The Guru Report: On A Night of A Three-Point Barrage Across The Philly/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League Defending Champs USciences Grad Takes Sole Possession of First

By Bob Heller and Mel Greenberg@womhoopsguru

HATBORO, Pa. — Week two opened in the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League Tuesday Night with  a sudden barrage in three point shots in the five games but when the final game concluded, Heather Maroon, the defending champion also known as the graduate group out of USciences had a 53-48 victory over Black, also known as its Jefferson rival from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) South Division, and sole possession of first place at 3-0.

As has been stated in previous reports, undergraduate D2 basketball for the Devils is no more in the wake of the school merger with D1 Saint Joseph’s University.

Other results had Draft Team 2, also known as Team Sun, one of two in what is a ten-team competition this summer at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades, without a dominating affiliate bunch of players from one particular school, beating Team Orange, aka D3 Ursinus University, 75-62, while in the closest game of the night Columbia Blue, also known as D2 Holy Family, topping Kelly Green, or Draft Team 1, 51-48.

Pink, the D2 Kutztown squad, bested Royal Blue, aka D3 Arcadia, 63-50, with Annie Whalen having the best individual performance of the night with 24 points, one of three players to gain the Guru 20 points or more distinction along with Siobhan Boylan of Red or D2 Chestnut Hill University helped by five treys for 21 points in a 71-51 victory over Purple or D2 West Chester in the other game.

Natalie Mehl also scored a night-high 24 for Orange in its loss to Sun, wasting a six-trey long range attack from outside the perimeter.

The results set up a four-team second place tie at 2-1 among Kelly Green, Columbia Blue, Pink and Red.

Holding sixth was Purple at 1-1, playing one less game along with Jefferson, due to their contest of last week postponed until July 14 when each of the two will play two games, their makeup with each other in one of the three that night in the early 6:30 p.m. affairs on the three courts before playing regularly scheduled late games at 7:45 p.m.

Orange is seventh at 1-2, while Black is off to an uncharacteristic 0-2 start in ninth behind Sun, in a tie with Orange, and for now Royal Blue is 0-3 in the tenth spot.

On Thursday night, the 6:30 p.m. games will see Columbia Blue at 2-1 meeting Orange at 1-2 on Court 1 while Heather Maroon will take its 3-0 start on the nine-game schedule before the playoffs against 2-1 Kelly Green on Court 2.

The 7:45 p.m. games has 2-1 Pink playing 1-2 Sun on Court 1, 0-2 Black meeting 2-1 Red on Court 2, while 1-1 Purple meeting 0-3 Royal Blue.

Now, before updating our scoring/standings results, here’s Bob with details of the five games which he continues to handle throughout the summer.

The Thursday games come on the same night of the 50th anniversary date of the signing of Title IX, the federal legislation from which women’s competition came into being.

Recaps

A quick note:  The five games produced a combined total of 67 three point baskets  with Red (11) and Royal Blue (10) the top two teams making ‘threes’.

 

Heather Maroon 53  Black  45

Heather Maroon (USciences Alumni +) remains the only undefeated team three games into the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Basketball Summer League with a 53-45 win over Black (Jefferson University).  

Jess Huber led the Maroon (3-0) squad with 14 points while Allie Crone chipped in 11.  Irisa Ye added eight points.  

Black (0-2) was paced by Emily Keehfuss’ 10 points while Haley Meinel added nine.

A close first quarter saw a couple of ties before Black pulled ahead late and led 14-10.  

A Keehfuss three-ball capped a 5-2 run to open the second quarter and give Black a 19-12 lead before Maroon rang up 16 straight points to take control of the game 28-19  with Huber scoring eight of her points during the 16-0 uprising. 

 Crone’s basket late in the quarter gave the Marron squad a double digit lead at 32-22 before Meinel connected to make the score 32-24 at the half.

Maroon opened the third quarter with a 13-4 run to take their biggest lead at 45-28 but did not score the rest of the quarter as Black whittled away at the lead, closing to 45-35 at the end of the period and scoring the first two baskets of the fourth quarter (an 11-0 run across the two periods) to close within six 45-39.  

Huber, recent D1 Drexel grad Kate Connelly and Ye followed with baskets to push Maroon’s lead back to double digits, 51-39.  

Black would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.

The league gets a second D-1 graduate player beginning Thursday when Conestoga High grad Ellie Mack out of Bucknell and Oregon State, joins the Ursinus squas.

