Accolades and Milestones
Congratulations to McKayla Strunk on surpassing the 1,000 point mark for Stroudsburg! She also set a school record with 133 made 3-pointers. She needed 26 to reach the milestone and scored 32, including seven 3-pointers against Pocono Mountain East.
Monday, 1/20:
- On Senior Night in Palmerton, the Blue Bombers blasted Lehigh Valley Academy Charter 56-26. Mikayla Pengelly led all scorers with 15 points. Fellow senior Ella Baumgardt scored five points and had numerous assists. Hailey Barry hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points on the night. As a team, Palmerton hit nine triples.
Tuesday, 1/21:
Liberty 55, Bethlehem Catholic 51(OT)(Photo Gallery)
The battle of Bethlehem’s best EPC squads was a physical and emotional one. And in a fight like this, stars rise to the occasion: Ava Kopetskie did just that in a second half takeover.
Bethlehem Catholic scored the first five points of the night. DJ Jones got inside for a layup. Leah Ault hit a top of the key three ball just over two minutes into the quarter. Tulsa Sobrinski responded with a corner triple to get Liberty going after a few early misses and miscues. Up 10-6, the Hawks were unable to extend their lead in the opening quarter. Shawna Beatty put back a missed three by Sobrinski at the buzzer to tie the game at 14.
The Hawks once again tried to pull away in the second, building a 21-16 lead on an early putback by Mekhyla Britt and steal and finish by Kendall Nickischer. Nickischer also drew a foul and hit two free throws. However, foul trouble would be an issue for Beca, as Leah Ault picked up her third contacting Kendall Medina. Anijah Davis hit a key 3-ball in prior, bringing the Hurricanes within one. At the half, the teams were knotted at 23.
Neither could fully take charge in the second half. Some sloppy ball-handling across midcourt by Bethlehem Catholic and good defense limiting Ava Kopetskie were the early causes. At the half, the recent 40-point game record setter for the hurricanes was held to two on a couple of free throws. However, she began to take hold in the third and hit on two long shots, one ended the quarter.
Meanwhile for the Hawks, Palin Coleman scored all nine in the third, including two straight buckets to pull the Hawks within 35-34. However, Kopetskie ended the quarter on a 3-pointer, extending the Hurricanes lead back to 36-32.
With 4:32 to play in regulation, both sides had scored just two points. Coleman extended her streak to 11 straight for Beca, racing inside for a contested layup. A Kopetskie triple with 3:08 left moved the Hurricanes ahead 41-36, but they were unable to find that next shot to really pull away. A near layup by Beatty bounced twice and off the rim which would’ve given the Hurricanes their largest lead of the night at 7 with 1:52 to play. On the other end, Nickischer layed it in and brought the Hawks within three with :57 left. Two missed free throws by Anijah Davis and one by Kopetskie could have also iced the game, but the score ended up 44-44. Both teams had late chances as regulation expired. The Hawks had what could’ve been the final shot of regulation, but turned it over. On the breakaway, Anijah Davis went up for the game-winning layup, but it bounced off the rim, sending the game to overtime.
Ava Kopetskie, who had 16 points in the second half so far, opened the extra session with an and-one opportuni. The tip was perfectly hit to her by Shawna Beatty at midcourt, leading to the layup. With the third point converted, the Hurricanes took the quick 47-44 lead. Later in overtime, Anijah Davis had a missed shot come back to her, which she put up and in, preserving a 49-46 margin.
Despite a solid overtime effort by DJ Jones, who scored all seven of the final four minutes for the Hawks, a pair of Kopetskie free throws iced the game, making the deficit 53-48 with just seconds to play. Jones’ last-second 3-ball went in to close the final score at 53-51.
After just two points in the first half, Kopetskie finished the night with 25.
“I just needed to see my shot go in. It was mindset over everything. Coach told me to keep shooting. He always says I’m more of a second half player, so I guess I just turned it on when we needed it the most.”
She commented on the first bucket of overtime off the opening tip, “It was a great tip from Shawna to set me up for that and-one and thank God I converted it.”
Head coach Jaret Carnes echoed Kopetskie’s sentiments: “She believed in herself. She understands she’s a second half player. She can light it up–it could be just one quarter and that quarter could be the fourth. She’s very talented; she trusts in her teammates and we have a good group.”
