Two of the four NEPA Elite teams entered are leading their pools through the second of three days in the Select Events Basketball East Coast Summer Showcase.
Heading into Friday’s conclusion of the event at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, the Clark 17U and Clark 13U teams are in first place in six-team pools.
A recap of Thursday’s results:
NEPA Elite Clark 17U
The NEPA Elite Clark 17U girls suffered their first loss of the tournament, 55-52, to New Jersey Gemz Select-Truhan to begin the day, but came back strong with a 57-37 victory over EVO Elite.
NEPA Elite and the New York Royals are 3-1 in the 2023 Division Pool A with one game left while New Jersey Gemz are 2-1 with two games to play. NEPA Elite has the best point differential going into the final day.
Kiyomi McMiller hit five 3-pointers in the first half and the NEPA Elite defense allowed just 11 points in the second half of the win over EVO Elite.
McMiller scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half to help the team to a 34-26 lead.
Mackenzie Perluke scored 13 points and led the team with 5 rebounds. She also matched Daniella Ranieli for the team leads of three assists and two steals.
Ella Wilson hit a pair of 3-pointers for six points.
McMiller scored 23 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and made 3 steals in the loss to New Jersey.
NEPA Elite had a shot at the tying 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it was no good.
Perluke scored 11 points.
Emily Romanowski grabbed six rebounds.
McMiller is from Silver Spring, Md. Perluke is from Wyoming Valley West, Ranieli from Pittston Area, Wilson from Lake-Lehman and Romanowski from Western Wayne.
NEPA Elite Macciocco 16U
The NEPA Elite Macciocco 16U team split its two games in the 2024 Division Pool B for the second straight day.
NEPA Elite defeated Team Elevation, 46-39, then lost to York Thunder 2024, 57-52, in 2024 Division Pool B games.
Emily McDonald scored 11 points and made 4 steals in the win.
McDonald led a balanced offense that included three players with seven points each and six total with at least five points.
Addison Kilmer, Finley Bittenbender and Kennedy Bittenbender had seven points each. Kilmer also had five rebounds and five blocked shots.
Gabby Marsola added six points and three assists.
Mackenzie Schirg scored five points.
Elyse Montgomery grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Marsola had a team-high 14 points against York.
McDonald contributed eight points, seven rebounds and three steals.
Finley Bittenbender had six points, six defensive rebounds and two assists.
Mackenzie Schirg also scored six points while grabbing five rebounds.
Kennedy Bittenbender had four assists.
The Bittenbender sisters are from Scranton. McDonald is from Abington Heights, Kilmer from Mountain View, Marsola from Wyoming Valley West, Schirg from Lackawanna Trail and Montgomery from Honesdale.
NEPA Elite is 2-2 and alone in third place in the six-team pool.
NEPA Elite Rini 15U
The close losses continued for the NEPA Elite Rini 15U team, which dropped a pair of 2025 Division Pool A.
NEPA Elite has lost all four games, each by five points or less.
Thursday’s losses came to Sideline Cancer-Frazier, 52-47, and Comets-Barber, 41-40.
Jenna Hillebrand had 13 points and 6 rebounds in the loss to Sideline Cancer.
Ella Smith finished with nine points, six rebounds and four steals.
Maggie Coleman, who made three steals, and Maggie O’Shea scored seven points each.
NEPA Elite Clark 13U
After posting its third straight blowout win, the NEPA Elite Clark team had to pull out a close game down the stretch, getting past Maryland Belles 2027, 48-45, to improve to 4-0 in the 2027 Division Pool A.
Both teams were unbeaten in the pool going into the game.
NEPA Elite won its first 3 games by a total of 137 points, including a 61-10 rout of Team Sims 2028.
Two steals in the final 30 seconds helped finish off the Belles.
Zya Small’s steal and breakaway with 30 seconds left added to the lead and closed the scoring.
Ava Fenton then made another steal to clinch the win.
Chrissy Jacklinski scored four straight points to put NEPA Elite in the lead late.