Inside Lehigh Valley Girls Hoops Week 7

MONDAY 1/8

• The Vikettes entered their contest against William Allen in an even tougher spot than recent games. Not only was Molly Driscoll still out due to injury, Milly Wolf was also unavailable and Armani Brickhouse was not at 100% strength. Layla Sweatte and the Canaries took full advantage in the first quarter, flying out to an 18-8 lead. Sweatte scored nine and the team knocked down three shots from range. Central Catholic needed a spark in a bad way, and Brickhouse delivered, scoring eight in the second quarter and helping her team to cut the halftime deficit to just two points. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle to the finish. The Vikettes would earn 15 free throw attempts and sank five—just enough to squeak by Allen 48-46. Brickhouse and Sweatte both went for 22, leading their teams.
• Dieruff was coming off one of the largest upsets of the season in the valley, upending Nazareth on the road. However, Bethlehem Catholic was very prepared and shut down any Huskies’ thoughts of a repeat performance with a 60-24 victory. The Hawks held Briana McKelvey and Julia Santiago-Lopez scoreless, while keeping Jayla Rosario to just three points. For the Hawks, it was another balanced attack, as Akasha Santos, Leah Ault, and Cici Hernandez all notched 13 point efforts. Hernandez finished the game 32 points shy of 1,000 for her career.
• Last week, Layla Hernandez’s season came to an end due to injury. A tough season for East Stroudsburg South saw a bright spot, however, with a 42-31 victory over rival North, keeping the Timberwolves winless. Seniors Rylee Davis and Cynindia Gray scored ten and eight respectively. The two teams struggled at the charity stripe, combining to go 7/30. The Cavaliers, though, knocked down 20 field goals and held their steady lead for the whole game. Amber Beckworth led North with 11 points in the defeat.
• Easton coach David Lutz picked up his 200^th victory in style. His Red Rovers sank 14 3-pointers in a 56-18 rout of Nazareth, holding the Blue Eagles to just six made field goals. Mallory Elias was responsible for five of those 3-pointers and Evalyse Cole drained four. Both Sam Baker and Renee Wells were held to five points each as Easton continued to dominate their EPC opponents.
• Parkland stayed hot on the heels of Easton ahead of their meeting next Tuesday. The Lady Trojans doubled up Emmaus at halftime on their way to a 48-30 home victory. Madi Siggins sank nine field goals and tallied 21 points, now just 75 shy of joining teammate Talia Zurinskas in the 1,000 point club. Zurinskas and Delaney Chilcote scored 11 each. Freshman Kayla Snyder led Emmaus with 12.
• The Lady Raptors exploded for a 71-24 blowout victory over Chichester. Tiana Carey led all scorers with 24. The victory snapped a three game losing streak for Executive Education.
• Liberty opened the second half of its season with a long awaited return to EPC play and rivalry game against the Patriots. The Hurricane defeated Freedom 41-28 behind 15 from Ava Kopetskie and 7 each from Abby Thompson, Jordan Thompson, and Ruby Miller.
• Stroudsburg kept pace in the EPC North with a convincing 48-29 victory over Pleasant Valley. Despite going 11/21 from the free throw line and allowing six Bears’ triples, the Mounties controlled this game from start to finish, jumping out to a 23-5 halftime lead. Teagan Strunk led all scorers with 16, while her sister McKayla and Zoe Brown contributed 11 a piece.
• Pocono Mountain West hammered home its third consecutive victory by blowing by the rival Cardinals 59-23. Anai’sah Malone tallied 21 points, knocking down three treys along the way. Sehaila Jones and Alyssa Ford each added eight.   

