Black (Jefferson) Stays Perfect Holding First by a Half-Game Over Sky Blue (Holy Family) Heading Into the Holiday Week Pause in the Philly/Suburban Women’s Summer League
Guru Note: Story now updated with games detail which unless you like to keep vampire hours like some of us you didn’t jnow there was adelay.
By Bob Heller and Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru
Hatboro, Pa. – Coming out of the backstretch as the nine-team Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League now goes dark for the July 4th week returning for the three-game stretch drive on Tuesday, July 11, basically there’s a front-four and then a scramble right behind to avoid being relegated to a play-in round when the playoffs begin late month.
In Thursday night’s action at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades, where 55 was a winner for unbeaten Team Black (D2-Jefferson), but it wasn’t enough for teams Sun (Draft Team-3) or Royal Blue (D3-Cabrini), Black (5-0) held its half-game lead in first over Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) by downing Kelly Green (Draft Team-1), 55-43.
The loss kept Kelly (2-3) in a fifth-place tie with Pink (Draft Team-2), whose 67-51 loss to Sky Blue enabled the winners to stay in second right on the heels of their winter rivals in the Southern Division of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.
However, in one of the closer outcomes of the season, Black holds a head-to-head tie-break win for the top seed.
The three teams in these posts having draft designations are those whose rosters are not dominated by rosters with nearly full compliments, allowed by the NCA for D2 and D3 schools, of the winter squads.
If the playoffs were being set right now, a coin flip would still be needed to determine the fifth seed.
However, when action resumes on July 11th, the two squads will meet in one of the early games in the two doubleheaders, playing at 6:30 p.m. on Court 1.
With a head-to-head win and the remaining three teams further behind, the outcome will put that team in good shape to be one of the six squads with byes into the quarter finals.
Meanwhile, Purple (D2-West Chester) had an easy 84-55 win over Cabrini to move into a third-place tie with idle Red (D2-Chestnut Hill), both 4-1, which was serving its bye.
If the playoffs were about to begin, by virtue of an existing head-to head triumph, Purple would be third seed and Red fourth.
Despite the standings at this point, the top is wide open because in two of its three remaining games, Black will meet Purple at 7:45 p.m. on Court 1 and still must play Red.
In the the fourth game Thursday night, two remaining teams who were winless with Sun (Draft Team-3) at 0-4 and Maroon (D3-Arcadia) at 0-5, Maroon won at 58-55 in a close game to move into a 7th place tie with Royal Blue, which off its win over Red, holds the seventh seed slot.
Sky Blue and Red also still have to meet.
In terms of Thursday’s individual performances, Anna McTamney of the Purple/West Chester squad had the night’s overall best scoring 22 for the winners, while Ava Morrow helped Sky Blue/Holy Family’s win with 20.
Besides the two games already mentioned when action resumes July 11th, Sun (0-5) and Red (4-1) meet at 6:30 p.m. on Court 2 while Sky Blue and Royal Blue meet at 7:45 p.m. on Court 2.
Red by virtue of its bye Thursday got a three-night break, the same goes for Maroon on the back end, serving its bye on July 11th.
Now here’s Bob with recaps.
Recaps
Maroon 58 Sun 55
A back and forth game that saw four lead changes in the final 3:20 and 11 for the entire game saw team Maroon (D3 Arcadia) win for the first time in a battle between the two winless teams as they defeated Team Sun 58-55.
The win was the first ever for the Arcadia squad having gone winless in previous seasons.
Maroon improves to 1-5 and moves into a tie for seventh place with Royal Blue (1-5). Sun falls to 0-5.
Delaney Bell led the Maroon team with 11 points while Tyra Roberts (Alvernia ’18) added ten. Scarlett Glasser-Nehls and Jackie Skalski had nine points apiece.
Rachel Saxton (Muhlenberg ’25) led Sun with 18 points. Taylor Gurysh (Kutztown ’27) added 14 points while Mia Stock (Bloomsburg ’27) added ten.
Sun suited up just five players for the game.
Maroon opened a five point lead after the first quarter and doubled it to ten early in the second quarter, the only double digit lead by either team.
Sun then exploded with a 15-2 run with Saxton contributing nine of them as they took a 25-22 lead at the half.
Gurysh opened the third quarter with a basket to put Sun ahead by five.
