The Guru’s Philly Summer League Report: Black (Jefferson 5-0) Stays Unbeaten While Sky (Holy Family 4-1) Stays a Game Behind to Set Up Thursday Showdown

By Bob Heller and Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

HATBORO, Pa. -  One of the goals of the eight-team Philadelphia/Suburban Women’s Summer League here at Kelly Bolish Gym, home of the AAU Renegades, is for the D2 and D3 teams that can play their entire rosters together under NCAA rules get a jump start for the winter competition.

To that regard D2 Jefferson coach Tom Shirley, after watching from the stands his Black squad (5-0) stay unbeaten Tuesday night by triumphing 63-49 over Purple (D2-West Chester), remarked, “I think we may be pretty good this season, we seem to have a lot of firepower.”

The loss by Purple knocked them back to a third-place tie with Cyber Pink (3-2), the University of Sciences Philadelphia alumni group, who moved up from a 70-49 win over Royal (D2-Goldey-Beacom).

Sky (D2-Holy Family), off the Purple loss, is now alone in second (4-1) by beating Maroon (D3-Arcadia) 79-50.

Shirley may get a further preview of what Jefferson looks like on Thursday night at 7:45 p.m. on Court 1, matching not only the 1-2 standings leaders, but two of the top winter rivals in the Southern Division of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

Lemon Gold (D2-Kutztown) with a 48-40 win over Kelly (D2-East Stroudsburg) improved to 2-3 alone in fifth, while Royal, Kelly, and Maroon are all tied for sixth and if the playoffs started now would be involved in a coin toss because the three are 1-1 against each other and none have a breakout win above the deadlock.

Thursday’s other games will potentially for the moment see some ties broken when Cyber Pink (3-2) meets Maroon (1-4) at 6:30 p.m. on Court 1 while the early game on Court 2 has Purple and Kelly facing each other.

The fourth game of the night, played at 7:45 p.m. on Court 2 has Lemon Gold meeting Royal.

Thursday would have normally been the final night on the pre-playoff schedule, but the opening week games wiped out due to weather conditions affecting the courts, will be made up next Tuesday and Thursday followed by the quarterfinals on Tuesday, July 29, on Courts 1 and 2; the semifinals on Thursday, July 31, on Court 1, and then the championship on Tuesday, August 5, on Court 1.

Ari Bluestein’s Sports Fan Based Network may return like the previous two seasons to stream the title game.

Two games on opening night were suspended with Sky up on Purple 33-32 at the half, while Maroon led Lemon Gold 56-47 with 2:02 left in the game. The other two on June 18 were postponed as were all four games on June 19 twenty-four hours later.

To give everyone an eighth game on the original schedule, the first night matches were repeated on July 8 and Sky beat Purple 60-56 while Lemon Gold beat Maroon 74-62.

Individual Highlights

Four players reached at least 20 points, and they all came out of the Maroon-Sky and Cyber Pink-Royal contests.

Talia Battavio on Royal, in the loss to Cyber Pink, had the night’s top performance with 23 points, while on the other side USP Alum Taylor Hamm scored 20.

Maroon’s Hannah Rhoades, who has been the top overall scorer, was just a point behind Battavio with 22 in the loss to Sky, whose Claire Dougherty scored 20.

Bob has returned from his trip West and follows with more detailed summary of Tuesday’s action than the Guru was able to provide in the two nights of action last week.

Incidentally, Commissioner Kessler informs this summer the league has 80 players representing nearly 30 NCAA institutions.

Local high schools with the most grads playing for colleges in the league are Council Rock with 5, Archbishop Wood 4, Council Rock North 2, Plymouth Meeting 2, Villa Joseph Marie 2, Archbishop Ryan 2, Pennsbury 2, Perkiomen Valley 2, Sacred Heart Academy 2, and Wildwood Catholic 2.

Recaps

Lemon Gold 48 Kelly Green 40

In the closest game of the night, Lemon Gold held off a late charge from Kelly Green to earn a 48-40 win.

Madelyn Bernhardt led all scorers with 15 points to pace Lemon Gold. Delaney Finnegan and Brooke McFadden added eight points apiece.

Annie Aspesi led Kelly with ten points while Emily Chmiel and Kaitlyn McGeary added eight apiece.

