ILVGH Week 2

Monday, 12/9:

Northwestern Lehigh 66, Bangor 24

Northwestern Lehigh has accomplished quite a bit coming into the winter sports season. By now, everyone knows the 72-0 record that boys soccer, girls soccer, and most recently, football has amassed, winning three state titles. Girls basketball, if it continues to play as it did Monday night, stands to do some great things this season, as well.

The early press was the big story of the night. The Slaters were forced into multiple backcourt passes and eight possessions in the first four minutes ended in turnovers. After 13 total first quarter turnovers, Bangor found itself in a 25-7 deficit. The Tigers knocked down nine field goals in total, as Cara Thomas hit twice from range and totaled 11 points in the quarter.

The second quarter featured more of the same. Northwestern Lehigh threw down 18 more points, led by seven from Natalie Conner. and a timely triple from Emma Freeman. Bangor turned it over six more times and only hit twice from the field. Avery Nelson, who had gone for 29 Saturday against Northampton, was held to eight points at half. The Tigers shot 50% in the first half, whereas the Slaters were held to 26%.

The mercy rule kicked in for the second half, as Cara Thomas went on to finish with a 20 point effort. Natalie Conner ended the evening with 19 points.

“Bangor is definitely a good team in the league. We knew they were going to fight hard. We just came out with our 1-2-2 press and that started out the game strong,” Thomas said.

When asked about how the Tigers were able to bottle up Avery Nelson for most of the game, she added, “She’s a really good player, she’s going to score. But we knew if we played her hard and tried to contest her shots as much as possible, we’d have a chance at trying to contain her.”

On the culture at Northwestern Lehigh, following boys and girls soccer and football state championships: “It’s so amazing. To win three state championships in one year as a school, especially such a small school like we are. I have so many friends on all those teams. I think for us, [we just want to] continue this momentum. It’s kind of see where we can go. Do well in the league. Do well in districts and see where we can go.”

Other notes from Monday:

• Pen Argyl took it to Jim Thorpe with a 54-29 win. Julia Vargo was good for 21 points, while newcomer Bella Whitman broke into double figures with 14. A 22 point first quarter lifted the Green Knights to an early 17point lead Through four games, this was the closest margin of victory for the Green Knights, who are now 4-0 and atop the 3A field.
• The Blue Bombers took care of business, tuning up for a tilt at Bangor later this week by defeating Moravian Academy 55-8. Palmerton sank 25 field goals on the evening, as Courtney Connell led all scorers with 14. Mikayla Pengelly had nine points and seven of those came in the first half. Moravian standout Luna Lopez was limited to one point in defeat.
• The Crusaders offense keeps scoring. This time, NDGP beat Northern Lehigh 50-32. Ava Shonk’s two treys and six points from Addison Ryan spurred on a 17-2 first quarter to put space between the teams. Shonk would go on to finish with 17 points and Emily Lessig finished with 11. Notre Dame moved to 3-1 on the year.
• First year head coach Jason Laky picked up his first victory on Monday night. Salisbury squeaked out a 35-32 victory over Palisades behind 16 from Sophia Gunning and 7 from Kendra Morgan. Despite an 18-4 free throw attempt disparity, Salisbury made 14 field goals and benefited from Gunning’s two triples.
• Coach Sydney Slone and her Southern Lehigh Spartans got their first win of the season, defeating Saucon Valley 49-22. Eliana Marques racked up 14 points in the effort. Two more Spartans hit double figures, in Lydia Bartlett(12) and Samantha Fontanez(10).
• After taking an 8-7 first quarter lead at Cardinal O’Hara, Liberty ended up falling 41-20. Kendall Medina led the Hurricanes with 11 points. Liberty was without the services of Ava Kopetskie for the game. Cardinal O’Hara sank five triples on the night and improved to 2-0.

Tuesday, 12/10

Central Catholic 49, Dieruff 37

There are two teams remaining that head coach Cathy Piston has never beaten. She crossed Nazareth off of her list last year, when the Huskies upset the Blue Eagles. With a young Central Catholic team coming into the Dog Pound at 0-2, there were high hopes and full bleachers anticipating a great game and maybe some more history. It would be Kathy Davidowich’s squad coming away with the victory in the first meeting of the season.

