Three SOL teams clinched sole possession of their conference crowns. Check out all the SOL results. To view photos of the Cheltenham/Upper Moreland game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
National Conference
BENSALEM 46, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 42 (OT)
The Owls celebrated Senior Night in style on Tuesday, picking up their biggest win of the season when they edged the Indians in OT. The win avenged a four-point loss in overtime to the Indians earlier this season – by an identical 46-42 score.
“The girls really played well,” coach Don Bogan said. “It was back and forth the whole game.
“We took the last shot in regulation and missed a three-pointer by a couple of inches. We match up very well with them.”
In the initial meeting between the two teams, Bensalem point guard Ashida Cooper played the entire game but was hobbled by a hamstring injury. She scored just seven points.
In Tuesday’s rematch, a healthy Cooper torched the Indians’ defense for 22 points while teammate Ashleigh Spence added 18. Tyra Roberts, who was hampered by foul woes, had eight rebounds.
“She had four fouls going into the fourth quarter,” Bogan said of Roberts. “She played the whole fourth without fouling and got some defensive stops and key rebounds. We worked the ball, we took care of the ball, we took our time, and everything worked out.”
Bogan pointed to his team’s defense as the difference in the game.
“The girls played hard,” Bogan said. “We played man-to-man the whole game, and they really buckled down. We had a low amount of turnovers.”
The Owls’ win came on the heels of a 58-32 loss to Abington Friday.
“This is a really big win,” Bogan said. “We got beat by Abington on Friday, and half the team fouled out in the fourth quarter, so it was a closer game than the score indicates.
“We didn’t have a good practice at all yesterday, and I was really worried going into this game. The girls really played hard, and they passed the ball.”
The win over the Indians was the first for the Owls since the mid-90’s.
“I don’t know if we’ll make the playoffs, but this is a very big win for us,” Bogan said.
Alyssa Dumont led the Indians with 13 points while Emily Grundman had 10.
With the win, the Owls improved to 4-8 in league play (6-10 overall) while the Indians fell to 8-4 in the league (11-9 overall).
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 49, PENNSBURY 34
The Hawks made it official, clinching sole possession of their first ever National Conference title as a result of Tuesday’s win over the Falcons. They didn’t do a whole lot of celebrating when it was over because this team’s goals extend well beyond a conference crown.
“We want to do well in districts, and we want to be in states, and I think we can be,” coach Monica Stolic said.
The Golden Hawks led 16-11 at the end of one quarter and added to that lead every quarter, outscoring the Falcons 22-16 over the middle two quarters combined and 11-7 in the final quarter.
Alex Wheatley led the Golden Hawks with 20 points, 16 rebounds and five steals. Courtney Brown and Caitlin Jackson both added nine points while Alexis Hofstaedter had six.
Sajanna Bethea and Jae Jackson led the Falcons with 10 points each.
The win was number 21 without a loss for the Golden Hawks, who have not allowed more than 35 points in their last 10 games. The last team to score more than 35 against Rock South was Pennsbury in its 52-43 loss to Golden Hawks on Jan. 12.
“One thing that’s been good for us is our defense,” Stolic said. “We’re holding teams pretty good.”
While the Golden Hawks improved to 13-0 in the league (21-0 overall), the Falcons fell to 6-7 in the league (11-10 overall).
ABINGTON 44, WILLIAM TENNENT 32
Aiyannah Peale scored a game-high 15 points while Joslin Poole added 13 and Emily Willard six points to lead the Ghosts. Abington led 13-9 at the end of one quarter and stretched that lead to 29-19 at halftime. The Ghosts held a 15-13 second-half edge over the Panthers, who were led by the 13-point effort of Emily O’Donnell. Nikki Alden and Allison Chatburn each added six points.
While the Ghosts improved to 11-2 in league play (15-6 overall), the Panthers dropped to 5-8 in the league (12-8 overall).
