Check out all of Tuesday’s SOL girls basketball results. To view photos of the Wissahickon/Springfield contest, please visit the Photo Gallery.
A familiar face will be missing from the SOL sidelines the remainder of the season. Central Bucks East coach Tom Lonergan is taking a medical sabbatical. The long-time coach will be having heart surgery to repair his mitral valve, brought on by a condition called mitral valve prolapse.
“This is a condition I was born with,” Lonergan said. “I did not simply get it overnight. I have known about it for many years and known that someday I would need surgery to replace or fix the valve.
“It was not until the fall when I started to feel more tired as I ran that I got it checked out. My doctors told me that the backflow of blood caused by the prolapse was too great and required surgery to fix it. Clearly my body does not realize it is basketball season.”
The projected recovery time, which includes time spent in the hospital, is anywhere from four to eight weeks. Lonergan is expecting to be back on the court come spring.
“I reminded the girls when I told them I was having the operation that I will still be getting the game tapes to watch as I recover from home,” he said.
In Lonergan’s absence, his staff, comprised of longtime assistants Melissa Carr, Jenna Cooper and Lonergan’s son, TJ, will collectively take over the head coaching responsibilities for the remainder of the season.
“The disappointing thing is the timing of it all,” Lonergan said. “I feel like we are starting to hit our stride defensively as a team, and I was really looking forward to the potential the rest of the season had in store for the girls.
“But I know that I am leaving them in more than capable hands with my assistants, and I know they will be able to carry the torch for the next month or so without me there.”
Lonergan will be treated at Doylestown Hospital by renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Joseph Auteri, a former CB East football standout. Lonergan’s final game of the season was East’s 40-31 win over Council Rock North in Saturday’s SOL Challenge.
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 36, NORRISTOWN 28
It was anybody’s game in a battle between the American Conference’s top two squads, but in the end, the Flying Cardinals erased a 26-24 Norristown advantage after three quarters with a 14-4 surge in the final quarter.
“It was an interesting game,” coach Morgan Funsten said. “It was similar to the last game in terms that both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket.”
The Eagles opened the game with a 6-0 run.
“We came out in man,” Funsten said. “It was a challenge I threw out to my girls, and it wasn’t a good decision.
“We went back to our three-two zone, which is what we had the most success with the last time, and you could just see in my players’ body language that they’re much more comfortable playing our matchup zone.”
The Cards responded with a 9-0 run of their own to close out the quarter on top 9-6.
“We were missing everything,” Funsten said. “We were getting some clean looks, but we were missing layups, we were missing putbacks.
“Brianna Spector made a really, really smart play. She caught the ball on the baseline, took a dribble and instead of trying to take it strong and going in with the trees – she pulled up and made a nice little seven-footer on the baseline.
“I thought that was one of the biggest shots of the game. They had all the momentum. It was just a simple, smart play. We got it to 6-2 and then scored the last seven points of the quarter. We called a play to get Lauren Rothfeld a three at the buzzer. It was executed to perfection. She makes the shot.”
Neither team really found its offensive rhythm in a game dominated by the respective defenses.
“I think the magnitude of the game had something to do with it,” Funsten said. “Both teams knew what was at stake.”
The Flying Cardinals won it with a clutch display of foul shooting in the fourth quarter.
“You couldn’t write a better script,” Funsten said. “We were up three with a little over a minute to go, and they had six team fouls. They had three times to foul us and put us in a one-and-one situation, which in a game like this is a big-time pressure situation.
“My three senior starters right in a row – Lauren Rothfeld, Brianna Spector and (Curtrena) Goff – get fouled 15 seconds apart, and all three of them do what seniors are supposed to do, and they made both ends of one-and-ones to put the game out of reach. The free throw shooting, the seniors stepping up and the quiet leadership of all three of them really showed, leading by example at the end.”
The Cardinals were 11-of-13 from the foul line, 8-of-9 in the fourth quarter.
“We had a really tough week,” Funsten said. “We had five games in seven days. We had a great test on Sunday against Neumann-Goretti who was coming off a win over Cardinal O’Hara.