Four lead changes opened the action in the first ten minutes with Lemon taking an early 13-8 lead with a 7-3 run to close the quarter.

Kelly outscored Lemon 9-8 in the second quarter as the low scoring half concluded with Lemon holding a 21-17 lead.

Ava Jordan kicked off the third quarter with a three-point basket and Aspesi added two more to give Kelly their first lead since early in the first quarter 22-21. They added four more points completing a 9-0 run to take a 26-21 lead.

Lemon battled back to tie the score twice before Kelly scored in the final seconds to lead 31-28 heading into the final period.

Lilliana Mettrick’s three-ball tied the score at 31-31 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, and the two teams exchanged leads three times as the quarter progressed.

Kelly’s Keara McCaffrey later tied the score at 39-39 before Lemon went on a 9-1 run to secure the 48-40 win.

Black 63 Purple  49

Team Black (Jefferson University) scored the first 14 points of the game and led wire-to-wire as they earned a 63-49 win over Purple (West Chester University+) in the late game on Court 1.

Gabby Racinto led Black with 12 points while Emily Spratt (11) and Caleigh Sparling (10) joined her in double figures.

Alainna Hopta was the only Purple player to score double figures, connecting on four three-point baskets for 12 points.

Black held Purple without a field goal over the first 9:30 of the opening quarter jumping out to a 14-1 lead.

Reynah Rattliff (Wilmington University) scored Purple’s first field goal with 30 seconds left in the quarter while Black added one more basket to lead 16-3 after one period.

An 8-0 run midway through the second quarter pushed Black’s lead to 19 points 31-12. Racinto’s basket in the final minutes of the quarter increased their lead to 22, 35-13 before settling in to stay ahead 35-17.

Purple started chipping away at the lead in the third quarter, cutting the margin to single digits 45-36 following Leah Stein’s three-point basket.

Black closed out the quarter on a 9-6 run to lead by 12 at 54-42 heading into the final quarter.

Black opened the fourth quarter with five straight points, but Purple was undeterred, scoring seven straight to cut the lead to 59-49 with 2:37 left.

Black scored the final four points to complete the 14-point win.

Cyber Pink 70 Royal Blue 49

Team Cyber Pink (Alumni+) jumped out to an early lead as they controlled the pace of the game with a 70-49 wire-to-wire win over Royal Blue (Goldey-Beacom College+) in the late game on Court Two.

Four players reached double figures for Pink, led by Taylor Hamm’s (USciences ’22) 20 points.

Rylee Derr (Kutztown ’21) added 18 points while Holly Gohl (Millersville ’28) and Delaney McCaffrey (Ursinus ’28) added 17 and 11 points, respectively.

Talia Battavio (Goldey-Beacom ’29) led all scorers with 23 points to pace Royal, and Katherine Lange (Goldey-Beacom ’29) added 12 points.

Pink scored seven of the first ten points in the contest and took a 21-8 lead after the first quarter.

Royal stayed close in the second quarter outscoring Pink 15-14 but Pink maintained a double-digit lead 35-23 at halftime.

A 16-8 run by Pink to open the third quarter increased their lead to 20, 51-31. Four different Pink players scored in the final minutes of the period holding a 59-36 lead heading into the final ten minutes of action.

Back-to-Back baskets from Royal to open the fourth quarter cut Pink’s lead to under 20 points for the first time since midway through the third quarter.

Pink countered with seven straight points to take their biggest lead at 68-42.

Royal closed out the game on a 7-2 run to make the final score 70-49.

Sky 79 Maroon 50

In the opening game on Court 2, Team Sky (Holy Family University) used a dominant second half to pull away from Maroon (Arcadia University) and cruise to a 29-point win, 79-50.

Six players scored for Sky with all six reaching double figures: Claire Dougherty led the team with 20 points, Ella Brown added 14 while Camryn Gregory chipped in 12. Taylor Hinkle, Amy Ngo and Dani Brusha had 11 points apiece.

Maroon’s Hannah Rhoades led all scorers with 22 points. Taylor Koenig chipped in 10.

Rhoades opened the scoring with a three-point basket, giving maroon an early lead.

Sky countered with seven straight points to take a 7-3 lead.

A Koenig three-point bucket pulled Maroon within one 7-6 but Sky followed with a10-3 spurt to lead 17-9.