WEDNESDAY 1/10

Liberty 36, Central Catholic 37

Injuries and illness remained the story prior to the Vikettes’ home non-conference game against Liberty. Without Molly Driscoll, the question remarks remained on who could score in bulk for Central Catholic and whether they could weather the best efforts of EPC foes while they were not at full strength. In response, all five starters scored in the first quarter, and by halftime, it was a 21-13 Vikettes advantage. However, Liberty turned up the intensity out of the locker room and stormed back into the game. With 5:17 left, the Hurricane took its first lead of the night and retook the lead with three minutes to go. Central Catholic turned the ball over 12 times in the second half and was in need of a player to take charge in the late going to avoid a home loss. Abbey Kofroth stepped up. She calmly stepped to the line in the fourth quarter and sank four free throws down the stretch to help hold the lead. Meanwhile, Ava Kopetskie had put the Hurricane on her back and scored nine in the fourth quarter. However, with 61 seconds left, she picked up her fifth foul and was forced to the bench for the final moments. Liberty would have two chances in the final seconds for the game winning shot, but it would not go. Second chances were at a premium for the Hurricane, as the Vikettes dominated the glass much of the night, pulling down 11 offensive boards.

This game was broadcast on the Eastern PA Sports Network and an archive of the game can be heard here.

Other notes from Wednesday

• Southern Lehigh defeated Saucon Valley 37-31. Tessa Seagreaves was held to just two points, but Allison Bodner broke out for 14 and Taylor McDonald tallied 13. Bodner sank four from beyond the arc and three of those came in the third quarter to help the Spartans pull away. The victory snapped a four game losing skid.
• Easton continued its string of strong showings on both ends of the court. A strong second half propelled the Red Rovers past the Trinity Shamrocks 51-29. Easton drew 19 free throw opportunities and made 15 of them, while Natalie Amato joined the usual stars in double figures. Amato, Mallory Elias, and Evalyse Cole all scored 10 and were paced by Kourin Carew’s 15. At halftime, Trinity trailed by just two, but a 19-5 third quarter put Easton ahead for good.
• The Blue Eagles took care of business and snapped a two game losing streak by defeating Pocono Mountain East 52-22. Sam Baker, Julia Novak, and Sophie Cole each notched a ten point effort. The Nazareth defense didn’t allow more than six Cardinals’ points in any quarter.

THURSDAY 1/11

• Bangor held Salisbury scoreless in the first quarter and amassed a 30-7 halftime lead. The Slaters would go on to win 47-21 behind 17 from Avery Nelson and 15 from Julia Pinter. Kendra Morgan scored 12 to lead Salisbury.
• Palmerton stayed unbeaten in the Colonial league by way of a 52-18 rout of Moravian. The Blue Bombers racked up six 3-pointers, two coming from Cate Morgan and two more from Hannah Barry. Sydney Frantz’s nine points complimented Barry’s 14.
• Aubrey Pollard nearly outscored Palisades on her own, dropping 27 points, pulling down 15 boards, and coming away with 7 steals. Northern Lehigh defeated Palisades 62-30, moving above .500 on the season for the first time and winning its fourth in a row. Katelyn Barthold added 14 and Danika Barthold had 11.
• Northwestern Lehigh zipped out to a 24-3 first quarter lead against Wilson and never looked back on their way to a 52-19 mercy rule win. Mallory Conner drained three shots from range, while Cara Thomas added 12 to lead all scorers.
• After being held to just 26 points by Gwynedd Mercy Academy, Notre Dame Green Pond exploded for 41 in the first half against Southern Lehigh and dominated the Spartans 60-27. Skyler Howlett was the only Crusader to hit double figures, with 12, because 11 different players scored on the night. Tessa Seagreaves led the Spartans in defeat with her 10 points.
• Ellie Wallbillich paced Pen Argyl with 25 in a 46-31 victory over Whitehall. Of those points, her second quarter left wing three put her in the 1,000 point club. She also went a perfect 8/8 from the charity stripe.  

