5-Seed Team Pink (Draft Team-2) Looks to Continue Upset Streak Playing 2-Seed Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) in Philly/Suburban Women’s League Championship
By Bob Heller and Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru
HATBORO, Pa. – Can a team claiming the color Pink (Draft Team-2) and seeded fifth off a 4-4 regular season eight-game schedule make it a three-peat or will second-seeded Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) continue its dominance through nine games after a narrow overtime loss back in June to Black (D2-Jefferson) when the two meet Tuesday night at 7 p.m. for the 2023 Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League Championship on Court 1 at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades?
Off their regular season meeting on June 29, the favorite would have to be Holy Family, a 67-51 victory, especially after Jefferson, unbeaten and the top seed, succumbed to a giant fourth-quarter surge to Pink in Thursday night’s semifinals.
But despite all Pink’s losses came at the hands of the top four seeds, the performance in its first two playoff games, slipping past 4th-seeded Red (D2-Chestnut Hill) in the quarterfinals and then Thursday’s shocker, it wouldn’t be smart to downplay their chances.
Ironically, though dominating the mid-June/late-July schedules, Jefferson has fallen three straight times in the playoffs to basically grad-squad units.
Once again Ari Bluestein’s Sports Fan Based Network will live stream the game and Luke Nichols will be back on the call.
The youtube link is https://www.youtube.com/live/dIq0tkHFLC0?feature=share
Next year will be Commissioner David Kessler’s 30th anniversary running the league, having started elsewhere in 1994 when he worked for the Philadelphia Dept. of Recreation, with one year deducted for the Covid pandemic.
This season, nine teams competed, six as is allowed by the NCAA for D-II and D-III fielding mostly the same units that compete in the winter. The three others, like Pink, referred to as draft squads, fitted enrollees wanting to play together and also alums from D-1 schools like recent Drexel grad Kate Connolly on Pink.
The Pink squad, basically a grad unit, returned eight of 11 from last season’s champions but not enough to be labelled again as grads from the former USciences squad, a strong bunch whose alma mater closed shop several seasons ago when the school merged with D-1 Saint Joseph’s.
Royal Blue which is D-3 Cabrini recently announced it is doing likewise in the spring, the campus sold to Villanova but in losing to Holy Family in the quarterfinals that might be the last as a unit with not enough to still compete considering all who turned to the transfer portal after the recent surprise news.
Jefferson, which rallied for the season opener against Holy Family, which also is a Southern Division rival in the Central Atlantic Athletic Conference (CACC), had been humming along before escaping with a last minute two-point win over Sun (Draft Team-3) in the quarterfinals.
Sun, though playing better after the league’s week off for the July 4th holiday, had not won a game until upsetting Maroon (D3-Arcadia) in the opening 8-9 seed first-round game.
In the summer of 2019, before the 2020 Covid-caused suspension, Holy Family upset the former USciences undergrads in the championship.
That happened as Bernadette Laukaitis was about to return to her alma mater to take charge having been associate head coach at Penn under Mike McLaughlin, who was her coach at the school in Northeast Philadelphia.
Only two regular season games became forfeits due to a team’s lack of enough players at either the 6:30 p.m. or 7:45 p.m. tip times on the twice-weekly two doubleheaders both nights, but neither contest impacted eventual seeding for the playoffs.
To get you ready, Bob’s game detail on the previous Sky Blue vs. Pink meeting will follow, then the two rosters, then the running season log on results.
With the weather cooled down and you may want to attend, admission is free, and there is a snack bar, though if it does not open for just one game, there are several restaurants nearby for postgame dining.
The address is 2950 Turnpike Drive, near the intersection of Davisville and Byberry Roads.
Tuesday’s Championship Regular Season Meeting
Sky blue 67 Pink 51 – June 29
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.