Central Catholic appeared to pull away early, taking an 18-9 lead after a quarter. An early 6-2 lead rapidly expanded on the 12-point effort from Annika Spinosa. Morgan Seagreaves added the other six points of the quarter. In the second quarter, Jayla Rosario took over for the Huskies, scoring 10 of the team’s 16. By halftime, the teams were tied at 25.

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In the second half, the Vikettes took over, outscoring the Huskies 21-4 in the third quarter. Spinosa hit two triples as part of an 8 poitn quarter and 20 point night. While Dieruff did have many open shots and wasn’t turning the ball over, the lid slammed shut on the basket. Absolutely nothing was falling for the Huskies. Jayla Rosario was held to two points in the second half. Spinosa and Shamiya Roberts put the finishing touches on a 21-4 third quarter run, ballooning the VIkettes lead to 46-29.

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Dieruff fell to 4-1, while Central Catholic improved to 1-2.

Other notes from Tuesday:

• The Golden Hawks put up 60+ points for the third consecutive game, beating Pocono Mountain West 62-21. Palin Coleman set a new career high with 22 points, as the star freshman continues to shine. Brookyln Lewis, a junior, put up 12 for her new career high as well. The Hawks drained eight e-pointers and went on a 28-3 third quarter run. Bethlehem Catholic now gears up for a game at Nazareth and weekend trip to Washington D.c. for the She Got Game Showcase.
• Schuylkill Haven stayed undefeated, getting by Blue Mountain 40-30 in overtime. A good mix of experience and youth combined on the Hurricanes win. Senior Alea Porter put up 12 points, while sophomore Mckenna Runkle led all scorers with 14. The Hurricane won the overtime session 10-0, with Porter scoring six of her points in the extra session.
• Anne Beenders tied her career high 21 points and the Konkrete Kids beat East Stroudsburg North 59-23. Northampton shot 45% from the field and nailed down six long shots. The Timberwolves were held to 20% from the field and did not make a 3-pointer on the night.
• Nazareth improved to 3-2, routing East Stroudsburg South 57-10. Renee Wells and Alexa Davis each went for 18 points, combining to knock down seven 3-pointers. The Cavaliers were held to three made field goals.
• The Easton Red Rovers continued mowing down their early competition, zipping by Stroudsburg 66-39. Be on the lookout for another emerging weapon in sophomore Elena Brenetti, who led all scorers with 16 points. Five players combined to bang home eight triples. Kourin Carew scored 13 and Nat Amato contributed 12 more.
• Emmaus got back on track, blasting William Allen 55-13. Gabby DeVita led all scorers with 17. Kayla Snyder was again in double figures with 11. Emmaus’ free throw shooting continues to be on point, as they shot 10/13.
• The Liberty Hurricanes blew past Pleasant Valley 59-10. Kendall Medina and Tula Sobrinski each scored 11. Liberty led 48-2 at the half and now prepares for games against Northampton on Friday and a Monday night tilt with Emmaus.
• Parkland continued pouring on the points by way of a 51-16 victory over Whitehall. The Trojans built a 40-8 halftime lead, including a 25 point second quarter. Delaney Chilcote scored 13 points, including three treys. Aneri McGalla added 12. Isabella Hallal scored all eight of her points in the first half. The Trojans will play three games in four nights, starting on Friday against Pocono Mountain West.
• All 11 players on the Notre Dame Green Pond roster scored in a 63-9 rout of Moravian. Emily Lessig led them all with 14 points and Ava Hobbie had 11. The Crusaders hit 28 shots in total, including 13 made field goals in a 29 point first quarter.
• Tamaqua sped to a 15-2 first quarter lead and defeated Pottsville 48-23 to move to 4-1. Millie Black had a double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.  Kendle Miller had 7 steals.

Wednesday, 12/11:

• Julia Vargo put up 19 points and Grace Weaver added 12 in Pen Argyl’s 48-31 victory over Lehighton. The teams combined for 55 free throw attempts and three Lehighton players fouled out of the game. Pen Argyl remained undefeated at 5-0.
• The Blue Raiders needed overtime to get by Blue Mountain 53-45. Lauren Ligenza had a double double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.  Kolbe Robb had 5 steals and Sam Plasha had 5 assists. Tamaqua won the overtime session 12-4 to move to 5-1 on the year.
• Northern Lehigh picked up its first win, 62-56 over previously undefeated Wilson Area. Katelyn Barthold exploded for a 26 point night and Tegan Simms was right behind her with 23, both ladies setting new career highs.