FRIDAY 1/12

Easton 50, Bethlehem Catholic 62

“We’re ready,” were coach Alleyne’s words prior to taking the court with his Lady Hawks. The task: defeat an athletic, senior-laden Easton squad that hasn’t lost a regular season game in 60 outings. To this point, Easton’s average margin of victory was 35 points per game and nobody was coming close. As this game got underway, it was quickly apparent that there would be no blowout victory between these two evenly matched talents. The teams traded six 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, as Evalyse Cole got off to a hot start with eight points. Ella Bincarosky, Cici Hernandez, and Aliyah Brame countered, each with a triple, and after one quarter, Easton led 15-13. Then, coach Alleyne went to the bench, and Daviana Jones did not disappoint. By halftime, she had nine points and joined the long ball barrage with one of her own. The Hawks went on a 7-0 run late in the first half and took a 30-25 lead at the break. A Brame triple early in the third quarter helped stretch the lead back to seven, prompting an Easton full timeout. Out of that timeout, it took just over two minutes for Easton to cut the deficit to one. Megan and Mallory Elias each scored from range and it seemed the tide had turned. But Bethlehem Catholic would not be thwarted. Bincarosky sank a stepback three with 30 seconds left in the quarter, and the Hawks led 43-39 going into the final frame. Also in that third quarter, Akasha Santos, who had been playing suffocating defense on Evalyse Cole in the man-to-man, scored five points. Jones struck again from distance to open the fourth quarter and Santos dropped in a long two to push the lead back to eight. Hernandez hit from the deep corner with five minutes left, and the Hawks kept the pressure on, switching to a zone defense. A Santos runner extended the Hawks lead to 11, but Megan Elias hit from beyond the arc before Cole and Jones exchanged baskets. From there, Easton was forced to foul three times to put Beca on the line, but with just twelve seconds left, it was too late. The Hawks prevailed, upsetting the previously unbeaten Rovers.

“I was proud of their character and toughness. They supported each other and showed great toughness. The plan was don’t play by yourself; play together,“ said Coach Alleyne after the victory. On Daviana Jones: “She was phenomenal. She showed great discipline.”

Other notes from Friday:

• Pocono Mountain West picked up a key conference victory by defeating Central Catholic 52-49. Anai’sah Malone and Alyssa Ford each knocked down three treys in a game that went back and forth all night. Off the bench, Morgan Seagreaves led the Vikettes with 11. Central Catholic went 13/24 from the charity stripe. Malone scored nine of her 18 in the fourth quarter, helping secure the home victory.
• The Dieruff Huskies picked up a 53-51 victory over Freedom behind Anyiah Holders’ 16 and 15 from Jayla Rosario. The two combined to shoot 13/16 from the free throw line; by contrast, Freedom missed eight in the fourth quarter. Brianna McKelvey contributed seven points in the first half. The Patriots sank seven triples on the night and four of those game from senior Alexus McNeil.  
• Coming off a very physical effort and narrow loss against Central Catholic, it seemed the Liberty Hurricanes were finding their stride. Nazareth struck a blow against that idea with a solid 43-24 win. The Blue Eagles raced out to an 18-2 first quarter lead behind a balanced scoring effort. Renee Wells led all scorers with 11, while Sam Baker added eight and Alexa Davis contributed seven. Liberty was held to just eight field goals on the night and Ava Kopetskie was limited to 10 points.
• The Lady Trojans notched a mercy rule victory over Pleasant Valley 50-11. The Bears were held to just three field goals on the night, while Parkland scored 22 times from the field.  Madi Siggins led the Parkland effort with 19 and is 56 points from 1,000 on her career.
• William Allen dealt a blow to Stroudsburg via a nailbiting 45-43 victory. Layla Sweatte went off for 26 points, knocking down five 3-pointers and helped overcome a late comeback effort by the Mounties. McKayla Strunk sank three triples and scored 11 in the fourth quarter rally attempt. She finished the night with 19.

