Womhoops Guru

Mel Greenberg covered college and professional women’s basketball for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he worked for 40 plus years. Greenberg pioneered national coverage of the game, including the original Top 25 women's college poll. His knowledge has earned him nicknames such as "The Guru" and "The Godfather," as well as induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Guru's Philly Summer League Roundup: Lime Green Claims Top Spot -- Gold's Prim Hits 30s Again

(Guru's note: The Tuesday report is broken into two posts so the playoff situation can be addressed separately from the roundup. The standings are in that post. It is just below this one. If you happened to get here by being in melgreenerg,com, simply click on the mel's blog panel on the left and you will get to the full blogspot archive to scroll under the post.)

By Mel Greenberg

HATBORO, Pa. --
One night remains in the regular season following Tuesday's action here in the Philadelphia/Suburban Women's NCAA Summer Basketball League with four teams chasing the final two playoff slots after six were locked up in the Kelly Bolish Gymnasium, home of the AAU Renegades, though seed positions are still being contested except at the top three positions.

Defending champion Lime Green (10-0) remained unbeaten and clinched the No. 1 seed with a 75.59 win over Vegas Gold (4-6), which is stuck in a three-way tie for sixth in the 12-team league along with Ash Gray (4-6) and Purple (4-6) just a game ahead of ninth-place Kelly Green (3-7).

Lime Green got a 20-point performance from 2010 Saint Bonaventure graduate Dana Mitchell, the second time she hit the baskets with that number. Once again the recent graduate tandem of former Saint Joseph's star Katie Kuester (15 points) and former Villanova standout Megan Pearson (13 points) put up double-digit numbers for the champs.

Vegas Gold, which is really the Division II West Chester group, got 15 points from incoming senior Megan Kerrigan and the same total from sophomore Kendall Benovy, while junior Brittany Powell scored 11 points.

The Golden Rams compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Eastern Division in the wnter.

Individual performances across all teams in the three double-headers were highlighted by Saint Joseph's senior Ashley Prim scoring 31 points, one more than the league high for the season she set Tuesday night, though her Gold team (0-10) had a rally fall short to second place Black (9-1), which held on for an 80-77 victory and clinched the second seed behind Lime Green.

Villanova sophomore Emily Leer scored 17 points for Black, while Kerry Kinek, an incoming Lehigh freshman, scored 16 points, recent Bethune Cookman grad Jasmine Elum scored 10 points, and Alex Smith, a junior at Holy Cross, scored nine points, one more than the eight registered from Kutztown senior Ashley Wood, whose father Keith coaches the squad.

Gold also got another high scoring performance from Saint Joseph's freshman Jordan Strode, who had 29 and was 5-for-5 from the foul line.

Seven players in the six games scored 20 or more points, including Saint Joseph's junior Erin Shields, who exploded for 27 for third place Hunter Green (8-2), which will be the third seed in the playoffs and slid past Royal Blue 79-72 in one of the tighter contests.

The game involved two of the top six teams in the standings, making Royal Blue (6-4) the only one in the upper group to suffer as loss.

Royal Blue is really Division II Holy Family, which is currently tied with Cardinal Red (6-4) for fourth place and holds the tiebreaker if they finish that way off a head-to-head win.

However, mathematically, fifth-place Orange (5-5), which is really Division II Philadelphia University, can finish in a three-way tie for fourth if the Rams upset Hunter Green Thursday night and Royal Blue loses to Purple and Cardinal Red loses to 11th-place Columbia Blue (1-9).

In a three-way tie for fourth, which means Orange would be upsetting Hunter Green Thursday night, Orange would get the fourth seed because of that win as explained in all the tiebreaking scenarios below.

In Hunter Green's win, Shields and Andrews were aided by recent Division III Swarthmore graduate Kathryn Stockbower, the all-time career double double leader in Division III who scored 11 points.

Stockbower's college eligibility expired a year ago.

Sarah Fairbanks, yet another Saint Joseph's incoming freshman, scored 10 points.

