SOL PIAA Girls’ Basketball Preview (Opening Round)

Nine SOL teams will be in action when the PIAA Class 6A Tournament gets underway Friday. Check back for recaps of all the games.

The Suburban One League will be well represented when the District One 6A Tournament begins. Nine teams have punched their tickets to the state tournament compared to five teams last year.

#1-1 ABINGTON vs. #3-7 CENTRAL DAUPHIN EAST (at Bensalem High School, 7 p.m.)
Abington

22-5 overall
10-2 SOL National Conference second place behind Council Rock North
Led by University of Delaware-bound Lizzie O’Leary (13.7 ppg), junior Sam Brusha (11.4 ppg) and sophomore Kassondra Brown (11.1 ppg)
Ghosts have won 16 of their last 17 games with only loss to #2 Boyertown (49-54).
Ninth seed entering the District One Tournament.

How they got here:

In the district title game, Abington rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat #2 Plymouth Whitemarsh 62-57. The Ghosts received double-digit efforts from Kassondra Brown (13 points), Sam Brusha (13), Lizzie Oleary (10 points, 17 rebounds) and Britney James (10).
In a semifinal game, Abington defeated #5 Central Bucks West 55-48. Kassondra Brown (16 points, 17 rebounds), Lizzie Oleary (12 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Sam Brusha (16 points) led the way.
In a quarterfinal game, Abington defeated #1 North Penn 51-44, closing out the game with a 26-13 run. Sam Brusha’s 16 points led the Ghosts while their bigs, Lizzie Oleary (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Kassondra Brown (10 points, eight rebounds), dominated the paint.
In the second round, Abington defeated #8 Souderton 44-36, outscoring the Indians 13-4 in the fourth quarter. Point guard Britney James led the Ghosts with 11 points.
In the opening round, Abington crushed #24 Kennett 66-23. Lizzie Oleary (16 points), Sam Brusha (13) and Kassondra Brown (10) all finished in double figures.

Central Dauphin East

15-10 overall
7-7 Mid-Penn Commonwealth fourth place
Led by 6-1 senior Jessica Rawls (7.3 ppg) and Justyn Roberts (7.2 ppg)
Lost to District 3 runner-up Cumberland Valley three times, and all three were by five points or less.
Ninth seed entering the District 3 Tournament

How they got here:

In the seventh place game, CD East defeated #11 Dallastown 51-43.
In the consolation semifinals, CD East lost to #5 Cedar Cliff 56-52 in overtime. Jessica Rawls led the way with 12 points while Sydney Davis had seven.
In a quarterfinal game, CD East fell to #1 Cumberland Valley 41-38 in double overtime. Jessica Rawls scored 14 points, and Ariel Peterson added nine.
In an opening round game, CD East defeated #8 Manheim Township 46-41. Marissa Butts scored 12 points, Jessica Rawls had eight, and Ariel Peterson, seven points.

The winner gets: The winner of the 11-3 Northampton versus 12-2 Central contest.

#1-2 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH vs. #3-5 J.P. McCASKEY (at CHELTENHAM HIGH SCHOOL, 6 p.m.)
Plymouth Whitemarsh

25-2 overall
14-0 SOL American Conference champion
First solo championship for program since 1983
Won 22 straight before falling to #5 Central Bucks West in SOL Tournament semifinals (73-63)
Junior Taylor O’Brien, who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone, is the SOL’s top scorer, averaging 21.6 points a game.
Junior Lauren Fortescue (10.5 ppg), junior Ali Diamond (8.0 ppg) and senior Lauren Coscia (7.3) add to a dangerous attack.

How they got here:

In the district title game, Plymouth Whitemarsh fell to #9 Abington 62-57. Taylor O’Brien led all scorers with 30 points. Lauren Fortescue added 10 for the Colonials, who led 36-25 at halftime.
In a semifinal contest, Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated #7 Central Bucks South 43-42. Lauren Fortescue buried a foul shot to give the Colonials a 43-42 lead, and the Titans misfired on a pair of shots for the win. Laurel Suchsland, who had three three-pointers, led a balanced attack with 11 points while junior Taylor O’Brien had 10.
In a quarterfinal game, Plymouth Whitemarsh defeated #11 Council Rock North 56-48, rallying from a six-point halftime deficit to outscore the Indians 34-20 in the second half. Taylor O’Brien’s 22 points led all scorers. Ali Diamond (15 points) and Lauren Fortescue (12 points) also contributed.
In a second round game, Plymouth Whitemarsh earned a 59-48 win over #14 Coatesville. Taylor O’Brien scored 17 of her game-high 28 points in the first half. Lauren Fortescue added 15 points.

