Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ basketball teams in action Friday. CR South/CB West photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f884733941 (CB East photo courtesy of Diane Barry. Hatboro-Horsham photo courtesy of Diane Waeltz)
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 42, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 37
The Golden Hawks led by two at halftime but trailed by two heading into the final quarter when they rallied, outscoring their visitors 14-7 to escape with the hard-fought win.
“This was a different type of win tonight for us,” Rock South coach Blair Klumpp said. “We came back from being down heading into the fourth and played the fourth either down a possession or up a point.
“It was a really back and forth game the fourth quarter. I think for us the one thing that was consistent all night was our defense. To our girls’ credit, we have done a really good job all year executing what we have wanted to do defensively from game to game. That needs to stay consistent from game to game. We changed defenses a bit in the fourth quarter, and it was effective.
“Offensively, West did a good job not letting us get into a rhythm and get comfortable with what we wanted to do. That’s a credit to their girls and to Zach (Sibel). He does such a good job year in and year out with his teams. This year, they’re probably more impressive from the player development of some of these girls after Emily (Spratt) graduated. (Gabi) Senior and (Katie) Finnan have really improved their all-around games and Tai (Henkels) is always a threat to be a game changer because of her shooting ability.”
The Golden Hawks, who outscored the Bucks 10-6 in the opening quarter, took an 18-16 lead into halftime. Fiona Reckner’s seven points led the Hawks while Senior’s five points led the Bucks.
“We have been emphasizing two things to our girls: 1) playing to strengths and 2) impacting a game when you’re not scoring,” Klumpp said. “KP (Katie Purpura) has done that all year with her defense, effort, plays and setting teammates up. I thought she was really good driving and giving herself up for her teammates with extra passes tonight.
“I also think Cam (Gregory) and Jess Mangoni touched other areas of the game outside of 
scoring. Cam had a really nice pass to Smed (Karissa Smedley) that led to a big bucket. (Lil) Metrick has done it multiple times defensively the last couple games as well and was solid on D again tonight. Kat (O’Kane) had a big fourth quarter on both sides of floor and a huge block from behind late on a rotational play.”
O’Kane’s six points led the Golden Hawks, who were 8-for-14 from the foul line in the final quarter.
“We were down five late in the third when Fiona Reckner made a HUGE play on an offensive rebound/scramble play and dove for a loose ball, poking it out to Smed who hit a 3 at the buzzer to get it to two heading into the fourth,” Klumpp said. “We made some tough plays down the stretch on 50/50 balls and tough rebounds in traffic. I challenged Smed this week in practice to get back to the foul line and rebound better especially offensively, and she responded very strong in both those areas tonight. She’s the healthiest she’s been all season right now and her output and overall game showed that.
“Fi (Reckner) was really good tonight all around as well, implementing some things we have talked about during practice. As a group, I have confidence they will work hard to improve where we need to, and they have shown an ability and consistency to lock-in defensively and to a game plan and scout. They deserve a lot of credit for that. It was a good win tonight after a tough overtime loss Tuesday at (Central Bucks) East.”
Smedley led the Golden Hawks with 14 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Reckner added nine points while O’Kane added six points, three assists and one block. Gregory added three assists, three rebounds and two blocks. Purpura finished with five rebounds, and Jess Mangoni had three steals.
For the Bucks, Finnan’s 11 points led the way while Senior had nine, and Henkels contributed eight.
Council Rock South (7-2, 5-2 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks South on Tuesday, and Central Bucks West (4-5, 3-4) will be on the road for a non-league game at West Chester Rustin on Monday.
Central Bucks West 6-10-14-7 37
Council Rock South 10-8-10-14 42
Central Bucks West (37) – Gabi senior 4 1-2 9; Tai Henkels 3 1-2 8; Katie Finnan 3 4-6 11; Alexis Castro 1 0-2 2; Ava Longo 2 0-0 4; Gabby Reichner 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 14 7-14 37.
Council Rock South (42) – Kathryn O’Kane 2 2-2 6; Lil Metrick 2 0-0 5; Lily Bross 1 0-0 3; Katie Purpura 0 1-4 1; Cam Gregory 0 2-2 2; Fiona Recknew 3 2-4 9; Karissa Smedley 4 5-6 14; Jess Mangoni 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 13 12-18 42.
