Accolades and Milestones
Hailey Jenkins became the 23rd player and 11th girl in Catasauqua history to hit the 1,000 point mark. She scored a career high 34 points in a 51-39 loss to Kutztown:
Ava Kopetskie notched a career high 40 points in Liberty’s 80-17 victory over East Stroudsburg South.
Monday, 1/13:
Central Catholic 44, Northampton 35(Photo Gallery)
As head coach Kathy Davidowich’s team continues to grow and gel, they’ve put together a nice win streak and are starting to look like that usual playoff bound squad with a lot of talent. Morgan Seagreaves and Milly Wolf have emerged as the top contributors along with Annika Spinosa. This win marked the Vikette’s fifth in six outings, as they look to qualify for the 4A playoff field.
Morgan Seagreaves finished a putback to get the Vikettes on the board first, followed by Isabella Pecuch, who scored after an offensive rebound. Anne Beenders hit from the top of the key on a 3-pointer with about a minute left in the quarter and Jenna Raysley finished with a layup as the buzzer sounded. Central was led by Milly Wolf, who hit two triples, one from the right side. Northampton led 15-14 after one.
In the second quarter, Central’s defense clamped down on the Konkrete Kids, allowing just four points and one field goal. Seagreaves and Wolf each scored in the quarter and Skylar Taylor added a bucket and two free throws. The Vikettes took the lead and expanded it to 27-19.
Northampton stayed scoreless from the field until Raysley hit with 2:00 to play in the third quarter. Prior to that, the Kids’ only points came by way of four free throws. Annika Spinosa’s long two from the left side initially extended the Central lead to its largest of the night at 31-19. She finished the quarter on a layup off a steal, one of only two second half turnovers by Northampton.
Two Anne Beenders 3-balls were the only scoring of the fourth for Northampton, and one of those came with just :30 left when it was far too late. The Vikettes kept the defensive pressure up all night long, limiting Northampton to shooting under 30% on the game. By contrast, Central shot 17/41(41%).
Morgan Seagreaves ended her night with 14 points and Milly Wolf added 11. Annika Spinosa also had 11, making for a well balanced scoring effort by Central Catholic. The Vikettes move to 8-6, sitting as the fifth team in the 4A power rankings. They will be favored in a Thursday night tilt at William Allen and then have time off to think about a Tuesday matchup on the road at Emmaus.
Other notes from Monday:
- Avery Nelson powered Bangor past an undermanned Moravian Academy squad, 44-10. Nelson knocked down three triples and two more came from Kayla Cole. The Slaters have heated up and now won six of their last eight games as they look to keep pace with Bethlehem Catholic in the 5A field.
- Pottsville surpassed Blue Mountain in a Schuylkill League matchup 40-36. Jo Barnhart scored 15 for Pottsville, while Callie Peel led Blue Mountain with 10. Makayla Keck and Ruby Henninger each added nine, but the Eagles could not overcome a 21-17 halftime deficit. Blue Mountain shot 7/14 from the free throw line.
- Pocono Mountain East dropped East Stroudsburg North 55-36. Zaniyah Days led the Cardinals with 14 points, hitting three of her eight 3-point attempts.
- The Dieruff Huskies chomped down on Freedom 54-28. Dieruff led 37-10 at the half and never looked back. Aniya Holder led Dieruff with 16 points and Marisa Price contributed 12. Dieruff has now clinched a District XI 6A playoff berth for the second consecutive year under head coach Cathy Piston and has won five in a row following a three game losing streak.
- Jim Thorpe kept Saucon Valley winless on the year, winning 35-25. Wit hthe scored tied 19-19 at halftime, The Olympians held Saucon to six second half points on their way to the win. Ryah Confer scored 16, including three first half triples and four overall. In defeat, Brook Davis put up a 15 point effort, but was held to one point in the second half.
- Fresh off a double overtime loss to Liberty, Nazareth took out their frustrations on Whitehall, 51-12. Carly Brown, Peyton Long, and Karly Leszcynski all had eight points; Renee Wells paced the Eagles with 15. The win clinched a district playoff berth for Nazareth and keeps them in a tight race for the EPC tournament.
