ILVGH: Week 1 Capsules

It’s a brand new year and new beginning for every team in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Let’s take a look at some early season performances through the first week of the year.

Friday 11/29:

• Tamaqua’s Millie Black(Fr) opened her season and career with a double-double, as the Blue Raiders beat East Stroudsburg South 46-5. Black put up 15 points and 11 rebounds, 8 of which were offensive boards. Lauren Ligenza added 12 points. Tamaqua built a 31-2 halftime lead on their way to the big victory.
• Renee Wells kicked off her senior season with a 17 point effort against Hazleton. However, those points accounted for over half of the team’s scoring in Nazareth’s 52-32 loss to District 2 foe Hazleton. The Cougars were led by Alexis Reimold and Sophia Shults, who both dropped in 11 points.
• Northwestern Lehigh returns a plethora of scoring threats, but a strong opening effort came up just short in a 63-58 loss to Eastern Lebanon County. Cara Thomas scored 12 of her team-high 18 in the second half, while newcomer Natalie Conner added 12. Brook Balliet, Emma Freeman and Olivia Reinhart combined for 13 points. Despite the game being close throughout, ELCO hit four of their seven triples in the fourth quarter and hit seven of their last eight free throws to solidify the victory.
• Despite a 51-25 loss to Valley View, Pocono Mountain West fans were able to get a first look at new talent Michaela Smith, who amassed ten points, all in the fourth quarter, to lead her team in scoring. The young Panthers will look to improve on their free-throw shooting(7/19) and to get their three-point game going.
• The Lake Region Tip Off Tournament began with a solid showing from Stroudsburg, as they defeated Carbondale 56-27. McKayla Strunk picked up right where she left off, leading all scorers with 23 points and three treys. Teegan Strunk contributed ten. New face to the team, Jorai Hunter, scored nine points. In a point of emphasis for head coach Matt Field, the Mounties played aggressive defense, holding Carbondale to ten points in the first half.
• In the other semifinal of their tournament, Wallenpaupack defeated East Stroudsburg North 50-24. Amber Beckworth led the Timberwolves with eight points, but a 23-10 halftime deficit could not be overcome. Ella Smith proved to be a force to be reckoned with, banging home 22 points on nine made field goals. She would end up being named tournament MVP.

Saturday 11/30:

