City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADrobinson3)
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GLENSIDE — Lizzie Halligan couldn’t help herself.

It was something she’d seen Marisa Francione do countless times, a hustle play her longtime and to-be future teammate does on the regular, so Halligan gave Francione props like always. It was then that it hit the Notre Dame senior point guard that she was playing against the Conestoga senior point guard for the first, and only, time and maybe she shouldn’t have been congratulating an opponent for that.

Francione’s Pioneers topped Halligan’s Irish 32-30 as part of the Hoops for Hope Classic at Arcadia on Sunday, the duo enjoying their only official meeting as opponents.

“I’ve always been on the same team as her,” Francione said. “For our first time playing against each other, it was a lot of fun.”

“She’s a great friend and a great teammate,” Halligan said. “She’s a lot like me, I think our coaches would say a lot of the same things about one another. Our teammates’ parents say a lot of the same things. I think we’re great leaders and we’re really supportive of each other.”

The next time they share a court, it’ll be as freshmen for the University of Scranton, the duo both committing to join the Landmark Conference powerhouse. Sunday’s game was a transition of sorts, their lone meeting as opponents serving as the waypoint between decorated careers as club teammates with the Lady Runnin’ Rebels and their careers at the next level.

This past summer, the two helped their Rebels team win the HGSL 17U championship, a well-earned end to that chapter together.

Their individual duels came at different times on Sunday but it seemed especially fitting that Francione was shadowing Halligan and vice-verse on nearly every possession down the stretch. 

“We’ve played each other a lot in AAU, we would go up against each other, we’d scrimmage all practice against each other,” Halligan said. “I know what she’s like, I know all her mannerisms I guess and she’s a great player so I’m very excited to keep playing with her for the next four years.”

Halligan had a Scranton shirt on after the game, “Gotta rep,” the Notre Dame senior noting, which elicited a laugh from Francione when she joined the conversation. It was a bit of a marvel either of the two got any words in with all the shared laughs they had talking about the matchup, clearly showing it was anything but personal.

“It has to be fun, that’s the main thing,” Francione, who shared an extra tap on the shoulder with Halligan in the postgame handshake line, said. “If you’re not doing it to have fun, it’s not the same, we had to make sure we were having fun while we were playing.”

“It was a showcase game for a good cause,” Halligan added. “It was serious, but maybe not as serious, so it stayed fun.”

The matchup wasn’t set in stone at the beginning of the season but once it was locked in, Halligan was quick to text Francione about it. A few weeks back, the two seniors were at a St. Joe’s game together when Halligan reminded Francione the date was coming up.

Sunday may have marked the one, and only, Halligan-Francione clash but playing against fellow Rebels isn’t some unusual thing. Playing in the Inter-Ac, Halligan’s had several clashes with Rebels teammates while their proliferation across District 1 means it wouldn’t be surprising to see Francione get a couple matchups in the postseason.

“I think it’s cool to play against teammates,” Halligan said. “I get to play against Izzy Casey and Gabby Bowes who are my teammates and it’s always fun.”

Notre Dame's Lizzie Halligan, right, looks to pass at Conestoga's Marisa Francione pressures her on Sunday. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Both players had plenty of suitors at the college level and as it turned out, they shared that too. Halligan laughed when recalling numerous times where she’d be finishing a call with a college coach and they’d tell her to say hello to Francione the next time she saw her, then Francione doing the exact same thing.

Halligan struck first, announcing her commitment to Scranton on Sept. 27. Francione, who was also busy this fall as the defensive anchor of the Pioneers’ girls’ soccer team that reached the District 1 and PIAA 4A title games, followed suit on Oct. 2.

Francione’s announcement on X got a repost from Halligan stating simply “Run it back.”

“She texted me a few days later, I think it was ‘hey teammate, another four years together,’” Halligan said. “That was really exciting.

“A lot of people say we’re the glue of our teams, so it’ll be cool to have double the glue on Scranton.”

“We have a pretty good combo, definitely excited to keep that going,” Francione said.

Naturally, when two players of Francione and Halligan’s caliber spend that much time as teammates, they grow an unparalleled appreciation for each other’s strengths. It also means that when they do line up on opposite sides, those things they like best about each other become major headaches.

So, it had to be asked, what’s the best attribute about each other that’s the worst to have to play against. This is about where we almost lost them to a combined laughing fit but like the poised veterans they are, the two point guards got it together.

Lizzie, take it first.

“What’s great when I have her as a teammate, her motor never stops and I know she’s going to give 110 percent each and every game,” Halligan said. “One bad thing, she’s the fastest player I’ve ever played with, we’d run these 11-halfs (a conditioning drill) and she’d win every single time and now she’s going to beat me for another four years.”

Marisa, you’re up.

“Best thing about having her as a teammate? Literally, everything, she’s just awesome,” Francione said. “Her cuts, there were times I’d look behind me and there was no one there when I was guarding her.”

There are other really good players on both teams, but when questioned about those late fourth-quarter matchups on defense, Francione was honest.

“Our scout was basically…,” Francione started before she and Halligan broke into another shared laugh, “I was just told to stay on her. It was hard.”

Halligan led Notre Dame with 12 points, including one 3-pointer hit over the defense of Francione, adding four rebounds and an assist. Francione had five points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals living up to her nonstop motor plaudits.

With Sunday’s game over with, Francione and Halligan can go back to being each other’s biggest fans. It wouldn’t be a surprise if one is at the other’s games when the schedule permits over the next few months and it won’t be much longer after that before they’re heading a few hours north to keep a good thing going.

“Now we’re cool,” Halligan said.

“We’re friends again,” Francione assured.

There exists one thing though, that Francione has that Halligan doesn’t which is a 1-0 head-to-head record she can fall back on any time in the future.

“Oh, I’m gonna,” Francione said through a laugh.

“No fair,” Halligan replied.

By Quarter
CONESTOGA 17 | 6 | 5 | 4 || 32
NOTRE DAME 9 | 4 | 11 | 6 || 30

Scoring
C: Ryann Jennings 12, Janie Preston 6, Isabella Valencia 6, Marisa Francione 5

ND: Lizzie Halligan 12, Grace Nasr 12, Riley Davis 6