City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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POTTSTOWN — The Hill School Girls Basketball Tournament began on Friday in Pottstown with four local programs facing off against four out-of-towners on Gillison Court. Host Hill won a double overtime game while the other three contests were all runaways.

Was there for all four games to catch the action on the first night of the season. Here are the players who stood out during the day:

Riley Davis (2027 | Notre Dame)
The 5-8 guard had a somewhat quiet team-high 13 points. She never really took over the game, instead letting it just come to her. Davis got easy looks by speeding ahead on the fastbreak and making good cuts off the ball with the occasional drive mixed in. She didn’t let the ball stick, whether that was kicking outside or feeding the post, piling up four assists along the way. Davis was very attractive on the defensive end. She was constantly jumping into passing lanes or sneakily swiping at a ball handler driving past on defense, which resulted in four steals. She helped out on the glass with five rebounds as well.

Sammie Faella (2026 | Hill School)

Faella dropped in 32 points in the game of the day — a double overtime win over Springdale. After foul trouble kept her on the bench for stretches of regulation, Faella made sure to make up for lost time in the double overtime contest. Faella scored the go-ahead jumper in the final seconds of regulation before a runner in the lane sent the game to OT. She hit big shot after big shot in the crunch time, scoring 19 of her points in the fourth quarter and overtime periods. As if that wasn’t clutch enough, Faella also dished the tying assist at the end of OT 1 to set up Anastasia Krafczek’s buzzer beater and made 7-of-8 free throws after regulation to finish off the win. The 5-foot-4 guard knocked in five threes and also showcased an in-between package with runners and floaters that will be important against bigger front courts.

Selin Goekce (2024 | Lake Forest Acad., Ill.)
Before Faella exploded, Goekce was the star of the night, popping off for 30 points (six threes) in a win over Perk. The microwave shooter caught fire in the second quarter as Lake Forest turned a tight game into a rout. A 5-5 guard from Turkey, Goekce has a buttery jumper and knocked down six shots from behind the arc. She was comfortable catching and shooting or stepping into a three or long two when she had room. She did a really good job of driving or cutting and relocating to continue getting open shots for herself. As the game opened up in the second half, Goekce also showed off some nifty drives and soft finishing. A euro into a finish with her off hand capped a terrific outing.

Sophia Hall (2025 | Notre Dame)

Hall’s a goalkeeper on the soccer team and Delaware soccer commit and that athleticism definitely shows up on the court. The guard/wing came off the bench to score 11 points for the Irish in a win over Hun School, sparking some offense into a low-scoring affair. Hall has a high, quick release and buried three triples in the game. She’s a willing screener and moves well without the ball. The passing ability was highlighted by a no-look dime to Riley Davis but Hall also made some terrific one touch passes that kept the offense in motion. She didn’t score as in the second half, but the energy was still the same, waiting at half court before pestering her opponent as soon as they crossed over. 

Kayleigh Ludwig (2025 | Hill School)
Ludwig is a Division I lacrosse recruit, already committed to play at Loyola (Md.). With Faella and Lilly Soller in foul trouble, her offensive contributions were particularly important in keeping Hill afloat. Ludwig finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals. She knocked down three 3-point shots, got to the line and cleaned up the offensive glass. Her defensive prowess came up clutch for Hill as she forced Springdale into multiple turnovers in the extra periods.

Anya Neufeld (2026 | Springdale Prep, Md.)
Neufeld led her team with an efficient 19 points in a double overtime loss to Hill. She also added seven rebounds and four steals. Neufeld was opportunistic on both ends, seemingly always in the right position to make a play. She ripped baseline and down the lane a handful of times but also cleaned up on the offensive glass. Her putback with 30 seconds left in regulation looked like it might be the game-winner until Faella’s heroics. Defensively, she stayed engaged throughout coming up with multiple clutch blocks and steals in the overtime periods.

Lauren Patnode (2024 | Perkiomen School)
The 6-foot guard and La Salle commit didn’t have her best night scoring the ball, particularly in the first half when she scored just two points on a pair of free throws. However, her playmaking ability shined instead as she hit cutters in stride and dished to shooters, using her height to survey the floor. She assisted on her team’s first four baskets in a close contest early and finished with seven helpers in the game. Patnode attacked the basket more frequently after halftime as well finishing with 13 points and adding six rebounds to her stat line.

