Cranford Patch - Fan-Favorite Miller: 'I Hate Losing'

Cranford Patch - Fan-Favorite Miller: 'I Hate Losing'

Morgan Miller is serious about basketball.

Her year-round dedication to the sport is paying off in a big way. The sophomore was not only a starter for the girls' varsity basketball team this past season, but became an integral part of a state sectional championship squad with her outstanding play. She is this week's Cranford Patch Athlete of the Week.

"Morgan really came into her own this year," said head coach Jackie Huber. "She was a major offensive threat for our opponents. She works very hard year-round and it shows on the court. When we needed points on the board to get our team going, Morgan came through and would get us started."

Miller's numbers were impressive. She led the team in blocked shots with 33, was second with 42 steals, and averaged almost 10 points per game and 4.5 rebounds while leading the team with 40 three-pointers. Her aggressive style on both ends of the floor made her a fan favorite.

"I've always been really competitive, I hate losing," Miller said. "I want to win every time I go out there."

The season couldn't have gone much better for Miller and her teammates. 21 wins and a state sectional title make for great memories.

"I think it was a really good season," Miller said. "We all played really well. It was just great that we were able to make it to the sectional finals like we did last year and actually win it. Few athletes actually get the chance to make it there. I've made it twice already and was able to win one."

And to win with a new starting lineup was even more impressive.

"In the beginning, we all knew we were a young team, so we were a little unsure of how we were going to play, but as the season progressed, it became more evident that we were going to be able to do well."

Miller began playing around the age of 4, following in her sister's footsteps. She started in the recreation league in the third grade, and moved to the Police Athletic League in fifth grade. All along, she's been guided by her dad.

"My dad has been working with me the whole time," Miller said. "He's always supportive and has given me criticism. It's helped me a lot."

Miller gave up soccer, softball and volleyball to pursue the hardwood, and now she plays year round with the New Jersey Panthers AAU team.

"I have practices with my AAU team. And then we have a lot of tournaments especially in July. Then the fall, we have practices and a few tournaments. Two girls from New Providence are on the team and one from Governor Livingston."

With the loss of three starting seniors, Miller will have to step into a leadership role with a young team. Her coach is already a believer.

"I think Morgan will be an excellent leader for us," Huber said. "She has already shown great leadership qualities with her encouraging words and team play."

"I think I just have to be confident and show everyone else that they should be confident as well," Miller said. "It doesn't matter how young you are, you can still be a contributor on the team."

"Morgan is a great player to coach," said Huber. "She always comes in smiling and gives 110 percent each and every day. She will do anything for her team and coaches. I am extremely excited to see what the next two years has to bring for Morgan."

Cranford Patch - Freshman Hoopsters Take a Championship Ride

Cranford Patch - Freshman Hoopsters Take a Championship Ride

It's not easy for a high school freshman to step onto a varsity team and make an impact.

But that's exactly what happened this season to the Cranford girls' basketball team, with three talented ninth-grade student-athletes surviving the proving ground at the highest level. Jessica McCoy, Kaitlin McGovern and Jenna Goeller proved they had the skill set to make the grade.

Head coach Jackie Huber knew she had potential from the very first day.

"The jump from middle school basketball to high school varsity is a huge one," said Huber. "Sometimes it is very difficult for players to adjust and transition into a higher, fast-paced style of play. This years' freshmen have proven to be out of the ordinary. From day one they came in ready to meet any challenge that would come their way. You wouldn't know they were freshmen by their play, unless you asked."

"I was real excited I made varsity," said McGovern. "I didn't expect to when I first came in. When I got on the team I was really excited. I didn't think I was going to be that big a part. I thought it would be more like sitting on the bench, but I actually got to help out a lot as the season went on."

"It was exciting," said Jenna Goeller. "I guess I expected to make varsity because I put a lot of time and effort in the off-season. To be a part of the team and play in this atmosphere, I think it was a lot of fun."

What's even more difficult, and impressive, is for a newcomer to crack the starting lineup. That was the case for McCoy, who stepped in and not only made an impact right away, but scored 17 points against Carteret in the state tournament.

"Jess played a huge role as part of our starting line up this year," Huber said. "She is extremely athletic and a hard worker. She has led our team in more then one game in scoring and has proven that she is one of the top freshmen in the county. You are going to see a lot of great things to come from her in the next couple of years."

"At first it's kind of nervewracking, you don't want to mess up, you don't want to throw the ball away" said McCoy. "But you get used to it, you step up. You want to be there, so you just do what you have to do."

The trio blended in with the upperclassmen early on, allowing the up-and-comers to concentrate on basketball as opposed to worrying about fitting in.

"Right away, they were really welcoming," said McGovern of seniors Jamie Webb, Danielle Gross and Taylor D'Antico. "They were really nice form the start. For the first scrimmage, none of the seniors were able to play because they didn't have enough practices, so all the freshmen just kind of jumped in right away. We were playing the whole game. I jumped in really fast. I was really nervous for the first time, but I scored a couple of baskets and I realized I could play with them so it got a lot easier."

"Kaitlin really came into her own towards the middle of the year," Huber said. "She plays great defense and is able to back tap rebounds, something you can't teach. She is going to be a real threat underneath the basket because she has great hard-to-defend post moves."

Along with head coach Jackie Huber's constant encouragement and teaching, it was the senior leadership that set the tone for team chemistry.

How else do you explain a team with just three seniors, not only winning 21 games, but capturing a state sectional title?

"I started playing against tougher teams, like Roselle Catholic," said McGovern. "I started going in against tougher teams and saw they actually needed me a little bit so that was exciting."

As for Goeller, she understood the education that was involved.

"The seniors were really helpful because they had a lot of experience, so they made sure you weren't nervous before games and you knew what to expect from certain teams," said Goeller. "I think I learned a lot, different plays, different ways to beat teams. Everyone had so much more experience than I did, Take Roselle Catholic for example, they knew so much more about (Allison) Skrec, you just learn so much more about individual players, like how to beat someone."

"Jenna was a spark for us on defense, said Huber. "She brought energy to the floor. She is a very unselfish player who often looked to get the ball to her teammates, rather then taking the shot herself."

One thing they had in their corner was the experience of playing together before high school.

"It was a really good year to come in because we had lost a lot of seniors," said Goeller. "There were more opportunities. Plus, Jess, me and Kaitlyn played on the same team (AAU) and that really helped. We had good chemistry together. That will be helpful next year."

And while they are all looking forward taking on bigger roles in the future, their freshmen success hasn't been lost in all the excitement.

"It was a really good season," McGovern said. "I don't think anyone expected us to get this far because we were so young and because we lost a lot of people. Beating Roselle Catholic and going so far in the states we went above everyone's expectations of us. It was really good to start off like that."

"I think we were determined, we wanted to prove everyone wrong," Goeller said. "We really trust each other, we really bonded as a team. If you saw us off the court, we were really friendly with one another, so the fact we knew that off the court we could still have fun together, why not on the court too."

With the return of sophomore standout Morgan Miller and junior Sara Gallucci, the Lady Cougars will again be a major force in Union County as well as the state tournament in the years to come.

"It's really thrilling. I'm proud of the entire team, we worked really hard to come this far," McCoy said.

"I am excited about the years to come with these girls," said Huber. "They are hard workers and will meet any challenge thrown their way. We are graduating three big leaders this year who have set the tone and were a great example for the younger girls in showing what hard work and dedication will get you."

Cranford Patch - Cranford Falls To Pascack Valley in State Semifinal (With VIDEO Highlights)

Cranford Patch - Cranford Falls To Pascack Valley in State Semifinal (With VIDEO Highlights)

Cranford Patch - D’Antico Makes the Most of Her High School Career

Cranford Patch - D’Antico Makes the Most of Her High School Career

Anyone who has seen Cranford's Taylor D'Antico play, can instantly see her passion for sports. She is a rare three-sport star and has garnered this week's Cranford Patch Athlete of the Week honor.

