Check out all of Friday’s SOL girls basketball results. To view photos of the Upper Dublin/Cheltenham game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 62, CHELTENHAM 15
Curtrena Goff had herself some kind of first quarter.
The Flying Cardinals’ senior point guard connected on all four shots she took from the field for nine points. She also had one rebound, five assists, one blocked shot and one steal, and she did all of this in six-and-a-half minutes on the court.
“She had one of the most incredible quarters you can imagine,” coach Morgan Funsten said. “With a little over a minute to play in the quarter, I took her out to give her a little rest. I don’t think I realized how good a quarter she had. She was incredible.”
Behind the inspired play of Goff, the Flying Cardinals sprinted to a 27-4 lead at the end of one quarter.
“It was a little unexpected,” Funsten said of his team’s dominance. “We decided we wanted to pressure them. We had seen them play earlier in the year, and they struggled a little bit against fullcourt pressure. We came out, and we really played well defensively in the first quarter and got a lot of baskets off of our defense. Really, the whole team came to play.”
By halftime, the Flying Cardinals led 40-8, and it wasn’t long until there was a running clock in the second half.
Goff scored 14 of her game-high 16 points in the first half. She also had eight assists and seven rebounds. Regan Gallagher had 11 of her 13 points in the first half, and Lauren Rothfeld added 10 points. Gallagher also had seven rebounds. Brianna Spector had seven points and six rebounds.
Senior Sabrina Casseus, who scored nine of Cheltenham’s points, is the lone player who saw any varsity playing time on last year’s conference championship squad.
“There were a lot of unknowns,” Funsten said. “However, the seniors on the team have never beaten them. We had something like a 12-game losing streak against them, so it was important to get the monkey off our backs.
“A lot of times it was Cheltenham and everyone else in the American Conference. I know Upper Dublin played well and came really close last year, and I’m sure it felt good for our girls to be able to say they finally beat Cheltenham.”
While the Lady Panthers fell to 2-1 in the league (2-4 overall), the Flying Cardinals upped their record to 3-0 in the league (5-1 overall). They are the lone American Conference squad without a loss in SOL play.
“The thing I’m most impressed with is that really good teams have to prove they can win games on off nights, and I think we did that Tuesday against Norristown,” Funsten said of his team’s 32-20 win. “You have to prove you can win ugly games.
“To come out and play the way they did tonight – I think it was a little of the frustration from Tuesday coming out.”
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 55, WISSAHICKON 35
The Colonials blew open a close game with a dazzling 20-2 fourth quarter burst, turning a tenuous two-point lead into a 20-point win.
“This is a huge win,” coach Daniel Dougherty said. “We had a really disappointing loss to Cheltenham on Tuesday night. We kind of let that game get away from us in the fourth quarter. That was a really competitive game.
“I think it was a big lesson learned. We were in a close game Tuesday night, and we let it get away from us, and I think we learned from our mistakes and were able to really attack. That was the big thing in the fourth quarter. We just attacked them offensively and got to the foul line. It was a big win for us.”
There was nothing to suggest either team would score 20 points in a quarter after watching the two squads battle to a 4-4 tie at the end of the first quarter. The Colonials outscored the Trojans 17-13 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 21-17 lead.
“There was a really nice crowd at the game tonight,” Dougherty said. “A lot of alums came back, and I think the girls got really nervous.
“Wissahickon got into early foul trouble in the first half, and the first half was really sloppy.”
The Trojans outscored the Colonials 16-13 in the third quarter to make it a 35-33 game heading into the final frame.
“The third was very competitive,” Dougherty said. “It was a really good quarter.
“In the fourth quarter, our sophomore point guard, Alynna Williams, just started dominating the game. Simone Jacques was 11-for-13 from the free throw line.
“Alynna and Simone just dominated the game offensively, and defensively, we just did a good job as a team rebounding. We forced them to shoot from the outside. Their shots weren’t going down, and our girls did a great job in the fourth quarter rebounding the ball.”