It could be the way the Hawks are playing in the league, despite losses suffered from graduation, Saint Joseph's could make noise this winter competing in the Atlantic 10 conference.

Holy Family senior Maggie Serratelli had 21 points for Royal Blue, while Tigers senior Ana Cruz matched several previous others hitting five three-pointers on the way to 19 points. Sarah Listenbee, a freshman this fall with the Tigers, scored 12 points.

Royal Blue, off a head-to-head win, would get the fourth seed in a two-way tie with Cardinal Red (6-4) off the head-to-head win.

Cardinal Red stayed in the top half of the pack with an easy 82-54 win over Columbia Blue (1-9), which has been eliminated.

Ashley Morris, the former Central High star who also was a standout at Temple before her 2008 graduation, scored 21 points in the Cardinal Red win. Lakia Stewart, who graduated Kent State in 2007, scored 16 points, while Lafayette sophomore Emily Homan scored 12 points, 2011 Georgia Tech graduate Deja Foster scored 10 points, ahead of eight from Assumption College junior Jamie Insel, and seven from Lafayette junior Kelly Loughney.

Shira Newman, a senior at Millersville, scored 17 for Columbia Blue, while Alyssa Isler, Gettysburg junior, scored 12, and Bloomsburg senior Danielle Derr scored nine points.

Orange (5-5) grabbed sole possession of sixth place with a 76-43 win over Kelly Green (3-7), composed of Division II University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) and a rival of the Orange squad in the winter along with the Royal Blue Holy Famly bunch in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

Monica Schacker, a Rams sophomore, scored 14 points for Orange, Taylor Peltzer, a senior co-captain, scored 12, while sophomore Bria Young scored nine points and junior Samantha Morris scored nine eight points.

The loss pretty much dealt a blow to Kelly Green's playoff hopes because even if they landed in the top eight with a tie, there's nothing in its favor to break the deadlock in its direction.

Brianne Traub, a 2017 targeted graduate under USP's work/study program, scored 13 points for Kelly Green, Devils senior Elsebeth Birman had 10, and freshman Amber Reiley scored eight points.

In the only other game of the night, in one of the closely-fought contests Purple (4-6) got to the three-way tie for seventh with a 50-46 win over Ash Gray (4-6), also part of that deadlock, as Lehigh junior Marisa Repasch scored 10 points, former Princeton star Addie Micir, a 2011 graduate of the three-time defending Ivy champions, scored nine points, Ryan Fiascki, an East Stroudsburg sophomore, scored 8, as did Lehigh senior Becky Guman, while East Stroudsburg freshman Helena Gemmell scored seven points.

Ash Gray got 10 points from Chestnut Hill senior Lindsay Alexander, nine from Chestnut Hill's Da'Kiya Johnson, a transfer from Santa Monica College in California returning near her Delaware home, and eight from Lila Jones, a Chestnut Hill sophomore.

Class designations refer to this fall when the players return to their respective schools for the 2012-13 season.

Under NCAA rules concerning sanctioned summer leagues, only two teammates from the same Division I school can play together, except incoming freshmen can be added to the limit.

However, entire Division II and Division III teams can play together. There are four such squads in the local competition, and all are Division II outfits as mentioned above in the report of Tuesday results.

Admission is free to the league competition, which occurs Tuesday and Thursday nights through the end of the month before the top eight finishers will battle in the playoffs that include one-and-done formats in the quarterfinals and semifinals and a best-of-three duel in the championship series.

The gym is located in the Willow Grove Industrial Commons business park at the end of Turnpike Drive, which begins at Davisville Road, about a mile below the Davisville &Byberry Roads intersection and also not far from the Route 611 exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Doubleheaders on game nights occur on three courts with the openers tipping off at 7 p.m. and the nightcaps, barring overtime, getting under way at 8:15 p.m.

There is also a concession stand with reasonably priced items and the offerings include hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas, juices, bottled water, Italian water ice, potato chips and other foods.