- North Schuylkill ran its win streak to four and clinched a playoff berth, beating Panther Valley 65-35. Mya Conti scored 12 of her 16 points in the first half, helping build a 34-11 halftime lead. Hannah Kane scored 14, hitting three triples in the second half.
- Since losing their first three games of the year, Northern Lehigh has gone 10-1 and steadily climbed the 3A field. Their latest victory was a 74-31 rout of Southern Lehigh. Katelynn Barthold and Tegan Simms completely took over. Barthold scored 28, hitting 13 2-point shots from the field and two free throws. Simms netted 26, hitting three from beyond the arc along the way. The Bulldogs are now just one win from a playoff berth.
- Northwestern Lehigh continued its domination of the Colonial League, routing Palisades 66-14. Cara Thomas went off for 21 and Natalie Conner scored 15. The Tigers have already played 16 games and have just six to go in their regular season. They will be favored in all six and are in the driver’s seat for a top seed in both the Colonial tournament and District XI 4A playoffs.
- Notre Dame Green Pond put up an astounding 49 first half points on their way to a 71-43 victory over Pen Argyl. Ten Crusaders scored, led by Ava Shonk’s 14 and 11 from Brenna Hammerstone. The team hit a combined nine 3-pointers. Pen Argyl, to their credit, drew numerous fouls and went 21/22 from the charity stripe, but only hit 11 shots from the field and none from distance. The two playoff bound teams will clash again at the end of January.
- Palmerton took care of business against Salisbury, 49-39. The Blue Bombers built a 21 point halftime lead and went to the bench early in the second half. Courtney Connell scored nine of her 13 points in the second half, while Ella Baumgardt was the star of the first quarter, hitting three long shots. Hailey Barry hit three more from beyond the arc in the second quarter.
- Stroudsburg moved within one win of playoff qualification, blasting by Pocono Mountain West 55-16. McKayla and Tegan Strunk paced the Mounties, combining for 30 points. Stroudsburg hit on 15 of 17 free throw opportunities.
- Schuylkill Haven scored its tenth victory of the year, downing Tamaqua 47-34. The Hurricanes were shutout 12-0 in the second quarter, but rallied for a 31-14 second half. Kylie Siket hit four 3-pointers on her way to a 20 point night. In the loss, Lauren Ligenza posted another double-double, with 16 points and ten rebounds. Haven is now one win from qualifying for the playoffs.
Tuesday, 1/14:
Emmaus 56, Bethlehem Catholic 53(Broadcast)
Sometimes wins aren’t pretty. Sometimes they require overcoming mistakes. And sometimes they require grit to overcome a tough opponent. For Emmaus, their road victory at Bethlehem Catholic checked all three boxes Tuesday night.
Coming into the game, Bethlehem Catholic had struggled to produce points against Easton in their most recent contest. However, many players were coming back from injury and illness, notably with the return of Davianna “DJ” Jones to the court. The Hawks remain without outstanding contributor Aliyah Brame, who is injured. Emmaus also had one player returning in their sophomore all-star Kayla Snyder.
The early story was Gabby DeVita. She cranked out nine first quarter points and played a large defensive role in turning over the Golden Hawks five times in the first eight minutes. Off the bench, Olive Whitney got converted on an old-school 3-point play. DeVita’s corner 3 helped get the Hornets out to a 16-10 lead. While Emmaus only turned it over four times in the first quarter, Leah Ault provided a glimpse at what would be the play for the Hawks–transition points. Her steal and finish on the other end, along with two early shooting fouls against Palin Coleman, ensured Beca would be a threat all night long.
Kayla Snyder got involved in the second quarter, hitting a 3 with 5:00 to play. Whitney, continuing to expand on her game, got inside twice for a couple of buckets, in addition to a 3-ball. The Hawks, on the other hand, continued getting to the line, bolstered by their speed in getting down the court and crashing the basket. However, Beca only converted five of ten free throws in the first half. As a result, Emmaus led 28-24 at the break. DeVita, following her ten in the first quarter, was scoreless in the second.