The Colonials’ first-year coach went on to acknowledge the performances of several other players in the win.
“Rachel Konowal came in and gave us good minutes off the bench,” Dougherty said. “Kayla Wisniewski and Nikki Casey played almost the entire game in the post.
“Wissahickon has three girls that are close to six-foot tall. Kayla is only 5-5, and Nikki is only 5-8, but they just battled on the post and kept their post players, for the most part, in check.”
Donyea Tate led the Trojans with 13 points while senior Rachel Stone had 10.
While the Trojans fell to 1-2 in the league (2-4 overall), the Colonials improved to 2-1 in the league (2-3 overall).
Next week the Colonials will host their first holiday tournament. In Friday’s opening round, Bensalem will face Chichester at 5:30 p.m., and PW will face a West Chester East squad that boasts a 5-1 mark at 7 p.m.
NORRISTOWN 70, UPPER MORELAND 35
Essence Williams scored 18 points to lead the Eagles while teammates Briana Hedgepeth (13 points), Sydney Morse (10 points) and Keifonna Ferguson (10 points) also finished the game in double figures.
The Eagles led 15-5 at the end of one quarter, but the Golden Bears answered with a 17-13 second quarter to make it a 28-22 game at the intermission. The Eagles blew the game wide open with a 24-6 third quarter surge on their way to the big win.
Lindsey Walder led the Golden Bears with 18 points while Karli Lynch had six and Amanda Getz, five points.
The Eagles are 2-1 in league play (4-2 overall) while the Golden Bears fall to 0-3 in the league (0-6 overall).
UPPER MERION 54, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 14
The Vikings sprinted to a 20-1 lead at the end of one quarter and took a 39-5 lead into halftime on their way to the lopsided win. Sophomore Regie Robinson, who played only in the first half, led the Vikings with 20 points, 13 rebounds, six steals and four assists. Robinson is averaging 17.8 points and 13.4 rebounds a game. Senior Kristina O’Sullivan added 12 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and eight assists. She also is averaging a double-double (12.8 PPG, 10.8 rebounds).
The Vikings improved to 2-1 in league play (5-1 overall). The Spartans are 0-3 in the SOL (1-4 overall).
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 47, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 37
The Patriots had a simple game plan - take Lauren Crisler out of the game.
While they limited the senior standout to just six points, they had no answer for Vicky Tumasz. The junior sharpshooter once again led the Maidens’ offense with 16 points.
“They did a great job defending Lauren Crisler, which I knew they would do, but Vicky Tumasz came through,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “Lauren only had one field goal, and we’re going to have to do something about that and get some plays for her that will get her better looks.
“We had to make adjustments at halftime where she was further away from the basket because when she was close to the basket, there was so much congestion because everyone was covering her. At halftime, we changed up some of the plays and her position in plays so she was further away from the basket, and around the basket was a clearer path for other players.”
The Patriots, behind eight points from center Courtney Webster, took a 16-14 lead at the end of one quarter.
“I said to Lauren, ‘You need to play better defense on that girl,’” deMarteleire said. “Lauren did an outstanding job the rest of the game defending Webster, and she also had a ton of rebounds.”
The Maidens outscored the Patriots 10-6 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 24-22 lead. A 13-4 third quarter burst gave the Maidens a 37-26 lead, and they never looked back.
“After the first quarter, we buckled down, and they scored 21 over the next three quarters,” deMarteleire said. “To their credit, they got up and down the court. We never really got fast breaks on them.
“With so many new pieces and Erin Maher being injured – we’re trying to find consistency, and it’s not really happening.”
Webster led the Patriots with 14 points while Karoline White had 10 points and Morgan Kelly added nine points.
While the Patriots fell to 1-2 in league play (3-3 overall), the Maidens head into the holiday break with a perfect 3-0 record in the league (6-0 overall).
