Cranford, Roselle Catholic girls' basketball squads post impressive home victories; Intensity raised in 1-0 vs. 1-0 division confrontations
By JR ParachiniUnion County Sports Editor
ROSELLE AND CRANFORD – Drama, intensity, fans screaming and plenty of what ifs.
The first Tuesday of the season produced those elements and more during the course of two 1-0 vs. 1-0 matchups.
In the afternoon at Cranford’s Martin Gymnasium you had the host Cougars seeking to establish themselves as the team to beat in the Union County Conference’s Mountain Division.
Coming in was defending champion New Providence, with three returning starters from a team that was good enough to repeat as Group 1 state champions last year – a rare feat for any team, let alone a squad from Union County.
In the evening at The Lions’ Den at Roselle Catholic visiting Linden hung tough with three-time defending Union County Tournament champion Roselle Catholic and nearly stole a Watchung Division triumph away from the Lions, who last year in their first season in the Watchung Division claimed the crown.
There were coaches questioning foul calls, players stepping up at the most critical times to make a smart pass that led to a clutch basket and fans who were ready to immediately jump on the refs if they felt a call didn’t go the way of their team.
“There was a high intensity for a Dec. 20 game,” said Roselle Catholic head coach Joe Skrec, who guided his Lions to a 50-45 victory over Linden.
“In the first half we were too helter skelter and playing too up tempo. Once we slowed things down in the second half and played with more composure we did a much better job of taking the ball to the basket,” Cranford head coach Jackie Dyer said, with her team coming back from a one-point halftime deficit to thwart New Providence 44-35.
Cranford, which opened with a home win over Oak Knoll, improved to 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain Division, while New Providence, which opened with a win at Elizabeth, moved to 1-1 and 1-1.
Roselle Catholic, which opened with a road win at Roselle, improved to 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the Watchung Division, while Linden, which opened with a home win over Westfield, moved to 1-1 and 1-1.
Despite an uncharacteristic amount of turnovers, New Providence remained ahead until Cranford junior forward Jessica McCoy made a layup off a pass from Miller to put the Cougars back out in front 27-26 late in the third quarter.
McCoy later made two free throws to give Cranford the lead for good at 29-28 with a minute to go in the third.
“We were frazzled in the first half, especially on offense, put played more composed in the second half,” said Miller, who also had four rebounds, two blocks and five steals. “Once we slowed things down on offense we were able to take the ball to the basket and got to the foul line a lot.”
A basket from the right side by senior forward Emma Culleton, one of New Providence’s three returning starters, cut Cranford’s lead to 36-34 with 5:24 remaining. That was the closest the Pioneers would get to regaining the lead again.
Cranford followed with a game-deciding 8-0 run. Junior forward Kaitlyn McGovern, who paced all players with 12 points, scored inside, which was a huge basket that gave Cranford a 38-34 advantage with 4:15 left.
Following a New Providence miss and then a Pioneers foul, Morgan hit a banker in the lane, Maried McKeary made two free throws and then McCoy made two from foul line. Before McKeary and McCoy made those four free throws, Cranford shot only 1-for-7 from the line in the fourth quarter.
“This was a statement game,” Morgan said. “We believe that we’re a team to beat. We got off to a good start by beating Oak Knoll and this win solidified that.”
Morgan, Miller, McGovern, McKeary and point guard Jenna Goeller are all returning starters for a Cranford team that seeks to get back to the North 2, Group 3 final for the third straight season. Cranford won the section in 2010 and last year was defeated by West Morris in the final. The Cougars also reached the Central Jersey, Group 2 final in 2009.
Cranford also feels it has a great opportunity to claim its first UCT crown since 2006.
“There’s definitely a lot of potential here,” Miller said. “We’re now all used to working with each other. Everyone wants to win.”
“If we continue to work and grow we should be very competitive in everything that we play for,” Dyer said. “Last year we relied on our outside shooting. This year we have more of an inside game. We have the ability to take the ball to the basket and either get fouled or make the shot.”
New Providence was called for 12 fouls compared to five for Cranford in the fourth quarter. Eventually the Cougars took advantage by making key free throws down the stretch.
“We had something like 25-30 turnovers, so it’s kind of a miracle that we only lost by nine,” New Providence head coach Cap Pazdera said. “We also had too many fouls and did a poor job of boxing out. You’re not going to beat a good team like Cranford when you play that way.”