The turnover bug bit the Hornets in the third quarter, leading to several layups for the Hawks. Bethlehem Catholic took a 42-39 lead heading to the fourth. Kayla Snyder scored eight of Emmaus’ 11 points in the third, including a right wing triple and another long shot from the top of the key. However, Emmaus was taking a lot of low-percentage shots overall and the Hawks were winning the battle on the boards.
The fourth quarter was Kendall Nickischer versus Emmaus. Nickischer ended up scoring all nine Hawks points. Beca lost several possessions on turnovers. DeVita and Whitney added long balls to get Emmaus ahead 56-53.
As the game wound down, it would be the freshman Palin Coleman in the pressure spot to take the final shot for the Hawks. The leading 3-point shooter on the team air-balled and Emmaus emerged victorious in a battle that many fans hope to see again in the EPC tournament.
“It’s all about the ladies’ hustle and grit. They persevered through adversity and they never gave up,” Emmaus head coach Avon Mack Jr. commented on the win. “
He noted of Gabby DeVita’s effort: “Gabby played every single second of this game and gave it her all. You come into a hostile environment, fans going crazy, and you come out with any kind of win, all I can be is appreciative and I thank those ladies for it.
“What can you say. 4’s been doing it all year. I think a lot of people overlook her but i told her before the game, this is when they’re going to know who you are. They can keep talking about everybody else in the league, but 4 deserves her credit.”
“Sylvia got some tough rebounds there at the end. I’m so proud of that young lady.”
Gabby DeVita was asked about the turning point late in the game: “Our defense–we really brought it together and everyone fought for it.”
Easton 39, Parkland 33(Photo Gallery)
The Red Rovers are a prime example of a team growing into their strengths. The difference is notable from game to game as Easton continues through the meat of their schedule. Since losing three out of four to Emmaus, Liberty, and Nazareth, the team has put together back to back victories over Bethlehem Catholic, holding the Hawks to 26 points, and now against the Trojans.
Kourin Carew scored the first points of the night, nearly five minutes into a defensive battle, hitting on two free throws. Nat Amato hit from range for the only field goal of the opening stanza and Easton led 5-2. The score remained tight midway through the second, with Parkland taking a 7-6 lead.
Easton then found its stride, with Amato and Gabby Wismer spurring a 14-4 run to open up a 21-10 lead. Melina Cole hit a 3-pointer and had five points in the quarter as well. That was the halftime score, with the Trojans held to four field goals and Delaney Chilcote scoreless.
The offense opened up in the third quarter, as Chilcote, Aneri McGalla and Sarah Car all hit treys and helped pull Parkland within 30-23 by the end of the third quarter. As the defensive struggle continued, Easton would go to the free throw line ten times in the fourth quarter and convert on eight attempts, not scoring a single bucket from the field. Kourin Carew hit the last four to push the Red Rovers over the finish line for the 39-33 win. She was the only player to hit double figures for Easton, scoring ten. In the loss, McGalla had 13. Easton went 16/21 from the free throw line, while Parkland had just two opportunities and made both.
Other notes from Tuesday:
- There was no letdown for the Hurricanes following their double overtime thriller over Nazareth. Liberty blew by William Allen 60-23 behind 18 from Ava Kopetskie and 12 from Anijah Davis. Kendall Medina added 11. Liberty hit seven triples and led 46-15 by halftime. Coach Carnes’ team ran its win streak to five and has clinched a playoff berth in the 6A field.
- Catasauqua picked up an upset victory over Northern Lehigh 51-47. Hailey Jenkins scored 30 in the victory, with 22 of those coming in a second half rally. At halftime, the Bulldogs led 30-19 and seemed to be in control. Katelynn Barthold scored 11 of her 13 in the first half and Teegan Simms piled up 26 points, but Hailey Jenkins was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, scoring 14. Northern Lehigh remains one win shy of clinching a playoff berth.
- Northwestern Lehigh made it three games straight not allowing more than 19 points, blasting through Jim Thorpe 56-14. Cara Thomas continued adding to her school record total, scoring 19 points. Brook Balliet contributed 17. A 24-5 first quarter set the tone. The Tigers move to 16-1 and have played nearly all of their regular season schedule already.
