Girls basketball
By: Jim Green
One 12-minute quarter was all it took to erase Lawrence High School girls basketball coach Gregg Zenerovitz’s doubts about his team’s commitment to defense.
The Cardinals rebounded from a lackluster defensive effort against Colonial Valley Conference rival Ewing with a sparkling 59-38 win Monday over McCorristin. Lawrence blanked the Iron Mikes 16-0 in the third quarter, expanding a five-point halftime lead to a blowout by the final period.
The Cardinals, now 4-2, have won three straight games since falling to Burlington City in the first round of the Perth Amboy Tournament on Dec. 26.
"We (the Cardinals) played our best game of the year," Zenerovitz said of the win over McCorristin. "They (the Iron Mikes) are a pretty decent team.
"We played great defense in the third quarter. I was pleased that we came back strong."
Although Lawrence defeated Ewing 75-62 Friday, Zenerovitz was disturbed his team surrendered such a high point-total. The Blue Devils entered the contest having scored 107 total points in their first four games, with a high of 40 coming against 1-3 Camden.
Zenerovitz felt the Cardinals, despite scoring a season-high 75 points, were unprepared for the winless Blue Devils.
"There’s no excuse for giving up 63 points in a basketball game," he said. "For whatever the reason was, we (the Cardinals) did not match their intensity.
"They (the Blue Devils) came out hungry. Fortunately for us, we made a few more shots than they did. We scored some points, which was nice."
Led by senior point guard Tashema Whittaker and junior forward Theresa Gregory, the Cardinals have scored 202 points since being held to a season-low 39 against Burlington City. Whittaker, who netted 10 points against Ewing and 17 versus McCorristin, has 905 career points and is averaging 15.8 points per game this season.
Gregory, who paced the Cardinals with 20 points against both Ewing and McCorristin, is the team’s leading scorer at 18 points a game. Senior forward Tiffany Lewis, who netted 18 points against Ewing, has provided solid support by averaging a shade under 10 points a contest.
"Whittaker and Gregory might be scoring the majority of the points, but to get those points we’ve been getting some nice assists from the other players," Zenerovitz said. "We’re pretty unselfish as a team."
The team was whole for the first time this season against McCorristin, perhaps accounting for Lawrence’s improved defensive effort. Sophomore guard Brittany Hendricks (illness) and senior guard Christine Rivera, both absent from the win over Ewing, returned to provide the Cardinals with on-court intensity against McCorristin.
"Christine Rivera made a difference (against McCorristin)," Zenerovitz said. "One of the main reasons for that (the Cardinals’ inconsistent defense) is we haven’t had the team together all season. Against Ewing, there were some girls who saw some more time than they were used to."
The shorthanded Cardinals built a 57-37 lead over Ewing by the end of the third quarter, allowing Zenerovitz to rest some of his regulars in the final period. The Blue Devils outscored Lawrence 25-18 in the fourth.
"I thought our players were sloppy (against Ewing)," Zenerovitz said. "We forced the ball too much. They (the Blue Devils) out-hustled us. We may have won, but I was impressed with the hustle of Ewing."
While the supporting players continue to settle into their respective roles under Zenerovitz, who is in his first year as varsity coach, Whittaker and Gregory remain constants at both ends of the floor.
"Theresa Gregory’s been a force down low," Zenerovitz said. "And Whittaker’s doing a good job with the guards."
Zenerovitz hopes that, as the conference schedule heats up, his team will continue to bring the defensive intensity that produced a shutout in the third quarter against McCorristin. Next up for the Cardinals is a trip to Hightstown at 7 p.m. Friday.
Although the Rams have dropped four in a row, Zenerovitz is leery of the match-up.
"It’s always tough over there (at Hightstown)," he said. "That’ll be another good game. Hopefully, we’ll build off how we played (against McCorristin)."