If you want to see all the rosters, there has been one small affiliation adjustment since then, in this blog site, go to last month's post and in early June you will see a Guru's guide to the league.

Average Scores To Date (10 Games Through Tuesday, July 24)

Lime Green (10-0) 75.5-48.9 Differential (approx. round nos.) 26.5 pts.
Black (9-1) 70.6-54.7 Differential 16 pts.
Hunter Green (8-2) 69.3-67.2 Differential 2.0 pts.
fl-Cardinal Red (6-4) 67.3-54.2 Differential 13.0 pts.
Vegas Gold (4-6) 61.1-67.4 Differental -6.0 pts.
Columbia Blue (1-9) 60.3-58.5 Differental 1.5 pts.
Purple (4-6) 56.8-66.0 Differental -10.0 pts.
Orange (5-5) 58.2-55.7 Differental 2.5 pts.
Royal Blue (6-4) 56.7-55.2 Differental 1.5 pts.
Ash Gray (4-6) 53.7-58.5 Differental -5.0 pts.
fw-Kelly Green (3-7) 48.1-57.3 Differental -9.0 pts.
Gold (0-10) 50.4-71.4 Differential -21.0 pts.
fw: includes 2-0 forfeit win; fl ; includes 0-2 forfeit loss.

Top Individual Performers (20 or more pts)
(36 performances, 26 individuals to date)

Tues., July 24: Ashley Prim, Gold 31 pts., vs. Black.
Thurs., July 19: Ashley Prim, Gold, 30 pts., vs. Hunter Green.
Thurs., June 28: Taylor Bryant, Columbia Blue, 29 pts., vs. Lime Green.
Tues., July 17: Ashley Morris, Cardinal Red, 29 pts., vs. Gold.
Tues., July 24: Jordan Strode, Gold, 29 pts., vs. Black.
Tues., July 24: Erin Shields, Hunter Green, 27 pts., vs. Royal Blue.
Tues., June 26: Katie Kuester, Lime Green, 26 pts., vs. Orange.
Thurs., June 28: Erin Shields, Hunter Green, 25 pts., vs. Cardinal Red.
Thurs., July 19, Shelby Smith, Hunter Green 24 pts., vs. Gold.
Tues., June 19: Lakia Stewart, Card. Red, 23 pts. vs. Vegas Gold.
Tues., June 26: Marisa Repasch, Purple, 23 pts., vs. Kelly Green.
Tues., July 26: Erin Mann, Royal Blue, 23 pts., vs. Vegas Gold.
Tues., July 10: Alex Wheatley, Columbia Blue, 22 pts., vs. Royal Blue.
Thurs., June 21: Noelle Alicea, Gold, 21 pts. vs. Columbia Blue.
Tues., June 26: Emily Leer, Black, 21 pts., vs. Vegas Gold.
Thur., June 28: Ciara Andrews, Hunter Green, 21 pts., vs. Cardinal Red.
Thurs., July 5: Stephanie Keyes, Vegas Gold, 21 pts., vs. Ash Gray.
Tues., July 17: Paige Elliott, Vegas Gold, 21 pts., vs. Purple.
Tues., July 17: Marisa Repasch, Purple, 21 pts., vs. Vegas Gold.
Thurs., July 19: Jordan Strode, Gold, 21 pts., vs. Hunter Green.
Tues., July 24: Ashley Morris, Cardinal Red, 21 pts.,vs. Columbia Blue.
Tues., July 24: Ciara Andrews, Hunter Green, 21 pts., vs. Royal Blue.
Tues., July 24: Maggie Serratelli, Royal Blue, 21 pts., vs. Hunter Green.
Tues., June 19: Kendall Benovy, Vegas Gold, 20 pts., vs. Cardinal Red.
Tues., June 19: Jessica Sylvester, Kelly Green, 20 pts., vs. Hunter Green.
Thurs., June 21: Tiffany Johnson, Vegas Gold, 20 pts., vs. Hunter Green.
Tues., June 26: Alex Wheatley, Columbia Blue, 20 pts., vs. Hunter Green.
Tues., June 26: Ashley Morris, Cardinal Red, 20 pts., vs. Ash Gray.
Thurs., June 28: Trish Watson, Purple, 20 points, vs. Gold.
Thurs., July 5: Alexandra Yantzi, Gold, 20 points, vs. Kelly.
Thurs., July 5: Trish Watson, Purple, 20 points, vs. Columbia Blue.
Thurs., July 5: Taylor Bryant, Columbia Blue, 20 points, vs. Purple.
Thurs., July 12: Alyssa Islar, Columbia Blue, 20 points, vs. Vegas Gold.
Thurs., July 12: Kendall Burton, Purple, 20 points vs. Hunter Green.
Tues., July 17: Dana Mitchell, Lime Green, 20 points vs. Black.
Tues., July 24: Dana Mitchell, Lime Green, 20 points vs. Vegas Gold.