He added of their stategy against an opponent that shoots well from all over the court, “We wanted to protect the paint. I told the girls, if [Bethlehem Catholic] wants to shoot from outside all night, that’s cool–we’ll adjust. So we stayed in our zone and went lady-to-lady late in the game and that kind of threw them off a little bit.”
Other notes from Tuesday:
- Emmaus used a 31-18 second half to overcome an eight point halftime deficit and beat Central Catholic 53-48. Cassie Doemling scored 17 points and standout Gabby DeVita added 14. Sophomore Kayla Snyder was also in double figures with 13. For the Vikettes, Morgan Seagreaves had 19 and Milly Wolf contributed 11. Shamiya Roberts made the only 3-pointer of the night for Central Catholic. The Vikettes remain two games out of a playoff berth with four to play. The win was Emmaus’ 13th consecutive.
- Pocono Mountain West rolled by East Stroudsburg South 58-22. The Panthers amassed 45 points by halftime, propelled by 19 from Michaela Smith. Jodi Bowen scored 12 of her 19 in the first half.
- Easton ran its winning streak to four, taking care of Northampton 58-31. Kourin Carew cemented a new career high 25 points, sinking nine shots from the field and making five of six free throws. The Rovers posted eight 3-pointers on the night and all nine of Nat Amato’s points came on three of those.
- Nazareth kept pace with the top of the EPC, demolishing Freedom 54-14. Renee Wells posted 19 points; Peyton Long had 12. Nine Blue Eagles scored in the contest, as Nazareth will now face Bethlehem Catholic, Easton, and Liberty in three of its final four games, trying to get a top four seed in the 6A district playoffs and EPC tournament.
- Dieruff prepared for a pivotal game against Central Catholic later this week by defeating Whitehall 46-27. Marisa Price put up 19 points on seven field goals and five of six free throw chances. Jayla Rosario was held scoreless in the first half, but scored eight in the final two stanzas.
- Southern Lehigh entered Tuesday night needing to win their final six games to qualify for the district playoffs. Thy took the first step by dominating Notre Dame East Stroudsburg 65-32. Sophomore Elianna Marques continues to show major growth, hitting a new career high 22 points. Samantha Fontanez and Megan Brogan, both freshmen, combined for 22.
- Parkland had no trouble with William Allen, running by the Canaries 60-24. Isabella Hallal had a 14 point night and Aneri McGalla joined her in double figures with 12.
- Stroudsburg secured a 53-36 victory over P.M. East in an EPC Monroe Division girls’ basketball showdown. McKayla Strunk needed 26 points entering the night for 1,000 and delivered a dominant performance with a game-high 32 points, knocking down seven three-pointers. In the process, she reached the 1,000-point milestone and set a new school career three-point record with 133 made threes. The Lady Mounties improved to 12-4 on the season.
- Northern Lehigh has now won twelve of their last fourteen games, powering through Jim Thorpe 68-35. Katelynn Barthold and Tegan Simms continued to dazzle. Simms tied her career high with 26, while Barthold scored 27. The two combined to make 22 field goals and four treys.
- Tamaqua overcame Blue Mountain 35-22, notching their 15th win and third straight. Lauren Ligenza scored 12 for the Raiders. Millie Black had a double-double, scoring ten and pulling down 11 boards.
- East Stroudsburg North kept Pleasant Valley winless, 51-42. Amber Beckworth had a 20 point night and 16 assists. Ayla Hashway also had a double-double with 11 points and 20 assists.
Wednesday, 1/22:
- Wilson led Bangor 38-20 after three quarters, but had to survive a strong rally from the Slaters to win 47-41. The victory puts Wilson into the 4A playoff field. Avery Nelson scored 13 in the final quarter and hit three times from beyond the arc, finishing with 20 points. Freshman Julianna Bonham continues to make her early mark on the Wilson program, scoring 19 points.
- Catasauqua is piquing at the right time, winning five of their last seven and defeating Palisades 49-27. Hailey Jenkins scored 24 and freshman Kaylin Stewart set a new career high with 21. The Rough Riders made it rough on the Pirates, shutting them out 17-0 in the first quarter and building a 34-5 lead by half.