3-point goals: CBW – Tai Henkels, Katie Finnan; CRS – Lil Metrick, Lily Bross, Fiona Reckner, Karissa Smedley
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 29, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 28
Points were hard to come by for both squads, but it just took one foul shot by Delaney McCaffery with 2.5 seconds on the scoreboard clock to win it for the Indians. Rock North took a 28-21 lead early in the final quarter only to watch the visiting Titans even the score with just under three minutes remaining.
Neither team scored on subsequent possessions, and the Indians had the ball in the final minute and held for the last shot.
“We got fouled with six seconds to go,” Rock North coach Jack Kelly said. “The baseline out of bounds play – we inbounded the ball to Delaney, who drove to the basket and got fouled with 2.5 seconds to go.
“She missed the first free throw, but after a CB South timeout, she made the second throw to give us a 29-28 lead. South’s attempt at a full-court heave came up short, and we won.”
It was a big win for the Indians
“We are just really excited for our team to get over that proverbial hump and get a huge win at home against a tough and really well-coached CB South team,” Kelly said. “Every game we’ve been right there in the fourth quarter, and today we finally finished it.
“CB South has shown over the past two weeks that they will never quit, and credit to them they just kept clawing back. But I am just so proud of the resilience and discipline that we showed in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter to withstand their run and then executed offensively to get the win. We have really been battling so many teams in our league, and despite some really tough losses, our girls never have given up. We are just so happy for our players.”
The Indians, who trailed 6-5 after one quarter, took an 18-10 lead into halftime. Jaden Wan’s seven points led the way. They still led 24-21 heading into the fourth quarter, and baskets by Kiera Katz and McCaffery upped that lead to seven.
The Titans came roaring back, knotting the score, thanks to a 3 by Yoyo Samayoa and two-point buckets from Casey Balkir and Mia Klein, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
Wan’s nine points led the Indians while McCaffery and Ruth O’Keefe each had six.
“Every player on our team contributed and did what we asked of them,” Kelly said. “Lizzie Lustig and Ruth O’Keefe both played tremendous defense and were crucial on the boards. Jaden got us some easy baskets in the first half in transition and also did a great job in help on D throughout. Kiera hit a big layup and had a huge assist. And obviously Delaney deserves a ton of credit – to step up with the game on the line after missing the first foul shot and hitting the second is just gutsy. She exudes confidence, she always wants to be the one to make a play, and she did.
“I also would be remiss if I didn’t mention our bench – Ella Cairone, Claire Pirkle, Amelia Furman, Amara Arroyo, Josie Boyle, and Skyler Wright – they all did what was asked of them tonight, and more importantly they have been working really hard in practice to help us be prepared for each and every game. Our defense tonight is a credit to their hard work at yesterday’s practice. Now we have to get back to work and continue to build on our progress.”
Samayoa’s eight points led the Titans, and Klein added six.
Council Rock North (5-6, 2-5 SOL) will be on the road at North Penn on Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (3-8, 0-7) will host Bensalem on Tuesday.
Central Bucks South 6-4-11-7 28
Council Rock North 5-13-6-5 29
Central Bucks South (28) – Ella Wheeler 2 0-2 4; Casey Balkir 2 1-2 5; Jules Tropea 2 1-5 5; Yoyo Samayoa 3 0-0 8; Mia Klein 2 1-2 6; TOTALS 11 3-9 28.
Council Rock North (29) – Kiera Katz 1 2-2 4; Lizzie Lustig 2 0-0 4; Delaney McCaffery 2 1-2 6; Jaden Wan 3 2-2 9; Ruth O’Keefe 2 2-2 6; TOTALS 10 7-8 29.
3-point goals: CBS – Yoyo Samayoa 2, Mia Klein; CRN – Delaney McCaffery, Jaden Wan.
PENNRIDGE 46, PENNSBURY 29
The Lady Rams received a pair of double-digit scoring efforts from Katie Yoder and Grace Rosica, and they were nearly perfect from the foul line, but defense was the story of Friday’s crossover win. The visiting Falcons managed just four points in each of the first two quarters, and if there was any doubt about the outcome, those doubts were put to rest when the Rams closed out the game with a 17-9 fourth quarter.
“Our girls played unbelievable defense tonight – it was great,” Pennridge coach Jason Rapp said. “Anna Croyle always gets that tough defensive assignment, and she was great, but I have to say – team defensive-wise the girls were fantastic. They really did a great job – I was so proud of them because we’ve been on a roller coaster defensively. Tonight was by far our best performance as a team.”