Individual Highs and Lows
Highest total points top scorer on winning team: Ashley Morris, 29 pts. (Tues., July 17, Cardinal Red 94, Gold 53.)
Lowest total points top scorer on winning team: Kerry Kinek, 10 pts. (Tues., June 19: Black 66, Columbia Blue 59); Marisa Repasch, 10 pts. (Tues., July 24: Purple 50, Ash Gray 46.
Highest total points top scorer on losing team: Ashley Prim, 31 pts. (Tues., July 24: Black 80, Gold 77.)
Lowest total points top scorer on losing team: Lindsay Alexander, 6 pts. (Thurs., June 28: Royal Bue 52, Ash Gray 29).

Results To Date
Playoffs
Thurs., Aug. 1
Semifinals
7 p.m. Highest Seed Survivor vs. Lowest Seed Survivor
8:15 p.m. Other Two Surviving Seeds

Tues., July 31
Quarterfinals

Eighth seed vs. No. 1 Lime Green, 7 p.m., Court 1
Seventh seed vs. No. 2 Black, 8:15 p.m., Court 1
Sixth seed vs. No. 3 Hunter Green, 7 p.m., Court 2
Fifth seed vs. Sixth seed, 8:15 p.m., Court 2

Thurs., July 26
Regular Season Ends

Hunter Green vs. Orange
Kelly Green vs. Columbia Blue
Vegas Gold vs. Gold
Lime Green vs. Ash Gray
Royal Blue vs. Purple
Black vs. Cardinal Red

Tues., July 24
Orange 76, Kelly Green 43
Lime Green 75, Vegas Gold 59
Purple 50, Ash Gray 46
Black 80, Gold 77
Cardinal Red 82, Columbia Blue 54
Hunter Green 79, Royal Blue 72

Thurs., July 19
Ash Gray 66, Columbia Blue 58
Hunter Green 88, Gold 77
Kelly Green 2, Cardinal Red 0, Forfeit
Black 62, Orange 49
Lime Green 92, Purple 41
Royal Blue 62, Vegas Gold 47

Tues., July 17
Lime Green 76, Black 57
Cardinal Red 94, God 53
Hunter Green 62, Ash Gray 47
Vegas Gold 68, Purple 50
Royal Blue 53, Kelly Green 44
Orange 69, Columbia Blue 68, ovt.

Thurs., July 12
Royal Blue 67, Cardinal Red 56
Orange 52, Gold 49
Lime Green 74, Kelly Green 36
Hunter Green 61, Purple 60
Vegas Gold 68, Columbia Blue 59
Black 77, Ash Gray 52

Tuesday, July 10
Black 85, Hunter Green 57
Orange 67, Ash Gray 46
Royal Blue 60, Columbia Blue 59
Cardinal Red 81, Purple 57
Lime Green 67, Gold 31
Vegas Gold 66, Kelly Green 55

Thurs., July 5
Ash Gray 71, Vegas Gold 61
Black 80, Royal Blue 53
Purple 78, Columbia Blue 64
Cardinal Red 69, Orange 53
Kelly Green 60, Gold 52
Lime Green 62, Hunter Green 46

