Girls basketball
By: Matt Nalbone
As the winter sports season nears its end, the Hopewell Valley Central High School girls basketball team is looking for a strong finish.
The Lady Bulldogs kept rolling this past week winning three straight games. Hopewell Valley first faced cross-town rival Pennington.
Both schools are enjoying good years, as Hopewell Valley entered the game with 10 wins, while Pennington had 12. After a slow start, Hopewell Valley opened a 24-12 halftime lead.
"In the first quarter, they (the Lady Bulldogs) were working the clock a little bit," Hopewell Valley coach John McGinley said. "We were rushing our shots, but in the second quarter we made the game more to our tempo."
An even third quarter led to another run by Hopewell Valley, which finished with a 57-37 victory.
"In the local rivalry, both teams want to win," McGinley said. "They (the Red Raiders) beat us last year, which made us more focused."
Kristy Cramp led the offense with 16 points, while Leslie Maurer poured in 12 and had six assists. Kate Jackson enjoyed another solid game, scoring seven points and handing out seven assists.
"She (Jackson) is our best defensive player," McGinley said. "She is also scoring more, which helps."
The game was a solid one for the entire team, as McGinley played 13 players. The Lady Bulldogs next faced Princeton, which has struggled a bit this year.
Hopewell Valley again jumped out to an early lead, coasting to a 57-25 win. Cramp led the offense with 14 points, while Jackson scored eight and freshman Meredith Rutledge put in nine.
"She (Rutledge) does a real nice job for us," McGinley said. "She’s a good athlete, and we’re looking to the future with her."
Maurer added eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists in an outstanding performance.
"She (Maurer) is consistently doing everything for us," McGinley said. "I just can’t say enough about her play."
The last game of the three was Hopewell Valley’s second meeting of the year with Hightstown. The results were the same, as Hopewell Valley (13-5) ran away with a 60-39 victory.
Jackson had 16 points to lead the team, while Cramp netted 14. Both girls made four 3-pointers against Hightstown’s zone defense.
The Lady Bulldogs will next play at home against West Windsor-Plainsboro North, followed by a trip to Allentown.
Hopewell Valley lost to West Windsor-Plainsboro North 44-35 Jan. 14. In that game, Cramp netted 13 points and Maurer added 12, but the Lady Bulldogs could not overcome a 16-point third-quarter deficit.
The Lady Bulldogs hammered Allentown 71-25 Jan. 21 in the first meeting between the two squads. Hopewell Valley had four players in double-figures, with Cramp and Emily Newport each netting 13 points.
The state tournament is just around the corner, and Hopewell Valley is looking for a good seed and possibly a home game.