Maroon then scored the next seven points to regain the lead 29-27.
A three-pointer by Saxton on Sun’s next possession flipped the lead back in Sun’s favor, 30-29. The lead switched on each of the next three baskets before Glasser-Nehls’ three-pointer put Maroon ahead 34-33, a lead they maintained for the rest of the quarter.
Maroon increased their lead to as much as seven early in the fourth quarter before Sun again rallied, producing a 10-2 run to retake the lead 53-52 with 3:20 left.
Bell and Saxton exchanged baskets before Roberts gave Maroon a 56-55 lead and later added another basket as Marron hung on for the three-point win.
Black 55 Kelly Green 43
Team Black (D2 Jefferson) remained unbeaten, using a strong third quarter to take control of Team Kelly Green and cruise to a 55-43 win.
Black remains in first place with a 5-0 record. Kelly Green falls to 2-3 and remains in a tie for fifth place.
Sam Yencha and Emily Spratt led black with 11 points apiece while Emma Kuczynski chipped in ten.
Reagan Chrencik (Gettysburg ’27) was the lone player in double figures for Kelly with 15 points.
Neither team had much offense in the opening quarter as Kelly held a slim 8-6 lead.
Black opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run, reclaiming the lead and taking a 17-10 advantage.
Chrencik had two three-point baskets in a 6-2 run that followed that brought Kelly within three 19-16 with both teams exchanging baskets before Kuczynski and Hailey Meinel scored back-to-back baskets as the quarter was ending to give black a 25-18 lead at the half.
Black took firm control of the contest with a 12-3 spurt to open the third quarter, opening up a 16-point advantage 37-21.
Four straight points from Allie Trebelev (Franklin & Marshall ’25) cut the gap to 12 in the final two minutes of the quarter before Black expanded the lead back to 14, 43-29 heading into the final period.
Morgan Robinson’s basket early in the fourth quarter stretched Black’s lead to its biggest margin 47-30.
Kelly came back with three straight baskets to pull within 11 at 47-36 but would get no closer the rest of the game as Black maintained the double digit advantage the rest of the way.
Sky blue 67 Pink 51
Team Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) kept pace with league leading Black with a 67-51 win over Team Pink (alumni players) in the late game on court 1.
Sky joins Black as five-win teams, improving to 5-1 on the season and remaining a ½ game behind their regular season rival Black (Jefferson).
Pink drops to a fifth place tie with Kelly Green at 2-3.
Ava Morrow led all scorers, pacing the Sky team with 20 points. Lindsay Tretter added 15 points while post player Carolyn Prevost added 11.
Prevost’s counterpart on Pink, Taylor Hamm (USciences ’22) led her team with 16 points while Lauren Crim (Chestnut Hill ’23) chipped in 11.
A back and forth first quarter saw Pink take an early lead 13-11 off Jen Kremp’s (USciences ’22) three-point basket before Sky regained control with a 6-0 run to close out the quarter, capped by a Morrow bucket to make the score 17-13.
Cassie Sebold (Chestnut Hill ’22) and Hamm scored to open the second quarter to briefly tie the game at 17-17 before Sky took off on a 10-3 run to pull ahead by seven, 27-20 with morrow again closing out the run, this time with a traditional three-point play.
Pink came back and scored the final four points of the quarter to cut Sky’s lead to three 33-30 at halftime.
Pink closed within two, 41-39 midway through the third quarter.
Sky countered with eight straight points, four from Taylor Hinkle to produce the first double-digit lead of the game at 49-39.
Crim’s third three-ball of the game cut the lead to seven 49-42 with both teams adding a basket before the quarter ended with Sky leading 51-44.
Sky Blue held Pink to just two field goals in the fourth quarter as they opened up a double digit lead. Tretter opened the final period with a three-point basket, triggering an 11-1 spurt to give Sky a 62-45 lead.
Hamm finally got Pink’s first field goal of the quarter but there was just 2:18 left in the period and the alumni group would get no closer as Sky maintained the solid advantage the rest of the way.
Purple 84 Royal Blue 55
Team Purple (D2-West Chester) rebounded after a loss two nights earlier and easily defeated Team Royal Blue (D3-Cabrini), 84-55.
Purple improved to 4-1 on the season and moved into a tie for third place with Red who was off with the bye for the night.
Purple handed Red their only loss earlier in the season. Royal falls to 1-5 and into a tie for seventh place.
