Central Bucks South's Tyler Meinel making people notice his game

Central Bucks South's Tyler Meinel thinks about one thing, improving. It doesn't matter if the 6-foot-4 junior is going up for a rebound or running a fast break, his thought is completing the task better than he did before.

"I'm just out here trying to do what I can to help us win," Meinel said. "I want to improve. I want to do anything I can to help us win. It means a lot to me,"

When Meinel is flowing, and he was purring pretty well last week to help the Titans (3-6) defeat Pennsbury, 61-55, he makes a difference on the court. He collected 17 points and seven rebounds against the Falcons (5-2).

"That's Tyler," said CB South head coach Jason Campbell. "He goes into a game with the idea of doing his best and looking for a win. He looks to make a difference and usually does.

"What he likes to do is get in there and help out. Whether we need a big bucket or a big rebound, even an assist, he's there making the play that we need."

Meinel was a surprise All-Suburban One pick last year. His play as a sophomore was inspiring for the Titans.

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"He's a big part of this team" said senior forward Joe Rooney. "Tyler's play is a major reason why we're able to compete."

As far as colleges are concerned, Meinel knows schools are watching him.

"I'm going out playing the best I can," Meinel said. "I'm think positively about my game and the team."

Bensalem seniors leaving their mark on program

“This one’s for you.”

That was coach Steve Johnson’s message to his three seniors after Bensalem’s come-from-behind 49-45 win at North Penn last Tuesday.

“It’s their last year – I’ll be here for a while, our freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be here, but Delaney (Bell), Maddie (MacDougall) and Erin (Devlin) won’t be here, so getting a win for them is what we do it for,” Johnson said.

The Owls lost two of their top six players – sophomore Mackenzie Kramer and junior Kylie Smith – to injuries, and they had dropped five straight heading into the contest.

“That takes a toll on the girls,” Johnson said. “They come to practice every day and not seeing them out there is tough. You lose five straight – you don’t want to practice.”

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They might not want to practice, but they certainly wanted to play, and when it mattered most, the three seniors delivered. MacDougall buried a 3 that gave the Owls a lead they would not lose with three minutes remaining, and Devlin drew a key charge in the fourth quarter. Bell scored seven of her 14 points in the final quarter, including a putback of her own miss in traffic that knotted the score midway through the final period.

“It just came down to heart and really wanting to win because you want to finish on top,” Bell said. “I wasn’t going to let anybody get in my way.”

The win at North Penn marked the beginning of a 3-0 week for the Owls, who moved into the District One 6A playoff picture.

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“We want to leave a mark at this school and on the underclassmen, so they have something to work for when we leave,” MacDougall said.

An underclassman, sophomore Amber Howard, is having a breakout season and averaged close to 20 points in the three wins, but without the contributions of the seniors, those wins don’t happen.

— Mary Jane Souder

Neshaminy Reese Zemitis lives up to expectations

Reese Zemitis burst onto the scene as a freshman wearing the ‘can’t miss’ label.

One year later, the Neshaminy sophomore is living up to that billing, but there’s no denying the pressure that comes with lofty expectations.

“I feel like every game there’s some sort of pressure on me, but I have to go into games not thinking about it – I just have to go out and play my game,” Zemitis said. “Not every game is going to go your way, and (I’m) not going to knock down every shot, but it’s how you make up for it. If I’m not knocking down my shots, my hope is to make it up on defense.”

A first team All-SOL Patriot selection as a freshman, Zemitis is coming off a Player of the Game recognition at Sunday’s Hoops for Hope Classic at Cabrini University. The 6-0 Division I recruit dominated the paint, scoring 17 points and pulling down 16 rebounds in a 65-60 overtime win over West Chester Rustin.

“She has really big shoulders,” Neshaminy coach John Gallagher said. “When I talk to college coaches about her, I say, ‘Let Reese call you’ because she conducts herself on the phone just crazy good. She just turned 16, and she was talking to college coaches at 15. Every one of the coaches that she talks to comes back and says, ‘Oh wow...’

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“She might be a better person than player. She’s mature beyond her years. I’ve known her since the end of seventh grade, and she’s always been like that. It’s a compliment to her parents that she’s well rounded. She knows (the college choice) is a big decision, but it doesn’t consume her.”

