By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
Acadia Walters said she felt like she needed to challenge herself.
After filling up the stat sheet her first two high school basketball seasons against Colonial Conference competition while at Haddonfield, the star point guard decided it was time for a chance of scenery.
Enter Bishop Eustace.
A member of the Olympic Conference, the Crusaders play one of the most challenging schedules in the region against large-school and non-public programs. The opportunity for Walters to test herself against some of the region’s best players was one she couldn’t pass up.
“Everyone at Haddonfield was amazing, and I’m so thankful for coach (Jackie) Mulligan and all the girls there, but I really wanted to be able to surround myself with other girls who have goals of playing in college,” Walters said. “I wanted to compete with a more competitive schedule.
“We played Paul VI (a 66-45 loss on Jan. 15), and St. John Vianney (a 68-36 loss on Saturday), so it has been a more competitive environment, and that’s been really great. We’ve played some amazing teams. That’s all we could ask for, just because playing these games is going to make us better.”
It’s been more than a month since the start of the season, and Bishop Eustace has been everything Walters hoped for. The Crusaders have a 9-7 record with a top-tier schedule against the likes of Cherokee, Lenape, Paul VI and three out-of-state opponents.
“She’s kind of had to dial it back, and it’s nothing against anyone else, but now she’s around some pretty good players. She had to readapt how she played the game, and every week she’s gotten better and better,” Bishop Eustace coach Sal Racobaldo said. “It’s not only helped her, but it’s shown her that she can rely on teammates to move the ball, which has been the most important thing. She’s been a blessing.
“She’s really stepped in and has been a leader for us. On a team that’s made up of two junior starters, three sophomore starters, and then two freshmen off the bench, she really has been a leader playing point guard. She’s just as good as anyone in the conference at guard. She’ll get her opportunities and get her offers soon — I’m very confident in that.”
Walters recently reached the 1,000 career points milestone in a narrow loss to Camden Catholic on Jan. 8. She scored 874 points in her two seasons at Haddonfield, including a monster 559-point campaign last winter. She has 229 points through her first 16 games with the Crusaders (14.3 points per game). In her three seasons so far, Walters is averaging 14.9 points per game and has hit 84 three-pointers.
Walters has been the perfect fit alongside junior forward Angelina Pena, as the two also play on the same Philly Legacy AAU team.
“I play AAU with her, so I would always talk to her. I knew at Haddonfield she would work extra hard,” Pena said. “I asked her, ‘do you want to come play at Eustace?’ and she shadowed and really liked the school academically, she liked the campus and the team aspect of us, so she decided to transfer over,” Pena said. “She’s helped us defensively, she has a lot of steals. She works extra hard on defense, and offensively she always penetrates and kicks, and knocks that three down when you assist her.
“I knew at the end of the AAU season that she was coming to Eustace. She’s definitely the perfect fit, and she’s helped us a lot this year.”
It’s been a smooth transition for Walters both athletically and academically. She got her driver’s license in December and has been making the 10-minute drive to Pennsauken by herself every morning.
“It’s been really great, everyone has been so welcoming,” Walters said. “All the girls have been so helpful for me adjusting to the playing style here. The more games we play, the more we’re clicking together, and I feel like we have a lot left to give. I love playing with Angelina. We played AAU together in the spring and the summer, and she’s a big part of why I wanted to come here.
“We have playoffs and the SJIBT (South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament) coming up pretty soon. I feel like we’re doing a really good job preparing for that. We know we can’t let down with what we’re doing.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Bishop Eustace hosts Camden on Tuesday at 7 p.m., then the Crusaders travel to Lenape on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 7:15 p.m. for an Elite 8 matchup in the SJIBT.