J.P. McCaskey

19-9 overall
10-4 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 1 tied for second place with Hempfield behind Cedar Crest.
Lost to Cedar Crest 49-43 in Lebanon-Lancaster League title game
Led by forward Ahnera Parker (14.7 ppg) and guard Jaileen Short (10.3)
Seventh seed entering the District 3 Tournament.

How they got here:

In the sixth place game, McCaskey defeated #5 Cedar Cliff 51-47. Briana Perry led a balanced attack with 10 points while Jaileen Short and Aherna Parker each had nine.
In a consolation semifinal, McCaskey defeated #11 Dallastown 40-36. The Red Tornado, led by Aherna Parker’s 11 points, buried seven 3-pointers.
In the district quarterfinals, McCaskey fell to #2 Cedar Crest 47-38. Ahnera Parker’s 17 points led the way.
In an opening round game, McCaskey defeated #10 Hempfield 48-25. Senior Jaziah Richardson contributed seven points and 10 rebounds.

The winner gets: The winner of the 11-2 Nazareth versus #1-7 Council Rock North.

#1-3 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST vs. #3-4 CENTRAL YORK (at William Tennent High School, 7:30 p.m.)
Central Bucks West

22-5 overall
9-3 SOL Continental Conference second place
Defeated #1 North Penn 43-35 to capture SOL Tournament title after downing #3 Plymouth Whitemarsh 73-63 in the tournament semifinals.
Balanced attack led by freshman Maddie Burke (9.8 ppg), senior Maggie Rakowsky (9.7 ppg), sophomore Tori Abelson (9.4 ppg) and sophomore Diane Nicholson (8.3 ppg)
Entered the District One Tournament as the five seed.

How they got here:

In the third place game, Central Bucks West defeated #7 Central Bucks South 58-53. Tori Abelson’s 17 points led the way while Izzy Treon added 13 and Maggie Rakowsky, 10 points.
In a district semifinal, Central Bucks West fell to #9 Abington 55-48. Finishing in double figures were Alex Burkauskas (14 points), Tori Abelson (12 points) and Maggie Rakowsky (10).
In a quarterfinal game, Central Bucks West earned a 61-31 win over #4 Garnet Valley. Freshman Maddie Burke led the way with 18 points, and senior Maggie Rakowsky added 13 with three threes in a contest that saw the Bucks connect on 10 three-pointers.
In a second round game, Central Bucks West defeated #12 Upper Dublin 54-42. Maggie Rakowsky (12 points), Tori Abelson (10 points) and Diane Nicholson (10 points) led the Bucks.

Central York

24-4
York-Adams Division 1 regular season champions
Defeated New Oxford 65-50 to capture the program’s first YAIAA title since 1999. Emma Saxton scored 25 points, connecting on 10-of-11 shots from the field.
Averaged over 60 points a game during the regular season
Led by Bloomsburg recruit Emma Saxton, who averages over 14 points a game and surpassed the 1,000-point milestone this season
Entered the District 3 Tournament as the fourth seed.

How they got here:

In the third place game, Central York fell to #2 Cedar Crest 48-41. Tierra Preston (13 points), Nikson Valencik (11 points) and Emma Saxton (10 points) led the way.
In a district semifinal, Central York fell to #1 Cumberland Valley 41-32. Tierra Preston had a team-high 11 points while Emma Saxton was held to just eight points.
In a district quarterfinal, Central York defeated #5 Cedar Cliff 43-35. Katie Fabbri and Nikson Valencik both scored 12 points.

#1-4 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs. #11-4 PARKLAND (at William Tennent High School, 6 p.m.)
Central Bucks South

19-7 overall
7-5 SOL Continental Conference fourth place behind North Penn, Central Bucks West and Souderton
Led by junior Haley Meinel (11.8 ppg) and sophomore point guard Alexa Brodie (10.1 ppg)
Entered the District One Tournament as the seventh seed.

