Margaretta's 'inseparable' seniors: Edwards, Palomo lead Bears as best friends on, off court

CASTALIA — Away from basketball, Lilly Edwards and Eden Palomo have a spot. Palomo rolls up to the Edwards house, no need for advanced planning, and the duo heads upstairs in the garage to their hangout place. There, they've decorated for the seasons. It's quiet and peaceful, and most importantly a place for Edwards and Palomo to just be with one another. "It's somewhat of a sibling thing," Palomo said. "We're together a lot. We do get annoyed with each other, because we're with each other all the time. That's gonna happen. We bicker like siblings sometimes, but we're there for each other when we need it." Their bond — which Edwards called an "inseparable" one — is a driving force on the basketball court, too. Edwards and Palomo are Margaretta's two seniors this winter, both multi-year starters and now the two most-established returners from the Polar Bears' run to the Division III state final four. All that time together doesn't just show up in an off-court, sister-like relationship. It also positions Margaretta for another phenomenal season on the floor, too. "I know I can depend on Lilly," Palomo said. "It's like, 'Where's Lilly? I'm gonna get her the ball.' She's like the same way with me. It's like we can telepathically pass the ball to each other." It's been that way almost as long as they can remember. After a couple years of playing against each other, by fourth grade Edwards and Palomo had joined forces on a Margaretta team coached by each of their fathers. Edwards was always the point guard. Palomo was always the shooter. "When our dads coached together it was a bond we all had through basketball," Palomo said. "Our first coaching in anything was from them. To have that together was cool." Their friendship has hit a few bumps through the years, but they've never gone far. The pull back to one another is too strong. It's helped bring them to where they are now. Both broke into complimentary varsity roles midway through their freshman season. As they grew, Palomo quickly became an effective multi-level scorer. Edwards' first priorities were defense and distribution, but she has evolved into a talented finisher, too. These days, their fathers are the most excited people in the stands whenever one of their daughters makes a play. "They call us the Splash Sisters," Palomo said with a laugh. And all of a sudden, they're seniors. They learned from the stars of recent Margaretta vintage, the likes of Elliana Schaefer and Kylie Leibacher. Now it's their turn to lead. "Our responsibility is just to keep our attitude good," Edwards said. "People look up to us a lot, so if we're playing bad or our mood is bad and we show that, the whole team declines after that. We had a scrimmage, and us two weren't that energetic so our team was just off." They can also set an example through their on-court chemistry. Edwards recently said that she knows what corner Palomo is in without looking, and when the clock winds down, she knows where she's throwing the ball. Palomo, for her part, certainly doesn't mind. What's she admire about Edwards' game? "Her hustle on defense and her ability to get me the ball." Would they be worse friends if Edwards didn't pass her the basketball? "I mean, yeah," Palomo said with a smile. "Because that means that she's just holding grudges against me." No grudges here, just lots of wins. Margaretta went 22-7 last season, beating a number of high-end opponents with Leibacher out with an injury. That meant Edwards and Palomo got a taste of their leading roles a bit early. Palomo averaged 10.3 points and 2.6 steals per game while drilling 37% of her 3-pointers, making a school single-season record 60 shots from beyond the arc. Edwards put in 7.8 points per contest while averaging 2.4 assists and 2.7 steals. She hit a pull-up jumper for the go-ahead points in the regional final against Ottawa-Glandorf. "They probably have a sixth sense for each other," Margaretta coach Ray Neill said. "Lilly's probably at home and has a sixth sense that Eden just went to bed, I'm gonna go to bed, too. That's how far it might go. It's pretty special. They've been a huge part of what's been done here for the last three years." Goals are never small at Margaretta. Edwards and Palomo want to go four-for-four in league championships. They hope to make another run deep into the postseason, too, although they're well aware that's not the kind of thing that happens every year. "We're getting a good squad back this year, and our potential is there," Edwards said. "If we work as hard as we can, we can get there." Both will likely continue their basketball careers in college. Palomo wants to be an occupational therapist, learning a lot about it from her OTA mother. Edwards, the daughter of a farmer, plans to be an agronomist. First, though, they've got one more ride together. It started about a decade ago, two young girls basketball players in a community that has produced so many great ones just falling in love with the sport. It's continued through the years in all facets of life — 1,000-piece puzzles, superstitious regional trips to Olive Garden, lockers side by side in the Polar Bears' locker room. It was crystal clear in the immediate moments following their regional championship win, when Edwards and Palomo embraced in the middle of the floor and spun around in a hug they won't ever forget. And even though they expect to go to different colleges, they don't plan on drifting apart. They're too close for that. So when Edwards and Palomo don the green and white of Margaretta this winter, don't expect them to let each other down. They know where the other is, what the other wants, and how much they believe in one another. As it has already, that should only lead to more great things. "They decided early in their school years that they wanted to be Lady Polar Bear basketball players," Neill said, "and they've gone above and beyond in fulfilling those hopes, wishes and dreams."