Cranford girls' basketball reaches North 2, Group 3 semifinals; Third-seeded Cougars will next play at second-seeded Voorhees Friday (March 5) night at 7 - Cranford Navigator
For the second straight season, the Cranford girls' basketball team will be playing three games in five days in state tournament competition.
The third-seeded Cougars improved to 19-7 and won their second straight after defeating sixth-seeded Mendham 55-50 Wednesday in a North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal at Martin Gymnasium.
Cranford will next visit second-seeded Voorhees Friday (March 5) night at 7 in a semifinal. Friday's other semifinal pits fifth-seeded Somerville at top-seeded West Morris at 7 p.m.
Last year in Central Jersey, Group 2 play, 11th-seeded Cranford defeated sixth-seeded Governor Livingston 44-41 in the first round, third-seeded Delaware Valley 57-44 in the quarterfinals and then 10th-seeded Raritan 55-49 in the semifinals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to advance to the following Tuesday's sectional final. There, the Cougars were downed by Rumson-Fair Haven 50-29 at Bridgewater-Raritan.
That turned out to be the ninth consecutive season that Rumson won the section and it was their 11th straight sectional title overall.
Rumson, the eighth seed, plays at top-seeded Shabazz today in Newark in a Central Jersey, Group 2 quarterfinal.
Cranford outscored Mendham 16-7 in the first quarter. Both teams scored 15 points in the fourth.
In Monday's 59-46 win over 14th-seeded Carteret, freshman forward Jessica McCoy poured in 17 points in her first state tournament contest. Senior guard Jamie Webb matched McCoy for team-high honors with 17. Sophomore Morgan Miller added eight points, while seniors Taylor D'Antico and Danielle Gross scored seven each and Jenna Goeller three from a 3-point basket she made.
The Cougars are 4-1 in their last five games, with the only defeat coming at eventual repeat Union County Tournament champion Roselle Catholic 75-50 in last Tuesday's semifinals.
Cranford went 18-11 last year, including a 3-1 state playoff mark, in head coach Jackie Huber's second season at the helm. Huber, who guided the Cranford junior varsity squad to the UCT semifinals in 2006 and to the championship in 2007, led the Cougars to a 15-8 record her first year in 2008, including a North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal loss at home to Voorhees 45-31 in the 5-at-4 game. Webb, as a sophomore one year after helping lead the JV team to the 2007 UCT title as a freshman, scored five points in that contest.
Including 15-8 two years ago, 18-11 last year and 19-7 so far this year, Huber's record at the moment is 52-26 (.667). Cranford went 0-1 in the states two years ago, 3-1 last year and 2-0 so far this year for a 5-2 mark in sectional play during that span so far.
Here's a closer look:
2009-2010 SEASON: 3rd seed in North 2, Group 3 (19-7 so far)
First round: Cranford 59, Carteret 46 - at Cranford
Quarterfinals: Cranford 55, Mendham 50 - at Cranford
Semifinals: 3-Cranford at 2-Voorhees - Friday, March 5, 7 p.m.
2008-2009 SEASON: 11th seed in Central Jersey, Group 2 (finished 18-11)
First round: Cranford 44, Governor Livingston 41 - at GL
Quarterfinals: Cranford 57, Delaware Valley 44 - at DV
Semifinals: Cranford 55, Raritan 49 - at Raritan
Final: Rumson-Fair Haven 50, Cranford 29 - at Bridgewater-Raritan
2007-2008 SEASON: 4th seed in North 2, Group 3 (finished 15-8)
Quarterfinal: Voorhees 45, Cranford 31 - at Cranford
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