She actually had all of the total points in the extra period, as the Owls outscored Methacton 9-0 in overtime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite a jaw-dropping solo stat line, McShane credited the teammates around her for creating opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur team is really good at passing the ball around and waiting for the open shot,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, it’s always good to cut hard and get open, and move without the ball. Our team always looks for the open player, we always just work well together.\u201d<\/p>\n
While McShane\u2019s scoring numbers were the headliner, the Owls also got helpful contributions from junior Jordyn Bell, who had seven points, including five in the second half.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to McShane, she and her teammates take a high level of energy into every game, especially road games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always say, when it’s an away game, that the other side is going to have more energy than our fans, because we’re not bringing as many,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, the bench energy is always on top, which always helps us secure wins.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And, of course, the job isn\u2019t done. Prior to the state tournament, Bensalem will face Neshaminy Friday for seeding purposes, while Methacton will host Conestoga in an elimination game that will send the winner to state.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As other area teams lock up state playoff spots and specific seeds, here\u2019s a look at several results around the region:<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Girls: District 12 4A Play-In<\/p>\n
Bonner-Prendie head coach Sarah Monaghan was an assistant at the time, but she remembers it well.<\/p>\n
The last time the Pandas were in position to make a deep playoff run, it was cut short. Bonner went all the way to the PIAA 4A semifinals in 2020, only to have the season shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s taken six years to get back. But it\u2019s been worth the wait \u2014 a wait that ended with a 66-25 win over Frankford in Wednesday\u2019s District 12 4A Play-In.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“To be able to come back with a group that\u2019s young, it\u2019s just super exciting for them to have that opportunity to build on something and it was kind of unfinished,\u201d Monaghan said. \u201cNow, they get the chance to kind of write their own story, which is exciting.”<\/p>\n
The Pandas came out more than ready to lock up their state bid, and it didn\u2019t take long to become clear they\u2019d get it. Bonner led 42-12 at halftime and never looked back; by that point, Kayla Epps already had scored all 22 of her game-high points. Skylar Rothley added 16, 11 of which came in the first two quarters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This season was already a major step forward for a Bonner team that didn\u2019t win a single postseason game a year ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And obviously, with memories of a deep state run still somewhat fresh, Monaghan hopes there are more rungs left to climb on this season\u2019s ladder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“My message to them is \u2014 you lose and you go home,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery game\u2019s big, every game matters. We have the pieces that can step in to hopefully make a good run.”<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Girls: PAISAA Semifinals<\/p>\n
2) Friends\u2019 Central 57, 3) Notre Dame 43
\n2026 is looking an awful lot like 2025 for Friends\u2019 Central. The Phoenix met Notre Dame in both years\u2019 semifinals, picked up wins in both iterations \u2014 this year\u2019s was much more convincing than a 51-49 win last season \u2014 and will face a rematch with Westtown in the PAISAA title game.<\/p>\n
But head coach Vinny Simpson was clear; this year\u2019s team isn\u2019t last year\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
“Different team, you know, different mentality,\u201d he said. \u201cMentally, they are strong and they believe. They\u2019re not afraid. I think this year is just a different mindset.”<\/p>\n