• Sophomore Callie Peel scored seven of her eight points in the first half, as Blue Mountain took a 21-17 lead on Conrad-Weiser. That lead evaporated when Conrad-Weiser held the Eagles to one field goal and seven points in the second half on their way to a 39-28 victory. Returning Eagles’ starter Makayla Keck scored her four points in the first quarter.
• In the Hamburg Tipoff tournament consolation game, Northwestern Lehigh quickly shook off their opening round loss by defeating the host Hawks 56-15. Natalie Conner led all scorers with 18 points, while Cara Thomas added 14. The Tigers scored an impressive 23 first quarter points to provide early separation and pull away quickly with the victory.
• Emmaus survived quite a performance from Wilson West Lawn’s Kailani Hardy and secured a 55-48 victory on the road. Hardy led all scorers with 25 points, including going 9/12 at the charity stripe. However, Kayla Snyder(19 points) and Gabby DeVita(14 points) were undeterred in spurring the Green Hornets on to victory. Seniors Sylvia Sokolofski and Casse Doemling each added six points.
• Wilson Area welcomed Jim Thorpe to the Colonial League with a strong 61-19 defeat. The Warriors boast a talented freshman sister act in Juliana and Tessa Bonham. Juliana scored 14 and Tessa added 10. adding to returning starter Aby Colon’s 11 points in the dominant win.
• Despite draining 11 triples, the Liberty Hurricanes fell 75-53 to Scranton Prep. Liberty trailed 30-25 at the half before Maya Jenkins and Bella Dennebaum exploded for the Classics. Dennebaum scored a game high 24 points and Jenkins added 17. Ava Kopetskie led Liberty with 19 points.
• After making districts for the first time in 23 years, head coach Cathy Piston’s Dieruff Huskies got going with a 47-13 drubbing of Pottstown. Dieruff built a 35-4 halftime lead on Jayla Rosario’s 12 points and seven more from a new face in Justyce McChristian. Aniya Holder contributed 8.
• Nazareth got back on track, defeating Lake-Lehman 37-29. Peyton Long joined Renee Wells in scoring nine points a piece. Wells’ points all came by way of the long ball. Ashley Purdy scored 14 of Lake-Lehman’s points.
• A scoreless second quarter doomed Notre Dame Green Pond in their Jeff Dailey Tournament showdown with Berks Catholic. The Saints went on to win 40-29 after building a 17-7 halftime lead. Ava Shonk finished strong, scoring 7 in the fourth quarter, while Emily Lessig netted eight of her ten points in the final stanza. Madison Langdon led Berks Catholic with 18 points. The Saints attempted 25 free throws, nearly double the 13 attempted by the Crusaders.
• East Stroudsburg North fell to Carbondale in the consolation game of the Lake Region Tipoff tournament by a final count of 35-23. Amber Beckworth led the Timberwolves with 12 points. The offense finally came to life in the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points, which was more than their first seven quarters combined(13).
• Wallenpaupack clinched the tournament, beating Stroudsburg 44-38. Tournament MVP Ella Smith racked up 36 points, nine boards and five steals. Teagan and McKayla Strunk both made the all-tournament team; Teagan scored 18 and McKayla added 13 and the two combined for nine steals in the title tilt. The Mounties led 33-31 entering the final quarter, but were outscored 13-5 in the ofurth despite Wallenpaupack going 6/15 from the free throw line.
• Sans Cici Hernandez, Bethlehem Catholic encountered a stiff defeat at the hands of Friends Central in Philadelphia. Daviana Jones led all Hawks with 13 points. Friends Central poured in 29 field goals.

Monday 12/2:

• Olive Whitney shined in a 12 point effort for Emmaus, helping the Hornets defeat rivals Allentown Central Catholic 51-36. Whitney’s four treys, combined with 13 points from Cassie Doemling and 12 from Kayla Snyder, showed solid balance in the second game for the early road warriors. The Hornets also improved on their free throw shooting, going 12/15.
• Ava Kopetskie went off for a career high 27 points in Liberty’s 41-38 victory over Bethlehem Catholic. Ten of those points came in a 13 point fourth quarter, as the Hawks came roaring back. Aliyah Brame scored nine of her 13 points in the final quarter.
• Blue Mountain held Southern Lehigh to single digits in three of four quarters, as part of a 56-22 rout of the Spartans. Head coach Rose Carper got some early success from Mila Fleagle(15 points), Ruby Henninger(14 points), and Cameryn Campbell(12 points), as the offense recovered from the weekend defeat at the hands of Conrad Weiser. Henninger sank four triples and Fleagle added tow of her own. The Eagles did show some weakness at the free throw line, shooting 35%, but the mercy rule victory looks to propel the team forward.
• No Evalyse Cole? No problem. In their first game of the season, the Easton Red Rovers rolled over Northampton 61-25. Returning stars Kourin Carew and Nat Amato combined for 33 points, and Lianna Cole made the most of her increased role, scoring 16. The Rovers hit seven shots from range, four coming from Amato. Anne Beenders led Northampton with seven points and the Konkrete Kids were held without a three-point shot on the night.
• Nazareth improved their record to 2-1 on the young season, dismantling Freedom 62-16. Over the middle two periods, the Blue Eagles outscored the Patriots 38-3, flexing their muscle in a big way. Renee Wells popped off for 19 points and Alexa Davis added 18. Karly Leszcynski also finished in double figures with ten points and went 4/4 from the charity stripe.
• Dieruff upped their record to 2-0, defeating Whitehall 48-35. The Zephyrs entered the game at 1-1, splitting two games at Holy Redeemer’s tournament up in District 2. Aniya Holder led all scorers with 16 points, hitting eight shots from the field. The rest of the attack was extremely balanced, as Jayla Rosario, Justyce McChristian, and Marisa Price each contributed 8. Destiny Rosa, another new name to the Huskies roster, hit a three ball in the fourth quarter and ended her night with five points.
• Thirteen different players made their way into the scoring column for Parkland as part of a 64-21 rout of William Allen. The Trojans took an 18-3 first quarter lead and never looked back, as Addison Fritzinger hit two early triples on her way to a nine point night. Parkland was led in scoring by 13 from Aneri McGalla and Delaney Chilcote added seven. The Canaries were led by Kaley Martin(9 points), but only saw three other players score.

