Dayton's Anna Lies (left) and Governor Livingston's Alyssa Polimeni, who are also AAU teammates with the Union Crusaders, each reached 1,000 point milestone on Monday night while leading their respective teams to Union County Tournament wins. (Photo by Mary Alice Zavocki)
In an incredible season for 1,000-point scorers in Union County girls basketball four of the members of the exclusive club get together during Monday night's Union County Tournament action at Johnson High School in Clark. From left, are Emily MacDonnell and Anna Lies of Dayton, Alyssa Polimeni of Governor Livingston and Jen Kuczynski of Dayton. Lies and Polimeni each reached the coveted plateau on Monday night. (Photo by Mary Alice Zavocki)
G.L.'s standout Alyssa Polimeni scored her 1,000th point on this free throw with just under seven minutes remaining in Monday night's UCT win over Kent Place. (Photo by JR Parachini)
Governor Livingston players and coaches surround Alyssa Polimeni to celebrate her big evening as the senior guard reached 1,000 points. G.L. advanced in UCT. (Photo by Mary Alice Zavacki)
It certainly is unusual to have three 1,000 point scorers reach their milestone in the same season as, from left, Dayton's Emily MacDonnell, Jen Kuczynski and Anna Lies did while also helping to lead the Bulldogs to fine season in 2011-2012. (Photo by Mary Alice Zavacki)
Dayton’s Lies & G.L.’s Polimeni
Join 1,000-Point Club In UCT Wins
Join 1,000-Point Club In UCT Wins
...37th ANNUAL FRANK J. CICARELL GIRLS’ UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT
By JR Parachini
For sidelinechatter.com
CLARK – The most important thing Dayton needed to accomplish Monday night was beating a Kathy Matthews-coached Union Catholic squad a third time in three tries – which is never an easy task. For sidelinechatter.com
In addition, Dayton senior guard Anna Lies needed just three points to become the third Bulldog this season to reach 1,000 career points – a rare feat for a team to have three obtain the milestone in the same season.
Lies took three shots within the first 20 seconds, the last one a three-point attempt. None went in.
After shooting 0-for-4 in a first quarter Dayton won by just two points, Lies attempted another three-pointer inside the first minute of the second quarter. This time her long-range field goal – from the top of the key – came down and hit nothing but net, giving her exactly 1,000 for her career.
Much to her and the team’s satisfaction, Lies reached the milestone in an important first round Union County Tournament victory, with third-seeded Dayton going on to post a convincing 57-35 triumph over 14 th-seeded Union Catholic in one of the two nightcap games at Johnson.
Dayton previously swept Union Catholic in Union County Conference-Mountain Division play.
UCT QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, Feb. 16
At Rahway
5-Summit vs. 4-Roselle Catholic, 6 p.m.
9-Union vs. 1-Gov. Livingston, 7:30 p.m.
At Roselle Catholic
6-Linden vs. 3-Dayton, 6 p.m.
7-Oak Knoll vs. 2-Cranford, 7:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs are now one win away from returning to the semifinals.
“We were just trying to focus on the win,” Lies said. “Coach told the whole team and I told the whole team not to even think about my points because we knew it was going to come. We just really wanted to win.”
The first two Dayton seniors to reach the milestone this season were Emily MacDonnell in a home win Jan. 20 and then Jen Kuczynski in a home triumph Jan. 24.
“It’s unbelievable,” Lies said. “This is something the three of us have been working toward and dreaming of together since our freshman year.
“It’s unreal. I’m glad that it finally happened.”
In contrast to facing a team for the third time in the first round, Dayton will next face an opponent it has not played this season – sixth-seeded Linden – in the quarterfinals Thursday at Roselle Catholic. Dayton came very close to almost knocking off Linden as the lower-seeded team two years ago in a first round game at Johnson.
“We’re just trying to make a good run and play our best while we’re in the tournament,” Lies said.
Linden, which improved to 16-6, also advanced by beating a team for the third time in three times – that foe being 11 th-seeded Scotch Plains (9-14 and has lost four in a row) by the score of 61-54 in one of Monday’s 6 p.m. games at Johnson.