Rosters
TEAM SKY BLUE – HOLY FAMILY
4 EMMA INGERSOLL-WENG 5’5 IOWA CITY WEST/JEFFERSON ‘26
5 SKYLER SEARFOSS 5’6 JIM THORPE HS/HOLY FAMILY ‘26
10 TAYLOR HINKLE 5’11 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH /HOLY FAMILY ‘26
11 CAROLYN PREVOST 6’1 MONTGOMERY HS/HILY FAMILY ‘24
12 LINDSAY TRETTER 5’8 ARCHBISHOP WOOD/HOLY FAMILY ‘2
13 AVA MORROW 5’10 TWIN VALLEY HS/HOLY FAMILY ‘25
14 ANUJIN DASHDORJ 5’8 RICHARD MONTGOMERY HS/HOLY FAMILY ‘24
15 CLAIRE DOUGHERTY6’1 LAKE LEHMAN/HOLY FAMILY’26
20 DAKOTA SCHULTICE 5’8 TIMBER CREEK REGIONAL/HOLY FAMILY ‘24
21 JENNIFER KOKOLUS 5’10 FREEDOM HS/HOLY FAMILY ‘24
22 KARA MEREDITH 6’ ARCHBISHOP WOOD/HOLY FAMILY ‘27
23 JESSICA RIEPE 5’9 MARLBORO HS/HOLY FAMILY ‘25
TEAM PINK – DRAFT TEAM 2
4 SHANNON MAY 5’4 ARCHBISHOP WOOD/USCIENCES ‘22
5 IRISA YE 5’8 NORTH PENN/U SCIENCES ‘21
10 ERIN MORGAN 5’8 ARCHBISHOP WOOD/LaSALLE ‘22
11 LAUREN CRIM 5’5 LANSDALE CATHOLIC/CHESTNUT HILL ‘23
12 LEXIE EDWARDS 5’10 ARCHBISHOP WOOD & C.B. SOUTH/CABRINI ‘21
13 ABIGAIL SPRATT 5’7 C.B. WEST/CHESTNUT HILL ‘22
14 VANESSA AMSINGER 5’10 MONTCLAIR KIMBERLEY/COLORADO COLLEGE ‘21
15 JEN KREMP 5’9 JENKINTOWN/U SCIENCES ‘22
20 KATE CONNOLLY 6’1 DREXEL U. ‘23
21 CASSIE SEBOLD 5’5 ARCHBISHOP WOOD/CHESTNUT HILL ‘22
22 TAYLOR HAMM 6’ PERKIOMEN/U SCIENCES ‘22
Final Season Standings (Thru ., Tues., July 18)
Team W L Pct. GB PF PA
XS-Black 8 0 1.000 — 470 365
F-Sky Blue 7 1 .875 1 517 412
S-Purple 6 2 .750 2 594 474
Q-Red 5 3 .625 3 451 446
F-Pink 4 4 .500 4 409 455
Q-Kelly Green 3 5 .375 5 361 374
Q-Royal Blue 2 6 .250 6 413 496
Maroon 1 7 .125 7 367 429
Q-Sun 0 8 .000 8 351 421
X-Clinched top seed; Q-quarterfinalist; S-semifinalist; F-Finalist|
Players Scoring 20 or More Points
29-Cassie Murphy, Black, W, vs. Royal Blue, June 15
25-Leah Johnson, Purple, L, vs. Sky Blue, Sems, July 27
24-Alexa Abbonizio, Purple, W, vs. Kelly Green, July 18
23-Michelle Kozicki, Purple, W, vs. Maroon, June 15
22-Cassie Seybold, Pink, W, vs. Black, Sems, July 27
22-Anna McTamney, Purple, W, vs. Royal Blue, June 29
21-Taylor Hamm, Pink, W, vs. Maroon, July 18
20-Miranda Liebtag, Royal Blue, W, vs. Sun, July 18
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
Playoffs
Tuesday, August 1
Championship (7 p.m.) (Live Stream-Sports Fan Based Network)
Streaming Link – https://www.youtube.com/live/dIq0tkHFLC0?feature=share
Court 1: 2-Seed Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) (7-1) vs. 5-Seed Pink (Draft Team-2) (4-4)