 

Pink 63  Royal Blue  50

The Pink/Royal Blue contest had the makings of a very high scoring affair as both teams combined for 47 points in the first quarter alone. 

 Both offenses slowed down as the game progressed as Pink (Kutztown University) held off a feisty Royal Blue squad 63-50 to improve to 2-1 on the season. 

 Royal Blue falls to 0-3.

Pink’s Annie Whalen led all scorers with a game high 24 points(4 three-pointers).  Sofia Coleman added 12 while Casey Remolde and Abby Goodrich had 11 apiece.  Scarlett Glasser-Nehls and Hanna Rhodes led Royal Blue with 14 points apiece(4 three-point baskets apiece).

After a close opening five minutes, Pink pulled away with an 11-3 run to lead 19-9.  

Royal chipped away as the quarter progressed, cutting the lead in half as both teams were in run-and-gun mode.  

Blue closed out the quarter on a 12-7 spurt to cut the lead to 26-21 heading into the second quarter.

Ally Zolty and Rhoades opened the second quarter with three point baskets, giving Blue a 27-26 lead.  

The lead changed hands twice more over the next two minutes before a Coleman three-pointer put Pink back on top 33-30 enroute to a 43-37 lead at halftime.

Pink opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run to take control of the contest 51-37.  Whalen closed out the quarter with a three-point basket to give Pink a 57-43 lead heading into the final quarter.  The offense dried up for both teams in the final quarter as Blue outscored Pink 7-6 in the final period to make the final score 63-50.

Red 71  Purple 51

There were plenty of three-point baskets made as Red (Chestnut Hill College) won the most lopsided game of the night, defeating Purple (West Chester University), 71-51 in one of the three late games Tuesday night.

The Red (2-1) squad sank 11 three-point baskets with two newcomers on the squad Siobhan Boylan and Sara Tamounmaking five three-pointers apiece. 

 Boylan led all scorers with 21 points while Tamoun added 17.  

Emily Chmiel and Emily Sekarek added 11 and ten points respectively. 

 Abby Penjuke led Purple (1-1) with three three-point baskets and 11 points.

The first quarter belonged to Purple as they jumped out to a 13-6 lead with a 10-2 run early in the game.  

Two free throws from Abbey Spratt and baskets from Boylan and Sekarek pulled Red within one 13-12 before two straight Purple baskets made the score 17-12 at the end of one period.  

Boylan and Tamoun made back-to-back three-pointers midway through the second quarter to give Red their first lead 24-22 since the 8:00 mark of the first quarter.  Chmiel’s basket extended the lead to 28-24 at halftime.

A 14-0 run by Red to open the third quarter increased the lead to 42-24.  

Purple’s Michele  Kozicki broke the run with a three-point basket starting a 10-3 run of their own to close within 11, 45-34 before Red, fueled by three-point buckets from Lauren Crim and Tamoun, closed out the quarter on an 8-34 note to lead 53-38.  

Red increased the lead to 65-45  in the fourth quarter and maintained the advantage over the final minutes for the 20-point win.

 

Columbia Blue 51  Kelly Green 48

Columbia Blue (Holy Family University) handed Kelly Green their first loss of the season, defeating the draft team 51-48.  The game was the closest of the five contests played.

Jessica Riepe and Ava Morrow led Blue with 15 points apiece while Monee Moore chipped in 10 points.  

Rachel Saxton (Muhlenberg ’25) led Kelly Green with 15 points while Alexa Naessens (Colgate ’22) chipped in ten.

Four lead changes highlighted the first quarter as neither team led by more than one possession until the final minute of play when Kelly Green forged a 12-8 advantage.  Green built the lead to eight points, 24-16 following an Ally Trebelev (Franklin and Marshall ’25) three pointer.  

Blue rallied with an 8-2 run to close out the quarter, cutting the Green lead to two 26-24 at the half.

Blue opened the third quarter with a 5-2 run, taking a 29-28 lead on a Morrow basket and started to pull away outscoring Green 14-6 the rest of the quarter to take a 45-32 lead heading into the final period.

Kelly Green cut the lead to 49-40 midway through the fourth quarter and continued to whittle away at the deficit, pulling within five 51-46 with 1:31 left.  Green finished the game, outscoring Blue 16-6 in the fourth quarter but came up three-points short as Columbia Blue improved to 2-1 and Kelly Green fell to 2-1 on the season.