“The competition is very tough,” Lies said. “We’re just excited to be playing.”
In Monday’s other nightcap in Johnson’s other gym – the one down the hallway at the left – fans waited for GL senior Alyssa Polimeni to become the latest Union County standout to reach 1,000 career points. Polimeni needed 13 and netted seven of those by halftime of an eventual 60-17 Highlander triumph over 16 th-seeded Kent Place (13-6).
After missing the first two field goals she attempted in the second half, Polimeni drove to the basket for consecutive layups to put her at 11 points for the game and 998 for her career with 42 seconds left in the third quarter.
Polimeni then missed two three-point attempts from the left side before she was fouled in the act of shooting with 16.3 seconds remaining, putting her on the free throw line for two foul shots. Polimeni made the first one, with point No. 999 in the books. However, her second free throw attempt hit off the rim. The third quarter ended with GL leading 45-15 and Polimeni still needing one more point for 1,000.
After she missed another three-point attempt from the same left side of the court, Polimeni was fouled once more in the act of shooting and awarded two more free throw attempts. This time - with 6:41 remaining - she didn’t miss, with her first of two free throws giving her 1,000 career points. Similar to what Lies experienced just a brief time ago in Johnson’s other gym when she reached 1,000 points the game was stopped briefly for Polimeni to be recognized for her scoring achievement.
Polimeni finished with 14 points and will now add to a career total that is at 1,001.
“Now we can just worry about playing basketball,” said Polimeni, who has played AAU basketball (Union N.J. Crusaders) with Lies in addition to each player being four-year varsity starters. “Our main focus is the county tournament now.”
Polimeni, like Lies, has had a great deal to do with making other players around her better by what she does on the court besides scoring. Important fundamentals that come into play include passing, moving around without the ball and rebounding.
“I’m always trying to do what it takes for our team to win and scoring is a part of it,” Polimeni said. “I’m so excited to look for my teammates that are open and they look to get me open and that’s how I’ve been scoring.”
GL’s path back to the final – this time as the top seed – will continue at Rahway Thursday night against ninth-seeded Union. The Farmers were the only team outside of the top eight seeded schools that advanced to the quarterfinals.
After taking the lead at 3-2, Union led eighth-seeded New Providence (12-9) the remainder of the game, downing the Pioneers 42-35 in one of the two 6 p.m. games at Johnson.
GL - which Monday night joined second-seeded Cranford as the first two Union County teams to reach 20 wins - was decisive in beating Union 52-30 at home in a Jan. 12 conference-crossover clash in Berkeley Heights.
“They’re definitely going to come out with a lot of energy,” Polimeni said. “In the county tournament anything can happen, so we’re just going to come out and give it our all.”
Union went on a 9-0 run to take a 17-5 lead against New Providence with 3:37 left in the second quarter. The Farmers had two 13-point advantages in the third quarter before New Providence fought back to pull to within four at 31-27 at the onset of the fourth quarter. That was the closest the Pioneers would get.
Leading the way offensively for Union was sophomore forward Wendy Berry, who scored five of her team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter.
In the regular season game against GL, the 30 points Union scored was its second-lowest output of the season. The Farmers lost at home to Roselle Catholic 38-25 in Watchung Division play.
This is how Polimeni remembers the game: “we pushed the ball well in transition. We got some big defensive stops, so we’re going to try to do that in the next game.”
Union – which improved to 12-11 and is now on a season-best four-game winning streak – is also sparked by the play of senior point guard Jamiyah Bethune, who scored 12 points vs. New Providence. Bethune also reached 1,000 career points on Jan. 24 when she scored 16 in a 54-29 Watchung Division home win over Westfield.
“We’ve just got to play together,” Bethune said. “Fundamentals are the most important thing, such as rebounding and boxing outing. Everybody’s got to touch the ball.”
Bethune remembered Union’s regular season game against GL (Mountain Division champs are now 20-1 and winners of three straight) quite well and knows that her team is up for the challenge of trying to knock out the top seed.
