The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Duo embracing last game together
Emma Gurley and Naz Hillmon came into high school as strangers.
They will leave together as the closest of friends.
Four years ago, two wide-eyed freshmen entered Gilmour Academy not knowing anyone else at their new school.
After three state tournament appearances — including one state championship and a state runner-up finish — Gurley and Hillmon will play together one last time on March 31 in the 40th annual News-Herald Classic.
Tipoff for the girls game is 11 a.m. at Lakeland Community College, with the boys game slated for a 1 p.m. start.
“I was super nervous. I didn’t know anyone,” said Gurley of her first day at Gilmour. “I knew of Emily (Kelley) and Sydney (Dietrich), but I only knew their name.”
Funny thing was, there was another freshman in the same boat — Hillmon.
One player from Cleveland (Hillmon) and another from Painesville (Gurley) formed a bond that was much deeper than teammates on the basketball court. They shared shenanigans off the court, chocolate chip cookies made by Gurley’s mother, helped each other with homework and so on.
Come next year when Hillmon heads off to play basketball at Michigan and Gurley plays at Lake Erie College, the memories of the last four years will be something they’ll hold onto.
That’s why this one last game together in the N-H Classic is so special.
“We might have gotten into trouble now and then. But it’s been fun,” Hillmon said with a laugh. “It was a great experience with Emma. Through it all, she’s been the one constant.”
Hillmon said she will miss passing the ball out to Gurley for 3-pointers. Gurley said she will miss having Hillmon there to encourage her and to haul in some missed 3s for easy buckets.
“It’s going to be different next year,” Gurley said. “We’ve had a lot of fun, a lot of jokes and a lot of smiles. It’s been great.”
Next stop
Gabby Culotta of Andrews Osborne has read a lot about the players she’ll be taking the court with in The N-H Classic, and it’s safe to say those players have read a lot about her.
But with the exception of a few AAU opportunities, The N-H Classic will be the first time Culotta has squared off against many/most of the players who are in the game.
Culotta is a 6-foot senior at AOA. She is an anchor of the program, having scored more than 1,000 points in her career with the Phoenix. She helped lead them to an 18-4 record this season.
The N-H Classic is a game she’s looking forward to.
“I’m so excited for this,” she said. “All these girls are so talented and so good. I’ve played against a couple of them, but I didn’t get the opportunity to play against most of them because (Andrews) are not the OHSAA until next year.”
Culotta will be playing collegiately at Allegheny next year.
“I’m excited to play with Coach (Brittany Zele) one more time before I graduate,” said Culotta of Zele, Andrews’ coach who will pilot the Blue team. “This is a good way to end my career.”
Stetson-bound
Beachwood’s Taylor Royster will enter The N-H Classic with a lot of accolades.
Not only is Royster a two-time Division III AllOhioan, but she is also the leading scorer in Beachwood girls basketball history.
For her efforts, Royster has earned the opportunity to play basketball at Stetson University.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity,” Royster said. “I’m a little nervous, too, but it’s something new and I like change — so I’m excited for it.”
The N-H Classic will give Royster an opportunity to play one last time with players she has been rivals with over the years, including Perry’s Claire Dolan and Emily Holroyd, Wickliffe’s Mary Burkett and Chagrin Falls’ Maddie Stapalionis.
“It’s going to be fun,” she said. “I think we’ll blend well together. It’s going to be an exciting game.”