NESHAMINY 49, HARRY S TRUMAN 27
Meghan Schafer scored 12 points while Sarah Oliveira added eight in a contest that saw 12 Redskins get into the scoring column. Khristaijah Jackson led the Tigers with 10 points.
The Redskins opened up a 14-7 lead at the end of one quarter and extended that to 36-11 by halftime before the Tigers outscored the ‘Skins 16-13 in the second half.
While the Redskins upped their record to 4-9 in league play (7-13 overall), the Tigers fell to 0-13 in the league (2-18 overall)
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 61, SOUDERTON 37
After taking a tenuous 27-25 lead into halftime, the Maidens came out of the locker room and put on a clinic in the final 16 minutes, outscoring their neighboring rivals 34-12.
This was undoubtedly what the squad prognosticators had in mind when they picked North Penn to win the Continental Conference crown. The Maidens had all phases of their game working. Sophomores Vicky Tumasz and Erin Maher loosened up the Indians’ defense by combining for four treys and 20 points, and that made life easy in the paint for Steph Knauer (17 points) and Lauren Crisler (16 points).
“When we’re scoring from the outside, teams can’t cheat so much on the inside and double team and triple team,” said Maiden coach Maggie deMarteleire. “I thought our decision making on our entry pass was really pretty good tonight, and I thought Erin (Maher), in particular, made some really nice passes.
“We only had one turnover in the second half, and we were very unselfish with the ball. I thought the kids played really well.”
The Maidens’ dominance was underscored by the fact that the Indians managed just two offensive rebounds.
A bright spot for the Indians was the performance of senior Liz Mower, who celebrated her return to the lineup after being sidelined with concussion-like symptoms with a 13-point first half. She buried three three-pointers and connected on 5-of-8 shots from the floor in the game.
“Liz played great,” coach Lynn Carroll said. “At halftime, we talked about how everybody could tell that Liz was determined on both ends.
“She was looking to get it done offensively, and she was playing good defense. She showed intensity on both ends of the floor. She’s really been like that for us.”
It was Mower’s hot hand that allowed the Indians, who were without senior Carley Kendall (illness), to stay with the Maidens in the first half.
Mower scored the first five points for the Indians, who led 8-2 after Gabby McAndrews buried a trey. The Maidens responded with a 10-0 run of their own that included a pair of Emily Hagan buckets, the second on a fastbreak to knot the score after Crisler pulled down the rebound of a Souderton miss. Crisler also had a pair of baskets, but Mower answered with a trey to make it a 12-11 game at the end of one quarter.
The Maidens led 17-14 after Tumasz completed a three-point play, but another McAndrews trey knotted the score. Maher and sophomore Allison Gallagher exchanged three’s, knotting the score 22-22, but a Tumasz three was followed by a Crisler bucket to put the Maidens on top 27-22 before Mower buried her third trey of the half to make it a 27-25 game at halftime.
“They were executing their offense really well,” deMarteleire said. “They had six three’s, and we didn’t adjust. The second half I thought we did adjust.”
The Indians knotted the score 27-27 when sophomore point guard Bianca Picard scored on a drive to open the second half, but the Maidens answered with 14-4 tear. Crisler accounted for eight of those points while Knauer added five, which included a bucket after a steal on the defensive end.
“In the second half, we made sure we fixed the stuff we were doing wrong by getting out on their three-point shooters, getting the ball down low and hitting our outside shots,” Knauer said. ‘
It was a 41-33 game heading into the fourth quarter, but after Maher hit nothing but net on a trey from the top of the circle, Knauer turned a Maher pass into an easy bucket and the Maidens led 46-33. It marked the beginning of a 20-4 fourth quarter for the Maidens.
“I really think as the second half went on we were just worn down,” Carroll said. “Some post players had to play more minutes than they’re used to playing, and I think they got worn down.
“The little things started to go away. The weakside help disappeared, really good boxouts disappeared, and I think that allowed them to extend the lead pretty quickly in the fourth quarter.”
