City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADrobinson3)
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TOWAMENCIN — Sam Wade had always tried to think like a point guard, so she was more than game to start playing as one.

Wade, a junior at Germantown Academy, made her mark in her first two seasons with the Patriots as a pesky on-ball defender and a wing scorer with a mix of slashing and shooting but coach Sherri Retif saw another way for Wade to be involved. If the Patriots could put Wade on the ball offensively like they do defensively, it would only add more variety to their lineup.

Wade has taken to her new point guard role with gusto, dishing three assists and acting as the vocal facilitator as GA downed North Penn 60-57 on Tuesday for its first win of the season.

“I love it, being a leader on the floor, having the offense in my hands, I get to call the plays, choose who the right person is to pass to, I’m in control,” Wade said. “There’s almost never a possession where the ball’s not in my hands, so that makes me feel really confident.”

Passing seems to be infectious with the Patriots anyway, with the team tallying 15 helpers on 25 field goals Tuesday. Wade is the point guard by position, but she’s just as willing to call out a set, initiate the offense then give up the ball and move to get open.

Where some teams have one dominant point guard, she also doesn’t necessarily have to bring the ball up every play. On Tuesday, Isabella Casey actually had the team high with four helpers while Jess Kolecki had a great outlet pass on an early basket and three other players had two assists.

“I trust all of my teammates,” Wade said. “We’re all really skilled throughout the lineup, not just the starters so knowing I can pass it and get it back or know they’ll make the right decision is so helpful.”

Although she had never played point guard in an extended capacity before, in her own way, Wade knew what the line of thinking was albeit from the other side. Her job on defense was to stick the ball, which was usually in the point guard’s hands, so it was on the job training of sorts.

“My favorite thing has always been guarding point guards because I love on-ball defense,” Wade said. “Knowing that helps me to see things in the defense we’re going against.”

Wade, who has talked with a couple Ivy League programs but doesn’t have any college offers as of the moment, is always working to improve and add more to her game. So the idea of adding some responsibility as a point guard for the Patriots was one she jumped at.

“I was excited, I knew I needed to get my ball-handling skill up,” Wade said. “I’ve been training a lot and with my defense, I’ve always been an on-ball defender, so I was already working to get faster and stronger.”

GA had a size advantage over the Knights thanks to senior Kendall Bennett, who led the Patriots with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double. Early in the second quarter, Wade made a great pass to the Binghamton recruit in the low post for an easy basket while giving the Patriots a look they would go back to quite a few times the rest of the way.

“We have plays that are strictly to get it to her, but that play, it wasn’t just for her but I know when I see her and I know when I can get it to her,” Wade said. “When I see the offense set up, I also need to see the defense and indicate what play we should run and be a leader, help get people to the right spot and find the right pass.”

This past weekend, GA competed in the She Got Game Classic in Washington D.C. against some top national competition. While the Patriots lost both games, Wade said it was a good experience, as they faced a good deal of zone defense and some high-intensity press that challenged her decision-making and ball control.

While Casey, Jess and Jenna Aponik and Wade are all now in their third year with the program with Kolecki and Gabby Bowes as sophomores who saw big minutes last season, none of them have yet lifted an Inter-Ac title. Only Bennett, who was a role player in her freshman season, can claim that distinction.

Freshman Addison Levensten, who had eight points, seven rebounds and two assists, looks ready to contribute as well and Wade was optimistic the Patriots will be able to contend for the league title against arch-rival Penn Charter and Notre Dame.

“We had a really great shot last year and for the juniors with this being our third year, we’ve grown so much as a team and have become closer too,” Wade said. “I think we have a really good shot to win the Inter-Ac and (PAISAA) states.”

Germantown Academy will play its first home games this weekend when it hosts its Winter Classic tournament. Wherever the Patriots go this season, they’ll be looking for their point guard to help put them in the right direction.

“It gives me confidence in the other aspects of the game as well, just knowing the coaches trust me that much,” Wade said. “Knowing I’m trusted just makes me feel good. Before, I was just on the wing, but now I know I can play multiple positions and I’ve expanded my game.”

Germantown Academy 60, North Penn 57

GA won on Tuesday, but the Knights looked like they’ll be a team to reckon with in the SOL Colonial with their effort.

Senior Abby Plaugher, who has signed with Salisbury, was terrific with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting that included six makes from 3-point range. Caleigh Sperling had 16 and Liv Stone had 10 as part of a junior class that showed lots of potential in coach Brianna Cullen’s first season last winter.

The Patriots took the lead for good with a run to end the first quarter, but had to spend the rest of the night fending off North Penn’s comeback efforts and did so with balanced scoring and an ability to get the play they needed when they needed it.

By Quarter
Germantown Academy:  15  |  19  |  12  |  14  ||  60
North Penn:              11  |  17  |  17  |  12  ||  57

Scorers
GA: Kendall Bennett 21, Addison Levensten 8, Jess Kolecki 8, Isabella Casey 8, Gabby Bowes 7, Sam Wade 6, Jess Aponik 2

NO: Abby Plaugher 24, Caleigh Sperling 16, Liv Stone 10, Emily Orth 3, Cameron Crowley 2