She Is the Heart of the Lions : Longobardi Remains a Steadying Force for Struggling Loyola

Joelle Longobardi has seen the Loyola Marymount women’s basketball program go through positive and negative changes, but as the only senior on this season’s team, she is having a difficult time dealing with the Lions’ latest saga.

In December, she learned that Jamie Jesko, her front-court partner and roommate of three years, will be out for the season because of a back injury.

Longobardi and Jesko were the team’s co-captains and top scorers. The 5-foot-9 Jesko started at small forward and the 6-foot Longobardi at power forward.

Jesko’s last game was Dec. 7 against Southern Utah. She will red-shirt and complete her senior season next year.

“It was tough for me when I heard Jamie was out,” Longobardi said. “It’s my last year and I’m not going to play with her again. Just having her out there. . . . Besides her game--defense and scoring--her presence mentally made a big difference.”

Loyola Coach Todd Corman said: “Undoubtedly Joelle feels the pressure. Trying to make up for the slack, sometimes she tries so hard and works so much that she becomes frustrated.”

Longobardi said that in addition to Jesko’s injury, she was also disappointed with the team’s point guard situation. Princess Murray, the Lions’ prize recruit out of Morningside High, was scheduled to start at that position once she recovered from a shoulder injury. Instead, Murray transferred in December.

Murray was to replace Kristen Bruich, who quit 10 games into the 1990-91 season.

“We were all excited to have Princess here after last year when our point guard left,” Longobardi said. “She never played with us because of her shoulder, but we were looking forward to it. We definitely lost something when she left.”

Around the time Jesko and Murray were out of the Lions’ plans, the team went on a six-game losing streak. Loyola snapped the streak with a 54-48 victory over winless Cal State Northridge on Jan. 9. The Lions fell to 6-8 overall after losing their West Coast Conference opener at Portland, 73-48, on Thursday.

“It’s been trying for her. . . . Last year was a big disappointment and now this,” said Jesko, who attends all team practices and home games. “She’s just trying to be as positive as she can, but I know she’s hurt by it. She’s trying to be patient, but she gets a little negative sometimes.”

Longobardi remains the Lions’ best player. She has a solid outside shoot and is a strong rebounder. She ranks fifth in WCC scoring and rebounding with averages of 15.2 points and seven rebounds.

But she is adjusting to a new position--small forward. Corman switched Longobardi to Jesko’s position because he believed she was best suited for the job.

He also changed the Lions’ offense after the holiday break. Loyola went from complicated motion offense to a basic pattern offense that young players can read easier.

Corman believes he had no choice but to move Longobardi because without Jesko, Loyola starts two freshman, a sophomore and a junior. Although Longobardi is still adjusting to her new position, Corman believes she will eventually master it.

“She’s learning to move her feet better,” Corman said. “I see progress. She’s smarter now. She’s doing better in practice.”

Despite her temporary struggles, Corman says, Longobardi remains his best offensive player and team leader. He says she can become one of the WCC’s top small forwards.

“Joelle is a very strong offensive player,” he said. “She shoots very well from the perimeter as well as the inside. She’s very well rounded on offensive skills.”

Longobardi would have preferred more time to prepare for league, but she feels fortunate to be playing. As a freshman and sophomore, she rarely played.

But after her sophomore season, Michelle Bettencourt graduated and Longobardi finally got her chance. She started 22 of 28 games during the 1990-91 season.

“It was real hard not playing,” Longobardi said. “It destroyed me. That’s why I came to a small school, because I thought I would play. But I stuck it out and my time finally came.”

Longobardi was a two-time Golden League player of the year at Antelope Valley High. As a senior, she averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds and was named the school’s female athlete of the year.

“Physically she was ahead of most high school girls,” Corman said. “She was a lot stronger and she could really score.”

Longobardi says her mental strength has pulled her through the last two seasons.

“I have no choice,” she said. “I have to be motivated. Not that I dictate what happens, but I’m sure I rub off. Besides, it’s my last year of basketball so I have to have fun.”

She is, however, prepared for the difficult times that may await the Lions in league play. After all, she has been on the roller coaster that is Loyola women’s basketball before.