Kearney Outlasts Gates in High Octane Battle

February 13, 2021

Bishop Kearney 84, Gates Chili 78

My third Section V trip of the week brought what turned into, without question, the most entertaining game of the young season to the forefront. In a contest that featured two high-level teams go shot for shot for 32 minutes, host Bishop Kearney - the defending Section V Class AA champion numerous times over - delivered the final blow to hold off a strong Gates Chili squad.

Marianna Freeman started & finished strong for Bishop Kearney, scoring 7 in the 1st & 9 in the 4th on the way to a team high 24 points.

The hosts looked good from the start, getting early production from their backcourt while bothering Gates in the opening minutes with their pressure. 7 quick Marianna Freeman (Bishop Kearney 2021, Niagara signee) points helped them jump to a 13-8 lead midway through the opening frame. Gates would settle in against the pressure around that time though, as they started to find ways to break it & score or get it in the half-court to take advantage of their size & strength. However, Kearney extended their lead to six at 20-14 after the 1st after an Amaia Jackson (Bishop Kearney 2025) three.

Gates was able to continue taking advantage of their strengths in the 2nd quarter. With Taylor Norris (Bishop Kearney 2021) on the bench with 2 fouls and Seton Hall signee Saniaa Wilson injured & out for the game, the visitors started to control the paint behind strong efforts from forward Miriam Ibezim (Gates Chili 2021, Oakland signee) and athletic wing Terah Echols (Gates Chili 2022). An Echols trey gave them their first lead at 29-27, which started a string of five lead changes in the last three minutes of the half. An Ibezim bucket after breaking the press gave Gates Chili a 35-34 lead at the break; Ibezim (9 points) and Echols (8 points) combined for 17 in the quarter.

Gates Chili extended its lead to as much as 4 twice in the 3rd on consecutive threes from Echols and Paris Anthony (Gates Chili 2022), the latter putting them up 41-37. Kearney would take the lead back for good with a 7-0 spurt after that, with two Norris buckets sandwiching a Freeman trey in a scoring frenzy that saw 20 combined points in the first two minutes of the frame. The tug-of-war continued throughout the quarter, but Norris' availability & activity allowed Kearney to keep an edge. She had 11 in the quarter, helping offset good production from Ibezim & Anthony for Gates Chili, and Bishop Kearney jumped ahead by as much as 6 again and led 58-54 after 3.

The 4th quarter brought as much excitement as the first 24 minutes, with neither team giving an inch on the offensive end and continuing to take advantage of their strengths. The teams essentially traded baskets for the vast majority of the quarter - and a lot of them - with Kearney's lead fluctuating between 1-5 until the final minute. Gates cut it to one for the third time in the quarter when Anthony canned a three to make it 77-76, but the hosts delivered the knockout blow from there. Norris scored on a putback to put Bishop Kearney back up 3 with :46.3 left, then they got a stop and Kaia Goode (Bishop Kearney 2022) drove & finished to get her 10th point of the quarter and put them up 81-76 with :27.9 remaining. Freeman tacked on two free throws to give them their largest lead at 83-76 in the closing seconds & ice a wild win.

Marianna Freeman led Bishop Kearney with 24 points in the win, and she started & finished strong with 7 in the 1st & 9 in the 4th. Backcourt mate Kaia Goode pumped in 22 with 10 big ones coming in the 4th, and Taylor Norris pumped in 11 of her 19 points in the 3rd. Gates Chili got a huge day from Miriam Ibezim, who dropped a game high 29 points and grabbed nearly as many rebounds. Paris Anthony turned it up in the 2nd half, where she had 17 of her 21 points including 10 in the 4th. Terah Echols added 17 points for Gates, with 12 of them coming before intermission.

Miriam Ibezim was a dominant force for Gates Chili. She dropped a game high 29 points in the narrow defeat.

#ThoughtsFromTheBaseline

- I think this is the first time I felt the need to type a paragraph for each quarter? And for a regular season game? This one was wild. From a sheer level of play, this was one of the highest I'll see this winter. From an entertainment value standpoint, if I get any others that match it, it'll be a great next few weeks.

- Due to current situations, this was a game of somewhat contrasting styles. Kearney, who usually has a size advantage in the blocks, was without Seton Hall signee Saniaa Wilson against perhaps the only Rochester area team that has comparable size & strength. Even with the presence of Taylor Norris, a very potent forward in her own right, that gave Gates a noticeable size/strength advantage. Kearney changed the way they play to an extent with Saniaa out - instead of inside out, they went outside in and Kaia Goode, Marianna Freeman, and Camille Wright all were required to make more plays with the ball in their hands. Gates Chili made the most of their size with 6'1" Oakland bound Miriam Ibezim, physical post Kenzie Clifton, 5'10" strong & athletic wing Terah Echols, and Paris Anthony - a strong guard listed at 5'9" - can be thrown in that category too. I always find it interesting to watch two teams with contrasting styles go at it; when many of them are scholarship level players, it's even more entertaining.

Kaia Goode made countless positive plays, finished with 22 points and played a major role in Bishop Kearney's victory.

- I try to avoid using terms like 'underrated' or 'slept on' unless they're really warranted. With that in mind... on a grand scale, Kaia Goode is probably among the most underrated talents in upstate NY. She showed why once again in this game with her overall play at both ends. She's a creator & distributor that's fine with taking a backseat in the books, but she can & will score when needed. Saturday was a day where she needed to score some more, and she answered the bell. Perimeter Js, drives and finishes right & left, and the in-between game were all on display, and she picked it up when it was needed most - 10 of her 22 points came in the 4th. Add her ability & willingness to defend from end to end and overall great feel & IQ, and she brings all the things that coaches say they die for in their PGs. I've seen her plenty between high school, AAU, my events, other outlets... if someone was to ask me what she does, my answer would be 'wins & makes winning plays'. Not a bad first thought.

- I'm admittedly not as familiar with the Gates Chili crew as I am with Kearney's top several. I've seen Miriam Ibezim & Paris Anthony a few times and also came across Terah Echols along the way, but this is the first time I've seen the high school team play. It probably goes without saying considering their overall performance Saturday, but I left impressed with what I saw as I thought it was the best I've seen each of them look. For the sake of this post though, I'm going to keep it at one and talk about who had the most monster game out of everyone. Miriam, a 6'2"ish forward, was extremely active from start to finish and played like she had a point to prove. She finished decently well with either hand, attacked the boards with ferocity, and showed the ability to attack the rim in transition. I can see why Oakland - a Horizon League member in Michigan that has two senior bigs - decided to start recruiting New York in Miriam's case. She showed the physical tools & motor to make me think she has that MM sort of potential.

- Another Section V game in the books. Hopefully I don't jinx it by saying this, but I've seemed to have the most luck with being allowed in to cover teams/games in the Rochester area so far. A huge thank you to all involved in the Bishop Kearney athletic department, including athletic director Ray Istas, for allowing me to come through & check this one out! More than worth the early Saturday wake-up call. This game was as good as they'll get this year!