City of Basketball Love

By Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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LANGHORNE — Sanyiah Littlejohn seemed to be stuck until quickly, quietly and efficiently, Nadia Yemola came along on a cut to the basket for an easy layup.

Efficiency was the main ingredient to Yemola’s success last season, a player who maximized her opportunities with Lansdale Catholic in a year that ended with PCL, District 12 and PIAA titles. Now a junior, and with some turnover in the roster, Yemola knows there’s going to be more looks, more shots and more chances coming her way.

She just wants to keep it efficient.

“Definitely, with losing two of our key scorers, people were going to have to step up in order to make up those points,” Yemola said. “I knew coming into the season I was going to have to do that, be a little more aggressive on offense and I’m really trying to do that while working within our new offense and look for shots, look for cuts whenever I can.”

Yemola was quite efficient on Wednesday, scoring a game high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting as she and the Crusaders topped host Neshaminy 45-24 in an early-season duel of unbeaten teams. In the fall, LC knew it needed some time in the gym and so far, the team is seeing some good payoff from its preseason work.

“The season just started, but I feel like we’ve already had a ton of improvement from the preseason tournaments we played at Spring-Ford and Kutztown,” Yemola said. “We worked really hard in practice and even in the game, we’ve been applying everything we can use. Our defense is coming along, there’s always something you can improve on, and with our offense there are some new sets we’re putting in.”

LC lost a lot between Gabby Casey and Jaida Helm but the Crusaders had a big addition in 6-foot-2 junior Grace McDonough, who came over from Souderton. Yemola already had a head start on playing with McDonough, the two part of the same Lady Runnin’ Rebels AAU roster and a close friendship that goes back well before that.

McDonough had a terrific game as well, scoring 12 points with nine rebounds, a couple blocks and several more shots altered with her presence. Most of the Crusaders are getting used to having a true post on the roster, but Yemola was quietly efficient using the attention her teammate drew to move off the ball and set up a few of her scores.

“We have a lot of plays for her, a lot of teams will key on her because she’s big and so great having her on offense and defense,” Yemola said. “In the cases where the defense will get distracted, she’ll kick it out to me or I’ll just cut in. It’s a little bit of a two-man game we have.”

Crusaders coach Eric Gidney never under-valued Yemola as an option last year and usually, if an opponent tried to over-play someone else, LC would just go to her more. Still, there’s a difference between knowing an increased role is coming and actually stepping into it.

Thus far, Gidney likes what he’s seen from Yemola stepping into it.

“She’s always been a pretty confident shooter but I feel that she’s gotten more confident as she’s matured,” Gidney said. “Having a teammate who is also such a close friend has only helped in her development.”

LC set the tone Wednesday with its defense, forcing a number of early turnovers while holding Neshaminy to just three first quarter points. Coming off a weekend where they’d played two higher-tempo teams at the She Got Game Classic, the Crusaders knew Neshaminy would present a different challenge with its more deliberate style and they wanted their defense to be the reason they played from in front.

Gidney cited the team’s adaptability through its early-season schedule, adding he believes this roster has an ability to play multiple ways. 

“That’s one of the things I love about this team,” Gidney said. “There’s not a lot of teams that will play a style we’re not comfortable with.”

Yemola may be stepping into more of the spotlight this season, but people have already been paying attention. She picked up her first college offer this fall, Kutztown extending an opportunity in early October, something the junior was elated to receive.

“It’s almost a surreal feeling,” Yemola said. “The first one, it means a lot. It showed they believed in me and it gives me a lot more confidence, so it’s awesome to see all the work pay off.”

By Quarter

LANSDALE CATHOLIC 16 | 11 | 11 | 6 - 45

NESHAMINY 3 | 9 | 7 | 5 - 24

Scoring

LC - Nadia Yemola 15, Grace McDonough 12, Olivia Boccella 11, Sanyiah Littlejohn 5, Allie Esposito 2

N - Reese Zemitis 12, Lola Ibarrondo 5, Ava Irizarry 3, Grace Weyler 3, Ashlyn Duffy 1

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Neshaminy's Reese Zemitis hits 1K

Reese Zemitis got the start in her very first high school basketball game as a freshman during the 2020-21 season.

That was a statement on the talent and potential Neshaminy’s coaches saw in her. Where she is now, a senior committed to play Division I basketball at Bucknell, a team captain and as of midway through Wednesday’s second quarter the newest member of Neshaminy’s 1,000-point club, is a testament to her.

Zemitis converted a layup, plus a foul, off an assist from Lola Ibarrondo with 4:04 left in the first half to break the 1,000-point barrier.

“It definitely felt good,” Zemitis said. “I was trying to set myself up (Tuesday) against Truman, I was forcing a few shots, so I could get it tonight. Now that it’s out of the way, I can just go play, but I'm definitely glad to have gotten it.”

Zemitis had 24 points Tuesday, leaving her at 997 entering play against Lansdale Catholic. The two-time first team All-SOL Patriot forward sank her first shot, a tough turnaround inside the arc to get within a point but couldn’t get anything to fall until she and Ibarrondo linked up under the rim for the milestone hoop.

Ibarrondo drove to the rim and dished off at the last second, Zemitis laying it in through the foul and letting out a yell before a timeout brought the entire bench rushing out to midcourt to meet her.

“It’s 100 percent a goal I’ve been trying for since freshman year,” Zemitis, who finished with 12 points, said. “Especially given the opportunity to start right away, I’ve definitely been working toward this and it feels good to get it done.”

Even a point away, the senior wasn’t just chucking up shots to try and get the achievement. She played within the offense and took the right looks, it was just a matter of them not going in for a little longer than she or anyone anticipating the milestone would have liked.

Coming into the program as a 6-foot-1 prospect known as a shooter, Zemitis wasn’t content to rest on just that.

“What I’m most proud of is that I really developed my game in every aspect,” Zemitis said. “Defensively, being able to guard on and off the ball and making my game better inside because I used to just be a shooter, so being able to get to the basket led to a huge change in my game.”

Neshaminy coach John Gallagher and his daughter/assistant coach Megan have been there for the journey as well, doubling as Zemitis’ AAU coaches with the Mid-Atlantic Magic. Ibarrondo was also on the same Magic roster and teammates Delaney Finn, Ava Gumienny, Alexa Price and Holly Gohl were among a good crowd that came to support Zemitis’ achievement.

“The fact we’re all so supportive of each other and want to see each other be the best we can, during Magic seasons, we’d push each other and I think it really transfers over to the high school season,” Zemitis said.”

Zemitis got her 1,000th out of the way, now she wants to make sure Ibarrondo gets hers. The two are in their third season together at Neshaminy and Zemitis would very much like to be able to return the favor of assisting a 1,000-point bucket.

“I’m definitely going to pay her back when it’s her turn,” Zemitis said.