“I definitely think we didn’t execute in the second half like we did in the first half,” Mower added. “We didn’t push through our tiredness, so that definitely was a factor in the second half.”
The Maidens upped their league record to 10-3 (16-5 overall) while the Indians fell to 7-6 in league play (11-10 overall).
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 61, QUAKERTOWN 6
The Patriots clinched sole possession of the Continental Conference title on Tuesday night. It’s a title that might have seemed unlikely when the Patriots dropped three of their first four games this season, but they bounced back from that shaky start to win when it mattered most – in league play.
Coach Tom Lonergan tipped his hat to his three seniors – Lindsey Kelly, Lexi Scrivano and Shannon Devlin.
“I think every year you have to point to your senior class,” the Patriots’ coach said. “Your senior class is so important in bringing leadership and in bringing that confidence and intensity on a daily basis.
“As a coach you go into each season not knowing if each group of seniors is going to be able to accomplish those same goals. It started off slow for us, and it looked a little bit bleak in the beginning, but as seniors, they never seemed to lose that confidence in themselves and in their teammates. That’s what made the big difference.”
In Tuesday’s win, Scrivano led a balanced attack with 17 points while Kelly and Margaret Anne Hubbell both added 12 points. Sara Weckhort added six points on a pair of three’s. Ashlee Rucicka accounted for four of the Panthers’ points.
While the Panthers fell to 0-13 in league play (1-19 overall), the Patriots improved to 12-1 in league play (16-5 overall).
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 64, PENNRIDGE 22
Seniors Jen Fabian and Sam Colloi both scored 11 points to lead a balanced West attack. Freshmen Nicole Munger and Mackenzie Carroll added nine and eight points respectively. Caitlyn Mautz also added eight points for the Bucks, who led 18-6 at the end of one quarter and took a 40-11 lead into halftime.
Shannon Chynoweth led the Rams with six points while Alyssa Marchunsky added five.
The Bucks upped their record to 9-4 in league play (15-6 overall) while the Rams fell to 2-11 (4-17 overall).
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 53, HATBORO-HORSHAM 15
The Titans – who failed to score 30 points in either of their games last week - ended their scoring drought in Tuesday’s win. They led 11-2 at the end of one quarter and extended that lead to 22-6, capping the win with a 31-9 second half.
Alysha Lofton led a balanced Titan attack with nine points while Tori Steinberg added seven. Lauren Mosher and Kate McMenamin both scored six points. Chrissy James led the Hatters with five points.
While the Titans improved to 9-4 in league play (15-6 overall), the Hatters fell to 2-11 in the league (4-17 overall).
American Conference
UPPER MERION 44, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 33 (OT)
The Vikings just might have the corner of the market on fantastic finishes this season, winning another overtime thriller on Tuesday night.
“It was back and forth,” Viking coach Tom Schurtz said. “They came out and ran a couple of different defenses at us. They ran a little 3-2, they ran a box-and-one on Cassidy (Koenig). They pressed us a little early, and they did a nice job of getting balanced scoring.”
The Vikings had a chance to win it in regulation but – with a two-point lead late – Koenig misfired on the front end of a one-and-one. The Colonials knotted the score and, after the Vikings were whistled for an offensive foul, had a chance to win it but couldn’t manage a good shot as time expired.
The Vikings owned the overtime period, outscoring the Colonials 14-3 with Koenig accounting for 10 of those points.
“Koenig has a layup right off the tap,” Schurtz said. “Then Reggie Robinson had a steal and a layup, so we were up four right away.
“They ended up fouling, and Koenig made up for her missed free throw in regulation by hitting 6-of-6 in overtime.”
Koenig led all scorers with 23 points.
“It was one of those wins where a senior once again just said, ‘I’m going to do what needs to be done tonight,’” Schurtz said. “She was clutch all game. They were draped all over her, and she still managed to finish with 13 points in regulation and with 23 overall.”
Kristina O’Sullivan added 11 while MJ Valeri added six points, including a huge three-pointer late in regulation to knot the score 28-28.
