Longino, Germantown Academy pick up defense to top Palumbo
WHITEMARSH >> At halftime Saturday, Jordan Longino answered the challenge of Germantown Academy boys basketball coach Matthew Dolan.
GA was only down a point at the time, but the Patriots’ effort had been a bit lackluster, especially on the defensive end. Dolan challenged someone to take the task of guarding the Academy at Palumbo’s Ibrahim Kane and Longino, the Patriots’ top player and leader, accepted.
Longino got the job done on both ends, heating up on offense to finish with 33 points as the Patriots topped the Griffins 69-44 on the final night of GA’s Make-A-Wish Showcase.
“We challenged them at halftime, (Kane) is a great player but he was too comfortable in the first half getting to his spots,” Dolan said. “We thought there was a lack of intensity from our part on the defensive end and we wanted a guy to go out and guard him and Jordan took over.”
GA, spurred by Casey Traina, got off to a strong start but Kane and Palumbo would quickly settle in. As soon as Griffins coach Frank Schneider told his players “it’s a big floor, let’s get our spacing right,” things started to go Palumbo’s way.
Kane had eight points in the frame, including a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound that made it 14-10 and the Griffins would be up 14-12 at the end of the frame and built a 22-14 lead on Kane’s and-one in the second. Palumbo played with terrific energy, with a number of its second chances leading to buckets as GA lagged behind in that department.
Longino and Traina had been carrying the load offensively all game until Jake Hsu converted a three-point play with 3:45 left in the half. GA managed to get to the break trailing 29-28 but had let Kane erupt for 20 points.
“Defense leads to offense,” Dolan said. “We’re pretty good in the open floor so when we can get stops, go down and push it, we have multiple guys who can handle, attack and finish. But it starts with getting stops.”
After Kane split a pair of foul shots to open the third quarter, Longino took over. The junior, who picked up an offer from Villanova last weekend, had a hand in the first eight points of a 10-0 run by scoring the first five and assisting a Juan Adames corner three as GA went up 38-30.
His defense was also up to task, as he helped hold Kane to just six points after halftime, all coming at the free throw line. Longino buried another three off a Hsu helped then converted a three-point play after getting fouled on a put-back to cap an 11-point quarter.
“The last two nights, our guys did a nice job of finding him,” Dolan said. “Early in the season, he’s had to create a lot and also off the dribble, take some tough shots. Now, we’re able to find him so he doesn’t have to work as much and can load up and take shots, which he’s really good at.”
It wasn’t just Longino, either. Hsu brought great energy all game while Adames added another clutch trey in the third quarter and drew a fourth quarter charge while Lacey Snowden ramped up his energy on the defensive end in the second half.
“Jake Hsu was terrific, he played a full four quarters and his energy level is something you never question,” Dolan said. “He sparked us, Juan’s two threes and the charge was a senior leadership moment we needed.”
Dolan, in his first year as head coach after longtime boss Jim Fenerty retired last season, noted while a lot of players have been on the roster for a few seasons, they haven’t really played together much. The early season has been a process of figuring that out, seeing who can do what well and looking for other players to push outside their comfort zone.
Longino kept things rolling in the fourth quarter as Germantown Academy put the Griffins away. The guard, who canned 24 of his 33 in the second half, got the highlight play of the night when he swiped a pass on one end, raced out in front of the pack and threw down a one-handed slam in front of the GA student section for a 61-41 lead.
“It’s the leadership of wanting to guard,” Dolan said. “It’s being in a stance, being physical on the ball, being tough and rebounding. Those are all things that we’re excited to having that type of Jordan from the second half the rest of this year.”
GERMANTOWN ACADEMY 69, ACADEMY AT PALUMBO 44
GERMANTOWN ACADEMY 12 16 19 22 – 69
ACADEMY AT PALUMBO 14 15 10 5 – 44
Germantown Academy: Juan Adames 3 0-0 8, Jake Hsu 2 3-5 7, Jordan Longino 11 7-7 33, Casey Traina 5 7-8 17, Lacey Snowden 0 2-4 2, Jake Brownstein 0 2-2 2. Totals: 21 21-26 69.
Academy at Palumbo: Ibrahim Kane 7 10-12 26, Jabril Baxter 1 0-0 2, Daviohn Scarborough 3 0-2 7, Reggie Quinn 3 1-2 7, Ayyub Noble-Thompson 0 2-2 2. Totals: 14 13-18 44.
3-pointers: GA – Longino 4, Adames 2; AP – Kane 2, Scarborough.