Koenig’s second three ball of the quarter cut Sky’s lead to three 19-16 before Dougherty added a bucket in the final seconds to make the score 21-16 heading into the second quarter.

Sky scored the first six points of the second quarter to take a double-digit lead for the first time 27-16 and increased the margin to 14, 35-21, after completing a 14-5 run.

Royal followed with a 10-4 run to close within eight 39-31 before Brown’s basket near the end of the second quarter pushed the lead back to ten 41-31.

Four different Sky players contributed to a 10-0 run to open the third quarter as Sky took a 51-31 lead.

Royal followed with an 11-5 uprising to pull within 14 at 56-42 before Ngo pushed the lead back to 18 at 62-44 heading into the final quarter.

Sky outscored Royal 17-6 in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Standings (Thru July 16)

Team   W L Pct. GB PF   PA

Black 5-0 1.000 — 359 229

Sky 4-1 .800 1 355 259

Purple 3-2 .600 2 323 288

Cyber Pink 3-2 .600 2 274 260

Lemon Gold 2-3 .400 3 251 293

Royal 1-4 .200 4 205 342

Kelly 1-4 .200 4 209 267

Maroon 1-4 .200 4 308 368

 

Individual 20+ Nights

 

27-Caleigh Sperling, Black W over Kelly, Thurs., July 10

26-Hannah Rhoades, Maroon L to Lemon Gold, Tues., July 8

25-Lizzie Halligan, Maroon L to Kelly, Thurs., June 26

25-Dani Brush, Sky W over Royal, Wed., June 25

23-Talia Battavio, Royal L to Cyber Pink, Tues., July 15

23-Hannah Rhoades, Maroon W over Royal, Thurs., July 10

22-Hannah Rhoades, Maroon L to Sky, Tues., July 15

22-Sabrina Mann, Purple W over Royal, Thurs., June 26

21-Emily Spratt, Black W over Maroon, Wed., June 25

20-Taylor Hamm, Cyber Pink W over Royal, Tues., July 15

20-Claire Dougherty, Sky W over Maroon, Tues., July 15

20-Claire Dougherty, Sky W over Lemon Gold, Thurs., July 10

20-Sa’ni Savage, Purple W over Cyber Pink, Thurs., July 10

20-Taylor Hamm, Cyber Pink L to Purple, Thurs., July 10

20-Alainna Hopta, Purple L to Sky, Tues, July 8

20-Brianna Seltzer, Purple W over Royal, June 26

 

Calendar Results/Schedule

Tuesday July 15

6:30 p.m.

Lemon Gold 48, Kelly 40

Sky 79, Maroon 50

Black 63, Purple 49

Cyber Pink 70, Royal 49

 

Thursday July 17

6:30 p.m.

Court 1

Cyber Pink (3-2) vs. Maroon (1-4)

Court 2

Kelly (1-4) vs. Purple (3-2)

 

7:45 p.m.

Court 1

Sky (4-1) vs. Black (5-0)

Court 2

Lemon Gold (2-3) vs. Royal (1-4)

 

Thursday July 10

Black 87, Kelly 44

Maroon 75, Royal 46

Sky 67, Lemon Gold 47

Purple 61, Cyber Pink 57

 

Tuesday July 8

Royal 2, Kelly 0, forfeit

Black 54, Cyber Pink 48

Lemon Gold 74, Maroon 62

Sky 60, Purple 56

 

Thursday July 3

Dark – Holiday

 

Tuesday July 1

Dark – Holiday

 

Thursday June 26

Pink 57, Sky 52

Kelly 81, Maroon 66

Purple 100, Royal 59

Black 67, Lemon Gold 33

 

Court 1

Kelly (0-1) vs. Maroon (0-1)

Sky (1-0) vs. Cyber Pink 57, Sky 52

 

7:45 p.m.

Court 1

Royal (0-1) vs. Purple (1-0)

Court 2

Black (1-0) vs. Lemon Gold (0-1)

 

Wednesday June 25

Sky 97, Royal 49

Purple 57, Lemon Gold 49

Cyber Pink 64, Kelly 44

Black 88, Maroon 55

 

Wednesday, June 18

6:30 p.m.

