The Guru Report: 6-Pink/D2-USciences Grads Make History With Finishing Spurt to Top 5-Orange/D2-Chestnut Hill 41-34 And Claim Phillly/Suburban Women’s Summer Crown

By Bob Heller and Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

HATBORO, Pa. - A playoffs that featured a short but winding road concluded Thursday night with the sixth-seed Pink/D2-USciences squad pulling away from fifth seeded Orange/D2-Chestnut Hill in the closing minutes to win a low-scoring battle 41-34 and become both the lowest seed and first alumnae unit to claim the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer basketball League title at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades.

The Pink squad (6-4) managed to get the job done despite missing 16 foul shots.

Graduates have played in the league throughout its history but this is the first time a dominated grad group from one school competed and ended up bolting from the sixth spot - relegated off a triple tie for fourth - to upset three-seed Kelly Green/D2-Kutztown in the quarterfinals a week ago and then shocking top seed and previous unbeaten Black/D2-Jefferson in Wednesday’s semifinals.

Jefferson winter coach Tom Shirley told several people ahead of his team’s upset loss he had a feeling the string was about to run out.

Winter coaches aren’t on the court in the summer in the league but under NCAA rules are allowed to attend as are D2 and D3 squads allowed to compete together.

Orange in the semifinals, meanwhile, toppled the two-seed Maroon/D2-USciences Undergrads, who as a team will dissolve after the 2022 Spring semester when the school merges with D1-Saint Joseph’s.

The win was also a payback for Pink’s narrow 50-47 loss to Orange two weeks ago that was the primary factor in the fourth place deadlock.

For the second straight night no one reached 20 or more points.

“Yeah, they were a sixth seed, but the games Pink lost, you could see on those nights some key players had commitments elsewhere,” said Tom Utescher of the Chestnut Hill Local.

Though the season was not perfect at the end on the court for Jefferson, it finished that way for long-time commissioner David “Deuce” Kessler, who was expecting a second summer of idleness caused by the coronavirus.

But elsewhere, Holy Family coach Bernadette Laukaitis and USciences coach Jackie Hartzell, whose teams compete with Chestnut Hill and Jefferson in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, were looking for ways to have some makeshift organized competition to lessen injury prospects returning to action this winter after not having competed since March of 2020.

Phone calls were made and close to 100 players showed interest at which point Kessler was approached about pulling it together.

There were some fits and angst getting things done at the last minute opposed to the annual organized pace that also includes a draft leading to the league opener.

But all that was quickly put aside once action got under way mid-June with an eight-team lineup and the weekly schedule reduced from two nights to one, but the doubleheaders had half-hour earlier starts at 6:30 p.m.

“Except this week, the weather was mild on game nights, and no complaints, no forfeits, no injuries despite the fact only the Arcadia team had played in January and February, and no overtimes though some games came close,” Kessler beamed after handing all the participants their swag. Black got theirs as regular season champs Wednesday night as Kessler had brought them on standby in case the night didn’t go well for Jefferson.

“You could see these players just wanted to compete and nothing else mattered. One player from Chestnut Hill (freshman Brianna Rider) even drove back and forth several hours each night with her parents from Baltimore.”

So with all that said here, Bob has the recap, and then the numbers will follow one last time.

Championship Recap

#6 Team Pink  41   #5 Team Orange  34

In one of the lowest scoring championship games in the history of the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s basketball Summer League, sixth seed Team Pink (USciences Alumnae +) pulled away in the fourth quarter against a tough fifth seed Team Orange (Chestnut Hill College) to earn a 41-34 victory to capture the championship.

Pink becomes the lowest seed (#6) to ever to earn the title of league champions.  

The game also marks the sixth straight season that a USciences summer league squad (undergrad or alums) played in the championship game.

 A USciences team won their only previous championship in 2018 with four members of that 2018 undergrad squad playing on this year’s championship team of alumnae, Brigit Coleman, Shannon May, Jordan Vitelli and Irisa Ye. 

Ye led Pink with 11 points while Laura Trisch and Sarah Abbonizio added seven points apiece.

  Lauren Crim paced Orange with ten points while Trinity Brittingham added nine (three three-point baskets).

Neither Pink nor Orange held a lead greater than four points throughout the first three quarters.  

