Reaching career 661 wins on the high school basketball hardwood takes a lot of work, persistence and the ability to get players to buy in to a winning attitude. Gloucester Catholic High School’s Lisa Gedaka didn’t get there by luck.
Sometimes, when the pieces don’t exactly square up, coaches like Gedaka break out the jigsaw and start cutting curves to make the perfect pieces fit.
Enter Macie Nugent.
The junior hoopster previously played the position of small forward, a department in which the Rams were overflowing – with senior twin sisters Angelina and Natalia Barrera leading the charge. Gedaka had no one to run the point, which is crucial in getting the ball to the twin scorers.
Nugent’s arm couldn’t go up fast enough.
“The biggest question mark we had entering this season was our guard play, especially our point guard, and she’s been fantastic,” Gedaka said. “I think it says a lot about a player who says it’s not their position but will do whatever is best for the team.”
Gedaka’s plan was met with zero resistance, which says a lot about the trust her players have in one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the state. And Gedaka climbed another rung among the girls basketball coaching greats as her 661st win Jan. 22 placed her second all-time in wins among South Jersey high school basketball coaches after passing former Camden Catholic coach Chris Palladino.
She became the first female to hit that mark in South Jersey and trails only Dave Troiano, who racked up 682 wins at Wildwood High School.
With that many wins and that many great relationships formed over nearly 40 years, Nugent’s mind was already made up.
“I couldn’t say no,” Nugent said with a laugh. “I trust coach [Gedaka] completely. I’ve watched point guards in the past, and you just have to go for it and do what you can. The ball-handling, shooting, all of it helps so I wanted to try it.”
Playing point guard comes with tons of pressure. You’re responsible for bringing the ball up court, breaking full-court presses, and distributing the ball to the hot shooter, while sometimes actually being the hot shooter.
There were some tough moments adjusting to the learning curve, but Nugent takes it all in stride. “Tons of turnovers at first,” said Nugent, who plays tennis for the Rams in the fall. “It’s just knowing when to pass and when not to and what decisions to make. It was a big difference.”
Gedaka knew Nugent could make the adjustment.
“She’s just a tough kid,” Gedaka said. “And this year, we really didn’t have a point guard that I thought was ready. She’s a true 3. But she just said, ‘Coach, I’ll do it.’ And I think that she’s been pressured all year by the other teams, but she’s stepped up every time.”
Nugent warmed up to the tough task over her first 10 games before feeling totally comfortable.
“Honestly, it started to click probably this game,” Nugent said after the Rams defeated Manchester Township, 47-45 at the South Vs. Shore Girls Basketball Showcase at Rancocas Valley High School on Jan. 22. “I went through a confidence thing, but this definitely really got something going for me. I hope it continues to go.”
Nugent scored 13 points that day and followed it up with a 17-point effort against Cinnaminson two days later.
She’s found her comfort zone on the court, surrounded by the Barrera twins, as well as a rotating core of Alayna Taylor-Morrell, Brianna Kemble, Alyssa Elliott and Cambrie Todd.
The Rams were 9-3 through Jan. 30 and are still in the mix for the Tri-County Conference Classic Division while piling up power points for a postseason push. With Nugent leading the way, anything is possible for Gloucester Catholic.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