HATBORO-HORSHAM 58, PENNRIDGE 56 (OT)
This was a classic battle between a pair of teams determined to get their first league win with both squads staging one comeback after another.
“They didn’t give up,” Pennridge coach Lindsey Tennentt said. “It’s unfortunate the way it ended up, but that’s only going to make us stronger. Now we realize in critical situations what we have to do.”
Friday’s game contained a season’s worth of critical situations, and each time, the players from both sides responded.
The Rams appeared to be in command after freshman Devan Rimmer scored on a drive to put her team on top 46-42 late in the fourth quarter, but that lead was erased after Hatboro’s Amanda Brett buried a three-pointer and Tori Waddington sank one-of-two from the foul line, knotting the score 46-46.
The Hatters were temporarily in the driver’s seat after Emily Fox turned a Lauren Jester pass into a bucket with 25 seconds remaining to go on top 48-46 only to watch junior Jordan Rimmer score on a drive to the hole, sending the game into overtime.
“Before overtime, we just said, ‘Let’s keep going. We want to win this,’ and we never quit,” Hatboro senior Heather Lutz said.
In the opening moments of OT, Rimmer kicked the ball out to teammate Alex Villella, who drained a jumper, but that lead was short-lived as Tori Waddington answered with a bucket for the Hatters. Jessica Tennett sank the front end of a one-and-one to give the Rams a 51-50 advantage, but the Hatters took a lead they would not lose when Lutz hit nothing but net on a shot just inside the arc. A nifty bucket on the low post by Emily Fox put the Hatters on top 54-51. They stretched that lead to 58-51 after Lutz sank one-of-two from the charity stripe.
With 20 seconds remaining, sophomore Kaeli White connected on a pair of foul shots after the Hatters were whistled for a flagrant foul, and Shelby Shoonover’s three-pointer at the buzzer made it a 58-56 game.
Lutz – who had five points in OT - led all scorers with 15 points to go along with eight rebounds while Rachel Helton added 11 points. Jester contributed eight points, and Waddington and Fox both scored seven. Fox also had 10 rebounds, seven in the pivotal fourth quarter and overtime.
“In the beginning of the game, we weren’t getting the kind of rebounding control we were getting in the fourth quarter,” Hatboro coach Steve Flynn said. “(Emily Fox) held onto every rebound down the stretch.
“The other thing is we didn’t try to force too much offensively and got better opportunities. Tori (Waddington) and Heather Lutz played much more under control.”
For the Rams, Jordan Rimmer led the way with 11 points while Alex Villella added nine. Devon Rink, Jessica Tennett and Devan Rimmer each chipped in with eight points. Tennett had a game-high 11 rebounds.
“They came out hard,” coach Tennett said. “They gave literally 120 percent.
“We played to the end. With 00.1 seconds left, we made a three-pointer, so it shows we don’t give up.”
While the Rams fell to 0-3 in the league (1-4 overall), the Hatters are 1-2 in league play (2-4 overall).
“It feels great,” Lutz said of the win. “I think defense was the difference in the game. We really worked on our defense, and we shut them down at key points.”
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 47, SOUDERTON 44 (OT)
Souderton has the distinction of extending the conference’s top two teams to overtime, but the Indians have lost both games. One week after forcing North Penn to play overtime, the Indians extended the Bucks to the limit before falling.
Sophomore Peyton Traina led a balanced West attack with 11 points while sophomore Mackenzie Carroll had nine. Calypso Carty scored eight points, and Maggie Gratz had six for the Bucks, who opened up a 12-9 lead at the end of one quarter and took a 26-22 into halftime. Souderton trimmed two points off that lead at the end of one quarter (34-32) and knotted things up at the end of regulation. The Bucks held a 6-3 edge in overtime.
Allison Gallagher led the Indians with 16 points while Bianca Picard added nine and Libby Wetzler and Sarah Derstein both had eight. Derstein also had 13 rebounds, four steals and two blocks.
