Cranford girls' basketball reaches its second straight sectional title contest, this time in North 2, Group 3; Third-seeded Cougars will host fifth-seeded Somerville Tuesday
By JR Parachini
Union County Sports Editor
Last year the Cranford girls' basketball team won three road games in five days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the first week of the state tournament to get to a sectional final the Cougars knew they really had no chance of winning.
It's not easy to win three state tournament games in five days, but the Cougars have now accomplished the feat two years in a row.
Third-seeded Cranford came back in the second half to win at second-seeded Voorhees 44-40 Friday in a North 2, Group 3 semifinal. Cranford senior guard Jamie Webb paced all scorers with 16 points, with the Cougars winning the second half 33-26 after being down 14-11 at the half. Cranford outscored Voorhees 21-16 in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Morgan Miller added nine points for the Cougars, who won their third straight to improve to 20-7. Senior Taylor D'Antico added eight points - she made two 3-pointers - senior Danielle Gross netted six and freshman Jessica McCoy two.
Voorhees, which won at Cranford 45-31 in the 2008 5-at-4 North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal, finished its season at 21-5.
The Cougars will next host fifth-seeded Somerville in Tuesday's championship game. Somerville knocked off top-seeded West Morris 59-46 in Long Valley Friday, winning the third quarter 20-13 and the fourth 17-5 after trailing 28-22 at the half. Saraha Sumpter scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and made 12-of-14 free throws in the period, finishing with 16 total. Caroline Baberi added 14 points for the Somerset County school, which improved to 19-8. West Morris ended at 23-4.
For the public schools, the state decided to allow the highest seed to host the sectional finals this year instead of them being played at neutral sites, which is still the case for the parochials.
"We didn't know until it was announced after we won that Somerville defeated West Morris and that the game would be at our gym," Cranford third-year head coach Jackie Huber said.
After winning road games on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Central Jersey, Group 2 last year, the Cougars had to go to Bridgewater-Raritan on the following Tuesday night to face eight-time defending champion Rumson-Fair Haven. The Bulldogs won 50-29 to win the section for the ninth straight year.
This time Cranford has a much more winnable game against Somerville and will be playing it at home.
"We talked in the beginning of the state tournament that the move to this section was more in our favor because there wasn't a Shabazz or a Rumson-Fair Haven at the end," Huber said.
For years Cranford would have a good regular season, excel in the Union County Tournament and then realize it had no chance of winning North 2, Group 3 because of state power Shabazz being in the section.
The the Cougars moved to Central Jersey, Group 2 last year and had to deal with perennial favorite Rumson.
It just so happened that not only did Cranford move back to North 2, Group 3 this year, but that Shabazz moved over to Central Jersey, Group 2 - the NJSIAA moves schools based on enrollment figures.
Now Cranford just found out that it will not only play a team it feels it can compete with - Somerville is, obviously, a very cabable team, especially after knocking off state-ranked West Morris - but will play that opponent at home.
"We're excited and I'm excited especially for these girls," Huber said. "Many thought this would be a rebuilding year for us because we lost six seniors, including four senior starters."
The four senior starters who helped Cranford go 18-11 last year included Elizaberth Snyder, Mary Kate Minitelli, Angela Renna and Hanna McHugh.
"We have proved to be a strong team despite losing all of those seniors," Huber said. "People doubted us in the beginning of the season, but we felt we could play like the way we have. We didn't look at the season like a rebuilding year at all.
"We would have liked to have played better in the county (tournament), but Roselle Catholic is a good team and they beat us. The states are a little different because you don't know who you are going to play."
NOTES: Cranford is now 6-2 in state tournament play under Huber. Her record now is 53-26 (.671), including a 15-8 finish two years ago and an 18-11 mark last year.
Here's a closer look at Cranford's state tournament resume the past three seasons:
2009-2010 SEASON: 3rd seed in North 2, Group 3 (20-7 so far)
First round: Cranford 59, Carteret 46 - at Cranford
Quarterfinals: Cranford 55, Mendham 50 - at Cranford
Semifinals: Cranford 44, Voorhees 40 - at Voorhees
Final: 5-Somerville at 3-Cranford, Tuesday, March 9, TBA
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
Union County Sports Editor
Last year the Cranford girls' basketball team won three road games in five days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the first week of the state tournament to get to a sectional final the Cougars knew they really had no chance of winning.
