The Guru Report: Black/Jefferson Stays Unbeaten, Clinches Top Seed in Philly/Suburban Women’s Summer League

By Bob Heller and Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

HATBORO, Pa. —  Knowing he had great talent but unsure how it might perform after an overall year of idleness due to the coronavirus, veteran D-2 Jefferson coach Tom Shirley was in the crowd Thursday night as his group that competes as Team Black turned aside its last big hurdle and stayed unbeaten with a 54-43 triumph over Kelly Green/ 54-43 to claim the  playoffs top seed with one regular season week remaining in the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades.

The win improved Jefferson to 6-0 in the eight-team league while the D-2 Kutztown group fell to 4-2 and third, which will be its seed when the quarterfinals begin Tuesday, August 3 at 6:30 p.m., with a pair of doubleheaders as the size of competition this summer allows all to take a shot in the postseason.

The semifinals will be held two nights later, Thursday, Aug. 5, and the championship a week later at 6:30 on Thursday, Aug. 12, concludes a successful return following the shutdown a year ago.

That will be the same night the WNBA returns from the Olympic break playing its first in-season Commissioner's Cup in Phoenix, Ariz., for bonus cash between Eastern Conference winning Connecticut Sun and Western qualifying  Seattle Storm.

The rest of the schedule resumes on the weekend.

Back here five seeds were determined out of the four games played.

Maroon/the D-2 USciences undergrads, improved to 5-1, a game behind Black, off a 58-52 win over Orange (2-4) its winter rival in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

The Devils finish next week playing another CACC rival Sky Blue/D-2 Holy Family (3-3) at 7:45 p.m. on Court 1.

The lopsided loss to Black, which meets Royal Blue/D-3 Ursinus (1-5) in the other late game on Court 2, prevents Maroon from the top seed even if they finish in a tie if Black is upset.

Royal Blue’s 83-44 wipeout by Sky Blue locks the team into seventh, holding the potential head-to-head tiebreak over winless Red/D3-3 Arcadia, which fell 50-31 to the Pink/USciences Alums,(3-3).

Kelly Green (4-2), which plays Red (0-6) on Court 2 at 6:30 p.m., could tie Maroon for second with a win and Devils loss but the head-to-head loss prevents attaining the second seed.

At the moment involving the three remaining unknowns for the exact playoff seeds, Pink and Sky Blue are tied for fourth, Pink holding the seed off its head-to-head win, while Orange (2-4)  is alone in sixth.

With Orange and Pink going head-to-head next week, a Pink win clinches fourth, but should Orange win, a Sky Blue win gets fourth, and Orange gets fifth off the head-to-head.

But if Orange wins and Sky Blue loses, a three-way finish occurs for fourth, and a dilemma begins because each would be 1-1 killing the first tie-break and none has a best win against the top three.

Meanwhile, two players, one from each side in the same game, after no one reaching it a week ago, hit the nightly performance 20 points plus milestone with Monee Moore, a Holy Family junior out of Archbishop Ryan scoring 23 for the winners, which is second best on the summer, while 22 were registered by Dana Bandurick, matching a previous performance. 

The former Council Rock star is a Swarthmore junior following a transfer from Ursinus.

Now here’s Bob with the skinny from the previous four games. 

RECAPS

Black 54   Kelly   43

Team Black (Jefferson University) got off to a slow start against Team Kelly (Kutztown), playing from behind for much of the first two quarters before rallying to take a lead towards the end of the first half and maintain it en route to a 54-43 win.

Black remains undefeated (6-0) and clinches first place and the top seed in the upcoming playoffs with the win.  Kelly (4-2), despite the loss clinched the #3 seed for the playoffs which begin in two weeks.

Cassie Murphy led Black with 16 points while Sabria Lytes added 10.  Leah Johnson was the lone Kelly player to reach double figures, scoring 12 points.

Kelly scored eight of the first 11 points in the game, opening up an early five-point advantage.  

Black rallied to tie the game twice before a Johnson basket in the final seconds gave Kelly a 14-12 lead heading into the second quarter.

Annie Whalen’s two free throws midway through the quarter gave Kelly a 21-15 lead. A basket from Allie Warren and five straight points from Haley Meinel erased Kelly’s six-point advantage and gave Black their first lead of the game 23-22.  

Johnson’s bucket put Kelly back on top for the moment as Black closed out the half with seven straight points, completing a 14-2 run and taking a 29-23 lead at the break.

Black held Kelly without a field goal for the first 5:15 of the third quarter while extending their lead to nine 33-24. 

 Baskets by Abbie Goodrich and Whalen brought Kelly back within five 33-28 and Johnson later pulled Kelly within three 35-32.  Black scored six of the next eight points to lead 41-34 heading into the final quarter.