Tuesday, 12/3:

• East Stroudsburg North got off the schneid, courtesy of a 45-28 win over Pleasant Valley. Sophomore Ayla Hashway broke out with a 15 point second half, totaling 16 on the evening. That second half performance helped the Timberwolves pull away, after leading by just three at halftime.
• Pocono Mountain West picked up its first victory of the new season, 48-30 over East Stroudsburg South. The Panthers were propelled by six different players scoring in the first quarter, establishing a 20-2 lead. Ashley Hunter-Ali scored six of her game-leading 14 in the first quarter. The win came without a made three-point shot and despite going 13/35(37%) at the charity stripe.
• Stroudsburg opened EPC league play with a 68-49 victory over Pocono Mountain East on Tuesday night.  Emily Bozena scored a career high 27 points for Stroudsburg in the win. Mckayla Strunk and Teagan Strunk added 19 and 14 a piece. Stroudsburg is now 2-1 on the season and 1-0 in the EPC.
• Bangor, riddled with injuries last season, got a leg up in a season-opening 60-52 win over Catasauqua. Avery Nelson did Avery Nelson things, scoring 24, including a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Six of those helped close out the win in the fourth quarter. Grace Hartzell also scored six down the stretch in the final stanza, helping secure the victory. Catasauqua was not without fireworks in this game, as Hailey Jenkins dropped a career high 28 points. She was one of just three Rough Riders to score in the contest, putting up 11 of her team’s 12 points in the fourth.
• Palmerton opened their year with a 51-18 victory over Colonial League newcomer Lehighton. Courtney Connell led all scorers with 14 points, while Hailey Barry(Jr), sister of now graduated Hannah Barry, sank four treys. Mikayla Pengelly added 11. The Blue Bombers held Lehighton scoreless in the fourth quarter and drained nine deep shots on the night.
• Northwestern Lehigh moved to 2-1 with a 64-59 win over rival Northern Lehigh. Cara Thomas went off for 25 points, with 20 of those coming in the second half. The Bulldogs came up short in a game where Katelyn Barthold filled up the bucket for 23 points. Sophia Florito drained four triples on her way to a 16 point effort and Dekota Barthold had 12. Northern Lehigh sank nine 3-pointers in defeat.
• Pen Argyl got its season underway with a 47-18 win over Salisbury. Julia Vargo notched a new career-high 24 points, banging home 11 2-point field goals and a pair of free throws. Salisbury was held scoreless in the second quarter, as the Green Knights amassed a 25-9 halftime lead. Kendra Morgan led Salisbury with 8 points.
  

Wednesday, 12/4:

• Tamaqua cruised by Catasauqua 57-34 on Wednesday night. Interestingly, the Raiders did it without making a single 3-pointer. Lauren Ligenza popped for 23 points, hitting nine field goals. The victory moves Tamaqua to 2-0.
• Ten players made the points column and nine treys were knocked down as Notre Dame Green Pond bested Jim Thorpe 72-10. Ava Shonk scored ten in the first quarter and 16 overall to lead all scorers. The Crusaders came out running, putting up 31 points in the first quarter.