The first 30 minutes also saw three lead changes and five ties in all, including a 20-20 halftime deadlock and a 29-29 tie heading into the fourth quarter.

The Pink offense started to pick up the pace in the fourth quarter while their defense also kicked things up a notch, limiting the Orange squad to just three free throws and a late field goal.  

Ye broke the deadlock on Pink’s first possession grabbing a layup and getting fouled; making the free throw for a traditional three-point play and a 32-29 lead. 

Emily Chmiel, who had been a force scoring 30 points in Orange’s two playoff wins on the road the championship, then a made a pair of free throws (her only points of the game) to cut Pink’s lead to one 32-31.

Two possessions later, Allie Crone (Cornell ’10) and Melia Kolb (Dickinson’23) gave Pink their largest lead at the time, 36-31 with Crone’s second three-point basket of the night followed by a Kolb free throw.  

Orange’s Kaitlyn Carter added a free throw with about four minutes left to make the score 36-32. 

 Jordan vitelli then made what would be Pink’s final field goal of the night with 2:10 left to boost the score to 38-32.

Meanwhile defensively, Pink stopped Orange four straight times over the next 1:30 with Orange fouling almost immediately to keep Pink from running down the clock.  

The eventual champions added three points from the charity stripe to take a 41-32 lead with just under 30 seconds remaining.

  Crim sank a long two-point basket from the right side with 23 seconds left for Orange’s only field goal of the quarter and the final points of the game as Pink failed to score but made one final defensive stop to secure the seven-point win.

Pink’s first lead came in the opening quarter as Abbonizio’s two free throws broke a 4-4 tie and started a 6-2 run that gave Pink a 10-6 lead after ten minutes heading to the next quarter.

 A Basket by Carter and the first of three three-point field goals by Brittingham erased the deficit and propelled Orange into the lead for the first time.  

Orange led by as many four before Pink tied the game twice before the half ended.

Brittingham’s third trey again gave Orange a four-point lead 25-21 in the third.  

Three straight baskets by Pink reversed the lead as Pink was now up 29-25. 

 Morgan Sterner scored the final four points of the quarter to deadlock things again 29-29 heading into the decisive fourth quarter that Pink dominated for the championship win.

Standings

 

(Thru Week 9 Final, Played, Thursday, August 12)

(Games Behind Based on Regular Season)

 

Team        W  L  PCT.   GB    PF  PA

 

sx-Black  8  1  .889  —  581  378

s-Maroon 7  2 .778 1.0 480 410

q-Kelly  5  3  .625 2.0 500 387

q-Sky Blue 3  5  .375 4.0  454 452

f-Orange  5  5   .500 4.0 493 529

%C-Pink  6  4  .600 4.0 473 443

q-Royal  1  7  .125 6.0 367 505

q-Red  0  8   .000  7.0  297 541

x-Clinched top seed

%C-Champion

f-finalist

s-semifinalist

q-quarterfinalist

 

Players Scoring 20 or More Points

 

28-Sabria Lytes, Black, W, vs. Red, Qtrs-August 5

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

24-Haley Meinel, Black, W, vs. Red, Qtrs-August 5

24-Jess Huber, Maroon, W, vs. Sky Blue, July 29

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-Leah Johnson, Kelly, W, Red, July 29

21-Annie Whalen, Kelly, W, Red, July 29

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

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

20-Emily Chmiel,  Orange, W, vs. Sky Blue, Qtrs-August 5

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 Results (2021)

 

Thursday, June 17

 

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

 

Orange 50, Pink 47

Kelly 83, Red 41

Maroon 68, Sky Blue 39

Black 74, Royal Blue 53

 

Thursday, August 5

 

Playoffs Quarterfinals

 

1-Black 94, 8-Red 34

6-Pink 45, 3-Kelly 33

2-Maroon 48, 7-Royal Blue 29

5-Orange 72, 4-Sky Blue 64

 

Wednesday, August 11

 

Playoffs Semifinals

 

6-Pink 44, 1-Black 38 

5-Orange 51, 2-Maroon 44 

 

Thursday, August 12

 

Playoff Championship

 

6-Pink (6-4) 41, 5-Orange (5-5) 34

 