Murphy opened the fourth quarter with a pair of baskets, giving Black a double-digit lead 45-34.  

Black led by 12, 47-35 following Brigit Arcidiacono’s put-back before Kelly produced a 6-1 run to get back within striking distance 48-41 with just 2:37 left. 

Arcidiacono and Murphy scored following a timeout to again push the lead to double digits where it remained as Black earned a 54-43 win.

Maroon 58   Orange 52

Team Maroon (USciences) kept pace with Black, rallying from a double-digit second half deficit to defeat Team Orange (Chestnut Hill College) 58-52. 

Maroon improves to 5-1 and clinches the #2 seed for the upcoming league playoffs.  Orange falls to 2-4 and sixth.

Incoming USciences freshman Dayna Balasa led all scorers with 17 points (five three-pointers) while Jess Huber, a USciences senior chipped in 15 (11 in the second half). Lauren Crim led Orange with 12 points.

Orange scored the first seven points of the game before a Balasa three-ball put Maroon on the board. 

 Following a Morgan Sterner basket, Maroon closed out the quarter with an 8-3 run to pull within one 12-11.

Crim opened the second quarter with a three-pointer and Orange added another bucket to take a 17-11 lead.  

Juliana Gura added two straight baskets and Anna McTamney scored another to tie the game at 17-17.  Orange countered with an 11-3 uprising to take a 28-20 lead before another Balasa three-ball and a Taylor Hamm layup cut the Orange lead to 28-25 at halftime.

A 9-0 run by Orange to start the third quarter gave the Chestnut Hill squad their biggest lead 37-25, forcing the USciences squad to call a timeout.  Kerry Patterson gave Maroon their first points at the 4:55 mark starting a 12-6 run, highlighted by a pair of Balasa ‘threes’ and a basket as time was expiring, cutting Orange’s lead to six 43-37 heading into the final quarter.

Isla Brennan scored Maroon’s first eight points of the fourth quarter as Maroon pulled within two 47-45.  

Following a free throw by Emily Chmiel, Huber scored two straight baskets to give Maroon their first lead of the game 49-48 with 4:21 remaining. 

A basket from Hamm and a three-pointer from Huber completed a 9-0 run and increased the Maroon lead to six 54-48.  

Orange could only close within four on two occasions in the final three minutes.  Maroon held the ball for the final 1:30 (there’s no shot clock) and hung on for the 58-52 win.

 Pink 50    Red 31

Pink (USciences alums) earned their third win in league play with a 50-31 victory over winless Team Red (Arcadia University).

Pink improves to 3-3 and is tied for fourth place heading into the final week of regular season action.  Red falls to 0-6.

Jordan Vitelli led all scorers with 15 points. Sarah Abbonizio added 14 to help pace the Pink offense.  Jane Altemus led Red with seven points.

A low scoring first quarter allowed Red to lead for most of the ten-minute period before Pink took the lead 9-8 via a Vitelli bucket as the quarter ended. 

 Vitelli added a traditional three-point play to open the second quarter.  

Red’s Abbey Finkel added a pair of free throws before Pink opened up a double-digit lead with a 13-1 run, 25-11.  Highlighting the run was two baskets apiece from sister Natalie and Malia Kolb.   

 Brady Wassel’s basket as second quarter action wound down made the score 25-13 at halftime.

Another low scoring quarter resulted in just 13 points between the two squads as Pink slightly extended their lead, outscoring Red 7-6 to lead 32-19 heading into the final quarter.

Pink’s Natalie Kolb opened the fourth quarter with a three pointer, her third field goal of the game and Malia Kolb added her third basket of the game to push Pink’s lead to 18, 37-19. Red could only close within 14 as the quarter progressed as Pink maintained their double-digit lead en route to the 19-point win.

 Sky Blue 83 Royal Blue 44

Sky Blue (Holy Family University) placed six players in double figures as they recorded an 83-44 win over Royal Blue (Ursinus College) to move into a tie for fourth place as the league enters its final week of regular season.

Sky improves to 3-3 and is tied with Pink for fourth place.  Pink however holds the tiebreaker via their win over Sky last week on a buzzer beater from Pink’s Irisa Ye.  

Royal falls to 1-5 and is locked into seventh place.

Monee Moore led Sky with 23 points while Jessica Riepe added 16. 

 A quartet of Sky players also had ten points apiece:  Caitlyn Prevost; Dakota Schultice; Lindsey Tretter and Jada Saeger. 

  Dana Bandurick was the lone Royal player in double figures with 22 points.

Bandurick scored the first four points to give Royal an early lead before Sky got on the board with two three-pointers to take a 6-4 lead.  