How they got here:

In a third place game, Central Bucks South fell to #5 Central Bucks West 58-53. Haley Meinel (19 points) and Alexa Brodie (12 points) led the Titans.
In a district semifinal, Central Bucks South fell to #3 Plymouth Whitemarsh 43-42. Haley Meinel’s 20 points led the way while Alexa Brodie added 10.
In a quarterfinal contest, Central Bucks South upset #2 Boyertown 35-32 despite scoring just 10 points in the second half. Alexa Brodie (19 points) and Meghan Kuypers (10 points) led the Titans.
In a second round contest, Central Bucks South defeated #10 Neshaminy 45-37. The Titans were led by Haley Meinel (15 points) and Meghan Kuypers (12).

Parkland

18-8 overall
Fell to top-seeded Bethlehem Catholic 47-39 in EPC semifinals.
Entered the District 11 Tournament as the second seed.

How they got here:

In the third place game, Parkland fell to #4 Northampton 53-47. Devyn Anderson (12 points) and Kassidy Stout (10 points) finished in double figures.
In a district semifinal, Parkland fell to #3 Easton 51-31. Kassidy Stout’s 11 points led the Trojans.
In a district quarterfinal, Parkland defeated #7 Freedom 65-54. The Trojans, who took 41 trips to the foul line, connected on 23-of-30 in the second half. Emily Piston’s 19 points included a 9-for-12 effort at the line. Kassidy Stout added 15 points.

The winner gets: The winner of the 3-1 Central Dauphin versus 1-11 Souderton game.

#1-5 NORTH PENN vs. #3-3 CEDAR CREST (at Lebanon High School, 6:30 p.m.)
North Penn

23-4 overall
10-2 SOL Continental Conference champion
Fell to CB West 43-35 in SOL Tournament title game, snapping a 14-game winning streak.
Led by senior captains Sam Carangi (Villanova), Jess Huber (University of the Sciences) and Irisa Ye (University of the Sciences). All three were part of the Knights’ district title run when they were freshmen.
Huber (14.7) is second only to PW senior Taylor O’Brien in scoring in the SOL. Ye (11.4), Bri Hewlett (11.1) and Carangi (8.1) also are dangerous offensive weapons

How they got here:

In the fifth place game, North Penn defeated #2 Boyertown 44-36. Jess Huber’s 17 points led the Knights.
In a playback game, North Penn routed #4 Garnet Valley 53-25. Jess Huber, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark, led the Knights with 24 points.
In a quarterfinal game, North Penn fell to #9 Abington 51-44. Sam Carangi (11 points) and Bri Hewlett (10 points) finished in double figures.
In a second round game, North Penn crushed #16 Spring-Ford 60-21. Jess Huber (20 points) and Sam Carangi (15 points) led the Knights.

Cedar Crest

27-1 overall
14-0 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 1 regular season champion
Defeated J.P. McCaskey 49-43 in Lebanon-Lancaster League title game
Led by seniors Ariel Jones and Alyssa Austin, who are both 1,000-point scorers.
Jones, who has 46 3-pointers, has 426 points this season, and the senior point guard averages 18.7 points a game. The 6-1 Austin averages 12.3 points a game. Junior Rachel Witherite has a team-high 53 3-pointers.
Second seed entering the District 3 Tournament.
Lost for first and only time this season to District 3 champion Central Dauphin (42-38) in the district semifinals.

How they got here:

In the third place game, Cedar Crest rallied for a come-from-behind 48-41 win over #4 Central York. Ariel Jones led the Falcons with 17 points that included an 8-for-10 effort at the free throw line. Alyssa Austin and Raven Morgan had nine each.
In a district semifinal, Cedar Crest fell to #3 Central Dauphin 42-38. Ariel Jones (nine points) and Ayssa Austin (eight points) led the Falcons.
In the district quarterfinals, Cedar Crest, which had an opening round bye, defeated #7 J.P. McCaskey 47-38. Alyssa Austin led the way with 20 points, which included five three-pointers. Sophomore forward Raven Morgan added 12 points.

The winner gets: The winner of the 11-1 Easton versus 1-10 Central Bucks East contest.

#1-7 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH vs. #11-2 NAZARETH (at Easton Area Middle School, 7:30 p.m.)
Council Rock North

18-9 overall
11-1 SOL National Conference champions
First conference title since 2011
Led by junior point guard Becca Margolis (12.0 ppg) and sophomore Dana Bandurick (11.7 ppg)
Entered the District One Tournament as the 11 seed.