Neither team did a whole lot of scoring in a first quarter that saw the Rams outscore their visitors 6-4. In the second quarter, they added to their lead and took a 17-8 advantage into halftime. Rosica’s eight points led the Rams.
“Grace Rosica had two monster 3s early in the game,” Rapp said. “It was 6-4, and it was a little bit of a struggle, and in the second quarter, Grace hits two 3s.
“Ella Brown hit a huge three in the fourth quarter, and Katie (Yoder) was Katie – 9-for-9 at the free throw line. She only had two buckets, but she was awesome defensively. She took care of the ball – she helped us out handling the ball tonight. Olivia Poole gave us seven points off the bench. I don’t want to sound cliché, but they did an awesome job.”
Both teams scored 12 points in the third quarter – Yoder was 6-for-6 at the charity stripe to lead the Rams while Sofia Vitucci had seven for the Falcons.
“Frank (Sciolla) does a really good job. He can speed you up,” Rapp said of the Falcons’ coach. “There was a time in the third quarter they got it down to four or six. They were getting on one of those Pennsbury runs where you just throw the ball all over the place. We called a timeout and we settled down, and the girls responded on the offensive end, and in the fourth quarter, they did a great job taking care of the ball.”
In the Rams’ 17-point fourth quarter, Yoder, Brown and Poole each had five points.
Yoder led all scorers with 14 points while Rosica added 10. Brown contributed nine, Poole seven and Croyle six.
Vitucci’s 11 points led the Falcons. Layla Matthias and Oliveah Gilchrist each had seven points.
“It was a tough one against a physical Pennridge squad,” Pennsbury assistant coach Kaitlyn Kelly said. “We did a great job defensively in the first half, holding them to 17 points, but that stat loses its value when we only score eight.
“We couldn’t get things going offensively. It simply came down to they made their shots, we did not. They made their free throws, again, we did not. Pennridge came in with a very well thought out game plan and executed it from start to finish on both ends of the floor.”
The Rams won’t have a whole lot of time to celebrate. Pennridge (8-4, 4-3) will host Methacton on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and Pennsbury (10-3, 5-2 SOL) will host Souderton on Tuesday.
Pennsbury 4-4-12-9 29
Pennridge 6-11-12-17 46
Pennsbury (29) – Presley Foote 1 0-1 2; Layla Matthias 3 1-4 7; Sofia Vitucci 3 4-4 11; Oliveah Gilchrist 3 0-0 7; Nevaeh Dash 1 0-1 2; TOTALS 11 5-10 29.
Pennridge (46) – Ella Brown 3 2-2 9; Grace Rosica 4 0-0 10; Anna Croyle 3 0-0 6; Katie Yoder 2 9-9 14; Olivia Poole 3 0-0 7; Samantha Murphy 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 15 11-13 46.
3-point goals: Pennsbury – Sofia Vitucci, Olveah Gilchrist; Pennridge – Grace Rosica 2, Katie Yoder. Ella Brown, Olivia Poole.
NESHAMINY 58, NORTH PENN 44
The visiting Redskins got off to a slow start and trailed by seven after one quarter. They showed signs of life in the second quarter but still trailed 22-19 at halftime. It hardly was cause for concern as they outscored their hosts 20-8 in the third quarter to take control of the game on the way to a no-doubt-about-it win.
“We started sluggish and were not on our game on the defensive end,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “(Caleigh) Sperling and (Liv) Stone got us good in the first quarter, scoring 10 of their 15 points, including an 8-0 run to end the first quarter. North Penn did a good job of keeping us off the offensive boards, which I thought we could take advantage of. 
“We started the game short a person as Anna Soska was injured in the CB South game, and we were advised to give her some down time to recover a slight hyper extension of her right knee. This came into play when Taylor Gurysh picked up two fouls early in the game.”
By halftime, Sperling had nine points and Stone had seven while Reese Zemitis had eight for the Redskins, and Lola Ibarrondo added seven.
“Our defense picked up in the second quarter, holding NP to just seven points which included a quarter-ending three pointer at the buzzer by Liv Stone,” Gallagher said. “At halftime, we discussed about how much better we did on defense in the second quarter and the fact that we were getting quality shots that just didn’t fall and not turning the ball over. The second half belonged to Lola and Reese.”
Did it ever.