New Providence junior guard Cassandra Squeri led all scorers with nine points at halftime, but did not score in the second half. In contrast, junior center Kaycee DeVoogd made her presence felt in the second half when she scored all 10 of her points, with eight of them coming from four solid jumpers.
“Kaycee carried us in the second half,” Pazdera said.
DeVoogd and senior forward Marta Gosiewski, who finished with six points, are the new starters.
“Working with those two has been my battle since day one,” Pazdera said. “There is a lot of potential there with those two.”
Senior point guard Sara Lowenstein and Squeri are the other two returning starters.
“I was happy with the way we competed and thought that we played great defensively in the first half,” Pazdera said. “If you take away the turnovers it’s a different game.”
While the atmosphere was spirited for sure at Cranford, it was taken up a notch at Roselle Catholic. Right from the start the game had the feel of a county or state tournament contest, with players from both teams quite amped up to show what they could do.
Behind scoring from sophomore Nahquasim Robinson, sophomore Keajah Hall – two baskets – and standout senior Shannon Wheeler, Linden got out to an 8-4 start vs. RC in the early going.
A free throw by Hall gave Linden its last lead of 17-16 before Roselle Catholic ended the first half on a 6-0 run to take the lead for good at 22-17 at intermission. Sophomore center Tori Pozsonyi made two free throws and scored inside off an offensive rebound and then junior guard Niavanni Grant hit an outside shot – off an assist from Kate Tobie – for the final points of the second quarter.
An 11-5 run by the Lions gave them their biggest lead – 11 points – at 33-22 midway through the third quarter. Pozsonyi, who finished 13 points, began the second half with a three-point play, while Grant, junior forward Danielle Franklin and junior point guard Marcia Senatus also scored in the run. Senatus, who also finished with 13 points, scored the final two baskets of the surge, the first inside and the second on a steal and layup.
To Linden’s credit, the Tigers did not give up. Linden chipped away, with junior Jada Lewis now getting involved offensively, and pulled to within 36-30 heading into the final eight minutes.
An inside basket by Lewis made the score 43-40 and then a free throw by Wheeler pulled the Tigers to within 43-41 with two minutes to go.
Needless to say, the intensity in The Lions’ Den at this point was racketed up even more.
Senatus brought the ball up and looked to dish off. She found Pozsonyi in the lane on the right side and managed to get her the ball. Pozsonyi reached back a bit to corral the pass and then went up strong and put the ball in with a one-handed shot to put the Lions up 45-41.
RC’s lead the rest of the way was never less than four points.
“Marcia makes great decisions,” said Pozsonyi, a Roselle Park transfer who saw some varsity time last year and will be much more of an impact player this year as a first-time starter.
Pozsonyi also produced six rebounds and a team-high four blocks.
“We all depend on each other,” Pozsonyi said. “We all have confidence in one another.”
Senatus, a returning starter, dished out a team-high four assists.
“I knew she (Tori) was coming,” Senatus said. “She did a great job of catching the pass and putting it in.
“At 43-40 I was telling the girls that we still have it. We just had to keep pushing.”
“Marcia made some good decisions and some decisions that we will have to talk about,” Skrec said. “Tori has confidence in the paint and that will be a strength of hers.”
A free throw by Hall made it 47-43 with 20 seconds left. RC had to make free throws from that point on, with Grant making 1-of-2 and Senatus both of hers for a 50-43 lead.
Hall scored right before the buzzer for the final 50-45 score.
“What I was most my pleased about was that we didn’t give up and showed a lot of heart,” said Linden second-year head coach Paul Gorski.
Linden received double-digit scoring from Hall, who finished with 13 points; Wheeler, who led Linden with 14; and Lewis, who scored 11 of her 13 points in the final 16 minutes.
“Jada really warmed up in the second half,” Gorski said. “Roselle Catholic is a good team and we’re working on getting better.”
A spark off the bench for the Lions was Rahway resident Tyffani McQueen, who scored all eight of her points in the first half. When she scored inside for her fourth and final field goal of the game, she tied the score at 16-16.
McQueen also had two assists and two steals.
Grant paced RC in scoring with 14 points and rebounds with eight.
Senatus shot 7-for-8 from the line in the fourth quarter.
“I thought Kate Tobie did a good job on defense on Wheeler,” Skrec said. “Pozsonyi was strong in the paint and Grant was consistent scoring in each quarter and also had a good effort on the other end.”
