SOL Girls/Boys Basketball Wrap (1-29-14)

Check out the results for SOL basketball teams in action on Wednesday. To view photos of the Cheltenham/PW girls’ basketball game, please visit the Photo Gallery. Photos of the CB East/CB West “Two Rivals One Cause” Coaches vs. Cancer game were provided courtesy of the CB East planning committee.

CHELTENHAM 56, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 42
It’s been more than two decades since Plymouth Whitemarsh won a game at Cheltenham. The Lady Panthers made sure that streak didn’t end, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back on their way to the important win.
“We talk about trying to re-establish our program,” Cheltenham coach Brendan Nolan said. “Winning league games is big for us.
“I’ve thrown out the phrase ‘drawing a line in the sand’ a lot over the last two years. We were able to beat PW in our gym last year and this year, and that was something I threw out there. While we ended a lot of streaks, this is a streak we still had going. I’m trying not to throw the past at them too much, but sometimes I like to use that as a little bit of motivation, and it’s effective.”
Three Lady Panthers – Ashley Jones (19 points), Amarri Trueheart (18 points) and Gabrielle Wright (14 points) – finished the game in double figures.
“To me the story was we were a more balanced team tonight,” Nolan said. “Our scoring was not as lopsided as it usually is.
“We got off to a fast start, and we led from the start to finish. I felt we dictated how the game was going to be played, and we stuck to what we do well, which is what I’ve been preaching all year, and we did it.”
The Lady Panthers led 11-6 at the end of one quarter. PW trailed by just two (20-18) late in the second quarter, but Monet McGorda’s three-point basket sent the Lady Panthers into halftime with a 23-18 lead.
“We were in a little bit of a fullcourt press,” Nolan said. “We felt every time we could make Asia Baker and Alynna Williams pass the ball that was a good thing for us.
“By double teaming and trapping a little bit, we got them to give the ball up. We turned the pace of the game up, and even when they did break our press, they took some shots that may not have been the shots they wanted to get.”
The two teams exchanged baskets in the third period, but again, the Lady Panthers hit a clutch basket at the buzzer – this time Ashley Jones – to stretch their lead to 35-28 entering the final frame.
“Our starting five really played well,” Nolan said. “Ashley Jones – even though it wasn’t her highest scoring game – might have played one of her best games.
“She’s been unbelievably unselfish. For someone who’s leading the Suburban One League in scoring – I really don’t think she cares about that at all, and I think she demonstrated that tonight. She’d get in the lane, and she wasn’t always looking to score. She set her teammates up. It was really noticeable that she had the team first tonight.”
The Lady Panthers went into a delay to open the fourth quarter, forcing PW to extend its defense. The Colonials were whistled for 10 fouls in the fourth quarter, and the Lady Panthers buried 7-of-11 from the charity stripe to seal the win.
In addition to the team’s three big scorers, the Lady Panthers also received a lift from freshman Nashira Brown.
“It doesn’t show up in the scorebook, but Nashira played her best game of the year,” Nolan said. “She only had two points, but she played such good defense and did such a great job boxing out.
“Even when she didn’t get a rebound, she prevented Asia Baker or someone like that from getting it, so that our guards could slash in there and get it.”
Brown and Wright both finished with 11 rebounds to lead the Lady Panthers under the basket.
The Colonials, who shot a season low six free throws, were led by the 16-point effort of Williams. Baker had nine points and Khadijah Hickson, eight points.
The Lady Panthers are 7-4 in league play (12-6 overall), and the Colonials are 8-3 in the league (14-4 overall).
Plymouth Whitemarsh           6          12        10        14-42
Cheltenham     11        12        12        21-56

COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 41, GWYNEDD MERCY 40
Things didn’t look all that promising for the Golden Hawks. They not only trailed for the better part of the game and found themselves staring at an eight-point fourth quarter deficit, they still trailed by one with five seconds remaining when they inbounded the ball at midcourt. The Monarchs, who had a foul to give, fouled immediately, leaving the Golden Hawks with 2.3 seconds to inbound and score.
Which is exactly what they did.
“Cara (Barlow) inbounded the ball to Allison (Taub) – Allison took a dribble, turned and banked it in at the buzzer,” coach Monica Stolic said.
Taub finished with just six points but had 12 rebounds, three steals and one assist. Taylor Dillon led the Golden Hawks with 16 points and two assists. Emily DeAngelis had nine points. Barlow had five points, five rebounds and five assists.
The Monarchs led 10-8 at the end of one quarter and took a 19-16 lead into halftime. Gwynedd led by just one (27-26) heading into the final frame.
“They went into a zone, and we made some shots,” Stolic said of her team’s comeback. “We only had nine turnovers in the game, and they’re a pressing team.
“I have coached against (former Central Bucks East coach) Tom (Lonergan) for years. They’re fundamental, they box out, and they play good ‘D.’ This game was the story of our year, but usually we lost. Tonight we turned it around.”
The Golden Hawks are 7-11 overall this season.
Council Rock South     8          8          10        15-41
Gwynedd Mercy          10        9          8          13-40

NORTH PENN 51, DOWNINGTOWN WEST 35

The Lady Knights found themselves on the short end of a 9-8 score but closed out the first quarter with a 7-0 run that continued into the second quarter. By halftime, the Lady Knights led 34-13 on their way to the lopsided non-league win.

“We went on a tear the end of the first period and into the second period, and everyone was scoring,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “It was a pretty unselfish effort tonight.”
Erin Maher had a big game for the Lady Knights, contributing 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Vicky Tumasz led the Lady Knights offensively with 17 points, which included five three-pointers. Mikaela Giuliani had five points and seven rebounds.
The Maidens are 16-3 overall.
Downingtown West    9          4          8          14-35
North Penn     15        19        11        6-51

PENNRIDGE 44, LINCOLN LEADERSHIP 18
The Lady Rams jumped out to a 14-2 lead at the end of one quarter and took a 27-6 lead into halftime on their way to the decisive win. Monika Brill and Ashley George led a balanced scoring attack with eight points each. Marie O'Neill added seven. Lydia Konstanzer had a team-high six rebounds. Brill also had five rebounds to go along with two steals. Jess Tennett had three of the Lady Rams' 19 steals in the game. The Lady Rams upped their record to 7-11 overall.
Pennridge      14     13     8     9-44
Lincoln Leadership     2     4    4     8-18
 

CONESTOGA 31, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 20

Neighboring Central Bucks East and Central Bucks West joined forces to fight for a cure in Wednesday night’s “Two Rivals One Cause” Coaches vs. Cancer girls/boys doubleheader in front of a full house at Central Bucks East.
The night is just one of the events leading up to the big event on Saturday, Feb. 8, that will feature basketball fun from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be a three-on-three competition (pre-registration required) open to grades 3-12, a free basketball clinic by Alvin Williams and the Academy of Hoops, exhibition basketball games by CBAA and the teachers and seniors of CB East and CB West. There will be over 40 silent auction items, ranging from an orthodontic set of braces worth over $5,000 to New Jersey beach getaways, signed memorabilia, sports tickets, gift card baskets, sunglasses, etc. There will also be over 20 raffle baskets, event t-shirts and food.
There are three Eat to Beat Cancer Nights remaining:
Artistic Pizzeria, 12 W. State Street, Doylestown, Friday, Jan. 31, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Candlewyck Inn, Buckingham, Monday, Feb. 3, 4 p.m. to closing
Chipotle, Valley Green Shopping Center, Sunday, Feb. 9, 5-8 p.m.

