Four SOL girls’ basketball team will be in action in Tuesday’s second round of the PIAA Class AAAA Tournament. Check back for a recap of all three games.
Four SOL teams are among the 16 teams still standing in the PIAA Class AAAA state tournament. The marquee matchup of Tuesday night’s eight second round games will be the all-District One contest featuring North Penn against Perkiomen Valley. The two teams – seeded one and two in the district tournament – appeared to be on a collision course for a date at Temple University in the District One AAAA title game, but eighth-seeded Central Bucks South hat other ideas, upsetting the Lady Knights in overtime in a district quarterfinal game.
After that loss, North Penn rolled to wins in its district seeding games to finish fifth, setting the stage for a potential second round matchup with a Perk Valley squad that went on to capture the program’s first district crown. The Vikings won their first state game in program history, and the two teams will meet in front of what promises to be a packed house at Spring-Ford High School.
In the early game at Spring-Ford, a pair of SOL conference champions will lock horns when Upper Dublin, the district’s fourth place squad, will face Neshaminy, the district’s seventh place team. Central Bucks South, the third place team out of District One, will travel to Hamburg High School with the hopes of playing giant killer when the Titans take on two-time defending state champion Cumberland Valley.
Rematch at last – Mikaela Giuliani invited her teammates over to watch a video on Sunday. The video wasn’t especially easy to watch.
“We watched our first Perk Valley game,” the Lady Knights’ senior captain said of North Penn’s 69-50 loss to the Vikings in their season opener. “Watching that definitely got us all really excited for this time because we want to show them that’s not the team we are.”
A rematch in the District One AAAA final seemed inevitable until the top-seeded Lady Knights stumbled in the district quarterfinals, falling to Central Bucks South in overtime. In that game, North Penn rallied from 15 down late in the third quarter to take a three-point lead with 2.9 seconds remaining only to watch South knot the score when Jordan Vitelli buried an impossible shot from beyond midcourt. The Titans went on to win in overtime.
“I think that loss was almost a good thing for us,” Giuliani said. “We know that every game matters, and if you don’t come out every game ready to play, we’re not going to play well, and we’re not going to finish it out.”
Playing with a renewed sense of purpose, the Lady Knights rolled to three straight wins since their loss to CB South, setting the stage for Tuesday’s winner-goes-on and loser-goes-home showdown.
“We have been waiting for this all season,” Giuliani said. “Obviously, most people thought it was going to be the district championship game, and it was definitely upsetting when we lost to South and didn’t get to that game.
“At the same time, we know that now we have the opportunity to come back and play them. This is basically the district championship for us even though it’s not technically. We’re playing to prove we deserved that number one seed regardless of what happened in the district playoffs.”
Giuliani – the Lady Knights’ top scorer – was plagued with foul woes in the initial meeting, fouling out with six minutes remaining. Sophomore Megan Jonassen had a monster game in the paint, finishing with 24 points to lead all scorers in a game that saw the Vikings own the backboards.
The senior captain acknowledged that things will have to change if the Lady Knights hope to have a different outcome this time around.
“The rebounding was horrendous on our part,” Giuliani said. “We were not boxing out. A lot of times they had three or four chances to make a shot, which is ridiculous.
“If we come out and we box out and give them one shot, that’s really going to help us. Almost all of their points were on second, third and fourth shots. All of the posts need to be ready to play and be ready to be physical under there because they’re not going to make it easy for us obviously, and the guards are going to have to contribute more to the rebounding.”
Second chances are rare in the world of sports, but the Lady Knights have the second chance they've been waiting for since opening night on Dec. 4.
“Right when we lost to South and we saw if we got fifth we would play the District One champions in the second round, our goal was to win those two games so we would have that opportunity because everyone on the team wants this opportunity, wants to prove the team we can be, so we’re all really excited,” Giuliani said.
Against the odds – Cumberland Valley – led by 2015 Gatorade PA Player of the Year and Villanova commit Kelly Jekot – is a favorite to three-peat as the PIAA Class AAAA champions this season.