“If you look at their record, they’re right around .500, but if you look at the quality of their opponents – Cardinal O’Hara is one of the best teams in the state. You watch Neumann-Goretti warm up, and they are a physically intimidating team. We won by 18 points. We called that a statement game. Tonight the only name we had for it was the biggest game of the season. By far, this was the biggest game of the season. Everyone knew what was at stake. The seniors stepped up, Regan Gallagher was playing with a 101-degree fever. Once again, it was a common theme – it was a great team effort.”
Goff led the Cardinals with 10 points, six assists, four steals and four rebounds. Gallagher added nine points and three blocks. Spector added six points. Keifonna Ferguson led the Eagles with nine points while Briana Hedgepeth added six.
The Cardinals, who won their 17th game in a row, are 9-0 in league play (17-1 overall) while the Eagles fell to 7-2 in the league (10-5 overall).
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 40, CHELTENHAM 13
What a difference a month makes.
On Dec. 18, the Lady Panthers edged the Colonials 48-46. The Colonials avenged that heartbreaking loss with Tuesday night’s big win. PW led 7-5 at the end of one quarter and used a 12-3 second quarter to go into halftime with a 19-8 lead. The Colonials took a 31-11 lead into the fourth quarter.
“This was a complete team win,” coach Daniel Dougherty said. “The girls broke the press with precision passing, played solid defense and really battled for rebounds.”
Leading the way for the Colonials was senior forward Kayla Wisniewski, who collected her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Maya Thomas added 10 points.
The win was the fourth in the row for the Colonials, who improved to 5-4 in league play (7-8 overall). The Lady Panthers are 4-5 in the league (5-11 overall).
WISSAHICKON 46, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 31
The Spartans took a 10-8 lead at the end of one quarter and led 18-14 at the intermission, but the Trojans came out of halftime and went on a 20-0 tear to seize control of the game on their way to the win.
“In the first half, they wanted it more than we did,” coach Rodney Cline said. “They got every rebound and 50/50 (ball) that occurred.
“The Trojans finally realized that regardless of the team’s record, you still have to play the game.”
Senior Rachel Stone led a balanced attack with nine points while Donyea Tate and Meredith Byrne each added eight and Dominique Earland had seven. For the Spartans, senior Sarah Daley led the offense with 10 points, and junior Veronica Asman had 10. The Spartans played a strong game under the boards and had more than 20 steals.
The Trojans are 5-4 in league play (9-8 overall) while the Spartans fell to 0-9 in the league (2-13 overall).
UPPER MERION 61, UPPER MORELAND 26
Three players finished the game in double figures for the Vikings, who opened up a 28-9 halftime lead and never looked back. Regie Robinson scored 22 points, and Kristina O’Sullivan scored 17 while Katherine Bailey added 10.
“The girls went out and competed,” coach Tom Schurtz said. “We ran the floor and tried to create easy opportunities.”
Lindsey Walder led the Golden Bears with 16 points.
The Vikings improved to 5-4 in the league (11-4 overall) while the Golden Bears fell to 1-8 in league play (2-14 overall).
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 54, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 53
The Bucks, who trailed by as many as 13, found themselves staring at a 33-22 halftime deficit, but in a classic battle between the sister schools, they came to life in the second half and rallied to earn the win.
“It’s funny sometimes you have games like that where you win it on heart,” West coach Terry Rakowsky said.
This win was anything but easy against a Patriot squad that brought a seven-game winning streak into the game and was playing for their coach.
In the opening half of Tuesday’s game, the Bucks could not match the Patriots’ emotional intensity, and the tone was set when East senior Morgan Kelly buried a three-pointer on the first possession of the night. When Lindsey Nier scored in the closing moments of the quarter, the Patriots led 17-10.
With Webster on the bench with two fouls, freshman Kyra Scaliti gave the Patriots a huge lift in the second quarter, scoring six points and pulling down three boards.
“She’s not used to playing that forward position, but she did great,” coach Melissa Carr said. “She was all over the glass. The composure that she showed was really good.”
The Patriots led 33-20 after Kelly buried her second three of the half, but Nicole Munger scored in the closing seconds to make it an 11-point game at halftime.
“We weren’t playing like ourselves in the first half,” West sophomore Corrine Godshall said. “We wanted to come out and focus on our defense.