- Southern Lehigh powered by Moravian 54-12. Elena McDonald dropped 18 in for the Spartans, hitting six shots from the field. Southern Lehigh did not score a single 3-pointer on the night, instead hitting 23 times from inside the arc.
- Salisbury hung with the Crusaders for an 11-11 first quarter, but ultimately fell to Notre Dame Green Pond 43-23. Ella Schweitzer was a big contributor in this one, scoring nine in the first half and 14 for the game. Emily Lessig scored ten of her 12 in the first half, as well. Free throw shooting was not a strength for either team; Salisbury shot 3-for-10 and the Crusaders were just 2-for-11. Notre Dame, for the first time this year, now sits atop the District XI 3A playoff field.
- Palmerton won its fourth straight, rolling 52-17 over Palisades. Eleven Bombers field goals marked a 25-3 first quarter. Ella Baumgardt led all scorers with 15 points; both Mikayla Pengelly and Cate Morgan had 10. Palmerton is now off until Monday when they’ll face Lehigh Valley Academy.
Wednesday, 1/15:
- Southern Lehigh made it four wins in their last six games, dominating Palisades 46-16. Taylor McDonald and Eiliana Marques both amassed 15 point nights, while Samantha Fontanez tacked on 14. The three combined for all but one bucket for the Spartans. Marques hit three times from beyond the arc, accounting for all the long balls for Southern Lehigh.
- Schuylkill Haven took care of Panther Valley 58-25, becoming playoff eligible with their 11th victory. The Hurricanes built a 38-11 halftime lead and had three players reach double figures. McKenna Runkle led all scorers with 16 and 13 of those came in the first half. Kylie Siket dropped in 13; Anna Schaeffer had 12.
- Pen Argyl stopped a three game skid, holding on to a 40-39 win over WIlson Area. The loss is the fourth in a row for the Warriors, dropping to 9-6. Seven different Green Knights contributed. Julia Vargo again led her team with 14 points, but there was great production by players such as Abby Scherer with 8 and six from Bella Whitman. Pen Argyl made six of their final nine free throws in the fourth quarter, but only 13 of 23 for the game. Wilson was able to salt away a six point halftime deficit. A slow start for the Warriors would ultimately be their demise, scoring two points in the first quarter.
Thursday, 1/16:
- Parkland completed an improbable comeback, besting Dieruff 56-51 in overtime. The Trojans trailed by as much as 35-15 in the third quarter, but outscored the Huskies 41-19 over the second half and overtime. Delaney Chilcote, Addi Fritzinger, and Aneri McGalla all hit from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. McGalla led all scorers with a 20 point night and Chilcote had 14. In the loss, the Huskies had three players in double figures. Aniya Holder scored 16, Justyce McChristian 13, and 10 from Jayla Rosario. The two teams will meet again to end the regular season on February 3rd.
- The Vikettes turned it on in the second half to pull away from an upset-minded William Allen 45-31. The Canaries led 23-22 at halftime, but two Arianna Rosario 3-pointers were the only field goals of the second half. Morgan Seagreaves hit 14 points on seven field goals and Milly Wolf had the only long shot of the night for Central Catholic in a nine point effort. The two will meet again to close out the regular season and a playoff berth could be on the line for one or both.
- Bethlehem Catholic trounced Pleasant Valley 61-13. Freshman Palin Coleman continues to impress for the Hawks, scoring 15. Thirteen different Beca players scored on the night.
- Blue Mountain scored a 42-39 upset victory over Schuylkill Haven. The now 6-9 Eagles never relinquished the lead. The game took a while, with 55 combined free throw attempts. Blue Mountain hit 20/30 and the Hurricanes were 14/25. Sixteen of Blue Mountain’s 25 second half points came at the charity stripe. Callie Peel made seven of her final eight free throws and had a 17 point night.
- Stroudsburg secured a 55-25 victory over Freedom in EPC action Thursday night. McKayla Strunk led all scorers with 23 points, while Teagan Strunk added 13 for the Lady Mounties. With the win, Stroudsburg qualified for the district playoffs for the 9th time in the last 11 years. The team now stands at 11-4 overall and 8-3 in the EPC.
