St. Anthony's girls aim for greatness

Success, when building a basketball program, usually comes in small increments. A step at a time up the ladder, one rung each year, with hopes of eventually reaching the top and remaining there.

For St. Anthony's, though, the ascent to the top of the CHSAA came quickly, as did its status as one of the best teams in the metropolitan area, under third-year coach Ken Parham.

The Friars lost in their league final two seasons ago but captured the CHSAA Class A state championship and reached the Class A Federation final. Still, St. Anthony's ultimate goal has been to be mentioned among the elite, and that means success in Class AA.

The Friars defeated Long Island powerhouse St. John the Baptist for the third time last season in winning their first league title since 1988. But then came the daunting task of facing Nazareth, a team loaded with Division I talent and ranked 12th in the nation by USA Today at the time. The Friars led with nine seconds remaining but fell, 46-44, in the CHSAA Class AA state semifinals.

"It hurt a lot," Parham said of the loss. "That was a game we really thought we had. It did show us where we've gone in a short amount of time. We lost, so moral victories aren't great, but at least we know we can compete.

"If someone told me we'd do that last year, I would have been surprised. The credit goes to the kids. They stepped up and did some big things. The kids buy in."

Symone Kelly, the Friars' senior center, said the team's rise hasn't come as a surprise and, in a way, it has benefited from last season's heartbreak.

SEE PHOTOSSt. Anthony's 58, Holy Trinity 37

"I know what this team can do," she said. "We got stronger from that loss. We learned how to overcome losses and how to do better next time."

Doing better means taking the next step, and St. Anthony's schedule reflects the willingness to do so. The Friars opened the season with a 60-40 win over Bishop Ford, one of New York City's top teams. The Friars' non-league schedule includes Nazareth, Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.) and duPont Manual (Louisville, Ky.), each of which is nationally ranked, in addition to H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.), White Station (Memphis, Tenn.) and Long Island Lutheran.

The Friars have a wealth of depth, led by Kelly, their 6-2 Siena-bound star. Point guard Rebecca Musgrove improved immensely over the summer and it's shown in her play. Having Chastity Taylor for a full season should help, too. The talented sophomore guard transferred from Central Islip last season but was ineligible to play until late January. She scored 10 points in the CHSAA title game.

Senior forward Kimani Jackson was lost for the season after tearing her MCL the day after the opener, but St. Anthony's front line remains a strength with Johanna Impellizeri, a 6-2 junior forward. Senior guards Shannon White and Jennifer Sixsmith and sophomore guard Tyla Parham are also big contributors.

SEE PHOTOSSt. Anthony's 66, St. John the Baptist 39

Given the abundance of talent, one of the keys has been getting players to share the ball -- and the spotlight -- without being concerned about statistics. Selfishness hasn't been an issue for the Friars. They didn't have a player crack 20 points in two-plus seasons until Musgrove scored 20 on Dec. 16 and Kelly had 20 the next day.

"We play well as a team," White said. "We share the ball. No one player ever tries to dominate a game. We step up when we have to."

Added Parham: "Each one sacrifices a little bit for the team. They see the success we're having and see the interest they're getting from college coaches. The main objective for many of these kids is to play college basketball. They see this is working. We're winning and it's helping them achieve their goals."

The challenge is different this season for the Friars. They chased St. John the Baptist the previous two years, but now the target is squarely on their backs.

"I feel like we have to prove ourselves every single game," Musgrove said. "We can't take one play off. Everyone is watching. We're the team to beat this year. I think it's fun to be the team everyone is gunning for."