TUESDAY 12/26
- Liberty got right back to work after Christmas, taking the trip up to Abington Heights. The Comets beat the Hurricanes 47-30 behind a 24-11 second half. In the loss, Iysis Nickens led Liberty with 10 points. Abington Heights shot 12/14 from the charity stripe and Maggie Coleman led all scorers with 13.
WEDNESDAY 12/27
Lake-Lehman 35, Notre Dame Green Pond 46
The Allentown Central Catholic Christmas tournament got underway Wednesday afternoon, with the Crusaders putting their unbeaten season on the line against the Black Knights. Green Pond shook off the holiday break rust quickly, getting out to a 26-10 halftime lead. Olivia Schweitzer sunk three treys in the half, finishing the game with a team high 14 points. Ella Wilson came on strong in the second half for the Knights, dropping in 15 in the half and 23 for the game. However, her supporting cast was unable to chip in enough help to pull Lake-Lehman closer; other starters accounted for just three field goals combined. Balanced scoring was a theme for the Crusaders, with Carly Campbell and Ava Shonk each scoring nine.
This game was broadcast on the Eastern PA Sports Network and the archive can be found here.
Other notes from Wednesday:
- The Pocono Mountain West Panthers opened their holiday tournament with a 53-44 win over Palmerton. Anai’sah Malone finished strong, scoring 13 of her 23 in the fourth quarter to help ensure victory. Alyssa Ford provided a strong first half, scoring 13 of her 17. Sehaila Jones scored eight in the first quarter and 11 on the night. As they have done most of the year, Sydney Frantz and Hannah Barry carried the Blue Bombers, scoring 15 and 14 respectively in defeat.
- Nazareth notched its seventh victory of the season with a 51-20 mercy rule victory over Northampton. The Blue Eagles rained seven 3-pointers on the Konkrete Kids, as Samantha Baker and Renee Wells each sunk a pair. Wells led all scorers with 14 and Baker added 10. Northampton was held scoreless in the second quarter and to three points in the fourth quarter.
- Emmaus gave Easton everything the Rovers could handle and more. The Hornets got out to a 19-13 halftime lead at the Easton Rotary tournament before succumbing to an Easton second half rally that would see them win 44-31. Evalyse Cole nailed eight field goals and led all scorers with 17. Kayla Snyder hit from range three times and she and Gabby DeVita both had nine for Emmaus. Emmaus only had two free throw attempts on the evening, while the Red Rovers drew 12 opportunities. Read more about this game at EmmausSports.com
- Central Catholic opened up its Christmas tournament by cruising past East Stroudsburg South 54-14. The Vikettes built up a 30-2 halftime lead behind another big effort by Molly Driscoll, who scored 12 of her 18 in the first two quarters. Nine Central Catholic players scored and the defense held the Cavaliers to just six made field goals.
- Talia Zurinskas joined the 1,000 point club, as she and her Trojan teammates beat a very game Blue Mountain squad 51-35. Zurinskas scored nine of her 21 in a 17-6 first quarter that allowed Parkland to maintain a comfortable lead for the remainder of the game. Delaney Chilcote remained a consistent threat, adding 13 points. Kylie Conway had a strong first half for Blue Mountain with nine, but was held to four in the second half.
- Executive Education saw an 18-8 first quarter lead evaporate in their opener against JP McCaskey at the Reading holiday tournament. Behind a 20 point effort from Mariah Ruth and an 18-4 second quarter, the Red Tornado pulled out the 51-47 victory over the Raptors.
THURSDAY 12/28
- The Blue Bombers won a defensive battle against EPC opponent Northampton, 35-30 in the PM West Holiday tournament consolation game. Balanced scoring was key, as seven players scored for Palmerton and overcame the five 3-pointers made by the Konkrete Kids. Hannah Barry led all scorers with 13 and Ella Baumgardt scored seven. Anne Beenders led Northampton with 10, but the team was outscored 26-16 in the second half, making just four shots from the field.
- Easton won its tournament with another mercy rule victory, this time over rival Phillipsburg. A 33-14 dominant first half turned into a 63-31 win for the Red Rovers. Evalyse Cole led all scorers with 15, while Megan Elias hit from long range three times for her nine points and both Nat Amato and Mallory Elias dropped in eight, including two 3-pointers each.
- Second halves have been a concern for Emmaus, as they’ve seen several leads and close games get away from them. Thursday, however, they slammed the door on Freedom behind a 14-0 fourth quarter effort. Kayla Snyder and Cassie Doemling both had 16, helping Emmaus to a 47-27 win in the consolation game of the Easton Rotary tournament. For a full writeup on this game, visit EmmausSports.com
- The Vikettes closed out their Christmas tournament with a 52-32 victory over previously unbeaten Notre Dame Green Pond. Central Catholic led from start to finish behind another strong performance by Molly Driscoll. She led all scorers with 16 and both Sammy Roth and Abbey Kofroth contributed nine. Skyler Howlett led all Crusaders with eight.
- In the consolation game of the ACC tournament, Lake-Lehman blew by East Stroudsburg South 56-31. Ella Wilson and Brenna Hunt combined for 40, while the Cavaliers were led by Cynindia Gray’s 12.
- Parkland won the Eastern Lebanon County tournament, defeating the host Raiders 60-35. The Trojans retained their perfect record behind 23 from Madi Siggins and 17 from Talia Zurinskas. Parkland made 25 shots from the field and held ELCO to single digits in three quarters.