It was a play won’t show up in the scorebook and may go unnoticed on Karoline White’s stat line, but it may have been the difference between winning and losing for the Patriots on Wednesday night.
With less than a minute to play in overtime and the Patriots clinging to a 46-45 lead, West’s Peyton Traina came up with a steal and broke down court for a potential layup to give her team the lead.
White had other ideas and came out of nowhere to cleanly block Traina’s shot. It was a game changing play as the Bucks misfired on a pair of shots to take the lead. East senior center Courtney Webster pulled down the rebound of the second miss, and shortly thereafter, Katelyn Miller was fouled. She calmly sank both shots to extend East’s lead to 48-45. West’s trey attempt for the tie fell short, and when Miller buried one-of-two from the foul line with six seconds remaining, the Bucks’ fate was all but sealed. Nicole Munger’s three-pointer at the buzzer did nothing but make the final score a bit closer.
“One thing I have said, and I said this back in the spring – they do not quit,” East coach Liz Potash said. “It doesn’t matter what the score is. Even last night being down (in a loss to Souderton), they played hard to the end.
“Karoline will not let them quit, she will not let them give up, and none of them will. That’s who they are. I could not be more proud of them.”
Despite being shadowed by a defender the length of the court, White, the Patriots’ undisputed floor general, remained calm, and her teammates followed her lead.
“I think over the years I’ve learned that in that situation, it’s as much mental as it’s physical,” White said. “I can’t take myself out of the game. If I do, I’ll start making bad passes, bad moves. Really, it’s a mental game at that point, and today I needed to keep my composure, and that’s what I tried to do.”
The senior point guard contributed nine points, seven assists, three steals and three blocks.
“She’s constantly under pressure, no matter who we play because she is our strongest ball handler,” Potash said. “It’s the effort we’ve gotten all year from her. We go as she goes.”
Miller finished with a team-high 16 points, which included three three-pointers. Webster had 15 points and seven rebounds. Kyra Scaliti came off the bench to pull down a game-high 11 rebounds – 10 defensive – while also contributing five points.
The win avenged a loss to the Bucks in the initial meeting between the two teams.
“We build each other up as a team,” Miller said. “It’s all about having a strong team atmosphere. If someone does something, we have to get it back. It’s all working together and giving all we had.”
The Patriots opened up an early 10-4 lead after a Scaliti basket, but a bucket by West’s Meghan Tilger made it a 10-6 game at the end of one quarter. Miller drained a trey to open the second quarter. The Bucks, sparked by a trey from Nicole Munger (14 points) and a traditional three-point play by Mackenzie Carroll, rallied to knot the score at 14-14. When Taylor Moylan sank one-of-two from the foul line, the Bucks had their first lead since the game’s opening minutes (15-14), but a Miller basket in the closing seconds sent the Patriots into halftime with a 16-15 lead.
“We just came out flat,” said Carroll, who led all scorers with 22 points. “Personally, when we got here, I felt a little rushed during warm-ups. I don’t know why, but we weren’t quite prepared for the game. It took us a while to get into it.”
The Patriots extended their lead to 26-20 after White turned a steal into a bucket late in the third quarter, but
Carroll answered with a baseline trey and then – after a pair of East misses – buried a pair from the foul line to make it a 26-25 game heading into the final quarter.
Carroll sank a three to open the fourth quarter, and the Bucks led 28-26. They stretched that lead to 33-28 after a Munger pull-up jumper, but Miller calmly responded by sinking a three-pointer at the other end.
“It’s a mental game, and it’s getting yourself set and saying to yourself, ‘This shot is going in,’” Miller said.
A Scaliti bucket knotted the score, but the Bucks went on top 35-33 after a short jumper by Carroll. Webster answered with a basket to tie it up at 35, and after White drew a charge on the defensive end, Webster connected on a pair at the foul line. The Bucks missed a pair of foul shots, and when Scaliti sank one-of-two with 42 seconds remaining, the Patriots led 38-35.
It looked as though the Bucks were in danger of not getting a shot off for the tie, but with seven seconds remaining, Peyton Traina hit nothing but net on a three from long range, setting the stage for OT.
Despite Traina’s late-game heroics, the Patriots say they never doubted themselves.
“We were all reassuring each other that we were not going to lose this game, no matter what it takes,” White said. “We’re going to give 110 percent.
“All the credit to our bench. Our bench was great today. They kept us in it.”
The Patriots led 42-40 after a Webster bucket (White assist), and when West missed its shot for the tie, Emily Sebesky buried a pair from the foul line to give the Patriots a four-point edge. Another Carroll three-pointer cut that lead to one, but a short jumper by Sebesky made it a 46-43 game. The Bucks pulled to within one on a Munger drive with 1:50 remaining. That’s as close as they would get as the Patriots held on for the emotional win.
“This means the world,” Webster said. “We haven’t won in a while, and we knew what we were up against.
“We executed our game plan better than we have in the past. I’m speechless.”
East’s dramatic win came 24 hours after suffering a 10-point loss to Souderton. Four days earlier, the Patriots fell to North Penn.
“I think yesterday was a little bit of a wake-up call because we know we can beat Souderton,” White said. “We know we’re better than that, so today we had to come out and show it to ourselves, show it to our fans, our coaches and our teammates.”
The Patriots are 6-5 in the league (11-6 overall).
“I think we went into this game – it’s our home court, we lost to them before this season, and we hadn’t beaten them in a while, and the seniors kind of pulled together and we were like, ‘This is our last East-West game, and we have to give it literally everything we have,’” Webster said. “I think that’s why we came out so strong.