Thursday, 12/12:

• Cate Morgan led the way for Palmerton, scoring 16 points in the Blue Bombers’ 45-35 win over Bangor. Courtney Connell added 12 and Mikayla Pengelly had 10, helping offset the 16 point performance by Avery Nelson for the Slaters. The win moves Palmerton to 4-0 in a tough 4A field. Bangor dropped to 2-3, just behind Bethlehem Catholic in the 5A field.
• Catasauqua kept Saucon Valley winless by way of a 45-30 win. Hailey Jenkins again eclipsed the 20 point mark, totaling 24 on eight field goals and going 7/8 on free throw attempts. Magilyn Gorman led the Panthers with 14 points.
• Dieruff got back on track after falling to Central Catholic by defeating Pocono Mountain East 55-31. Eight players scored for the Huskies, led by Jayla Rosario’s 12. The Huskies built a 33-14 halftime lead and sank 25 field goals in total. Dieruff was 4/4 at the charity stripe, while the Cardinals went 8/16.
• Northwestern Lehigh continued rolling through its early opponents, blasting Southern Lehigh 68-23. Natalie Conner led the way with 17 points, while Cara Thomas added 13 and Emma Freeman put up 11. Freeman hit three triples and the Tigers were 8/9 on free throws. Samantha Fontanez led the Spartans with ten points.

Friday, 12/13:

Liberty 49, Northampton 34

Ava Kopetskie returned to the court Friday night after missing a handful of games on the early season. Liberty kept a steady lead all evening, emerging with the 49-34 victory over the konkrete Kids.

Tulsa Sobrinski’s two first quarter treys set a tone for the Hurricanes. Anijah Davis closed out scoring in the first quarter, making it 12-6 after one. Davis hit twice in 25 seconds in the second quarter, prompting a timeout from Northampton. Out of the timeout, Liberty got the steal and Kopetskie scored her first field goal of the night with 3:50 to play in the half. Northampton would go on to turn the ball over 12 times in the first half and was held to five field goals.

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Emma Miller opened the third quarter with a triple, her only bucket of the game, increasing the Liberty lead to 29-13. Kopetskie added 8 points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Liberty went on to shoot 36%, but held Northampton to 27% from the field.

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Liberty(4-2) will take on Emmaus Monday night at the Hive. Northampton(2-3) will be at Parkland.

Other notes from Friday:

