City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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GLENSIDE — The North Penn girls basketball team knew it had a strong core back for 2023-24 after only graduating one starter a season ago.

When the team started workouts at the end of last school year, it looked like they might getting a little bit of help as well.

Freshman wing/forward Lily Brown caught eyes in the spring and continued to shine in the summer. She’s carved out a role as the top reserve off the Knights’ bench early this season.

Her best performance thus far game Sunday in a 46-45 win over Haverford in the Hopes for Hope charity event at Arcadia University. North Penn senior Caleigh Sperling led the way with 16 points, while Brown provided 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Knights (10-2).

Senior Millersville commit Aniya Eberhart scored 18 and junior Rian Dotsey had 17 for the Fords (11-3), the reigning District 1-6A runner-ups.

“I think the first time I saw her in workouts at the end of last year, I had a feeling,” North Penn third-year coach Brianna Cullen said. “She’s just so naturally athletic and gifted. Unfortunately, but also fortunately, we have a really tough schedule, so she’s just been getting so much experience. We were kind of waiting for a game like this for her, like a breakout moment. She’s starting to develop more of an all-around game, not just inside, so it was nice to see it all come together.”

The Knights have four starters back from last season’s 13-12 squad, led by Sperling, a Jefferson commit. Senior wing Olivia Stone (Cincinnati soccer), senior guard Kelly Donnelly (Widener) and junior guard Cameron Crowley, who added 10 points on Sunday, are the other top returners. Junior Leah Mikulski took a step forward this season to join them in the starting five.

Brown watched North Penn several times last season to go see her cousin Tallie Smink, a sophomore guard/forward for the Knights who is also coming off the bench for the varsity squad.

After seeing the team make a run to the second round of the district playoffs and finish one win shy of a state playoff berth, Brown was excited to help them try and improve even more this season.

“It was really exciting when the season was coming around after field hockey,” Brown said. “I was excited to play with these guys.”

The Knights are off to a strong start, winning six straight since a Suburban One League Colonial Division loss to Central Bucks East on Dec. 19. They’re currently a half game behind the Patriots in the division standings with a 6-1 mark after big wins over Pennsbury, Neshaminy and Council Rock South.

“We’re cutting well and communicating and just connecting,” Brown said.

“I feel like working as a team, our ball movement has been really well, looking for that extra pass,” Sperling added. “We’re just hustling, and we have goals as a team that we’re all on the same page as well.” 

The Knights jumped out on Haverford right away on Sunday, leading 12-8 after one. Brown helped them maintain that advantage with six points in the second quarter as North Penn went into half with a 24-20 lead.

Brown was more of a guard at the middle school level and over the summer on her K-Low Elite team, but the Knights told her they needed her athleticism down low this season, and she’s thriving in a new position.

“She kind of turns the game around when she comes in because she’ll get a few rebounds,” Sperling said. “She rips it really hard.”

Brown added four more in the third quarter, and Sperling and Crowley chipped in five apiece as well in the period to help the Knights grow their lead to 38-31. 

Dotsey, who had seven points in the fourth, tied the game 38-38, on three with 6:15 to play. Stone put the Knights back up with a three and they never gave it back, though Dotsey had a potential game tying three with a minute left hit about every part of the rim before falling out.

Brown came up with a big rebound in the final minute before Sperling free throws pushed the North Penn lead to two possessions, 45-40, with 31.5 seconds to play. 

“Their willingness to adjust,” Cullen said about what stands out about her group. “We’ve tried a lot of different things, a lot of different defenses, offensive game planning. They're just so willing to listen, be coached and adjust.”

The Knights came into Sunday No. 8 in the District 1-6A power rankings and have the chance to keep moving up after wins over Council Rock South and Haverford over the weekend. They’re positioning themselves well for a deeper run in districts and a coveted state playoff trip

“I think just continuing to do what we’ve been doing, working hard, playing as a team will get us further,” Sperling said.

It’s a big jump for Brown playing in these high-level games as a freshman. She’s enjoying the challenge.

“It’s so much different,” Brown said. “It’s much more faster paced and I’m working with a new group of girls and they’re so much stronger.”

“I love playing with aggressiveness and playing a really good team,” she added. “I think it helps us play to our best potential.”

North Penn 46, Haverford 45

By Quarter

Haverford 8 | 12 | 11 | 14 || 45
North Penn 12 | 12 | 14 | 8 || 46

Scoring

Haverford: Aniya Eberhart 18, Rian Dotsey 17, Ashley Wright 6, Natalie Wright 4

North Penn: Caleigh Sprerling 16, Lily Brown 12, Cameron Crowley 10, Olivia Stone 5, Kelly Donnelly 3.