Young Shipley girls’ basketball team gained confidence throughout special season
Bryn Mawr – Shortly after his squad dropped a hard-fought PAISAA championship final to Mercersburg Academy Feb. 27, Shipley girls’ basketball head coach Kevin Costello reflected back to the Gators’ 2010-11 season.
Five years ago, the Shipley girls, after going through the growing pains of starting three freshmen – Tamisha “Sox” Alexander, Colleen Walsh and Aja Ellison – pulled an upset win over Penn Charter in the PAISAA quarterfinals before advancing to the championship, where they fell to Germantown Academy.
This year’s Shipley squad (15-10) went through those same growing pains while starting two freshmen – Anna Camden and Lauren Ross. Anchored by three seniors – Emily Talluto, Courtney Redcross and Maya Overton – the Gators upset top-seeded Germantown Academy in the PIASAA quarterfinals before advancing to the title game once again.
“I am so proud of this group of phenomenal young women, especially our three senior captains who provided solid leadership for a very young team,” Costello said. “They helped us improve throughout the year and it speaks to the quality of our seniors. I told them this year reminded me of the 2010-2011 season when we had a young team who continued to gain confidence throughout the year.”
After winning back-to-back state titles the past two years, Costello knew this year was going to different. The previous two years, Shipley entered the season with older players who had been through the battles of playing at the varsity level. This year, despite having three seniors (one with extensive varsity experience, one who received moderate playing time and one with limited minutes) the rest of the Gators’ team was comprised of one junior -Yndiah Bobo – and four freshmen – Elizabeth Talluto, Talia Chaiman, Kate Scutt and Casey Winter.
“Coming in with a young team was difficult because at times we just wanted to go out and play but at the same time we knew we had to step back and teach them about the culture of Shipley basketball,” said Redcross, who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Mercersburg Academy.
“Our seniors were so important,’ said Camden, the starting center who finished with eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks. “I can’t imagine next season without them. From leaders to role models they helped us a tremendous amount and held this team together.”
Although the team fell short of its targeted goals, the coaching staff was impressed with the senior leadership who have played starring roles that have resulted in two Friends’ Schools League titles and two PAISAA titles, combined with the growth the younger players showed.
“Our three seniors have accomplished so many things throughout their career,” said Costello. “Maya, the all-school president heading to Yale, had the most improvement between junior and senior year that I have seen; Emily, who will be heading to LaSalle to play lacrosse, is a three-sport athlete for four years and will graduate with 12 varsity letters; and then there is Courtney, who was a four-year starter for us and will be continuing her basketball career at Northeastern. The leadership they provided this year and the things they are going on to do next year is extraordinary.”
As the page turns to next year, the youth Shipley returns will be intriguing to watch and see if the experience they gained this year will be the start of something special.
“The experience we gained this year will be incredibly valuable,” said Camden. “The seniors taught us that perseverance and determination pays off.”
Costello added, “The experience the younger players gained was extremely valuable. You can’t overstate the importance about the growth they showed throughout the season. They may still be freshmen but they will be ready to lead this team along with Yndiah when they come back next year.”