Zemitis had 17 second-half points while Ibarrondo added 14 as they combined for 31 points. Zemitis had nine points in the 20-point third quarter while Ibarrondo added eight.
Zemitis – fresh off a 26-point game against CB South – finished with 25 while Ibarrondo had 21. Zemitis also had eight rebounds while Ibarrondo had four boards and four assists. Gurysh contributed six points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
“Reese hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter, which was sandwiched around a Jess Purdy three,” Gallagher said. “Taylor Gurysh had three steals in the second half along with a couple assists on the three point barrage in the third quarter.”
For the Knights, who were without senior sharpshooter Abby Plaugher (injury), Sperling led the way with 20 while Cam Crowley added nine and Stone finished with seven.
“I was really impressed with NP guard Cam Crowley who had a strong game running offense, and her stroke was clean and pure from the top of the key and kept North Penn engaged with three baskets from beyond the arc while we tried to extend our lead in the third and early in the fourth,” Gallagher said. “I had to move Taylor on her to give us more length on defense against her. I am hopeful that Abby Plaugher is able to bounce back from the injury suffered at Pennsbury as she adds experience and provides floor spacing with her ability to shoot the three.”
Neshaminy (8-2, 6-1 SOL) will host Pennridge on Tuesday, and North Penn (4-6, 3-4) will host Council Rock North Tuesday.
Neshaminy 8-11-20-19 58
North Penn 15-7-8-14 44
Neshaminy (58) – 9 3-4 21; Taylor Gurysh 1 4-6 6; Reese Zemitis 7 8-9 25; Jess Purdy 1 0-0 3; Linds Little 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 19 15-19 58.
North Penn (44) – Cam Crowley 3 0-0 9; Emily Orth 1 1-2 4; Caleigh Sperling 7 6-9 20; Koomba Sonassa 1 0-0 2; Liv Stone 3 0-1 7; Liv Stevens 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 16 7-12 44.
3-point goals: Neshaminy – Reese Zemitis 3, Jess Purdy, Linds Little; NP – Cam Crowley 3, Liv Stone, Emily Orth.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 46, BENSALEM 31
The Patriots managed just three points in the first quarter but trailed just 6-3. They made up for their slow start with a 17-6 second quarter to go into halftime with a 20-12 lead. The Owls trimmed three points off that lead in the third quarter, but the visiting Patriots closed it out with a 14-4 fourth quarter.
“It was a very physical game,” East coach Liz Potash said. “The scoring was balanced. Chantal Van Dongeren gave us a big defensive spark in the fourth quarter that opened the game up.”
In the first half, the Patriots were led by Kendall Gregor’s nine points. The Owls were led by Kylie Smith’s seven first-half points.
Amber Howard and Talia DiMichele each had five points in the Owls’ 15-point third quarter while East- which connect on four 3s in the frame – was sparked by a pair of Natalie Berndt 3-pointers. East led by just a 32-27 score heading into the final frame. Anna Barry’s six points led the Patriots, who connected on 6-of-6 at the foul line in the quarter.
For the game, the Patriots were 15-for-17 at the foul line. Gregor’s 12 points led the balanced attack while Barry and Van Dongeren each added eight points. Berndt chipped in six points.
For the Owls, DiMichele led the way with 10 points while Smith and Amber Howard both had seven.
“I’m very, very proud of our girls first three quarters,” Bensalem coach Steve Johnson said. “Similar to our game with Souderton. I’m not pleased with the defensive effort and energy in the fourth quarter. We have work to do.
“Coach Potash is such an awesome person and is always good for some great advice. Kudos to their team. Eight girls contributed in the scoring column for them. They have an extremely close team, and it showed throughout the game, especially in the fourth quarter.”
Central Bucks East (9-2, 5-2 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman Tuesday, and Bensalem (5-6, 2-5) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Central Bucks East 3-17-12-14 46
Bensalem 6-6-15-4 31
Central Bucks East (46) – Erin LeRay 1 2-2 4; Natalie Berndt 2 0-0 6; Shayne LeRay 2 0-0 5; Anna Barry 2 3-3 8; Chantal Van Dongeren 3 2-2 8; Kendall Gregor 3 5-6 12; Jess Lockwood 0 2-2 2; Bella Haurin 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 13 15-17 46.