In Wednesday\u2019s semifinal win, junior\u00a0Ryan Carter did a little bit of everything to lead FCS, contributing 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals, while junior Phoenix Walker led the way with 15 points. Notre Dame sophomore Riley Davis led all scorers with 17.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Simpson, the Phoenix feel like they let one slip through their fingers \u2014 albeit a blowout loss \u2014 as snow-induced truncated practices led to a sloppy performance in a Jan. 29 loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Friends Central is looking forward to one more shot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had one practice in four days, and they killed us in transition,\u201d Simpson said. Take away our mistakes, us being tired, it\u2019s a different ball game. That\u2019s what you\u2019ll see on Friday.”<\/p>\n
1) Westtown School 79, 5) Mercersburg Academy 36
\nContinuing its dominant season \u2014 the Moose have lost just one game all year \u2014 Westtown rolled into the PAISAA title game with a 43-point win over Mercersburg Academy, opening a 49-17 halftime lead to blow things open. It was a remarkably balanced scoring effort from the Moose, though, six players scored at least nine points, with four in double figures, led by junior guard Jada Lynch with 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Girls: District 1 6A Playbacks\/Seeding<\/p>\n
4) Perkiomen Valley 53, 8) Garnet Valley 32
\nAfter a closely-contest first half, Perkiomen Valley posted an explosive third quarter to pull away from Garnet Valley in Wednesday\u2019s seeding game. The Vikings led 22-19 at halftime, but outscored the Jaguars 20-3 in the third frame and coasted to the final buzzer. Junior\u00a0Megan King led the way for PV with 12 points, while sophomore\u00a0Hannah Evans\u00a0added 12. GV was led by Kaylie Adamski\u2019s eight points.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2) Central Bucks East 43, 6) Spring-Ford 27
\nCentral Bucks East dominated the second half of Wednesday\u2019s seeding game, outscoring Spring-Ford in 29-15 in the latter two quarters, including a 16-7 fourth. It was an eventful night for the Patriots, as junior\u00a0Haley Moran \u2014 who led CB East with 14 points \u2014 earned her 1,000th career point. Freshman Payton Williams contributed an impressive line of 13 points and 12 rebounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10) Neshaminy 49, 11) Conestoga 44
\nIn one of the closest games of the day \u2014 and by far the closest out of six under the District 1 6A heading on Wednesday\u2019s slate \u2014 Nehsaminy outlasted Conestoga thanks to a strong fourth quarter; the two entered the last frame tied at 33. Freshman Nicole Trespalacios and junior Hayley Kolk led the charge for Neshaminy, scoring 15 and 14 points apiece in the win. With Wednesday\u2019s victory, Neshaminy locked up a spot in the PIAA State Tournament, while Conestoga will \u2014 as mentioned \u2014\u00a0have to beat Methacton on the road in order to clinch the district\u2019s 11th and final 6A state spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Boys: PAISAA Semifinals<\/p>\n
4) Phelps School 75, 1) Westtown School 65
\nIn pursuit of back-to-back PAISAA titles, Phelps got one step closer, defeating top-seeded Westtown. The Lions got standout showings from their key players, as Xavier Blake led the way with 22 points, while Jahrel Vigo added 19. Phelps also got double-digit scoring from Caden Ivery and Enmanuel Valera Melo. For Westtown, Wilson Udo and Marshall Bailey each had 18 points to pace the Moose. It\u2019ll be a PAISAA State Championship game rematch, as The Hill School defeated The Haverford School Wednesday for another shot at Phelps.\u00a0<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Boys: District 1 6A Seeding\/Playbacks<\/p>\n
24) Pennsbury 55, 4) Central Bucks South 52
\nUndoubtedly the biggest \u201ccinderella\u201d in District 1 6A in terms of seeding, Pennsbury took the 24th and final spot in the district playoffs and rode it to a state tournament bid, defeating No. 4 seed CB South behind 23 points from sophomore Pat Jajua; he had eight of the Falcons\u2019 13 fourth-quarter points to help seal the win. CB South, in defeat, was led by senior Davis Van Zanten with 15 points. For Pennsbury, Wednesday\u2019s win sets a seeding game Friday at No. 10 Conestoga; the winner will take ninth while the loser will take tenth. This year\u2019s trip to the PIAA playoffs will be Pennsbury\u2019s first since 2023-24.\u00a0<\/p>\n
13) Cheltenham 59, 8) Garnet Valley 58
\nIn what was a close game from wire to wire, Cheltenham earned a tight victory, largely thanks to 13 points from senior Jaedn Mosley and 10 from sophomore Elijah Saintildor. Garnet Valley was paced by 18 points from senior Grayson Golek. Both teams have already locked up state playoff spots, but will compete for official seedings Friday \u2014 Cheltenham against Spring-Ford for fifth, and Garnet Valley against Abington for seventh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Girls: District 1 5A Seeding\/Playbacks<\/p>\n