The senior just finished up a dream basketball season where the Lady Cougars won 21 games and a state sectional title, their first in 36 years. She already has enough material to fill-up an oversized scrapbook.

"I'd have to say that this season has really made a lot of memories," said D'Antico. "We had a great team and we came out here and did something that nobody expected. This year we have nothing to be ashamed of. We worked really hard and it really shows, especially having that sectional final under our belt. A state title could have been even better. It's bittersweet, but we made history."

As you would figure, though, D'Antico is looking for a little more hardware.

"I'm going into the softball season trying to get just as far as we went last year, the group finals, and we're looking to get there this year, as far as we can and potentially win it all."

D'Antico has played a big role on six championship teams during her high school career so far. Her softball team won the county and conference crowns when she was a sophomore, and added the state sectional title in softball as a junior. And this year was the icing on the cake, capturing the county and conference championships in soccer and the state sectional title in basketball. Now all she needs is another softball trophy to finish out her brilliant career.

"Both my parents were really athletic in high school," D'Antico said. "My mom played softball and played basketball for fun, and my dad was always a really big baseball fan. He was very athletic in high school. He played baseball at Upsala College and actually got recruited for the (Chicago) Cubs, but he tore his rotator cuff, so he was done for his career. My brother Dan plays golf and he played baseball in high school. With all my family's support just to make it here and play all these sports, they've really been motivational and helped me get to where I am today."

While Taylor's brother is set to graduate from Penn State this year, she has her sights set on a soccer career, most likely at Coastal Carolina.

"When I was younger, it was actually funny, because every season I said I liked that sport more than I liked any other sport. Over the years, playing sports more and more, it just happened that soccer popped into the picture and I started to like that one more than any other."

Anyone who has seen D'Antico play, no matter the sport, comes away with the feeling she loves to not only play, but get her hands dirty. Her tough, aggressive style easily makes her a fan favorite.

"I'm a really aggressive person to begin with. I want to get the ball. I will do whatever it takes in order to get it. Scoring points isn't always my thing, scoring baskets or scoring goals in soccer. I'm a defender. I just like going out there. I like winning. I'll do whatever it takes in order to win."

It's hard to ask for anything more.

Pascack Valley 40, Cranford 28 (High school Girls Basketball scores and results) - NJ.com

Pascack Valley 40, Cranford 28 (High school Girls Basketball scores and results) - NJ.com

By Lou Monaco

Cranford's dream run is over.

Senior guard and captain Terry Ely scored a game-high 17 points, sinking nine free throws, to lead Pascack Valley to a 40-28 victory over Cranford in the NJSIAA/ShopRite North Jersey, Group 3 semifinal last night at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes.

Cranford (21-8) saw its four-game win streak snapped and suffered only its second loss in its last eight games.

``They are a very good team and our offense wasn't there, we had a hard time with that," Cranford coach Jackie Huber said. ``We had some fouls and some other issues, it was kind of hard to bounce back from. They play very good defense and getting into foul trouble definitely took us out of our game."

Cranford took a 9-7 lead after the first quarter, ending the quarter with four straight points, including a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Morgan Miller. Pascack Valley scored six straight points to start the second quarter to take a 13-9 lead with 3:30 left, before Cranford freshman Jessica McCoy hit a jumper to stop the run.

Pascack Valley led at halftime, 15-13.

Senior Jamie Webb scored the first basket of the second half for Cranford to tie the game at 15-15, but Ely scored six straight points to give Pascack Valley a 21-15 lead with 3:20 left in the third quarter. Jessica McCoy, Morgan Miller and Taylor D’Antico each had baskets to end the third quarter to cut Pascack Valley's lead to 25-21.

Pascack Valley went on a 12-2 run to start the fourth quarter, including six points by Ely, to take a commanding 37-23 lead with 2:25 left to play.

``Losing does not feel good, but we accomplished something that people dream about doing," said Huber, who has a 7-2 record in state tournament play over the past two seasons. ``In high school, I never went to a state sectional final. Everyone talks about it. The fact that they won it and when they go into the school to see their year on the banner, that will be important to them."

Kaitlin McGovern and Morgan Miller scored seven points apiece to lead Cranford, which won the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 title Tuesday over Somerville, 46-34. It is the program's first title in 36 years.

Pascack Valley (26-4) has won six straight games and 19 of 20.

"Cranford has a good basketball team, great size, very athletic," Pascack Valley coach Jeff Jasper said. "The thing I love about them is that they play you straight up. No gimmicks. They are just going to play solid, fundamentally sound basketball. This was just two teams saying this is what we do, this is what you do and let's just play."

Pascack Valley won the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 title Tuesday by defeating Teaneck, 51-47, for its 13th sectional title.

Pascack Valley 40
Name                          2-pt.   3-pt.   FT   Total
Dana Amato                      3       0      2       8
Terry Ely                       4       0      9      17
Lindsey Hickey                  2       0      5       9
Chelsea Lombardi                1       0      0       2
Alyssa Matos                    2       0      0       4

       Totals:                        12       0     16  

Cranford 28
Name                          2-pt.   3-pt.   FT   Total
Taylor D'Antico                 1       1      0       5
Jessica McCoy                   2       0      0       4
Kaitlin McGovern                3       0      1       7
Morgan  Miller                  1       1      2       7
Jamie Webb                      2       0      1       5

       Totals:                         9       2      4  

Cranford (21-8)               9   4    8    7   28
Pascack Valley (26-4)         7   8   10   15   40

Rebounds:

Assists:

Blocks:

Steals:

Cranford girls' basketball season comes to an end in Group 3 semifinals; Cougars conclude with impressive 21-8 mark that includes a sectional championship - Cranford Navigator

Cranford girls' basketball season comes to an end in Group 3 semifinals; Cougars conclude with impressive 21-8 mark that includes a sectional championship - Cranford Navigator

Cranford led Pascack Valley 9-7 after the first quarter when sophomore Morgan Miller made a 3-pointer and Jamie Webb ended the period with a free throw.

Although Cranford didn’t score until there was 2:10 left in the second quarter – freshman Jessica McCoy hit a shot in the lane – the Cougars hung tough and were only trailing 15-13 at
the half. Webb’s first field goal tied the game for the third time at 13-13
before an inside basket following an offensive rebound by senior Dana Amato
gave the Indians back the lead.

“She (Amato) was very strong and we knew she was a big presence on the floor,” Cranford head coach Jackie Huber said.

Amato had five of her nine rebounds in the first half, with her stocky build a tough one for Cranford players to get around at times.

“She has, maybe, the best boxing-out skills I’ve seen all season,” Huber said. “She pushed you underneath the basket and you were not getting around her.

“They’re a very good team and in the beginning our offense just wasn’t there and we had a hard time with that. They play very good defense and it’s hard, even if you
are running your offenses, to get through the screens.”

Cranford shot 5-of-16 from the floor in the first half and made one of two free throws. However, Pascack Valley wasn’t much better, shooting 6-of-22 and making only
three of eight from the line.

Webb’s second field goal and what turned out to be her final points tied the game for the fourth and last time at 15-15 to open the third quarter.

Then Ely took over.

Ely, who had just three points at the half on three free throws, hit her first field goal to give Pascack Valley what would be the lead for good at 17-15. That began
a 6-0 run, with Ely scoring all of the points.

Webb contained Ely in the first half, which was huge because Cranford’s shots were not falling. Had Ely had a big first half, Cranford would not have been in the game in the second half.

“I think Jamie did a very good job,” Huber said. “Jamie shut her down, but she’s a good player and she’s going to score her points. She’s good off the dribble,
good driving to the basket, a good pull-up shooter, so we knew she was going to
score her points. It was just when she was going to.”