Team By Team  Schedules/Results Thru Final

 

8-Red (D3-Arcadia) 0-8 - Quarterfinalists

 

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), L 41-83

Aug. 5: vs. 1-Black (D2-Jefferson 7-0), Qtr L 34-94

 

5-Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill) 5-5 - Finalists

 

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), W 50-47

Aug. 5: vs. 4-Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family 3-4), Qtr. W 72-64

Aug. 11: vs. 2-Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads 7-1), S W 51-44

Aug. 12: vs. 6-Pink (D2-Usciences Alumnae 5-4), F, L 34-41

 

4-Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) 3-5 - Quarterfinalists

 

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), L 39-68

Aug. 5: vs. 5-Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 3-4), Qtr. L 64-72

 

1-Black (D2-Jefferson) 8-1 - Semifinalists

 

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) , 74-53

Aug. 5: vs. 8-Red (D3-Arcadia 0-7), Qtr. W 94-34

Aug. 11: vs. 6-Pink (D2-USciences Alums 4-4), S L 38-44

 

3-Kelly (D2-Kutztown) 5-3 - Quarterfinalists

 

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), W 83-41

Aug. 5: vs. 6-Pink (D2-USciences Alums 4-4), Qtr. L 33-45

 

 7-Royal (D3-Ursinus) 1-7- Quarterfinalists

 

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), L 53-74

Aug. 5: vs. 2-Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads 6-1), Qtr. L 29-48

 

2-Maroon (D2-USciences Undergrads) 7-2 - Semifinalists

 

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), W 68-39

Aug. 5: vs. Royal (D3-Ursinus 1-6), Qtr.-W 48-29

Aug. 11 vs. Orange D2-Chestnut Hill 4-4), S L 44-51

 

6-Pink (D2-USciences Alumnae) 6-4 - Champions

 

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

June 24: vs. Maroon (D2-Usciences 1-0), 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), L 47-50

Aug. 5: vs. 3-Kelly (D2-Kutztown 5-2), Qtr.-W 45-33

Aug. 11: vs. 1-Black (D2-Jefferson 8-0), S W 44-38

Aug. 12: vs. 5-Orange (D2-Chestnut Hill 5-4) F W 41-34’

 

 Season Playoff Seed Tracker 

 

S-Black (8-1) vs. SB-W; vs. Rd-W; vs. Pk-W; vs. M-W; vs. O-W; vs. Ky-W; vs. Ry-W; vs. Red-W-Qtr; vs. P-L-S

 

S-Maroon (7-2) vs. Rd-W; vs. P-W; vs. Ky-W; vs. Bl-L; vs. Ry-W; vs. O-W;  vs. SB-W; vs. Ry-W-Qtr; vs. O-L-S

 

Q-Kelly (5-3) vs. O-W; vs. SB-W; vs. M-L; vs. Ry-W; vs. Pk-W; vs. Bl-L; vs. Rd-W; vs. P-L-Qtr.

 

Q-Sky Blue (3-5)  vs. Bl-L; vs. Ky-L: vs. O-W; vs. Pk-L; vs. Rd-W; vs, Ry-W; vs. M-L; vs. O-L- Qtr.

 

F-Orange (5-5) vs. Ky-L; vs. Ry-W; vs. SB-L; vs. Rd-W; vs. Bl-L; vs. M-L; vs. Pk-W; vs. SB-W-Qtr; vs. M-W-S; vs. Pk-F-L

 

C-Pink (6-4) vs. Ry-W; vs. M-L; vs. Bl-L; vs. SB-W; vs. Ky-L; vs. Rd-W; vs. O-L; vs. Ky-W-Qtr; vs. Bl-W-S; vs. O-F-W

 

Q-Royal (1-7) vs. Pk-L; vs. O-L; vs. Rd-W; vs .Ky-L; vs. M-L; vs. SB-L; vs. Bl-L; vs. M-L-Qtr.

 

Q-Red (0-8) vs. M-L; vs. Bl-L; vs. Ry-L; vs. O-L; vs. SB-L; vs, Pk-L; vs. Ky-L; vs. Bl-L-Qtr.

 

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

S-Semifinalist

Qtr-Quarterfinalist

F-Finalist

C-Champion