Four players reached double figures for Purple, who is averaging a league best 77.2 points per game. Anna McTamney had the high game of the night with 22 points. Leah Johnson and Rachel Conran had 16 points apiece while Sofia Coleman chipped in 12.
Miranda Liebtag led Royal with 15 points while Emma Pyne sank four three-point baskets en route to 14 points.
Purple led wire-to-wire but Royal hung close for much of the first two quarters.
An early 11-3 Purple lead was cut to one with seven straight points from Royal capped off by a Tamia Wessels three-ball.
Purple scored six of the final ten points of the period to lead 17-14.
Conran opened the second quarter with a three-point basket as Purple started to expand their lead, pulling ahead by as many as seven, 30-23 with Royal still hanging close as the quarter wore on.
Wessels cut the gap to two with a basket in the final minute, 32-30, but McTamney also scored to give Purple a 34-30 lead at halftime.
The third quarter opened with an 11-0 uprising from Purple as they took a double digit lead 45-30. Five different players scored during the run, showing the versatility of the Purple offense.
The lead expanded to as many as 18, 58-40 as the quarter wore on.
Purple continued to push the pace of play in the fourth quarter, doubling up Royal, 26-13 in the period to complete the 29-point win.
Standings (Thru Monday, July 10)
Team W L Pct. GB PF PA
Black 5 0 1.000 — 275 224
Sky Blue 5 1 .833 0.5 375 324
Purple 4 1 .800 1 386 284
Red 4 1 .800 1 316 262
Kelly Green 2 3 .400 3 256 267
Pink 2 3 .400 3 259 311
Royal Blue 1 5 .167 4.5 312 365
Maroon 1 5 .67 4.5 318 355
Sun 0 5 .000 5 191 235
Players Scoring 20 or More Points
29-Cassie Murphy, Black, W, vs. Royal Blue, June 15
23-Michelle Kozicki, Purple, W, vs. Maroon, June 15
22-Anna McTamney, Purple, W, vs. Royal Blue, June 29
20-Ava Morrow, Sky Blue, W, vs. Pink, June 29
20-Sam Yencha, Black, W, vs. Maroon, June 27
20-Bridie McCann, Red, W, vs. Royal Blue, June 27
20-Taylor Hamm, Pink, W, vs. Sun, June 27
20-Valerie McGriff, Purple, W, vs. Maroon, June 15
22-Haley Meinel, Black, (W-OT) vs. Sky Blue, June 13
20-Cassie Murphy, Black (W-OT), vs. Sky Blue, June 13
20-Ava Morrow, Sky Blue (L-OT), vs. Black, June 13
Running Results/Advance Schedule
Thursday, June 29
Purple (West Chester) 84, Royal Blue (Cabrini) 55
Maroon (Arcadia) 58, Sun (Draft Team-3) 55
Black (Jefferson) 55, Kelly Green (Draft Team-1) 43
Sky Blue (Holy Family) 67, Pink (Draft Team-2) 51
Bye: Red (4-1)
Tuesday, June 27
Sky Blue (Holy Family) 70, Purple (West Chester) 63
Black (Jefferson) 83, Maroon (Arcadia) 52
Pink (Draft Team-2) 59, Sun (Draft Team-3) 52
Red (Chestnut Hill) 61, Royal Blue (Cabrini) 47
Bye: Kelly Green (2-2)
Thursday, June 22
Black (Jefferson) 2, Sun (Draft Team-3) 0, forfeit
Red (Chestnut Hill) 67, Pink (Draft Team-2) 51
Royal Blue (Cabrini) 61, Maroon (Arcadia) 48
Sky Blue (Holy Family) 50, Kelly Green (Draft Team-1) 41
Bye: Purple (3-0)
Tuesday, June 20
Purple (West Chester) 62, Red (Chestnut Hill) 52
Pink (Draft Team – 2) 49, Royal Blue (Cabrini) 42
Kelly Green (Draft Team -1) 59, Sun (Draft Team – 3) 40
Sky Blue (Holy Family) 63, Maroon (Arcadia) 54
Bye: Black (Jefferson)
Thursday, June 15
Black (Jefferson) 64, Royal Blue (Cabrini) 61
Red (Chestnut Hill) 76, Kelly Green (Draft Team-1) 54
Sky Blue (Holy Family) 57, Sun (Draft Team-3) 44
Purple (West Chester) 94, Maroon (Arcadia) 58
Bye: Pink
Tuesday, June 13
Black (Jefferson) 71, Sky Blue 68 (Holy Family), ovt.