Central Bucks South’s players know all about the Eagles’ impressive resume, and they know they are decided underdogs heading into Tuesday night’s second round game against the District 3 champions.
“We’re going into this game – we want to win, but there’s no pressure on us,” senior captain Chloe Entenberg said. “I think we’re all excited to be able to play the two-time defending state champs and see how far we can get with it.”
The players know it will take a titanic effort to knock off the Eagles, but they’ve shown they can play with the best, stunning top-seeded North Penn in the quarterfinals of the District One AAAA Tournament. So when Entenberg says she believes the Titans can play with the Eagles, she means it.
“Beating the number one seed in the district made us believe we can do anything,” the Titans’ senior captain said. “Since we already exceeded the expectations of what we thought we could do, this is just another chance to prove ourselves.”
And what will it take to hang with the Eagles?
“Our defense, boxing out, getting rebounds and playing our game,” Entenberg said. “Not getting star struck but just going into the game and doing what we can do.”
While there were those who believed the Titans would have been wise to lose their third place game to avoid a date with the defending states champs, Entenberg is not in that number.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “Since I saw we could be matched up against them in the second round, I’ve wanted to play them. I want to see what they’re all about.”
The Titans will get that opportunity on Tuesday night.
“(The season) has exceeded our expectations,” Entenberg said. “Just the fact that we’ve made it here – this is just fun.”
Cards have heart and guts – The Flying Cardinals have spent the postseason confounding their opponents by finding ways to win even when the odds are stacked against them.
And they often are.
Consider only Friday night’s opening round state playoff game against Archbishop Carroll. Upper Dublin – without senior Ashley Barber – scored just one point in the opening quarter, and although the Cards recuperated to make it a two-point game by halftime, things didn’t exactly go their way in the third quarter. The Cardinals found themselves staring at a 32-24 deficit that grew to 34-24 after one possession in the fourth quarter.
Time to call it a season, right?
That’s not this team’s style.
“I think we just realized if we lose we’re done,” senior Allison Chernow said. “We knew that Friday night was a very winnable game for us. I remember after our team huddle saying to the four girls in the game – ‘We have one more eight-minute quarter. We can do this. Our season’s not ending right here.’
“With our team, we just have a lot of heart and guts – we’re a bunch of competitors and just want to win.”
And win they did. The Cardinals rallied to knot the score and won it at the buzzer when Demi Balasa – with a defender in her face – somehow found Nicole Kaiser under the basket. Kaiser’s shot fell through the net as the buzzer sounded with Upper Dublin on top 40-38.
“Friday night’s win without Ashley showed a lot from my team,” Chernow said. “That we can still fight through that and come out on top.
“Even though we practiced all week without Ashley, it’s a lot different going into the game, and I think it took a little bit of adjusting in the beginning – but I’m not making any excuses for scoring one point.”
For Chernow, who has been a member of the varsity since she was a freshman, this year is the first time she has actually played in a state tournament game.
“I told coach Funsten at the beginning of the year – ‘We’re going to states’ because I had never had a chance to play,” Chernow said. “My first year I had an ACL injury and last year I had pneumonia. Especially being a senior, it’s all that more special.”
As for Tuesday’s game, the Flying Cardinals will go into the game with the same philosophy as always.
“Any team can win any game on any given night,” Chernow said. “With our team, there’s always been so much balance on the scoring sheet, and that is something that really helps.
“It’s not, ‘This person needs to take over, this person is going to do their thing.’ We’re all equally as happy for one another as if we were scoring every point ourselves.”
Like the Titans, the Flying Cardinals have exceeded expectations.
“As a program, we really don’t like to look too much into the future,” Chernow said. “(Getting to states) is always a reasonable goal to think about.
“I knew it was possible, but I think we have exceeded my expectations from the beginning by far. I couldn’t be more proud of the girls.”