SATURDAY 1/13

• Notre Dame Green Pond faced off with Catasauqua, coming away with a 45-30 win. The Rough Riders drew an incredlbe 32 foul shot attempts and made 17 of them. Hailey Jenkins alone was 14/21 and finished with 20 points, but the Crusaders put together a 15-6 fourth quarter to slam the door. Olvia Schweitzer led her team with 11; Sarah Zambo scored 9 and Emily Lessig added 8. Notre Dame will next be in action when they take on the Blue Bombers in the battle of Colonial League unbeatens this Thursday night at home.
• Matching the Crusaders win for win are the Palmerton Blue Bombers, who cruised by Saucon Valley 55-23. Hannah Barry knocked down three triples and led all scorers, tallying 16. In what continues to be a very balanced offense, Sydney Frantz, McKayla Pengelly, and Megan Matsko added nine a piece. Palmerton appeared on this week’s SCBL High School Girls Hoops Podcast, which can be found here.
• Avery Nelson and Julia Pinter combined for 37 points in a 52-48 Bangor non-conference victory over Northampton. It was a 24-24 halftime deadlock before Nelson shot two 3-pointers in the third quarter and freshman Aubrie LaBar hit from downtown once. LaBar finished with nine points off the bench.
• Ellie Wallbillich followed up her 25 point performance against Whitehall with 21 in a 48-23 Pen Argyl drubbing of Southern Lehigh. Junior Julia Vargo and senior Macy Kotulka each added nine. Tessa Seagreaves again led the Spartans with eight.
• Thirteen was the lucky number for Governor Mifflin. The Mustangs banged home an outstanding 13 treys and held on for a 61-60 victory over Nazareth. Renee Wells exploded for 27, including five shots from beyond the arc of her own. The Blue Eagles entered the fourth quarter trailing by seven, but could not get over the hump in the final seconds. McDonalds’ All-American nominee Sam Baker scored 13 points on the afternoon.

NEXT WEEK’S BIG GAMES:

1/15: Freedom @ Northwestern Lehigh

1/16: Easton @ Parkland, 7:00

1/16: Bangor @ Northwestern Lehigh

1/18: Palmerton @ Notre Dame Green Pond

1/18: Catasauqua @ Pen Argyl

1/19: Parkland @ Central Catholic, 7:00

1/19: Pocono Mountain West @ Nazareth, 7:00

1/19: Emmaus @ Whitehall, 7:00

1/20: Emmaus @ Blue Mountain

1/20: Palmerton @ Catasauqua

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!

Follow @LSVSports and @EastPASportsNet on X/Twitter for the latest top 5 polls released every week!

EPC Top 5 (Week Ending 1/14):

1. Easton
2. Parkland
3. Bethlehem Catholic
4. Nazareth
5. Central Catholic

HM: Dieruff

Colonial Top 5 (Week Ending 1/14):

1. Notre Dame Green Pond
2. Palmerton
3. NW Lehigh
4. Bangor
5. Catasauqua

HM: Pen Argyl

EPC Standngs

East	Conference	Overall
Bethlehem Catholic	9-0	11-3
Easton	8-1	13-1
Nazareth	6-3	10-5
Liberty	6-3	7-7
Dieruff	4-5	8-5
Freedom	3-6	4-9
North
Pocono Mountain West	6-3	9-6
Stroudsburg	5-4	7-6
East Stroudsburg South	2-7	2-12
Pleasant Valley	2-9	2-12
Pocono Mountain East	0-8	1-12
East Stroudsburg North	0-9	0-13
West
Parkland	9-0	13-1
Allentown Central Catholic	8-3	10-5
Whitehall	5-4	6-8
Emmaus	4-4	5-7
William Allen	3-6	5-7
Northampton	2-7	3-11

Colonial Standings

East	Conference	Overall
Notre Dame Green Pond	10-0	12-2
Bangor	6-3	9-4
Pen Argyl	6-3	9-4
Moravian Academy	4-7	4-8
Palisades	3-6	3-7
Wilson Area	2-9	3-10
Saucon Valley	1-9	2-11
West
Palmerton	9-0	12-1
Northwestern Lehigh	7-2	11-2
Catasauqua	6-3	8-4
Northern Lehigh	5-4	8-6
Southern Lehigh	3-7	4-8
Salisbury	0-9	2-10

* – All standings current through 1/14/24