“We knew East was really tired because they don’t play many girls, so we wanted to continue to tire them out and just play our game. We weren’t ourselves in the first half.”
The Bucks still trailed by nine (41-32) late in the quarter, but a basket by Godshall sparked a 9-2 West run to make it a 43-41 game heading into the final quarter.
“They run that little matchup stuff, and systematically know what you’re doing out there,” West coach Terry Rakowsky said. “In the third quarter, we tried to run some different things through just to try to get them a little confused on their responsibilities.”
Munger – after coming up with a steal on the defensive end – buried a pair of foul shots to give West its first lead since the opening moments of the game (45-43).
But not for long.
White scored on a tough drive to knot the score and then gave her team a 45-43 lead with a basket. The Patriots still led by three (49-46) after White scored on a drive, but Godshall buried a three-pointer to knot the score.
Scaliti answered with a basket to put the Patriots back on top, but after an East miss, Godshall – who came up with a clutch steal – sank a pair from the foul line to knot the score. East came up empty on its next possession, and the Bucks capitalized on their opportunity when Mackenzie Carroll buried a three-pointer with 24 seconds remaining.
White answered with a quick bucket for the Patriots with 17 seconds remaining, and with 12 seconds showing on the scoreboard clock, the Patriots regained possession after a West turnover, but a Patriots’ three-pointer for the win came up short.
“Mackenzie Carroll wasn’t taking shots, let alone making shots, and then all of a sudden coming down to the end she makes that three,” Rakowsky said. “It’s funny – I looked out on the floor, and we had four sophomores out there, and they’re seasoned, which is pretty amazing.”
Carr pointed to West’s adjustment to her team’s defense as the difference in the second half.
“We slipped up a little bit in the third quarter with our zone, letting them slice and dice through it, which we didn’t do in the first half,” the Patriots’ coach said. “Instead of just watching for the three, we really had to watch for them slicing through the zone as well. That was a good six or eight points that they got. We did stop it after we saw it a couple of times, but with the score of the game, six or eight points was the game.”
Godshall - who had 11 points and six rebounds off the bench – had nine points and four rebounds in the pivotal second half. -
“Coach Britt (Brittany Remmey) always tells me to rebound and box out when I go in,” Godshall said. “I got kind of mad when a girl fouled me, and it wasn’t called. I really was just trying to win the game for my team.”
Carroll added 10 and Maggie Gratz, eight points. Gratz also had seven boards.
For the Patriots, Scaliti and Nier led the way with 12 each. White and Kelly both had 10 for an East squad that was without Courtney Webster for major portions of the game due to foul woes and lost Nier for the entire fourth quarter with a bloody nose.
“They really wanted to win for coach, and they came to play,” Carr said. “It’s a shame the outcome wasn’t different.
“We knew they were going to come out (strong) in the second half because they’re not used to being down. If it would have been our last three that fell instead of their last three, it would have been a totally different game.”
While the Patriots fell to 5-4 in the league (12-5 overall), the Bucks improved to 9-0 in the league (13-4 overall).
NORTH PENN 44, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 29
Lauren Crisler surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in the third quarter of Tuesday’s win. The senior standout led the Maidens with 17 points to go along with eight rebounds, six blocked shots and four steals. Freshman Mikaela Giuliani added 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while Erin Maher had six rebounds, seven assists and two steals for the Maidens, who led 21-16 at the half but blew the game wide open with a 23-13 second half.
“In the first half, (Rachel) Falkowski and (Lauren) Mosher were hurting us,” coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “At halftime, I said, ‘We need to do a better job on the two of them,’ and we did.
“I thought our defense played well. We needed to take care of the ball better. With the anticipation of someone scoring a thousand points, you’re just not playing a normal game. I was very concerned about tonight’s game, but I was very, very pleased with our defense, and our rebounding was very strong.”
Mosher led the Titans with eight points, all in the second quarter. Falkowski and Jasmine Martier both added seven points.
The Maidens upped their SOL record to 8-1 (15-2 overall) while the Titans fell to 4-5 in the league (10-1 overall).