Baskets by Schultice and Moore pushed the lead to 10-4 before Royal shaved a point off the lead to trail 17-12 after one period of play.

Charlotte DiLello’s basket for Royal tied the game at 17-17 before Sky exploded for a 13-0 run to take control of the game and a 30-17 lead, expanding it to 38-24 by halftime.

Sky outscored royal 21-7 in the third quarter and 24-13 in the fourth quarter to complete the 39-point win. Riepe had 13 of her 16 points in the second half while Saeger scored nine of her ten.  Bandurick scored 10 of Royal’s 20 second half points.

Standings

 

(Thru Week 6 Games Played Thursday, July 22)

 

Team        W  L  PCT.   GB    PF  PA

 

x-Black  6  0  1.000  —  375  247

Maroon 5  1 .833 1.0 319 291

Kelly  4  2  .667 2.0 384 301

Pink  3  3  .500 3.0 296 288

Sky Blue 3  3  .500 3.0  351 312

Orange  2  4   .333 4.0 286 332

Royal  1  5  .167 5.0 285 383

Red  0  6  .000  6.0  222 364

x-Clinched top seed

 

Players Scoring 20 or More Points

 

26-Leah Johnson, Kelly, W, vs. Royal, July 8

23-Monee Moore, Sky Blue, W, vs. Royal Blue, July 22

23-Anna McTamney, Maroon, W, vs. Kelly, July 1

22-Dana Bandurick, Royal Blue, L, vs. Sky Blue, July 22

22-Dana Bandurick, Royal, L, vs. Pink, June 17

21-Irisa Ye, W, vs. Sky Blue, July 8

21-Jordan Vitelli, Pink, L, vs. Black, July 1

20-Bridget Arcidiacono, Black, W, vs. Red, June 24

20-Taylor Hamm, Maroon, W, vs. Red, June 17

Phila/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League Schedule

 

Thursday, June 17

 

Results

 

Black (D2-Jefferson) 73, Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family)  49

Pink (D2 – USciences Alumnae) 64, Royal (D3-Ursinus) 55

Maroon (D2-USciences) 73, Red (D3-Arcadia) 32

Kelly (D2-Kutztown) 80, Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill) 42

 

Thursday, June 24

 

Maroon 38, Pink 32

Black 78, Red 44

Orange 53, Royal 44

 Kelly 60, Sky Blue 50

 

Thursday, July 1

 

Maroon 63, Kelly 60

Sky Blue 60, Orange 51

Royal 52, Red 37

Black 78, Red 44

 

Thursday, July 8

 

Kelly 85, Royal 40

Black 65, Maroon 26

Pink 51, Sky Blue 48

Orange 50, Red 45

 

Thursday, July 15

 

Sky Blue 61, Red 33

Kelly 56, Pink 52

Black 45, 38 Orange 

Maroon 61, Royal Blue 50

 

Thursday, July 22

 

Sky Blue 83, Royal 44

Maroon 58, Orange 52

Black 54, Kelly 43

Pink  50,  vs. Red 31

 

 Thursday, July 29

 

Regular Season Ends

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Pink (3-3) vs. Orange (2-4)

Court 2: Red (0-6) vs. Kelly (4-2)

 

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Sky Blue (3-3) vs. Maroon (5-1)

Court 2: Royal (1-5) vs. Black (6-0)

 

Tuesday, August 3

 

Playoffs Quarterfinals

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: 8th seed vs. 1st seed

Court 2: 6th seed vs. 3rd seed

 

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)Court 1: 7th seed vs. 2nd seed

Court 2: 5th seed vs. 4th seed

 

Thursday, August 5

 

Playoffs Semifinals

 

Early Game (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Highest Quarterfinal Survivor vs. Lowest Quarterfinal Survivor

 

Late Game (7:45 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Remaining Surviving Seeds

 

Thursday, August 12

 

Playoff Championship

 

Tipoff: 6:30 p.m.

 

Court 1 : Semifinal Winners

 

 Playoff Seed Tracker 

 

Black (6-0) vs. SB-W; vs. Rd-W; vs. Pk-W; vs. M-W; vs. O-W; vs. Ky-W; vs. Ry

 

Maroon (5-1) vs. Rd-W; vs. P-W; vs. Ky-W; vs. Bl-L; vs. Ry-W; vs. O-W;  vs. SB

 

Kelly (4-2) vs. O-W; vs. SB-W; vs. M-L; vs. Ry-W; vs. Pk-W; vs. Bl-L; vs. Rd

 

Pink (3-3) vs. Ry-W; vs. M-L; vs. Bl-L; vs. SB-W; vs. Ky-L; vs. Rd-W; vs. O

 

