Neshaminy 51, William Tennent 40

William Tennent (40)
Megan Zimmerman 1 3-4 6; Sarah Godfrey 4 0-0 10; Ashley Alden 3 0-0 6; Hanna Sellers 4 0-3 8; Alison Malatesta 1 3-5 6; Taylor Morgan 0 1-4 1; Liz Koval 1 0-0 2; Gina Tyson 0 0-0 0; Deanna Schneiderreit 0 1-2 1. Totals: 14 8-18 40.

Neshaminy (51)
Victoria Mazzeo 2 0-2 4; Kelsey Ryan 6 2-4 14; Avery Wunder 5 5-10 17; Brianna Hires 2 4-5 8; Brianna Weiler 3 1-2 7; Chelsea Rota 0 0-0 0; Jennifer Slivka 0 1-2 1. Totals: 18 13-25 51.

WT: 5-6-12-17—40
N: 16-14-8-13—51

Three-point goals: Godfrey 2, Zimmerman, Malatesta (WT); Wunder 2 (N).


SIX THINGS

1. Neshaminy (10-10 overall, 7-5 SOL National) led by 11 points, 16-5, after the first quarter and by 19 points, 30-11, at halftime. Tennent (9-10, 4-8) got within 10 points in the fourth quarter, but wasn't able to make it a competitive game.

2. Senior point guard Avery Wunder had 17 points and three assists and played an outstanding overall game.

3. “Avery had a great game,” Neshaminy coach Joanne McVey said. “She showed senior leadership in a big way. She’s a little bit of a reluctant leader. But these kids really look to her. To see her have this kind of success is one of those things you go into coaching for.”

4. Junior forward Kelsey Ryan finished with 14 points and six rebounds for the Redskins, who also received nice contributions from guard Brianna Hires and forwards Victoria Mazzeo and Brianna Weiler.

5. For Tennent, junior Sarah Godfrey had 10 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots, and junior forward Hanna Sellers had eight points and six rebounds. Guard Megan Zimmerman finished with six points and four assists, while guard Ashley Alden added six points and seven rebounds.

6. Neshaminy really wanted to redeem itself for an overtime loss to Tennent back on Jan. 12. Wunder fouled out of that game in the fourth quarter and seemed particularly intent on redemption. “We wanted to come back and get revenge,” Wunder said. “We came in pumped up. And I really wanted to do well to make up for last time.”

Bensalem 45, William Tennent 34

Bensalem (45)
Jackie Deegler 4 8-10 16; Paige Ormont 0 0-0 0; Kate Clarkson 4 0-0 10; Kristen Gilroy 1 4-6 6; Sharmane Hall 4 1-4 9; Alexis Nyekan 2 0-0 4. Totals: 15 13-20 45.

William Tennent (34)
Alison Malatesta 3 0-3 7; Megan Zimmerman 5 0-4 12; Ashley Alden 1 1-2 3; Liz Koval 1 0-0 2; Hanna Sellers 0 1-2 1; Sarah Godfrey 3 0-0 7; Taylor Morgan 0 0-0 0; Deanna Schneiderreit 1 0-0 2; Gina Tyson 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14 2-11 34.

B: 6-15-11-13—45
WT: 16-6-6-6—34

Three-point goals: Clarkson 2 (B); Zimmerman 2, Godfrey, Malatesta (WT).

SIX THINGS

1. Bensalem (8-4 overall, 5-2 SOL National) trailed by 12 points late in the first quarter, 16-4. The Owls outscored Tennent by 41-18 the rest of the way. Bensalem came back with a 15-2 run that started at the end of the first quarter. The Owls took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by guard Kate Clarkson early in the second half.

2. Bensalem senior forward Sharmane Hall had nine points, 16 rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists. Hall played tough, aggressive defense and went strong to the basket on the offensive end, but was able to stay out of foul trouble. She needs to stay on the floor for Bensalem to be competitive against good teams.

3. “Sharmane is playing awesome,” Owls coach Don Bogan said. “She’s taking control of herself on the basketball court and academically. She’s looking for the ball, and she’s a force on the boards.”

4. Bensalem had lost three straight before an upset of Abington on Tuesday night. The Owls and Ghosts are tied for second place in the SOL National behind Council Rock-North.

5. Owls senior forward Jackie Deegler scored 16 points and Clarkson added 10 points. During one two-minute stretch in the third quarter, Clarkson hit three consecutive jump shots--two of them 3-pointers.

6. Tennent's three-game winning streak ended. The Panthers (7-6, 3-5) got 12 points from guard Megan Zimmerman. Junior forward Sarah Godfrey came off of the bench for seven points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Guard Alison Malatesta added seven points, five steals and four assists.

