Cardinal O’Hara’s Molly and Megan Rullo will keep up the family’s basketball tradition at Drexel

Sisters Molly and Megan Rullo were destined to play basketball at some point.

At the ages of 6 and 7, they were around the game, from watching their father, Jim, coach at Malvern Prep to attending Drexel women’s games with their mother, Maureen.

Basketball seemed to “always be in the mix of conversations,” Molly said. The sisters especially enjoyed hearing basketball stories about their late grandparents, Jerry and Eileen Rullo, as well as their parents, who played at Drexel.

It fueled their desire to play and carry on the Rullo legacy. Molly, a senior, and Megan, a junior, are standouts at Cardinal O’Hara. Last year, they won a PIAA Class 6A championship, marking the team’s third title in four years. The two said it was the most memorable experience sharing the court together as high schoolers, but it also was their last.

Megan has been sidelined this season after she suffered a torn right ACL in April. She has found other ways to contribute by cheering on the team and Molly, who surpassed 1,000 points this season. The Lions are looking to make another run to Hershey. They open the state playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday against host Central Bucks East.

While their playing time at O’Hara has been cut short, it won’t be long until they’re back together. The sisters are following in their parents’ footsteps and have committed to play for the Dragons.

“It’s an honor to not only be part of our family with everything that they’ve been known to do, but I think it’s also an honor to be able to wear our high school across our chest and then Drexel as well,” Molly said. “Just being able to take part in everything that they’ve got to experience, but also creating a name for ourselves and creating memories for ourselves, too.”

Jim Rullo is in his 12th season as Neumann University’s men’s basketball coach, and Maureen is a teacher at West Deptford Middle School. They know the life lessons that have come from being involved in Philly’s basketball community.

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Jim Rullo’s father, Jerry, was a member of the 1946-47 Philadelphia Warriors championship team and played college ball at Temple. His mother won three Catholic League titles at Hallahan High. Jerry later coached for the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, while Eileen was a high school and college basketball official.

Watching his parents give back after their playing days were over stuck with him, Jim Rullo said. It’s what he and his wife, a native of Pittsfield, Mass., wanted to do while they instilled those values in their children.

It didn’t take long for them to see that in their daughters as well.

“There was one time I was recruiting a player, we happened to be at a high school gym, and it was jam-packed,” said Jim, who grew up in Grays Ferry. “I just had my youngest, Megan, with me. She’s probably about 7 years old. She’s looking among the crowd and sees Fran Dunphy. … Meg went up to him at halftime, asked him if he needed anything at the concession stand. She grabbed him a pretzel and a Diet Coke. I thought it was super neat that at that early age, she just understood that it was much more than basketball. It was being part of an extended family.”

The sisters also are aware that they’ve had an edge growing up surrounded by basketball. They’ve tried to take full advantage of it. During the offseason or on the weekends, the two practice at Neumann’s gym.

And since starting high school, they’ve had film sessions with their father after games.

“It’s not always easy to watch, but we always do,” Megan said. “Whenever everyone gets home, sometimes it does happen right after the game, especially if we won a close game or lost.”

The sisters view playing together as a privilege. For most of AAU ball with the Comets, they played with their age groups. It wasn’t until high school when they experienced being on the same team, and both agree that their styles complement each other.

The two always had a desire to play Division I hoops, but they never thought it would be for the same program. Maureen Rullo believes that the time her daughters spent together at O’Hara has made them closer and changed that trajectory.

“I’ve noticed this past year how tight they are,” she said. “Molly’s done a lot for Megan, in terms of getting her to therapy every day. Molly wants her to get better, and it’s been really heartwarming for me to see.”

Molly added: “We love our family. We love being around our family and friends. We like to go to the beach and do other things as well, but we also like to practice with one another and doing one-on-ones. Maybe it ends in one of us crying because no one wants to accept that they lost.”

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But then they move on, because their relationship is more than being sisters.

They’re each other’s best friend, which is why when Megan asked her older sister if it was OK for her to make her college commitment to Drexel, Molly did not hesitate and said, “absolutely.”

“Having one person you know for sure without any doubt to have your back in any situation, whether it’s in practice or a game, is comforting to know,” Molly said. “Being able to bring that to college with me the next year is pretty awesome.”