- Nazareth won the PM West holiday tournament, surviving a barrage of nine 3-pointers from the Panthers. The Blue Eagles earned 29 trips to the charity stripe and sank 20 of their free throws to counteract the 21 point effort of Alyssa Ford. Anai’sah Malone was held to just 10 on the night. Nazareth had four players reach double figures: Renee Wells(14), Julia Novak(12), Sam Baker(10), and Sophie Cole(10).
- Executive Education fell to the host team in the consolation game of the Reading holiday tournament. Reading took an 11-2 first quarter lead and never looked back en rout to a 51-27 victory. Tiana Carey led the Raptors with 13
- Northern Lehigh, after defeating Pleasant Valley in the opener, went up against host team Lehighton in their holiday tournament. It was a back and forth affair, but a strong fourth quarter saw Lehighton pull out the 52-46 victory. Katelyn Barthold led Northern Lehigh with 14 and Aubrey Pollard scored 12.
FRIDAY 12/29
Dieruff 64, Southern Lehigh 34
The Huskies and Spartans started slow. At the midpoint of the first quarter, it was 6-4 Dieruff, before Jayla Rosario nailed a wing 3-pointer and an inbounds pass was stolen away and a jumper from the free throw line was good for Marisa Price. Those 15 seconds set a tone. Price would lay it in twice in the waning moments of the quarter as the Huskies pulled out to a 15-7 lead and extended it to 33-19 at the half. The Dieruff defense swarmed; Southern Lehigh ended the night with 23 turnovers and was severely outdone on the glass in the first three quarters. The one-two punch of Rosario and Price worked all afternoon, with Rosario sinking four 3-pointers and Price notching 10 2-point field goals. Rosario ended the game with 19 and Price led all scorers with 22. Tessa Seagreaves led the Spartans with 14 in the loss.
SATURDAY 12/30
Central Catholic 41, Marian Catholic 54
Almost always, a game story begins with who was on the court. This one begins with who was not: Molly Driscoll, who was injured during pregame warmups. After missing four games earlier in the season, this would have been her fifth game back and she was shooting lights out to this point. However, without her leadership and 19 points per game, the Vikettes fell short on the road at Marian Catholic. The Fillies would win by double digits despite turning the ball over 23 times on the afternoon. Central Catholic shot just 30% from the field as they searched for offense. Armani Brickhouse led the way with 13 for the Vikettes and Sammy Roth contributed 10, but it would not be enough to overcome Carly Minchhoff’s 22 along with 10 from Aliyah Tikhtova. Tikhtova shot 8/10 from the free throw line to help the Fillies pull away in the second half. Most of the game, the 3-pointer was not Marian’s friend, but four of them fell in the final stanza in a culmination of revenge for last year’s 25 point Central Catholic win.
This game was broadcast on the Eastern PA Sports Network and the archive can be found here.
NEXT WEEK’S BIG GAMES:
1/3: Stroudsburg @ Emmaus, 7:00
1/3: Wilson(West Lawn) @ Parkland, 7:00
1/4: Liberty @ Gwynedd Mercy Academy, 7:00
1/4: Palisades @ Pen Argyl, 6:45
1/5: Bethlehem Catholic @ Lancaster Catholic, 7:30
1/5: Catasauqua @ Palisades, 6:45
1/5: NW Lehigh @ Pen Argyl, 6:45
1/6: William Allen @ Dieruff, 1:00
1/6; Notre Dame Green Pond @ Gwynedd Mercy Academy, 1:30
1/6: Easton @ Trinity, 3:30
1/7: Bethlehem Catholic v West Catholic, Blue Star Invitational
Catch the weekly SCBL HS Hoops Podcast every week on EasternPASportsNetwork.com, featuring Ed Jennings and Scott Johnston on a boys edition, as well as Cody Brady and Scott on a girls edition. Each week, they review the best games, look forward to the week ahead, break down top teams and players, and name a player of the week!
EPC Standngs
| East | Conference | Overall |
| Easton | 6-0 | 10-0 |
| Bethlehem Catholic | 6-0 | 7-2 |
| Nazareth | 5-1 | 8-2 |
| Liberty | 5-1 | 6-3 |
| Freedom | 3-3 | 4-6 |
| Dieruff | 2-4 | 5-4 |
| North | ||
| Stroudsburg | 4-2 | 6-4 |
| Pocono Mountain West | 2-3 | 5-6 |
| Pleasant Valley | 2-4 | 2-9 |
| East Stroudsburg South | 1-4 | 1-8 |
| Pocono Mountain East | 0-6 | 1-9 |
| East Stroudsburg North | 0-6 | 0-10 |
| West | ||
| Parkland | 6-0 | 10-0 |
| Allentown Central Catholic | 4-2 | 7-4 |
| Emmaus | 3-3 | 4-6 |
| Whitehall | 2-4 | 3-6 |
| William Allen | 1-5 | 3-5 |
| Northampton | 1-5 | 2-8 |
Colonial Standings
| East | Conference | Overall |
| Notre Dame Green Pond | 6-0 | 8-1 |
| Bangor | 4-2 | 6-3 |
| Palisades | 3-2 | 3-3 |
| Pen Argyl | 3-3 | 5-4 |
| Moravian Academy | 3-4 | 3-5 |
| Saucon Valley | 1-5 | 2-7 |
| Wilson Area | 1-6 | 2-7 |
| West | ||
| Palmerton | 6-0 | 9-1 |
| Northwestern Lehigh | 4-1 | 8-1 |
| Catasauqua | 3-2 | 5-3 |
| Southern Lehigh | 2-3 | 3-4 |
| Northern Lehigh | 1-4 | 3-6 |
| Salisbury | 0-5 | 2-6 |
* – All standings current through 12/30/23
LSV Sports 
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