 

Sun 75  Orange 62

In the final game to finish Tuesday night, Orange’s Natalie Mehl sank six three point baskets and scored 24 points but the Sun’s second half defense was too much for the Orange (Ursinus College) squad as the fell to 1-2 on the season with Sun gaining their first win 75-62.

Jasmine Elum (Bethune-Cookman ’12) and Emily Violante(Gettsyburg ’25) led ten scoring players for the Sun squad with 14 points apiece.  Erin Doherty (Catholic U.) joined Mehl in double figures for Orange with ten points.

The two teams played back and forth basketball throughout the first two quarters with the score deadlocked 20-20 after the first quarter and 36-36 at halftime.   Sun’s defense went to work in the third quarter, limited Orange to just five points while outscoring their opponent 22-5 to take a 58-41 lead.

Seven different players scored for Sun in the third quarter with only one player, Violante (five third quarter points) scoring more than four points.  

Sun held Orange to just one field goal, a Kylie McNicholas three-point basket midway through the quarter and Mehl later added two free throw late in the period.

Orange produced a bit more offense in the fourth quarter, outscoring Sun 21-17 in the final period, but was never able to cut the deficit to single digits as Sun closed out the 75-62 decision.

Standings

 

(Thru Tuesday, June 21st)

 

Team        W  L  PCT.   GB    PF  PA

 

Heather Maroon  3 0 1.000. — 158 40

Kelly Green  2 1 .667.  1 176 134

Pink  2 1  .667. 1  161 158  

Red  2 1  .667. 1 198 148

Columbia Blue  2 1 .500. 1 169 162

Purple  1 1 .500. 1.5 102 117

Sun  1 2 .334.  2 161 157

Orange  1 2  .334. 2 168 211 

Black  0 2 .000. 2.5 98 112  

Royal Blue  0 3 .000. 3 143 201

 

Players Scoring 20 or More Points

 

24-Annie Whalen, Pink, W, vs. Red, June 21

24-Natalie Mehl, Orange, L, vs. Sun, June 21

21-Siobhan Boylan, Red, W, vs. Purple, June 21

20 -Jess Huber, Heather Maroon, W, vs. Sun, June 14

Phila/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League 

Running Results/Advance Schedule

Tuesday, June 21

Heather Maroon 53, Black 45

Pink 63, Royal Blue 50

Red 71, Purple 51

Columbia Blue 51, Kelly Green 48

Sun 75, Orange 62

 Thursday, June 16

Kelly Green 51, Sun 50

Pink 52, Red 51

Orange 61, Royal Blue 50

Heather Maroon 61, Columbia Blue 59 ovt.

Purple vs. Black, postponed to July 14

 

Tuesday, June 14

Columbia Blue 59, Black 53

Kelly Green 77, Royal Blue 33

Red 76, Orange 45

Heather Maroon 44, Sun 36

Purple 56, Pink 45

 

Looking Ahead

  

Thursday, June 23

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Columbia Blue (2-1) vs. Orange (1-2)

Court 2: Heather Maroon (3-0) vs. Kelly Green (2-1)

 

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Sun  (1-2) vs. Pink (2-1)

Court 2: Black (1-1) vs. Red (2-1)

Court 3: Royal Blue (0-3)vs. Purple (1-1)

 

Tuesday, June 28

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Orange vs. Heather Maroon

Court 2: Sun vs. Purple

 Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Pink vs. Columbia Blue

Court 2: Red vs. Royal Blue

Court 3: Kelly Green vs. Black

 

Thursday, June 30

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Sun vs. Red

Court 2: Columbia Blue vs. Purple

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Royal Blue vs. Black

Court 2: Heather Maroon vs. Pink

Court 3: Kelly Green vs. Orange

 

Tuesday, July 5 

No Games - Holiday Break

Thursday, July 7

No Games - Holiday Break

Tuesday, July 12

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Purple vs. Heather Maroon

Court 2: Black vs. Orange

 

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Pink vs. Kelly Green

Court 2: Red vs. Columbia Blue

Court 3: Sun vs. Royal Blue

Thursday, July 14

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

Court 1: Orange vs. Pink

Court 2: Columbia Blue vs. Royal Blue

Court 3: Purple vs. Black - makeup from 6-16.