- A slow start doomed Palmerton, as Lehighton pulled an upset 42-29 win on their home court. Three Indians scored in dobule figures. Leah Uyvari scored 14, Ryleigh Trotman added 12, and Emma Repsher contributed 11. Lehighton held the Blue Bombers to two free throw makes in the first quarter, taking an early 11-2 lead. They then held Palmerton to four points in the fourth quarter, including just one field goal from Courtney Connell. Mikayla Pengelly was limited to one point and Hailey Barry scored eight. No Bombers reached double figures.The victory is instrumental in Lehighton’s quest to make the playoff field. They will need to win three of their final four contests to qualify.
- After a five point contest earl in the year, Northwestern Lehigh hammered rival Northern Lehigh 79-53 in the late season rematch. Cara Thomas(26) and Natalie Conner(22) went off in typical fashion, leading the way for the Tigers. Northwestern Lehigh has clinched the top seed in the DXI 4A playoff field and have won 18 straight.
- The Salisbury Falcons are trying to finish strong, getting by winless Saucon Valley 46-12. Kendra Morgan hit a new career high, dropping 28 points.
- Panther Valley took another step closer to making the playoffs, overcoming Jim Thorpe 50-28. Natalie Vermillion hit five times from range for all 15 of her points. Morgan Orsulak followed closely with 14. Senior Briana Snisky scored 19 for the Olympians in the loss.
- In a defensive battle, Easton survived a challenge from 3A rival Notre Dame Green Pond 28-23. The Rovers led 9-6 at the half and 21-9 after three. Ava Shonk and Brenna Hammerstone led a rally, hitting three triples late. Nat Amato was the leading scorer for Easton, reaching nine points and hitting both of Easton’s 3-pointers.
Thursday, 1/23:
- Pine Grove secured a 3A playoff berth with a 42-40 win over Tamaqua. Lauren Ligenza had a 12 point effort. Millie Black was held to 6. Ayla Schneck-Haines scored 11 for Pine Grove. Down the stretch, each team only scored five points in the fourth quarter.
- Pen Argyl picked up its third win in a row, rolling by Moravian 60-22. Julia Vargo continued to pace the Green Knights, scoring 18. She put down 13 of those as part of a 26 point first quarter.
- Blue Mountain won a battle of teams trying to make a playoff push, besting Panther Valley 47-39. The Eagles built a strong 23-10 halftime lead. Ruby Henninger was the catalyst, putting down 16 points and hitting four times from beyond the arc.
- Stroudsburg rolled to a 58-27 win over East Stroudsburg South, led by a game-high 21 points from Emily Bozena. McKayla Strunk added 13 points, while Teagan Strunk contributed 12 points and 9 rebounds. Gianna DeJesus led South with 15 points in the loss.
Friday, 1/24:
Dieruff 50, Central Catholic 40(Photo Gallery)
“This is the first time we’ve beat Central since I played.” Huskies head coach Cathy Piston pointed to the banners on the wall at historic Rockne Hall. “You see those 802 wins for Mike Kopp? He probably has 100 against me.” Piston graduated from Dieruff class of 1985.
“Poise. We’ve been working on end of game situations. It’s not what you do in the beginning of the season. It’s how you learn and how you react from things. Failure makes you better. We failed at Parkland, but we got better from that failure.”
“Four quarters wins basketball games. This is a big win for playoffs, but it’s still really tight. It’s one game at a time. Literally, my assistant and I look at one tape at a time. I’m not talking about playoffs right now, we’re on to Emmaus on Tuesday.”
After an extreme low, losing a 20 point third quarter lead to Parkland in their last outing, the Huskies experienced elation at defeating the Vikettes for the first time in four decades.
Dieruff led nearly from start to finish after a quick 5-0 flurry from Central Catholic’s Morgan Seagreaves. She would end up with all seven Vikettes points in the opening quarter. However, it was the Huskies, bolstered by eight early points from Aniya Holder, that went on a 10-2 run and took a 10-7 lead.
That lead extended to 14-7 off of two Jayla Rosario buckets in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the Vikettes were getting offensive boards, but missing shots and had a few turnovers. They composed themselves; Milly Wolf scored the first points of the quarter and her first of the night with 3:50 remaining. Ultimately, Central cut the halftime deficit to 17-14.
Balanced scoring was the difference the rest of the way. Dieruff had six different players record points in the third. The Vikettes struggled to find production from anyone other than Seagreaves and Wolf. Wolf did give her team an early lead in the third, getting inside for a layup that rolled around and down for an 18-17 lead.
