Friday, December 12, 2008

Abington 57, William Tennent 35

Abington (57)
Kelly Gregorio 1 0-0 2; Jen Kelly 4 1-3 12; Ajanae Boone 3 0-0 7; Emily Leer 8 0-1 16; Aiyannah Peal 4 1-4 9; Felicia Strother 0 0-0 0; Chynna West 0 0-0 0; Liz Layton 3 0-0 6; Tess Johns 1 0-0 3; Sam Stutz 0 0-0 0; Jess Schmidt 0 0-0 0; Sarah Listenbee 0 0-0 0; Jaime Shectman 1 0-0 2. Totals: 25 2-8 57.

William Tennent (35)
Alison Malatesta 0 2-2 2; Ashley Alden 1 0-0 2; Deanna Schneiderreit 1 0-0 3; Liz Koval 2 4-8 8; Hanna Sellers 2 0-2 4; Taylor Morgan 2 0-2 4; Becky Allen 2 0-0 5; Emily O’Donnell 0 0-0 0; Melissa Wasserleben 2 0-0 5; Melissa Horn 0 0-0 0; Gina Tyson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 13 6-14 35.

A: 20-14-18-5—57
WT: 6-13-7-9—35

Three-pointers: Kelly 3, Boone, Johns (A); Schneiderreit, Allen, Wasserleben (WT).

SEVEN THINGS

1. Abington (4-1 overall, 2-0 SOL National) is a very talented team. Versatile senior 5-foot-11 guard Ajanae Brown has already signed with the University of Rhode Island, and junior 6-foot-2 forward Emily Leer is going to be a Division I college player. Guard Jen Kelly is an excellent shooter and had three 3-pointers in the first quarter against William Tennent. Freshman foward Aiyannah Peal had nine points vs. Tennent. The Ghosts have so much talent that Liz Layton, who started for a 23-win team last season, is coming off of the bench.

2. Abington led Tennent by 20 points, 26-6, early in the second quarter. The Panthers (2-2, 0-2) were at a distinct disadvantage without three of their top players: forward Sarah Godfrey (illness), guard Megan Zimmerman (illness) and guard Laura Kosma (sprained knee).

3. Leer had 16 points for Abington. Kelly scored 12 points, Peal had nine points, and Boone finished with seven points. “Abington is a very well rounded team,” Tennent coach Paul Veltre said. “They were able to score at will from all over.”

4. Abington has won by 52 points, 24 points, 21 points and 22 points.

5. Abington coach Dan Marsh on his team's talent level: “It’s funny. I said to the Neshaminy coach that this is the most talent I’ve ever had. But it will be my most difficult coaching job. But it’s nice. I’m not going to complain.”

6. Boone on the team's talent level: "We have every weapon. We have everything. Nothing is missing. We have everything we need to win a championship."

7. Abington and Council Rock-North (3-1, 2-0) are the clear favorites in the SOL National, but they don't meet until Jan. 9.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Archbishop Carroll 55, Archbishop Wood 41

Archbishop Carroll (55)
Jen Carney 1 2-4 5; MaryKate McCann 0 0-0 0; Hollie Mershon 5 0-0 10; Kerri Shields 5 4-4 17; Kaitlin Cole 5 1-2 11; Erin Shields 4 0-0 10; Emily Fazzini 1 0-0 2; Rachel Pearson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 7-10 55.

Archbishop Wood (41)
Sam Greenfield 3 0-0 7; Steph Keyes 1 1-2 3; Ashley Robinson 1 9-12 11; Christine Verrelle 0 0-2 0; Cait McCartney 3 2-2 8; Jenelle Hudson 0 0-0 0; Tori Arnao 3 6-7 12. Totals: 11 18-25 41.

AC: 14-17-15-9--55
AW: 3-15-11-12--41

Three-point goals: Kerri Shields 3, Erin Shields 2, Carney (AC); Greenfield (AW).


SEVEN THINGS


1. Carroll (2-0 Philadelphia Catholic League) took a big lead early and led by 15 points, 18-3, early in the second quarter. Wood (2-1, 2-1 PCL) went on a 14-5 run in the second quarter and closed the deficit to six points, 23-17, with 1:46 to go in the first half. Carroll was up by 20 for most of the third quarter, but Wood got within 11, 48-37, in the fourth quarter.