Thursday, July 27
Semifinals
5-Seed Pink (Draft Team-2) 71, 1-Pink (Jefferson) 60
2-Seed Sky Blue (Holy Family) 67, 3-Seed Purple (West Chester) 51
Tuesday, July 25th
Quarterfinals
1-Seed/Black (Jefferson) 60, 9-Seed/Sun (Draft Team-3) 58
2-Seed Sky Blue (Holy Family) 79, 7-Seed/Royal Blue (Cabrini) 42
3-Seed/Purple (West Chester) 59, 6-Seed/Kelly Green (Draft Team-1) 53
5-Seed/Pink (Draft Team-2) 63, 4-Seed/Red (Chestnut Hill) 52
Thursday, July 20
Play-In Round
9-Sun (Draft Team 3) 57, 8-Maroon (D3-Arcadia) 49 ||
Tuesday, July 18 (Regular Season Ends)
Royal Blue (D3-Cabrini) 56, Sun (Draft Team-3) 51
Black (D2-Jefferson) 72, Red (D2-Chestnut Hill 41
Purple (D2-West Chester) 67, Kelly Green (Draft Team-1) 66
Pink (Draft Team-2) 72, Maroon (D3-Arcadia) 49
Bye: Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) (7-1)
Thursday, July 13
Black (Jefferson) 58, Pink (Draft Team-2) 38
Sky Blue (Holy Family) 62, Red (Chestnut Hill) 43
Purple (West Chester) 79, Sun (Draft Team-3) 59
Kelly Green (Draft Team-1) 2, Maroon (Arcadia) 0, forfeit
Tuesday, July 11
Red (Chestnut Hill) 51, Sun (Draft Team-3) 50
Pink (Draft Team-2) 40, Kelly Green (Draft Team-1) 37
Black (Jefferson) 65, Purple (West Chester) 62
Sky Blue (Holy Family) 80, Royal Blue (Cabrini) 45
Bye: Maroon (Arcadia)
Tuesday, July 4/Thursday July 6
Dark (Holiday Week)
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)
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-Jeff) 8-0: W-SB (OT); W-RB; Bye; FW-SU; vs. W-MR; vs. W-KG; vs. W-PU; vs. W-PK; vs. W-RD
Sky Blue (D2-Holy Fam) 7-1: L-BK (OT); W-SU; W-MR; W-KG; vs. W-PU; vs. W-PK; vs. W-RB; vs. W-RD; Bye
Purple (D2-West Chester) 6-2: W-PK; W-MR; W-RD; Bye; vs. L-SB; vs. W-RB; vs. L-BK; vs. SU; vs. W-KG
Red (D2-Chestnut Hill) 5-3: W-MR; W-KG; L-PU; W-PK; vs. W-RB; Bye; vs. W-SU; vs. L-SB; vs. L-BK
Pink (Draft-2) 4-4: L-PU: Bye, W-RB; L-RD; vs. W-SU; L-SB; vs. W-KG; vs. L-BK; vs. W-MR
Kelly Green (Draft-1) 3-5: W-RB; L-RD; W-SU; L-SB; Bye; vs. L-BK; vs. L-PK; vs. FW-MR; vs. L-PU
Royal Blue (D3-Cabrini) 2-6: L-KG; L-BK; L-PK; W-MR; vs. L-RD; vs. L-PU; vs. L-SB; Bye; vs. W-SU
Maroon (D3-Arcadia) 1-7: L-RD; L-PU; L-SB; L-RB; vs. L-BK; vs. W-SU; Bye; vs. FL-KG; vs. L-PK
Sun (Draft-3) 0-8: Bye; L-SB; L-KG; FL-BK; vs. L-PK; vs. L-MR; vs. L-RD; vs. L-PU; vs. L-RB
*-Clinched Top Seed
posted by Mel Greenberg | 5:54 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home