Shipley rallies in 2nd half to win Friends Schools League title over Abington Friends

PHILADELPHIA >> Shipley School senior Lauren Ross took her undershirt off at halftime.

It’s unknown whether the sleeves caused the point guard — and the Gators offense as a whole — to struggle scoring in the first half, but things changed after the break.

Ross scored all of her game-high 13 points in the second half and Shipley overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Abington Friends School, 40-34, for its first Friends Schools League championship since 2014 at La Salle University’s Tom Gola Arena.

“We’re used to scoring a lot more than that,” Ross said. “Our games are normally in the sixties or seventies. We were just struggling. Both teams were playing good defense and we just decided to take a deep breath and play how we know how to play.

“It was all mental. I don’t normally get nervous on the big stage. I think I was just in a slump and I made sure I did what my team needed in the second half.”

Anna Camden, the all-time leading scorer in Shipley girls basketball history, was held to two points in the first half. In the third quarter she hit a pair of three-pointers to — along with solid defense — help turn a 20-11 halftime deficit into a 23-23 tie after three quarters.

“We worked really hard defensively,” AFS coach Jeff Bond said. “Then we lost track of Anna Camden a couple possessions — she hit a couple big threes when we were up nine, then six, then three. It was hard work to track their three scorers (Ross, Camden and Sanaa Redmond) all game. We did a really good job, then they’re relentless those three. They’re good players. All three will be college basketball players. We just lost track a couple times. That happens in basketball.”

Neither team could gain separation for much of the fourth quarter. Neither team led by more than a single possession until the final three minutes.

Shipley’s Redmond, a sophomore, was fouled shooting a three-pointer with 2:30 left in the game. She went 2-for-3 from the charity stripe and the Gators led the rest of the way.

“I think at 30-30 we fouled a three-point shooter at the end of the shot clock,” Bond said. “That’s one of our good defenders — Siana Wynn. I think she slipped closing out and she felt terrible, but it’s not on her. That gave them a little bit of separation and they made plays down the stretch.”

On the ensuing Shipley possession, Camden missed a three-pointer, but senior Kate Scutt grabbed a key offensive rebound and put it up and in for a four-point lead, 34-30, 1:40 to go.

“They killed us on the boards all game,” Bond added. “They had seven offensive rebounds in the first quarter we tracked. You’re not going to win a game if you’re giving up that many second shots in high school basketball.”

AFS junior Jordan Smith scored to cut the deficit to two, but Redmond responded with a basket to make it a two-possession game again, 36-32, with less than a minute to play.

Ross hit a pair of free throws ­— giving her eight points in the fourth — to give the Gators their largest lead of the night at six, 38-32.

“Being a point guard, being a floor general,” Ross said, “(closing out games is) always something I pride myself on and just never really get phased by the big moment.”

After Ross and Redmond went a combined 0-for-4 from the foul line, Smith drove to the basket to cut the Kangaroos deficit to four, 38-34, with 7.6 seconds left.

That’s as close as AFS would get.

After struggling to inbound the ball and calling timeout, Shipley threw a half-court pass that resulted in Camden getting fouled at the basket. She hit both free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining to close out the win, 40-34, and give Shipley the Friends Schools League championship.

“I’m not letting the plaque go,” Ross joked. “I was just telling somebody else — Anna and I have basically everything you could have at the Shipley School except this. Now I’m just holding on tight.”

Both teams struggled offensively in the first quarter and the Kangaroos led by one, 10-9, after eight minutes.

Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes led the way with four points, two rebounds and three blocks in the quarter.

AFS took control in the second. Shipley’s Camden exited the game to take get her ankle taped and, during her absence, AFS scored 10 straight points to take a 20-9 lead. Mihjae Hayes and Kendall Hodges each had five points for the Kangaroos in the second. Camden returned to her side trailing 20-11 and that’s the way the teams went into halftime.

Both teams will continue their seasons in the PAISAA state playoffs.

“Now our focus is on winning the state independent schools tournament,” Bond said. “We have to bounce back. Shipley won the state tournament last year — didn’t win the Friends School League — so it can be done. I think we have to accept the challenge and try to do it.”

Shipley School 40, Abington Friends School 34
Abington Friends School 10 10 3 11 — 34
Shipley School 9 2 12 17 — 40
AFS: Zaniyyah Ross-Barnes 2 0-0 4, Mihjae Hayes 2 1-1 5, Kendall Hodges 3 0-0 7, Jordan Smith 4 0-0 9, Paige Mott 2 1-3 5, Cire Worley 1 0-0 2, Siana Wynn 1 0-0 2. Total 15 2-4 34.
SS: Elizabeth Talluto 0 0-0 0, Sanaa Redmond 4 4-8 12, Kate Scutt 2 0-1 4, Anna Camden 3 3-4 11, Lauren Ross 4 5-9 13, Lauryn Redcross 0 0-0 0, Breionna Dodson 0 0-0 0. Total 13 12-22 40.
Three-point goals: AFS: Kendall Hodges, Jordan Smith. SS: Anna Camden 2.