Court 1

Sky vs. Purple suspended to Tues., July 22

Sky Blue 33, Purple 32 halftime

Court 2

Maroon vs. Lemon Gold suspended to Tues., July 22

Maroon 56, Lemon Gold 47 4th quarter 2:02

 

7:45 p.m.

Court 1

Cyber Pink vs. Black, postponed to Tues., July 22

Court 2

Kelly vs. Royal, postponed to Tues., July 22

 

Thursday, June 19

6:30 p.m.

Court 1

Cyber Pink vs. Lemon Gold, postponed to Thurs., July 24

 

Court 2

Royal vs. Black, postponed to Thurs., July 24

 

7:45 p.m.

Court 1

Purple vs. Maroon, postponed to Thurs., July 24

Court 2

Sky vs. Kelly, postponed to Thurs., July 24

 

Tuesday July 22

 

6:30 p.m.

Court 1

Sky vs. Purple resumed from Wed., June 18

Sky Blue 33, Purple 32 halftime

Court 2

Maroon vs. Lemon Gold resumed from Wed., June 18

Maroon 56, Lemon Gold 47 4th quarter 2:02

 

7:45 p.m.

Court 1

Cyber Pink vs. Black continued from Wed., June 18

Court 2

Kelly vs. Royal continued from Wed., June 18

 

Thursday, July 24

 

End of Regular Season

 

6:30 p.m.

Court 1

Cyber Pink vs. Lemon Gold continued from Thursday, June 19

 

Court 2

Royal vs. Black, continued from Thursday, June 19

 

7:45 p.m.

Court 1

Purple vs. Maroon continued from Thursday, June 19

Court 2

Sky vs. Kelly continued from Thursday, June 19

 

Playoffs

Tuesday July 29

Quarterfinals

6:30 p.m.

Court 1

1 vs. 8

Court 2

3 vs. 6

 

7:45 p.m.

Court 1

2 vs. 7

Court 2

4 vs. 5

 

Thursday July 31

Semifinals

Court 1

6:30 p.m.

Highest Seed vs. Lowest Seed

7:45 p.m.

Second Highest Seed vs. Second Lowest Seed

 

Tuesday, Aug. 5

Championship

Court 1

7 p.m.

Semifinal Winners

 

Team Schedules

 

Black (Jefferson) 5-0

7:45 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Cyber Pink – Court 1 (postponed to July 22)

6:30 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Royal – Court 2 (postponed July 24)

7:45 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Maroon W 88-55 

7:45 p.m. Thurs. June 26 vs. Lemon Gold – W 67-33

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 8 vs. Cyber Pink – W 54-48

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Kelly – W 87-44

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. vs. Purple – W 63-49

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Sky – Court 1

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 22 vs. Cyber Pink – Court 1 (makeup from June 18)

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Royal – Court 2 (makeup from June 19)

 

Cyber Pink (USP Alums+) 3-2

745 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Black – Court 1 (postponed to July 22)

6:30 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Lemon Gold – Court 1 (postponed to July 24)

7:45 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Kelly – W 64-44

6:30 p.m. Thurs. June 26 vs. Sky – W 57-52

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 8 vs. Black – L 48-54

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Purple – L 57-61

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. Royal – W 70-49

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Maroon – Court 1

745 p.m. Tues. July 22 vs. Black – Court 1 (makeup from June 18)

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Lemon Gold – Court 1 (makeup from June19)

 

Kelly (East Stroudsburg+) 1-4

7:45 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Royal – Court 2 (postponed to July 22)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Sky – Court 2 (postponed to July 24)

7:45 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Cyber Pink – L 44-64

6:30 p.m. Thurs. June 26 vs. Maroon – W 81-66

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 8 vs. Royal – L 0-2, Forfeit

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Black -L 44-87

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. Lemon Gold – L 40-48

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Purple - Court 2

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 22 vs. Royal – Court 2 (makeup from June 18)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Sky – Court 2 (makeup from June 19)

 

Lemon Gold (Kutztown) 2-3

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Maroon – Court 2 (Suspended to July 22)

6:30 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Cyber Pink – Court 1(postponed to July 24)

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Purple – L 49-57

7.45 p.m. Thurs. June 26 vs. Black – L 33-67

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 8 vs. Maroon – W 74-62

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Sky – L 47-67

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. Kelly – W 48-40

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Royal – Court 2

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 22 vs. Maroon – Court 2 (resuming from June 18)