How they got here:

In the seventh place game, Council Rock North defeated #4 Garnet Valley 53-45. Becca Margolis led the way with 18 points while Dana Bandurick added 10.
In a playback game, Council Rock North fell to #2 Boyertown 40-38 when Katie Armstrong scored with three seconds remaining. Becca Margolis (14 points) and Dana Bandurick (13 points) led the Indians.
In a quarterfinal contest, Council Rock North, which led by six at halftime, lost to #2 Plymouth Whitemarsh 56-48. Emily Mackin and Dana Bandurick led the Indians with 10 points each.
In the second round, Council Rock North crushed #6 Conestoga 58-26. Becca Margolis (17 points, 8 steals) and Dana Bandurick (17 points, 4 blocks, 3 steals, 4 offensive rebounds) were the catalysts in a contest that saw the Indians force 35 turnovers and collect 21 steals.
In an opening round game, Council Rock North defeated #22 Cheltenham 55-22. Becca Margolis (13 points, 6 steals) and Dana Bandurick (13 points, 5 steals) led the Indians at both ends of the court.

Nazareth

22-5 overall
Led by senior forward Tess Brugler (17.7 ppg), a Bucknell recruit who is the program’s all-time leading scorer. Senior forward Jess Durnin averages 13.2 points a game.
Entered the District 11 Tournament as the top seed and two-time defending champion.

How they got here:

In the district title game, Nazareth fell to #3 Easton 38-34. Jess Durnin’s 12 points led the way while Morgan Amy and Tess Brugler each added eight points.
In a district semifinal, Nazareth upended #4 Northampton 53-42. Jess Durnin (18 points) and Tess Brugler (12 points) led the way.
In a quarterfinal game, Nazareth defeated #8 Stroudsburg 45-37. Tess Brugler had a double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

The winner gets: The winner of the 1-2 Plymouth Whitemarsh versus 3-5 J.P. McCaskey contest.

#1-9 UPPER DUBLIN vs. #12-1 CARDINAL O’HARA (at Philadelphia University, 6 p.m.)
Upper Dublin

21-6 overall
12-2 SOL American Conference second place behind Plymouth Whitemarsh
Saw its string of four consecutive conference titles snapped by PW
Led by junior Nicole Kaiser (14.0 ppg) and senior Josie Barrett (9.3 ppg)
Entered the District One Tournament as the 12 seed

How they got here:

In the ninth place game, Upper Dublin defeated #15 Central Bucks East 45-37. The Cards were led by freshman Jackie Vargas (11 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Nicole Kaiser (10 points).
In a playback game, Upper Dublin rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat #8 Souderton 34-30. Josie Barrett’s 15 points led the Cardinals.
In a playback game, Upper Dublin defeated #13 Methacton 47-44. Nicole Kaiser (14 points) and Barrett (13 points) led the Cardinals.
In a second round game, Upper Dublin fell to #5 Central Bucks West 54-42. Maggie Weglos led the Cards with 17 points – 15 in the second half,
In a district opener, Upper Dublin defeated #21 Harry S Truman 49-39. Nicole Kaiser (18 points) led the way while Josie Barrett added 16, which included 11 straight points in the third quarter. Jackie Vargas had 10 rebounds.

Cardinal O’Hara

21-5 overall
12-2 PCL third place behind regular season champion Archbishop Wood and Neumann-Goretti
Defending PIAA Class 4A runner-up
Led by St Joseph’s recruit Mary Sheehan and Drexel recruit Hannah Nihill. Both players reached the 1,000-point milestone this year.

How they got here:

In the District 12 title game, Cardinal O’Hara defeated Public League champion Central 77-36. Mary Sheehan (15 points) and Hannah Nihill (13 points) led a balanced attack.
In the PCL title game, Cardinal O’Hara defeated Archbishop Wood 35-30. Hannah Nihill’s 13 points led the way. Maura Henderson added 10.

The winner gets: The winner of the 1-3 Central Bucks West versus 3-4 Central York game.

#1-10 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST vs. #11-1 EASTON (at Freedom High School, 8 p.m.)
Central Bucks East

16-10 overall
6-6 SOL Continental Conference fifth place behind North Penn, Central Bucks West, Souderton and Central Bucks South
Led by seniors Bridget Birkhead (11.8 ppg) and Bri Talbot (10.6 ppg)
Entered the District One Tournament as the 15 seed.

