Beyond the Arc with Kate Harman
PAISAA SEMIFINAL: Shipley vs. Germantown Academy
By: Kate Harman
It doesn’t really matter what happens over the course of the season for the Shipley girls’ basketball team.
Whether an injury sidelines the Gators starting point guard for two weeks or the squad suffers tough losses to out of state programs.
Whether the team drops three out of four contests over a seven-day period or falls in the league semifinals to a team they had previously beaten by double digit margins.
Are these events disappointing? Yes.
But do they really matter? No.
Because if it is the final week in February, Shipley somehow manages to put all of those other things aside. The injuries. The losses. The discontent.
On Friday, the Gators did just that, as they continued their dominance over Germantown Academy, ending the Patriots’ season for the fifth consecutive year, as Shipley defeated GA, 55-52, in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools semifinals at Westtown.
“I think that our ability to push through adversity no matter what the odds are – who’s against us – its uncanny,” guard, Lauren Ross said. “It’s incredible. No matter what, we are always able to push back. It’s something I really love about this team.”
Shipley (19-7) got out to a 21-10 lead after the first quarter but the Patriots (25-5) fought back and only trailed by four points at halftime. The surge was started with a basket from sophomore Elle Stauffer, who scored a team-high of 17 points, as GA went on an 8-0 run. From there, the contest was back and forth, with both squad taking brief respites on top.
“Basketball is fun – this game is fun. It’s also stressful but I love these types of games,” forward, Anna Camden said. “The atmosphere – you could hear it in the gym. The heat, the noise, everything.”
Everything. Exactly what Camden and Ross did for their team.
Whenever the Gators needed an answer it came in the form of Camden or Ross, as the juniors were terrific all game. The duo – who combined for 40 total points – took turns dominating, with Camden scoring 12 first half points and Ross scoring 14 in the final 16 minutes.
“That’s basically our season,” Camden said. “You stop one of us and then the other one is scoring.”
Ross scored the go ahead bucket with just 18 seconds left, as she drove to the hoop after a hard crossover.
“I knew if I was able to get around [the defenders] and get the shot on the backboard that either Anna [Camden] was going to rebound it, I was going to get fouled, or it was going to go in,” Ross, a St. Joseph’s recruit, said. “So, I had confidence that one of those three things would happen and those were all good things.”
Another good thing? The Gators will face off against Notre Dame, Saturday at 4:30 p.m., at Westtown, where the group will look to win its fourth state championships in five years.
“It feels amazing,” Camden, who also grabbed 10 boards and recorded four blocks, said. “It’s every year. I don’t get it. Every year we are doubted and every year, here we are on the last day of the season.”
It’s the end of February.
The rest of it? Doesn’t matter.
Shipley 21 8 9 17 – 55
Germantown Academy 10 15 13 14 – 52
S: Anna Camden 20, Lauren Ross 20, Sanaa Redmond 13, Elizabeth Talluto 2
GA: Elle Stauffer 17, Rachel Balzer 9, Becca Booth 8, Jaye Haynes 7, Alexa Naessens 5, Cat Polisano 3, Sarah DiLello 3
PAISAA SEMIFINAL: Abington Friends vs. Notre Dame
By: Kate Harman
When you play with ball handlers and scorers as prolific as Mandy McGurk and Maggie Pina, sometimes you just have to get out of their way.
At least, that’s what Allie Lynch was thinking to herself in the waning moments of Notre Dame’s Pennsylvania Independent Schools semifinal contest against Abington Friends.
Just seconds remained on the clock in a tight – and tie – game when the play drawn up from the sideline was done in such a way to allow McGurk and Pina to do their thing.
Create their own space for a shot.
Drive to the basket.
That kind of thing.
But, instead, Allie Lynch was open, so McGurk passed it to Pina, who found Lynch down low. The sophomore was fouled on the shot and made one of two free throws, which ended up being the difference for the Irish, as Notre Dame defeated the Kangaroos, 51-50, Friday at Westtown.
“We set up the play for Maggie [Pina] and Mandy [McGurk],” Lynch said. “So, I just figured I would get out of their way so they could drive. But then they pressured her so hard that when I cut to the basket, I was wide open. I didn’t expect it, but I also knew what to do when it happened.”
She also knew what to do from the free throw line – even though the stripe hasn’t been too kind to the guard this season.
“I’ve been having trouble shooting free throws all season so I was really nervous.” Lynch said. “[The walk to the foul line] felt a little longer than it should have, but I knew I made four earlier in the game so I thought I could make it. I changed my routine so I’m not thinking about it as long. When I think about it I miss them.”
Not on Friday. On Friday, she went 5-for-6 from the line.
“The first half of the season I was shooting okay,” Lynch said. “Then I started missing them in games. Halfway through the year I changed my routine. Today, it really showed.”
The contest was never more than a few possession game, as every trip down the floor for each side seemed to hold special significance. The Irish (15-10) led for the majority of regulation, with the Kangaroos (22-6) taking a one bucket lead with 12.8 second remaining before Caitlyn Mullen answered for Notre Dame, sending the game into overtime.
After the first extra period the game was still deadlocked.
With her team running out of time in the second overtime, Pina deftly worked her way around a few defenders and found Lynch by the left block.
“It was set up for me to drive,” McGurk said. “Then I realized the girl was so tight on me and other people were open so I thought people would have better opportunities if I laid it off.”
For the first time since 2011, the Irish will play for a state championship, against Shipley, Saturday, 4:30 p.m., at Westtown. Notre Dame hasn’t won a PAISAA title since 2008.
“I’m so excited,” McGurk said. “My freshman year we were expected to go to the finals and we didn’t, we came up short. Getting over that hump, winning that game, is such a relief and now it’s just one more game.”
Notre Dame 16 11 8 7 5 4 – 51
Abington Friends 13 9 8 12 5 3 – 50
ND: Mandy McGurk 19, Maggie Pina 11, Allie Lynch 10, Emma Kichula 5, Caitlyn Mullen 4, Riley Gillin 2
AF: Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes 17, Paige Mott 13, Kendall Hodges 7, Jordan Smith 7, Mihjae Hayes 4, Siana Wynn 2
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