City of Basketball Love

By Emily Sims (@EmilySims177825)
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Four weeks spent off the court during her senior season was not something Cardinal O’Hara’s Joanie Quinn had in mind. The 5-foot-8 La Salle commit went to the trainer on Dec. 22 during O’Hara’s game against Notre Dame knowing something wasn’t right with the pinky finger on her right hand.

“The knuckle was down here,” she said, pointing to the middle of her hand. “I thought it was jammed.”

At the time, Quinn didn’t think much of the injury. She had hoped an athletic trainer or doctor could pop it back into place and she’d be back in the game. As halftime rolled around, however, Quinn was headed to the hospital for surgery.

These days, the Cardinal O’Hara senior’s running a chance of setting off metal detectors, sporting a new two-inch metal screw in her pinky. After finding out the fifth metacarpal in her right hand was broken, the reality of Quinn’s situation began to sink in.

Head coach Chrissie Doogan was familiar with the injury, as her daughter Maggie Doogan suffered the same fate during her freshman year at Richmond, causing her to miss seven games.

“It was the same injury Maggie had down at Richmond last year,” Doogan said. “It was the exact same thing. So I was like, ‘Joanie, four weeks. You’ve got to suck it up for four weeks and it’ll be good as new.’”

Saturday’s matchup against Lansdale Catholic with a 51-35 finish marked Quinn’s fourth game back on the court since her injury as the Lions make a strong push towards the postseason. While Quinn was timid at first about returning to play, she showed no signs of missing a month of play in the battle against the Crusaders. She finished the game with nine points, six rebounds and three steals. 

While Quinn has never broken a bone before, she’s no stranger to surgery. Four years ago, she underwent a spinal infusion for an issue that nearly paralyzed her. 

Sitting on the sideline in leggings was unusual for Quinn, as she’s never had an injury during basketball season. Instead of stewing in her injured state, she used the four weeks on the bench to gain a new perspective of the game. 

“Honestly, I think I just got smarter about it,” Quinn said. “I saw what we were doing wrong from more of a coaching standpoint, you know? Even though I’m obviously not a coach.”

Watching from the sidelines allowed Quinn to improve her court vision, seeing what plays and defensive strategies work best for her team. 

Quinn has been working on her own defensive skills since she first stepped back on the court on January 25, spending additional time at the gym and working with an agility coach — in Chattanooga (Tenn.), via Zoom — outside of practice.

Quinn averages 11 points per game, but her teammates proved to be a strong glue to hold O’Hara’s starting lineup together while she was out with her injury. 

During those four weeks of Quinn in a cast, O’Hara coaches trusted freshman Brigidanne Donohue to fill her shoes in the starting lineup. Donohue is just one of several promising freshmen for Cardinal O’Hara, as she continues to prove herself as a more-than-capable shooter in her rookie season.

“I’m in awe of her,” Quinn said. “I know I’ve said that before, but I’m really just so proud of the work she’s put in. And how she stepped into this role is just amazing.”

Donohue posted nine points against Lansdale Catholic, all from the 3-point line. Sisters Molly and Megan Rullo combined for 31 points.

O’Hara (17-2, 7-1 Catholic League) jumped out to an early lead on Lansdale Catholic, leading 13-7 after one quarter, but Lansdale Catholic battled back to tie it up in the second quarter. But the Lions put more space between themselves and their guests before the half, Quinn using a steal-and-score to make it a 27-18 game at the break. 

The second half was largely even, Lansdale Catholic never able to quite put a major dent into the lead but O’Hara never really able to put down a finishing blow. The Lions finished it off by going 8-of-10 from the line in the fourth quarter, including 6-of-6 from Megan Rullo.

The main driving force behind Cardinal O’Hara’s success this season seems to be confidence on and off the court, with some additional support from an improved defensive effort, as O’Hara tries to bounce back from losses in the PCL and PIAA 6A semifinals a year ago.

O’Hara trails Archbishop Wood (15-5, 9-0) in the PCL. O’Hara hasn’t faced Wood since early January when it took its first loss of the PCL season. With three games to go in regular conference play, O’Hara still has to battle Conwell-Egan (4-4), Nazareth Academy (5-3) and Neumann-Goretti (6-2).

With Donohue’s newfound confidence and Quinn’s return to the court, O’Hara seems to be growing stronger ahead of the playoffs. 

“They have what we’re chasing,” Doogan said. “If you want it, you’ve got to go get it.”

By Quarter
CO:  13  |  14  |   8   |  16  ||  51
LC:    7   |  11  |   8   |   9   ||  35  

Shooting
CO: 14-37 FG (8-22 3PT), 15-18 FT
LC: 14-32 FG (2-7 3PT), 5-8 FT

Scoring
CO: Molly Rullo 19, Megan Rullo 12, Joanie Quinn 9, Brigidanne Donohue 9, Great Miller 2

LC: Saniyah Littlejohn 12, Grace McDonough 11, Olivia Boccella 8, Aubrey Mobley 2, Allie Esposito 2