Sky Blue (3-3)  vs. Bl-L; vs. Ky-L: vs. O-W; vs. Pk-L; vs. Rd-W; vs, Ry-W; vs. M

 

Orange (2-4) vs. Ky-L; vs. Ry-W; vs. SB-L; vs. Rd-W; vs. Bl-L; vs. M-L; vs. Pk

 

Royal (1-5) vs. Pk-L; vs. O-L; vs. Rd-W; vs .Ky-L; vs. M-L; vs. SB-L; vs. Bl

 

Red (0-6) vs. M-L; vs. Bl-L; vs. Ry-L; vs. O-L; vs. SB-L; vs, Pk-L; vs, Ky

 

Codes: BL-Black; Ky-Kelly; M-Maroon; O-Orange; Pk-Pink; Rd-Red; Ry-Royal; SB-Sky Blue

 

Team By Team Regular Season Schedules/Results

 

Red (D3-Arcadia) 0-6

 

June 17: vs. Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads), L 32-73

June 24: vs. Black (D2-Jefferson 1-0), L 44-78

July 1: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus 0-2), L 37-52

July 8: vs. Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 1-2), L 45-50

July 15: vs. Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family 1-3), L 33-61

July 22: vs. Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae 2-3), L 31-50

July 29: vs. Kelly (D2-Kutztown (4-2), 6:30 p.m., Court 2

 

Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill) 2-4

 

June 17: vs. Kelly (D2-Kutztown), L 42-80

June 24: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus 0-1), W 53-44

July 1: vs. Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family 0-2), L 51-60

July 8: vs. Red (D3-Arcadia 0-3), W 50-45

July 15: vs. Black (D2-Jefferson 4-0), L 38-45

July 22: vs. Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads 4-1), L-52-58

July 29: vs. Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae 3-3), 6:30 p.m., Court 1

 

Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) 3-3

 

June 17: vs. Black (D2-Jefferson), L 49-73

June 24: vs. Kelly (D2-Kutztown 1-0), L 50-60

July 1: vs. Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 1-1), W 60-51

July 8: vs. Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae 1-2), L 48-51

July 15: vs. Red (D3-Arcadia 0-4), W 61-33

July 22: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus 1-4), W 83-44

July 29: vs. Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads (5-1), 7:45 p.m., Court 1

 

Black (D2-Jefferson) 6-0

 

June 17: vs. Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family), W 73-49

June 24: vs. Red (D3-Arcadia 0-1), W 78-44

July 1: vs. Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae 1-1), W 60-47

July 8: vs. Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads 3-0), W 65-26

July 15: vs. Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 2-2), W 45-38

July 22: vs. Kelly (D2-Kutztown 4-1), W-54-43

July 29: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus 1-5) , 7:45 p.m., Court 2

 

Kelly (D2-Kutztown) 4-2

 

June 17: vs. Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill), W 80-42

June 24: vs. Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family 0-1), W 60-50

July 1: vs. Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads 2-0), L 60-63

July 8: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus 1-2), W 85-40

July 15: vs. Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae 2-2), W 56-52

July 22: vs. Black (D2-Jefferson 5-0), L 43-54

July 29: vs. Red (D3-Arcadia 0-6), 6:30 p.m., Court 2

 

Royal (D3-Ursinus) 1-5

 

June 17: vs. Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae), L 55-64

June 24: vs. Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 1-0), L 44-53

July 1: vs. Red (D3-Arcadia 0-2), W 52-37

July 8: vs. Kelly (D2-Kutztown 2-1), L 40-85

July 15: vs. Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads 3-1), L 50-61

July 22: vs. Sky Blue  (D2-Holy Family 2-3), L 44-83

July 29: vs. Black (Jefferson 6-0), 7:45 p.m., Court 2

 

Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads) 5-1

 

June 17: vs. Red (D3-Arcadia), W 73-32

June 24: vs. Pink (USciences Alumnae 1-0 ), W 38-32

July 1: vs. Kelly (D2-Kutztown 2-0), W 63-60

July 8: vs. Black (D2-Jefferson 3-0), L 26-65

July 15: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus 1-3), W 61-50

July 22: vs. Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 2-3), W 58-52

July 29: vs. Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family 3-3), 7:45 p.m., Court 1

 

Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae) 3-3

 

 June 17: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus), W 64-55

June 24: vs. Maroon (D2-Usciences, L 32-38

July 1: vs. Black (D2-Jefferson 2-0), L 47-60

July 8: vs. Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family 1-2), W 51-48

July 15: vs. Kelly (D2-Kutztown 3-1), L 52-56

July 22: vs. Red (D3-Arcadia 0-5), W 50-31

July 29: vs. Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 2-4), 6:30 p.m., Court 1