City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADrobinson3)
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FLOURTOWN — Lauren Hoffman’s jersey number couldn’t be more perfectly suited to her.

A senior guard at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Hoffman has worn No. 3 since coming into the program and it might as well be a warning to opponents to what’s coming if they leave her open past the 3-point line. Tuesday night, Methacton learned that the hard way as Hoffman lit the Warriors up for 22 points starting outside then working her way in during the Magic’s 60-46 win.

Surrounded by veteran teammates and playing more efficiently, Hoffman is hoping to give the Mount a shot at its first AACA title since 2015.

“We thought last year we should have been able to make a run but for sure, this year we feel like we can,” Hoffman said. “Everyone, we all fully believe we’ll be able to do it and there isn’t a doubt in our minds which helps us already have that confidence.”

Hoffman was an efficient 8-of-13 from the floor on Tuesday, hitting 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Consider that two of those misses from three were a heave at the first quarter buzzer and a shot she had to hoist at the third quarter horn and it’s even crisper performance overall.

Not surprisingly, that’s what Magic coach Matt Feeney pointed to as what has helped Hoffman become an even more productive player on a team that starts four seniors eager to go out with a good season.

The Mount’s coaches wanted Hoffman to focus on two things in particular this season, volume and movement. Specifically, they wanted the senior to shoot fewer threes in exchange for higher quality looks and to facilitate some of those looks for herself by moving off the ball and getting to open spots.

“She did a really nice job tonight of cutting backdoor a couple of times and going to the basket, so that’s an element of her game she’s added to,” Feeney said. “She’s taking fewer threes, but they’re better 3-pointers. She’s taking better shots but less of them and actually scoring more points.

“It’s something we talked to her about, she gets it, she’s bought in and her movement off the ball has really improved and as it gets better, she’ll become more and more of an offensive threat.”

The first possession on Tuesday saw the Magic swing the ball around until Chloe McGrorty found a wide-open Hoffman on the right wing for the first of her four triples on the night. Hoffman had a personal 7-0 run to start the game, scored 10 points in the first quarter and had 18 by halftime.

Hoffman played her AAU ball for Archbishop Wood coach Mike McDonald’s Mid-Atlantic Magic team, which also puts a heavy emphasis on off-ball movement and cuts so when her Mount Saint Joseph Academy coaches mentioned it, the senior knew it would be effective. The Mount has players who can attack the rim off the dribble, but Feeney has tried to emphasize less dribbles and more passing to take away aspects that teams were able to guard easily in prior seasons.

“We've been talking about it all year," Feeney said. "We are a difficult team to play against when we're moving the ball by passing it. When we dribble, dribble, dribble, we're easy to guard. We talk about it every day in practice, 'move the ball and move yourself,' and I think they did that very well."

Hoffman, along with guards Kiersten Pumilia and Chloe McGrorty and forward Georgia Pickett, have been varsity players since they were freshmen. Tuesday, the Mount collected 12 assists as a team paced by five from McGrorty, then used transition offense during a key 10-3 run in the third that turned a four-point game into a double-digit lead going to the final period.

“Coach Feeney teaches us not to stand still, you always have to move and always have to be open,” Hoffman said. “That’s become a big part of my game, just constantly moving and I think that helped where their defense just lost me.”

After hitting a three on the first possession, Hoffman drew a foul going to the rim on her next take. The senior also had a great up-and-under move on the low block in the third quarter that put her on the 20-point plateau, something she’s worked to develop so opponents can’t shoehorn her as strictly a perimeter shooter.

“I do love driving to the basket, so I’m always looking to switch things up,” Hoffman said. “If I hit a couple shots, I’ll look to go to the basket just so I’m not constantly taking everything from outside.”

With such an experienced roster, the Mount didn’t back down from an aggressive early season schedule. The Magic, who compete in Class 5A, entered Souderton’s Jim Church Classic in a field that included Class 6A contenders Souderton, Abington and West Chester Rustin and faced Inter-Ac power Germantown Academy in the title game of the Patriots’ tip-off tournament this past weekend.

Feeney noted that it might cost the Magic in the power rankings at the end of the year, but the idea was to make the team better through strength of schedule. 

"I think we've gained a lot of confidence from these past couple games," Hoffman said. "We've all played together since last year, most of us since freshman year, so we understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. We're just super-excited for each chance to play and I think we'll continue to get better with each game."

Methacton had a break-out game from Abby Arnold, who scored 20 points. Cassidy Kropp had 11, but only two after halftime as Pumilia and MSJA’s help defense kept the senior guard from getting into the lane as she had in the first half.

Warriors center Mairi Smith, who recently committed to D-III Williams (Mass.) also saw plenty of attention, usually having three to four players surround her in the lane while managing to get nine points and 10 rebounds.

Pickett netted 10 of her 15 after halftime, adding seven rebounds while also controlling the tempo on offense, using her dribble to pull Smith out of the paint and setting up drives or cuts for her teammates. The senior forward has been a solid contributor for four years and has continued to do everything the Mount needs from her to start her senior season.

“She made all-tournament team at the Souderton tournament and all-tournament at GA’s tournament, so she’s just been really, really good,” Feeney said. “She’s great off the glass, getting a lot of rebounds for us.”

Hoffman conceded she’s not really looking to play in college outside of club basketball, instead looking for more of a big school experience, so this winter has a little extra incentive to help her team win a title. With a core group that’s now in its fourth year together, the relationship extends far beyond the court and with some clear goals in mind.

“We understand each other so well and it feels like the game comes so easily for us now,”Hoffman said. “It means more to us because it’s our last year together, but we’ve always wanted to win (the AACA) and this year, we’re going to make sure we do.”

By Quarter

Mount Saint Joseph Academy 18 | 18 | 11 | 13 || 60

Methacton 13 | 16 | 9 | 8 || 46

Scoring

MSJA: Lauren Hoffman 22, Georgia Pickett 15, Kiersten Pumilia 9, Chloe McGrorty 6, Emily Birmingham 6, Addison Smth 2

M: Abby Arnold 20, Cassidy Kropp 11, Mairi Smith 9, Reana Torres 6