Council Rock-South 43, William Tennent 32

William Tennent (32)
Alison Malatesta 0 2-2 2; Megan Zimmerman 4 0-0 10; Ashley Alden 2 0-0 4; Taylor Morgan 1 0-0 2; Liz Koval 1 0-0 2; Sarah Godfrey 2 0-0 5; Hanna Sellers 1 3-6 5; Deanna Schneiderreit 1 0-0 2; Becky Allen 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 5-8 32.

Council Rock-South (43)
Lea Britton 1 2-5 4; Emily Nowicke 3 0-0 6; Chelsea Allen 3 4-5 10; Alex Wheatley 6 0-0 12; Ann Silverthorn 2 4-6 8; Steph Gillio 0 0-0 0; Alexa Crosier 0 0-0 0; Brianna Schlupp 0 0-0 0; Lindsay Kirlin 0 0-0 0; Jackie Weber 1 0-0 3. Totals: 16 10-16 43.

WT: 11-9-8-4--32
CRS: 12-12-9-10--43

Three-point goals: Zimmerman 2, Godfrey (WT); Weber (CRS).

NINE THINGS

1. CR-South (6-3 overall, 2-2 SOL National) led almost the whole way. Tennent (5-5, 1-4) had a brief one-point lead in the first quarter and another in the third. The Golden Hawks took control with a 13-2 run that began midway through the third quarter and stretched into the fourth.

2. The Golden Hawks have already won more games than they won during the entire 2007-2008 season. CR-South has won four straight.

3. Junior 5-foot-10 forward Chelsea Allen finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds for CR-South. Allen scored all 10 of her points in the first half and had eight offensive rebounds. “Chelsea did a good job on the offensive boards,” CR-South coach Monica Young said. “She hustles.”

4. Golden Hawks freshman center Alex Wheatley scored a game-high 12 points. “We got a lot of big plays from our freshman," Allen said. "We ask a lot of her, and she has really stepped up.”

5. Guard Megan Zimmerman led Tennent with 10 points. She hit a shot with three seconds left in the first quarter, and then made a 3-pointer with three seconds left in the first half.

6. Tennent sophomore Ashley Alden had four points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots. Junior forward Sarah Godfrey added five points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.

7. Senior guard Ann Silverthorn scored eight points and had four steals for CR-South. Junior point guard Lea Britton added four points and four assists.

8. Beginning Saturday, Tennent is scheduled to play five games in seven days.

9. “I feel like we’re in really good shape,” Allen said. “Last year, we weren’t the best team in the league. We had to rebuild. I think we’ve always been overlooked as a team, but we’ve thrown all that out the window. We’re a team to be reckoned with.”

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.

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

William Tennent 2008-2009

Coach: Paul Veltre (7th season)
Last year: 17-9 (9-5 SOL Continental)

Roster
15 Ashley Alden G, 6-0, So.
2 Becky Allen G, 5-6, Sr.
13 Sarah Godfrey F, 6-0, Jr.
21 Laura Kosma G, 5-4, Sr.
34 Liz Koval F, 5-11, So.
5 Alison Malatesta G, 5-6, So.
32 Taylor Morgan G, 5-8, Jr.
14 Deanna Schneiderreit F, 5-6, Sr.
54 Hanna Sellers F, 5-9, Jr.
3 Gina Tyson G, 5-3, Sr.
10 Megan Zimmerman G, 5-5, Sr.

Schedule
Dec. 5 at Upper Perkiomen W, 54-44 (1-0)
Dec. 9 at Bensalem L, 46-58 OT (1-1, 0-1)
Dec. 10 Hatboro-Horsham W, 55-15 (2-1)
Dec. 12 Abington L, 35-57 (2-2, 0-2)
Dec. 16 at CR-North L, 39-57 (2-3, 0-3)
Dec. 19 at Pennsbury W, 51-48 (3-3, 1-3)
Dec. 23 Northeast W, 56-19 (4-3)
Dec. 29 Punxsutawney W, 46-28 (5-3)
Dec. 30 Hazleton L, 25-49 (5-4)
Jan. 6 Neshaminy
Jan. 7 at CR-South
Jan. 10 at Perkiomen Valley
Jan. 13 Harry S Truman
Jan. 15 CB West
Jan. 16 Bensalem
Jan. 20 at Abington
Jan. 22 CR-North
Jan. 24 CB East (at CR-North)
Jan. 27 Pennsbury
Jan. 30 at Neshaminy
Feb. 3 CR-South
Feb. 6 at Harry S Truman

CB East 55, William Tennent 45

CB EAST (55)
Lissa Tercha 1 0-0 2; Megan Zimmerman 0 0-0 0; Sarah Godfrey 5 1-2 12; Ashley Alden 5 3-4 13; Hanna Sellers 3 1-2 7; Laura Kosma 2 3-6 8; Erin Boyer 1 0-0 3; Gabrielle Cancelliere 0 0-0 0; Alison Malatesta 0 0-2 0; Patty Rauchut 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 8-16 45.