Bensalem (31) – Talia DiMichele 2 4-4 10; Devon Bell 1 0-0 2; Mackenzie Kramer 2 1-1 5; Kylie smith 3 1-4 7; Amber Howard 2 3-6 7; TOTALS 10 9-15 31.
3-point goals: CBE – Natalie Berndt 2, Shayne LeRay, Anna Barry, Kendall Gregor; Bensalem – Talia DiMichele 2.
SOUDERTON 47, HARRY S TRUMAN 18
The Indians – sparked by nine points from Casey Harter and five from Mikayla McGillian – led 19-1 after one quarter, and they extended that led to 39-3 by halftime on their way to the decisive win. Harter scored 13 of her team-high 15 points in the first half.
Brooke Fenchel scored all eight of her points – which included two 3s – in the first half. Erin Bohmueller added six points.
Souderton (11-1, 7-0 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (0-10, 0-7) will host Central Bucks East Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 1-2-7-8 18
Souderton 19-20-7-1 47
Harry S Truman (18) – Zakiyah McDuffie 1 0-0 2; Patricia Monroe 2 2-2 6; Kiera Martinez 0 1-2 1; Shylah McCleve 1 1-4 3; Ya’mazijah Thomas 2 1-2 6; TOTALS 6 5-10 18.
Souderton (47) – Jacquelyn Bermel 1 0-0 3; Dolha Rahela 1 0-0 2; Erin Bohmueller 3 0-0 6; Brooke Fenhel 2 2-2 8; Mikayla McGillian 2 1-2 5; Casey Harter 6 2-2 15; Alexis Stefanowicz 1 0-0 3; Grace McDonough 2 0-0 4; alaina Picard 0 1-2 1; Emily Dick 0 0-2 0; TOTALS 18 6-10 47.
3-point goals: Truman – Ya’mazijah Thomas; Souderton – Brooke Fenchel 2, Jacquelyn Bermel, Casey Harter, Alexis Stefanowicz.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover
LOWER MORELAND 33, HATBORO-HORSHAM 32
The Lions found themselves on the short end of a 31-25 score heading into the final quarter when they outscored the Hatters 8-1 to eke out the win.
“This was definitely a character win for us,” LM coach Rich Becker said. “I’ve known Eric (Glemser), the HH coach, for over 20 years, and before the game, he was telling me that he told his girls to anticipate that this game might be a one-possession game and he was spot on.
“We were up by two after the first quarter but lost the next two quarters and started the fourth quarter down by six. Throughout the fourth quarter, we just kept grinding on both ends of the court. Maddy Rossiter, a ninth grader, hit two shots for us, and with about three minutes to go, we finally took the lead. To be honest, it seemed at times we were trying to give the game away. Liz Neeld fouled out, and we missed her composure on offense, but defensively, we held them to one point in the fourth quarter.”
For the Lions, who dropped seven of eight games after a 2-0 start, the win snapped a three-game losing streak.
“We got a much-needed win,” Becker said. “It was not pretty, but we’ll take it. We’ve had a rough couple of games where we’ve done everything well but shoot, so I was happy for our girls that we were able to get this one.
“In our loss against Quakertown, Liz Neeld and Brianna McFerran scored 27 of our 32 points. The remaining girls shot 1-for-20 from the floor. Tonight, those same girls scored 23 of our 33 points. Amelia Brown made some big 3’s, and Jess Shein was huge for us. Jess is the consummate team player. Out of necessity, we have her play the middle of our zone defenses, and she’s only about 5-6 or 5-7, but she does the dirty work that other players don’t like to do, and she never complains. In addition to her six points, she spent most of the game defending against (Kitty) Randa who is a legitimate 6-0. The fact that Randa only had 12 total points and four in the second half is a compliment to her toughness and grit.
“In addition to Amelia and Jess, Sofia Fey was probably the biggest key for us. This was the first game where Sofia, a freshman, got meaningful minutes, and she made the most of it. In the first half, Brianna had two quick first quarter fouls, so we had to sub her out. In practice, Sofia has been great and earned herself an opportunity, and when she got her chance, she took advantage of it. She hit her first two shots to give us a spark, and on defense she had a steal and a few deflections. Overall, I was really impressed with her poise in a tight game This was a game that we can learn from and hopefully grow from it.”
Amelia Brown’s nine points led the Lions while Brianna McFerran added eight and Jess Shein, six points.
For the Hatters, Kitty Randa led the way with 12 points – eight in the first half. Leah Harrington added nine while Maddy Patel had six.
