City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
__

The Suburban One League Tournament is in its ninth year and finally feels like its beginning to hold more importance to the teams around the league. The four division winners all qualify as well as four wild cards given to the teams with the next four best records, with district power rankings the tiebreaker.

The top four seeds host quarterfinals on Friday and winners advance to the semifinals Saturday with games played at the higher seeded team. The SOL Tournament concludes with a girls/boys championship doubleheader at Holy Family University on Monday. 

Here’s a quick preview of Friday’s quarterfinal round:

(8) Bensalem at (1) Upper Dublin, 7 p.m.

It’s been a few years since UD was in the SOL tournament. It’s the inaugural appearance for Bensalem, the Owls also heading to the District 1 tournament for the first time since 2019-20.

An uptick in pace has led to an increase in scoring for the Cardinals, their high-octane offense meshing well with their usual stout defense. Sophomore point guard Megan Ngo is a maestro passing the ball and a fiery defender. Her older sister, senior Amy Ngo, is a terrific outside shooter bound for Holy Family so a trip to the final would give her an early game on her future home court.

Senior twins Nora and Brighid Brady bring some grit, defensive intensity and outside shooting, the Neumann-bound duo both fixtures in the first five. A pair of talented freshmen have allowed coach Morgan Funsten to open things up, Tamia Clark is a dynamic athlete in the open floor while Bridget DiMartile comes off the bench as another versatile option as a forward.

Bensalem’s build has paid off for coach Steve Johnson and his upperclassmen, led by senior NC A&T signee Amber Howard, an accomplished scorer who plays very unselfishly. Seniors Peyton Miller and Mikayla Donohue are both tough, their impact far beyond any points they may score.

The Owls have a nice cast that includes junior Devon Bell, a strong outside shooter and athlete. Junior Talia DiMichele has put together a breakout season while sophomore Grace McShane has been solid on the defensive end for a group that always brings plenty of energy.

~~~

(5) Central Bucks East at (4) Lower Moreland, 7 p.m.

CB East will have a bye in the first round of the District 1 6A tournament but its the Patriots hitting the road to play the SOL Freedom champion Lions with Lower Moreland making its SOL tournament debut.

Youth had been the story of the season for the Lions and longtime coach Rich Becker. LM only has one senior on the roster in Amelia Brown, much of its contributions instead coming from a core of underclassmen.

Junior Dani Brusha is the team’s other vet, although the Abington transfer missed all of her sophomore year with an injury. Freshman Sydney Santora has played at a high level but battled a late season ankle injury, while Briana McFerran is another of LM’s up-and-coming standouts and Mollie Martin has been a fixture in the rotation as well.

East has shown it can hang with anybody in the league, especially when its shots are falling. Coach Liz Potash doesn’t often go deep in her bench, but a strong starting five makes up for it.

Senior Anna Barry is one of the sharpest shooters around, the guard able to get looks off the dribble or spotting up and doesn’t need a lot of space to put one up. Sophomore Jess Lockwood is a post, but her offensive game extends well beyond the perimeter and she’s had a strong year in her first season starting.

Sydney Ralph and Natalie Berndt are both very versatile players, the guards strong on the defensive end and able to score in a number of ways to provide supplemental points. Senior Chantal Van Dongeren heads up the defensive effort while freshman Haley Moran is the top option off the bench.

~~~

(6) Abington at (3) Neshaminy, 7 p.m.

A couple divisional re-alignments ago, these two programs were the fiercest of rivals. They may not meet as often these days, but there’s plenty of postseason pedigree for both sides.

Neshaminy is paced by its pair of 1,000-point scoring seniors in Reese Zemitis and Lola Ibarrondo. The Bucknell-bound Zemitis, who also broke the program’s scoring record this year, can bury looks from outside but can also score on the inside while the Holy Family-signed Ibarrondo brings plenty of toughness on her drives to the lane. Senior Ava Irizarry has been a reliable outlet as a shooter while junior Alena Cofield’s speed and defense add a special dynamic.

Outside of that quarter, it’s been a lot of freshmen stepping up. Ashlyn Duffy, Mia Raivitch and Grace Weyler have all had important moments during the course of the year on both ends of the court while Hayley Kolk has just recently returned from an injury.

First-year head coach Allison Lawson guides an Abington team that’s got a fair amount of experience but playing with more balance than years past. Junior point guard Maya Johnson runs the show, a factor on both sides of the ball with quick hands on defense and stellar vision offensively.

Sophomore Mikiaya Durham has put together a strong campaign in her first year starting, her perimeter shooting able to heat up in an instant. Senior Piper McGinley is having her best year, the tenacious competitor always around the ball on both sides while her twin sister Harper has taken on a greatly increased role. Sarah Oleary and Jordyn Reynolds are two other seniors who have been played various roles in their four seasons with the program.

(7) Pennsbury at (2) North Penn, 7 p.m.

This is a matchup where the lower seed comes in with more experience, the Falcons a regular in the SOL tournament while the Knights are making their first appearance in a few years and the first for this current group of players.

North Penn’s current roster may not have played in an SOL tournament game before but it has won a lot of games this winter, including a 62-51 win over Pennsbury just before Christmas. Third-year coach Bri Cullen has a team heavy on seniors and juniors, but with a little jolt of youth mixed in that’s earned a first-round bye in the upcoming District 1 6A tournament. 

The Knights follow the lead of Caleigh Sperling, the Jefferson-bound senior is a four-year scoring machine with an ability to get hers in a multitude of ways. Senior Liv Stone (Cincinnati soccer) is a defensive menace while senior Kelly Donnelly (Widener) is a dead-eye shooter if left open. Junior Cam Crowley brings a lot to the table at point guard and junior Leah Mikulski fills a lot of spaces at forward. Off the bench, freshman Lily Brown has been a weapon for North Penn and the Knights also rely on sophomore Tallie Smink to spell the starters.

Pennsbury’s veteran group has accumulated close to a regular season’s worth of playoff games together over the last three years. The closer the game, and the lower the scoring, the better with coach Frank Sciolla’s crew also tough to beat late if its still within a possession or two.

Like the Knights, the Falcons have a dynamic senior scorer in guard Sofia Vitucci — she and Sperling were AAU teammates with the Lady Runnin’ Rebels — and an experienced supporting cast. Senior Layla Matthias, who just snared her 500th career rebound, hits the glass with a vengeance and fills the stat sheet every other way possible.

Daniella MacDonald is also a lethal shooter from the perimeter, with classmate Dani Sherman (Alvernia) bringing more shooting off the bench. Junior Abby Burns starts while sophomore Ava Jordan comes off the bench to give Pennsbury a pair of pests on defense and freshman Joley Hohman has been a starter at point guard since the opener. Sciolla typically goes deep into the bench, so seniors Presley Foote and Oliveah Gilchrist, along with sophomore Emily Panaro and freshman Sammie Hawes could all likely see some time.