Last week, Zemitis received an offer from St. Joseph’s University and already has an offer from Drexel on the table. She hopes to make a decision her junior year but has not put a deadline on the process.

“I’m still really young,” Zemitis said. “I’m hoping to see how much more I can improve and make my decision from there.”

— Mary Jane Souder

Solebury's Thierry Lokrou creating interest

Some players just make their teams better. Solebury School senior forward Thierry Lokrou was Exhibit A last week.

Lokrou scored 12 points in the first quarter, added 8 more in the second quarter and sparked his team to an 82-53 win over visiting Mastery Camden in a Penn-Jersey League game. Lokrou, who is getting looks from NCAA Division II and Division III teams, finished the game with 31 points and helped the Spartans improve their record to 10-4.

With Solebury holding a 7-4 lead in the opening quarter, Lokrou scored 9 points during an 11-2 scoring run that put the Spartans up, 18-6. During that run, Lokrou nailed a three pointer, converted a dunk, went in for a layup, a capped it with a steal and another layup. He closed out the quarter with a three ball from the top of the key to boost Solebury to a 23-8 advantage.

“He’s really tough,” Spartans coach Cleve Christy said after winning his 531st game in his 39th season at Solebury. “He plays much bigger than he is. He’s 6-3, but he plays like he’s about 6-6. He gives us an inside and an outside presence and the kids respond to him. If he’s going well, the whole team goes well.” Lokrou sees it differently. “I feel like if one of my teammates gets a bucket or gets a good defensive stop, I feel like that brings the energy that I need to go off on the offensive end.”

That explains a lot since the Spartans defense was exceptional. They held the Warriors (6-6) to 11 points in the second quarter and a mere three pointer in the third. His three pointer with 5 minutes, 44 seconds left in the third quarter gave Solebury a 62-22 lead and triggered the rarely seen mercy rule. So no matter who sparks who, the Spartans are getting the job done.

“We basically just all feed off each other,” Lokrou said. “We’re very close, a very close team.”

— Joe Fite

Campione sets Pennridge school record

Matt Campione erupted for 42 points, setting a new single-game scoring record for Pennridge, on Wednesday night. The junior entered the fourth quarter with a respectable 25 points, before dropping 17 more in the final frame, leading the Rams to a 80-59 win against Truman.

Campione connected on seven 3-pointers on his way to the record books, breaking the school’s previous record of 39 points, set in 2012.

Top performers

Aaron Sanders, Bensalem: Sank eight 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 31 points for the Owls in an offensive explosion against Wissahickon (81-60). The Owls drained 16 3-pointers in the win, setting a new team record.

Tyriq Toney-Bailey, Central Bucks East: Scored a career-high 30 points in the Patriots' win over Harry S. Truman on Tuesday (78-52). The senior sank six 3-pointers to help the Patriots’ end a four-game losing streak.

Ethan Flail, Harry S. Truman: Netted a game-high 32 points for the Tigers in a loss to CB East on Tuesday (78-53).

Nate Townsend, Neshaminy: He connected on the second of two foul shots with eight seconds remaining Monday, breaking a 37-37 tie as Neshaminy defeated Spring-Ford 38-37.

Amber Howard, Bensalem: She dropped 20 points, alongside seven rebounds and nine assists, as the Owls outscored Pennridge 20-4 in the fourth quarter for the comeback victory (50-40) on Thursday. Howard had another 20-point game in Saturday’s win against Wissahickon (47-34), while also recording a career-high 16 rebounds.

Anna Barry, Central Bucks East: Erupted for 26 points in the Patriots win against St. Huberts (60-22).

Karissa Smedley, Council Rock South: Contributed 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals in the Golden Hawks’ win over New Hope-Solebury (74-70). Freshman Cam Gregory scored 23 points, including five 3-pointers.

Emily Thomas, Hatboro-Horsham: Posted a game-high 23 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Hatters in a non-league loss to Unionville on Thursday (60-50).

Caleigh Sperling, North Penn: Led the way with 18 points as the Knights knocked off PCL powerhouse Lansdale Catholic (64-55) on Saturday.

Anna Croyle, Pennridge: Scored 19 points to lead the Rams back from a nine-point first-quarter deficit in Tuesday’s win against Council Rock South

Melissa Hanejko contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Central Bucks South's Tyler Meinel's basketball game getting attention