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Aquinas girls shrug off slow start, avenge earlier loss

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Aquinas seventh-grader Layla Germany (35) goes to the basket during Saturday’s game. Pal-Mac’s Marianna Hodgins defends on the play. (Photo: SUE KANE)

By PAUL GOTHAM

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Nearly two months ago, the Aquinas girls’ basketball team held an 11-point lead late in the third quarter at Palmyra-Macedon. The Li’l Irish failed to score in the fourth quarter of that game, a 57-50 loss.

Saturday afternoon AQ trailed that same Pal-Mac team by 11 late in the first quarter.

This time the outcome was different.

Loren Green finished with a game-high 18 points, and Aquinas (7-7) defeated Pal-Mac, 46-37 for its fourth win in five games.

“They don’t get rattled,” Aquinas head coach Mark Loria said of his team. “They’re going to fight. They’re going to battle.”

That this Li’l Irish squad isn’t bothered by the pressures of a game is noteworthy when considering the make-up of Loria’s club. Glancing quickly at the roster one might think the lineup is that of a modified team.

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Of the dozen players listed, three are in seventh grade and another four in ninth grade. With Saturday’s game on the line, those three seventh graders (who are scheduled to receive their high school diplomas in 2027) handled the bulk of the ballhandling responsibilities. And one of the ninth graders converted a pair of free throws in the final seconds to help seal the victory.

“This team being as young as they are, they’ve been through a lot of basketball experience already,” Loria noted. “It’s been a roller coaster. Every game they’re getting more experience and as we get more experience, you see more cohesiveness, more connectedness. The trust is there, and the kids really rise to the occasion. They play together.”

The three seventh graders Green, Jade Harvey and Layla Germany combined for all of the offensive production in the second quarter when Aquinas outscored Pal-Mac 16-6 to take a 22-21 lead into halftime.

Green set up Harvey for a bucket to open the second quarter. Germany scored the next trip down the floor. Two possessions later, Green connected on a pull-up three. Germany used a spin move from the wing to tie the game at 15. Aquinas has scored 11 straight.

“They’re kinda like ‘Who cares. Let’s just go ball,’ ” Loria said. “That’s what they do. They go out and ball.”

Germany converted one of two free late in the second for a 20-19 lead. Aquinas did not trail again in the contest.

The 5-foot-6 guard/forward scored five points in the game to go with seven rebounds, a block and a steal.

“She’s really difficult to guard off the dribble,” Loria said. “She’s kinda that engine, that enthusiasm. When she’s going, we kinda feed off her.”

AQ pushed its lead to eight at 36-28 late in the third quarter when Harvey converted a rebound and putback. Harvey scored nine and corralled a game-high 17 rebounds.

Make no mistake, though, on Saturday Green orchestrated the AQ attack. The 5-foot-5 guard finished with a game-high four steals and she handed out two assists. Her and-one early in the fourth extended the advantage to 11 at 42-31.

“She’s so creative with the ball,” Loria said. “The thing she’s really gotten good at is making good decisions off the bounce. We’re talking about a seventh grader who can read help and then transfer the advantage when the help comes.”

Abigail Pfluke, the only senior who saw court time for the Li’l Irish on Saturday, scored nine points. The 5-foot-6 guard hit a pair of 3-pointers including one early in the fourth.

Molly O’Toole, a ninth-grader, added five points.

Aquinas seniors Sophia Hartman and Amaris Watts were on the bench with injuries. Hartman, who averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season, is not expected to return before the end of this campaign.

Tatum Smyth led Pal-Mac (7-7) with 16 points. The senior guard connected five times from the floor including a pair of 3-pointers. Her pull-up triple gave the Red Raiders their largest lead of the day at 15-4. Marianna Hodgins and Ryley Trail scored six apiece. Molly Seither had four points while Georgia Wirth (3) and Taryn Goodness (2) rounded out the scoring for the Finger Lakes East team.

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