Long time coming – Tiara Porterfield was in kindergarten the last time Neshaminy played in the state tournament, and now that the Redskins earned their program’s first trip to states since 2004, Porterfield and her teammates decided to make it worth their while, notching the first state win in program history when they defeated Hazleton.
“It’s been amazing because we have been working hard since the summertime,” Porterfield said. “Everyone has been coming to workouts and really preparing for the season.
“We weren’t sure how the season was going to go, but to see it go so well and to see we’ve reached one of our goals – to get to states and now reaching one of our bigger goals to see how far we can go in states.”
Tuesday’s game against Upper Dublin will pit a pair of teams whose calling card is their defense.
“No matter who the team is or how good people say they are, we just go out and play basketball,” Porterfield said. “Our coaches challenge us to defend certain players and contain them, and if we do, we have a chance to win.
“We take on those challenges, and that’s our goal. We want to show what we have and give it all we have.”
Respect has been hard earned for the Redskins in a league that boasts perennial district powers.
“If they don’t believe in us, you know what – we have to go out there and show them that we represent our school, we are the Neshaminy girls’ basketball team,” Porterfield said. “We’re the first basketball team in our school to go undefeated in the SOL. Just seeing that we reached each point, it’s an amazing moment each step.”
The SOL National Conference champions will take on American Conference champions in Tuesday’s second round contest.
“Our key is the same thing it is every game we play – play hard, focus on their main scorers and just really playing great defense,” Porterfield said. “Playing our game and not playing theirs because as soon as you start playing their game, that’s when the momentum will change. We just really have to play the way we play – play hard and play strong.”
(1-3) CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs. (3-1) CUMBERLAND VALLEY (at Hamburg High School, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
Central Bucks South
- 22-6 overall
- 11-3 SOL Continental Conference, tied with CB West for second place
- Led by seniors Jordan Vitelli (14.8 ppg) – who became just the second player in program history to surpass the 1,000-point mark – and Taylor Dunn (7.4)
- First trip to state tournament in program history
How they got here:
- In Friday’s state opener, Central Bucks South defeated Cedar Crest 65-46, blowing open a close game against District 3’s fourth place squad with a 23-7 second quarter tear to go into halftime with a 37-19 lead. Jordan Vitelli, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer, finished with 24 points, which included four three-pointers. Sophomore Mackenzie Ehreseman added 16, connecting on 10-of-10 at the foul line. Meghan Kuypers scored 13 off the bench.
- In the District One third place game, Central Bucks South defeated sixth-seeded Upper Dublin 50-39. Jordan Vitelli, who reached the 1,000-point milestone midway through the third quarter, led all scorers with 16 points, which included four three-pointers. Senior Courtney Deitzel scored eight points in the first half to propel the Titans to 22-13 halftime lead. Meghan Kuypers also scored eight points in the game.
- In a district semifinal game, Central Bucks South fell behind early and never led in a 57-47 loss to 12th-seeded Downingtown East. Jordan Vitelli finished with a double-double – 15 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Alexa Brodie and junior Meghan Kuypers both added seven points.
- In a quarterfinal game, Central Bucks South pulled off an upset of top-seeded North Penn, earning a 57-54 win in overtime. The Titans, who led by nine at halftime, led 39-24 with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, but the Lady Knights staged a remarkable rally and took a 45-42 lead in the closing seconds. South’s Jordan Vitelli connected on a shot beyond midcourt at the buzzer, setting the stage for overtime where the Titans outscored the Lady Knights 12-9. Vitelli led all scorers with 28 points while freshman Alexa Brodie added 10 and junior Meghan Kuypers, nine points.
- In second round action, Central Bucks South trailed 9-2 early but – thanks to Jordan Vitelli’s buzzer beater from well beyond the arc – took a 22-16 lead into halftime on its way to a 41-37 win over 24th-seeded Central Bucks East. Vitelli led a balanced attack with eight points while Meghan Kuypers added seven – all in a fourth quarter that saw the Titans open up a 12-point lead.