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

Court 1: Sun vs. Black

Court 2: Kelly Green vs. Purple

Court 3: Heather Maroon vs. Red

Tuesday, July 19

 

Regular Season Ends

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Red vs. Kelly Green

Court 2: Pink vs. Black

 

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Royal Blue vs. Heather Maroon

Court 2:  Purple vs. Orange

Court 3: Columbia Blue vs. Sun

Playoffs

Thursday, July 21

Round 1 Play-In 

Court 1

6:30 p.m. 7th seed vs. 10th Seed

7:45 p.m. 8th seed vs. 9th seed

Tuesday, July 26th

 

Playoffs Quarterfinals

 

Early Games (6:30 p.m.)

 

Court 1: Lowest seed survivor vs. 1st seed

Court 2: 6th seed vs. 3rd seed

 

Late Games (7:45 p.m.)

Court 1: Highest seed survivor vs. 2nd seed

Court 2: 5th seed vs. 4th seed

 

Thursday, July 28th

 

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

 

Tuesday, August 2

 

Playoff Championship

 

Tipoff: 7 p.m.

 

Court 1 : Semifinal Winners

 

Playoff Seed Tracker (Alphabetical Tie-Breaks Till Midseason)

 

Heather Maroon/D2-USciences Grads (3-0) vs. Sun-W; vs. CB-W; vs. Blk-W vs. KG-G4; vs. Or-G5; vs. Pk-G6 vs. Pur-G7; vs. Red-G8 vs. RB-G9

 

Kelly Green/Draft-1 (2-1) vs. RB-W: vs. Sun-W; vs. CB-L; vs. H.M.-G4; vs. Blk-G5; vs. Or-G6; vs. Pk-G7; vs. Pur-G8; vs. Red-G9

Columbia Blue/D2-Holy Family (2-1) vs. Blk-W; vs. HM-L; vs. KG-W; vs. Or-G4; vs. Pk-G5; vs. Pur-G6; vs. Red-G7; vs. RB-G8; vs. Sun-G9

Pink/D2-Kutztown (2-1) vs. Pur-L; vs. Red-W; vs. RB-W; vs. Sun-G4; vs. CB-G5; vs. HM-G6; vs. KG-G7; vs. Or-G8; vs. Blk-G9

Red/D2-Chestnut Hill (2-1) vs. Or-W; vs. Pk-L; vs. Pur-W; vs. Blk-G4;vs. RB-G5; vs. Sun-G6; vs. CB-G7; vs; HM-G8; vs. KG-G9

Purple/D2-West Chester (1-1) vs. Pk-W; vs. Blk-Ppd; vs. Red-L; vs. RB-G4; vs. Sun-G5; vs. CB-G6; vs. HM-G7; vs. KG-G8; vs. Or-G9

 Orange/D3-Ursinus (1-2) vs. Red-L; vs. RB-W; vs. Sun-L; vs CB-G4; vs. HM-G5; vs. KG-G6; vs. Blk-G7; vs. Pk-G8; vs. Pur-G9

 

Sun/Draft-2 (1-2) vs. HM-L; vs. KG-L; vs. Or-W; vs. Pk-G4; vs. Pur-G5; vs. Red-G6; vs. RB-G7; vs. Blk-G8; vs. CB-G9

 Black/D2-Jefferson (0-2) vs. CB-L; vs. Pur-Ppd.; vs. HM-L; vs. Red-G4; vs. KG-G5; vs. RB-G6; vs. Or-G7; vs. Sun-G8; vs. Pk-G9 

Royal Blue/D3-Arcadia (0-3) vs. KG-L; Or-L; vs. Pk-L; vs. Pur-G4; vs. Red-G5; vs. Blk-G6; vs. Sun-G7; vs. CB-G8; vs. HM-G9

Codes: Blk-Black; CB-Columbia Blue; HM-Heather Maroon; KG-Kelly Green; Or-Orange; Pk-Pink; Pur-Purple; Red-Red; RB-Royal Blue; Sun-Sun; D2-NCAA II; D3-NCAA III

G1 G2 etc. Game numbers which after played will switch to a W-win or L-loss for quick who-beat-who calculation in tie-breaks.

 

 Team By Team Regular Season Schedules/Results

Site/Time Codes:EC1- Early 6:30 p.m. Court 1;  LC1 - Late 7:45 p.m. Court 1; and thus EC2, LC2; LC3

Dates: Week 1 - G1-June 14; G2- June 16

Week 2 - G3-June 21; G4 - June 23

Week 3 - G5-June 28; G6 - June 30

Week 4 - G7-July 12; G8-July 14

Week 5 -G9- July 19

 

Black/D2-Jefferson (0-2)

June 14: vs. Columbia Blue, L - 53-59

June 16: vs. Purple, ppd. to July 14, EC3

Jun 21: vs. Heather Maroon, L - 45-53

June 23: vs. Red, LC2

June 28: vs. Kelly Green, LC3

June 30: vs. Royal Blue, LC1

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Orange, EC2

July 14: vs. Purple, EC3, ppd., from June 16

July 14: vs. Sun, LC1

July 19: vs. Pink, EC2

 

Columbia Blue/D2-Holy Family (2-1)

June 14: vs. Black, W - 59-53

June 16: vs. Heather Maroon, L - 59-61 ovt.