Tues., July 3
No Games Schedule

Thurs., June 28
Purple 82, Gold 47
Black 60, Kelly Green 44
Hunter Green 76, Cardinal Red 72
Lime Green 75, Columbia Blue 62
Royal Blue 52, Ash Gray 29
Vegas Gold 69, Orange 53

Tues., June 26
Hunter Green 74, Columbia Blue 63
Black 84, Vegas Gold 47
Cardinal Red 73, Ash Gray 47
Royal Blue 65, Gold 32
Lime Green 87, Orange 58
Kelly Green 85, Purple 59

Thurs., June 21
Ash Gray 64, Kelly Green 46
Lime Green 75, Cardinal Red 62
Black 55, Purple 33
Columbia Blue 57, Gold 47
Hunter Green 81, Vegas Gold 68
Orange 54, Royal Blue 46

Tues., June 19
Hunter Green 69, Kelly Green 66
Purple 58, Orange 51
Lime Green 72, Royal Blue 37
Cardinal Red 84, Vegas Gold 58
Black 66, Columbia Blue 59
Ash Gray 69, Gold 39

Teams Highs And Lows
Highest winning total points: Lime Green 92, Purple 41 -- 7/19.
Lowest winning total points : Purple 50, Ash Gray 46 -- 7/24.
Highest losing total points: Hunter Green 88, Gold 77 -- 7/19.
Black 80, Gold 77 -- 7/24.
Lowest losing total points: Royal Blue 52, Ash Gray 29 -- 6/28
Highest differential (51 pts.): Cardinal Red 94, Gold 53 -- 7/17
Lime Green 92, Purple 41 -- 7/19
Lowest differential (1 point): Royal Blue 60, Columbia blue 59 -- 7/10;
Hunter Green 61, Purple 60 -- 7/12.
Orange 69, Columbia Blue 68, ovt. -- 7/17.

Grid Of Teams Against League

LG (10-0) vs. RB (W), CR (W), O (W), CB (W), HG (W), Gd (W), KG (W), B(W), P(W), VG(W).
BLK (9-1) vs. CB (W), P (W), VG (W), KG (W), RB (W), HG (W), AG (W), LG(L), O(W), G(W).
HG (8-2) vs. KG (W), VG (W), CB (W), CR (W), LG (L), Bk (L), P (W), AG(W), G(W), RB(W).
RB (6-4) vs. LG (L), O (L), Gd (W), AG (W), Blk (L), CB (W), *CR (W), KG(W), VG(W), HG(L).
CR (6-4) vs. VG (W), LG (L), AG (W), HG (L). O (W), P (W), *RB (L), G(W), KG(L), CB(W).
Or (5-5) vs. P (L), RB (W), LG (L), VG (L), CR(L), AG (W), G(W), CB(W). B(L), KG(W).
VG (4-6) vs. CR (L), HG (L), Bk (L), O (W), AG (L), KG (W), CB (W), P(W), RB(L), LG(L).
P (4-6) vs. O (W), Bk (L), KG (L), Gld (W), CB (W), CR (L), HG (L),VG(L), LG(L), AG(W).
AG (4-6) vs. Gd (W), KG (W), CR (L), RB (L), VG (W), Or (L), BK (L), H(L), CB(W), P(L).
KG (3-7) vs. H.G. (L), AG (L), P (W), Bk (L), Gd (W), VG (L), LG (L), RB(L), CR(W), Or(L).
C B (1-9) vs. Bk (L), Gd (W), HG (L), LG (L), P (L), RB (L), VG (L), O(L), (AG), CR(L).
Gld (0-10) vs. AG (L), CB (L), RB (L), P (L), KG (L), LG (L), O (L), CR(L), HG(L), Bk(L).

Division II Schools Competing As Whole Units

Kelly Green -- University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
Orange -- Philadelphia University
Royal Blue -- Holy Family
Vegas Gold -- West Chester

That's it.

-- Mel











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