ILVGH: Milestones After the Snow

It was a short week with early week postponements, but there was no shortage of action on the court. Let’s dive right in!

Tuesday, 1/27:

• The usual suspects for Parkland were at work in the Trojans’ 63-28 rout of Central Catholic. Bella Hallal led the way with 13 points, hitting seven of her eight free throws along the way. Aneri McGalla banged home three treys and Cheryllana Cunningham joined her with 11 points on five field goals. The offense and defense were sharp, outscoring the Vikettes 24-6 in the second quarter. Morgan Seagreaves led the Vikettes with nine points. Both teams were nine of ten on foul shots. Parkland moved to 16-4 with the win, while Central dropped to 9-11.
• Kamryn Gallis scored 18 in her second game back from injury, helping Bethlehem Catholic zip past Freedom 57-24. Gallis hit four triples. Aliyah Brame checked in with 11 points and Leah Ault added ten. The Golden Hawks built a 33-12 halftime lead, holding Freedom in check all night. Beca has now won eight in a row.
• Easton stayed unbeaten in the EPC and atop the 6A power rankings by rolling over Liberty 66-32. However, the night belonged more to Ava Kopetskie, who became the all-time leading scorer in school history, surpassing Warren West who previously held the scoring record since 1987(1,486 points). As for the Rovers, four players reached double figures. Elena Brunetti led all scorers with 19. Melina Cole scored 12 on four 3-balls. Gabby Wismer added 14 and Nat Amato had 11. After a relatively close 14-9 first quarter, Easton went on a 21-3 second quarter run to put the game out of reach. Easton notched its thirteenth consecutive win and closes out the year with a tough schedule of Nazareth, Spring-Ford and Bethlehem Catholic before entering the EPC tournament. For more on this game, including an interview with Kopetskie, more photos and game highlights, visit our X: @LSVSports or IG: LSVSports1

Wednesday, 1/28:

• Emmaus traveled to the East side of Allentown for a 72-63 victory over Dieruff. The Huskies led this one 30-29 at halftime and matched Emmaus point for point until late. Olive Whitney played a role in a very rare occurrence–she was involved in not one, but two four-point play opportunities, converting on one. She and Sierra Stevens both hit four times from beyond the arc and Gabby DeVita put up 18 points in the second half to finish with 24, nearly a new career high. In defeat, Jayla Rosario put up 25 and Aniya Holder had 19, keeping the Huskies right in this one to the bitter end. It was the 3-point shooting once again that helped Emmaus take home the win, htiting ten times as a team. For more on this game, visit our X: @LSVSports or LSVSports1 on IG for highlights and an interview of Stevens and DeVita.
• Blue Mountain pulled a nice 46-41 upset in the Schuylkill League over North Schuylkill, securing a .500 record in the league and a district playoff berth in 4A. Callie Peel put up 19 points, eight in the first half. Karley Koch scored seven of her nine points also in the first half, leading to a six point Eagles lead. The win avenged a 49-34 loss earlier in the year and was just the fifth loss of the year for North Schuylkill, snapping a five game win streak.
• Sophomore Nylah Stewart scored 13 and freshman Molly Gafner contributed 12 in Pocono Mountain East’s 42-34 win over East Stroudsburg South. The two teams will graduate a total of six seniors combined and these two relatively young teams will look to take big steps next season.
• Sophomore Kaylin Stewart hit a new career high 24 points and Hailey Jenkins put up 23 in Catasauqua’s 62-43 victory over Saucon Valley. The two combined for 21 2-point field goals, allowing the Rough Riders to overcome a 21-point Grace Donahue outing. Catty pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 17-6. Catty remains in the third spot in districts, while Saucon is still still a conference victory away from clinching a district playoff berth, despite having clinched a league tournament one.
• Lehighton survived a stiff test from the Bulldogs of Northern Lehigh, 39-35. The fifth straight loss for Northern Lehigh officially ended their postseason hopes, but not without a fight. Tegan Simms went off for 26 points, scoring nine of her team’s 12 points in a first half that they led 12-11. The Bulldogs kept a 25-22 lead through three frames, as Simms scored all 13 in the quarter. But at the end, it was Olivia Serfass scoring 11 of the 15 fourth quarter points for the Indians, and the team made 7/11 foul shots to close it out. Lehighton improved to 18-2 and held the top spot in 4A.
• In need of a big win, Pen Argyl pushed Wilson Area to the edge, but the Warriors pulled it out 36-31. Juliana Bonham was once again the difference for WIlson, scoring 15 points and helping control things on defense. Kiera Hartzell-Ham and Emma Dalpe added six apiece. Nine from Gianna Martini and Leag Apostol was not enough to lift the Green Knights, and Pen Argyl fell for the tenth time in eleven games.
• Salisbury will have a nice late season victory to build off of, as they upset Southern Lehigh 47-35. Kendra Morgan scored 17 of 28 in the first half, allowing the Falcons to build a 28-20 lead over the Spartans. She reached the 1,000 point mark for her career–congratulations!! This output for Morgan tied her second highest in her career with only two games left in it. Eliana Marques was not stopped, but she was somewhat contained, only hitting the 15 point mark in the loss.

