Croyle, Pennridge shut down Pennsbury for 3rd straight win

EAST ROCKHILL >> Just about anywhere Pennsbury’s Sofia Vitucci went Friday night, Pennridge’s Anna Croyle was right there with her.

“I’m sure it was frustrating but I hope she knows that it’s a compliment,” Croyle said.

A standout defender on the soccer field, Croyle showed she is equally efficient frustrating opponents on the hardwood in the Suburban One League girls basketball crossover contest.

Vitucci ended up pacing the Falcons with 11 points – seven coming in the third quarter – but Croyle did about as much as she could to make sure that total did not come easy, anchoring the Rams’ stout defensive effort that earned them a third consecutive victory.

“Personally, I love it – just being able to say this is my job and see if I get it done or not,” said Croyle, a junior committed to Syracuse for soccer. “I think when we faceguard it makes it harder for our teammates and I think they did an incredible job covering for when I wasn’t in help. And overall I think we played great defensively as a team.”

Pennridge held visiting Pennsbury to only eight points in the first half, kept the Falcons at bay in the third then pulled away with a 15-0 run in the fourth to claim a 46-29 win.

“I’ll be honest with you, it’s been a little bit up and down,” said Pennridge first-year coach Jason Rapp of the Rams’ defense coming into Friday. “It’s been up and down. CB West got us good, we guarded real well against CB East, we didn’t against West. Lansdale Catholic we didn’t and tonight I thought we did a good job.

“They did what we asked them to do and that doesn’t always mean you’re going to win but hopefully it gives you a shot.”

Katie Yoder scored 11 of her game-high 14 points in the second half – going a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line – while Grace Rosica added 10 points for Pennridge (8-4, 4-3 SOL Colonial), which has held its last three opponents under 30 after giving up 72 in a loss to Lansdale Catholic at Boyertown’s holiday tournament Dec. 28.

“Everyone was on the same page and we were all together,” said Rams sophomore Ella Brown, who chipped in nine points. “Shout out to Anna Croyle for face-guarding and limiting (Vitucci) to low points.”

Pennridge has a quick turnaround, hosting Methacton 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The Rams then visit SOL Patriot Neshaminy, which is first in the SOL Patriot Division, 7 p.m. Tuesday. Pennsbury is home against SOL Colonial leader Souderton 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Both team started slow, Pennridge leading 6-4 after the first quarter before the Rams knocked down a trio of 3-pointers – two by Rosica – in the second period to go into halftime up 17-8.

Pennsbury (10-3, 5-2 SOL Patriot), which had its four-game win streak snapped, collected the third’s first two baskets to cut the margin to five. But the Rams withstood the Falcons’ press and later in the quarter pushed its lead to 11 after four straight Yoder foul shots.

“(Pennsbury coach) Frank (Sciolla) does a really good job, changing things up, speeding teams up and the one concern that we wrote on the board and we really talked about is we have to be strong with the ball,” Rapp said. “Pennsbury’s physical, they’re quick and they will get after you. And I was really proud of how our girls handled that.

“That was a situation that a couple times early in the season we didn’t respond great to it. Hopefully it snowballs for us.”

Oliveah Gilchrist’s corner 3-pointer had Pennsbury down 29-23 in the fourth only for the Rams to put the game away by scoring the next 15.

After Olivia Poole’s basket off an offensive rebound, Brown registered the next five points, knocking down a three then making a pair from the line to put the Ram up 36-23 at 5:56.

“We just had to relax and play our game and take our shots,” Brown said.

Just 23 seconds later, Yoder converted a 3-point play in transition. Poole followed by rattling in a three. Yoder hit both ends of a 1-and-1 with 3:38 left, extending Pennridge’s advantage to 44-23.

“I think on the court we all just want the team win,” said Croyle, who scored six points. “No one’s worried about their amount of points so our ball movement and taking our shots and being confident when it’s open.”

In the second quarter, a Gilchrist basket pulled Pennsbury even 6-6 but Rosica connected on back-to-back threes while a Brown bucket made it an 8-0 run and a 14-6 Rams lead. A Yoder three gave Pennridge the 17-8 edge at halftime.

Vitucci posted her first field goal after a backcourt steal to make it 21-15 in the third. However, a Poole basket then two Yoder free throws at 3:11 pushed the Rams’ lead to 10.

Vitucci drained a three from the wing but four more Yoder foul shots had Pennridge up 29-18 with 1:54 left in the quarter. A Vitucci basket off a feed from Layla Matthias had the Falcons’ deficit at nine entering the fourth.

“She’s a great player and our coach told me that my job was to try to shut her down,” Croyle said. “Obviously she still got some points but I’m glad I could hold her to under the average and we were able to pull out the win.”

Pennridge 46, Pennsbury 29
Pennsbury 4 4 12 9 — 29
Pennridge 6 11 12 17 — 46
Pennsbury: Sofia Vitucci 3 4-4 11; Oliveah Gilchrist 3 0-0 7; Layla Matthias 3 1-5 7; Nevaeah Dash 1 0-1 2; Presley Foote 1 0-1 2; Ava Jordan 0 0-2 0; Totals 11 5-13 29.
Pennridge: Katie Yoder 2 9-9 14; Grace Rosica 4 0-0 10; Ella Brown 3 2-2 9; Olivia Poole 3 0-0 7; Anna Croyle 3 0-0 6; Samantha Murphy 0 0-2 0; Totals 15 11-13 46.
3-pointers: PBY-Gilchrist, Vitucci; PR-Rosica, Brown, Poole, Yoder.