City of Basketball Love

By Chad Graham (@CGraham_Sports)
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The inaugural Philly Live girls’ event took place this past weekend at Jefferson University, with 26 girls’ teams from Pennsylvania, N.J. and Delaware coming up to play live games in front of Division I coaches as well as small-college coaches, scouts and media.

Here’s who stood out on Saturday

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2024 Philly Girls Live Coverage
Notebook (Pt. 1) | (Notebook (Pt. 2) | Day 1-2 Standouts | Day 3 Standouts | 

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Leah Crosby (2025 | St. Thomas Aquinas, N.J.)
The Trojans fell behind Lansdale Catholic early, but they climbed out of the deficit with a balanced team effort. While Gianna Chuffo was hitting clutch shots, Crosby was working her tail off on defense. Even in their 2-3 zone, she fronted the post and denied the ball from getting into the middle. She brought her tenacity to the offensive end as well, boxing out, screening, and cleaning the glass. Her 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals went a long way. 

Lilianna Ditrilio (2026 | Springfield)
Up by just two points over Absegami coming out of the half, with just three points of her own, Ditrilio gave the Cougars the boost they needed. She opened the second period of play by splashing two spot-up triples. That energized her team and got them activated on the defensive end where she and others created turnovers. Soon after, Ditrilio cashed in another three, then she used the extra attention she got from the defense to find cutting to their blindspots. She led the Cougars with 14 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. 

Reese Downey (2025 | Absegami, N.J.)
In the opening game against Springfield on Saturday morning, Downey got herself going with a pull-up three, then proceeded to make a living at the rim. She spammed the ‘paint touch’ button, knifing into the heart of the defense for layups and floaters. Her foul drawing craft was dangerous too. Downey for to the line routinely, including a couple and-ones, where she shot 8-for 12. Only resting during timeouts, the uncommitted rising senior scored 27 of her team's 36 points. 

Anya George (2025 | Paul VI, N.J.)
If PVI was a well-oiled machine, then George was the engine and she gave Bethlehem Catholic all they could handle. The Eagles point guard set the pace with her crisp drives and stingy defense. Her play was a microcosm of the rest of the squad as they all unselfishly moved the ball and were locked in on defense. George flexed the range on her jump shot  as well, sinking a pair of threes on her way to 20 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals.

Liliana Harrison (2025 | Lebanon)
In the first half versus Holy Spirit (N.J.), Harrison played her usual game, grabbing seven boards, erasing a couple shots on defense, and scoring an efficient 9 points on offense. But when Lebanon's starting point guard went down with a minor injury early in the second half, she turned things up a notch. Holy Spirit pressed them full court, so Harrison’s leadership and patience was invaluable. Even with the extra attention the defense gave her, she wouldn't be denied. Harrison fought through contact and got putbacks. That effort brought her to a grand total of 24 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Monet High (2028 | Gloucester Catholic, N.J.)
The Imhotep game went down to the wire and High’s performance gave the Rams the edge they needed. With just four points off of the bench, she made impact plays with her on-ball and help defense. High disrupted the opposing offense with her quick hands. She turned deflections into fastbreak opportunities to help her team score before the defense could get set. The incoming freshman energetically did the little things that amounted to six steals and four rebounds. 

Talia Shumate (2026 | Gloucester Catholic, N.J.)
With GC’s go-to player in early foul trouble against Imhotep before eventually fouling out, the Rams needed Shumate to elevate her game; and so she did. The 6-0 forward had a crucial impact on the glass, extending possessions on the right end and limiting them on the other. She got busy in the mid-post, ripping through the defense to get to the rack or get to her spots from the elbow for jumpers. Shumate scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half, plus 8 boards and the dub. 

Nadia Yemola (2025 | Lansdale Catholic)
She had already hit a couple 3’s in the first half, but once St. Thomas Aquinas went to a 2-3 zone, it was really time for Yemola to get to work. STA kept LC out of the paint for the most part, but when LC did manage to collapse the defense, they immediately searched for Yemola on the wing. Her teammates also fed her shots by quickly swinging the ball to her along the perimeter. Yemola made every attempt count, sinking another five triples in the second half, tallying 23 points in total. 

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Honorable Mention
Leah Ault (2026 | Bethlehem Catholic), Kiyanna Blacks-Stewart (2026 | Paul VI, N.J.), Olive Brandt (2025 | Lebanon), Jasmine Butler (2026 | West Catholic), Azanah Campbell (2025 | Paul VI, N.J.), Lauren Cella (2026 | Holy Spirit, N.J.), Gianna Chuffo (2025 | St. Thomas Aquinas, N.J.), Palin Coleman (2028 | Bethlehem Catholic), Kailah Correa (2025 | Lebanon), Anise Geiger (2025 | Imhotep), Jahzara Green (2026 | Gloucester Catholic, N.J.), Geren Hawthorne (2026 | Imhotep), Sabrina Little (2025 | Holy Spirit, N.J.), Sanyiah Littlejohn (2025 | Lansdale Catholic), Grace McDonough (2025 | Lansdale Catholic), Caitlyn Nagle (2025 | Hightstown, N.J.), Kendell Nickischer (2026 | Bethlehem Catholic), Lily Ortiz (2025 | Absegami), Keira Sellers (2027 | Paul VI, N.J.), Yazaniah Shumate (2027 | Gloucester Catholic, N.J.), Adriana Summersett (2025 | St. Thomas Aquinas, N.J.), Rachel Thatcher (2026 | Paul VI, N.J.), Megan Zane (2027 | Springfield)