Despite Webb getting into foul trouble, Cranford continued to hang in there and was only outscored 10-8 in the third quarter and trailed only 25-21 going into the fourth.

Ely began the fourth quarter with a layup, but Miller answered with two free throws to keep it a four-point game at 27-23.

Then the Indians took over.

Pascack Valley made 7-of-14 free throws during first three quarters, but was much better from the charity stripe in the fourth.

McCoy picked up her fourth foul with 6:11 left, giving Cranford five to PV’s one at the time. Ely went to the line
and made both, which began a 14-0 Indian run that included Pascack Valley making 6-of-6 free throws in that stretch.

A free throw by Cranford freshman Kaitlin McGovern halted the run. McGovern ended up scoring Cranford’s final five points and finished with seven.

Players such as McGovern, Miller, McCoy, freshman Jenna Goeller and junior Sara Gugliuci will return next season with a lot of valuable varsity experience
under their belts.

“I was really impressed by how Kaitlin played down the stretch,” Huber said.

Pascack Valley took advantage of Cranford’s fouls in the final quarter by making 9-of-10 free throws in the period.

“We had little nit-pick fouls and some other issues and it was hard to bounce back from,” Huber said. “We got into some foul trouble and I think, mentally, that
took us out of the game.”

Despite the setback, Cranford had quite a season. The Cougars won 21 games for the first time in four years, managed to defeat the best team in the county –
Roselle Catholic – on its home court and then captured a sectional championship
after reaching the Union County Tournament semifinals for the first time in
four years.

“I’m really proud of us,” Webb said. “We made the semifinals of counties, which is good. We had a huge letdown there, but we stuck through it and won the section,
so that’s great.

“Our coach said every time we come watch the young girls play next year we’ll see our year up on the banner, so that’s something we’ll remember.”

“Losing does not feel good and it’s not something everyone likes doing, but they have to understand that they accomplished something people dream about doing,” Huber
said. “In high school I never went to a state sectional final and everyone
talks about it.”

Huber is a 2001 Union Catholic graduate who helped the Vikings win the UCT her senior season after they also won it when she was a freshman.

“The fact that they won it (the sectional final) and when they go into the school and see their year on the banner, they’re going to be remembered and that’s
important,” Huber said.

Seniors Webb, Taylor D’Antico – who finished with five points – and Danielle Gross provided leadership for the younger players while they grew as performers
themselves this season.

“They really did a good job of taking the younger girls underneath their wing and showing that they wanted it this year,” Huber said. “As seniors they wanted to
be leaders, they wanted to win a championship and that’s what they did.

“Our team was very young this year and I think we’ll be all right next year.”

Cranford girls' basketball captures North 2, Group 3 championship after downing Somerville 46-34 at home; Cougars will play Pascack Valley Thursday at Ramapo in a Group 3 semifinal - Cranford

Cranford girls' basketball captures North 2, Group 3 championship after downing Somerville 46-34 at home; Cougars will play Pascack Valley Thursday at Ramapo in a Group 3 semifinal - Cranford

By JR Parachini

Union County Sports Editor

CRANFORD – You’ll have to forgive the Cranford girls’ basketball team for displaying a bit of nerves at the onset of Tuesday night’s North 2, Group 3 championship game.

After playing with no pressure at all in last year’s Central Jersey, Group 2 final at Bridgewater-Raritan against heavily favored and eight-time defending champion
Rumson-Fair Haven, the Cougars – after certain circumstances fell there way –
were provided an opportunity to win a sectional title at home just 12 months
later.

Visiting Somerville took advantage of Cranford’s early disruptive play by scoring the game’s first five points and later taking a seven-point lead in the first quarter.

However, despite falling behind early, Cranford was not about to let this golden opportunity slip away.

Sparked by a solid defensive performance and contributions from every player who took the court, the third-seeded Cougars came back for the last time early in the
third quarter and then rolled to a convincing 46-34 triumph over the
fifth-seeded Pioneers.

GROUP 3 SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES:

North 2: Cranford 46, Somerville 34 – at Cranford

North 1: Pascack Valley 51, Teaneck 47 (OT) – at Teaneck

Central Jersey: Neptune 49, Middletown South 28 – at Neptune

South Jersey: Point Pleasant Boro 69, Deptford 42 – at PPB

THURSDAY’S GROUP 3 SEMIFINALS:

North 2 champCranford (21-7) vs. North 1 champ Pascack Valley (25-4)

At Ramapo, 7 p.m.

Central Jersey champ Neptune (26-1) vs. South Jersey champ PPB (23-5)

At Williamstown, 8 p.m.

Although it was announced that Cranford had captured its first sectional championship since 1973, it has been written that the first year of the program was the 1973-1974
season. That year a senior named Carol Blazejowski guided the Cougars to a 13-0
record in the regular season and then Cranford won six
state tournament games to reach the state championship.

Cranford, winners of four straight, will next take on North 1 champion Pascack Valley Thursday night at 7 at Ramapo in a Group 3 semifinal. Thursday night’s other Group 3 semifinal pits Central Jersey champ Neptune vs. South Jersey champion Point Pleasant Boro at Williamstown at 8.

The winners advance to Sunday’s Group 3 state championship game at the Ritacco Center at Toms River North in Toms River.

Somerville, which came back in the fourth quarter to win at top-seeded West Morris 59-46 in Long Valley Friday night, finished a fine season at 19-9.

Last year Cranford – as the 11^th seed - went 3-1 in sectional tournament play, winning three road games in five days before falling to Rumson
50-29 in the final.

This year - and with just one returning starter after six seniors (four of them starters) were lost to graduation - the Cougars won three games in five days
again and then won again Tuesday night to go 4-0.

More importantly, Cranford has at least one more game to play, with the Cougars now 32 minutes away from playing for a state championship.

Senior starters Danielle Gross, Jamie Webb and Taylor D’Antico combined for 35 points, with Gross and Webb netting 13 each and D’Antico nine. Sophomore Morgan Miller
added six points and freshman Jessica McCoy two, while Kaitlin McGovern came
off the bench to score three points and garner two steals in the second
quarter. Other reserves Jenna Goeller and Sara Gugliuci also provided a lift
when called upon.

It was a true team effort, which is what you need when you want to win a championship.

“We had all of our fans supporting us, which was a great help for our confidence,” said Gross, who also grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. “It’s our
senior year and we really want to be up on that board to remember this year
because we played so great together.”

It took some time for the Cougars to achieve any kind of greatness Tuesday night, with three different Somerville players scoring and Cranford committing two turnovers, which prompted a timeout a little more than
two minutes in and the Pioneers leading 5-0.

“I thought maybe we came out a little bit nervous,” Cranford third-year head coach Jackie Huber said. “This is our home floor, there are tons of people here watching us, looking and cheering for us, that I
think nerves got in the way.

“They composed themselves and had to prove that they wanted it more and they did.”

After D’Antico hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key on Cranford’s sixth shot to finally put the Cougars on the scoreboard exactly three minutes in, sophomore
Rachel Jones scored in the lane and then senior Sahara Sumpter added an inside
basket to give Somerville a 10-3 lead.

“We all were kind of nervous,” Gross said.

A lefty layup by Webb began to calm Cranford down. Webb followed up that basket by driving the middle of the lane, scoring, and getting
fouled. After making the ensuing free throw, Cranford was right back in it at 10-8.

A shot from the left side by D’Antico that was good tied the game for the first time at 10-10. McGovern then made one of two free throws – Cranford made
15-of-16 for the game – and Webb scored on a turnaround shot in the lane to
spark the Cougars to a first quarter-ending 10-0 run that gave the home team a
13-10 lead going into the second quarter.

