actually thought was a weakness of ours early in the season even though we’re a good shooting team, and I think the girls have done a really good job at practice working on it. And it’s definitely showing in games. We’re definitely more comfortable against zones. We’ve seen it a lot. It’s fun to see how improved the team is offensively against zone because we are such a good shooting team, and we should be good against zone.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (19-4, 8-0 SOL) will host Cheltenham in Saturday’s semifinal contest at 2:30 pm. North Penn (12-11, 8-2 SOL) will await its seed in the District 1 6A Tournament.
North Penn 8-2-7-8 25
Upper Dublin 17-18-16-11 62
North Penn (25) – Cam Crowley 1 0-0 2; Paityn Debro 0 1-2 1; Lily Brown 5 4-7 14; Leah Mikulski 1 1-2 3; Jadyn Sperling 1 0-0 2; Mehya Godhania 1 0-0 3; Tallie Smink 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 9 6-13 25.
Upper Dublin (62) – Bridget DiMartile 3 0-0 8; Tamia Clark 9 0-0 18; Megan Ngo 3 3-4 10; Anna DiMartile 1 0-0 2; Lexi Ngo 1 0-0 3; Emilia Coleman 5 0-0 13; Ella Morris 3 0-0 8; TOTALS 25 3-4 62.
3-point goals: NP – Mehya Godhania; UD – Emilia Coleman 3, Ella Morris 2, Bridget DiMartile 2, Megan Ngo, Lexi Ngo.
#3 CHELTENHAM 57, #6 PENNSBURY 48
The Lady Panthers are newcomers to the postseason SOL Tournament, but they wasted little time before making their presence felt, defeating the visiting Falcons in a tightly contested game.
Cheltenham led by one after the first quarter and still found itself with that one-point lead at halftime, 25-24. Paige Powell’s seven points led the Lady Panthers while Sammie Haws and Ava Jordan both had seven points in the half for the Falcons.
Jiah Price made her presence felt in the third quarter, scoring seven points in a high-scoring frame that saw the Lady Panthers hold an 18-16 advantage.
Key stretch: Cheltenham took a tenuous 43-40 lead into the fourth quarter when the Lady Panthers outscored their visitors 14-8 to earn the big win. Maya Simmons had five points, including a big 3. Cassie Bugg added four.
Key players: Paige Powell led a balanced Cheltenham attack with 14 points and eight steals. Jiah Price added 13 points and four rebounds, and Maya Simmons had 11 points. Zoe Thompson was the fourth player in double figures with 10 points, four rebounds, four steals and four blocks. Cassie Bugg added eight points.
Pennsbury was led by the 15-point effort of Ava Jordan. Alyssa Thomas added nine points on three 3-pointers, and Emily Panaro had eight points and six rebounds. Sammie Haws had seven points.
Pennsbury coach Frank Sciolla: “Tonight worked out perfectly for us. Cheltenham is a really good team while at the same time we know there is a really strong chance that we could potentially see them down the road and we kept that in mind.
“We were able to get a ton of playing time for some of our players that have not been playing as much lately, and it was a great atmosphere with the DJ Flash in the house and the crowd. We pressed full court, and we pressed in the half court the entire game and that was fun, although obviously it’s not something that would sustain itself in an elimination type game in districts, and we were cognizant of that coming in.
“I was definitely impressed with how hard we attacked the basket. We really went to the rim a great deal and drew contact repeatedly, which is something we really want to get better at, and while that might not show up in the box score, it’s the thought that counts.
“I really like Cheltenham’s team. Their size and length provide a unique challenge for us. It would be interesting to play them again, and if we do get that opportunity, it would mean we probably won a game or two, which would be nice.”
Up next: Cheltenham (19-2, 10-0 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin for Saturday’s semifinal game at 2:30 pm. Pennsbury (14-9, 7-3) will await its final seed in the District 1 6A tournament.