3) Gwynedd Mercy 56, 4) Marple Newtown 46
\nIn a third-place seeding game, Gwynedd secured a double-digit victory over Marple Newtown behind a dominant offensive performance and a stout defensive effort. The Monarchs saw standout showings from their key players, as Bailey Balkir led the way with a game-high 24 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals. Gwynedd also got a balanced contribution from Chloe McCarthy, who added 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists.<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Boys: District 1 5A Seeding<\/p>\n
1) Holy Ghost Prep 59, 3) Springfield (Delco.) 46
\nAfter falling early as the district\u2019s top seed, Holy Ghost Prep bounced back to take third place in the District 1 5A tournament, setting up a state tournament matchup with District 2\u2019s No. 2 finisher. As District 1\u2019s fourth-place finisher Springfield (Delco.) will meet the District 2 champion. The Firebirds, after entering the break up by five, put together a strong second half; sophomore Liam Condon led the way for the night with 16 points, but senior Adam McDonald led the second-half charge with nine of his eventual 14.<\/p>\n
5) Upper Moreland 60, 7) Pottstown 58
\nIn a tightly contested battle that came down to the wire, Upper Moreland narrowly edged out Pottstown to secure a two-point victory. The Golden Bears relied on a trio of double-digit scorers to lead the way, as sophomore Jose Hernandez paced the offense with 18 points. Upper Moreland also got significant contributions from senior Larry Hughes, who tallied 16 points, and senior Cannon Campbell, who added 15. For Pottstown, senior Syncere Whitehurst led the scoring effort with 14 points.<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
HS Girls: District 12 6A Play-In<\/p>\n
Cardinal O\u2019Hara 70, Lincoln 28
\nO\u2019Hara advanced to the state playoffs in dominant fashion, behind 28 points from Drexel commit Megan Rullo. The Cardinals reached the state quarterfinals a year ago.<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
D-III Men: MAC Freedom Semifinals<\/p>\n
4) Misericordia 58, 1) Arcadia 57
\nArcadia\u2019s standout season came screeching to a halt Wednesday, as the top-seeded Knights (18-8) fell to Misericordia on an Eli Stoute buzzer-beating heave from way beyond the arc. That shot immediately followed a jumper by Nas Johnson that put Arcadia ahead by two in the waning seconds. In a game that was close throughout, Arcadia led by as many as five in the second half. Johnson and Joshua Okocha led the scoring lead for Arcadia, scoring 16 apiece; the Knights struggled with efficiency though, going 34 percent from the field, 25 percent from beyond the arc, and 6-of-15 from the free-throw line.<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
D-III Women: MAC Freedom Semifinals<\/p>\n
3) Stevens 76, 2) Arcadia 44
\nArcadia\u2019s women\u2019s season also came to a close Wednesday; the Knights lost to Stevens at home in blowout fashion to finish the year at 17-9. It was Stevens\u2019 night from the jump; Arcadia trailed 19-6 after the first quarter, and got outscored 26-8 in the third to really put things away. No Knights scored in double figures, but Anastasia Bowman led the way with nine points, while Delaney Bell contributed eight points and nine boards.\u00a0<\/p>\n
~~~<\/p>\n
D-III Women: MAC Commonwealth Semifinals<\/p>\n
2) Widener 61, 3) Alvernia 54
\nWidener\u2019s 20-win season lives on into the MAC Commonwealth title game \u2014 the Pride will visit top-seed Messiah Saturday at 3 p.m. \u2014 after a comeback win over Alvernia. Widener led by two at the half, but trailed by six after three, before storming back in the fourth and holding the Wolves to eight points in the final frame. Widener won despite making just one of its 12 three-point attempts, and got a team-high 14 points from Avalynn Baer \u2014 one of four double-digit scorers for the Pride.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"She actually had all of the total points in the extra period, as the Owls outscored Methacton 9-0…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":123770,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[191,193,192,194],"class_list":{"0":"post-174226","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bensalem","8":"tag-bensalem","9":"tag-bensalem-headlines","10":"tag-bensalem-news","11":"tag-bensalem-township"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}