Thursday, 12/5:

• Lehigh Valley Academy Charter gets a little love this week, as they got by Salisbury 49-38. Aandy Little and Jayleigh Morales-Gillmeyer each secured 14 point nights, while Yauaira Prestol was close behind with 13. Despite being outscored 12-4 in the second quarter, LVA led by two at the half. They pulled away over the third quarter, extending the lead to eight points before winning by 11. Neither team shot particularly well at the charity stripe, with Salisbury going 8/20 and LVA 9/21, but both teams nailed six shots from range.
• Easton continued its earliest dominance, downing Central Catholic 46-25. Despite the best efforts of Milly Wolf, with her 16 point night, the young VIkings squad was outdone 22-10 in the second half. The Rovers were led by Kourin Carew’s 10 points, followed closely by Nat Amato with eight.
• Aliyah Brame highlighted Bethlehem Catholic’s 86 point effort against William Allen in an 86-25 victory. Brame led all scorers with 15 points, hitting on three of her team’s 11 triples. Four more Golden Hawks hit double figures, including Mekhyla Britt, Daviana Jones, Kendall Nickischer, and Palin Coleman.
• Sophomore Jodi Bowen had a coming out party for Pocono Mountain West, scoring 18 points in the Panthers 48-21 victory over East Stroudsburg North. The Panthers cruised out to a 15-3 first quarter lead and never looked back, pushing their early record to 2-1.
• Emily Bozena scored a game high 14 points and McKayla Strunk added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists as Stroudsburg defeated East Stroudsburg South 53-21 in EPC Mountain division action on Thursday night. Marinellys Marte led South with 7 points and 7 rebounds. Stroudsburg is now 3-1 and East Stroudsburg South is 0-3. 
• First year head coach Avon Mack is having early success with his Emmaus Green Hornets. They defeated Nazareth 56-50, moving to 3-0 on the season. The Hornets knocked down seven triples, including two by 3-point specialist Olive Whitney. Kayla Snyder led Emmaus scorers with 14, followed closely by Gabby DeVita with 13. Nazareth led 31-24 at halftime, but Emmaus staged a 15-8 fourth quarter to secure the win. Renee Wells was not held in check by any stretch, dropping in 25 points and leading all scorers.
• Parkland moved to 2-0, courtesy of a 56-18 win over Freedom. The Trojans made 23 field goals on the night, with Aneri McGalla and Delaney Chilcote combining to score 23 points. The second half was a sheer display of dominance, with Parkland outscoring the Patriots 28-4.
• Freshman standout Kendall Medina had her game on display, scoring 20 points in Liberty’s 48-20 no-doubter against Whitehall. Medina drained 11 of her team’s 13 first quarter points, building the quick lead. Anijah Davis added ten points for the Hurricanes.
• The Dieruff Huskies moved to 3-0 on a 42-28 victory over Northampton. Justyce McChristian again played a key role, scoring nine of her team-leading 14 points in the first quarter, helping set up a 14-5 early lead. Aniya Holder was also in double figures, scoring seven of her 11 in the second half.
• Despite three players hitting double figures, Marian Catholic fell to Lake-Lehman 54-48. Lehman busted the game open on a 23 point third quarter. In defeat, Olivia Serfass scored 11, Addy Fritz had 12, and Deanna Pugh added 11.
• The Cardinals of Pocono Mountain East took it to Pleasant Valley 58-25. Only five Cardinals scored, but three of them were in double figures. Farrah Shaheen and Zanaiya Days each came away with 16 points, combining for four three-balls and making 12 field goals combined. Kallie Insinga added 11.
  