Pennsbury 12-12-16-8 48
Cheltenham 13-12-18-14 57
Pennsbury (48) – Emily Panaro 4 0-0 8; Grace Schaufler 1 0-0 2; Maggie Burns 2 0-0 4; Sammie Haws 2 1-3 7; Alyssa Thomas 3 0-0 9; Shea Quenzer 1 0-0 3; Ava Jordan 6 1-2 15; TOTALS 19 2-5 48.
Cheltenham (57) – Jiah Price 6 1-1 13; Paige Powell 6 2-3 14; Maya Simmons 5 0-0 11; Cassie Bugg 3 2-2 8; Ali Charles 0 1-2 1; Zoe Thompson 4 2-2 10; TOTALS 24 8-10 57.
3-point goals: P – Alyssa Thomas 3, Ava Jordan 2, Sammie Haws 2, Shea Quenzer; C -Maya Simmons.
#4 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 47, #5 NESHAMINY 42
It was the kind of start that could have marked the beginning of the end for some teams.
Sparked by three 3-pointers from Hayley Kolk, Neshaminy raced out of the gate to a 12-0 lead.
“I felt a lit bit panicked just because they were shooting the ball so good,” Rock South senior point guard Kathryn O’Kane said. “I knew we could have played better defensively.
“One of the most important things is talking, and I think that’s what we struggled with the last two times we played them. We emphasized that, but still, they were getting open on screens and stuff. When we were
down 12-0, I thought – we really have to pick up our communication.”
By the end of the first quarter, the Golden Hawks had trimmed the Redskins’ lead to a manageable 15-12, and O’Kane had five of her team’s points.
What changed after a shaky start?
“Definitely more communication,” O’Kane said. “We definitely picked that up – like the screens were way better, just not for switching, not for staying.
“I thought we were better offensively too. We started out slow – like 12-0. Then we started hitting shots, and that boosted our momentum and picked the game up.”
In the second quarter, the Golden Hawks buried five 3-pointers – two by Maria Freeman, and they took a 27-25 lead into halftime.
“In the first quarter, they were getting open a lot – it was our fault,” Maria Freeman said. “So, it was stuff that we could fix, and I think that’s what really helped us. Coach P called a timeout at the end of the quarter and told us what to do.”
A Kolk three to open the second half put the Redskins on top 28-17. Lil Metrick answered with a 3-pointer at the other end to give the Hawks a lead they would not lose. A basket by O’Kane put the Hawks on top 32-28, but Ashlyn Duffy connected from beyond the arc to pull the Redskins to within one.
Bella Hettler’s 3-pointer upped the Hawks’ advantage ot 34-31, and O’Kane turned a Neshaminy miscue into a fast break bucket and a 36-31 lead. Freeman connected on one of two from the foul line, and O’Kane closed out the quarter with a nifty drive under a Neshaminy defender for a 39-31 lead after three quarters. Another Freeman 3 – her third of the game – put the Hawks on top 42-31.
“My coaches and my teammates put a lot of confidence in me, especially over this last season,” Freeman said. “They definitely keep me confident.”
The Redskins would get no closer than four the rest of the way.
Key players: Kathryn O’Kane led a balanced Rock South attack with 12 points – six in the pivotal third quarter. Maria Freeman added 10 points. Four other players added five or more points.
Neshaminy was led by the 14-point efforts of Hayley Kolk and Ashlyn Duffy. Both players had four 3-pointers. Grace Weyler added eight points. Alena Cofield led the Redskins with nine rebounds. Mia Raivitch had a team-high six assists.
Council Rock South coach Steve Polinsky: “I just think our resilience was the key– even if the get down, they just believe in themselves. It’s a long game. Neshaminy getting up that early – we fought the whole game and came back. They believe in what they do, and they’re doing a great job executing.
“We did some defensive stuff on (Hayley Kolk), changed things a little, so we stopped her a little, but she was having a great game. She’s a great player.”
–Props: “Both Freemans – Sarah and Maria – hit big 3s to cut into that big lead in the beginning when it was 12-0. They got us back to 12-8 or 12-9. Both of them shot the ball really well.”