Later in the third, Marisa Price put the Huskies back on top. Her athletic jumper moving away from the basket bounced once off the rim and fell through, putting Dieruff on top 23-21. Over the next 3:37, Dieruff went on a 10-3 run. Jayla Rosario capped it on a putback at the buzzer after a Vikettes turnover.
A price bucket inside extended the Huskies’ fourth quarter lead to 37-26. But the Vikettes had one more run in them. With the score 40-30, Morgan Seagreaves scored. After a quick steal, Milly Wolf swished a nothing-but-net triple from the left side. Suddenly, with 1:23 to play, the Dieruff lead was just 40-35.
But this time, the Huskies would close it out. After those eight points in the first quarter, Aniya Holder had only scored once since. However, this time, she iced the game, getting behind the defense for a long pass and layup following a missed 3-pointer by ACC. Down the stretch, Dieruff went 11/14 from the foul line–Bryanna Fernandez was went 5/6.
On the night, Jayla Rosario scored 15, Aniya Holder 14, and Bryanna Fernandez 10.
Jayla Rosario talked about the win: “It’s incredible to finally come into a place like Central and prove we belong here and we belong in the playoffs. It gave us a lot of confidence.”
Other notes from Friday:
- Bethlehem Catholic continued traversing a very difficult schedule for the week. The Hawks surpassed Nazareth 59-46 on the eve of facing state power Lancaster Catholic. Kendall Nickischer scored a career high 20 points. Freshman Palin Coleman continued her rise, scoring eight of her 12 points in the fourth quarter. The Golden Hawks hit eight triples. Defensively, Beca held Renee Wells to 12. The win clinched a playoff berth in DXI 5A for Bethlehem Catholic.
- Easton used another strong defensive effort to run by Freedom 52-34. The Patriots were held scoreless in a 6-0 first quarter and trailed 17-4 at the half. Kourin Carew led the Rovers with 18 points. Nat Amato and Elena Brenetti each piled on 12. Easton converted 13 of their 14 free throw opportunities and now is second behind only Emmaus in the district rankings.
- Emmaus picked up its 17th victory of the year, stinging William Allen 56-26. The Hornets opened up a 22-5 first quarter and cruised from there. Gabby DeVita came off the bench, leading her team with 15 points. Both Cassie Doemling and Olive Whitney added 12. Emmaus has now won 14 in a row and retains the top spot in the EPC and DXI 6A standings.
- Palmerton bounced back from their loss to Lehighton by routing Jim Thorpe 57-19. Hailey Barry hit three triples and scored 15 points. Balanced scoring came from Cate Morgan, who scored 12, and Mikayla Pengelly and Courtney Connell, who both added eight. The Bombers will now be off for a week before hosting Northwestern Lehigh.
- Liberty remains lightning hot, blowing by Northampton 52-32 and winning their ninth in a row. Ava Kopetskie led all scorers with 20 and Tula Sobrinski poured in four 3-pointers, scoring 16. Shawna Beatty contributed 10. Kopetskie scored 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, allowing the Hurricanes to pull away.
- Freshman Juliana Bonham continues to impress for Wilson. She racked up 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Bulldogs’ 51-14 performance over Moravian Academy. Moravian was held scoreless in the first and fourth quarters, as the playoff bound Bulldogs moved their record to 12-6. They will face Freedom on the road Monday night in an intriguing non-conference game.
- Southern Lehigh continued its must-have win streak, as the Spartans try to qualify for districts. Taylor McDonald scored 13 on the night, putting up seven of those in the first quarter. The Spartans improved on a 12-7 halftime lead and are now 8-11. Eliana Marques did not play. Next week, they will face Salisbury and Saucon Valley before a season-ending game against Catasauqua.
- Parkland began a season-ending four game road tour by storming Whitehall 58-39. Delaney Chilcote fired off 17 points, hitting nine in the second quarter and adding two 3-pointers in the third. Cheryllana Cunningham and Isabella Hallal followed with eight points a piece. Parkland remains neck-and-neck with Nazareth for a home district playoff spot.
Saturday 1/25:
Lancaster Catholic 40, Bethlehem Catholic 37(Photo Gallery)
Defending state champions Lancaster Catholic haven’t lost a step, coming into Bethlehem for a big win against the Golden Hawks. Speedy defense, clogging passing lanes, and physical play marked the Crusaders effort, with a final score that was closer than the game was most of the afternoon.