Thursday, 1/29:

• Pocono Mountain West clinched a district playoff berth with its fourth straight win, motoring by Pleasant Valley 46-31. Michaela Smith led the Panthers with 14 points, joined by Zyairrah Lanier with 13 and 12 from Emma Campusano. West hit 20 shots from the field, taking an early 10-4 first quarter lead before pulling ahead by 15 after three frames.
• Nazareth had no trouble dispatching of Northampton 63-26. Nine 3-pointers fell for the Blue Eagles, who saw four players soar into double figures. Alexa Davis hit for 15, Karly Leszcynski 13, and Carly Brown and Mikaila Brooks for ten each. The win snapped a two game skid and kept Nazareth in the fourth spot in districts.
• Blue Mountain kept its momentum going, getting past Pine Grove 40-36. The Eagles trailed 20-13 at the half before outscoring Pine Grove 14-2 in the third behind six from Callie Peel and a trey by Delaney Walborn. Hailey Place led her team with 12 and Peel finished with ten. Blue Mountain is nearly locked in to a first-round play-in game against Saucon Valley in the 4A playoffs.
• Tamaqua was locked up in a defensive battle with Panther Valley at halftime, 12-10, before breaking through for a 21-7 third and winning 45-35. Millie Black led the way for the Blue Raiders with 17 points. Leah Black turned in an eight rebound, five assist and five steal performance. The win marked the first of three in three days.
• It all came down to a furious comeback attempt for the Blue Bombers of Palmerton. A missed layup with nine seconds left allowed Northwestern Lehigh to escape with a 41-38 victory. Natalie Conner’s 12 first half points had the Tigers up 20-16 at halftime. Northwestern won the third quarter 12-4 spurred by two triples from Emma Freeman. However, Palmerton got hot in the final frame, getting treys from Avery Barry, Emma Rex and Hailey Barry. Hannah Gober hit five of her eight free throws to close it out for Northwestern.
• Juliana Bonham and Kiera Hartzell-Ham were the catalysts that got Wilson Area a victory over 6A opponent Freedom. The Warriors managed only one field goal in the fourth quarter, after leading by as many as ten in the contest. But seven free throws in ten attempts allowed WIlson to hang on. The win was the seventh straight for Wilson.
• Notre Dame Green Pond began its week of chasing program victory 1,000 by blasting Moravian 57-11. Adriana Sheftziv made a nice second half mark, scoring ten points. Ava Shonk also notched ten. Ten Crusaders scored before it was all over. In another long streak of wins for an area time, this was the ninth straight for NDGP. The Crusaders held Moravian scoreless in the second and fourth quarters.
• Roxana Cardenas went off for Salisbury in a 43-21 triumph over Palisades. Cardenas hit four first half triples and scored all 16 of her points by halftime. Kendra Morgan scored six late to reach 11 for the game. The win concluded Salisbury’s season at 10-12. The Falcons will not make the postseason, but can build on the three game win streak that closed the year.