- In an opening round game, Central Bucks South received scoring from 11 players on its way to a 68-35 win over 25th-seeded Haverford. The Titans were led by Jordan Vitelli’s 17 points. Taylor Dunn (10 points), Mackenzie Ehresman (nine points) and Tricia DeCesare (eight points) also contributed.
Cumberland Valley
- 26-3 overall
- 12-2 Mid-Penn Commonwealth champions
- Two-time defending PIAA Class AAAA champion.
- Led by 2015 Gatorade PA Player of the Year and Villanova commit Kelly Jekot, who averages 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals.
- Solid supporting cast includes senior Morgan Baughman (9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds) and Katie Jekot (10.8 points, 5.4 assists, 3 steals.
- Trio of Kelly Jekot, Katie Jekot and Morgan Baughman have connected for 145 three-pointers this season.
- Two of Eagles’ three losses came at the hands of Central Dauphin.
How they got here:
- In Friday’s state opener, Cumberland Valley routed District One’s 10th place squad, Penn Wood, 76-38. Morgan Baughman had the hot hand, burying seven three-pointers en route to a game-high 29 points. Kelly Jekot added 16 and Addison Kirkpatrick had 13.
- In the District 3 title game, Cumberland Valley defeated second-seeded Governor Mifflin 65-57, opening up a 25-11 halftime lead and never looking back. Kelly Jekot led the way with 25 points while Katie Jekot added 13 and Morgan Baughman, 11 points.
- In the district semifinals, Cumberland Valley led 30-18 at halftime on its way to a 58-46 win over fifth-seeded Harrisburg. The Eagles were led by the double-digit efforts of Kelly Jekot (20 points), Morgan Baughman (13) and Katie Jekot (10).
- In the district quarterfinals, Cumberland Valley took a 40-31 lead into the final quarter and then withstood a fourth quarter rally by eighth-seeded Central Dauphin to earn a 50-49 win. Kelly Jekot (19 points) and Morgan Baughman (10 points) led the Eagles.
- In an opening round district game, Cumberland Valley rolled to a 61-31 win over 17th-seeded Palmyra. Kelly and Katie Jekot led the Eagles with 19 and 16 points respectively.
(1-4) UPPER DUBLIN vs. (1-7) NESHAMINY (at Spring-Ford High School, Tuesday, 6 p.m.)
Upper Dublin
- 22-7 overall
- 14-0 SOL American Conference champions
- Fourth conference title in as many years
- Point guard Allison Chernow averages 10.3 points and 5.3 assists to lead the Cardinals. Josie Barrett also averages in double figures.
- Third trip to state tournament in four years under coach Morgan Funsten.
How they got here:
- In Friday’s state opener, Upper Dublin needed a last-second shot by Nicole Kaiser at the buzzer to eke out a 40-38 win over District 12’s third place team, Archbishop Carroll. Senior Allison Chernow’s 11 points led the Cardinals while Kaiser added 10.
- In the District One third place game, Upper Dublin fell to eighth-seeded Central Bucks South 50-39. Senior Allison Chernow led all scorers with 19 points while Josie Barrett added 11 in a contest that saw just four Cardinals contribute scoring.
- In a 30-29 district semifinal loss to second-seeded Perkiomen Valley, the Flying Cardinals trailed by seven with 1:10 remaining but rallied to make it a one-point game with a chance to win it, forcing four straight turnovers in that span. Allison Chernow scored a team-high 12 points while Josie Barrett had seven.
- In a quarterfinal game against third-seeded Garnet Valley, Upper Dublin once again relied on its stifling defense to earn a 35-28 win. Demi Balasa, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds, buried a three-pointer to give the Cardinals a 30-28 lead on their way to the win. Josie Barrett led the Cardinals with nine points while Ashley Barber had seven points and nine rebounds.