Kelly Green (Draft-1) 59, Royal Blue (Cabrini) 46
Purple (West Chester) 83, Pink (Draft-2) 49
Red (Chestnut Hill) 60, Maroon (Arcadia) 48
Bye – Sun (Draft-3)
Tuesday, July 4
Dark (Holiday Week)
Thursday, July 6
Dark (Holiday Week)
Tuesday, July 11
Early Games (6:30 p.m.)
Court 1: Pink (2-3) vs. Kelly Green (2-3)
Court 2: Sun (0-5) vs. Red (5-1)
Late Games (7:45 p.m.)
Court 1: Purple (4-1) vs. Black (5-0)
Court 2: Sky Blue (5-1) vs. Royal Blue (1-5)
Bye: Maroon (1-5)
Thursday, July 13
Early Games (6:30 p.m.)
Court 1: Sky Blue vs. Red
Court 2: Black vs. Pink
Late Games (7:45 p.m.)
Court 1: Sun vs. Purple
Court 2: Kelly Green vs. Maroon
Bye: Royal Blue
Tuesday, July 18 (Regular Season Ends)
Early Games (6:30 p.m.)
Court 1: Sun vs. Royal Blue
Court 2: Kelly Green vs Purple
Late Games (7:45 p.m.)
Court 1: Black vs. Red
Court 2: Maroon vs. Pink
Bye: Sky Blue
Playoffs
Thursday, July 20
Play-In Round
7 pm.
Court 1: 8th seed vs. 9th seed (Winner advances)
Tuesday, July 25th
Quarterfinals
Early Games (6:30 p.m.)
Court 1: 1-seed vs 8-9 winner
Court 2: 3-seed vs. 6-seed
Late Games (7:45 p.m.)
Court 1: 2-seed vs. 7-seed
Court 2: 4-seed vs. 5-seed
Thursday, July 27
Semifinals
Early Game (6:30 p.m.)
Court 1: Highest Advancing Seed vs. Lowest Advancing Seed
Late Game (7:45 p.m.)
Court 2: Other Advancing Seeds Meet
Tuesday, August 1
Championship (7 p.m.)
Court 1: Semifinal Winners Meet
Season Seed Tracker
Codes: BK – Black; KG – Kelly Green; MR-Maroon; PK- Pink; PU-Purple; RD-Red; RB-Royal Blue; SB-Sky Blue; SU-Sun; FW – Forfeit Win; FL-Forfeit Loss
Black (D2-Jefferson) 5-0: W-SB (OT); W-RB; Bye; FW- SU; vs. W-MR; vs. W-KG; vs. PU; vs. PK; vs. RD
Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) 5-1: L-BK (OT); W-SU; W-MR; W-KG; vs. W-PU; vs. W-PK; vs. RB; vs. RD; Bye
Purple (D2-West Chester) 4-1: W-PK; W-MR; W-RD; Bye; vs. L-SB; vs. W-RB; vs. BK; vs. SU; vs. KG
Red (D2-Chestnut Hill) 4-1: W-MR; W-KG; L-PU; W-PK; vs. W-RB; Bye; vs. SU; vs. SB; vs. BK
Kelly Green (Draft-1) 2-3: W-RB; L-RD; W-SU; L-SB; Bye; vs. L-BK; vs. PK; vs. MR; vs. PU
Pink (Draft-2) 2-3: L-PU: Bye, W-RB; L-RD; vs. W-SU; L-SB; vs. KG; vs. BK; vs. MR
Royal Blue (D3-Cabrini) 1-5: L-KG; L-BK; L-PK; W-MR; vs. L-RD; vs. L-PU; vs. SB; Bye; vs. SU
Maroon (D3-Arcadia) 1-5: L-RD; L-PU; L-SB; L-RB; vs. L-BK; vs. W-SU; Bye; vs. KG; vs. PK
Sun (Draft-3) 0-5: Bye; L-SB; L-KG; FL-BK; vs. L-PK; vs. L-MR; vs. RD; vs. PU; vs. RB
posted by Mel Greenberg | 2:04 AM
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