Pink (Draft Team-2) Fourth-Quarter Surge Sinks Top-Seed and Unbeaten Black (D-2 Jefferson) While No. 2 Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) Bounces No. 3 Purple (D2-West Chester) in Philly/Suburban Women’s Summer Semifinals
By Bob Heller and Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru
HATBORO, Pa. — Paced by Chestnut Hill ’22 graduate Cassie Sebold, recent Chestnut Hill grad Lauren Crim, and recent Drexel grad Kate Connolly, fifth-seed Pink (Draft Team-2) rallied from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter and erupted on a 16-2 finish to stun top seed and previous unbeaten Team Black (D2-Jefferson) 71-60 Thursday night in the semifinals of the Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer Basketball League at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades.
A little later in the nightcap, Tuesday’s championship on Court 1 at 7 p.m. was set when 2-seed Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family) beat 3-seed Purple (D2-West Chester) 68-61 extending a win streak to nine straight after a narrow season-opening loss in overtime to Black, which rallied for that win.
Like last year, the game will be live streamed by Ari Bluestein’s Sports Fan Based Network (SFBN).
Here is the Youtube viewing link — https://www.youtube.com/live/dIq0tkHFLC0?feature=share
Purple (6-2), whose only losses occurred at the hands of the teams above them, fell despite the night’s top performance from Leah Johnson, who scored 25 points.
Pink, which went 4-4 during the eight-game schedule prior to the playoffs, losing to the four teams seeded above them, is one of three draft squads, those whose rosters don’t have of an abundance of players from the mostly same group of winter Division II and III teams as permitted by the NCAA.
Those squads are assembled prior to the start of play from registrants either signing individually or asked to play with certain other players and also include alums from D-I schools, such as recent Drexel grad Kate Connolly, who scored 12 points for Pink.
Sebold went a near-perfect 13-for-14 from the line down the stretch in the last two minutes and 14-for-15 in the contest. Crim had nine points, all off three 3-pointers.
During the season in their sole meeting, Sky Blue easily topped Pink 67-61 on June 29 before the league took a week off for the July 4th holiday.
Two seasons ago a previous unbeaten Jefferson squad was upset in their quarterfinals by a USciences graduate alumni squad, which knocked the Rams out again last year in the championship, so considering the Pink roster this time though a lot different from the ‘22 group, it’s now three straight playoff losses to grad squad teams and technically Pink enters game as defending champs.
As it was, Black was nearly shot down in the quarterfinals by the Sun (Draft Team-3), escaping in the last minute by two points over a team that was winless, though some losses were narrow recently, before upsetting Maroon (D3-Arcadia) in last Thursday’s opening single-game 8-9 seed playoff round.
In Tuesday’s quarterfinals, Red (D2-Chestnut Hill) fell to Pink 63-52, starting the winners on the way to the title round with its first upset.
Back in 2019, Holy Family was a surprise winner in the title round against the undergrad squad from the former USciences school just before then new-coach Bernadette Laukaitis returned to her alma mater after serving as the associate head coach under Penn’s Mike McLaughlin, who coached her on the Tigers prior to his being hired by the Quakers.
The regular coaches do not guide their teams in the league but under the NCAA are permitted to view the squads during the summer.
Several seasons ago USciences went out of existence when the school merged with D-1 Saint Joseph’s and when Royal Blue fell to Sky Blue Tuesday that could have been the end of it for D3-Cabrini.
The school is closing shop next spring, the campus bought by Villanova, but upon hearing the recent news, a slew of the Cabrini squad entered the transfer portal leaving in doubt whether enough will return to compete one more season.
Incidentally, working one of the games Thursday as an official was Temple grad Stacey Smalls, who was one of former coach Dawn Staley’s original star guards when she was hired by the Owls in the spring of 2000.
Here’s Bob with the details of both semifinals followed by his earlier season account of the matchup between Sky Blue and Pink.
Semifinals Recaps
5 Pink 71 #1 Black 60
Cassie Sebold connected on 13 of 14 free throws in the final two minutes as #5 Team Pink (alumni players) rallied from an eight-point fourth quarter deficit to upset top seed and undefeated Team Black (D2-Jefferson University) 71-60 in the first semi-final game Thursday night.
Pink advances to the league championship game next Tuesday night to face #2 seed Sky Blue (D2-Holy family University) who won the second semi-final over Purple 68-61.