WILLIAM TENNENT (45)
Jordan Seiz 4 1-2 10; Alli Rosati 1 1-5 3; Liz Martin 4 6-10 14; Sarah Pullar 4 0-0 8; Madeline Ross 1 1-1 3; Caitlin Vasey 1 3-6 5; Abby Gallager 0 0-0 0; Jaime Donovan 4 1-3 12; Sarah Martin 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 13-27 55.

CBE 9-19-12-15—55
WT 5-10-11-19—45

3-point goals: Donovan 3, Seiz (CBE); Godfrey, Kosma, Boyer (WT).

SEVEN THINGS

1. CB East (13-8 overall, 11-2 SOL Continental) clinched at least a share of the league championship with the victory, and will likely secure the title outright with a win over Hatboro-Horsham (0-13 SOL) on Friday.

2. East jumped out to a 9-1 lead and never trailed. The Patriots were ahead by 13, 28-15, at the half and held an 18-point lead, 48-30, with a little more than six minutes remaining. Tennent went on a 12-0 run to get within six points, but could not get closer.

3. Sophomore Liz Martin had 14 points and nine rebounds for CB East, and junior Jaime Donovan scored 12 points. Jordan Seiz scored 10 points, and Sarah Pullar added eight points and eight rebounds.

4. CB East lost two of its first three league games, but has now won 10 straight in the SOL. In the last three weeks, East won at Norristown, at Council Rock-North and at William Tennent to take the league.

5. Freshman Ashley Alden had 13 points for Tennent, and sophomore forward Sarah Godfrey added 12 points.

6. “After starting 1-2, I think the only people who believed we could do it were the 17 of us, the coaches and our parents,” CB East senior Alli Rosati said.

7. “When we fell to 1-2 in the conference, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned,” CB East coach Tom Lonergan said. “But we had a huge fourth quarter in that game against Tennent and pulled out the victory. Then we had key road wins at Norristown, Council Rock-North and Souderton. I give this team a lot of credit. This is our fourth big road win in the second half of the season.”

William Tennent 58, Norristown 48

NORRISTOWN (48)
Bryn Cotteta 3 0-0 7; Heather McHugh 2 0-0 5; DeLin Blake 3 1-2 7; Sophia Waters 6 1-4 15; Alissa O’Donnell 5 0-2 10; ReAvon Mitchell 1 0-0 2; Brittany Rose 1 0-0 2; Tasha Matthews 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 2-8 48.

WILLIAM TENNENT (58)
Lissa Tercha 5 2-2 12; Ashley Alden 3 0-0 6; Laura Kosma 4 6-6 15; Erin Boyer 4 6-6 15; Hanna Sellers 0 0-2 0; Gabrielle Cancelliere 1 0-0 2; Sarah Godfrey 7 1-1 15; Megan Zimmerman 1 0-0 2; Patty Rauchet 0 0-0 0; Liz Koval 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 9-11 58.

N 14-11-10-13—48
WT 13-10-10-25—58

3-point goals: Waters 2, McHugh, Cotteta (N); Boyer 2, Tercha, Kosma (WT).

Link to Courier Times game story

Link to Friday's Courier Times girls basketball notebook

Link to Courier Times feature on the SOL Continental race

SIX THINGS

1. Tennent trailed by eight, 35-27, midway through the third quarter. A 19-0 run turned an eight-point deficit into an 11-point lead, 46-35.

2. Tennent hit one of 11 3-point attempts in the first half, then made four of four in the second half.

3. The Panthers scored 16 points in the first 3:49 of the fourth quarter, and finished with 25 points in the quarter. They shot 58.3 percent (14 for 24) in the second half.

4. Tennent (13-5 overall, 8-2 SOL Continental) is in a three-way tie for first place with CB East and CR-North. Norristown is one game back.

5. Junior guard Laura Kosma played extremely well for Tennent. She equaled her season high with 15 points and had five rebound and four assists. Sophomore Sarah Godfrey had 15 points and seven rebounds. Senior Lissa Tercha had 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

6. Tennent has four SOL games left: Souderton, CB East, CB West and CR-North. If the Panthers win all four, they win the league.

7. TV note: Tomorrow, CR-North vs. Cheltenham is on CN8 at 1 p.m. Conestoga vs. Archbishop Carroll will also be televised at 2:30 p.m.