City of Basketball Love

By CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)
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There were 34 courts going at Spook Nook this past weekend as the Select Events Live! At the Nook and the first Girls Under Armour Association took place from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.

There were plenty of local squads in attendance to check out as well as out-of-area talent to get a look at, giving CoBL a chance to catch up with some players. Here’s the first part of our notebook from the event:

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GUAA/Live! At the Nook Coverage: Standouts | Notebook Pt. 1 | Notebook Pt. 2 | Notebook Pt. 3

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Alena Cofield (2025 | Heat Hoops 17U)

Alena Cofield looked like a Heat Hoops lifer.

Given that the Neshaminy junior is only in her first year with the program out of Upper Makefield, it would have been hard to tell with how quickly she’s taken to her new team. With the Mid-Atlantic Magic’s projected 17U roster hit hard by injuries, Cofield needed a new home for her final year of club basketball.

Safe to say, she and the Heat have found a perfect pairing.

“I love this team,” Cofield said. “We’re really close. We do a lot of team bonding, which helps out a lot and practices are pretty tight. I’m really enjoying playing with them a lot.”

It’s not that Cofield wasn’t familiar with any of her new teammates. She’s competed against a majority of the Heat roster in the SOL, whether it’s within the Liberty division or through crossovers against the Colonial, so she knew this group could play.

Those SOL games can get intense, for example there’s never been a low-stakes Neshaminy vs Pennsbury or Neshaminy vs CR South game, but there hasn’t been any lingering issues from a divisional clash in years past. Cofield did admit she’s had to get used to her Heat teammates and vice-versa, but overall it’s been a pretty clean fit.

“You watched them play, so you understand how they play and when you get on the court, you already know what they’re good at,” Cofield said. “The shooters, I know who they are, so it’s fun getting to play with them.”

Saturday, Cofield was a bundle of hustle and energy. The guard, a two-year starter for John Gallagher at Neshaminy, is one of the best defensive players in the SOL and she flatly refuses to give up on plays.

Saturday, in a win over the SI Diamonds, Cofield had a pass deflected at midcourt yet managed to beat the ball down the floor, deflect it away from an opponent, save it on the baseline, grab an offensive rebound and finally get an assist on a Riley Deal three all within a 30-second span. She was on the floor fighting for the ball, relentlessly pressured on defense and consistently brought energy in her minutes.

“I just know I’m not as much of an offensive threat as I want to be, so for me that means be the biggest threat on defense,” Cofield said.

This Heat roster is deep too. Earlier in the day Saturday the team trotted out a first five of Cofield, Kathryn O’Kane, Maggie Burns, Sydney Ralph and Fiona Reckner, arguably five of the most tenacious defensive players in the SOL.

There’s plenty of options beyond them, so there has been an adjustment period there as Cofield gets used to each of her teammates’ tendencies.

“It’s only hard because I’m not 100 percent a point guard, I’ll play anywhere,” Cofield said. “When I am the point guard, I just look for whoever is open. Most of the time, there’s a shooter in the corner and I know I can hit them with a pass, so it ends up working out.”

Cofield will be the veteran presence for Neshaminy next year with Reese Zemitis, Lola Ibarrondo and Ava Irizarry graduating. She’s been excellent in her role the last two years, but the rising senior was quick to point out she’ll need to be more of an offensive threat too.

Saturday, Cofield’s outside shot wasn’t falling but not for lack of confidence. The guard, who did have a nice runner over a 6-foot-3 player on NY Grit in the afternoon, has been putting in the reps.

“I work out in the gym all the time so hopefully it comes together, which I’m pretty sure it will,” Cofield said. “I think that’s why my shot didn’t fall as much during the high school season, I wasn’t confident it was going to go in and it was more or less to get the ball to Reese or Lola but I always had the support from my team to have the go-ahead.”

When Cofield joined the Neshaminy program as a freshman, she didn’t have a ton of basketball experience but Gallagher and his coaching staff saw her potential. The guard said she feels a little bit of pressure knowing they’re looking for a big senior season out of her but at the same time, it’s motivating her to come through for them.

Saturday’s win over the SI Diamonds brought a pretty jovial team huddle, Cofield fitting in like she’d been a part of the group for years. If the bond’s already that strong, it’s only going to get better by the end of the summer.

“I’m excited to see where the next year takes me,” Cofield said. “I wish I would have met them way earlier, but everything happens for a reason. I’m really excited to learn from these girls and I hope they can learn from me.” — Andrew Robinson

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Rian Dotsey (2025 | Philly Belles 17U)

Haverford High was supposed to take a step back this season after Caroline Dotsey (Maine) and the rest of the Class of 2023 graduated following the program’s first league championship in more than a decade.

Instead, led in huge part by another Dotsey, the Fords rose to the top of the Central League once again this season. 

Rian Dotsey, a second team All-Central League player as a sophomore, ascended into one of the top players in the area this season, averaging 15.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 1.2 bpg as she earned first team All-Central honors along with teammate Aniya Eberhart (Millersville) to help the Fords go back-to-back.