Rock South senior Kathryn O’Kane on the key to the team’s success: “I’d say it’s our leaders, our captains, for sure – Fiona (Reckner), Lil (Metrick) and Sarah (Freeman). If we’re lacking energy, they’re always telling us to pick it up. Our bench too is a big point. We definitely emphasize our bench energy. That’s definitely what gets me going, hearing the bench.
“All you really need is one (defensive) stop, two stops. It kind of gets you going.”
Neshaminy coach John Gallagher: “I want to congratulate Steve, his staff and his players on winning a really tough division. That was a great accomplishment by them. We gave them a really good punch to start the game, and like a senior-laden team, they didn’t buckle. They steadied the ship, and they went on a 24-5 run, and to the credit of our players, we battled back from that. It was tight game all throughout. They had a comfortable five, six, seven-point lead most of the fourth quarter. We couldn’t crack it. The Freeman girls hit some big shots for them. They shoot the ball very well all the time, let alone on their home court. It was a good experience for us.”
Up next: Council Rock South (20-3, 9-1 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East for Saturday’s semifinal game at 1 pm. Neshaminy (17-6, 8-2) will await its final seed in the District 1 6A Tournament.
Neshaminy 15-10-6-11 42
Council Rock South 12-15-12-8 47
Neshaminy (42) – Grace Weyler 3 1-2 8; Alena Cofield 2 0-0 4; Ashlyn Duffy 5 0-0 14; Auslyn Wilkins 1 0-0 2; Hayley Kolk 5 0-0 14; TOTALS 16 1-2 42.
Council Rock South (47) – Sarah Freeman 1 2-2 5; Lil Metrick 2 0-0 6; Maria Freeman 3 1-2 10; Kathryn O’Kane 5 1-2 12; Bella Hettler 3 0-0 6; Fiona Reckner 2 0-0 5; Emerson Gunther 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 17 4-6 47.
3-point goals: N – Ashlyn Duffy 4, Hayley Kolk 4, Grace Weyler; CRS – Maria Freeman 3, Lil Metrick 2, Sarah Freeman, Fiona Reckner, Emerson Gunther, Kathryn O’Kane.
Non-league
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 66, FAITH CHRISTIAN 46
Emily Wilson put her name in the program’s record books, joining teammate Izzy Elizondo as a member of New Hope-Solebury’s elite 1,000-point club. The senior captain entered Friday’s game needing 22 points. She reached the milestone in the second quarter, capping a brilliant first half.
We all knew it but hesitated to talk much about it,” NH-S coach Andy Krasna said. “She scored 15 points in the first quarter alone, and none of her shots were forced. It was a remarkable first quarter performance to say the least. Emily has the ability to play at a high level with or without the ball in her hands. She recently had 27 against Cheltenham who defends as well as any team in the SOL; however, she adds so much more than scoring points for our team.
“Emily has a special sense of awareness about the game and can read and react to different situations. She loves to compete and brings out the best in her teammates. She takes advantage of every opportunity to get better. It was exciting to see Emily score 22 points in the first half and reach the special 1000-point milestone. Having two 1000-point scorers hit the mark six days apart (Izzy Elizondo last Saturday) doesn’t happen very often.”
Friday’s non-league win was a bounce-back game for the Lions, who dropped their regular season finale to William Tennent.
“We let a winnable game vs William Tennent get away from us earlier in the week, and I think we used the loss as motivation to play all four quarters with a lot of energy,” Krasna said.
Behind the dazzling effort of Wilson, the Lions opened up a 28-13 lead after one quarter and took a 44-25 lead into halftime on their way to the big win.
Key players: Emily Wilson’s 26 points led all scorers. Kayla Fennell had a huge second half, scoring 11 of her 17 points. Mary Tressler added 11 points, and Izzy Elizondo had 10 points.
New Hope-Solebury coach Andy Krasna: “Scoring points has never been an issue for our team this season, and tonight we were operating on all cylinders with four starters scoring in double figures.”
–Props: “Kayla Fennell is back from her concussion, and it looked like she never missed a beat with her season high of 17 points. She was letting the game come to her and looked comfortable and fluid in our offense.