The Bucks, who connected on four three-pointers, are 3-0 in league play (5-1 overall) while the Indians fell to 1-2 in the league (1-3 overall).
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 60, QUAKERTOWN 42
Lauren Mosher had a monster game for the Titans, scoring 10 points in the first quarter to jump start her shorthanded squad. She finished the game with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Christina Ciaciarulo added 11 points for the Titans, who were without starters Rachel Falkowski, Alysha Lofton and Amanda Schneider.
The Titans improved to 2-1 in the league (5-2 overall) while the Panthers fell to 1-2 in the SOL (1-5 overall).
National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 69, HARRY S TRUMAN 31
The Indians opened up an 18-8 lead at the end of one quarter and stretched that lead to 30-14 by halftime on their way to the big win. Tara Garfield led a balanced attack with 15 points while Michaela Finneyfrock had 13 points to go along with seven steals. Krista Campbell had 11 points, four rebounds, six steals and four assists, and Jessica Gerber added nine points, eight rebounds, two steals and five assists. Natalie Gauarna had six rebounds, two steals and three assists.
For the Tigers, junior Khristajah Jackson had 17 points while Taylor Gasperi had seven.
While the Tigers fell to 0-3 in the SOL (3-5 overall), the Indians improved to 2-1 in the league (3-3 overall).
WILLIAM TENNET 48, BENSALEM 35
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH at PENNSBURY (Postponed)
ABINGTON 50, NESHAMINY 46 (Thursday, Dec. 20)
It was another one of those nights for the Ghosts.
One minute they were on top of the world, opening up a 21-17 halftime lead, and the next they were staring at a 37-28 deficit heading into the final quarter when they recuperated to outscore the Redskins 22-9.
“We turned the ball over a little bit, and we weren’t defending their pick and roll very well, and they were scoring on it,” coach Dan Marsh said of the Redskins’ third quarter tear. “We kind of went stale a little bit offensively, and they got hot.
“They started running some real good pick and rolls and getting some real good looks and finishing them. We had to adjust. I’m looking down at my coaching staff and said, ‘We haven’t practiced a zone all year, but I think we have to go zone,’ and we did. They took a couple of jump shots and missed them. We were able to rebound and come down and score on our end and got right back in it.”
The Ghosts received big plays from numerous players in their late-game comeback.
“Sammy Lochner hit a huge three to give us the lead and then got fouled the next time and hit a couple of free throws,” Marsh said of his freshman guard. “Deja (Rawls) hit a couple of free throws and hit a three.
“You know what I’m really happy about – this team got down, and they very easily could have fallen apart because we were winning pretty much the whole game, and then Neshaminy made this huge run and got up eight or nine points. They could have folded the tent, and they didn’t. They persevered and got through it. That will help us in the future.
“A lot of times in high school sports, you get down nine and they try to hard to get it all back at once. We did it bucket by bucket. We did it the right way, and that’s good for the future.”
Rawls scored 10 of her 12 points in the final frame while Locher had seven of her team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. Rawls also had seven rebounds and five assists. Bre Bermel added seven points and nine rebounds.
“Having Bre back is just huge,” Marsh said. “She’s all over the rebounds.”
The loss was the first of the season for the Redskins (3-1, 2-1 SOL) while the Ghosts improved to 3-0 in the league (5-2 overall). The Ghosts haven’t lost since their 65-36 loss to Central Bucks South.
“I was hoping it wasn’t their true colors,” Marsh said of the loss to the Titans. “I think it was a bad spot for us. They just didn’t come to play, and they learned from it.
“They have come to play every game since then. We haven’t always been good all the time, but the effort has always been there. I’m really proud of them. We handled Neshaminy’s pressure, which was good.”
The Redskins were led by the 16-point effort of junior point guard Megan Schafer while senior Lori Paulits had 12 points.
“They do some nice things,” Marsh said of the Redskins. “They do what they do well. Whenever you get a team that can force what they do on you well, it’s going to be a tough game.”
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