PAISAA Semifinals: Hill School vs Penn Charter Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a contest in which Penn Charter led for the first three quarters, Hill School surged ahead in the fourth to win 61-59 and punched their ticket to the PAISAA championship game on Sunday. Here are the players who stood out:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2478615' first='Filippo' last='Galli'] | 6'6 W/F 2025 Hill School </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After Galli cashed a three to get the board, the Quakers threw out smaller, quicker lineups to limit him. But he countered by taking advantage of his size inside the arc. Galli used his frame to wall off drivers and to body people up on the boards. Then as a secondary creator, he threw a couple dimes to set other up to score. Finally, with the game tied at 56 late in the fourth, the unsigned senior got the putback that gave the Rams a lead which they never relinquished. 13 points and 7 rebounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2251704' first='Ethan' last='Johnston'] | 6'5 G/W 2026 Hill School </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnston peppered in timely buckets and found teammates cutting off ball to keep the Rams offense afloat. His feel for the game, with and without the ball, was one of their catalysts on that end. But that was still second to his displays of overall athleticism. In a game full of talented prospects, Johnston found moments to assert himself, creating havoc on defense and cleaning the glass. With under two minutes to go, the Quakers were pushing the ball in transition for what should've been a bucket to retake the lead but Johnston hit “Return to Sender,” which resulted in Galli's putback. 15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1196125' first='Jacob' last='Meachem'] | 5'6 G 2025 Hill School </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unbothered by PC's taller point of attack defenders and rim protectors, Meachem manipulated the defense and initiated paint touches all game long. His change of pace kept guys off-balance and opened up windows for him to zip the ball through. But he had to shift gears in the second half. The Rams needed points and their Bucknell signee delivered by knocking down jumpers and knifing through the defense to the rack. He scored 8 of the Rams 18 fourth quarter points to squeak past the Quakers. 16 points and 5 assists. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='991423' first='Jamal' last='Hicks Jr'] | 6'1 G 2025 Penn Charter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Headed to St. Thomas Aquinas College in the Fall, Hicks scored efficiently throughout the game. He found creases in the defense to cut through and for high-percentage looks. And when the Rams took away the three, Hicks burst into the lane off the catch. 13 points and 3 rebounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1271429' first='Kai' last='Shinholster'] | 6'5 G 2025 Penn Charter </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The future Minnesota Golden Gopher left it all on the floor as he fired one shot after another to keep the Rams at bay. Shinholster's jumper seemed unstoppable at different stretches of the game. He would get his defender rocking side-to-side, get downhill, then stop on a dime for pull-up. Likewise, he went to work in the mid-range, putting his man on his hip and get him leaning one way, before pivoting and cashing in. 22 points</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->