Cougar girls suffer rare loss in close game

Minck, MHS basketball look to rebound tonight

By: Justin Feil
   There wasn’t anything particularly unusual in the Montgomery High girls’ basketball team’s slow start against Belvidere on Tuesday. The Cougars had done it before so many times that head coach Paul Popadiuk has lost track.
   "It’s one thing getting in some close ones," he said. "But let’s not have to put ourselves in the position to win by one every night. It’s OK to win by a lot."
   It just hasn’t happened often in an otherwise successful start, and eventually that practice can catch up with a team. It did Tuesday for Montgomery in a 43-37 loss.
   After falling behind Belvidere, 11-6, in the first quarter, MHS picked up the pace for a 17-8 second-quarter advantage. But playing their fourth game in six days caught up with the Cougars in the third and fourth-quarters.
   The Cougars had won so many times this season when it looked like they shouldn’t that it’s become a sort of calling card. They’ve found ways to win. And it was almost surprising to them that they couldn’t somehow pull this out.
   "They don’t like to lose," said Popadiuk, whose team slipped to 12-5. "They’re just as mad or disappointed as I am after losses. We haven’t had that here since 1999. These girls really, really care. They’ll learn and try to get better."
   Popadiuk admitted that it’s hard to find a lesson in Tuesday’s loss. Even the MHS players had expected to somehow find a way to pull it out, even against an evenly matched Belvidere squad. In the teams’ first meeting, MHS won in overtime.
   "We do like coming back," said Jessica Minck, who had five points in the loss. "Normally we are good in close games. Normally we come through in pressure situations. I guess it shows you can’t win them all.
   "We definitely had a few opportunities," she added. "I know I missed a lot of shots. We missed some layups and foul shots. With a little rest we’ll be ready for Friday. Tonight, I couldn’t do anything right. We learned a lot. It’s the little things that make a difference. We need to be consistent as a team."
   Just one night earlier, Minck had five points in the fourth quarter alone on her way to a 15-point performance as the Cougars overtook Lawrence, 48-42. Trailing by nine points in the third quarter, MHS used a 15-2 run to take the lead.
   It was Minck that hit the go-ahead shot then followed it up with a steal and three-pointer as the Cougars found a way to win. Tuesday, those shots didn’t fall.
   "She had the opportunity," Popadiuk said. "We were down four with a minute left and she got a wide-open look at a three. If the storybook went as it has, it would have been in, but it didn’t.
   "When Jess took the shot," he added, "I already had my fist raised. I thought it was going. It just didn’t go. There was a distinct difference in that game. We were tired and broken (Tuesday) night."
   Minck is coming off a bout with bronchitis, something that’s making its way through the Cougars. The Cougars need to heal quickly as they host highly ranked Voorhees 7 p.m. tonight.
   It will be the final regular-season home game for Minck and two other MHS seniors and she’ll be looking for a grand farewell. In her second year as a regular, the Cougars are relying more on her offense as well as her defense in preparing for the upcoming Somerset County and Central Jersey Group II tournaments. Minck has delivered her fair share of big shots for the Cougars this season.
   "When she shoots the ball well or she’s giving us points, it just adds another dimension for us," Popadiuk said. "Defensively, she’s quick; she leads our team in steals. She can give us some things. She kept us in the Voorhees game last time by herself. She adds a dimension when she plays well.
   "She’s important. We can’t win without her. I have to do a better job of getting her some rest. She’s playing a lot of 32-minute games."
   Until the recent NBA-type stretch of the schedule, that was just fine with Minck, who is second on the team in scoring with a 7.8 points per game average. More importantly, it’s allowed her to be a bigger part of Montgomery’s best season in three years, one that’s fulfilled her pre-season goals.
   "I just love playing with these girls," Minck said. "I don’t think I have to score for us to win. We have so many girls who can step up and have big games.
   "I wanted us to be a competitive team and be in every game. We definitely wanted to do better than last year. I wanted to see how we’d work out as a team and so far, it’s been awesome."
   MHS might have taken that desire to be in every game a bit too literally. The Cougars have made almost every game a close one, win or lose. It just happens that MHS has won most of them, which should help come tournament time.
   "Those games we won definitely gave us a confidence boost," Minck said. "It showed we can be, if not better, competitive with every team. If we’re in a game, we know we have a chance to win. It gave us a lot of hope.
   "It gave a lot of the younger girls confidence. It helps us deal with pressure situations. Even if (Tuesday) didn’t show it. A lot of teams we play might not have had as many close games."
   With her final regular-season home game tonight and the tournaments right around the corner, Minck is trying to close out her senior season on a high note.
   "I’m really trying to pick it up," she said. "And (MHS’ other senior starter Kristina) Adams is too. Our days are numbered.
   "Basically, we need to work on our defense overall, cutting off cutters and rebounding. On offense, we need to work the ball into ‘Foxy’ (Megan Fox) more. We have a lot of people who can step up."
   So often this season, someone has responded in Montgomery’s close wins. Eventually, however, the close ones can catch up with you. Tuesday was that night for a worn down Cougar girls’ basketball squad.
   "We knew it was going to be tough," Minck said. "We were just too tired. We played all right. We just couldn’t finish."
   At least not the way they have been all season.