Both teams scored 10 points in the second quarter, with each squad having two leads in the first half in addition to there being two ties. Caroline Barberi began
the period with consecutive 3-point field goals that gave Somerville the lead
back at 16-13 before Miller’s first basket of the game – off an offensive
rebound she grabbed – put Cranford back ahead 17-16.

Still ahead by three at 23-20 as the second half commenced, Cranford quickly found itself behind again after a basket from the left side by Jones and a quick
steal and inside hoop by Alexis Appezzato after Cranford was unable to
successfully in-bound the ball against Somerville’s full court press.

Now down for what would be the third and final time by the score of 24-23, it was an inside basket by Gross off a pass from Webb that put the Cougars ahead to
stay at 25-24. Gross was also fouled in the lane while making the basket and
added the free throw for a conventional 3-point play and a 26-24 advantage.

“We talked at halftime and said that we had to calm ourselves down,” Gross said. “We came out and we were determined to win and worked together as a team.”

On Cranford’s following possession, Webb got the ball to Gross again and Gross scored inside once more to up the Cougar lead to 28-24.

“Jamie and I have been playing together since elementary school, so we really play great together,” Gross said.

“We’ve been playing together for awhile so I would expect that she knows I’ll be looking for her under the basket,” Webb said. “I really love how she plays and
I love her on the team with me.”

Cranford led by six at 32-26 heading into the fourth quarter. Both teams scored just two points in the period until Miller made a lefty layup with 3:32 remaining to put Cranford
out in front 36-28.

An inside basket by Gross gave the Cougars their first double-digit lead at 38-28.

Barberi – who led Somerville with 13 points – connected on her third and final 3-pointer to make it 38-31.

“She was very good and a key player for them,” Huber said. “We changed up a bit and put Taylor on No. 21 (Sumpter) and I think Taylor did a phenomenal job shutting her down. Then Jamie
covered No. 12 (Barberi) and she did a pretty good job on her, so it was just a
little bit of defensive change.”

After four consecutive Webb free throws – she was a perfect 7-for-7 from the line – Sumpter hit her only 3-pointer to pull the Pioneers to within 42-34 with a
minute to go.

However, it was too little, too late. Sumpter finished with 11 points and one block and also had two steals in the third quarter. Although Appezzato scored only two
points, she grabbed four rebounds and blocked one shot.

“Last year really helped us with the experience,” Gross said. “We knew what to expect when we came out and that we shouldn’t take it lightly.

“We were very prepared as a team. We knew when we got here that we could win this game.”

D’Antico, who helped lead the girls’ soccer team to its first county championship in nine years in the fall, saw the advantage of playing at home in a sectional final
this time.

“We didn’t expect the game to be at home, actually, but when we heard it was it really got us pumped,” D’Antico said.

Cranford took advantage of the good fortune brought upon it by the NJSIAA when Shabazz was moved out of North 2, Group 3 the same year the Cougars were put back in the section.

That meant that Cranford did not have to deal with heavyweights Shabazz and Rumson in its section this year.

Then Somervilletook out top-seeded West Morris in its semifinal.

Then Cranford found out at the last minute that it was not going to be playing Somerville at a neutral site, but that it was going to host the
Pioneers because it was the higher seed. That was another twist decided upon by
the NJSIAA some time ago. The organization decided that the public finals would
be played at the higher seeds, but that the parochial finals would still be
played at neutral sites.

Of course, none of that mattered to the Cougars. Cranford was just happy to be playing at home.

“We told everyone to come out here and to be excited and ready for a good game and that’s what happened,” said D’Antico, who also came up with three steals.

Being down early didn’t seem to matter to D’Antico and the rest of her teammates.

“We’re a very hard-working team and we’ll never quit, so in order to overcome that seven-point lead they had we were going to come out here stronger and we were
never going to give up,” D’Antico said. “It was only the first quarter and
there was still the whole rest of the game to go.”

Cranford defeated 14^th-seeded Carteret in the first round and then knocked off sixth-seeded Mendham in the quarterfinals, beating both of those teams at home. The Cougars
then had to travel to Glen Gardner to knock off second-seeded Voorhees in the
semifinals. Cranford came back from a fourth-quarter deficit to do so.

“I’m really confident with my team,” D’Antico said. “We have a strong bond and really trust each other on the court and off the court.

“We worked hard to get here and winning this game is a great feeling.”

Miller is not only part of the present, but also the future of one of the most successful programs in the area now the last five years. Cranford reached 21 wins for the initial time since the first-time Union County
Tournament championship squad of 2005-2006 finished 21-8. That Cougar team lost
at Shabazz 48-18 in a North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal.

Miller grabbed six of her eight rebounds in the first half.

“We had to stay composed on offense and keep up the intensity on defense,” Miller said. “I think we picked it up on defense and got a lot of points in transition
and then our offense just started to flow from there.”

McCoy was in 8^th grade this time last year when Cranford left Somerset County one win short of a sectional crown.

Her outstanding performance on both offense and defense has been a big reason why the Cougars are still playing. She scored 17 points in her first state tournament game,
which was Cranford’s win over Carteret.

“It’s so exciting, we’re all jumping for joy right now,” McCoy said. “I think we played well on defense each game in order to win and we worked together as a
team, counting on each other.”

Webb was the lone returning starter this year. She also started on Cranford’s junior varsity team that won its county championship in 2007 when Webb was a freshman.

This victory was even sweeter.

“We wanted to do so well playing at home,” Webb said. “We had to pull together after we were down and were able to take the lead by three.

“Our rebounding got a lot better and we were able to get a lot of steals.

“When we won the semifinal game I didn’t have the chills like I had last year because I didn’t expect us to get that far last year. This year I felt that we were
going to do this, especially after what happened in the counties.”

Cranford’s last loss was its 75-50 setback to eventual repeat champion Roselle Catholic in the Union County Tournament semifinals Feb. 24 at RC.

Although they lost that game to the home team Lions, the Cougars can say that they were only one of three teams to beat RC this year.

Now they can also say that they are sectional champions.

“I knew coming in that all these girls were hard workers and if they want something they’re going to go out and get it and they show that every day in
practice,” Huber said.

NOTES: Union County rebounded to go 2-0 Tuesday night after a 0-2 mark Monday when Summit fell at Shabazz in the Central Jersey, Group 2 final and Roselle Catholic was downed at home by Immaculate Heart Academy in a Non-Public, North A semifinal.

Tuesday night’s other Union County winner was New Providencecapturing North 2, Group 1 for the second time in three years and for the fifth
time overall. The third-seeded Pioneers defeated ninth-seeded University 48-45
at home.

New Providence, which is now 20-4 and has won four straight, will face North 1 champion Cresskill (25-4) in a Group 1 semifinal Thursday at 5 p.m. at Ramapo.

So, both Union County teams still alive will have to beat 25-4 Bergen County teams in Bergen County in the same gym Thursday night in order to advance to state championship games.

New Providence, which captured the Union County Conference’s first Valley Division title after winning the final Mountain Valley Conference-Valley Division
crowns, was sparked by a 17-point performance from junior forward Laura
Gregory.

Cranford and New Providence have freshmen on the women’s basketball team at Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster, Pa. – those players being Elizabeth Snyder of Cranford and Michelle Montagna of New Providence, who are both 2009 high school graduates.

Union County had three teams reach sectional finals this year, just missed having a fourth in RC and had two champions in Cranford and New Providence. This has been the county’s best showing in state tournament competition in some time.

Huber’s record at the helm of the Cougars is now 54-26 (.675), including 18-11 last year and 15-8 two years ago. Cranford is 7-2 in the state playoffs so far the past three
seasons – with four of the wins on the road.