• Central Catholic picked apart Pleasant Valley for a 45-3 win, improving to 2-2. Milly Wolf’s 13 points led the way, as Annika Spinosa added 8 and Morgan Seagreaves added 7. The Vikettes took a 23-0 lead after a quarter and extended that lead to 31-0 at the half. The Bears drop to 0-5, while Central tuned up for a trip to Dunmore.
• Bethlehem Catholic took care of Nazareth 57-47. The final score was a bit closer than the game really was, with the Hawks holding a 47-29 lead after three quarters. Palin Coleman had another great performance, leading her team with 13 points. Tess Tryanski scored ten, all in the first half. Renee Wells was a powerhouse once again for Nazareth, finishing with 23 points. Peyton Long also contributed 13. Nazareth fell to 3-3, but has played one of the toughest schedules in District XI. The Golden Hawks moved to 4-2 prior to their trip to Washington D.C. on Sunday.
• Hailey Jenkins set a new career high, scoring 33 points in Catasauqua’s 54-46 loss to Northwestern Lehigh. By halftime, she had 15 of her team’s 18 points, sinking 12 field goals in total and going 6/9 at the free throw line. For the Tigers, Cara Thomas matched her jersey number, scoring 20, helping Northwestern Lehigh build a 25-18 halftime lead. Emma Freeman added 11, all in the second half. The Tigers have now won five in a row, following an opening night loss to ELCO.
• Nine 3-pointers went down for Emmaus, as the Green Hornets sprinted by East Stroudsburg North 71-13. Kayla Snyder hit four of them on her way to a 21 point night. Olive Whitney continued to be a threat off the bench, scoring ten and hitting two triples. Emmaus now turns its attention to a Monday night showdown with Liberty.
• Dieruff jumped out to a 21-0 lead on East Stroudsburg South before winning 42-4. The Huskies continue to have multiple scoring threats; Jayla Rosario led the way with 14, while Marisa Price added 7 and Destiny Rosa added 5. When all was said and done, nine Huskies had scored. Dieruff is now 6-1. They will face Easton and Emmaus next week with a chance to make a big statement.
• The Red Rovers continued putting up lopsided numbers, beating Freedom 70-25. Kourin Carew’s 19, along with a career high 18 from Natalie Amato set the pace. Easton banged home seven treys along the way, improving to 4-0. Easton’s margin of victory stands at 32 points per game and the Rovers are scoring 61 points per game.
• Katelyn Barthold set a new career high with her 29 point performance in Northern Lehigh’s 68-36 win over Pen Argyl. She was joined in setting a new personal best by Tegan Simms, who threw down 27 points. The two combined to sink 21 field goals and five 3-pointers. The two scored nearly all of the team’s third quarter points, breaking a 33-22 game into a 55-28 rout. In defeat, Julia Vargo was the third player to set a new career high, putting up 27 of her team’s 36 points. The loss marked the first of the season for the Green Knights.
• Mikayla Pengelly tied a career high 17 points and Hailey Barry led all scorers with 18 in Palmerton’s 61-30 win over Southern Lehigh. Barry hit four times from range. The Blue Bombers are now 5-0 and have a busy week next week, playing four games in five nights against Jim Thorpe, Catasauqua, Saucon Valley and Northwestern Lehigh.
• Parkland’s Aneri McGalla scored 17 as the Trojans routed Pocono Mountain West 42-9. The Trojans are 4-0 on the young season, with an average margin of victory of 37 points per game.
• Stroudsburg held on to beat Whitehall 43-42. McKayla Strunk scored a game high 16 points, Emily Bozena added 14 points and Kamrin Hock had a game high 8 rebounds. Jade Alvarez and Jayline Wilson each scored 15 points for Whitehall. The Mounties held a nine point lead entering the fourth quarter but had to hold on due to the 11 point fourth quarter performance from Jaylene WIlson. The Lady Mounties are now 4-2 and 3-1 in the EPC. The Zephyrs are now 1-5 and 0-4 EPC.  
  

Saturday, 12/14:

• Notre Dame Green Pond picked apart Bangor in a 56-20 home win. The Crusaders held the Slaters without a field goal for over 15 minutes between the first and third quarters. Bangor turned the ball over 27 times on the afternoon, under constant pressure from the Crusaders defense. Emily Lessig led all scorers with 11 points, as nine players scored for Green Pond. Chloee Dahl and Ava Shonk each had eight point efforts. Aveyr Nelson was held in check, scoring seven points all via free throws.
• Jim Thorpe kept Palisades winless, emerging victorious 42-35. Ryah Confer led her team with 11 points and was followed closely by Ciara Lees with 10. Trailing 14-12 after one, the Olympians outscored the Pirates 14-6 in the second to provide some separation.
• Millie Black had a double-double on the afternoon, with 12 points and 12 boards in Tamaqua’s 68-12 win over Nativity BVM. The Blue Bombers built a 42-0 halftime lead and are already 6-1 in DXI 4A. Sam Plasha and Veronica Scott each had 10 points. Veronica Scott also had 5 steals.
• The Wilson Warriors improved to 6-1, easing their way by Pleasant Valley 46-7. Freshman Julia Bonham put up 19 points, knocking down seven shots and getting the old triple of the day for her team. The young Wilson squad continues its early success and now takes on Bangor, Southern Lehigh, and Catasauqua next week.

Sunday 12/15:

• Bethlehem Catholic fell to Maret School(D.C.) 53-33 at the She Got Game Showcase. Leah Brame was the only Golden Hawk in double figures, scoring 12. the Maret Frogs took a 21-6 first quarter lead and were well in control at the half, up 38-16.