Player of the Year and 2020-21 All-Star Team
There were many outstanding players and performances this season in Lehigh Valley area girls basketball. Here’s a look at the Top 10 players and The Morning Call All-Star team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Talya Brugler, Nazareth
The 6-foot-1 senior forward didn’t just follow in her sister Tessa’s footsteps at Nazareth. She made some bigger prints of her own in becoming the Blue Eagles all-time girls scorer with 1,600 points.
She also scored more postseason points (340) than any other player in the program’s history, played in more victories (81-23) and set scoring marks as a freshman (322), sophomore (402) and junior (586) — the last one the all-time single-season girls scoring mark.
The two-time Eastern Pennsylvania Conference MVP — only five girls previously earned multiple conference MVP awards in the 46-year history of the EPC/ LVC/EPC — will continue her education and career at St. Joseph’s University.
Her 36-point game against Stroudsburg on Jan. 11, 2020, is a school record for girls. She became the Blue Eagles’ ninth girl to surpass 1,000 career points last season and ranks 13th all-time in points among girls in Northampton County and 10th all-time in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.
This season Brugler averaged 15.3 points per game on 49% shooting from the field (95-for-194) and 84% shooting from the free-throw line (92-for-110) and 8.6 rebounds. For her career, she collected 830 rebounds, with 195 blocked shots, 213 steals and 181 assists.
She was named second-team Class 6A
all-state last season with this year’s team not being announced yet.
FIRST-TEAM ALLSTARS INCLUDE ... Antonia Bates, Notre Dame GP
The 6-foot junior point guard, who committed to Rutgers University before the season, led the Crusaders to their first PIAA tournament semifinal round game while doing a little bit of everything on the court.
Bates, whose game is much bigger than her individual numbers, averaged 12.4 points and tallied 21 against Class 6A PIAA semifinalist Nazareth early in the season in a 55-46 loss. The repeat firstteam selection has scored 759 points in her career with 231 assists and 138 steals while helping Notre Dame to a 65-9 record the last three seasons.
Lindsay Berger, Parkland
The Holy Cross recruit led the Trojans to their first 6A District 11 title game in the highest classification in seven seasons. The 6-foot-2 forward and fouryear starter averaged 14.8 points and 13.8 rebounds this season and finished with 953 points in her career.
A second-team selection last season, Berger topped 20 points six times this season with a career-high-tying 25-point game against Allen while being named MVP of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Lehigh Division.
Leila Hurley, Jim Thorpe
The 5-foot-9 junior guard eclipsed the 1,000-point career mark this season with 11 in a loss to North Schuylkill in February, while averaging 14.8 points for the year. She also made 45 3-point field goals on 42% shooting from behind the arc and now has 138 in her career.
Hurley scored 20 points in back-toback games in Class 4A District 11 quarterfinal and semifinal round victories and has 1,135 points in her career while helping the Olympians to a 68-13 record the last three seasons.
Brianna Moore, Palmerton
A 5-foot-8 junior guard that brings so much to the table also led one of the biggest upsets of the postseason in the Blue Bombers’ 34-32 win over one-league loss Notre Dame in the Colonial League semifinals when she drove the lane for the winning basket with 21 seconds left.
She added 18 points in the league title game loss and 21 in Palmerton’s first district win while also having a careerhigh 30-point game this season. Moore averaged 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 3 assists per game this season and has 882 points in her career.
Skyler Searfoss, Jim Thorpe
Searfoss, a three-time first-team selection, was the first Olympian junior to reach the 1,000-point career plateau this season with a 23-point performance in a win over Blue Mountain in the third game of the season. The 5-foot-7 guard was an all-around threat again after averaging 16.5 points, 3.8 assists and 4.6 steals while shooting 61% (164-269) from the field.
She was held to less than doubledigit scoring in just one of Jim Thorpe’s 25 games this season and scored a season-high 30 points in a Jan. 30 win over Tamaqua. Searfoss has scored 1,356 points in her career while helping Jim Thorpe to its first three district title games.
Morgan Sterner, Northampton
A second-team pick last season, the 5-foot-7 senior guard and three-year starter became the Konkrete Kids’ 13th girl to reach 1,000 career points with a 22-point effort in a 50-35 win over Emmaus on Feb. 26. She averaged 15 points a game this season with 20 3-pointers.
Sterner scored 27 and 25 points in back-to-back games against Nazareth and Freedom and finished her career with 1,036 points and 75 3-point field goals. The third Sterner sister to play and excel at Northampton will play on the next level at Chestnut Hill.
Emily Strunk, Stroudsburg
The 6-foot-2 senior forward and Rider University recruit finished off a four-year starting career with back-toback 30-point games in the Mounties’ COVID-19 shortened season, where they played just 10 games. She was named MVP of the EPC Mountain Division.
Strunk became the eighth Mountie girl to reach 1,000 career points with a first quarter free throw in the opening game of the season. A secondteam selection last season, she scored 20-plus points in seven of 10 games while averaging 20.9 points, 14 rebounds and 3.2 blocks a game this season. For her career, she scored 1,202 points with 730 rebounds and 180 blocked shots.
Trinity Williams, Palisades
A two-time second team pick, Williams was named Colonial League MVP this season by its coaches after averaging 20.9 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots per game while shooting 73% from the foul line.
