Imhotep’s comeback victory sets up Public League championship rematch against Audenried

For the last decade, Imhotep Charter reaching the Public League girls’ title game has been inevitable.

The Panthers, however, trailed for the majority of their semifinal matchup against Freire Charter on Wednesday evening at Bobby Morgan Arena. Junior Kayla Thompson led a second-half comeback to send Imhotep to its 11th straight title game appearance.

Thompson, a 5-foot-7 guard, finished with a team-high 12 points, six of those coming in the fourth quarter in a 40-34 semifinal victory. The Panthers will face reigning Public League champ Audenried on Saturday at Temple’s Liacouras Center.

“With the collaboration of my team and with us competing and working together, it feels great to know that we’re back with another chance of winning another Public League championship,” Thompson said. “It’s all about the experience and just staying humbled and focused.”

Imhotep played from behind until a steal and an easy layup from Thompson with 2 minutes, 54 seconds left in the fourth tied the game.

Her defensive activity provided a spark for a team in search of rhythm.

“She’s just relentless,” eighth-year head coach David Hargrove said. “She’s like every other kid, she’ll make some mistakes here or there, but she’s relentless in her effort. That’s a great feeling to know you got a kid playing with that type of energy.”

Following Thompson was junior Sabria Mann, with nine points. Mann’s three with two minutes to remaining gave Imhotep its first lead since the first quarter. Also carrying the scoring load were junior Anise Geiger and sophomore Geren Hawthorne, who finished with eight points each.

Led by senior Kylah Hargrove and junior guard Destiny Davis in the backcourt, Freire entered the fourth with a 29-26 lead. The momentum flipped when Dragons junior Anesah Cruz was called for a charge, erasing a layup that could have put her team up seven. Thompson hit back-to-back fast-break layups that turned the tide for Imhotep.

“Our message was to come out and hustle, hustle for everything,” Thompson said. “That was our mindset, to hustle and get every possession that we can.”

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Imhotep’s win sets up a title clash with Audenried, which they lost to in last season’s championship game. The Rockets, who went undefeated in league play, boast the reigning league MVP in Shayla Smith. But they were tested by Imhotep in their matchup late in the regular season before pulling out a 61-56 victory.

“When we get to that moment on Saturday, we know that we can look in our circle, look at each other in the eye, know that we as a group … have enough to get it done because we’ve been tested,” Hargrove said.

After a first-half scare, Audenried flipped a switch.

The Rockets fell behind by 15 points in the first half of Wednesday’s Public League semifinal against Mastery North before responding for a 79-54 victory, booking their place in the Saturday’s title game.

Audenried fell behind with poor shot selection and lethargic defense in the first half. The Pumas took advantage, leaking out for easy baskets to race out to a shocking 30-15 lead early in the second quarter.

Then, the Rockets woke up.

The Rockets brought an avalanche in the second half led by sophomore Heaven Reese, who scored the first 11 points of the second half and finished with 20. Smith recorded 17 in the second half to complete a 30-point, 10-rebound performance.

Audenried rattled off a 34-5 run spanning two quarters to turn a double-digit deficit into a 17-point lead midway through the third, thanks to a suffocating full-court press.

Without the easy buckets they were getting early in the game, the Pumas’ offense slowed to a screeching halt with just 19 second-half points.

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.