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Cyber Pink – Court 2 (makeup from June 19)

 

Maroon (Arcadia) 1-4

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Lemon Gold -Court 2 (suspended to July 22)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Purple – Court 1(postponed to July 22)

7:45 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Black – L 55-88

6:30 p.m. Thurs June 26 vs. Kelly – L 66-81

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 8 vs. Lemon Gold – L 62-74

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Royal – W 75-46

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. Sky – L 50-79

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Cyber Pink – Court 1

6:30 p.m. Wed. July 22 vs. Lemon Gold -Court 2 (continued from June 18)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Purple – Court 1(makeup from June 19)

 

Purple (West Chester) 3-2

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Sky – Court 1 (suspended to July 22)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Maroon – Court 1(postponed to July 24)

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Lemon Gold – W 57-49

7:45 p.m. Thurs. June 26 vs. Royal – W 100-59

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 8 vs. Sky – L 56-60

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Cyber Pink – W 61-57

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. Black – L 49-63

6:30 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Kelly – Court 2

6:30 p.m. Wed. July 22 vs. Sky – Court 1 (continued from June 18)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Maroon – Court 1(makeup from June 19)

 

Royal (Goldey Beacom+) 1-4

7:45 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Kelly – Court 2 (postponed to July 22)

6:30 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Black – Court 2 (postponed to July 24)

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Sky – L 49-97

7:45 p.m. Thurs. June 26 vs. Purple – L 59-100

6:30 p.m.  Tues. July 8 vs. Kelly – W 2-0, Forfeit

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Maroon – L 46-75

7:45 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. Cyber Pink – L 49-70

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Lemon Gold-Court 2

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 22 vs. Kelly – Court 1 (makeup from June 18)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Maroon – Court 1(makeup from June 19)

 

 

Sky (Holy Family) 4-1

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 18 vs. Purple – Court 1 (suspended to July 22)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. June 19 vs. Kelly – Court 2 (postponed to July 24)

6:30 p.m. Wed. June 25 vs. Royal – W 97-49

6:30 p.m. Thurs. June 26 vs. Cyber Pink -L 52-57

7:45 p.m. Tues July 8 vs. Purple – W 60-56

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 10 vs. Lemon Gold – W 67-47

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 15 vs. Maroon – W 79-50

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 17 vs. Black – Court 1

6:30 p.m. Tues. July 22 vs. Purple – Court 1 (continued from June 18)

7:45 p.m. Thurs. July 24 vs. Kelly – Court 2 (makeup from June 19)

 

Seed Tracker

 

Black (Jefferson) 5-0: vs. CP (P); vs. R (P); W-M; W-LG; W-CP; W-K; W-PU; vs. S; vs. CP; vs. R

Sky (Holy Family) 4-1: vs. PU (Su); vs. K (P); W-R; L-CP; W-PU; W-LG; W-M; vs. B; vs. PU; vs. K

Purple (west Chester) 3-2: vs. S (Su); vs. M(P); W-LG; W-R; L-S; W-CP; L-B; vs. K; vs. S; vs. M

Cyber Pink (USP A+) 3-2: vs. B (P); vs. LG (P); W-K; W-S; L-B; L-PU; W-R; vs. M; vs. B; vs. LG

Lem. Gold (Kutztwn) 2-3: vs. M (Su); vs. CP (P); L-PU; L-B; W-M; L-S; W-K; vs. R; vs. M; vs. CP

Royal (Goldey Beac+) 1-4: vs. K (P); vs. B (P); L-S; L-PU; W-K (F); L-M; L-CP; vs. LG; vs. K; vs. B

Kelly (E. Stroud+) 1-4: vs. R (P); vs. S (P); L-CP; W-M; L-R (F); L-B; L-LG; vs. PU; vs. R; vs. S

Maroon (Arcadia) 1-4: vs. LG (Su); vs. PU (P); L-B; L-K; L-LG; W-R; L-S; vs. CP; vs. LG; vs. PU

 

(S) suspended (P) postponed (Co) Completed (MU) Made Up

B Black; CP – Cyber Pink; K – Kelly; LG – Lemon Gold;

M – Maroon; PU – Purple; R – Royal; S – Sky.