In an article written about Blazejowski being a trailblazer that was published in New Jersey Monthly and dated Feb. 11, 2009 – it can be read on the internet -
author Jessica Kitchin reported that, “it was during Blazejowski’s senior year at
Cranford that the school first outfitted a girls’ varsity basketball team. That
debut squad went 13-0 in the regular season and won six playoff games to make
it to the state championship in 1974.

“In those twenty games, the 5-foot-10-inch forward with a killer jump shot scored 638 points – an average of 32 per game. Because the team was so dominant,
former coach Sally Morel says, Blazejowski would sit out significant minutes to
avoid running up the score too much. ‘If we had said, ‘Stay in and score as much
as you want,’ there’s no doubt she would have scored 1,000 points alone.’”

NORTH 2, GROUP 3 TITLE GAME AT MARTIN GYMNASIUM

5-SOMERVILLE (19-9) 10 10 6 8 - 34

3-CRANFORD (21-7, 4 in row) 13 10 9 14 - 46

SOMERVILLE (34): Sahara Sumpter 3-1-2-11, Caroline Barberi 2-3-0-13, Amanda McHenry 1-0-0-2, Alexis Appezzato 1-0-0-2, Rachel Jones 3-0-0-6, Abby Cohn 0-0-0-0, Jasmine Lichtman 0-0-0-0, Katie Bender 0-0-0-0. Totals:
10-4-2-34.

Starters:Sumpter, Jones, Bender, Barberi, Appezzato.

CRANFORD (46):Taylor D’Antico 2-1-2-9, Danielle Gross 4-0-5-13, Jamie Webb 3-0-7-13, Morgan Miller 3-0-0-6, Jessica McCoy 1-0-0-2, Kaitlin McGovern 1-0-1-3, Jenna Goeller
0-0-0-0, Sara Gugliuci 0-0-0-0. Totals:
14-1-15-46.

Starters:Miller, D’Antico, Webb, McCoy, Gross.

FIRST QUARTER:Somerville – Sumpter 1-0-2-4, Jones 2-0-0-4, Barberi 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 4-12. Free throws: 2-4. Cranford – Webb 3-0-1-7, D’Antico 1-1-0-5, McGovern 0-0-1-1.
Field goals: 5-18. Free throws: 2-3.

SECOND QUARTER: Somerville – Barberi 1-2-0-8, Sumpter 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 4-10. Free throws: 0-0. Cranford – Gross 1-0-2-4, Miller 1-0-0-2, McGovern 1-0-0-2, Webb 0-0-2-2. Field goals: 3-9. Free throws: 4-4.

THIRD QUARTER: Somerville – Jones 1-0-0-2, Sumpter 1-0-0-2, Appezzato 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 3-7. Free throws: 0-4. Cranford – Gross 2-0-1-5, McCoy 1-0-0-2, Miller 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 4-15. Free throws: 1-1.

FOURTH QUARTER: Somerville – Barberi 0-1-0-3, Sumpter 0-1-0-3, McHenry 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 3-15. Free throws: 0-5. Cranford – D’Antico 1-0-2-4, Gross 1-0-2-4, Webb 0-0-4-4. Field goals: 3-5. Free throws: 8-8.

GAME TOTALS:

Field goals:Somerville 14-for-44, Cranford 15-for-47.

Free throws:Somerville 2-for-13, Cranford 15-for-16.

Somerville missed its last nine free throws, while Cranford made

its last 13. Somerville was 0-for-9 in the second half and Cranford 9-for-9.

NORTH 2, GROUP 3 PLAYOFFS

CRANFORD COUGARS ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

SEEDS:1-West Morris. 2-Voorhees. 3-Cranford. 4-Millburn.

5-Somerville. 6-Mendham. 7-New Brunswick. 8-Warren Hills.

9-Belleville. 10-Irvington. 11-Colonia. 12-Nutley.

13-Scotch Plains. 14-Carteret. 15-South Plainfield. 16-Iselin Kennedy.

FIRST ROUND:

Monday, March 1

West Morris 69, IselinKennedy 29

Warren Hills 59, Belleville 42

Somerville 46, Nutley 34

Millburn 51, Scotch Plains 37

Cranford 59, Carteret 46

Mendham 50, Colonia 36

New Brunswick 46, Irvington 42

Voorhees 64, South Plainfield 28

QUARTERFINALS:

Wednesday, March 3

West Morris 44, Warren Hills 37

Somerville 42, Millburn 29

Cranford 55, Mendham 50

Voorhees 41, New Brunswick 26

SEMIFINALS:

Friday, March 5

Somerville 59, West Morris 46

Cranford 44, Voorhees 40

FINAL:

Tuesday, March 9

Cranford 46, Somerville 34

Cranford wins its first sectional title

since the program’s first year – 1973-1974.

Buzzer-beaters, overtime, overdrive and intrigue theater | - High School Girls Basketball - NJ.com

Buzzer-beaters, overtime, overdrive and intrigue theater | - High School Girls Basketball - NJ.com

Last night is one of those nights you wanna to be in our office (that said, I wasn't even there). But, on a night like the one that unfolded, there is an added buzz as each writer comes back and shares a quick recap from the game he covered.

Saed Hindash/The Star-LedgerCranford's Jess McCoy drives against Amanda McHenry of Somerville during their North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final.

But, the downside to hoops season for me is I wanna be at every game at this time of the year. I want see Theresa Krawiec scramble for a loose ball and put up a desperation shot at the buzzer that sends Salem to a victory.

I wanna cling to the edge of my seat during an overtime period, when senior Terry Ely rediscovers a silky touch from the foul line, one that apparently abandoned her during an uncharacteristic stretch, and propels Pascack Valley by Teaneck for its 12th sectional title.

And, I feel cheated for not getting to experience that suspense at New Providence? Clinging to a lead against a University team that gave, at least me, the impression it had all the trimmings to win a Group 1 state title, New Providence never cracked. Instead, it galvinized, even upon the late-game insertion of Laurin Mincy, the three-time Star-Ledger All-State and two-time state Player of the Year, whose 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, confirming New Providence had scored one of the biggest triumphs in the program's history.

And, did someone say history? You want history. How 'bout Cranford winning its first sectional title since 1974! NINETEEN SEVENTY FOUR!!! It's a story like Cranford that really should make those a little more fortunate in the basketball world stop appreciate the moment. It's been basically a generation since Cranford won one of these. Conversely, it gives people a chance to reflect on some of the dominant figures on the girls hoops season who win sectional titles year in and year out and should provide a better appreciation for just how difficult the task is to achieve.

1974...got me to thinking that most kids haven't a clue what 1974 looked like. I know my sons don't. 1974 to me was Hank Aaron, Happy Days, The Rumble in the Jungle and Watergate....and apparently bad suits. You wanna see what 1974 looked like? I can't believe I'm gonna do this, but this was yours truly in 1974 (left). Not sure what look my mom was going for in this one but I think it was during a stage where Match Game and Lets Make a Deal were heavy in her daily viewing rotation. Man, I wish I still had some of that hair. Note: That jacket was retired to the Table Cloth Hall of Fame and the bow tie...pretty sure that was a clip on.

But getting back on point about Cranford and New Providence...Don't you wanna be there for those moments? I love when I stumble into one of them, like I did Monday night, when Chatham put together a comeback that no one associated with the program will soon forget, rallying from six points down with 1:41 left to play to pull out a 47-46 victory. Those are the ones you don't forget and I don't care who your rooting affiliation is with.