“We led after the first half and third quarter, but a one-point fourth did us in,” HH assistant coach Nicole Miletto said. “We have to find a way to change that or it’s going to be a long month.
“Kitty Randa led the Hatters with 12 and had some nice moves in the paint, but we couldn’t get it to her in the last quarter. Leah Harrington had nine, and sophomore Maddy Patel is playing well and added six. We were happy with our defense only giving up 33 points, but we need to find some offense.”
Lower Moreland (4-7, 2-5 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (3-9, 1-6) will be on the road at Springfield Township Tuesday.
Lower Moreland 11-6-8-8 33
Hatboro-Horsham 9-12-10-1 32
Lower Moreland (33) – Brianna McFerran 4 0-0 8; Maddy Rossiter 2 0-0 4; Amerlia Brown 3 1-2 9; Jess Shein 2 2-2 6; Liz Neeld 0 2-3 2; Sofia Fey 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 13 5-7 33.
Hatboro-Horsham (32) – Caroline Shegague 2 0-0 4; Kitty Randa 6 0-1 12; Leah Harrington 2 4-6 9; Maddy Patel 2 4-6 9; Maddy Patel 2 1-2 6; Mia Fisher 0 1-2 2; TOTALS 12 6-11 32.
3-point goals: LM – Amelia Brown 2; HH – Leah Harrington, Maddy Patel.
QUAKERTOWN 57, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 23
Carolyn Sipprell and Katie Catalano were double trouble for the Spartans in Friday’s contest. Both scored 22 points. Sipprell also had 15 rebounds and six steals. Catalano buried six 3-pointers and also contributed six steals and five rebounds.
“Katie Catalano was hot from the 3 tonight,” Quakertown coach Brittany Bamford said. “As a 5-0 guard, she crashes the boards so hard on both ends of the floor.”
The Panthers opened up a 16-11 lead after one quarter and then blew the game wide open with a 22-point second quarter to go into halftime with a commanding 38-15 lead.
“We had a good first quarter with a different lineup in there as we have some players who are out sick or ineligible, but Springfield’s Alana Decker shot the ball well and made some nice breakaway layups after beating our pressure,” Bamford said. “We were able to switch up our defense in the second quarter to get the momentum to change our way.”
The Panthers outscored the Spartans 14-2 in the third quarter and 20-8 in the second half.
We need to get better at playing all four quarters with the same consistency,” Bamford said.
The Panthers’ coach gave a shoutout to a player new to the starting lineup.
“Sophomore Carli Maha started tonight and is learning the system with five rebounds and two steals,” Bamford said. “We have one more game to go for the week against Pope John Paull II tomorrow. Looking forward to continuing the progress in our girls as they play better together against Pope John Paul II.”
The Spartans were led by Decker’s nine-point effort.
Quakertown (6-5, 4-3 SOL) will host Pope John Paul II on Saturday at 2 p.m., and Springfield Township (3-7, 0-7) will host William Tennent on Tuesday.
Quakertown 16-22-14-5 57
Springfield Twp 11-4-2-6 23
Quakertown (57) – Carolyn Sipprell 7 7-13 22; Carli Maha 1 1-4 3; Katie Catalano 7 2-2 22; Ava Pistone 0 4-4 4; Julia Henry 1 0-0 2; Kayla Sicher 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 18 14-23 57.
Springfield Twp (23) – Alana Decker 3 2-2 9; Grace Dailey 0 2-2 2; Paige Robinson 1 0-0 2; Delaney Lake 1 0-0 2; Devan Nolan 2 0-0 4; Ashley Jenkins 2 0-1 4; TOTALS 9 4-5 23.
3-point goals: Quakertown – Katie Catalano 6, Carolyn Sipprell; Springfield Twp – Alana Decker.
UPPER DUBLIN 46, WILLIAM TENNENT 26
The Flying Cardinals took a tenuous 18-17 lead into halftime and then outscored the Panthers 28-9 in the second half to win going away.
Freshman Colleen Besachio had a huge game, finishing with 19 points, 17 rebounds and six blocked shots.
“This game was similar to most of our games this season in that we played well for stretches and not very good for stretches,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “We have to find a way to become a more consistent team on both ends of the floor.
“We were making some very complicated decisions on offense which led to some frustration, especially in the second quarter. The response after halftime was great, and we scored the first 13 points of the third quarter.”
