Here's our players to watch and previews for Girls Basketball SOL Tournament. Vote now
The Suburban One League Tournament starts Friday, with eight of the top teams in the league battling it out for the SOL Championship. Check out the impact players to watch and first-round matchups, plus make your pick for who will win the championship in our poll.
Which teams are competing in the Suburban One League Tournament?
Eight teams compete in the tournament, comprised of the four division winners and the four highest-ranked teams in the district standings. Six Courier/Intell teams made the tournament.
Patriot Division: Neshaminy won the title for the second straight season.
Colonial Division: North Penn won the division championship for the first time since 2017.
Liberty Division: Upper Dublin won the title outright for the first time since 2016.
Freedom Division: Lower Moreland won the Freedom title for the first time.
Teams based on District One standings: CB East, Abington, Pennsbury, Bensalem
Which team will win the tournament? Make your pick here!
Players to Watch: Scoring Stars
Caleigh Sperling, North Penn
Sperling, one of the league’s leading scorers, is averaging 17 points per game for the 20-2 Knights. She has seven games of scoring 20 or more points.
Reese Zemitis, Neshaminy
Neshaminy’s all-time leading scorer (as of last week) is averaging 19 points per game and has scored in double digits in 21 of 22 games, with seven of 20-or-more points. Zemitis is one of most-feared scoring threats in the league, but she is also a double-double threat every night and a fine free-throw shooter.
Anna Barry, CB East
The Patriots have been successful with a balanced scoring effort this season, but when they need a big game, they look to Barry. She leads the team in scoring, and has five games of 20 or more points.
Sofia Vitucci, Pennsbury
The senior is the Falcons’ offensive catalyst, averaging over 18 points per game, and can take over a game at any moment. She is also adept at hitting late-game free throws, and is one of team’s top rebounders.
Amber Howard, Bensalem
The 6-foot-2 guard averages 17 points per game, which includes a midseason stretch where she scored 20 or more points in six of eight games, igniting the Owls, who started the season 4-4 but went 11-2 the rest of the way.
Players to Watch: Do-It-All Players
They might not be the leading scorer on their teams, but these players do a bit of everything — play solid offense and defense, and, most importantly, secure wins.
Piper McGinley, Abington
McGinley has always been known for her defense, but she has been one of the Ghosts’ leading scorers this year as well. A guard who can defend the post, McGinley really increased her scoring down the stretch, averaging over 11 points in her last seven games. In addition, she has been averaging nearly 10 rebounds per game, and has had multiple games with 10 assists.
Layla Matthias, Pennsbury
The senior recorded her 500th career rebound in the Falcons’ final regular season game, and she is a force on both sides of the court, highlighted by her 14 offensive rebounds in a win against CB South. In addition, her speed and athleticism are major assets to the Falcons, and she regularly has five or six steals in a game.
Talia DiMichele, Bensalem
The junior gives the Owls a consistent secondary scoring threat behind Amber Howard, and more importantly, her facilitation is top-notch. One of the most skilled passers in the league this year, DiMichele had a career-high 10 assists in January, and she has dished game-winning or game-tying assists to Howard in multiple games.
Lola Ibarrondo, Pennsbury
She isn’t known for her scoring, despite the fact that she scored her 1,000th career point this season. And that’s because she does so much more than score for the Falcons. Quick and fearless, Ibarrondo can generate fast break points with a steal, or win in a fight for a rebound over a bigger player.
Players to Watch: Defensive Masterminds
Chantel Van Dongeran, CB East
The senior takes the non-glamorous position of guarding opposing teams’ top players, and her defense has been a major factor for the Patriots, who have given up more than 50 points just twice this season, and held opponents to under 40 points in 12 games.
Sarah Oleary, Abington
Oleary’s ability to disrupt opposing offenses creates many scoring opportunities for her teammates. Her defense has helped the Ghosts hold opponents to an average of 42 points per game, down from 47 last season. Her forced turnovers benefit her and her teammates.
Alena Cofield, Neshaminy
The junior is Neshaminy’s top defender on the perimeter, and leads the team in steals and deflections. Despite being one of the smallest players on the team, she is usually tasked with defending the tallest players on opposing teams. She can also sink a 3-pointer when needed.
Players to Watch: Youth Infusion
Lily Brown, North Penn
The freshman forward provided an immediate spark off the bench to start the season, and she has scored 10 or more points in six games this season, and is one of the Knights’ most adept rebounders.
Mikiaya Durham, Abington
The sophomore guard leads the Ghosts in scoring with 13 points per game.
Joely Hohman, Pennsbury
The freshman guard is a solid shooter and has quickly earned the trust of her coach and teammates. She’s had several big games for Falcons, helping secure a comeback win against CB South when she scored five points in the fourth quarter.
Grace Weyler, Neshaminy
The freshman steadily earned more playing time through the season as she solidified her defense. Adept from the free-throw line and beyond the arc, she leads the team in 3-point shooting percentage.
First-round matchups (all games on Friday at 7 p.m.)
No. 8 Bensalem at No. 1 Upper Dublin
The two teams didn’t meet in the regular season, but the Owls will have their work cut out for them against 21-1 Upper Dublin. UD’s only loss was against the Inter-Ac’s Notre Dame.
Final Score: Upper Dublin 61, Bensalem 41
No. 7 Pennsbury at No. 2 North Penn
North Penn defeated Pennsbury 62 51 in December, led by Caleigh Sperling’s 15 points. Daniella McDonald also had 15 points for the Falcons.
Final Score: North Penn 48, Pennsbury 42
No. 6 Abington at No. 3 Neshaminy
The two teams didn’t meet in the regular season. Abington is one of the highest-scoring teams in the league, averaging 59 points per game, with 10 games of over 60 points, including a season-high of 87 against Springfield. Meanwhile, Neshaminy’s defense allows just 37 points per game.
Final Score: Neshaminy 63, Abington 45
No. 5 CB East at No. 4 Lower Moreland
Lower Moreland is the lone Class 5A team in the tournament, with several of its 15 wins coming against smaller schools. CB East will look to get back on track after finishing the regular season with three losses in its last four games.
Final Score: CB East 55, Lower Moreland 39
Fun Fact:
Neither of last year’s finals teams, Plymouth Whitemarsh and Souderton, made the tournament this season. PW defeated Souderton in OT to win the title.
Girls Basketball Milestone Tracker Bucks County players breaking records and more
Semifinal games are Saturday, Feb. 10, and the championship is Tuesday, Feb. 13.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: High School Basketball: Suburban One League Girls Tournament Preview