- Northwestern Lehigh continues to mow down the competition. Their 17th consecutive win came against Lehighton 66-36, marking their closest game in their last five. Natalie Conner went full beast mode, scoring 27 and hitting four shots from range. Cara Thomas added 18.
- Nazareth put on a 3-point shooting clinic, knocking down 11 shots from distance. Renee Wells hit five of them as part of her 19 point effort. Alexa Davis hit three more and scored 15.
- Tamaqua put together a 52-39 win over Pottsville. Millie Black led all scorers with a career high 21 points and pulled down 18 rebounds. Lauren Ligenza had 11 points. Kendle Miller had 5 assists. The win snapped a two game losing streak and moved the Raiders to 13-3.
Friday, 1/17:
- Avery Nelson had the hot hand for Bangor, dropping 32 in a 63-42 win over Southern Lehigh. Nelson hit all three of her team’s 3-pointers and hit on her last eight consecutive free throws. In defeat, Eliana Marques sank four triples and had a 16 point effort. Taylor McDonald scored 15 for the Spartans. The victory moved the Slaters one win from qualifying for the 5A playoffs.
- Kayla Snyder, two games back from injury, scored 14 in Emmaus’ 51-17 rout of Whitehall. The Hornets won their 12th straight and remain atop the 6A playoff field. Gabby DeVita scored ten. Sixteen points came from the bench. Whitehall starters were limited to seven points.
- Ava Kopetskie set a new career high with 40(yes forty) points in Liberty’s 80-17 drubbing of East Stroudsburg South. She threw down seven 3-pointers and the Hurricanes made 13 long shots on the night.
- Katelynn Barthold and Tegan Simms went to work against Saucon Valley, as Northern Lehigh won 58-15. Barthold led the way with 24 points and Simms added 17. The win is Northern Lehigh’s 11th.
- Notre Dame Green Pond remained at the top of the 3A playoff field, defeating Palisades 68-15. Eleven Crusaders scored in the mercy rule win, led by Emily Lessig’s 15.
- Wilson is now just one win from making the district playoffs after getting by Salisbury 47-35. Juliana Bonham led all scorers with 19 points. Kendra Morgan scored 16 in the loss.
- Easton defeated rival Phillipsburg 56-23. The Rovers hit nine 3-pointers, with Nat Amato accounting for four of them. She led Easton with 14 points. Kourin Carew tacked on 11. Gabby Wismer and Elena Brenetti continue to come up big, scoring 8 each.
Saturday, 1/18:
- Dieruff recovered from a tough loss against Parkland by beating up on East Stroudsburg North 52-11. Jayla Rosario led the way with 15 points and Aniya Holder scored seven of her nine points in the first half. The Huskies built a 32-7 halftime lead. The Huskies currently sit as the 7th seed in the 6A playoff field.
- In a rare matchup of 3A vs 6A contenders, Pen Argyl got by Freedom 47-39. Freedom led 26-18 at the half, behind two Payton Besecker triples and the Patriots making 9 of 14 free throws. The Green Knights also went to the line very frequently, racking up 40 attempts from the charity stripe by game’s end. They converted on 25 of those chances. Julia Vargo scored 15 points and Bella Whitman led all scorers with 16. A 30-13 second half effort, including 16 point third quarter, allowed Pen Argyl to come back and take the victory.
- Tamaqua moved to 14-3 on the year, defeating Lehighton 52-36. Millie Black led all scorers with a 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Lauren Ligenza had 10 points. Kolbe Robb had 8 steals.
- Liberty ran its win streak to eight games, traveling to Bensalem for a 53-36 win. Ava Kopetskie paced all scorers with 20 points, scoring 60 total points over 48 hours. Kendall Medina had a 15 point outing. The Hurricanes currently sit as the third seed in the 6A playoff field, behind Emmaus and Easton. They now prepare for a tilt with Bethlehem Catholic Tuesday night.
- Parkland trailed by two going to the fourth quarter at District 3 foe Cumberland Valley, but the Eagles pulled off a 17-8 final quarter and won 46-33. Cumberland Valley was able to limit many of Parkland’s starters: Aneri McGalla was held to six points and both Delaney Chilcote and Addi Fritzinger were kept to five. Isabella Hallal led the Trojans with 10.
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