By Owen McCue (@owen.mccue)
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COLLEGEVILLE — Megan Ngo and Emilia Coleman have been teaming up together since third grade.
There was travel ball for Fencor in Fort Washington, and CYO hoops for Saint Alphonsus in Maple Glen. More recently the two have played together in the summer for the Comets Girls Basketball Club.
Coleman arrived at Upper Dublin this year after spending her first two years of high school at Gwynedd Mercy Academy, and she and Ngo are playing together at the high school level for the first time this winter. The years of chemistry are paying off.
The junior duo combined for 17 fourth-quarter points in Sunday’s 50-44 comeback win over Cardinal O’Hara to give the Cardinals another marquee victory to start the new year.
“Having that history has been really good,” Coleman said. “We both know how we both like to play, and we both have a high IQ, so I think we’re able to read each other and we know where we’re going to be and how to get the ball there.”
UD junior Megan Ngo had 15 of her 17 points in the second half. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Sunday’s game meant a little bit more to Ngo than just a high-profile non-league matchup. The Lions ended Upper Dublin’s season last spring with a 48-19 victory in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs. The game came one month after Ngo’s season ended prematurely when she tore her ACL in the Suburban One League playoffs last February.
Back on the floor this season, she doesn’t seem to have lost a step at all. The junior point guard poured in 15 of her 17 points in the second half of Sunday’s win and played maestro, assisting on a pair of Coleman triples in the fourth.
“It was a good feeling to be able to play them (O’Hara) because the last time we played them I was obviously out,” said Ngo, who committed to Fairleigh Dickinson this fall. “That wasn’t a great feeling watching from the bench, so I think this game especially I was like, ‘Gosh, I just really want to win.’”
Sophomore Tamia Clark led the Cardinals with 21 points. She was the only offense for Upper Dublin early, scoring the team’s first 12 points.
O’Hara led 16-6 after the first quarter and jumped out to a 24-8 lead in the second quarter behind some lights out shooting. The Lions made six threes in the first half, including four from senior Drexel commit Molly Rullo, who had 14 of her team-high 17 points in the first half. Sophomore Brigidanne Donohue followed with 14 points (two threes).
Ngo got herself going in the third quarter (six points) as UD trimmed a 27-19 halftime deficit down to 33-28 heading to the fourth. The Cardinals held O’Hara to six points in the frame and didn’t allow a three-point make after the first-half barrage.
“I definitely think we were more focused on defense in the second half and recognizing when they were setting screens and what they were trying to do,” Ngo said.
“I think we just got more energy,” Coleman added. “The bench really helped us. I think we started off a little slow, so second half we were focused on prioritizing energy.”
Upper Dublin didn’t make a 3-point shot until Ngo rattled one home early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to two. Coleman had just three points in the first three quarters as she couldn’t get her shot to fall. Her first three came off a pass from Ngo with about six minutes left to cut the Cardinals’ deficit to one, 35-34.
Ngo found her again on the left wing with 2:48 to play to put Upper Dublin ahead 40-38. She scored eight of her 11 points in the fourth.
“Meg gets the ball to me, she knows and she’ll tell me to keep on shooting,” Coleman said. “And also (Coach) Funsten’s there. He’ll keep me focused on getting my shot and getting something easy to keep it going.”
UD junior Emilia Coleman hit two big fourth-quarter threes. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Despite being quiet most of the night on the offensive end, Coleman found other ways to contribute, rounding out her line with nine rebounds, two steals, a block and an assist to go along with the defensive presence.
Rullo tied the game on a pair of free throws with 1:52 left. Clark put Upper Dublin back ahead seconds later to give her team a 42-40 lead it would not relinquish. An offensive rebound by Coleman in the final seconds locked down the victory.
The 5-10 wing was the MVP of the Association of Catholic Academies last season, and has brought quite a bit to an already talented Cardinals team.
“She’s a great cutter and obviously a really good 3-point shooter, so I think playing off each other this year has been super fun and it’s obviously been helpful for our team,” Ngo said.
“She helps in a lot of ways,” Ngo added. “Her size, shooting, and especially on defense, she’ll guard the other team’s best player who’s also really good, while also having to have a big role on offense too.”
The Cardinals ended 2024 with loss to St. Frances Academy (Md.) to break a seven-game win streak. They’ve started 2025 with five victories in a row, including a win over N.J. power Rutgers Prep last weekend and the win over O’Hara on Sunday.
Even with Ngo sidelined, Upper Dublin made runs to the Suburban One League championship game, District 1-6A quarterfinals and PIAA tournament last season. Coleman and Gwynedd won the AACA championship before dropping their district and state openers.
Now together, the goal is to see how far they can help take this Cardinals group.
“Obviously win the SOL and then obviously we want to get far in states, so we have gotta keep on going,” Coleman said.
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Upper Dublin 50, Cardinal O’Hara 44
Upper Dublin 8 | 11 | 9 | 22 || 50
Cardinal O’Hara 16 | 11 | 6 | 11 || 44
Upper Dublin: Tamia Clark 21, Megan Ngo 17, Emilia Coleman 11, Bridget DiMartile 1.
Cardinal O’Hara: Molly Rullo 17, Brigidanne Donohue 14, Leah Hudak 8, Natalie Dibiasi 3, Brigid MacGillivray 2.
Tag(s): Home Contributors Owen McCue High School Girls HS Catholic League (G) Cardinal O'Hara Suburban One (G) SOL Liberty (G) Upper Dublin