Martin Griff/Trenton TimesYour shutter speed better be fast if you plan on snapping a picture of Trenton Catholic's Briyona Canty (right).I was fortunate to catch Trenton Catholic's Briyona Canty at her finest last night.Her quickness was so excessive going to the basket, it was a miracle she wasn't ticketed for speeding in a school zone. And, her wonderful unselfishness got everyone involved, including sophomore Marquasia Aiken, who lit it up for 24, highlighted by six 3-pointers. Canty's speed was revealed in so many areas...on the boards where she went up and got two touches on the offensive glass before anyone else came back to Earth from trying to grab the first rebound. Her lateral movement on the ball is just unfair when you consider her size and strength. Watching her defend Cardinal McCarrick's guards, Canty looked like she was on roller skates, sliding back and forth and rarely allowing access into the lane. And, her thought process on the ball is utterly ridiculous. She envisions her decisions a good 15-to-20 feet away from where she will eventually act upon it. Roll all those traits up into one, and you can understand how she finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 73-54 victory.

Cranford Patch - Cranford Defeats Somerville For First State Sectional Title Since 1973

Cranford Patch - Cranford Defeats Somerville For First State Sectional Title Since 1973

By Mike Curci |

1973. It was the year the Carpenters hit the top of the music charts with a song called "Top of the World." It was also the last time the Cranford girls' varsity basketball team captured a state sectional title.

Until now, that is.

Led by the senior trio of Danielle Gross, Jamie Webb and Taylor D'Antico, the Lady Cougars sit on top of the New Jersey basketball world after their convincing 46-34 victory over Somerville in the NJSIAA state sectional championship game in Cranford Tuesday night.

Gross led the way with 15 points and seven rebounds, Webb added 13 points and five assists and D'Antico chipped in with nine points.

"I feel great," said third year head coach Jackie Huber. "I'm so happy for the girls, they worked really hard. They deserved it."

"I'm so excited, I'm kind of speechless that we won this game," said Gross. "My senior year, I wanted to look up at that banner and see the year I graduated for the section title. Now it's going to be there, so I'm really excited."

The Lady Cougars not only hit big baskets from the field, but went 14-of-15 from the free throw line, while Somerville was just 3-for-14.

Somerville ran out to an early seven-point lead, but Cranford quickly caught up and took a 13-10 advantage after the first quarter. The Cougars held a 23-20 lead at the break, but in the second half, they outscored the Pioneers 23-14 to put the championship on ice.

"We're a really hard working team and even when we were down by seven points, we're going to come out here strong and we're never going to give up," said D'Antico. "I have to give credit to every single person on our team. It's a great feeling."

"The second half, we really picked it up," said Huber. "We live by, offense wins games, defense wins championships. We said to the seniors, that in order for us to do this, you have to be a big presence on the floor, especially Danielle, you're the biggest girl out there, grab every single rebound, fight underneath the basket and that's exactly what she did."

Jamie Webb also received high marks from her coach.

"Jamie is a great leader for us," Huber said. "She just brings a feeling of power and this is what we can do. She's extremely intense, and when you see she's intense, everyone's going to be intense."

For now, though, it's time to focus on the celebration.

"It feels amazing," said Webb. "Because now we're putting '10 up there (on the banner). We havn't won since '73, it's a great feeling."

And let's not forget the young players, who have played brilliantly considering the pressure of playing on the tournament stage leading up to this crown.

"We just want to keep them relaxed," said Gross. "They were nervous at the beginning I just think it's the beginning of the next great years, these freshmen could do this again."

Cranford (21-7) defeated Carteret, Mendham and Voorhees to make the final, and now will face Pascack Valley Thursday night at Ramapo High School in the North Jersey state final.

Cranford 46, Somerville 34 (High school Girls Basketball scores and results) - NJ.com

Cranford 46, Somerville 34 (High school Girls Basketball scores and results) - NJ.com

Danielle Gross didn’t really believe Cranford’s post-season run was possible at the beginning of the season.

“I don’t think any of us really thought this would be happening,” said Gross, a senior center. “But we did know that we would work hard every game. And now it’s paid off.”

Gross recorded 13 points and seven rebounds and senior forward Jamie Webb collected 13 points, five assists and three steals to help Cranford post a convincing 46-34 victory over Somerville to capture the NJSIAA/ShopRite North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 championship last night in Cranford.

The sectional title is the first since 1973 for Cranford, which will meet Pascack Valley in a Group 3 semifinal tomorrow night at Ramapo. Pasacack Valley defeated Teaneck, 51-47, for the North Jersey, Section 1 title last night.

“To be able to play your final game at home in front of your fans and family and win a sectional title; that’s the best,” said Gross. “I’ll be able to come back to this gym forever and know I helped put that banner here.”

Cranford, which bowed to Rumson, 50-29, in the Central Jersey, Group 2 final last year, defeated Carteret, Mendham and Voorhees to earn another chance at the title.

Against Somerville, Cranford took the lead for good when Gross took a great pass from Webb, scored and was fouled with 6:10 remaining in the third. Gross’ ensuing foul shot gave Cranford a 26-24 advantage.

Taylor D’Antico, who finished with nine points, had a key steal late in the third and passed to freshman Morgan Miller, who scored to push the Cranford lead to 32-24 with just over a minute left.

“We have three freshmen on the team this year, but we all have a strong bond,” said D’Antico, a senior forward. “And we really focused on finishing our season strong.”

Cranford went 8-for-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, including Webb, who was 4-for-4 to help seal the victory.

Cranford finished 14-of-15 from the free throw line for the game. Conversely, Somerville shot just 3-of-14 from the charity stripe, including an 0-for-8 effort in the second half.

Somerville was paced by freshman guard Caroline Barberi, who had 13 points, and senior guard Sahara Sumpter, who added 11 points.

Sumpter and Barberi had 22 and 14 points, respectively, as Somerville knocked off West Morris, No. 20 in The Star-Ledger, 59-46, in the sectional semifinal round on Friday.

“We played hard and we did a good job in getting here,” said Barberi. “They have some very good players though and it was a tough game.”

Webb, who is averaging 15.3 points in four state tournament games, believes a lack of familiarity is helping Cranford advance in the states.

“I think because we haven’t played these teams before, that helps us,” said Webb, who added five assists and two steals against Somerville. “We just try to play consistently and not fall into patterns that we have against teams we’ve faced before.”

Cranford head coach Jackie Huber now owns a record of 54-26 in three seasons at the helm. The 21 victories is the most for Cranford since the 2005-’06 team went 21-8.

“I’m really happy for the girls,” said Huber. “We’ve had some lapses and losses this season but they’ve showed that they can get the job done.”

Somerville 34
Name 2-pt. 3-pt. FT Total
Alexis Appezzato 1 0 0 2
Caroline Barberi 2 3 0 13
Katie Bender 1 0 0 2
Rachel Jones 3 0 0 6
Jasmine Lichtman 0 0 0 0
Caroline Stires 0 0 0 0
Sahara Sumpter 3 1 2 11

Totals: 10 4 2

Cranford 46
Name 2-pt. 3-pt. FT Total
Taylor D'Antico 2 1 2 9
Jenna Goeller 0 0 0 0
Danielle Gross 4 0 5 13
Sara Gugliuci 0 0 0 0
Jessica McCoy 1 0 0 2
Kaitlin McGovern 1 0 1 3
Morgan Miller 3 0 0 6
Jamie Webb 3 0 7 13

Totals: 14 1 15

Cranford (21-7) 13 10 9 14 46
Somerville (19-9) 10 10 6 8 34

Rebounds:

Assists:

Blocks:

Steals:

Sidelinechatter.com

Untitled Document

Freshman Jessica McCoy (right) leads the Cranford Cougars downcourt during Tuesday night's win over Somerville as the Union County school captured the North 2, Group 3 state sectional championship. (Photos by Dominick Delli Paoli. For information on ordering photos, log onto www.paoliphoto.com/blog)

Jamie Webb (15, right) helps solidify Cranford's tight defense vs. Somerville

Somerville players get a hand on the ball as Cranford's Jamie Webb makes her move

Cranford's Danielle Gross (13) finds seam in the Somerville defense on way to hoop

Cranford's defense is back and primed to stop Somerville in Tuesday night's game

Jackie Huber (kneeling) and the entire Cranford coaching sideline are into action

Cranford's state sectional champs are one happy group. (Photo by JR Parachini)

Cranford, winners of four straight, will next take on North 1 champion Pascack Valley Thursday night at 7 at Ramapo in a Group 3 semifinal. Thursday night’s other Group 3 semifinal pits Central Jersey champ Neptune vs. South Jersey champion Point Pleasant Boro at Williamstown at 8.