Besachio’s eight points led the Cardinals in the first half while Megan Ngo added five. For the Panthers, Alyssa Lewicki’s six points on a pair of 3s led the way.
“I was really happy with the way we played in the first half,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “The girls really executed our plan defensively. They did a nice job of kind of controlling the pace. We knew we had to slow them down. We couldn’t get into a fast-paced or up-and-down game. We were just trying to win the possessions.
“In the first half, I thought we really did a good job with that. We tried to play a zone, and the girls were really active and closing out hard on shooters, forcing them into tougher shots or quick shots. I thought we boxed out really well the first half.”
Besachio and Ngo were also catalysts in the second half with Besachio scoring 10 and Ngo – who finished with 14 points – adding nine.
For the game, Ngo also had four rebounds, six assists and two steals. Brighid Brady added four boards and four assists. Lilli Kleiman had three steals, three rebounds and two assists.
“Colleen Besachio had an impressive double-double,” Funsten said. “Megan Ngo made some big shots and did another great job running the point.”
Lewicki’s nine points on three 3s led the Panthers. Halie Staub added seven points.
“It was a tough one,” Tennent coach Laura Whitney said. “We knew going in that we had a challenge tonight, and we would have to play pretty well and maybe some things go our way.
“I have a ton of respect for Morgan and the program he runs at Upper Dublin. His teams are always well-prepared, they play the right way, and they were a little too much for us tonight.
“In the second half, they kind of amped up their pressure, and as well as we handled the pressure in the first half, the second half it got to us a little bit. Again, they’re such a great team. Number 35 inside for them (Beshachio) is tough. She can finish either way – left or right. Offensively, they just executed so well. Whether it was man or zone, they executed.
“We cut it to eight at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and that’s as close as we could get. I think we kind of ran out of gas, and their execution closed out the game. We just have to rebound from this one. We continue to show a lot of positives, so I’m really pleased with the progress we’ve been making. Against these upper echelon teams, we’ve had a hard time just putting a complete game together. We’re building and going in the right direction. I told the girls afterwards – as a competitor, we’re frustrated that we couldn’t complete the game, but I’m just really happy with the way they continue to fight and the progress we’ve made. We know in the long run this will get us where we need to go.”
Upper Dublin (6-3, 5-2 SOL) will face West Catholic High School Sunday (9:10 a.m.) at Jefferson University, and William Tennent (7-5, 4-3) will be on the road at Quakertown on Tuesday.
Upper Dublin 14-4-13-15 46
William Tennent 7-10-5-4 26
Upper Dublin (46) – Brighid Brady 2 0-2 4; Makyla Keyes 1 0-0 2; Megan Ngo 6 0-0 14; Lilli Kleiman 1 0-0 2; Kaitlyn Zacharia 1 0-0 3; Colleen Besachio 9 0-2 18; Nora Brady 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 21 0-4 46.
William Tennent (26) – Avery Kocur 2 0-1 4; Halie Staub 3 1-3 7; Alyssa Lewicki 3 0-2 9; Haley Dickson 1 0-0 3; Jess Whisler 0 1-2 1; Morgan Volz 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 10 2-8 26.
3-point goals: UD – Megan Ngo 2, Kaitlyn Zacharia, Nora Brady; William Tennent – Alyssa Lewicki 3, Haley Dickson 1.
UPPER MORELAND 54, WISSAHICKON 36
The Golden Bears led by just an 11-9 score after one quarter but then outscored their visitors 29-8 over the middle two quarters to notch the decisive win.
UM’s game plan, according to coach Matt Carroll, was hardly a secret.
“We knew defensively we had to try our best to take away (Kaitlyn) McGeary, and it’s not always easy,” the UM coach said. “For most of the game, Allie (LaRocco) was in charge of covering her and was phenomenal. Put herself in great position to beat her to the spot and make the entry passes difficult. McGeary is very good, works really hard, and is so strong. Whenever she got good position, we had a weakside defender in the lane ready to help.”
McGeary scored 11 points to lead the Trojans, but she got seven of those in the final quarter after the outcome had been decided.
“Giving up four points through three quarters to a very good basketball player is not easy,” Carroll said.
The Golden Bears – behind nine points from Holly Gohl and eight from EmmyFaith Wood – took a 26-14 lead into halftime. They added to that lead with a 14-3 third quarter.
