Marlboro girls win at Run for the Roses By tim morris W
Led by tournament Most Valuable Player Brina Pollack, the Marlboro girls avenged their loss to Colts Neck in the Monmouth County Elementary School Basketball League championship game by upsetting the Colts Neck five in the final held at St. Rose High School in Belmar, 39-29. It was the school’s first ever Run for the Roses championship.
Defense, the trademark of Marlboro all year, was at its best, holding the outstanding Colts Neck team in check. Two weeks before the Run for the Roses, Colts Neck had beaten Marlboro for the county league title, 46-23.
Coach Dawn Williams said that Marlboro didn’t make any defensive adjustments in the rematch. They simply played their zone defense more tightly.
"Colts Neck has excellent three-point shooters and in our previous games they hurt us with them," she said. "We stayed with our 2-1-2 zone, but this time the girls played it very tightly. Colts Neck wasn’t able to get those open three pointers. They didn’t get as many shots off as before.
"It was also important that we stayed out of foul trouble," added Williams.
Pollack, who averaged 20 points a game throughout the tournament, hit for a game-high 19 against Colts Neck.
Forward Kristy Kastner joined point guard Pollack on the All-Tournament Team.
Together Pollack and Kastner gave Marlboro a devastating combo that teams had trouble matching up with. Pollack is a smart, slick, ball-handling point guard who can do it all. She averaged 17.3 points per game for Marlboro during the season to lead the team, but it was her passing that hurt teams the most. She had the ability to read any defense and find the open player.
Kastner complements her teammate well. She is terrific rebounder and provides inside scoring that made teams play the entire court. She was second on the team in scoring at with an average of nine points.
Pollack and Kastner certainly impressed Williams.
"They are extraordinary players," she said. "They both read the court better than any eighth-grade players I’ve seen."
Center Chloe Sommers came up big in the Run for the Roses for Marlboro. She forced teams to defend her in the paint, creating space on the outside for Pollack.
Forward Brooke Peltz and guard Ceci Sibony rounded out Marlboro’s starting five.
Sibony was very crucial to Marlboro’s defensive success.
"Ceci is a defensive specialist," Williams pointed out. "She can guard forwards and guards equally well."
Ilysse Rosenblatt was the team’s all-important sixth man, providing a spark off the bench.
Completing the Marlboro team were: Jordyn Freede, Lauren Becker, Ginny Parsowith, Melissa Borodunovich, Samantha Becker, Laurie Goldberg and Elina Yankovich.
Williams noted that the overall strength of her Marlboro team was their ability to interchange positions.
"Every player is very versatile; they can play either guard or forward and they know how to play each position," she said.
Marlboro’s versatility was obvious on both offense and defense.
"Our defense was excellent all year," said Williams. "The girls didn’t let down at any time.
The Run for the Roses crown capped a 22-3 season. The only other team to beat Marlboro this year was Holmdel, which beat the girls 32-27 in the Red Bank Catholic Caseys Tournament. Marlboro finished in third place.