Ellison leads way as Shipley prevails
The center scored 20 points as the Gators held on to put away Friends' Central, 44-42, for their second league title in three seasons.
When the Shipley girls' basketball team played Friends' Central during the Friends Schools League regular season, freshman Aja Ellison scored nine points in the Gators' 44-34 victory.
Ellison has learned a few things since then.
With the league championship on the line Friday night at Haverford College, the 6-foot-1 center pumped in 20 points and was a major factor inside as Shipley hung on for a 44-42 victory and its second league title in three years.
In a game in which no more than seven points separated the teams, Ellison hit a basket and added a free throw to give Shipley a 35-32 lead and some breathing room. The Gators never lost the lead after that, although Friends' Central made them sweat a little. Sydney Frank's desperation three-pointer came just a fraction of a second after the buzzer sounded, and was off the mark.
"My father [former NBA player Pervis Ellison] says I should be dominating with my height and my speed," said Ellison, who was coming off a 33-point performance in a 53-14 win over Germantown Friends in the semifinals.
"I want to be dominating. Tonight, I needed to be dominating."
And Shipley coach Sean Costello is liking what he sees. He also coaches her in summer AAU ball.
"Her progress from last summer has been amazing," said Costello, who also directed Shipley to the league title two years ago.
Friday night was the third straight meeting between the schools in the league championship game. The Gators lost to the Phoenix last season. Shipley joined the league only in the 2005-06 school year.
The Gators (16-7 overall) finished the regular league season 9-0. In the earlier meeting, Friends' Central trailed by four points entering the fourth quarter and closed the gap to two before the Gators pulled away.
Friends' Central had come out very deliberately and after falling behind by 4-0, jumped out in front, 9-7, after the first quarter. The Phoenix stretched that to 13-7 midway through the second period before Shipley came back.
"You have to make every possession count, and we didn't," said Friends' Central's Maria Conyers-Jordan, who scored eight points.
Ellison received help on offense from Sox Alexander, who scored 12 points. Temple-bound Monaye Merritt led the Phoenix with 13, and Frank added 11.
Both teams are entered in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Tournament. Shipley will play Baldwin at home Monday. Friends' Central will host Agnes Irwin on Tuesday.
Friends' Central 9 8 11 14 – 42
Shipley 7 12 9 16 – 44
FC: Megan Cartafalsa 8, Maria Conyers-Jordan 8, Sydney Frank 11, Monaye Merritt 13, Julia Feldbaum 2.
S: Sox Alexander 12, Aja Ellison 20, Jordyn Turner 8, Colleen Walsh 4.