- In a second round game, Upper Dublin turned in a dazzling defensive effort, limiting Ches-Mont League champion Bishop Shanahan – the tournament’s 11th-seeded team – to just 23 points in a 37-23 win. Shanahan scored seven of those points in the final minute of the game when the starters for both teams were on the bench. Shanahan’s trio of Ciara Forde, Devon Adams and Courtney Warley average 35 points a game combined but managed just 13 combined in the loss. Ashley Barber and Demi Balasa limited Adams to just a three-pointer.
- In an opening round game, Upper Dublin sophomores Nicole Kaiser and Maggie Weglos provided a big lift in the Flying Cardinals’ 44-27 win over 27th-seeeded West Chester Rustin. Kaiser scored 12 points off the bench and Weglos added 10 for the Cardinals, who led 24-13 at halftime.
Neshaminy
- 22-7 overall
- 14-0 SOL National Conference champions
- Led by co-captains – senior point guard Morgan Goldenbaum and junior Devon Storms
- Freshmen Allison Harvey, the team’s top scorer, and Brooke Mullin are also major contributors.
How they got here:
- In a state opening round game, Neshaminy trailed 20-13 at halftime but rallied to defeat District 2 champion Hazleton 50-41. Freshman Allison Harvey led the ‘Skins with 18 points, and senior Morgan Goldenbaum added 13.
- In the district’s seventh place game, Neshaminy defeated seventh-seeded Conestoga 53-48. Senior point guard Morgan Goldenbaum (16 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals) led the ‘Skins. Tiara Porterfield and Allison Harvey both added 10 points while Devon Storms had nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.
- In a district seeding game, Neshaminy trailed top-seeded North Penn 32-23 at halftime and then scored just six points in the second half in a 59-25 loss. Brooke Mullin (12 points) and Devon Storms (eight points) led the Redskins.
- In its quarterfinal game at 12th-seeded Downingtown East, Neshaminy led 15-10 after one quarter and 22-19 at halftime, but the Redskins were doomed by a third quarter that saw the Cougars go on a 17-9 tear to earn a 51-46 win. Freshman Allison Harvey had 12 points while Devon Storms and Brooke Mullin both had nine.
- Neshaminy upset fourth-seeded Mount St. Joseph Academy 48-40 in a second round game, opening up a 26-19 halftime lead and never looking back. Devon Storms led the Redskins with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. Freshman Brooke Mullin had 13 points and eight rebounds, and senior point guard Morgan Goldenbaum added seven points, nine rebounds and four assists.
- In an opening round game, Neshaminy rode the big performance of freshman Brooke Mullin (16 points, seven rebounds, eight steals, four blocked shots and three assists) to a 48-31 win over #20 West Chester Henderson. The ‘Skins – who trailed 7-6 after one quarter – took an 18-15 lead into halftime and then outscored Henderson 30-16 in the second half. Freshman Allison Harvey added nine points.
(1-5) NORTH PENN vs. (1-1) PERKIOMEN VALLEY (at Spring-Ford High School, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
North Penn
- 27-3 overall
- 14-0 SOL National Conference champions
- Defeated Central Bucks West 48-47 in overtime to capture the SOL Tournament title
- Lady Knights are led by senior forward Mikaela Giuliani (11.9 ppg) and junior point guard Sam Carangi (10.6 ppg).
- Irisa Ye (9.3 ppg), Jess Huber (8.3 ppg), Bri Hewlett (7.5 ppg) and Mia Melchior (5.4 ppg) also are consistent offensive contributors.
- 20-game winning streak snapped for the top-seeded Lady Knights with district quarterfinal loss to Central Bucks South
How they got here:
- In Friday’s state opener, North Penn raced to a 32-7 halftime lead on its way to a 59-27 rout of District 12’s second place team, Central High School. Mikaela Giuliani (18 points) and Irisa Ye (17 points) led the Lady Knights.
- In the fifth place game, North Penn used a 23-11 second quarter tear to go into halftime with a 36-19 lead over third-seeded Garnet Valley on its way to a 62-44 rout. Jess Huber led the Lady Knights with 18 points and six steals. Mikaela Giuliani added 12 points and six steals while Irisa Yee also had 12 points. Sam Carangi added 11 points and seven assists.
