Girls Basketball Notebook (1/15)
Photos/Videos: Chelby Elam, Lennie Malmgren, Ryan Nix & Dylan Precious
By: Marc Narducci
George School’s Johnson excited at being a future Blue Hen
Gianna Johnson has gone into the season with a free mind, and she is enjoying a strong senior year for George School as a result. In August, the 6-5 senior accepted a scholarship from the University of Delaware, ending the always stressful recruiting process.
“I felt a big relief,” she said. “It was a lot going through the process and getting to the end of it felt great.”
So did picking Delaware, one of the first schools to recruit Johnson.
“I liked the family environment at Delaware,” she said. “Delaware was recruiting me for a longtime and the coaches laid out what they wanted from me and how I could help the program.”
She can help the Blue Hens in a variety of ways.
“Delaware is getting a coach’s dream,” said George School coach La’Keisha Sutton. “She is very coachable, wants to get better and wants to be challenged and works so hard.”
Sutton feels that Johnson is just as effective on offense as she is on D.
“I think she can have an impact on both ends of the court,” Sutton said. “She is our go-to player, but her ability to protect the rim and change shots is very unique.”
Johnson, who plans to major in sports management, got a little later start in the sport than most. She said she didn’t begin playing until about the sixth grade.
“I wasn’t into it right away,” she said laughing.
As with most youngsters, a little bit of on-court dominance led to her growing passion for the game.
“Having some success really helped me out,” she said.
The success has continued for Johnson, who has found a real comfort level at the George School.
George School senior University of Delaware commit Gianna Johnson #55 - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix
She competed for Harry S. Truman her freshman year and Conwell-Egan as a sophomore.
Last season was her first at the George School.
She is looking for improvement both individually and team-wise during her senior season.
George School prepared for its Friends League schedule by going 7-3 in its first 10 non-league games.
“I think we are a tight-knit group and that has really helped us this year,” she said. “I feel we have really good chemistry.”
And Johnson has enjoyed a strong senior season to date, showing why she was able to earn a scholarship.
In a 58-15 Friends League win over Abington Friends, Johnson led the way with 20 points and eight rebounds. Sylvie Herrington 6-0, sophomore wing, contributed 14 points and five assists.
Westtown continues it dominance
Westtown has won three straight Friends League championships (there was no playoff in the COVID-affected 2021 season). The Moose are showing no signs of slowing down.
They will once again be the favorites in the Friends League with a team that sports enviable depth and youth.
There is only one senior in the starting lineup, but 5-11 Savannah Curry is a major leader on this young team. Curry is a Temple commit.
The headliner is 6-1 freshman Jordyn Palmer, who starred last season as an eighth grader.
“What makes her the player she is, is that she can play any position 1 through 5,” Westtown coach Fran Burbidge said. “She can shoot the three, has really good leaping ability, a strong handle.”
Burbidge says that there has been a “myriad” of offers from power five colleges for Palmer.
The same has been the case for fellow freshman Jessie Moses and 5-10 sophomore Atlee Vanesko.
Another starter who has drawn Division I interest, according to Burbridge, has been 5-10 junior Olivia Jones.
Among the key reserves are 6-1 junior Aidan Langley, and senior Michelle Olak.
While it can be challenging finding playing time for so many players, Burbidge says the competitive practices the team conducts, has benefited all players.
“We are able to have very competitive practices because all 12 players on the team can play,” he said. “At the next level, teams have 12 scholarship players who can all play, and they are getting experience fighting for competition as far as being out on the floor.”
The Moose have gotten off to an expected quick start in the Friends League.
Westtown senior and Temple commit, Savannah Curry #5 - PSD Photo by Dylan Precious
Westtown freshman Jordyn Palmer scores in game vs. FCS - PSD Video by Dylan Precious WTS Jr. Reporter
In a rematch of last year’s championship game, Westtown defeated Friends Central 77-18. All 12 players scored for Westtown, led by Palmer’s 23 points. That was followed by a win over Fort Erie (Canada). Moses led the way with 20 points, Palmer added 15 and Curry scored 12. Jones added eight points and 13 rebounds while Vanesko contributed seven points and eight assists.
Westtown earned an impressive 62-42 win over perennial national power Shabach Christian Academy at Jefferson University. Moses led the way with 16 points. Palmer and Jones each scored 13 and Vanesko added 11.
More depth for Friends Central
Despite the loss to Westtown, Friends Central is expected to have one of the better teams in the Friends League.
Friends Central junior Logyn Greer #11 - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix
The team only had seven varsity players a year ago, now there are nearly a dozen, with a good number on JV.
“Last year it was real disadvantage having 6-7 girls,” coach Vincent Simpson said. “I think this year we are more evened out.
This is a junior laden team, with the five starters coming from the junior class.
They are 6-3 Logyn Greer, who according to Simpson, is getting strong Division I looks.
The other key juniors include 6-1 Kaiya Rain Tucker, 5-8 Nal’la Bennett, 5-11 Jordyn Adderly and 5-6 point guard Saniyah Washington.
Shipley opens strong
Shipley opened its Friends League schedule with a win over Academy of the New Church. This is a very balanced Shipley team and it was demonstrated in the win over ANC.
Junior Anna Pascale led the way with 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sanai Johnson, a 5-4 sophomore, contributed 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals. Eighth grader Cidney Stanfield had nine points, 10 rebounds and two assists and 5-10 junior Mallory Farr added eight points and five rebounds.
Stanfield has 15 points, four rebounds and one block in a non-league loss to Neumann-Goretti.
Shipley vs. ANC - PSD Game Highlights by Lennie Malmgren
Good balance for ANC
The Academy of the New Church doesn’t have much size, but the Lions are a terror on D, nonetheless.
That was again evident in a 54-33 non-league win over Carver Engineering & Science.
Jada Mayo, a 5-6 sophomore, led the way with 13 points, two rebounds, four steals and one block.
Also aiding the defensive effort was 5-6 senior Xola Wade who had six blocked shots and two steals, in addition to 12 points, six assists, four rebounds.
Te’a Richards, a 5-5 senior, contributed seven steals, plus eight points.
In a 61-38 Friends League loss to Shipley, Mayo led the way with 10 points, rebounds, two steals, one assist and one blocked shot.
ANC vs. Shipley - PSD Gallery by Lennie Malmgren
Germantown Friends with two in a row in the league
The Friends League schedule usually begins the first week of January, but Academy of the New Church and Germantown Friends met in a December 12 matchup. Even though Germantown Friends lost that game, 46-39, the Tigers played well with an extremely young lineup.
Alayah Campbell, a 5-9 junior, led for Germantown Friends with 14 points.
The Tigers then won their first two Friends League games in January. They defeated Barrack Hebrew Academy, 35-24 as Taylor Linton, a 5-8 eighth grader, exploded for 27 points.
The Tigers beat Friends Select 48-10 as Lington had 16 points and Campbell added 15. That improved the Tigers’ overall record to 11-2.
Beginning play in the Friends League
This is Barrack Hebrew Academy’s first season in the Friends League and in the first two league games, sophomore Mikayla Trajtenberg has been the leading scorer. In a 73-28 defeat to Friends Central, Trajtenberg, she scored 11 points.
Germantown Friends vs. Barrack Hebrew Academy - PSD Gallery by Chelby Elam
That was followed by a competitive 35-24 loss to Germantown Friends, when she had a team-high 15 points.