The only players that scored in the New Providence-Cranford game were all five starters for both teams.
Four players scored for Linden and five for RC. Amazingly, not one three-point field goal was made, although both teams did not attempt many.
IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO SCOUT: Union County coaches that attended the Linden-RC game included Summit’s Brian Erickson, Westfield’s Joe Martino and Johnson head coach Tom Chmeil and assistant Dave Hartzler.
Summit, which captured the Watchung Division title two years ago and is presently 1-0 after beating Union at home, will host Roselle Catholic Thursday night at 7.
Westfield (0-2) will play at Scotch Plains (1-1) Thursday at 4 p.m.
ROSELLE CATHOLIC HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:
TUESDAY, DEC. 27
Gov. Livingston vs. Morris Catholic, 3:30 p.m.
Johnson vs. Roselle Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
THURSDAY, DEC. 29
Consolation, 4:30 p.m.
Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Defending champion: Morris Catholic
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE-MOUNTAIN DIVISION
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GAME AT CRANFORD
NEW PROVIDENCE (1-1, 1-1) 12 7 11 5 - 35
CRANFORD (2-0, 2-0) 10 8 15 11 - 44
NEW PROVIDENCE PIONEERS (35):
5-Sara Lowenstein, senior, 0-1-3-6
15-Emma Culleton, senior, 2-0-0-4
32-Kaycee DeVoogd, junior, 5-0-0-10
33-Marta Gosiewski, senior, 2-0-2-6
12-Cassandra Squeri, junior, 3-1-0-9
Starters: Lowenstein, Squeri,
Culleton, Gosiewski, DeVoogd
Totals: 12-2-5-35
CRANFORD COUGARS (44):
20-Jessica McCoy, junior, 3-0-4-10
13-Maried McKeary, sophomore, 0-0-5-5
3-Morgan Miller, senior, 2-2-0-10
22-Kaitlyn McGovern, junior, 4-0-4-12
4-Jenna Goeller, junior, 0-1-4-7
Starters: Goeller, McKeary,
McCoy, McGovern, Miller
Totals: 9-3-17-44
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE-WATCHUNG DIVISION
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL GAME AT ROSELLE CATHOLIC
LINDEN (1-1, 1-1) 11 6 13 15 - 45
ROSELLE CATHOLIC (2-0, 2-0) 10 12 14 14 - 50
LINDEN TIGERS (45):
2-Keajah Hall, sophomore, 4-0-5-13
3-Shannon Wheeler, senior, 4-0-6-14
23-Jada Lewis, junior, 6-0-1-13
24-Nahquasim Robinson, sophomore, 2-0-1-5
4-Maya Hall, junior, 0-0-0-0
Starters: Keajah Hall, Wheeler,
Lewis, Robinson, Maya Hall
Totals: 16-0-13-45
ROSELLE CATHOLIC LIONS (50):
5-Marcia Senatus, junior, 3-0-7-13
3-Niavanni Grant, junior, 6-0-2-14
32-Tori Pozsonyi, sophomore, 4-0-5-13
10-Tyffani McQueen, freshman, 4-0-0-8
24-Danielle Franklin, junior, 1-0-0-2
14-Kate Tobie, sophomore, 0-0-0-0
Starters: Grant, Senatus,
Franklin, Pozsonyi, Tobie
Totals: 18-0-14-50
PHOTOS BY JR PARACHINI:
TOP - Here is the opening tip from Tuesday afternoon's game at Cranford. New Providence and Cranford played a hard-fought game that was won by Cranford.
2ND - Cranford guard Morgan Miller (No. 3) is one of the top returning seniors in Union County.
3RD - Cranford head coach Jackie Dyer, middle, saw her team play better in the second half vs. New Providence.
4TH - Cranford improved to 2-0 after beating visiting New Providence 44-35.
5TH - Morgan Miller scored 10 points vs. New Providence,including two three-pointers.
6TH - New Providence head coach Cap Pazdera has three returning starters back.
7TH - Roselle Catholic guard Marcia Senatus (No. 5) tries to dribble past Linden defender Nahquasim Robinson (No. 24).
8TH - RC head coach Joe Skrec has junior guard Marcia Senatus back in his starting lineup.
BOTTOM - Linden head coach Paul Gorski was pleased that his team did not give up against Roselle Catholic and came back to make it a two-point game in the fourth quarter.
No comments:
Post a Comment