“It was good to be able to step up a lot this year and kind of take over and make a big impact on the team,” Dotsey said. “We went far. It was a big team effort.”

Caroline Dotsey was as 6-foot-2 forward at Haverford and the league’s Player of the Year as a senior. She played in 20 games this season at Maine as a freshman.

Rian has similar size and length at 6-foot-1, but she plays a little bit more out on the wing. She showed that versatility during her sophomore campaign when Caroline and Mollie Carpenter (Catholic) patrolled the paint and did so again in a more featured role this winter.

“I think being able to create my own shot and off the ball movement,” Dotsey said of the elements of her game she showed off this winter. “People on my team were able to find me well, and we just moved well to create good shots.”

Dotsey is playing with the Philly Belles again this spring and summer, where she should play positions ‘3’ through ‘5’ at times and continue to be a featured piece. The goal will be to continue to create open shots for herself on the ball and working off it.

Her handle and off-ball movements are two areas of focus as she preps for the next level, where it looks like she may add another Division I player to the family.

Dotsey received an offer from Holy Cross on a visit in November. The Crusaders’ staff has continued to recruit her, showing up on Friday to watch Dotsey at the Nook.

“It’s so great that they’ve been so supportive and they've really seen a lot in me,” Dotsey said.

Dotsey said other programs in the America East and the Patriot League are also recruiting her as multiple coaches have expressed that her versatility would be a good fit.

“They like that I can guard outside and play guard and down low and just be able to make my own shot, figure it out and adjust,” Dotsey said.

Eberhart is headed to Millersville to play next season, so Dotsey will have even more on her plate as the go-to player for the Fords during her senior campaign in 2024-25. 

Haverford have a few other key returners back, including Megan Kelly and Natalie Wright, who are set to play for the Lady Runnin Rebels Red 17s, and Mya Foley, who is playing for the LGB Select 17U teams.

“I think we might have some of the same expectations,” Dotsey said. “People thought we were going to fall off last year losing a lot of our seniors and this year losing Aniya and Ashley (Wright), but I think we’ll still be able to pull together and use what we have to make another run.” — Owen McCue

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Ella Brown (2025 | Penn Fever 17U)

Ella Brown found herself thrust into a new role at Pennridge this year.

With Katie Yoder in college, Brown became the Rams’ focal point and it proved a valuable experience. The 5-foot-9 guard earned first team All-SOL Colonial division honors, but the Rams fell short of a return to the District 1 playoffs.

Fueled by those lessons, Brown is back at work with her Penn Fever squad this summer.

“I learned a lot,” Brown said. “You have to be able to create your shot at the next level. You’re not always going to have someone who’s going to be there to get you the ball in a catch-and-shoot, you have to get your shot.”

Brown, who upped her scoring average by about six points per game, credited Pennridge coach Jason Rapp for having confidence in her and letting her have the green light to keep going. Playing with Yoder, a 1,000-point scorer now at Goldey-Beacom, last season gave Brown some front-row lessons she ended up having to apply this season.

“I learned how to be a leader,” Brown said. “We struggled a little bit this year, so I learned to pick up my teammates and set an example for them.”

Brown’s Penn Fever team brings some solid players from District 1, District 3 and District 11 together. It’s her third year with the team and Brown said she likes the group’s energy and support for each other.

She’s got teammates that can set up her outside shooting, so Brown has been looking for opportunities to add more to her offense over the next few months.

As far as creating her own shot, Brown said it’s a blend of what she can do but also using her teammates, whether it’s a screen or moving off the ball to find openings.

“I’m trying to focus on getting to the basket and also using my left hand,” Brown said. “I’m also trying to keep evolving my three-point game and my midrange game.”

Brown hopes to play at the next level, she doesn’t have any offers at the moment but has heard from programs at the Division II and III level.

“It’s always been a goal to get to the next level,” Brown said. “I’m excited to just keep competing and hopefully getting the offer that I want.” — Andrew Robinson

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Janie Preston (2025 | Lady Runnin Rebels White HGSL 17U) 

Junior forward Janie Preston has helped elevate the Conestoga girls basketball program over the last three seasons — along with plenty of help from her teammates.

As a freshman, Preston and the Pioneers lost in the first round of the District 1 playoffs. Two years later, Conestoga went to its second straight Central League championship game, reached the District 1-6A semifinals for the first time in 45 years and won a state playoff game this past season.

“It was really exciting,” Preston said. “I’m excited for next year. I think it will be really fun to get back with the team.”

During the high school season, Preston, a 6-foot-1 forward, played with a strong senior class spearheaded by senior guard Marisa Francione (Scranton) along with talented sophomore Ryann Jennings, a Division I prospect.

Preston is gearing up for her senior season at Conestoga with another summer playing for the Rebels, who went 4-0 in Spooky Nook this past weekend. 

She’ll have plenty of talented teammates again this summer, but the most unique thing will be pairing with another talented post player. Preston will once again share the front court with Lansdale Catholic forward Grace McDonough, a 6-foot-2 All-Catholic League first teamer.