Selah Prignano (2026 | Wilbraham & Monsoon, Mass.)
Prignano is a lengthy 5-9 wing who finished with 13 points in Friday’s 62-25 win over ANC. She only got one three to go, but she looks like an above average shooter as she gets really good rotation on the ball. Prignanon operates off the ball offensively. She created some opportunities for herself with her work on the defensive end, where she really stood out. Prignano tallied four steals, and took two of them coast-to-coast, including one hanging finish. She has versatility on that side of the ball given her length and athletic ability, potentially being a plus defender guarding positions 1 through 4.

Caterina Ravosa (2026 | Wilbraham & Monsoon, Mass.)

Ravosa was a complete mismatch for ANC in a dominant win for her team. The 6-foot-3 forward stuffed the statsheet with 21 points, three assists, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. She’s equally capable of going up with her left or her right down low and also flashed some range that extended all the way near the 3-point line. She didn’t play too much with her back to the basket, instead flowing to open space for her teammates to find her — Manhattan commit Ella Chandler dimng her quite a few times. Ravosa, who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone during the game, was fun to watch on the defensive end as well. She has that kind of blocking ability where she gets a hand on seemingly everything without picking up fouls.

Amarilis Shubick (2025 | Perkiomen School)
After three seasons at St. Thomas Aquinas (N.J.), Shubick transferred to Perkiomen this season and she’s been an immediate boost, especially with Jaycee Merizalde out. Shubick scored 14 points in the loss to Lake Forest. She was effective from deep, ready to fire away any time she caught the ball. Shubick drilled four triples. Her only points that didn’t come from long range came after a nasty crossover and drive and finish in traffic. She added three assists and a steal. The lightning quick sharpshooter should pile up plenty of big outings for the Panthers throughout the season.

Emilia Sierra (2024 | Lake Forest, Ill.)
The lefty from Argentina definitely has a little Manu Ginobili to her game. Sierra has the size of a wing but ran point for her team. She flirted with a triple-double, tallying 18 points, seven assists and 10 rebounds. She shot it from deep and the midrange, getting the ball off quick as an off-ball shooter and using a stepback to separate with the ball in her hands. She has the quickness to beat her defender off the bounce and slashed as a driver and cutter on both sides of the rim. The passing ability and vision were both terrific assets as well as she can deliver passes to every part of the court. Defensively she used her blend of length and quickness to  keep La Salle-bound Patnode from getting to the basket.

Lilla Szilvassy (2025 | Lake Forest Acad., Ill.)

A 6-foot forward from Hungary, Szilvassy was a dominant force inside. She piled up 16 points and 24 rebounds in a win over Perkiomen School. Every rebound was hers. She didn’t just use her size to fight for boards. Szilvassy positioned herself well and seemed to anticipate where every where every ball was headed once it hit the rim. She worked her way to the line for three trips (4-for-6), more often using soft touch and finesse down low on both sides of the lane. She put the ball on the deck on a left-handed drive and knocked down a midrange jumper or two to highlight some of her offensive versatility.

Xola Wade (2025 | Academy New Church)
On a night when her team was overmatched, Wade never gave in. She played relentlessly at both ends in the loss to W&M, finishing with a team-high 13 points, four rebounds, three steals and a block. She also hung in to take a charge as well. Wade made up half her team’s offensive output. She really likes to get down hill and attack the basket, converting a pair of and-ones through contact. She has some strength to put pressure on opponents on both ends of the floor. Wade looks to be in store for another strong campaign in the Friends Schools League after earning all-league honors last season.

Honorable Mention

Samaria Burrison (2026 | Springdale Prep, Mass.), Ella Chandler (Wilbraham & Monsoon, Mass.), Gabby D’Agostino (2026 | Hun School), Ava Darvassy (2024 | Perkiomen School), Lindsay Farbman (2026 | Lake Forest Acad., Ill.), Chloe Knox (2025 | Notre Dame), Chloe Moser (2024 | Hill School), Grace Nasr (2027 | Notre Dame), Maddie People (2027 | Springdale Prep, Mass.)