To read Rick Woelfel’s complete game story, please click on the following PhillyBurbs.com link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/high_school/varsityrap/crisler-hits-milestone-in-np-win/article_e7874238-635e-5303-80d9-ee57a5eb74f4.html
PENNRIDGE 77, QUAKERTOWN 48
Devan Rimmer scored 16 points, and Danielle Chynoweth added 11 to lead the Rams to their first SOL win of the season on Tuesday night.
"We are all excited about our win Tuesday," coach Lindsey Tennett said. "It was something we needed as a team to come together and get a win. We have been working so hard, and I am really proud of the girls because it showed how much they have improved.
"Their improvement is really showing from the beginning of the season until now. At the start, we weren't doing the little things, and it was costing us most games. We had many games where we weren't even competing, but now we are hanging the majority of the game."
Alex Villella added nine points, Jessica Tennett eight, and Kaeli White, Jordan Rimmer and Cheyenne Nguyen each chipped in six. For the Panthers, freshman Taylor Herd scored a game-high 19 points, Brittny Buananno-Taylor added 10, Kathryne Vetter had seven and Ashlee Ruzicka, six points.
While the Panthers fell to 2-7 in league play (4-11 overall), the Rams improved to 1-8 in the league (2-13 overall).
SOUDERTON 50, HATBORO-HORSHAM 26
The Indians opened up a 15-6 lead at the end of one quarter and took a 20-9 lead into halftime. A 16-5 third quarter burst put the game out of reach. Allison Gallagher led the Indians with 15 points while Katie O’Connor and Bianca Picard each added nine. Sarah Derstein added eight points and had another huge day under the boards, pulling down 16 rebounds to go along with four assists and two blocks. For the Hatters, Heather Lutz led the way with 12 points.
The Indians improved to 6-3 in the league (9-4 overall) while the Hatters fell to 1-8 in the league (2-13 overall).
National Conference
WILLIAM TENNENT 46, PENNSBURY 44
The Panthers trailed by 13 points heading into the fourth quarter (36-23), but then came a memorable fourth quarter that saw the Panthers close it out with a 23-8 tear to earn the dramatic win.
“We managed to come back,” coach Paul Veltre said. “We attacked the basket, tried to get to the foul line.
“That fourth quarter was kind of magical. It doesn’t happen too often.”
The Panthers trailed 44-42 when – with 25 seconds left - Aly Fenner pulled down a defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor, converting the layup despite being fouled. She buried the free throw to complete the three-point play to put the Panthers on top 45-44.
Pennsbury missed a shot for the lead, and the Panthers buried the front end of a one-and-one to go on top by two. Fenner had six points in the pivotal fourth quarter while teammates Angie Pomponio and Allison Chatburn each had eight in the frame. Pomponio, who was 8-for-10 from the foul line, and Fenner both finished with 14 points while Chatburn had 11.
The Panthers connected on 20-of-27 from the foul line, which included an 11-for-14 effort in the fourth quarter.
Early on, it certainly didn’t look as though the night would have a happy ending for the Panthers, who trailed 9-2 at the end of one quarter. It was a 23-14 game at halftime, and things didn’t improve in the third quarter.
“We only scored two free throws in the first quarter,” Veltre said. “We could not score at all.
“This is a very big win for us. They’re a very good team, and for us to hang in there and to win it in the fourth quarter with our aggressiveness to the basket – it’s a very big win. Now we’re looking to Bensalem on Friday. Hopefully, the momentum will help us then. They’re playing very well right now.”
Sajanna Bethea led the Falcons with 21 points while Carly Kovin added 14 points.
The Panthers improved to 3-6 in league play (11-6 overall) while the Falcons fell to 6-2 in the league (10-5 overall).
NESHAMINY 37, BENSALEM 34
The Redskins gutted it out against the Owls, using an 11-4 fourth quarter to earn the important win.
“There’s no one on the team feeling really good,” coach Joe Lally said. “The whole group of them is struggling with some kind of flu bug or upper respiratory, but they really put a great team effort out tonight. I was really proud of them.”
The Owls led 13-11 at the end of one quarter and took a 21-19 lead into halftime. They took a 30-16 advantage into the fourth quarter when the Redskins staged their comeback.
“Our interior defense – Maddie Murray and Sarah Oliveira – did a great job on Tyra (Roberts),” Lally said. “We were taking the ball at her a lot, and we drew her fourth foul.