The winners advance to Sunday’s Group 3 state championship game at the Ritacco Center at Toms River North in Toms River.

Somerville , which came back in the fourth quarter to win at top-seeded West Morris 59-46 in Long Valley Friday night, finished a fine season at 19-9.

Last year Cranford – as the 11th seed - went 3-1 in sectional tournament play, winning three road games in five days before falling to Rumson 50-29 in the final.

This year - and with just one returning starter after six seniors (four of them starters) were lost to graduation - the Cougars won three games in five days again and then won again Tuesday night to go 4-0.

More importantly, Cranford has at least one more game to play, with the Cougars now 32 minutes away from playing for a state championship.

Senior starters Danielle Gross, Jamie Webb and Taylor D’Antico combined for 35 points, with Gross and Webb netting 13 each and D’Antico nine. Sophomore Morgan Miller added six points and freshman Jessica McCoy two, while Kaitlin McGovern came off the bench to score three points and garner two steals in the second quarter. Other reserves Jenna Goeller and Sara Gugliuci also provided a lift when called upon.

It was a true team effort, which is what you need when you want to win a championship.

“We had all of our fans supporting us, which was a great help for our confidence,” said Gross, who also grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots. “It’s our senior year and we really want to be up on that board to remember this year because we played so great together.”

It took some time for the Cougars to achieve any kind of greatness Tuesday night, with three different Somerville players scoring and Cranford committing two turnovers, which prompted a timeout a little more than two minutes in and the Pioneers leading 5-0.

“I thought maybe we came out a little bit nervous,” Cranford third-year head coach Jackie Huber said. “This is our home floor, there are tons of people here watching us, looking and cheering for us, that I think nerves got in the way.

“They composed themselves and had to prove that they wanted it more and they did.”

After D’Antico hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key on Cranford’s sixth shot to finally put the Cougars on the scoreboard exactly three minutes in, sophomore Rachel Jones scored in the lane and then senior Sahara Sumpter added an inside basket to give Somerville a 10-3 lead.

“We all were kind of nervous,” Gross said.

A lefty layup by Webb began to calm Cranford down. Webb followed up that basket by driving the middle of the lane, scoring, and getting fouled. After making the ensuing free throw, Cranford was right back in it at 10-8.

A shot from the left side by D’Antico that was good tied the game for the first time at 10-10. McGovern then made one of two free throws – Cranford made 15-of-16 for the game – and Webb scored on a turnaround shot in the lane to spark the Cougars to a first quarter-ending 10-0 run that gave the home team a 13-10 lead going into the second quarter.

Both teams scored 10 points in the second quarter, with each squad having two leads in the first half in addition to there being two ties. Caroline Barberi began the period with consecutive 3-point field goals that gave Somerville the lead back at 16-13 before Miller’s first basket of the game – off an offensive rebound she grabbed – put Cranford back ahead 17-16.

Still ahead by three at 23-20 as the second half commenced, Cranford quickly found itself behind again after a basket from the left side by Jones and a quick steal and inside hoop by Alexis Appezzato after Cranford was unable to successfully in-bound the ball against Somerville’s full court press.

Now down for what would be the third and final time by the score of 24-23, it was an inside basket by Gross off a pass from Webb that put the Cougars ahead to stay at 25-24. Gross was also fouled in the lane while making the basket and added the free throw for a conventional 3-point play and a 26-24 advantage.

“We talked at halftime and said that we had to calm ourselves down,” Gross said. “We came out and we were determined to win and worked together as a team.”

On Cranford’s following possession, Webb got the ball to Gross again and Gross scored inside once more to up the Cougar lead to 28-24.

“Jamie and I have been playing together since elementary school, so we really play great together,” Gross said.

“We’ve been playing together for awhile so I would expect that she knows I’ll be looking for her under the basket,” Webb said. “I really love how she plays and I love her on the team with me.”

Cranford led by six at 32-26 heading into the fourth quarter. Both teams scored just two points in the period until Miller made a lefty layup with 3:32 remaining to put Cranford out in front 36-28.

An inside basket by Gross gave the Cougars their first double-digit lead at 38-28.

Barberi – who led Somerville with 13 points – connected on her third and final 3-pointer to make it 38-31.

“She was very good and a key player for them,” Huber said. “We changed up a bit and put Taylor on No. 21 (Sumpter) and I think Taylor did a phenomenal job shutting her down. Then Jamie covered No. 12 (Barberi) and she did a pretty good job on her, so it was just a little bit of defensive change.”

After four consecutive Webb free throws – she was a perfect 7-for-7 from the line – Sumpter hit her only 3-pointer to pull the Pioneers to within 42-34 with a minute to go.

However, it was too little, too late. Sumpter finished with 11 points and one block and also had two steals in the third quarter. Although Appezzato scored only two points, she grabbed four rebounds and blocked one shot.

“Last year really helped us with the experience,” Gross said. “We knew what to expect when we came out and that we shouldn’t take it lightly.

“We were very prepared as a team. We knew when we got here that we could win this game.”

D’Antico, who helped lead the girls’ soccer team to its first county championship in nine years in the fall, saw the advantage of playing at home in a sectional final this time.

“We didn’t expect the game to be at home, actually, but when we heard it was it really got us pumped,” D’Antico said.

Cranford took advantage of the good fortune brought upon it by the NJSIAA when Shabazz was moved out of North 2, Group 3 the same year the Cougars were put back in the section.

That meant that Cranford did not have to deal with heavyweights Shabazz and Rumson in its section this year.

Then Somerville took out top-seeded West Morris in its semifinal.

Then Cranford found out at the last minute that it was not going to be playing Somerville at a neutral site, but that it was going to host the Pioneers because it was the higher seed. That was another twist decided upon by the NJSIAA some time ago. The organization decided that the public finals would be played at the higher seeds, but that the parochial finals would still be played at neutral sites.

Of course, none of that mattered to the Cougars. Cranford was just happy to be playing at home.

“We told everyone to come out here and to be excited and ready for a good game and that’s what happened,” said D’Antico, who also came up with three steals.

Being down early didn’t seem to matter to D’Antico and the rest of her teammates.

“We’re a very hard-working team and we’ll never quit, so in order to overcome that seven-point lead they had we were going to come out here stronger and we were never going to give up,” D’Antico said. “It was only the first quarter and there was still the whole rest of the game to go.”

Cranford defeated 14 th-seeded Carteret in the first round and then knocked off sixth-seeded Mendham in the quarterfinals, beating both of those teams at home. The Cougars then had to travel to Glen Gardner to knock off second-seeded Voorhees in the semifinals. Cranford came back from a fourth-quarter deficit to do so.

“I’m really confident with my team,” D’Antico said. “We have a strong bond and really trust each other on the court and off the court.

“We worked hard to get here and winning this game is a great feeling.”

Miller is not only part of the present, but also the future of one of the most successful programs in the area now the last five years. Cranford reached 21 wins for the initial time since the first-time Union County Tournament championship squad of 2005-2006 finished 21-8. That Cougar team lost at Shabazz 48-18 in a North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal.

Miller grabbed six of her eight rebounds in the first half.