2. Carroll was able to slow down Wood senior center Ashley Robinson for most of the game. Robinson finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. "I was triple-teamed and quadruple-teamed," Robinson said. Wood wasn't able to get the ball to Robinson a lot until the fourth quarter.

3. Four sophomores played quite a bit for Wood, which returned only one starter (Robinson) from last year. Sophomore forward Tori Arnao had 12 points and three steals, and sophomore forward Cati McCartney had eight points. Sophomore guards Christine Verrelle and Steph Keyes were also on the floor a lot.

4. Senior guard Kerri Shields scored 17 points for Carroll, senior forward Kaitlin Cole had 11 points and Erin Shields had 10 points. Carroll had six 3-pointers--five in the first half.

5. Carroll is probably the best Class AAA team in Pennsylvania. If it doesn't win the state championship, it will be a surprise. But Wood can play with most of the top Class AAA teams in the state.

6. This was a rematch of last year's PCL semifinal. Carroll jumped out to an early lead in that one, too, and won by eight.

7. Wood junior guard Sam Greenfield: "We've adjusted (after losing four starters). We brought some girls up from junior varsity. We are a young team, but we'll be fine."

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Bensalem 58, William Tennent 46 OT

William Tennent (46)
Alison Malatesta 0 2-4 2; Megan Zimmerman 3 1-3 7; Sarah Godfrey 3 0-0 7; Liz Koval 2 2-6 6; Deanna Schneiderreit 2 0-0 6; Taylor Morgan 4 0-4 8; Ashley Alden 3 1-4 8; Hanna Sellers 1 0-2 2; Gina Tyson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 6-23 46.

Bensalem (58)
Paige Ormont 1 0-3 2; Kate Clarkson 1 1-6 4; Jackie Deegler 6 3-8 15; Sharmane Hall 6 4-13 16; Kristen Gilroy 4 9-12 17; Jody Sokal 2 0-2 4; Ashlee Spence 0 0-0 0; Jess Williams 0 0-0 0; Alexia Ewing 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20 17-44 58.

WT: 4-9-20-12-1--46
B: 10-8-13-14-13--58

Three-point goals: Schneiderreit 2, Godfrey, Alden (WT); Clarkson (B).

TEN THINGS

1. In the Suburban One National opener, Bensalem (1-1 overall, 1-0 SOL) outscored visiting William Tennent (1-1, 0-1) in overtime, 13-1.

2. Tennent tied the game, 45-45, on a drive by Liz Koval as time expired in regulation. Sarah Godfrey started the play with a defensive rebound on a foul shot with about five seconds left. Godfrey passed ahead to Alison Malatesta, and Malatesta passed to Koval.

3. Senior forward Sharmane Hall, senior forward Jackie Deegler and senior guard Kristen Gilroy combined for 48 of Bensalem's 58 points. Hall had 16 points, 12 rebounds and three steals. Deegler had 15 points and eight rebounds. Gilroy had 17 points, three steals, three blocks and three assists.

4. Tennent had six players with between six and eight points. Taylor Morgan and Ashley Alden had eight points apiece.

5. The Panthers scored 13 points in the entire first half, but had 20 points in the third quarter. They were down by as many as nine points in the first half. Tennent tied the game, 23-23, with a 14-5 run and had a six-point lead late in the third quarter, 33-27. Bensalem opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run.

6. Free-throw shooting was not good. The teams combined to shoot 34.3 percent (23 for 67) from the foul line. Tennent shot 26.1 percent (6 for 23). Bensalem shot 38.6 percent (17 for 44). Gilroy shot 75 percent (9 for 12), while the rest of the Owls shot 25 percent (8 for 32).

7. In two games, Hall is averaging 12.5 points and 14.0 rebounds. Deegler is averaging 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.

8. Bensalem junior Jody Sokal had no varsity experience, but scored four points and gave the Owls valuable minutes off the bench in the first half.

9. "It's a good win for us," Owls coach Don Bogan said. "Tonight, the girls stayed together. When (Tennent) scored at the end (of regulation), we kept our composure."

10. Tennent hosts Hatboro-Horsham on Dec. 10 and SOL National favorite Abington on Dec. 12. Bensalem visits Pennsbury on Friday.

Photo by Christopher Cornell