“Offensively, we put a bigger emphasis on attacking the basket and trying to get to the free throw line,” Carroll said. “We did a really good job of that in the second half. We sprinted more in transition to get easy baskets and got in the lane to create for others.
“EmmyFaith and Holly both had 14, but both made really good basketball plays to get teammates easy looks. The more people who contribute for us the better, and we got a lot of people involved tonight. It was a good response after our Abington loss. Now we have to get ready for a big week next week with three difficult games. We are excited for the challenge.”
In addition to Gohl and Wood, the Golden Bears received nine points from Mikel Lancit and seven from Alyssa Wiley.
For the Trojans, Kylie Friedman (12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) and McGeary (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assists) led the way. Claira Baldasano added four points and three rebounds, and Eva Schools had two points and four rebounds.
Upper Moreland (9-1, 6-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Tuesday, and Wissahickon (2-7, 0-7) will be on the road at Great Valley High School for a non-league game Saturday at 11:15 a.m.
Wissahickon 9-5-3-19 36
Upper Moreland 11-15-14-14 54
Wissahickon (36) – Eva Scools 1 0-0 2; Kaitlyn McGeary 4 2-4 11; Kylie Friedman 4 2-4 12; Claira Baldasano 2 0-0 4; Ava Stout 2 0-0 4; Maura Jacob 1 0-0 3; TOTALS 14 4-8 36.
Upper Moreland (54) – Mikel Lancit 4 0-1 9; Zoe Longstreth 1 0-0 2; Lianna Adames 1 0-0 3; Alyssa Wiley 2 3-6 7; EmmyFaith Wood 6 0-0 14; Lilly Hansen 2 0-0 4; Holly Gohl 6 0-0 14; Marie Meyers 0 1-2 1; TOTALS 22 4-9 54.
3-point goals: Wissahickon – Kylie Friedman 2, Kaitlyn McGeary, Maura Jacob; UM – EmmyFaith Wood 2, Holly Gohl 2, Mikel Lancit, Lianna Adames.
ABINGTON 80, CHELTENHAM 60
Sixty points will typically win a high school game, but it wasn’t nearly enough in Friday’s crossover game between the neighboring schools as the Ghosts – who erupted for 52 first-half points – put 80 points on the board.
“Despite the score, I loved the effort,” Cheltenham coach Ben Bowman said. “This has been a tough week, but we need to refocus and get ready for the second half of the season.”
Cire Worley and Abril Bowser both scored 17 points to lead the Ghosts. Worley had 14 of her points in the first half, and Bowser had 12 on four 3s in a contest that saw the Ghosts bury 12 shots from beyond the arc. Bowser’s five 3-pointers led the Ghosts. Worley had three 3s.
Jordyn Reynolds added 10 points with a pair of 3-pointers – all in the first half. Harper McGinley chipped in with six points on a pair of 3s. Fourteen players put their names in the scoring column for the Ghosts.
Cheltenham freshman Maya Simmons led all scorer with 22 points – 11 in each half. She also had five assists and two steals. Jiah Price added 17 points, which included a pair of 3s. Arianna Davis and Cassie Bugg both contributed eight points.
Abington (12-1, 7-0 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (5-6, 2-5) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 15-13-12-20 60
Abington 23-29-11-17 80
Cheltenham (60) – Jiah Price 6 3-6 17; Paige Powell 9 4-8 22; Maya Simmons 0 1-2 1; Tanya Townes-Wakefield 0 1-2 1 Arianna Davis 3 2-2 8; Cassie Bugg 2 3-4 8; Marguerita Reimer 2 0-0 4; TOTALS 22 13-22 60.
Abington (80) – Cire Worley 6 2-4 17; Maya Johnson 2 0-0 4; Abril Bowser 5 2-2 17; Mikiaya Durham 1 2-2 4; Jordyn Reynolds 3 2-4 10; Piper McGinley 2 0-0 4; Sarah O’Leary 1 3-5 5; Maura Day 1 0-1 2; Carley Slavin 1 0-0 2; Florence Ajunwa 1 0-0 Hailey Hernandez 1 0-0 2; Kylie Day 1 1-2 2; Ava Teich 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 28 12-20 80.
3-point goals: Cheltenham – Paige Powell 2, Cassie Bugg; Abington – Abril Bowser 5, Cire Worley 3, Harper McGinley 2, Jordyn Reynolds 2.
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