Friday, 1/30:

• Millie Black put up 20 points, while Leah added ten in Tamaqua’s 46-22 win over Minersville. Leah had nine rebounds and five steals.  Millie had eight rebounds and eight steals. The Lady Raiders got out to a 22-11 halftime lead and never looked back, winning twice in as many days. Tamaqua looks to hold on to the third seed come districts.
• Central Catholic made it six of eight, pounding Whitehall 49-26. It was only 14-12 at the half, until the Vikettes broke through. Morgan Seagreaves and Skylar Taylor both finished with 13 points. Shamiya Roberts contributed nine more. The Zephyrs were held scoreless in the third quarter.
• Eleven different Slaters scored in Bangor’s 40-11 victory over Moravian Academy. Bangor held the Lions scoreless in the first half for a 14-0 lead. Kaylynn Figurski led the charge with ten points. Bangor has now won five of their last eight and will finish the regular season against Pen Argyl on Tuesday.
• East Stroudsburg South kept rival North winless via a 54-42 final score. The Cavaliers overcame a significant disparity in foul shots, going 5/15 to the Timberwolves’ 19/34, by hitting 21 shots from the field. Marinellys Marte in one of her final games, scored ten points. Sophomores Nola McAllister and Brianna Rasmussen added 14 and 12 respectively.
• The Easton machine marched on, winning their fourteenth straight game by edging Nazareth 53-48. The Red Rovers survived a 19 point effort from the Eagles’ Alexa Davis that included five triples. Nat Amato provided the counter from beyond the arc, hitting four times. Elena Brunetti scored 12 and ten more came from Gabby Wismer, in another total team effort by the Rovers. Easton will close out the regular season with a home showdown against Bethlehem Catholic.
• In a Friday night matchup of bitter and familiar rivals, Parkland got the upper hand over Emmaus 58-51. Sierra Stevens notched eight points in the first quarter, and seven more came from Gabby DeVita, giving the Hornets a 19-18 lead after a high-scoring first quarter. Emmaus also won the third quarter but was held to a combined 13 points in the second and fourth. Aneri McGalla hit three 3-balls as part of her 17 point performance. Isabella Hallal hit five of her six field goals in the first half and finished with 16. Down the stretch, the Trojans were 7/10 on their foul shots and McGalla scored seven points in the final frame. In the loss, DeVita scored 19.
• Ava Kopetskie and company took it to Freedom 62-39. Kopetskie finished with 25 points, including five makes from deep. Chloe Rummelhart poured in 14 points. On the night, the Hurricanes made eight triples and were 14/19 on free throws. A 22-5 second quarter broke this one wide open, after the Patriots were able to hang in early.
• Northern Lehigh limited Jim Thorpe to seven second half points to pull away for a 38-26 victory in what had been a one point game at halftime. Jaylene Ramos led the way with 13 points, followed closely by Tegan Simms’ 11. Senior Kylee Snyder dropped in nine.
• Notre Dame Green Pond set the stage for their 1,000th program victory by getting No. 999 against Pen Argyl. Eleven points from Brenna Hammerstone, coupled with seven each from Ella Schweitzer and Ava Shonk, led to a 34-22 win. Hammerstone hit three of the team’s six triples. The Crusaders now find themselves in line for the top seei n the upcoming Colonial League tournament.
• Stroudsburg came from behind to surprise Pleasant Valley 30-27. The Bears put up an 11-2 third quarter to take a 25-17 lead to the final frame. But the script was flipped in the fourth, as Teagan Strunk took over and scored nine of her sixteen points.
• Pocono Mountain West defeated rival East 48-41 behind a strong first half performance. Jodi Bowen hit four times from the field, scoring eight of her 13 points. Michaela Smith added six of her game total nine and Emma Campusano contributed six of her eleven. With a win over Stroudsburg Monday, the Panthers would solidify their spot in the upcoming EPC tournament.
• After winning ten of twelve games, Southern Lehigh has now found itself in a losing skid; the latest was a 38-27 victory for Saucon Valley. The Panthers moved to 10-10 on the season, getting a big third quarter team performance by Grace Donahue, Sierra Skoda and a triple from Marin Bowers. That combination allowed the Panthers to overcome a 15 point game from Eliana Marques.
• Executive Education moved within one victory of securing a district playoff berth, defeating Shalom Academy 43-30. Balance was the name of the game–Mariah Hargrove scored nine, Savannah Henry and Kendall Medina both scored seven, and six more came from Ashley Hunter-Ali. The Raptors put this one away in the fourth, outscoring Shalom 11-3.