How they got here:

In the ninth place game, Central Bucks East fell to #12 Upper Dublin 45-37. Bri Talbot and Bailey McManus led the Patriots with 14 and 11 points respectively.
In a playback game, Central Bucks East defeated #14 Coatesville to clinch a state berth. Bri Talbot’s 23 points led the Patriots while Bailey McManus added 14.
In a playback game, Central Bucks East defeated #10 Neshaminy 62-55. Senior Bri Talbot scored a game-high 27 points, which included a 16-for-24 effort at the foul line in a contest that saw the Patriots take 42 trips to the charity stripe. Bailey McManus added 11 points,
In the second round, Central Bucks East fell to #2 Boyertown 46-30. They were led by the 18-point effort of senior Bridget Birkhead.
In an opening round game, Central Bucks East defeated #18 Perkiomen Valley 53-30. Bri Talbot (17 points) and Bailey McManus (15 points) led the Patriots.

Easton

24-4 overall
Won program’s first District 11 title since 1999
Seven seniors anchor squad
Led by senior Gabby Bloshuk, who averages 11.5 points a game and has set a school record for threes in a season (63) and career three-pointers (158).
Shelby Stocker (8.6 ppg), 6-3 Mackenzie Miers (7.0 ppg) and Kayla Smith (6.5 ppg) also contribute. Leeana Deegan averages 8.4 points a game off the bench
The Red Rovers connected on a school record 144 three-pointers this season.
Entered the District 11 Tournament as the third seed.

How they got here:

In the district title game, Easton defeated #1 Nazareth 38-34. Gabby Bloshuk (13 points) and Mackenzie Miers (11 points) led the way.
In a district semifinal, Easton defeated #2 Parkland 51-31. Gabby Bloshuk’s 14 points included three 3-pointers. Leanna Deegan added nine points, and Shelby Stocker had eight.
In the district quarterfinals, Easton defeated #6 William Allen 65-47. The Red Rovers were led by the double-figure efforts of Shelby Stocker (18), Kyla Smith (15), Gabby Bloshuk (13) and Mackenzie Miers (13).

The winner gets: The winner of the 3-3 Cedar Crest versus 1-5 North Penn game.

#1-11 SOUDERTON vs. #3-1 CENTRAL DAUPHIN (at Milton Hershey High School 6:30 p.m.)
Souderton

19-7 overall
8-4 SOL Continental Conference third place behind North Penn and Central Bucks West.
Balanced attack led by junior Kate Connolly (10.4 ppg), junior Alana Cardona (9.4 ppg) and sophomore Megan Walbrandt (8.6 ppg).
Entered the District One Tournament as the eight seed.

How they got here:

In the 11^th place game, Souderton defeated #14 Coatesville 48-37. The Indians were led by sophomore Megan Bealer’s 15 points. Junior Kate Connolly added 10.
In a playback game, Souderton – which led by 10 at halftime – fell to #12 Upper Dublin 34-30. Sophomore Megan Walbrandt’s nine points led the Indians.
In a playback game, Souderton defeated #16 Spring-Ford 44-28. Alana Cardona (13 points) and Kate Connolly (10 points, 8 rebounds) led the Indians.
In a second round game, Souderton fell to #9 Abington 44-36. Sophomore Megan Walbrandt (13 points) and junior Tori Dowd (nine points) led the Indians.

Central Dauphin

22-3 overall
11-3 Mid-Penn Commonwealth tied for second place with Harrisburg behind Cumberland Valley
Led by Alexis Smith (10.3 ppg), Samantha Gross (6.48 ppg) and Jamie Brann (6.48 ppg)
Entered the District One Tournament as the third seed.

How they got here:

In the district title game, Central Dauphin knocked off two-time defending district champion and top-seeded Cumberland Valley 40-31. Junior forward Nadia Romanchock scored a game-high 17 points, which included a 9-for-11 effort at the foul line. Alexis Smith added 12.
In a district semifinal, Central Dauphin handed Cedar Crest its first loss of the season, 42-38. Sophomore Samantha Gress led the Lady Rams with 13 points, which included a 4-for-4 effort at the foul line down the stretch. The Lady Rams connected on 12-of-14 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
In a quarterfinal game, Central Dauphin defeated #11 Dallastown 47-28. Alexis Smith led all scorers with 14 while Nadia Romanchock and Samantha Gress both added nine.

The winners gets: The winner of the 1-4 Central Bucks South versus 11-4 Parkland game.