Friday, 12/6:

• The Slaters made it 2-0 on a 42-12 victory over Saucon Valley. Avery Nelson netted 19 points. Deleah Klingle, a new face to Bangor, dropped in nine, tying Kaylynn Figurski’s output. Bangor pitched a 7-0 fourth quarter to close out the win.
• Blue Mountain squeaked by Pottsville in a 38-37 back-and-forth affair. Blue Mountain took a 17-7 first quarter lead on five triples–two each by Ruby Henninger and Makayla Keck. Pottsville slammed the door on that with a 14-2 second quarter. The Eagles won the third 13-3 and Pottsville came up just short in a 13-6 fourth quarter, despite an eight point effort by Jo Barnhart.
• Hailey Jenkins reached the 24 point mark for the fifth time in her high school career, as Catasauqua cruised by Southern Lehigh 55-30. Two freshmen also got in the mix for the Rough Riders in Shakala Roberts and Sarina Sankari, scoring 8 and 11 respectively. The Spartans were led with 13 points from Eliana Marques.
• The Hazleton Cougars, a powerhouse of District 2, took Emmaus to task in an 82-44 decision. Hazleton’s Kaitlyn Bindas and Sophia Benyo both went for 22. The Cougars made 29 of their field goals and shot 22/27 from the line. The Hornets hung tough through the first half, trailing 40-30, but Hazleton cranked it up with a 25-9 third quarter to pull away for good. Gabby DeVita ended the night with 16 points to lead her team.
• Notre Dame Green Pond completed its first meetings against the Colonial League’s two new teams, blasting Lehighton 53-9. The Crusaders closed out a 24-0 first quarter and nine different players made the score sheet, with Addison Ryan being the only to reach double figures with 11.
• The WIlson Bulldogs improved to 3-0 in the John Donmoyer tournament, besting Moravian Academy 55-21. Juliana Bonham set a new high watermark for herself with 22 points and Tessa Fredericks added 10. Luna Lopez led Moravian with 11 points.
• Courtney Connell led the Blue Bombers with 12 points in Palmerton’s 45-31 win over Northern Lehigh. Palmerton moves to 2-0 on the year and in their new 4A classification.
• Pen Argyl stayed unbeaten behind the efforts of Julia Vargo and Ashlyn Oessenick, who combined for 26 of 48 points in the Green Knights 48-17 downing of Notre Dame East Stroudsburg at the John Donmoyer tournament. Defensively, NDES was held to six points at the half as Pen Argyl improved to 2-0.
• Wallenpaupack improved to 3-0 over EPC competiton, defeating Pocono Mountain West 50-28. The Panthers were held to four in the first quarter and a ten point deficit quickly snowballed from there. PM West was led by Emma Campusano with 10 points.
• A strong fourth quarter lifted Schuylkill Haven past Tamaqua 40-30. It was 24-22 Haven after three, before a 16-8 quarter closed out the win. Audrey Hutchinson led the Hurricane with 10 points. Haven moves to 2-0.

Saturday, 12/7:

• Dieruff moved to 4-0, beating rivals Allen in their first meeting of the year 52-22. The Huskies balanced production continued between Jayla Rosario(13), Aniya Holder(10), and Justyce McChristian(8). The Huskies are 4-0 and will attempt to beat Central Catholic for the first time in Cathy Pistons’ 24 years as head coach when the two teams clash on Tuesday night.
• Julia Vargo matched the career high total of 24 she set earlier in the week, helping Pen Argyl shut down Moravian 53-26. Luna Lopez continued to shine in her Moravian career, netting 18 points on six field goals and going 4/6 on her free throws.
• Tamaqua rebounded from their first loss of the year by beating up on Pleasant Valley 57-6. Lauren Ligenza logged a 20 point day and the Bears were held scoreless for three quarters.

Sunday 12/8:

• Bethlehem Catholic evened its record at 2-2, defeating Eastern New York Family Academy Charter 69-37. Aliyah Brame totaled 18 points on the afternoon and ten other Hawks scored. Palin Coleman had another great performance, adding 11 points. After the slow start in their first two games, Beca has scored 155 points in their last two.