“With three minutes left, we were able to foul her out, and that was big. It enabled us to really put the pressure on, and we could avoid just having them lob the ball in. From there, we applied pressure, got some turnovers.”
Lori Paulits, who scored 10 points, was 6-for-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to help spark the comeback.
“Bensalem has been playing really well,” Lally said. “With Tyra and Ashida (Cooper), I think they were playing pretty confident.
“Unfortunately, the first game against us Tyra wasn’t there, and it was pretty lopsided, so I think they marked us on their calendar. I was proud the way our kids stepped up to the challenge, especially under the weather.”
McKenna Mullin led the Redskins with 11 points while Lori Paulits added 10. Cooper led the Owls with 11 points. Roberts was held to just eight points.
While the Owls fell to 3-6 in conference play (7-9 overall), the Redskins improved to 7-2 in the league (12-3 overall).
ABINGTON 49, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 35
The scored was deadlocked 19-19 at halftime, but the Ghosts seized control with a 21-11 third-quarter burst.
“Deja (Rawls) was having a little trouble getting into the flow,” coach Dan Marsh said of his sophomore point guard. “They were doing a box-and-one. We had a little talk with her at halftime, and she was more aggressive in the second half, and our defense was better.
“We were able to force them into some turnovers and get the ball up and down the court, playing more our pace. We were able to get it started in the third quarter.”
Rawls had 13 of her 15 points in the second half. Joslin Poole and Michael Harris each added seven points. Jessica Gerber led the Indians with 12 points.
While the Indians fell to 4-5 in league play (8-9 overall), the Ghosts improved to 7-2 in the league (11-6 overall).
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 66, HARRY S TRUMAN 30
The Golden Hawks received scoring from nine players while upping their winning streak to five games. Alexis Hofstaedter led the way with 16 points, and Taylor Dillon added 14. Steph Thomas and Cara Barlow paced Rock South’s defense with five steals each. Thomas also had three blocked shots.
The Golden Hawks are 5-3 in league play (9-6 overall). The Tigers, who were without Kristaijah Jackson (foot injury), fell to 0-9 in the SOL (5-12 overall).
Sunday, January 20
UPPER DUBLIN 42, NEUMANN-GORETTI 24
Neumann-Goretti led 4-3 after a low-scoring first quarter, but the Flying Cardinals blew the game wide open with a 20-6 second quarter to go into halftime with a 23-10 lead. They never looked back.
Curtrena Goff led the Cardinals with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Brianna Spector contributed a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“It was another great team effort and another great defensive effort,” coach Morgan Funsten said. “Regan Gallagher was in major foul trouble, and Jackie Lillo stepped in and played a great game.
“Curtrena had another great game and looked like she was on a mission. Brianna Spector stepped up again with a double-double and is quietly having a great season.”
The Flying Cardinals (15-1) upped their winning streak to 15.
SHIPLEY 38, NORTH PENN 36 (Sunday, Jan. 20)
Shipley scored with five seconds remaining, and the Maidens’ desperation shot at the buzzer fell short. The Maidens were on the short end of a 20-15 score at halftime but rallied to go on top by four. They still led 27-25 heading into the fourth quarter when Shipley’s Alexander Sox scored 11 of her game-high 22 points.
“It was good to play someone different and be able to make adjustments,” said coach Maggie deMarteleire of Sunday’s game that was part of the Make-A-Wish Tournament at Lower Merion.
Lauren Crisler led the Maidens with 13 points while Jenn Halcovage added 11, which included eight in the first half. Vicky Tumasz added eight points.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 45, THE HILL SCHOOL 37
The Golden Hawks sprinted to a 17-6 lead at the end of one quarter on their way to the non-league win.
“We pressured the ball pretty well in the first quarter, and we contained them really effectively,” coach Monica Stolic said. “They have a girl that’s going D-1, and we held her to eight (points).”
Courtney Brown led the Golden Hawks with 15 points while Taylor Dillon added 11 and Alexis Hofstaedter, nine points.
The win was the fourth of the week for the Golden Hawks.
“I thought this was going to be a very tough week, but it’s coming together well,” Stolic said.
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