“Mary Tresler added another double-double to her list of accomplishments as a ninth grader and is learning to play more aggressively against physical post players. Izzy Elizondo added 10 points but was more of a passer tonight often finding her teammate Emily Wilson.”
Up next: New Hope-Solebury (13-9, 6-4 Sol) will return to action in the District 1 3A Tournament. The Lions are the top seed.
Faith Christian 13-12-12-9 46
New Hope-Solebury 28-16-15 7 66
Faith Christian (46) – Brigid Garlick 1 0-0 3; Audrey Saurers 8 1-1 19; Kendall Robison 1 2-7 4; Charlie Sauers 3 0-0 7; Kam Pepkowski 2 0-2 5; Peyton Voytko 4 0-0 8; TOTALS 19 3-10 46.
New Hope-Solebury (66) – Danielle Wilson 1 0-0 2; Kayla Fennell 7 2-3 17; Izzy Elizondo 4 0-0 10; Emily Wilson 11 0-0 26; Mary Tresler 3 5-5 11; TOTALS 26 7-8 66.
3-point goals: FCA – Audrey Saurers 2, Brigid Garlick, Charlie Sauers, Kam Pepkowski; NH-S – Emily Wilson 4, Izzy Elizondo 2, Kayla Fennell.
CHESTER 60, UPPER MORELAND 57
The Golden Bears have had more than their share of close losses this season, and their season ended with another heartbreaker.
The game started out on a promising enough note. The Bears – behind seven points from Mikel Lancit – led 22-10 after one quarter, and they added to that lead in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 34-19 lead.
The second half belonged to the visiting Clippers, who outscored their hosts 24-15 in the third quarter and 40-23 in the half to eke out the win.
Hailey Milks and Lianna Adames each scored 14 points to lead UM. Adames buried three 3-pointers. Lancit finished with 11 points.
Upper Moreland coach Josh Adelman: “It was another tough loss! We were up 34-19 at the half. Playing great! Mikel was back after sitting out several games with ankle issues. She played very well. Lianna Adames and Hailey Milks each scored 14. They kept us in the ball game. Marie got into foul trouble and Hailey Milks played a great game inside tonight. Getting the ball in the post and finishing. Lianna was feeling it from the outside.
“Chester kept up with their pressure and we made too many turnovers at key moments. Chester took advantage, but we kept going back and forth. They scored the go-ahead basket with about four seconds left. They stole the inbounds pass as the time expired. The girls continued to battle, just like they always do. Proud of their efforts. It was our Senior night. And besides losing another close game, the crowd was given a good game tonight.”
Upper Moreland closed out its season with an 8-14 record.
Chester 10-9-24-17 60
Upper Moreland 22-12-15-8 57
Chester (60) – Imani Dorsey 7 3-3 18; Zayann Vann 3 5-8 11; Ja’mya Muhammed 11 6-12 28; Zay’Yanna Clark 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 22 14-23 60.
Upper Moreland (57) – Mikel Lancit 5 0-2 11; Lianna Adames 5 1-2 14; Marie Meyers 1 0-0 3; Hailey Kramer 2 2-4 6; Charlie Clement 2 0-2 5; Parker Kurtz 1 0-0 2; Hailey Milks 7 0-0 14; Lilly Hansen 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 24 3-10 57.
3-point goals: C- Imani Dorsey; Zay’Yanna Clark. UM – Lianna Adames 3, Mikel Lancit, Marie Meyers, Charlie Clement.
DELAWARE COUNTY CHRISTIAN 41, WISSAHICKON 36
The Trojans battled but came up short in their season finale.
“The girls played a smart game tonight, showing great teamwork and execution,” Wissahickon coach Kathie Sims said. “However, we made some costly mistakes on the defensive end that impacted our performance.
“Moving forward, we need to focus on tightening our defense, improving communication, and minimizing errors to ensure stronger results in future games.”
Katelyn Thomson led the Trojans with 16 points, Maura Jacob had 9 points, and Kai Potter had 11 rebounds.
Wissahickon closed out its season with a 6-16 record.
About the Author