“The first time we had a couple of lapses and they got a couple of baskets on the run,” Bethune said. “We have to lock down, play defense and rebound. That’s our game.
“We also have to score, that’s what we have to do. Our defense is there. Offense is our main problem. Everyone’s got to knock down shots and work the ball.”
The top side of the bracket quarterfinals will be at Rahway Thursday, featuring fifth-seeded Summit vs. fourth-seeded Roselle Catholic at 6 p.m. and ninth-seeded Union vs. top-seeded GL at 7:30 p.m.
In Watchung Division play, eventual repeat champion Roselle Catholic swept Summit, winning 33-21 at home on Dec. 22 and then 33-26 in Summit on Jan. 28.
Roselle Catholic is now 17-5 and has won four in a row and nine of 10. Leading the way Monday night at Rahway in a 36-18 win over 13 th-seeded Westfield (9-14) was junior guard Marcia Senatus with a game-high 15 points and six rebounds, junior forward Niavanni Grant with six of her 10 points in the third quarter in addition to seven rebounds and sophomore center Tori Pozsonyi, who contributed seven points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Roselle Catholic finished 3-0 vs. Westfield this year, including two Watchung Division triumphs. RC won the last three UCTs, with Westfield winning the year before in 2008.
Summit, which captured the UCC’s first Watchung Division title two years ago, had to defeat 12 th-seeded Plainfield (7-15) a third time in three tries, including the first two in Watchung Division competition.
On Monday at Rahway, Summit won this time by the score of 44-38.
The Hilltoppers (16-4) have won seven straight and 14 of 15 after a 2-3 start. The only setback in their last 15 games has been their division home loss to Roselle Catholic.
“Until someone knocks off Roselle Catholic, I feel they’re still the team to beat in the county tournament,” Summit head coach Brian Erickson said.
RC has now won 12 straight UCT games, including all four in 2009, all four in 2010, all three in 2011 and its first one in 2012. The Lions were last defeated in a UCT game on Feb. 14, 2008 when they were edged by eventual finalist Elizabeth 45-43 in a quarterfinal clash at Rahway.
The bottom side of the bracket games Thursday include sixth-seeded Linden vs. third-seeded Dayton at 6 p.m. and then seventh-seeded Oak Knoll vs. second-seeded Cranford at 7:30 p.m.
In Monday’s first round games at Roselle Catholic, Oak Knoll defeated 10 th-seeded Johnson for the third time in three tries – this time by a 50-29 count – while Cranford held off 15 th-seeded Hillside 61-55, outscoring the Valley Division champions 23-20 in the fourth quarter.
Oak Knoll, which won its third straight to improve to 13-9, previously swept Johnson (7-14 and had two-game winning streak snapped) in Mountain Division play.
Cranford won its 11 th straight game to improve to 20-3, while much-improved Hillside fell to 16-4. If the Comets defeat Roselle Park at home when that game is made up, they will be the only boys’ or girls’ UCC division winner to capture their division title undefeated.
The UCT win was Cranford’s first in two years after the Cougars were upset by Dayton 43-42 in last year’s quarterfinals at Rahway.
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Monday, Feb. 13
At Johnson gym to the right
Union 42, New Providence 35
Dayton 57, Union Catholic 35
At Johnson gym to the left
Linden 61, Scotch Plains 54
Gov. Livingston 60, Kent Place 17
At Rahway
Summit 44, Plainfield 38
Roselle Catholic 36, Westfield 18
At Roselle Catholic
Oak Knoll 50, Johnson 29
Cranford 61, Hillside 55
Dayton players are introduced before Monday night's UCT game with Union Catholic. The Bulldogs advanced into Thursday night's quarerfinals. (Photos by JR Parachini)
New Providence junior Casandra Squeri is a picture of concentration at the foul line vs. Union
New Providence senior Lauren Cronin looks to deliver pass to a teammate while tightly guarded
Union's sophomore forward Wendy Berry paced the Farmers with 14 points in a big UCT victory
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