By Mike White
Staff Writer
CHRIS KELLY Howell’s Katie Bower looks to shoot over a pair of Middletown defenders during the Mid Monmouth Basketball League’s Girls Senior Division final at Brookdale Community College in Middletown. For story, see page 33.
NEPTUNE — The Lakewood High School girls’ basketball team jumped out to a 19-point lead after one quarter and never looked back en route to a 76-27 pasting of Neptune last Saturday in a Shore Conference B South game.
The Lady Piners used a stingy defense to dart out to a 20-1 cushion after eight minutes as they improved to 14-2 overall.
"We played very solid defense," Lakewood coach Dennis Adams said. "We had a great first quarter, and that really set the tone for the rest of the game. We rebounded well and limited them to just one shot per possession. When you can do that effectively, you’re going to win a few ball games. We’ve done a pretty good job of playing defense all season."
Lakea Peace paced Lakewood with a game-high 19 points. Nicole Huderwitz had 14 points and Shakeema Martin added 12. Melissa Tanner contributed nine points as Lakewood rolled to what appeared to be an insurmountable 35-13 halftime advantage.
Just 24 hours earlier, Lakewood found itself locked in a battle with a scrappy Lacey Township squad. Clutch free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter proved the difference as the Piners hung on for a 50-43 win.
"That game was a lot closer than we would have preferred," Adams said. "But we came through in a big spot. We have been talking about knocking down free throws at the end of the game. That was an area that we struggled in last year. This season, we have been much better, making free throws in the closing minutes."
Linette Johnson drained four of five free throws in the fourth quarter to nail down the win. Johnson, who connected on three three-pointers, finished with a game-high 18 points.
"It was a major performance by her in a big spot," Adams said. "She has been shooting the ball very well from the perimeter, but it was the key free throws that made the difference."
Martin scored 10 of her 15 points in the third quarter. The senior forward proved dominant on the boards, grabbing a game-high 16. Martin is averaging nearly 13 rebounds per game.
"She’s been rebounding like this for two seasons now," Adams said. "She gets after the ball. I’ve always said she is one of the top rebounders in the league."
Lakewood squares off against Monsignor Donovan, Toms River, Friday night in what is billed as a key B South battle. Earlier in the year, Lakewood posted a 51-46 overtime victory over them at home.
Adams knows that playing on the road can be different story.
"We know that this is a very key game for us," Adams said. "They are going to be getting after us right away. There is probably going to be a lot of fan support for them, so chances are it is going to be very noisy. We’re going to need to keep our composure and play with poise. Taking care of the ball is key."
Stopping Mon Don’s Alexis Tejara is paramount if the Piners are to pull off the road victory, Adams said.
"She is a very good offensive player," Adams said. "We need to mark up on her and prevent her from taking the game over. We’ll work on different strategies during the week to try and contain her."
With the close of the regular season near, Adams can’t help but look ahead to the Shore Conference Tournament, scheduled to begin Feb. 19.
"I’ve got one eye on that and the other eye concentrating on the games we have left to play," he said. "We want to keep winning so we can get a good seed."
Jackson wins 10th game of season
Senior forward Danielle Gressey scored a team-high 17 points as the Lady Jags knocked off host Brick 46-41 last Friday night in a Shore Conference A South battle.
With the victory, Jackson improves to 10-5 overall and 5-4 in the league.
Senior Rebecca McGuire added 14 points, including three three-pointers.
Freshman center Danielle Mickawicz had six points.