By: Carolyn M. Hartko
The final game of the 2002-2003 season was typical of the way most games went this winter for the Monroe Township High School girls’ basketball team. They played hard, had some early success, but in the end fell 59-49 to 13th seeded Highland Park in the opening round of this year’s Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.
"Our game with Highland Park I thought was a decent game," Lady Falcon head coach Keith Hudak said. "We were hanging in there for awhile. I thought we did a really good job. Every game, we play harder than anybody. Those girls play so hard, it’s unbelievable to me how hard they play. Once in a while, things don’t go our way. We hit lapses sometimes, but they just played so hard."
Monroe actually outscored the Lady Owls in the first quarter 12-11, and were only down one point at the half (18-17). But a 19-7 run in the second quarter put the Owls out in front for good. Highland Park was led by 22 points from forward Christen Paras and 20 from guard Corrie McIntyre. The names of both juniors figured prominently in several pre-game scouting calls Hudak made.
"I had spoken to a few people, so we knew they were very athletic," the coach said. "The one girl, McIntyre, was extremely good with the ball. She handled the ball very well. She gave us a lot of trouble. And another girl that we heard about Paras everybody told us to watch her, and she did a quiet 22 points for them. I’m not even sure where she got them from. She just kind of snuck them in there somehow. So, they were a good athletic team."
Monroe managed to come back a bit, and had closed to within six by the middle of the final period.
"Then we had a couple of tough possessions, turned the ball over, or missed a shot, or something like that," Hudak said. "We had opportunities with possessions of the ball, where we could have done things to be right in the game. And it just didn’t happen for us."
Senior co-captain Tara Lange posted a team-high 17 points that included four three-pointers. Sophomore Ali Baumlin scored her first double-double since returning from an injury (16 points and 15 rebounds). Lindsay Jones and Lisa Gaydas contributed six points apiece.
"Ali was back," Hudak said. "This was the first time she played a whole game, since the very beginning of the year. She still had a little discomfort in her foot, but God Bless her, she did the best she could."
Monroe went into the tourney seeded 20th, just about where Hudak thought they would be.
"I thought the whole seeding went well," Hudak said. "I think everybody ended up where they should have been."
This sets Monroe’s final record at 4-15. Highland Park (16-3) was eliminated in the second round of the tournament by Woodbridge. The Barrons are one of four Red Division teams that reached the semifinals, along with Old Bridge, East Brunswick and J.P. Stevens. This year’s championship game is between Old Bridge and Stevens, scheduled for Thursday night at South Brunswick High School, weather permitting.

