Cramp’s freshman experience paying off for Hopewell girls

Sophomore Kristy Cramp leads the Lady Bulldogs into the state tournament.

By: Jim Green
   If anything positive can ever come of losing starting players to injury, it is the potential development of younger back-ups.
   The Hopewell Valley Central High School girls basketball team lost its starting backcourt of then-juniors Leslie Maurer and Katie Jackson to injuries the first week of play last season, resulting in a 6-18 record for the Lady Bulldogs.
   But from those struggles, Hopewell Valley received an unexpected benefit – the emergence of then-freshman guard Kristy Cramp as one of the most talented offensive players in the CVC.
   "When the (2001-02) season started, I projected her (Cramp) coming off the bench," Hopewell Valley coach John McGinley said. "I didn’t expect her to play as much as she did.
   "When Leslie Maurer and Katie Jackson got injured, she (Cramp) went from being the third guard to being the only guard, almost. She was thrust into the role of playing all the time."
   It didn’t take long for Cramp to adjust. She poured in 19 points in her first start of the season, giving Hopewell Valley fans a glimpse of what was to come.
   "It (the injury situation) put her (Cramp) right in the fire," McGinley said. "She didn’t have time to think about it. She had the opportunity to play, knowing she wasn’t going to come out."
   With a full season of varsity basketball experience, Cramp is now one of the top guards in the conference, averaging over 14 points a game. With Maurer, the squad’s playmaker, and Jackson, a top-flight defensive player, both healthy and re-joining Cramp in the backcourt, the Lady Bulldogs have gone 13-5, earning a berth in the state tournament.
   "I think we work really well together," Cramp said. "She (Maurer) can do everything.
   "We all are together and we’ve improved a lot."
   But none on the Lady Bulldogs has made the strides Cramp has. The 5-foot-6 sharpshooter admitted she felt pressure being in charge of the team’s offense as a freshman.
   "I was just hoping I would get a little bit of playing time and get experience," she said. "It came all real quickly. I got nervous, because I was one of the youngest ones out there.
   "It got better as the year went along. I don’t get nervous that much, anymore."
   The Lady Bulldogs spent much of last off-season playing together in summer leagues, building on-court chemistry. Those efforts paid off immediately, as Cramp netted 17 points and Maurer dropped in 10 to lead Hopewell Valley to a season-opening 55-46 win at Lawrence on Dec. 20.
   Cramp and Maurer have continued to step up in key games for the Lady Bulldogs throughout the season. The two combined for 47 points Jan. 30 as Hopewell Valley knocked off CVC Colonial Division power Notre Dame 73-70.
   Cramp poured in 23 points, including five 3-pointers, as the Lady Bulldogs overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Fighting Irish.
   "Against Notre Dame, we played well as a team." Cramp said. "It showed we can beat anybody."
   With Maurer running the offense, Cramp grown more aggressive offensively, leading the CVC with 36 3-pointers.
   "She (Cramp) has begun to assert herself in big games," McGinley said. "She’s really worked on coming off screens, catching and shooting.
   "She knows she’s got to shoot the ball. And when she needs to, she can drive to the basket."
   But shooting remains Cramp’s favorite thing to do with a basketball.
   "I’ve just worked on it (shooting) a lot and tried to get better at it," she said. " I like shooting a lot."
   With Cramp, Maurer and Jackson on the floor together, the Lady Bulldogs seem prepared to make a run at the Central Jersey Group II title, just one year after winning a quarter of their games.
   Hopewell Valley’s quest for a sectional title will begin at 7 p.m. March 5, when the fifth-seeded Lady Bulldogs visit fourth-seeded Montgomery in the first round of the tournament.
   "I like our chances," McGinley said. "When we play well, we can play with everybody. The state tournament is a great situation to be in."