“It is pretty cool having that changeup since I don’t really have that with Conestoga,” Preston said. “… Definitely being able to work back and forth with her in the post. I can pass it in to her. She can pass it into me. I feel like it’s easier knowing the different posts like high-low, that kind of thing.”

“It is really cool. It’s something I’ll probably see in college,” she added.

Playing on the floor at times with McDonough this weekend gave Preston the chance to slide to the ‘4’. It was a good opportunity to show the improved range and driving ability she plans to continue working on throughout the summer.

“My speed getting to the basket, make some more drives,” Preston said of her focus this offseason. “Being able — since I have that ability to have Grace inside – to step back a little more and drive and shoot.”

Preston is eyeing a high-academic institution to continue her playing career at the next level. She’s talked with Cornell, American, Columbia and Lehigh, all programs that fit that profile at the D-I level. The Coast Guard Academy and Scranton are two of the D-III programs she mentioned.

Scranton is an intriguing option for Preston, who has 11 people in her family who attended the school, including one of her cousins who is currently on the Royals’ soccer team.

“(Coach Ben O’Brien) said they’ll love to have me,” Preston said. — Owen McCue

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Lily Brown (2027 | K-Low Elite Santora 16U)

Lily Brown often didn’t look like a freshman this winter.

Playing off the bench for a North Penn team that made the semifinals of the District 1 6A playoffs and quarterfinals of the PIAA 6A bracket, Brown was often a spark. The word Knights coach Bri Cullen often used was “fearless,” but for Brown, it was just rising to the competition.

After playing against mostly older players the last few months, Brown is looking to keep growing her game with K-Low Elite this spring and summer.

“It really benefitted me playing with older girls and now I’m back on my level, so experiencing those tougher teams is making me more aggressive,” Brown said on Saturday after a win over Penn Fever’s 16U side. “I’m looking to play faster but also smarter with the ball in general.”

Brown, who stands 5-foot-10, played for K-Low last year as well where she was mainly a guard and a wing. North Penn used her a little more as a post player but also didn’t keep her rooted on the block, instead letting the southpaw use her athleticism to attack the rim.

“I love playing basketball, it’s just what I do,” Brown said. “I love playing against the harder teams, I love playing against aggressive teams because I think it’s more fun and it brings out the best in me.”

Games against Haverford, both in the regular season and playoffs, and Perk Valley in districts showed that. Brown is very fluid slicing to the rim and she’s a good finisher although the lefty pointed out she’s working on getting stronger with her right hand and going right this summer.

The jump to high school brings plenty of challenges and adjustments and Brown agreed it was no different for her. The versatile freshman said for her, it was getting used to the set plays and offenses that North Penn used after coming in from a more read-and-react style with her travel team.

While Brown was one of the SOL’s best freshmen, North Penn will certainly be looking for a lot more next year and it’s a high chance she won’t be doing it off the bench either. The Knights graduate three key players in Caleigh Sperling, Liv Stone and Kelly Donnelly, who missed the postseason run with an injury, but they still have a solid core coming back.

“I think we definitely can come back and compete,” Brown said. “We have Cameron Crowley as our point guard and Leah Mikulski as a post, I think we can compete to try and go back to the semifinals.”  — Andrew Robinson

Quick Hits

— Zamiya Lowe (2027 | K-Low Elite-Tea 16U) had an eye opening experience making the jump from the middle school to the prep school level this fall. Though there were plenty of challenges that helped turn her into a better player, Lowe said one thing stood out the most…

“The practices,” Lowe said. “They were hard. We were running everyday.”

Lowe, a Trenton, N.J. native, embraced the challenges and carved out a role for herself. She was fourth on the team in scoring (6.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (7.0 rpg) as the Cougars finished 13-11 (5-3 Friends Schools League).

In her first year of varsity hoops, Lowe had someone she could look up to — literally and figuratively — all year long in senior 6-foot-5 center Gianna Johnson, a Delaware commit.

“She just taught me how to be a better player and a better person overall,” Lowe said.

Lowe and her teammates will prep for life without Johnson next year. Lowe, a 5-foot-9 wing/forward, expects she will play in the frontcourt at the ‘4’ and even an undersized ‘5’ as the Cougars will probably push the ball more next season.

She should get some preparation for that tempo this summer with a K-Low squad that has plenty of fast-paced guards under the guidance of George assistant Coach Tea. Lowe’s challenge to herself this summer is to make sure her defense is up to par.

“I want to get quicker on my feet,” Lowe said.

— Kylie Mulholland (2025 | Delco Goats 17U) is picking up some Division III interest after her second straight year as a starter for Garnet Valley, which has played late into the season each time with plans to do so again in 2024-25. The 5-5 lead guard, a speedy ball-handler with a strong outside shot, said she’s been talking to Ursinus, Misericordia and Catholic (D.C.), with plans to continue her playing career beyond high school. 

Before then, she’s enjoying her final season with the Goats, playing with a collection of Central League and District 1 talent for one last summer. 

“I just love the girls; a lot of us have been playing together since we were in sixth grade,” she said. “We love playing together, we love the coaches, it’s fun.”