Marlboro trio heads All-District Basketball Team
Elsbree, Higgins, Hein round out First Team
JERRY WOLKOWITZ Howell’s Kristin Hein, shown here shooting over a pair of Colts Neck defenders, earned a spot on this year’s All-District Team because of her solid play throughout the season for the Rebels.
Marlboro was the center of attention in girls’ basketball not only in the Freehold District, but throughout the entire state. Craig Uplinger’s Mustangs had the bull’s eye on their backs from the start of the season as the top-ranked team in the state.
The sophomore-dominated ’Stangs had to deal with the added pressure of high expectations this winter and they held up well. A loaded scheduled that saw them playing New York national powers Christ the King and Our Lady of Lourdes toughened the team up. They were undefeated against New Jersey schools until St. John Vianney of Holmdel avenged its regular-season loss to Marlboro by edging the Mustangs in the Shore Conference Tournament final.
Marlboro’s bid to make the Tournament of Champions was derailed in the Central Jersey Group IV final by a seasoned Trenton team, which went on to win the Tournament of Champions.
The Mustangs’ core group, Chakhia Cole, Sharnee Zoll and Brina Pollack, shined brightly throughout the 25-4 season.
Marlboro’s success overshadowed the fine work of the other teams in the area as the 2001-02 season was one of the finest ever.
John Sciarappa’s veteran Freehold Township Patriots were 19-8 for the campaign and enjoyed a Top 10 ranking in the Shore all season. The Pats, led by the senior trio of Missy Elsbree (who joined the 1,000 career points club), Kelly Higgins and Amanda Frost made noise in the state playoffs like they wanted to. The Pats upset the No. 2-seeded Hillsborough Raiders in the sectional quarterfinal before falling to Trenton in the semis.
Bill Shaughnessy’s Colts Neck Cougars, who were the Group I Central Jersey champions in 2001, have quickly established a winning tradition. In their three seasons of varsity play, Colts Neck has made the playoffs. This year moving up to Group II, the Cougars made it to the quarterfinals where they were upended by the eventual Group II state champion Rumson. The backcourt of Meighan Kelly and Suzanne Murphy sparked the Cougars.
Julie Hoebee’s Howell Rebels made a big push in February and made it to the state playoffs. Kristen Hein was the glue that held the Rebels together.
Freehold Borough did not make the playoffs, but the Colonials did enjoy a .500 season (10-10). The team got better as the season progressed and was able to find a complement to Jen Towers.
With so many outstanding teams and individuals, the News Transcript’s 2002 All-Freehold Regional District Team is one of the best ever. Cole, Zoll and Pollack from Marlboro, Elsbree and Higgins from the Township, and Hein from Howell make up the First Team. On the Second Team are Kelly and Murphy from Colts Neck, Frost from Freehold Township, Towers from the Borough, Vanessa Healy from Howell and Christie Kastner from Marlboro.
The 5-9 Cole continues to impress with her athletic skills and sheer heart. Her quickness and determination allow her to outplay taller and stronger players. Her quick drives to the basket and ability to shoot with either hand, plus her uncanny offensive rebounding, continue to be her forte. She added an outside game to her arsenal this year, and that is unsettling for future opponents.
Along with being one of the top rebounders in the Shore, Cole is an outstanding shot blocker. She had 61 rejections during the year, averaging 2.18 per game. She is also an underrated passer. For the season, she averaged 16.2 points and nine rebounds a game. She will be the next 1,000 point scorer in the District.
Zoll conducts the orchestra that is the Marlboro basketball team. No one runs the floor better than Marlboro, and that is because their multi-talented point guard is in control. As the field general, Zoll has a great feel for the game, always making the right decisions. She spreads the ball around on offense and keys the full-court press on defense (she averaged 4.17 steals a game). A very unselfish player who led the Shore in assists (7.72 per game), Zoll knows when her offense is needed and doesn’t shy away from the big shot.