It's not easy to win three state tournament games in five days, but the Cougars have now accomplished the feat two years in a row.
Third-seeded Cranford came back in the second half to win at second-seeded Voorhees 44-40 Friday in a North 2, Group 3 semifinal. Cranford senior guard Jamie Webb paced all scorers with 16 points, with the Cougars winning the second half 33-26 after being down 14-11 at the half. Cranford outscored Voorhees 21-16 in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Morgan Miller added nine points for the Cougars, who won their third straight to improve to 20-7. Senior Taylor D'Antico added eight points - she made two 3-pointers - senior Danielle Gross netted six and freshman Jessica McCoy two.
Voorhees, which won at Cranford 45-31 in the 2008 5-at-4 North 2, Group 3 quarterfinal, finished its season at 21-5.
The Cougars will next host fifth-seeded Somerville in Tuesday's championship game. Somerville knocked off top-seeded West Morris 59-46 in Long Valley Friday, winning the third quarter 20-13 and the fourth 17-5 after trailing 28-22 at the half. Saraha Sumpter scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and made 12-of-14 free throws in the period, finishing with 16 total. Caroline Baberi added 14 points for the Somerset County school, which improved to 19-8. West Morris ended at 23-4.
For the public schools, the state decided to allow the highest seed to host the sectional finals this year instead of them being played at neutral sites, which is still the case for the parochials.
"We didn't know until it was announced after we won that Somerville defeated West Morris and that the game would be at our gym," Cranford third-year head coach Jackie Huber said.
After winning road games on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Central Jersey, Group 2 last year, the Cougars had to go to Bridgewater-Raritan on the following Tuesday night to face eight-time defending champion Rumson-Fair Haven. The Bulldogs won 50-29 to win the section for the ninth straight year.
This time Cranford has a much more winnable game against Somerville and will be playing it at home.
"We talked in the beginning of the state tournament that the move to this section was more in our favor because there wasn't a Shabazz or a Rumson-Fair Haven at the end," Huber said.
For years Cranford would have a good regular season, excel in the Union County Tournament and then realize it had no chance of winning North 2, Group 3 because of state power Shabazz being in the section.
The the Cougars moved to Central Jersey, Group 2 last year and had to deal with perennial favorite Rumson.
It just so happened that not only did Cranford move back to North 2, Group 3 this year, but that Shabazz moved over to Central Jersey, Group 2 - the NJSIAA moves schools based on enrollment figures.
Now Cranford just found out that it will not only play a team it feels it can compete with - Somerville is, obviously, a very cabable team, especially after knocking off state-ranked West Morris - but will play that opponent at home.
"We're excited and I'm excited especially for these girls," Huber said. "Many thought this would be a rebuilding year for us because we lost six seniors, including four senior starters."
The four senior starters who helped Cranford go 18-11 last year included Elizaberth Snyder, Mary Kate Minitelli, Angela Renna and Hanna McHugh.
"We have proved to be a strong team despite losing all of those seniors," Huber said. "People doubted us in the beginning of the season, but we felt we could play like the way we have. We didn't look at the season like a rebuilding year at all.
"We would have liked to have played better in the county (tournament), but Roselle Catholic is a good team and they beat us. The states are a little different because you don't know who you are going to play."
NOTES: Cranford is now 6-2 in state tournament play under Huber. Her record now is 53-26 (.671), including a 15-8 finish two years ago and an 18-11 mark last year.
Here's a closer look at Cranford's state tournament resume the past three seasons:
2009-2010 SEASON: 3rd seed in North 2, Group 3 (20-7 so far)
First round: Cranford 59, Carteret 46 - at Cranford
Quarterfinals: Cranford 55, Mendham 50 - at Cranford
Semifinals: Cranford 44, Voorhees 40 - at Voorhees
Final: 5-Somerville at 3-Cranford, Tuesday, March 9, TBA
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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