City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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LANGHORNE — It’d be easy to say Neshaminy should just skip right to the second half, but that would be skipping over the important part.

While the SOL Patriot leaders have made a knack for strong starts to the second half this season, it’s what comes between the end of the second quarter and start of the third that is behind it. If Neshaminy can hold its own in the first half, then halftime will usually lay out the plan to take control in the second half.

Friday, hosting Souderton in a duel of SOL division leaders, Neshaminy put together another game-changing second half thanks to the driving efforts of junior Lola Ibarrondo for a 37-32 victory over the SOL Colonial frontrunners.

“Our third quarters this season have been really, really good, that’s been a big thing,” Ibarrondo said. “First quarter, we’re getting a feel and we have really good halftime talks, like really great talks and we come out, have a feel for the game now and we’re out attacking and doing what we’ve gotta do.”

Case-in-point, after a slow moving first half saw the teams play to a 14-14 tie on Friday, Souderton (12-2, 8-1) started the third quarter with first possession only to have Ibarrondo pick off a pass for an early turnover. That really got things going, with Ibarrondo and senior Taylor Gurysh teaming up for an 8-0 that put Neshaminy in the lead for good, but not without threat.

It wasn’t until Souderton broke out its 1-3-1 zone that Ibarrondo took charge. Neshaminy coach John Gallagher took the blame for his team’s initial struggles against the defense, but had a quick remedy that involved merely telling Ibarrondo - standing a few feet away as the offense stalled - to start looking to attack.

“Once I made one, I wanted to keep going at them,” Ibarrondo said.

The junior, who shoots predominantly right-handed but can handle and finish around the rim with either hand, put her head down and got to work.

“When we pushed the ball really fast and they weren’t back all the way, that opened up a lot for us and once you take the first step, you get into the crevice of the defense,” Ibarrondo said. “If they leave it, they are long, but there is space you can get into and get around them.

“It’s staying patient, you may have to swing the ball around a few times to see what you have but if there is a lane, you have to go after that and make a decision from there.”

Ibarrondo netted 12 of her 16 after halftime but had a really nice take to the rim in the second quarter that showed her she could get there. Neshaminy (10-2, 8-1) needed it after Souderton clipped the lead to 24-22 a minute into the fourth quarter.

After Reese Zemitis, who battled the always-tough coverage of Souderton’s Casey Harter all game but managed eight points and drew some timely fouls, split a pair of free throws, Ibarrondo attacked. Following a miss, she rebounded the ball and took off up the floor, going right at the recovering defense for a layup.

Ibarrondo, who had half of the team’s eight offensive rebounds, then got to the line when she fouled on a putback attempt. She capped her personal charge with her best take of the night, a drive off the left wing, across the baseline and capped with a reverse finish under the rim for a 31-22 lead.

“We’re just dogs, especially when we have that underdog mentality, we love to come in when a team’s projected to beat us,” Ibarrondo said. “We put in so much effort, we crash the boards so hard. It’s just an effort thing and once we get hot, we stay hot.

“It’s a momentum thing, once we get it going, that’s a big thing with us.”

Harter led Souderton with 18 but for a second time this week, Lynn Carroll’s group was slowed on the offensive end. They also gave up an uncharacteristic number off offensive rebounds and untimely fourth quarter turnovers, yet had two chances to tie the game in the final minute.

Friday, it was Ibarrondo who had things working but with a foundational trio of her, Gurysh and Zemitis, they can change roles depending on who is feeling it on a particular night.

“With me, Taylor and Reese, I feel like it’s always two of us are on and the other is off,” Ibarrondo said. “It happens like every game, but even the one who is off, they’re still grabbing rebounds and doing all the other stuff and the two that are on, we’re just trying to feed them the whole time.

“It’s not just us three, our supporting cast, they can hit big shots. Jess Purdy hit a huge three tonight. We have depth, but when someone’s hot, like if Reese is hitting every three, you know if you’re driving, you’re kicking to her until they take it away.”

The three by Purdy, which came off a great pass by Gurysh, put Neshaminy ahead by 10 points with four-plus minutes left. Souderton charged back, aided by a handful of missed Neshaminy free throws that included a pair by Ibarrondo with 34.9 left just after she’d stolen a pass protecting a 35-32 lead. The junior knew it too, exclaiming “oh, that’s off,” when the second free throw left her hands.

She would make amends, eventually, grabbing the rebound off Souderton’s second attempt at a game-tying three that fell short of the mark with 4.1 seconds left. 

"I was frustrated, I was mad at myself, the first one went in and out, so I took myself out of it on the second one so I knew I had to make it up," Ibarrondo said. "I knew I was going to make the other two, I had to get them back."

By Quarter
Neshaminy: 6   |   8   |  10  |  13  ||  37
Souderton:  6   |   8   |   7   |  11  ||  32

Scoring
N: Lola Ibarrondo 16, Reese Zemitis 8, Taylor Gurysh 6, Alena Cofield 4, Jess Purdy 3

S: Casey Harter 18, Teya McConnaha 7, Erin Bohmueller 3, Mikayla McGillian 2, Grace McDonough 2