Jun 21: vs. Kelly Green, W - 51-48

June 23:  vs. Orange, EC1

June 28: vs. Pink, LC1

June 30: vs. Purple, EC2

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Red, LC2

July 14: vs. Royal Blue, EC2

July 19: vs. Sun, LC3

 

Heather Maroon/USciences Grads (3-0)

June 14: vs. Sun, W - 44-36

June 16: vs. Columbia Blue, W - 61-59, ovt.

Jun 21: vs. Black, 53-45

June 23: vs. Kelly Green, EC2

June 28: vs. Orange, EC1

June 30: vs. Pink, LC2

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Purple, EC1

July 14: vs. Red, LC3

July 19: vs. Royal Blue, LC1

 

Kelly Green/Draft Team-1 (2-1)

June 14: vs. Royal Blue, W - 77-33

June 16: vs. Sun, W - 51-50

Jun 21: vs. Columbia Blue, L - 48-51

June 23: vs. Heather Maroon, EC2

June 28: vs. Black, LC3

June 30: vs. Orange, LC3

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Pink, LC1

July 14: vs. Purple, LC2

July 19: vs. Red, EC1

Orange/D3 - Ursinus (1-2)

June 14: vs. Red, L - 45-76

June 16: vs. Royal Blue, W - 61-60

Jun 21: vs. Sun, L - 62-75

June 23: vs. Columbia Blue, EC1

June 28: vs. Heather Maroon, EC1

June 30: vs. Kelly Green LC3

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Black, EC2

July 14: vs. Pink, EC1

July 19: vs. Purple, LC2

 

Pink/D2-Kutztown (2-1)

June 14: vs. Purple, L - 46-57

June 16: vs. Red, W - 52-51

Jun 21: vs. Royal Blue, W - 63-50

June 23: vs. Sun, LC1

June 28: vs. Columbia Blue, LC1

June 30: vs. Heather Maroon, LC2

July 5: Dark: 

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Kelly Green, LC1

July 14: vs. Orange, EC1

July 19: vs. Black, EC2

 

Purple/D2-West Chester (1-0)

June 14: vs. Pink, W - 57-46

June 16: vs. Black, LC1, ppd. to July 14, EC3

Jun 21: vs. Red, L - 51-71

June 23: vs. Royal Blue, LC3

June 28: vs. Sun, EC2

June 30: vs. Columbia Blue, EC2

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Heather Maroon, EC1

July 14: vs. Black, EC3, ppd., from June 16

July 14: vs. Kelly Green, LC2

July 19: vs. Orange, LC2

Red/D2-Chestnut Hill (2-1)

June 14: vs. Orange, W - 76-45

June 16: vs. Pink, L - 51-52

Jun 21: vs. Purple, W - 71-51

June 23: vs. Black, LC2

June 28: vs. Royal Blue, LC2

June 30: vs. Sun, EC1

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Columbia Blue, LC2

July 14: vs. Heather Maroon, LC3

July 19: vs. Kelly Green, EC1

Royal Blue/D3-Arcadia (0-3)

June 14: vs. Kelly Green, L - 33-77

June 16: vs. Orange,  L - 60-61

Jun 21: vs. Pink, L - 50-63

June 23: vs. Purple, LC3

June 28: vs. Red, LC2

June 30: vs. Black, LC1

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Sun, LC3

July 14: vs. Columbia Blue, EC2 

July 19: vs. Heather Maroon, LC1

Sun/Draft Team-2 (1-2)

June 14: vs. Heather Maroon, L - 36-44

June 16: vs. Kelly Green, L 50-51

Jun 21: vs. Orange, W - 75-62

June 23: vs. Pink, LC1

June 28: vs. Purple, EC2

June 30: vs. Red, EC1

July 5: Dark:

July 7: Dark:

July 12: vs. Royal Blue, LC3

July 14: vs. Black, LC1

July 19: vs.  Columbia Blue, LC3