- In a game for district seeding, North Penn opened up a 32-23 lead over 13th-seeded Neshaminy at halftime and then outscored its visitors 25-6 in the second half on its way to a 57-29 win. Mikaela Giuliani led the Lady Knights with 19 points and seven rebounds. Jess Huber (13 points), Bri Hewlett (11 points) and Sam Carangi (eight points, four assists) also contributed.
- In a district quarterfinal game against eighth-seeded CB South, North Penn – after trailing by 15 late in the third quarter – took a 45-42 lead when Jess Huber converted a three-point play in the closing seconds of regulation. That lead was erased when Jordan Vitelli – after her team took possession under North Penn’s basket with 2.9 seconds remaining – launched a shot from beyond midcourt that fell through the net, tying the score and setting the stage for overtime. The Lady Knights were outscored 12-9 in OT, suffering a heartbreaking 57-54 loss. Bri Hewlett (15 points), Huber (13) and Sam Carangi (12) all finished in double figures for North Penn.
- In the second round, the Lady Knights used a 22-6 second quarter tear to turn a two-point lead into a 34-16 halftime lead on their way to a 64-36 rout of 17th-seeded Penn Wood. Mikaela Giuliani (24 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots), Sam Carangi (18 points, six assists, four steals) and Jess Huber (12 points, five assists, three blocked shots) all turned in huge performances for the Lady Knights.
- In opening round action, the top-seeded Lady Knights made easy business of 32nd-seeded Penncrest, opening up a 41-7 halftime lead on their way to a 63-18 mercy rule win. Mikaela Giuliani scored a game-high 23 points and eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau midway through the second quarter. Irisa Ye (11 points), Jess Huber (10 points) and Bri Hewlett (seven points) also contributed offensively.
Perkiomen Valley
- 27-2 overall
- 12-1 PAC-10 Liberty Division champions
- Defeated Boyertown 45-25 to capture the PAC-10 Tournament title.
- Defeated North Penn 69-50 in season opener
- Led by 6-2 senior guard KT Armstrong (15.9 ppg), 5-11 sophomore forward Megan Jonassen (11.3 ppg) and 5-11 junior guard Hanan Richmond (8.4 ppg)
How they got here:
- In Friday’s state opener, Perk Valley sprinted to a 17-4 lead on its way to a 60-50 win over District 3’s seventh place team, Red Lion. K.T. Armstrong scored eight of her team-high 16 points in the first quarter. Megan Jonassen had a monster game on the boards with 17 rebounds to go along with 13 points. Hanan Richmond (15 points) and Taylor Hamm (10 points) also finished in double figures.
- In the district title game, Perk Valley raced to a 16-2 lead on its way to a 56-41 win over 12th-seeded Downingtown East. K.T. Armstrong led all scorers with 24 points while Taylor Hamm added 13 and Hanan Richmond, 10 points. The Vikings connected on 19-of-23 from the foul line.
- In the district semifinals, Perk Valley survived a late-game rally by sixth-seeded Upper Dublin to eke out a 30-29 win. Megan Jonassen led the Vikings with 14 points and 17 rebounds.
- In a quarterfinal game, Perk Valley defeated seventh-seeded Conestoga 57-46. K.T. Armstrong scored 26 points in her final home game, 18 in the second half. Sophomore Megan Jonassen scored 12 of her 17 points in the second quarter as the Vikings took a 31-24 lead into halftime.
- In PV’s second round 52-39 win over 18th-seeded Abington, the Vikings turned a 26-18 halftime lead into a commanding 41-25 advantage heading into the final quarter. K.T. Armstrong led all scorers with 23 points while Hanan Richmond had 11.
- In the opening round, Perkiomen Valley defeated 32nd-seeded Pennridge 63-38. The Rams, who were without 6-0 senior forward Lydia Konstanzer, had no answer for Megan Jonassen (20 points). K.T. Armstrong added 17 points while Taylor Hamm added 10 points.
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