Emma Stefanow was a weapon all afternoon, hitting a left wing triple to open the scoring for Lancaster Catholic. On the ensuing possession, Leah Ault scored the Hawks’ first field goal of the night. Seconds later, Palin Coleman picked a pocket and went coast to coast for a layup try, drawing the foul. She converted on both free throws.
Carleigh Anderson followed up with a long ball of her own and Stefanow hit an identical shot from the same spot as her first. Anderson scored the final points of the quarter, taking a pass from Morgan “Mo” Gaylord and powering through the lane for the bucket. After one, the Crusaders were on top 14-9. Each team turned it over five times in the quarter, falling victim to the speed of the game at times.
Points remained at a premium in the second stanza. Despite success on the offensive glass, the Hawks only managed two Leah Ault buckets in the quarter. Her first came off of one of those offensive boards, as she battled inside for a layup with 6:20 to go. It would be five game minutes before she scored again–a 3-ball from the right side. Lancaster Catholic didn’t fair much better. Anderson and Gaylord both drew fouls, hitting one of two free throws. It took nearly five minutes of play until Charlotte Albertini hit the first of two buckets for the Crusaders. Gaylord closed the half with a ball that rolled around the rim and in. At half, the Golden Hawks trailed the Crusaders 20-16.
The high-tempo and physical nature of the contest did not let up at all in the second half. Palin Coleman hit on two free throws to tie the game at 20 all, following up a Leah Ault bucket. Ault hit again at the 4:00 mark of the third on a long two. Gaylord kept Lancaster Catholic in front 24-22, getting back quick on a transition bucket. Palin Coleman hit on a deep shot to pull the Hawks within 27-25 after three.
The Crusaders slowly but surely pulled away in the fourth. The first five minutes of the quarter saw the Hawks go silent on the scoreboard, not managing a point. Emma Stefanow opened the quarter with the only field goal for her team–a top of the key triple that bounced off the rim twice and somehow fell in.
Five late points by Tess Tryanski kept the Hawks alive, but the Crusaders went 8/10 from the foul line down the stretch to ice the game. Up 40-32 with just :09 on the clock, DJ Jones hit a trey and Nia Bush stole the ensuing inbound pass to score at the buzzer, making the final score a three point margin. Jones returned to action after banging heads with a Crusader at the 5:05 mark of the fourth.
The win marked eleven in a row for the Crusaders, who stand atop the District 3 4A power rankings at 15-2. Stefanow finished with 12 points. Anderson ended up with 10. In defeat, Palin Coleman had 12, followed closely by Ault’s 11. Bethlehem Catholic dropped to 10-9, but has already clinched a district and state playoff berth.
Other notes from Saturday:
- Notre Dame Green Pond, led by Ava Shonk’s career high 21 points, including four 3-pointers, beat host Bangor 44-33. The Crusaders shot 8/12 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to seal the victory after Bangor had closed the deficit to three points.
- Blue Mountain came up short against non-conference opponent ELCO, 48-38. Makayla Keck put up a game high 19 points, including three makes from beyond the arc. However, the Eagles left 15 points on the floor, going just 14/29 from the charity stripe. Blue Mountain now prepares for a Monday night tilt at home against North Schuylkill and needs one more conference win to qualify for the district playoffs.
- Emmaus took East Stroudsburg South to task in a 74-12 victory. Gabby DeVita marked a new career high 26 points, hitting 12 times from the field. Cassie Doemling also reached the double figure mark, scoring 11. The Hornets will put their 16 game winning streak on the line at home Tuesday night when they face a very game Dieruff squad.
- Easton rolled over Pocono Mountain West 63-7. Eleven 3-pointers went down for the Rovers, led by three from Natalie Amato. She and Lianna Cole had 11 point efforts, while Kourin Carew put up an 18 spot. After a trip to East Stroudsburg North on Monday, the Rovers will finish up with three monster games against Liberty, Nazareth, and Bethlehem Catholic.
- Panther Valley took a huge step towards playoff eligibility, getting past Minersville 55-46. Morgan Orsulak accounted for 21 points, shooting 9 of 18 from the floor. Sohpomore Ajete Gjoca scored 11 and was a perfect 7 of 7 at the foul line. The Panthers led 31-7 at half, but were outscored 42-24 over the final two quarters as the Battlin’ Miners made it a game. Panther Valley will need to win three of their final four games to make districts, and they will have their hands full with Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua coming up next week.
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