Sebold (Chestnut Hill College ’22) led all scorers with 22 points. Kate Connolly (Drexel ’22) added 12 points while Taylor Hamm (USciences ’22) and Jen Kremp (USciences ’22) had 11 points apiece.
Morgan Robinson led Black with 12 points while Haley Meinel chipped in 11.
Black led by six heading into the final quarter and opened the final stanza with a basket from Emma Kuczynski to lead by eight 46-38.
Pink then exploded with a 16-2 uprising to take their first lead since the start of the second quarter 54-48.
Four Pink three-point baskets keyed the rally with Connolly starting the run with a three-ball.
Lauren Crim (Chestnut Hill ’23) had two three-point baskets and Kremp added one as well.
Crim’s first three pointer of the quarter tied the game at 48-48 and her second gave Pink a six-point lead and capped the run.
Jordan Thomas broke the run with a basket at the 4:13 mark to bring Black within four 54-50 before Connelly scored the next four points to extend Pink’s lead to 58-50.
Following a Robinson basket, Black needed to foul as there was under two minutes left in the game.
Black put Sebold on the line seven straight times over the final 1:48 and the Chestnut Hill alum made them pay, connecting on 13 of 14 shots.
On defense, Connolly delivered a key block with just under a minute left and Sebold came up with a big steal with 37 seconds left leading to her final two free throws, completing an 8-2 final run, giving the underdog Pink squad an 11-point win.
The 33 points scored by Pink in the quarter was the most productive quarter in any of this year’s summer league games (both regular season and playoffs).
In the first quarter of the game, Black held an early lead before Pink rallied to tie the score late and Abbey Spratt (Chestnut Hill ’22) scored at the buzzer to give Pink a 15-13 lead.
Robinson scored the first four points of the second quarter as her team quickly retook the lead.
Pink kept things close, never trailing by more than six points and cut the lead to two, 29-27, following Sebold’s buzzer beating three-point basket from way beyond the three-point arc.
Pink trailed by just two the half, with Black opening up their biggest lead at nine points, 44-35 late in the quarter before Connolly converted a traditional three-point play to cut Black’s lead to six before Pink began their comeback run in the fourth quarter.
#2 Sky Blue 68 #3 Purple 61
Team Sky Blue (D2-Holy Family University) built a big lead early in the third quarter and held off a furious comeback by Team Purple (D2-West Chester University) to earn a 68-61 win and advance to next Tuesday’s Championship game.
Sky Blue will face #5 seed Pink who upset top seed Black 71-60 in the first semi final game earlier on Thursday.
Leah Johnson nearly single-handedly led Purple’s comeback with 25 points, 20 of which were scored in the final 15 minutes of action. Rachel Conran added 11 to supplement Johnson’s efforts. Sky blue placed three players in double figures and had ten members of their team score points. Carolyn Prevost and Claire Dougherty led their team with 12 points apiece while Skyler Searfoss added ten.
Sky blue opened up a double digit lead in the second quarter and used a 12-1 run in the first six minutes of the third quarter to take a 56-31 lead prompting a Purple timeout to regroup. Johnson then put the team on her shoulders, scoring 11 of the team’s next 15 points as they outscored Sky blue 15-1 over the final four minutes to close within 11 57-46 heading into the final quarter.
Johnson opened the fourth quarter with a two-point basket and then a three-pointer to pull her team within six 57-51. A traditional three-point play from Prevost and a basket from Ava Morrow brough the Sky Blue lead back to 11 64-53 with 5:42 left. Sky blue was still ending by 11 with just under three minutes left when Purple ran off six straight points to pull within five 66-61 with 49 seconds left. Sky Blue connected on two of four free throws in the final 33 seconds to seal the win.
Sky Blue held the lead for all but the first minute of the game as Conran gave Purple a 2-0 start.
Jessica Riepe scored Sky Blue’s first eight points to give her team the early lead. Purple drew within one 12-11 before Sky closed out the quarter with an 11-3 burst to lead 23-14.
Searfoss opened the second quarter with a layup to give her team their first double digit lead of the night and extended the margin to as many as 16 at 30-14.
Purple battled back to close within eight 38-30 following a Conran basket before Sky Blue closed out the quarter with six straight points to lead 44-30 at halftime.
Tuesday’s Championship Regular Season Meeting
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.
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-Top Seed; Q-Quarterfinals; S-Semifinals; F-Finals
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
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
Early Games (6:30 p.m.)
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, 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)
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
*-Top Seed
posted by Mel Greenberg | 1:45 AM
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