North Penn 43, Downingtown West 35
So far so good for the North Penn Maidens, who captured their first ever tournament title under coach Maggie deMarteleire as a result of Saturday’s win over the Whippets.
Last year, the Maidens didn’t win their second game of the season until Dec. 29. This year, it took the Maidens just two days as they defeated both of their opponents in the Methacton Tip-Off Tournament.
“It means an awful lot,” deMarteleire said of her team’s strong start. “We didn’t do any summer leagues or fall leagues for different reasons, so we had a lot of open gyms. I think the kids believed in themselves, but they didn’t really know where they were.
“For us to start with two wins is a good thing. It’s definitely good for their confidence. I’m real happy right now that we’re 2-0.”
Steph Knauer once again led the Maidens, scoring 11 points and pulling down 15 rebounds.
“Steph Knauer really was a beast on the boards,” deMarteleire said.
Knauer and Lauren Crisler, who had nine points, both earned spots on the all-tournament team. Freshman Emily Maher gave the Maidens a huge lift off the bench, scoring eight points, which included a pair of treys.
“In the first half off the bench, she hit a three right away,” deMarteleire said. “Late in the game, she hit a three that turned a 37-33 lead into a 40-33 lead. That was a big shot.”
Point guard Brenda McDermott chipped in five points, but according to deMarteleire, that doesn’t begin to tell the story of her contributions.
“She just played a great game,” the Maidens’ coach said. “One of their girls – Brittany Sicinski – scored 16 points in the first half, and she only had seven in the second half, and Brenda guarded her the whole second half.
“She is just a good floor general on both ends of the court – offensively and defensively. She’s really grown into her role as the floor leader.”
Upper Dublin 63, St. Hubert’s 58 (2 OTs)
The Flying Cardinals have shown a flair for the dramatic in the opening weekend of the season. Less than 24 hours after falling in triple overtime to West Chester Rustin, the Cardinals rallied from an eight-point deficit with one minute remaining to send the game into OT.
In the first overtime, the Cardinals trailed by three with five seconds remaining only to have Sarah Hallowell step up and nail a three-pointer at the buzzer to set the stage for a second overtime. Curtrena Goff sank a trey to open the second OT, and the Flying Cardinals never looked back.
“We played some exciting ball,” coach Vince Catanzaro understated. “We said we wanted to play good competition, and that’s what we got.
“It’s a shame. Yesterday we had a shot to win two times and we lost in the third overtime, but to keep hanging around like that – what a game, and then to do it again today.”
Taylor Bryant, who led the Cardinals with 17 points, earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
“We had a lot of kids step up,” Catanzaro said.
The veteran coach lauded the defense of freshman Larissa Leyes off the bench as a key to Saturday’s win.
Spring-Ford 62, Cheltenham 58
The Lady Panthers trailed by 10 at halftime and rallied to make it close but couldn’t get over the hump as they fell to the Rams in the title game of the Hazleton Tournament.
Junior Ciara ‘CC’ Andrews was once again unstoppable, following her 30-point effort on Friday night with a dazzling 31-point showing in Saturday’s title game. For her performances, Andrews was named tournament MVP.
Conwell Egan 54, Harry S. Truman 52
The Tigers haven’t spent a whole lot of time in recent years worrying about finishing out games after getting a lead. It’s a lesson they will undoubtedly learn under first-year coach Collette Munford, who plans to turn the struggling program around.
Despite controlling play for much of Saturday’s title game – and leading by as many as 15 in the second half, the Tigers couldn’t maintain that lead.
“My team is young, and the history of Truman the last few years or more – they have never been in situations like this,” Munford said. “They have never been in a championship game, and they don’t know how to finish.
“We were up the whole game, and even the last three minutes of the game, we were still in it.”
The players, according to Munford, were heartbroken to see the win slip away.
“They cried,” she said. “I told them, ‘You have to understand that even though you lost, you are winners. You have to see that you can win these games. You just have to learn how to finish the game.’”
Egan’s pressure defense proved to be Truman’s undoing down the stretch.
“My girls couldn’t remember how to do the press break,” Munford said. “Instead of staying as a team, they started panicking.”
Despite the outcome, the first-year coach was pleased with her team’s showing.
“This was a learning experience,” Munford said. “I know what I have, and I think the girls are starting to see for themselves we have a pretty decent team, and they can win with hard work.
“I’m excited, my staff is excited. This was just heartbreaking. We had that game. It just slipped away.”
Shannon McDuffie led all scorers with 16 points.
Council Rock South 40, Methacton 24
The Golden Hawks (1-1) got back on the winning track with a no-doubt-about-it win over the host Warriors in the consolation game of the Methacton Tip-Off Tournament. Alex Wheatley once again led the way, contributing 12 points and 12 rebounds while earning a spot on the all-tournament team.
“We played okay, but we can definitely play better,” coach Monica Stolic said. “I have to remember that I lost three starters from last year.”
Abington 58, Neumann Goretti 45
Aiyannah Peal turned in a brilliant 26-point effort while teammate Sarah Listenbee added 12 points and 15 rebounds in a supporting role as the Ghosts captured the title of their own tournament in impressive fashion. The win was number 200 of coach Dan Marsh’s career.
Central Bucks South 40, Unionville 19
Madi Vitelli stepped in at point guard when Brittany Kaewell found herself in foul trouble and scored a team-high 11 points. Kaewell finished with eight points, three steals and three assists while Tyler Vitelli had nine points, six rebounds and - according to her coach - played terrific defense.
"So many of Tyler's plays are hustle plays and aren't accounted for in stats," coach Beth Mattern said.
Vitelli was named tournament MVP while Kaewell and Kelsey Herrmann earned spots on the all-tournament team.
Gwynedd-Mercy 46, Quakertown 26
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