Cranford comes back in the second half to down Johnson for JV UCT girls' basketball championship

By JR Parachini

Union County

Sports Editor

ROSELLE - After splitting regular season games with Johnson – winning the first matchup at home and then losing the second contest on the road – the Cranford junior varsity girls’
basketball team saved its best performance for its last.

Overcoming a four-point halftime deficit, the top-seeded Cougars rallied in the second half to top the second-seeded Crusaders 45-37 in Sunday afternoon’s JV Union County
Tournament championship game at Roselle Catholic.

Cranford, which last won the crown in 2007 under present varsity head coach Jackie Huber, finished its season with a nine-game winning streak and a 20-1 record.

Johnson concluded a fine campaign with a record of 16-5.

After an inside basket by Victoria Vetter off a nice pass from Jackie Monteagudo, Cranford took a 35-29 lead with 4:01 to go, prompting Johnson to call a
full timeout.

The Cougars then closed the game on a 10-8 run.

Two free throws by Victoria Vetter gave Cranford a 31-29 lead with 5:40 left.

Two free throws by Johnson’s Julianne Juzefyk tied the game at 29-29 with 6:50 to go.

Cranford outscored Johnson 13-7 in the third quarter, scoring the last three points of the period to take a 29-27 lead going into the fourth quarter.

A free throw by Danielle Jakubik tied the game and then Kristen VanBenschoten’s second basket of the quarter gave Cranford the lead.

Jakubik’s second basket of the quarter with 1:40 left gave Cranford a 26-25 lead. Her first basket of the period – and of the game – was a 3-pointer.

A layup by Jess Remo with 2:30 left in the third quarter gave Johnson a 25-24 lead.

A basket by VanBenschoten, her first, gave Cranford a 24-23 lead with 3:20 left in the third quarter.

In the first half, Cranford scored five straight points to cut its deficit to 18-16. Rachel Romano hit a 3-pointer and the Aaryn Wichelns a 2-point field goal. Both made their first baskets of the game.

Cat Reichers then made two free throws with six seconds left to give Johnson a 20-16 lead at intermission.

Reichers led all scorers at the half with 10 points, including two 3s.

Jackie Monteagudo paced Cranford with six first-half points, while teammate Victoria Vetter had five.

Scoring at the half: Johnson– Cat Reichers 10, Julianne Juzefyk 4, Jess Remo 4, Erin Matheson 2. Cranford – Jackie Monteagudo
6, Victoria Vetter 5, Rachel Romano 3, Aaryn Wichelns 2.

NOTES BEFORE THE GAME:

The teams split regular season games, with Cranford winning 44-37 at home on Dec. 22 and Johnson winning 53-42 at home on Jan. 29. Cranford has won eight in a
row since that loss, its only one of the regular season.

Cranford defeated Union 40-25 in the quarterfinals and Union Catholic 43-35 in the semifinals.

Johnson defeated Westfield 47-31 in the semifinals after beating Summit 37-9 in the quarterfinals.

NOTES AFTER THE GAME:First-year Cranford head coach Stacie Boff is the wife of
third-year Roselle Catholic boys’ varsity head coach Dave Boff, who was
previously the girls’ varsity head coach at Governor Livingston in Berkeley Heights.

After his first two teams finished under .500, Dave Boff has guided the Lions to a winning season and also a championship as RC captured the Valley Division title of the Union County
Conference.

Like father, like son: Boff’s father Fred Boff coached the Linden JV boys’ basketball team to a county
championship in the early 1970s.

Roselle Catholic won at St. Mary’s 56-48 Sunday in Elizabeth to finish 11-1 in Valley Division play. The Lions will enter the Non-Public, North A playoffs with a 15-7 record and
are 14-3 since a 1-4 start.

Roselle Catholic will host Don Bosco Prep of Ramsey Wednesday night in a first round game.

JV UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT TITLE GAME AT RC

2-JOHNSON (16-5) 10 10 7 10 - 37

1-CRANFORD (20-1) 7 9 13 16 - 45

2-JOHNSON CRUSADERS (16-5):

4-Julianne Juzefyk, junior, 2-0-4-8

22-Jess Remo, sophomore, 3-0-3-9

23-Cat Reichers, junior, 2-2-3-13

32-Sarah Panetta, sophomore, 0-0-0-0

20-Erin Matheson, junior, 1-0-0-2

25-Patty Bailey, freshman, 1-0-1-3

31-Katie Sanchez, freshman, 0-0-0-0