City of Basketball Love

By Justin Procope (@1procope)
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While the rest of the city will read the headlines from the girl’s PCL quarterfinals with a “did I read that right?” disbelief, juniors Gracie Sullivan and Reese Power will not be among them. 

“I already have people texting me shocked like, ‘you just beat Neumann?’... Yeah, I beat Neumann,” Power said with a laugh. 

“I'm not shocked because I think our whole team trusted our coaches and our game plan,” Sullivan said. “All five of the starters played a big part and everyone on the bench played a big part of this win and we worked so hard. I believed in us, I really did.”

They can play it cool all they want, but the cheers and screams that filled the Neumann-Goretti hallways from their classroom-turned-locker-room allude to the excitement over a playoff run few could have envisioned. 

In just their first season in the famed Philadelphia Catholic League, the reigning District 1 4A champions have advanced to the league semi-finals after an improbable 47-45 win over Neumann-Goretti. 

Nazareth Academy's in the Catholic League semifinals in just its first year in the PCL. (Photo courtesy Nazareth Academy)

After defeating the defending champions Lansdale Catholic exactly one week from Thursday to end their regular season with a 7-4 league record, this win against the Saints is proof to this group that they not only belong in the PCL, but are here to make a mark. 

“This was all new to us and honestly, all we wanted was to come in, get our feet wet, get a taste of it and be respected,” sixth-year head coach Mary Kate Magagna said. “It's huge to come out with our squad and if anything, it instilled some more confidence in our girls and in our program.”

Power, a co-captain and first-team all-PCL selection, was dynamic all night, controlling the game from the opening tip. Every action offensively seemed to run through the lanky, 5-foot-10 point guard and she consistently answered the call, finishing with a game-high 24 points. She picked her spots brilliantly and was able to gash the Saints defense all night long whether it was a drive to the basket for a score or a timely pass to an open teammate. 

“I just just need the ball in my hands because I know I want to control the game,” Power said. “I want to distribute it to everyone.”

“Reese's just our steady captain, the other girls gravitate off of her and her energy,” Magagna said. “She just stayed calm, stayed composed, and stayed within the game plan and really helped lead this team like she does every day.”

Fellow All-PCL selection (second-team) and team captain Sullivan helped carry the load with nine points and had a handful of momentum-zapping offensive rebounds. 

After suffering a blowout loss to the Saints earlier in the season, Sullivan and Nazareth knew they had to make adjustments if they were going to have a chance. That game plan was clear  right away; slow the game down. 

“The first time we played them, we lost by 30, so coming in we knew we had a chance if we stuck to the game plan, and that's exactly what we did,” Sullivan said. “We held the ball, made each offensive possession valuable and clogged up the lane on defense because they like to drive, and we came out with the outcome that we wanted.”

Their strategy worked like a charm in the first half, holding the high-scoring Saints to just nine points in the opening half after keeping them to just one made field goal and three points in the first quarter. 

In front of an audibly frustrated crowd, the lead ballooned to 25-11 early in the second half before the Saints began to assert themselves. They were able to bring the game to within four in the final minute thanks to an aggressive full court press and an offensive explosion from junior Carryn Easley, who scored 16 in the final period, after mustering just five in the previous three. 

Neumann as a team was finally able to get going in the fourth quarter specifically from the free throw line. They converted eight free throws in the period as the two teams traded buckets with the clock running down. But it was too little, too late for Easley and the Saints. With the crowd now fully into the game, the Pandas stayed calm. 

“We knew we weren't gonna be able to hold on that long, we knew they were gonna start coming and chipping away and taking over, so we just kept telling our girls, you worked way too hard, you worked too hard,” Magagna said. “Nobody thought we were even going to be in fifth, let alone in quarterfinals and all of that. So I think that kind of revved them up and got them excited.” 

In the final seconds, the Saints were forced to play the foul game in an attempt to extend the game. As she did all game and all season, it was Power who stepped up, draining six of her 10 fourth-quarter free throws in the final minute, including a pair with five seconds left to push the lead to five, effectively icing the game. 

It’s a disappointing result for Neumann, who despite losing second team all-PCL guard Amya Scott to injury, still had three all-PCL selections on the floor including Easley (first-team), sophomore Kamora Berry (third-team), and freshman Reginna Baker (1st-team). Their attention will now turn to states, where head coach Andrea Peterson expects her squad to be at full strength. 

“It's emotional,” Peterson said, referring to the mood in her locker room following the loss. “But all we can do is get back in the lab, tomorrow's a new day, we’ll get ready for states. All we can do is get back in and get ready.”

A trip to the Palestra to compete for a championship in your inaugural season in the PCL sounds like a fairytale, but Nazareth knows they have one massive hurdle they have to clear before if they want to get there. 

Their victory Thursday earned them a matchup with power Archbishop Wood, who won their own quarter-final contest against Egan by 44 points. Much like Neumann, Wood handed them a lopsided loss in the first PCL game in program history. That means much like Wood, the Pandas are ready for a shot at redemption. 

“It’s another team we wish we had another shot at and now we do,” Magagna said.

No matter what happens on Tuesday night, Nazareth has already exceeded everyone’s expectations except maybe their own. A fifth-place finish in the league and a shot at the Palestra was never supposed to be a part of the story. For Power and the Pandas, it is validation that they belong and they are here to stay. 

“It's giving Nazareth Academy a statement, we're making a name for ourselves,” Power said. “Usually when Nazareth walks in they're like, ‘oh just Nazareth, nothing's gonna happen, we're gonna beat them by 20’...but now we're making a name for ourselves, so it's really exciting.”

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By Quarter
NA:  8   |   8   |   9   |  20  ||  47
NG:  3   |   6   |   6   |  28  ||  45

Scoring
Nazareth: Reese Power 24, Abby Rock 9, Gracie Sullivan 9, Rileigh Donahue 2
Neumann: Carryn Easley 21, Reginna Baker 6, Zion Coston 6, Tori Richardson 4,