Pollack has ice water running through her veins, which allows her to continually knock down big shots for the Mustangs. The sophomore brings a shooter’s mentality to the team, which makes Marlboro a more dangerous team. Her shooting range stretches defenses as teams must keep an eye on her. There is more to her game than her shooting. She has a spin move off the dribble that is practically indefensible. She and Zoll work as one of the press. Pollack averaged 14.7 points a game, and like Cole, will surpass 1,000 career points next year. Pollack brings more than offense to the table. She and Zoll sparked the full-court press, and Pollack was one of the top thieves in the Shore, getting 3.14 steals a game.
The steady Elsbree has the distinction of equaling Janine Camisa’s record for the most games by a Patriot, 101. As she has been throughout her four-year run, Elsbree is the player in charge on the floor. She is just as effective executing the half-court offense as she is running the fast break. Her three-point shooting was a huge part of the Patriot offense, and she swished more than anyone in the Shore (62). She averaged 12 points and five assists a game this year. She scored 1,087 points for her career, fifth best in school history, and graduates as the team’s all-time leader in assists (386) and three-pointers (185). She’ll be continuing her career at Georgian Court College in Lakewood.
Higgins, headed for East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., is pure hustle. She plays much bigger than her 5-8 frame and made herself into a fine two-way player for the Pats. She led the team in scoring at 12.7 points a game, helped by the addition of the three-point shot to her résumé. Defensively, she was the point on the Pats’ 1-3-1 zone, and she used her smarts and timing to turn stealing into an art. She averaged 4.0 steals per game this year and had 264 for her career (second best ever at the school). She played in 100 games during her game.
Hein was the catalyst behind Howell’s drive to the post-season. The junior forward was outstanding at all levels of the game. She is a swing player who can play guard or forward proficiently. She averaged 13 points and 3.6 assists a game, both tops on the team and was deadly from the foul line with a remarkable 85 percent accuracy. She also led the team in three-point field goals (28). The three-year starter scored 34 points in a game against Pinelands (second highest in school history). Her spirited play on both ends of the floor had a carry-over effect on the rest of the team.
Murphy and Kelly are players every coach would love to have. They leave it all on the floor. Colts Neck relied on its defense to carry the Cougars into the postseason, and Murphy and Kelly spearhead the tough man-to-man effort. Kelly was among the Shore’s leading stealers (4.1 a game), while Murphy brought a mental toughness to the team. The duo did find time to score with Kelly averaging 11 PPG and Murphy, 10. Both guards are underclassmen, which bodes well for Colts Neck’s future.
Frost was the perfect role player for the Pats. The senior did a little bit of everything. She could score, rebound and defend, whatever it required of her to help the team. She averaged 10 points a game, giving the Pats three players in double-figures. It was that kind of balance that led to the 19-8 season. The senior also averaged 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 2 assists a game.
The Elsbree-Higgins-Frost era produced A North Division and Kuhnert Holiday Tournament championships during its run, and the Pats consistently ranked in the Top 10 of the Shore.
Towers, whose goal-keeping led the Colonials to a Central Jersey championship and to the Group II final, was Freehold Borough’s force in the paint. The 6-2 sophomore followed up a double-double freshman season (11 PPG and 10 RPG) with another double-double year, averaging 11.8 points and 12.1 rebounds a game. Her 3.4 blocks and 3.8 steals a game are testimony to her defensive prowess. She did all this despite seeing defenses collapsing around her in every game. Freehold is on the move, and Towers is the driving force.
Healy, who will be appearing in the Shore Coaches All-Star game with Elsbree, Higgins and Frost, is a prolific rebounder. She averaged 14 rebounds a game this year, second best in the Shore. According to Hoebee, Healy has the mind-set of a rebounder and goes after every carom. She won’t be outworked by anyone. As Healy became better at scoring on put backs and was averaging 10 points a game, Howell began to take off, eventually landing in the state playoffs.
Kastner, another member of Marl-boro’s vaunted sophomores, battled through back spasms this winter, but played her best in the postseason. Her three-point shooting helped beat Red Bank Catholic in the SCT semi-finals and her run of 13-straight points in the second period against Trenton helped keep Marlboro in that game. She averaged just under seven points and four rebounds a game.
Those earning honorable mention for 2002 are: Jackie Meder of Freehold Borough; Lisa Lapinski of Freehold Township; Lyndsay Hehner of Howell; Sarah Kozlowski of Manalapan; and Jenna Gatto and Sara Tanen of Marlboro.