Check out the winners in contests featuring SOL teams. To view action photos of the Souderton/Gwynedd-Mercy title game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
SOUDERTON 50, GWYNEDD-MERCY 38
Libby Wetzler and her teammates hadn’t forgotten last year’s disappointing fourth place finish in the Wissahickon Holiday Tournament, and they decided to do something about it, winning a pair of games in impressive fashion to capture the tournament crown this time around.
“It’s great because it gives us that little bit of momentum that we have been looking for,” Wetzler said. “Especially after last year finishing fourth, so this was good. It was nice to see how we progressed.”
Wetzler – who led the Indians with 14 points and 11 rebounds in Wednesday’s win – earned a spot on the all-tournament team while sophomore Bianca Picard copped tournament MVP honors.
“The thing is with this team it’s not just one person,” Picard said. “We don’t just have one or two good players. You have to watch out for everybody, even the people off the bench. You never know – it’s someone different every day.”
Picard finished the game with 12 points, which included a 7-for-9 effort from the foul line in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Carley Kendall and Allison Gallagher each added eight points to a balanced Souderton attack.
Gallagher gave the Indians an immediate lift off the bench when turned an offensive rebound in
to a basket that put Souderton on top 9-2. That lead grew to 11-2 after Kendall scored a basket in transition, and when the diminutive Gallagher snuck in and scored after yet another offensive rebound, the Indians led 13-2.
“We have been really excited about her this year,” coach Lynn Carroll said of Gallagher. “She would start on a lot of teams, but she’s a great sixth man off the bench. She gives us a lot of energy, and she’s playing with a lot more confidence every game.”
The Indians led 15-6 at the end of one quarter and took a 25-18 lead into halftime. Wetzler accounted for 10 of those points as the junior forward and Kendall proved to be a dangerous duo in the paint.
“Something we talked a lot about since our CB South loss was not settling for the first shot or the quick shot,” Carroll said. “Our four-five combination with Libby and Carley is tough to defend, but we haven’t been using that. We used it today, and we used it well. When Libby or Carley gets the ball three or four feet from the basket, I’m feeling pretty good about our chances.”
The Monarchs made it a 25-20 game early in the second half, and that score held until Wetzler sank a pair from the foul line for the Indians’ first points of the quarter with 3:40 remaining. Back-to-back baskets by Liz Mower extended the Indians’ lead to 31-20. They never looked back, rolling to the win and the tournament title.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 54, HOLY CROSS (NJ) 40
The Jeune twins – Ashli and Aliyah – have committed to play basketball at Rutgers University next year. On Wednesday afternoon, the Bucks found a way to make the senior standouts look pretty ordinary, limiting the high-scoring duo to a combined 15 points while earning the big win in the opening round of the Lower Moreland Tournament.
The two teams were deadlocked 19-19 at halftime, but the Bucks seized control of the game with a 24-10 third quarter scoring explosion. Jen Fabian led the Bucks with 16 points and 14 rebounds while freshman point guard Nicole Munger contributed nine points, five steals and five assists. Amanda Parker added eight points for the Bucks.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 65, CARAVEL ACADEMY 24
Alex Wheatley led the Golden Hawks with 21 points and 13 rebounds while Courtney Brown added 11 points. Point guard Alexis Hofstaedter contributed six points and eight assists. Rachel Jacob chipped in with eight points and six rebounds. Cara Barlow (eight points), Taylor Hunt (six points) and Allison Taub (four points) also contributed.
GATEWAY (PA) 54, ABINGTON 42
Coach Dan Marsh knew his team would have its hands full against a Gateway squad that boasted Baylor-bound guard Destiny Brown in its lineup. Brown scored 21 points.
“She does everything,” Marsh said. “The key to the game was – we were running doubles, and she was knocking down three’s. They made some shots. We battled back but didn’t have much in the tank.”
If Brown wasn’t enough of a problem, the Ghosts also had to deal with the not-so-little matter of foul woes. Aiyannah Peal, who scored a team-high 17 points, fouled out while sophomore Michael Harris, who added 12 points, had four fouls.
“We’re young, and we really need to get some defensive discipline,” Marsh said. “We have a lot of learning to do.”
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 47, MARSHALL (VA) 38
Lindsey Kelly scored a game-high 15 points to propel the Patriots to Wednesday’s win. Lexi Scrivanno added nine points and three steals while teammates Margaret Anne Hubbel and Karoline White both added seven points. Shannon Devlin scored six points for the Patriots, who led 15-12 at the end of one quarter and extended that lead to 27-19 by halftime.
The Patriots, who connected on 16-of-39 shots from the field, out-rebounded their opponent by a 29-18 margin. Hubbell had a team high eight boards while Kelly and White each had seven. The Patriots also held a decided advantage on points in the paint, scoring 22 to just 12 for Marshall.
UPPER DUBLIN 62, HATBORO-HORSHAM 16
Senior Taylor Bryant scored a game-high 17 points to lead a balanced UD attack. Jen Myers added nine points while Curtrena Goff and Brianna Spector both had seven points in a contest that saw the Flying Cardinals open up a 40-9 halftime lead.
CENTURY (MD) 41, UPPER MERION 31
LANSDALE CATHOLIC 38, WISSAHICKON 20
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 51, PAINT BRANCH (MD) 38 (Tuesday, Dec. 27)
Three East players finished Tuesday’s game in double figures as Lindsey Kelly scored a game-high 15 points while Lexi Scrivano added 14 points and Courtney Webster had 12. Karoline White added seven points.
The Patriots dominated play in the paint, scoring 38 points to just 18 for their opponents, and they shot a torrid 51 percent from the field (20-for-39). They also held a 38-20 rebounding advantage with Scrivano pulling down a game-high 11 boards while Kelly and White each had nine rebounds. Webster finished with six rebounds.
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