JERRY WOLKOWITZ St. John Vianney’s Jaime Komar looks to pass around Marlboro’s Jenna Messiello during the Shore Conference Tournament championship game at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft on Friday.
The Marlboro-St. John Vianney girls’ basketball matchup has become such a great rivalry this year that it begs for a third round.
"I think it’s the best game in the state," said Marlboro head coach Craig Uplinger. "I told them I’m rooting for them in the states."
If a third round is to be played out between the state’s two best teams, it will have to come at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions in late March. But a lot of basketball is to be played between now and then, and for now St. John Vianney reigns supreme after beating Marlboro, 39-36, in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game, held Friday night at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft. It was the Lancers’ 10th title in the last 14 years but their first since 1999.
Just like round one, which went to Marlboro, 45-43, this struggle went down to the final play of the game.
JERRY WOLKOWITZ Marlboro’s Brina Pollack fires a jumper during the SCT final against Holmdel’s St. John Vianney at Brookdale on Friday.
This time around, the Lancers bested the Mustangs because Cheri Wittlieb took SJV on her shoulders. Freshman point guard Shantel Brown proved that practice does make perfect when it comes to freethrow shooting, and the team’s marquee defense held fast.
Brown made four huge free throws in the last 1:24 of the game that allowed the Lancers to keep holding the Mustangs off, and it was Wittlieb who all but sealed it with 25 seconds remaining with two free throws that pushed the lead from 37-36 to the final 39-36 margin.
"This means so much to me personally as a senior," said Wittlieb, who was a freshman when the Lancers last won the SCT. "Things were getting really crazy at the end, but we kept our poise, and so did Marlboro. Our underclassmen stepped up big time. Shantel is a freshman who plays like a senior.
"Our defense pulled us through tonight," she added. "We wanted to stop (Chakhia) Cole, (Brina) Pollack and (Sharnee) Zoll, and we did a good job."
Head coach Nick Russo agreed and praised the efforts of Jaime Komar, whose assignment was Zoll; Alison Regler, who kept Pollack in her sights; and MaryBeth Kuenne, who was the one constant in SJV’s double and triple-teaming of Cole in the box.
"Defense wins games," he said.
Depth does, too, and Russo’s Lancers took full advantage of their edge, running players in and out of the lineup to get the best matchups.
"I had a talk with the team before the game and told them that we were going to be playing eight or nine kids, and that even if you played one or two minutes, the fact that we can play eight or nine was going to be the difference," he said.
Cole, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, started fast with a pair of baskets inside that helped the Mustangs, the top seed, take a 6-0 lead.
At first, SJV’s offense was nonexistent against Marlboro’s often-overlooked defense. It took the Lancers 5:29 to score their first points, fittingly, a three-point play by a driving Wittlieb. Fortunately, because of their defense, the Lancers were still within sight of the Mustangs.
Wittlieb’s play sparked a 12-0 run that would carry over into the second period and give SJV a 12-6 cushion. Cole and Jenna Gatto would bring Marlboro back, and the Mustangs took a 19-18 lead late in the period. A free throw from MaryBeth Kuenne after time had expired tied the game.
After 16 minutes of play, the Lancers were in better position than their first game with Marlboro, where they trailed throughout until a fourth-quarter rally brought them to within two. Wittlieb was also far more aggressive offensively. She was posting up, driving to the basket and hitting from three-point land.
The relentless Mustangs would take control in the third quarter, twice building up a six-point lead, the second on a three-point play by Cole after she made a steal.
While taking a 29-23 lead in that third quarter, Marlboro’s aggressive defense was taking its toll on the Mustangs as Gatto picked up her fourth foul and Pollack, her third.
"We wanted to get to their bench," said Wittlieb. "They are very aggressive on defense, and we wanted to take it to them."
The Lancers used a put-back by Kate Brown and another Wittlieb hoop to close within 29-27 entering the fourth quarter.
When the Lancers fell behind in the third quarter, there was no panic.
"We’ve been in that situation before," Russo said. "We’re a veteran team, and they know it’s a long game."
In the opening seconds of the final period, Gatto fouled out. With Christie Kastner suffering back spasms and out of the game, the Lancers were accomplishing their mission of getting to the Marlboro bench.
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter as the Lancers assumed control on a Brown basket that put SJV up 30-29. A Wittlieb basket and free throw from Kuenne extended the lead to 33-29 with 4:02 remaining.
Remarkably, the explosive Marlboro offense was scoreless for half the period.
"We didn’t get as many good looks as we would have liked to," said Uplinger. "Give St. John credit. They double- and triple-teamed Chakhia, and we couldn’t hit our outside shots. There’s not much we could do except to score in transition, and we couldn’t do it against them."
Pollack scored on a banker in the lane that pulled Marlboro within 33-31. Missed free throws prevented SJV from increasing the lead until the freshman Brown stepped to the line with 1:24 remaining and her team still clinging to its 33-31 lead.
"Coach Russo told me that teams would foul me a lot," said Brown. "I’ve worked hard on my foul shooting."
Russo’s advice paid off when Brown coolly knocked down two from the charity stripe, and the lead was back at four, 35-31.
Cole responded with a put-back, and the lead was just two again. Brown was fouled with 56 seconds remaining, and she again hit both free throws to put the lead back at four, 37-33. Marlboro would not go away. Pollack, who had quit most of the evening because of the defense of Regler, banked home a three-pointer from the side of the key. Suddenly it was 37-36 with 44 seconds remaining.
Marlboro would get the ball back down one with a chance to win it. Zoll took it to the basket hard, but her shot rolled off the rim. In a crowd, Wittlieb was there to secure the rebound.
She was fouled (sending Pollack to the bench with five) and hit both free throws, her 17th and 18th points on the night, with 25 seconds remaining, providing the winning points.
"Cheri has been tremendous in both her play and her leadership," said Russo.
Uplinger seconded that.
"I think Cheri Wittlieb is the best player in the Shore," he said. "She’s hit some very big shots and has been on a roll."
Brown would make two big steals on inbounds plays in the final 13 seconds to seal the Lancers’ win. A big play in the waning seconds was a foul by Komar. With Zoll racing upcourt in the final frantic seconds, knowing the Lancers had a foul to give, Komar fouled her, negating any chance that the Mustangs might get a three-pointer off in transition. Instead, they had to inbounds from the sideline, and Brown’s steal ended it to the delight of the Lancers.
Wittlieb’s 18 points led all scorers for the 22-3 Lancers, and Brown netted 11. For the Mustangs, also 22-3 for the season, the SCT final was another step forward on their learning curve. Cole was the only player in double figures with 15. Pollack was held to six and Zoll had seven.
"We’ll learn from this, but right now it hurts," said Zoll. "They played great defense. They played off me a lot and covered the blocks well."