GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lily Brown scores 16, North Penn rolls past Souderton to snap 2-game skid

FRANCONIA – Lily Brown provided an early spark and the North Penn girls basketball team made sure it started January better than it finished December.

The sophomore forward scored 10 points in Friday night’s first quarter, helping the visiting Knights jump out to a 17-4 lead on Souderton in their SOL Colonial Division contest. North Penn pushed its advantage to 24 by halftime and went on to snap a two-game skid by cruising past the Indians 47-24.

“I really wanted our team to win because after those two losses I feel like we were down and felt unconfident,” Brown said. “I think we just needed that confidence back.”

The Knights had won four of five before capping 2024 with back-to-back losses at Ridley’s holiday tournament. North Penn fell to the host Green Raiders 42-38 last Friday then lost 60-47 the next day to a Unionville squad the Knights had beat at home 47-27 Dec. 10.

“I feel like shots just weren’t falling, nothing going our way but also I feel like we didn’t communicate as much as we had a lot of turnovers,” said Brown of the two losses.

Friday, North Penn grabbed a 7-0 lead and never looked back, its full-court pressure limiting Souderton to three first-half field goals as the Knights matched Central Bucks East in staying perfect in the division.

“I think it was definitely motivation cause we knew that that was a rough two games for us,” Brown said. “We should’ve beat them I feel like cause we beat them by 20 the first time and it really just showed us that we just needed to work harder.”

Brown had 12 points at halftime and ended with a game-high 16 points. Cameron Crowley chipped in 13 points for North Penn (5-5, 4-0 SOL Colonial), who pushed its lead to as large as 29 at 35-6 after a Crowley 3-point play at 3:57 in the third.

“I think that our defense really fueled our offense,” Brown said. “The press that we put on got a lot of steals into transition.”

Julia Purvy had 10 points to pace Souderton (8-4, 1-3), which came into the matchup having won two straight and four of its last five.

North Penn heads out to York County Saturday to face Dallastown at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Knights host CB East with the winner taking first place in the SOL Colonial at the halfway point in division play.

“I feel like we’re not super-consistent but I feel like if we keep working on it we are going to get into a groove,” Brown said. “And just really our defense fuels our offense mostly and if we just work on our defense we’ll really get those wins in a row.”

Souderton next plays Tuesday, visiting Central Bucks South at 7 p.m.

Brown started Friday’s score on a drive while a 3-pointer from Tallie Smink then a Crowley jumper had North Penn up 7-0. Purvy collected consecutive buckets but the Knights shut out the Indians the rest of the quarter.

Brown knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 10-4 then scored with an up-and-under move down low. Lacie Haddock’s basket inside off an inbounds had the Knights leading 14-4 while Brown converted a 3-point play after scoring in transition for a 17-4 advantage at 1:50 in the first quarter.

“It just shows that I have more in my bag I guess,” Brown said. “They have to guard me both ways that way – I’m more a threat on the court.”

A Leah Mikulski basket to open the second quarter made it 19-4 before a two from Alaina Picard stopped the Knights’ 12-0 run. However, those were the Indians’ final points of the half.

Brown’s basket then four straight points from Crowley had North Penn leading 25-6 at 3:12. After a Lailani Williams bucket, Saniah Hammond connected on a 3-pointer to make it 30-6 at intermission.

“We just were really motivated, I feel like, to win based on the (Ridley) tournament, losing two games in a row and just really wanted to get this win,” Brown said.

North Penn began the third with a basket from Mikulski then Crowley converting a 3-point play to go ahead 35-6. Souderton scored the quarter’s last nine points then in the fourth cut the margin down to 17 twice, the last time at 39-22.

North Penn 47, Souderton 24

North Penn 17 13 5 12 – 47

Souderton 4 2 9 9 – 24

North Penn: Lily Brown 6 1 1-1 16; Cameron Crowley 4 0 5-5 13; Leah Mikulski 2 0 2-2 6; Saniah Hammond 0 1 0-0 3; Tallie Smink 0 1 0-0 3; Lacie Haddock 1 0 0-0 2; Lily McGee 1 0 0-0 2; Lailani Williams 1 0 0-0 2; Paityn Debro 0 0 0-2 0; Totals 15 3 8-10 47.

Souderton: Julia Purvy 5 0 0-2 10; Emily Dick 1 0 3-6 5; Madison Bealer 1 0 1-2 3; Oliva Herron 0 0 2-4 2; Alaina Picard 1 0 0-0 2; Liz Word 1 0 0-1 2; Totals 9 0 6-15 24.