“We never had a student section like this. It was nice to see people came out and came together for the cause. That’s bigger than both of our two teams. We both want to cure cancer, and that was our goal tonight.”
The Bucks, who fell to 8-2 in league play (15-4 overall), now trail both Central Bucks South and North Penn by a game in the loss column.
“I think when we lost to Souderton and South, that was a learning experience, and tonight is a learning experience, but we really need to pick it up,” Carroll said. “We have not played a full game yet. We always have spots in the game where we’re flat, and we really need to work on that. Credit to them – they played a really great game. They were hitting everything. We were coming back and coming back, but it just didn’t go our way.”
The Bucks were without coach Terry Rakowsky (family illness), and coach Mike Green took over the helm in his absence.
Central Bucks West    6          9          10        13        10-48
Central Bucks East     10        6          10        12        11-49

CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 45, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 42
Brendan McLaughlin's driving layup with 36 seconds remaining was the game-winner as Central Bucks East outlasted rival Central Bucks West, 45-42, in a key SOL Continental Conference game before a packed house in Buckingham on Wednesday.
"This is a kid that's earned it," Patriots coach Erik Henrysen said about McLaughlin. "He does it in every way. Effort-wise, the way he competes every day, he really is the example of our program."
East, which led by as many as 15 in the first half and 27-16 at halftime, saw its lead slip away in the third quarter.
West fought back in the game with the low post play of senior Evan Dunn, who scored a team-high 15 points for the game. His three-point play with 5:39 forced the game's first tie at 36 and it was back-and-forth the rest of the way.
East's Tommy Strasburger hit a 3-pointer to put the Patriots back in front by three, only to see West answer and tie it again at 39 a minute later.
Trailing 41-39, West took its first lead as senior Patrick Kelley went strong to the basket and hit a free throw to make it 42-41 with 1:54 left.  The Bucks then had a chance to extend the lead, but a key missed free throw gave East the chance it needed, and McLaughlin cashed in to give his team the lead for good.
"I knew I was going to take the last shot," McLaughlin said. "I wanted to make a play, whether it was me shooting or getting somebody else on the team involved. I thought it was my responsibility to do that.
"I thought my teammates did a great job setting me up. The story is all on them. My teammates who won that game, not just me, the coaches, fans everybody."
The win was the sixth in a row for East (10-7, 7-4 SOL), avenging a 16-point loss to West (11-7, 6-5 SOL) back in December.
"It's big," Henrysen said. "It really doesn't matter what the records are when you play West. It's going to be a knockdown, drag-out fight, and six in a row - we're in the midst of a five-game, six-day stretch here, so to win the first three it's nice."
CB East 45, CB West 42
CB West (42)
Jared Kelly 5 0-1 11; Kyle Schechter 2 1-6 5; Pat Kelley 3 3-3 9; Evan Dunn 6 3-4 15; Kyle Salvitti 1 0-0 2; Nico Munari 0 0-0 0; Luke Irons 0 0-0 0; Vince Brunetto 0 0-0 0; Cal Reichwein 0 0-0 0.Totals: 17 7-14 42
CB East (45)
Brendan McLaughlin 5 5-6 16; Ben Kardane 1 0-0 2; Brendan O'Neil 2 1-2 5; Tommy Strasburger 5 1-2 13; Blake Peterson 1 0-0 2; Matt Gentry 3 0-0 7; Justin O'Neil 0 0-0 0.Totals: 17 7-10 45
CB West7 9 13 13-42    
CB East12 15 7 11-45