Saturday, 1/31:

• Notre Dame Green Pond achieved its 1000th program victory by defeating Southern Lehigh 46-37. Ella Schweitzer scored 13 and Ava Shonk added 11 in the victory. For the Spartans, Sam Fontanez tried to lead her team back into the game, scoring 11 in the second quarter to help get Southern within seven at the break. You can read more about the milestone victory for the Crusaders in our article and on Dan DiEdwardo’s X account, which includes numerous interviews: @DanDiEdwardo1
• East Stroudsburg North will not go winless in the 2025-2026 season as they locked up a 43-30 win over Stroudsburg. Javonna Ponton led the Timberwolves with 17 points and another 15 came from Rianna Burgos. Both seniors came up huge in their penultimate home game.
• Schuylkill Haven made it nine in a row as the Hurricanes blew by Panther Valley 53-34. Audrey Hutchinson threw down 20 points and McKenna Runkle dropped in 18. Kylie Sikert hit three from downtown for nine points. Haven moved to 17-4 and remains neck and neck with Green Pond for the top slot in 3A.
• Palmerton picked up a big non-conference win over 6A Northampton 40-24. Cate Morgan sank three treys as part of her 15 point effort. Hailey Barry added nine points. Emma Rex had 12. In defeat, Isabelle Pecuch scored 11. The Bombers finish up this week with Northern Lehigh and then will await to see where the chips fall as far as their conference tournament and district playoff seedings.
• Salisbury concluded its season with a narrow victory over Pen Argyl 33-31. Kendra Morgan went out on a high note, scoring ten points, days after reaching her 1,000th point milestone. The future looks bright for the Falcons, as sophomore Roxana Cardenas dropped in 18 and banged home five 3-pointers. In defeat, Gianna Martini scored 16.
• Blue Mountain fell in non-conference action to Governor Mifflin 60-50. The Eagles trailed 37-21 at the half and despite the best efforts of Delaney Walborn with three triples in the third quarter, it would not be enough. Mila Fleagle scored 18 and Hailey Place put up 13. The Mustangs had three players reach double figures.
• Wilkes-Barre Area took it to East Stroudsburg South in non-conference action 52-23. Standout Jaida Underwood dropped twenty points. The Wolfpack hit eight 3-pointers along the way. Brianna Rasmussen led the Cavaliers with six points.
• Dieruff took care of rival Allen 58-26. Jayla Rosario was on fire once again, putting down 23 points. Aniya Holder was again in double figures with 12. The Huskies came out hitting hard, burying the Canaries 24-3 in the first quarter. The Huskies now await the final standings in the EPC to see if they will make that tournament before they go to districts.
• A phenomenal second half pushed Easton past Spring-Ford 46-33. Ava Muhammed led all scorers with 19 points, hitting once from behind the arc and all six of her free throws. Gabby Wismer reached double figures with 11 points. The Rovers outscored Spring-Ford 27-13 in the second half after the teams had been tied at 19 all. Easton is one Monday night victory over Bethlehem Catholic from locking up the top seed in the EPC tournament.
• An 18-0 first quarter put Executive Education in the driver’s seat to clinch a district playoff berth in a 51-22 victory over Lincoln Leadership. Alyana Riddick was key early, scoring nine of her 13 points in the first half. Sophomore Nia Bush added 12 more. With five games yet to play, the Raptors could continue their march up the 3A power rankings.

Sunday, 2/1:

• At the Hoop Group showcase, Parkland took down Dieruff 68-39. Aneri McGalla hit four first half treys as part of her 16 point afternoon. Addi Fritzinger dropped in two more from range in the first quarter as part of the 3-point blitz and finished with 12 points. Jayla Rosario put up 13 in the loss and Justyce McChristian had ten.