“We had to stay composed on offense and keep up the intensity on defense,” Miller said. “I think we picked it up on defense and got a lot of points in transition and then our offense just started to flow from there.”

McCoy was in 8 th grade this time last year when Cranford left Somerset County one win short of a sectional crown.

Her outstanding performance on both offense and defense has been a big reason why the Cougars are still playing. She scored 17 points in her first state tournament game, which was Cranford’s win over Carteret.

“It’s so exciting, we’re all jumping for joy right now,” McCoy said. “I think we played well on defense each game in order to win and we worked together as a team, counting on each other.”

Webb was the lone returning starter this year. She also started on Cranford’s junior varsity team that won its county championship in 2007 when Webb was a freshman.

This victory was even sweeter.

“We wanted to do so well playing at home,” Webb said. “We had to pull together after we were down and were able to take the lead by three.

“Our rebounding got a lot better and we were able to get a lot of steals.

“When we won the semifinal game I didn’t have the chills like I had last year because I didn’t expect us to get that far last year. This year I felt that we were going to do this, especially after what happened in the counties.”

Cranford ’s last loss was its 75-50 setback to eventual repeat champion Roselle Catholic in the Union County Tournament semifinals Feb. 24 at RC.

Although they lost that game to the home team Lions, the Cougars can say that they were only one of three teams to beat RC this year.

Now they can also say that they are sectional champions.

“I knew coming in that all these girls were hard workers and if they want something they’re going to go out and get it and they show that every day in practice,” Huber said.

NOTES: Union County rebounded to go 2-0 Tuesday night after a 0-2 mark Monday when Summit fell at Shabazz in the Central Jersey, Group 2 final and Roselle Catholic was downed at home by Immaculate Heart Academy in a Non-Public, North A semifinal.

Tuesday night’s other Union County winner was New Providence capturing North 2, Group 1 for the second time in three years and for the fifth time overall. The third-seeded Pioneers defeated ninth-seeded University 48-45 at home.

New Providence , which is now 20-4 and has won four straight, will face North 1 champion Cresskill (25-4) in a Group 1 semifinal Thursday at 5 p.m. at Ramapo.

So, both Union County teams still alive will have to beat 25-4 Bergen County teams in Bergen County in the same gym Thursday night in order to advance to state championship games.

New Providence , which captured the Union County Conference’s first Valley Division title after winning the final Mountain Valley Conference-Valley Division crowns, was sparked by a 17-point performance from junior forward Laura Gregory.

Cranford and New Providence have freshmen on the women’s basketball team at Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster, Pa. – those players being Elizabeth Snyder of Cranford and Michelle Montagna of New Providence, who are both 2009 high school graduates.

Union County had three teams reach sectional finals this year, just missed having a fourth in RC and had two champions in Cranford and New Providence. This has been the county’s best showing in state tournament competition in some time.

Huber’s record at the helm of the Cougars is now 54-26 (.675), including 18-11 last year and 15-8 two years ago. Cranford is 7-2 in the state playoffs so far the past three seasons – with four of the wins on the road.

In an article written about Blazejowski being a trailblazer that was published in New Jersey Monthly and dated Feb. 11, 2009 – it can be read on the internet - author Jessica Kitchin reported that, “it was during Blazejowski’s senior year at Cranford that the school first outfitted a girls’ varsity basketball team. That debut squad went 13-0 in the regular season and won six playoff games to make it to the state championship in 1974.

“In those twenty games, the 5-foot-10-inch forward with a killer jump shot scored 638 points – an average of 32 per game. Because the team was so dominant, former coach Sally Morel says, Blazejowski would sit out significant minutes to avoid running up the score too much. ‘If we had said, ‘Stay in and score as much as you want,’ there’s no doubt she would have scored 1,000 points alone.’”

NORTH 2, GROUP 3 TITLE GAME AT MARTIN GYMNASIUM

5-SOMERVILLE (19-9) 10 10 6 8 - 34

3-CRANFORD (21-7, 4 in row) 13 10 9 14 - 46



SOMERVILLE (34): Sahara Sumpter 3-1-2-11, Caroline Barberi 2-3-0-13, Amanda McHenry 1-0-0-2, Alexis Appezzato 1-0-0-2, Rachel Jones 3-0-0-6, Abby Cohn 0-0-0-0, Jasmine Lichtman 0-0-0-0, Katie Bender 0-0-0-0. Totals: 10-4-2-34.

Starters: Sumpter, Jones, Bender, Barberi, Appezzato.

CRANFORD (46): Taylor D’Antico 2-1-2-9, Danielle Gross 4-0-5-13, Jamie Webb 3-0-7-13, Morgan Miller 3-0-0-6, Jessica McCoy 1-0-0-2, Kaitlin McGovern 1-0-1-3, Jenna Goeller 0-0-0-0, Sara Gugliuci 0-0-0-0. Totals: 14-1-15-46.

Starters: Miller, D’Antico, Webb, McCoy, Gross.



FIRST QUARTER:Somerville – Sumpter 1-0-2-4, Jones 2-0-0-4, Barberi 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 4-12. Free throws: 2-4. Cranford – Webb 3-0-1-7, D’Antico 1-1-0-5, McGovern 0-0-1-1. Field goals: 5-18. Free throws: 2-3.

SECOND QUARTER: Somerville – Barberi 1-2-0-8, Sumpter 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 4-10. Free throws: 0-0. Cranford – Gross 1-0-2-4, Miller 1-0-0-2, McGovern 1-0-0-2, Webb 0-0-2-2. Field goals: 3-9. Free throws: 4-4.

THIRD QUARTER: Somerville – Jones 1-0-0-2, Sumpter 1-0-0-2, Appezzato 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 3-7. Free throws: 0-4. Cranford – Gross 2-0-1-5, McCoy 1-0-0-2, Miller 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 4-15. Free throws: 1-1.

FOURTH QUARTER: Somerville – Barberi 0-1-0-3, Sumpter 0-1-0-3, McHenry 1-0-0-2. Field goals: 3-15. Free throws: 0-5. Cranford – D’Antico 1-0-2-4, Gross 1-0-2-4, Webb 0-0-4-4. Field goals: 3-5. Free throws: 8-8.



GAME TOTALS:

Field goals: Somerville 14-for-44, Cranford 15-for-47.

Free throws: Somerville 2-for-13, Cranford 15-for-16.

Somerville missed its last nine free throws, while Cranford made

its last 13. Somerville was 0-for-9 in the second half and Cranford 9-for-9.



NORTH 2, GROUP 3 PLAYOFFS

CRANFORD COUGARS ARE THE CHAMPIONS!



SEEDS: 1-West Morris. 2-Voorhees. 3-Cranford. 4-Millburn.

5-Somerville. 6-Mendham. 7-New Brunswick. 8-Warren Hills.

9-Belleville. 10-Irvington. 11-Colonia. 12-Nutley.

13-Scotch Plains. 14-Carteret. 15-South Plainfield. 16-Iselin Kennedy.



FIRST ROUND:

Monday, March 1

West Morris 69, Iselin Kennedy 29

Warren Hills 59, Belleville 42

Somerville 46, Nutley 34

Millburn 51, Scotch Plains 37

Cranford 59, Carteret 46

Mendham 50, Colonia 36

New Brunswick 46, Irvington 42

Voorhees 64, South Plainfield 28



QUARTERFINALS:

Wednesday, March 3

West Morris 44, Warren Hills 37

Somerville 42, Millburn 29

Cranford 55, Mendham 50

Voorhees 41, New Brunswick 26



SEMIFINALS:

Friday, March 5

Somerville 59, West Morris 46

Cranford 44, Voorhees 40



FINAL:

Tuesday, March 9

Cranford 46, Somerville 34

Cranford wins its first sectional title

since the program’s first year – 1973-1974.