The 6-foot-1 senior forward, who scored 33 points in a District 11 victory, earned a full ride to New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Williams reached the 1,000-point career club to become the eighth Pirate girl to reach the mark with a school-record 41-point outburst in Palisades’ opening game of the season, a 62-52 victory over Faith Christian Academy. She finished her career with 1,287 points and 830 rebounds and ranks 19th in a class of 158.
Kourtney Wilson, Bethlehem Catholic
The 5-foot-9 junior guard and threetime first team selection was at her best in the Class 5A PIAA quarterfinal contest against Cardinal O’Hara when she tied her career-high with 24 points including 14 in a 5-for-6 shooting final quarter in the 64-55 defeat.
The James Madison recruit scored 24 and 23 points in losses to Class 6A semifinalist Nazareth and 19 in a District 11 title victory over Bangor after severely spraining her ankle and missing the previous game. She has 904 career points and 97 career 3-point field goals.
Second Team All-Stars
Madeline Ahearn, Nazareth (jr.)
Raegan Cooper, Notre Dame (jr.)
Grace Lesko, Northampton (so.)
Kelly Leszcynski, Nazareth (jr.) Alexandria Lister, Northwestern Lehigh (sr.)
Brielle Reidinger, Wilson (jr.)
Julia Roth, Central Catholic (jr.)
Paige Sevrain, Northwestern Lehigh (so.) Emily Violante, Easton (sr.)
Emily Vaughan, Central Catholic (sr.)
Honorable Mention All-Stars
Allen: Shanaiya Ellis (jr.), Amonya Tate (so.) Bangor: Brynn Holland (so.), McCormick Karner (jr.), Madison Kluska )sr.), Emma Stout (sr.)
Bethlehem Catholic: Cici Hernandez (fr.), Cydney Stanton (jr.), Keyara Walters (jr.) Catasauqua: Lexi Rushatz (sr.)
Central Catholic: Emily Driscoll (fr.), Madi Szoke (so.)
Dieruff: Jaydalise Cartagena (so.), Kalis Collazo (jr.)
Easton: Nequai Fersner (sr.), Anye Staton (so.), Sara Tamoun (jr.)
East Stroudsburg North: Chanel Davis (so.)
East Stroudsburg South: Kania Day (jr.), Layla Hernandez (fr.), Laneice Williams (jr.) Emmaus: Steph Klemick (sr.), Marah Sisonick (sr.), Kameron Watkins (jr.) Executive: Tinyah Riggins (jr.), Shaylynn Waiters (sr.)
Freedom: Corrin Gill (sr.), Brenna Ortwein (sr.), Kailey Turpening (jr.)
Jim Thorpe: Olivia Smelas (jr.), Leah Sniskey (jr.)
Lehighton: Taylor Bowman (so.), Hailey Miller (jr.)
Liberty: Erin Eisenhart (jr.), Jessica Farrell (so.), Layla Orth (so.)
Lincoln Leadership: Milan Landis (jr.) Moravian Academy: Sophia Ettle (so.), Gianna Tout-Puissant (so.)
Nazareth: Marina Falzone (jr.), Makenna Fortner (sr.), Courtney Paulson (sr.), Sophia Zelasko (sr.)
Northampton: Kylie Gilliard (jr.), Taylor Kranzley (jr.)
Northern Lehigh: Emma Niebell (jr.), Aubrey Pollard (fr.), Madison Seier (sr.) Northwestern Lehigh: Kailyn Jones (sr.), Sydney Nyce (so.)
Notre Dame GP: Sydney DeFranco (sr.), Grace Medei (sr.), Anna Micklos (jr.) Palisades: Olivia Marton (sr.), Alayna Stiansen (sr.), Libby Stiansen (sr.) Palmerton: Megan Masko (fr.), Bethie Morgan (so.), Raegan Nemeth (jr.) Parkland: Sonya Shivok (sr.), Zoey Wilkinson (jr.), Talia Zurinkas (fr.)
Pen Argyl: Jill Morro (so.), Ellie Wallbillich (fr.)
Pennridge: Anna Croyle (fr.), Katie Yoder (so.)
Pleasant Valley: Samantha Merklin (jr.), Ella Muir (so.)
Pocono Mountain East: Zoe Cruz (jr.), Isabella Horvath (sr.), Anayah Williams (so.) Pocono Mountain West: Vitajah Davis (so.),Tierra Hudson (sr.), Azhani Simmons (sr.)
Quakertown: Katie Catalano (so.), Carolyn Sipprell (so.)
Salisbury: Krista Bonge (jr.), Melena Koutch (sr.), Quinn Wittman (jr.)
Saucon Valley: Allison Cort (so.)
Southern Lehigh: Caroline Bennett (sr.), Lauren Conran (sr.), Kayla Mobley (sr.) Stroudsburg: Kendel Card (jr.), Kaylie Hock (jr.)
Tamaqua: Sophia Boyle (sr.), Serena Jones (jr.), Mckenna Meckes (jr.), Trenyce Wingler (jr.)
Whitehall: Talia Carey (fr.), Olivia Hines (jr.), Ella Laky (jr.), Joey Shaul (sr.)
Wilson: Makayla Days (so.), Makayla Grant (sr.)