The Gloucester Catholic High School girls basketball team was certain that this year would be different.
After a crushing loss in the state championship a year ago, the Rams couldn’t wait to get back in the gymnasium and begin their quest for redemption. All five starters were coming back. It was just a matter of preparation.
“I think we definitely came in with a chip on our shoulders,” Gloucester Catholic senior Talia Shumate said. “We worked really hard. It really set the tone for the whole season. So the fact that we were here last year, we knew we were going to come back and we were going to win it.”
Second chances don’t come around often, but the Rams earned another shot at a state title after a fantastic regular season, followed by a dominant playoff run. On March 12, Gloucester Catholic finished the job by defeating Gill St. Bernard’s School, 62-39, in the Non-Public B state championship at Rutgers University. It was the program’s 10th state championship and ended a 43-year state title drought.
“Happiness and pride is the biggest thing,” said Rams senior Jahzara Green, who scored a game-high 22 points. “This team has been through it all. We’ve had lows in the season and we’ve had highs, but this is the highest of the high. I’m just happy to send the other seniors out with this win, but more importantly for our coach [Lisa Gedaka].”
Gedaka (formerly Lisa Angelotti) won three state championships at Gloucester Catholic as a player in the early 1980s before returning to her alma mater as head coach 37 years ago. Last year, Gedaka and the Rams returned to the state championship for the first time since 1983 but lost to Montclair Immaculate at Rutgers. The team welcomed a return trip to the place they suffered heartache 12 months ago.
“When you play on a court like this, it’s hard,” Gedaka said. “It’s beautiful and it’s a great experience for the kids, but sometimes you don’t always get your best performance because it’s maybe overwhelming. But we talked about that and I don’t think that even phased them. They did that last year and this year they knew what was going to happen. They had a job to do and they did it.”
Gloucester Catholic surged out to a nine-point lead after the first quarter and pushed their advantage to 13 by halftime. The Knights made a few runs in the second half, narrowing the lead to seven. The Rams always had a timely response.
“Amanda [Eggers] hit a huge [3-pointer] when they had momentum and put us back up by 11 or 10,” Gedaka said. “I think we had an answer and I thought today we really took care of the ball. Today they made good decisions. [Monet High] had some great passes to Talia twice for layups and that was huge. I think it was a total team effort.”
In addition to Green’s team-high 22 points, Shumate (15 points), Eggers (13) and Jalyn Moore (10) all finished in double-digits. The Rams finished their historical season with a 26-4 record.
“The amount of gratitude I have for our coaches and my teammates is incredible,” Shumate said. “It’s something that when you’re inside the gym and putting in the work every day, but it’s another thing to actually see it and watch it in real time. I’m super grateful for the people I’m surrounded by.”
In preparation for a championship run, the Rams played an incredibly tough regular season and tournament schedule. It included games against South Jersey champions Lenape (Group 4), Moorestown (Group 3), Wildwood (Group 1) and fellow state champ Red Bank Catholic (Non-Public A). The Rams also played South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament champ Paul VI twice and faced Philadelphia Catholic League champion Archbishop Carroll for their season-opener.
“All those games like Red Bank Catholic and [Paul VI] really helped us,” Moore said. “It gave us our stamina and the ability to play as a team and stick together when things get hard.”
One tough experience a year ago led to the thrill of victory the next.
“Last year, maybe the moment was a little too big,” Green said. “But we knew from being here last year, what the court felt like. Everything was more familiar and that really helped us win this game.”
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