At least one Chicago basketball dynasty continues on intact. In fact, it might be stronger now than ever before.
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Like any great team, they were conscious of the impression they made. From the moment they jogged onto the court at Loyola’s Joseph J. Gentile Center for the Public League championship game, the Marshall players seemed cool, collected, and confident. That attitude is evidently instilled in them from the moment they join the program; the Marshall freshman-sophomore squad had won its own Public League crown just before the varsity took the floor, and the youngsters took no prisoners in drubbing Washington 52-33–they dealt out hard fouls on breakaway layups right into the final minute. Marshall’s varsity players–whose only loss this year came against a California high school team at a tournament in Ohio–had less to prove, and they showed it. They had the crisp, clean look that accompanies a winning basketball program: uniform Nike shoes and high Nike socks in black or white, depending on personal preference. Underdog Morgan Park, meanwhile, was outfitted in shoes chosen by the individual players, and each added her own motley touches to the green-white-and-red uniform. Maleka Hawkins even accessorized hers with eye-grabbing knee socks in black-and-blue horizontal stripes, making her look the inner-city basketball equivalent to Pippi Longstocking. While Morgan Park ran through the usual lay-in lines in warmups, Marshall ran a three-on-two fast-break drill and then took some unstructured shooting practice. Roshena Jones and Marshalla Johnson even rapped along with “Whoomp! There It Is” on the PA as they waited under the boards for rebounds. Not one Lady Commando showed any sign of nerves.
Marshall’s three best players each averaged about 17 points a game this season, and all are striking looking. Guard Murray, a three-point shooting specialist, is short and solidly built. Forward Walton is the opposite in build–tall and slender–and in playing style as well. She is elegant and erect, at times reminiscent of the Bulls’ Bob Love, with a strong and accurate wrist-driven shot from the outside. (Most high school girls, even the good ones, launch their long shots from the chest.) Both Walton and Murray sport thoroughly professional tattoos on their shoulders. Pondexter, by contrast, seems a playful pup. Even so, she is the most rounded and advanced player of the three, able to drive to the hoop with a wicked crossover dribble or stop and pop from the outside with equal facility. She also directs the offense under orders from Gaters, who calls out “Cappie!” to get her attention. Having driven for lay-ins on a couple of early possessions, Pondexter pulled up and hit a pair of three-point shots, lifting Marshall to a 13-4 lead with two minutes and 45 seconds left in the first quarter.
Then Pondexter just took over. In the pivotal moment of the game, she missed a shot hard off the back iron but swooped through the lane to grab the rebound and hit the follow on the run to put her team up 57-52. Walton stripped Jinks of the ball, and Pondexter was fouled on the ensuing fast break. She made both free throws–all the Marshall players seemed to be crack foul shooters–to make it 59-52. After a Morgan Park basket, Marshall spread the floor to isolate Pondexter, and shaking her head as if she were Muhammad Ali she drove past the defender and in for a layup. That was it. Murray and Pondexter added pairs of free throws down the stretch and Marshall won 65-54, with Pondexter finishing with a game-high 27.