“It was a physical game,” Schurtz said. “They’re fighting for a lot – they’re fighting for a playoff spot, and we’re still trying to work into that top four seed.
“It was a very emotional night – it was Senior Night for us. We were lucky their last-second shot rolled out, and we were able to win it in OT.”
While the Colonials fell to 4-7 in league play (9-12 overall), the Vikings improved to 7-4 in the league (15-6 overall).
CHELTENHAM 57, UPPER MORELAND 35
Three Lady Panthers finished Tuesday’s Senior Night game in double figures as Cheltenham clinched sole possession of yet another American Conference crown. Jiana Clark scored a game-high 13 points while Ciara ‘CC’ Andrews added 12 points and Christina Coleman, 10 points. Cheltenham led 19-8 at the end of one quarter and took a 32-13 lead into halftime.
Senior Katie Costello led the Golden Bears with 12 points while Lindsay Walder added eight points.
While the Golden Bears fell to 0-11 in league play (3-17 overall), the Lady Panthers improved to 11-0 in the league (20-1 overall).
UPPER DUBLIN 42, WISSAHICKON 32
The Flying Cardinals celebrated Senior Night with a win over their neighboring rival. Taylor Bryant led a balanced attack with nine points while Curtrena Goff added seven and Lauren Rothfeld, six points.
For the Trojans, Rachel Stone led the way with eight points while Kian Wright and Dominique Earland each added six points.
While the Trojans fell to 2-9 in league play (5-14 overall), the Flying Cardinals closed out their regular season with a 10-2 mark in league play (18-4 overall).
UPPER MERION 49, RADNOR 36 (Monday, Feb. 6)
The Vikings led 16-8 at the end of one quarter and never looked back, opening up a 32-20 halftime lead on their way to the win. Cassidy Koenig led a balanced attack with 11 points while Kristina O’Sullivan added 10 and MJ Valeri, eight points.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 58, UPPER MORELAND 53 (Saturday, Feb. 4)
In a contest that saw the two teams combine for 67 foul shots, the Hatters held off a gutsy Golden Bear squad for the win. Sophomore Tori Waddington had a big day off the bench for the Hatters, contributing 17 points and 15 rebounds. Teammates Lindsey Day and Heather Lutz both added 10 points while Carly Bixler added nine and Lauren Jester, seven points.
Upper Moreland sophomore Lindsay Walder turned in a career-best 29 points, which included a 13-for-18 effort at the foul line. Katie Costello added 12 points.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 64, SPRINTFIELD 36 (Saturday, Feb. 4)
Erin Martin led a balanced attack with 10 points while Egypt Thompson, Simone Jacques and Kayla Wisniewski each each added nine. Gabby Schumacher contributed eight points for the Colonials, who led 18-6 at the end of one quarter and never were threatened.
UPPER DUBLIN 43, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 25 (Saturday, Feb. 4)
The Flying Cardinals sprinted to a 16-5 lead at the end of one quarter and never looked back on their way to the big non-league win. Senior Taylor Bryant led the way with 19 points while Lauren Rothfeld and Brianna Spector each added six points. Emily Grundman and Alyssa Dumont led the Indians with nine and seven points respectively.
METHACTON 52, SOUDERTON 43 (Saturday, Feb. 4)
The Indians led 15-11 at the end of one quarter but then managed just six points over the next two, falling behind 38-22 heading into the fourth quarter when they outscored the Warriors 22-14. Senior Gabby McAndrews led the Indians with 16 points, which included five treys. Allison Gallagher added 11 and Carley Kendall, 10 points.
UPPER MERION 61, HARRY S TRUMAN 33 (Saturday, Feb. 4)
The Vikings rolled to a 34-8 halftime lead en route to their non-league win. Cassidy Koenig led the way with 20 points while Kristina O’Sullivan added 15 points and Reggie Robinson, eight points. The Tigers were led by the 17-point effort of sophomore Khristaijah Jackson. Senior Nieyana Brooks added 10 points.
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