By: Carolyn M. Hartko
A couple of unexpected injuries early in the season put a winning record out of reach for the Monroe Township High School girls’ varsity basket ball team this year. But the 2002-2003 Lady Falcons looked back on this winter with a "glass half full" attitude.
"We got along a lot better than past years," senior center Shannon McNamara said. "That’s really the best thing. And the coach made it fun. All the vibes were good."
The Falcons finished 4-15 overall and 2-15 in the Greater Middlesex Conference’s White Division. With so few victories in the mix, each one stands out for first year head coach Keith Hudak.
"We were all ready to start the season, and we had a big win on opening night," the coach said. "During the middle of the season, we had a game against JFK where we played really well, and ended up beating them by about 20 points. And the Friday night win over at Perth Amboy, the girls played really well over there. I honestly believe a lot of that had to do with their effort. They were a hard working bunch of kids."
In spite of the lumps the girls were taking on the court, the team never lost a positive outlook.
"I thought a big part of our team was the way we worked better together this year," senior point guard Tara Lange said. "Every game we played, we played so hard. Off the court, we spent more time together, and we’d all have pasta parties and stuff like that. And I thought the closeness off the court helped on the court."
Lange was the only Falcon named to the all-White Division team this year. She led the team in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game. She averaged six assists per game, and was the most accurate free throw shooter, sinking 65 percent of her attempts from the line. Lange is headed to Montclair State College next year where she plans on majoring in graphic design. She will not pursue sports in college.
The Falcons had three senior captains this year, including Lange. Forward Lindsay Jones was a top rebounder, averaging eight per game. Guard Lisa Gaydas led in steals with five per game.
Monroe is also losing the McNamara twins, forward Brianne, and center Shannon. The latter stepped up to fill in when big girl Ali Baumlin was injured early in the season. Brianne has already been accepted to Ramapo College where she will major in education. Shannon will start her studies in social work at Brookdale Community College.
"They were a fun bunch," Hudak said of his seniors. "I’m disappointed in the fact that I only had one year to work with them. They all offered something different. Each one had a unique characteristic. A lot of times, if you had a 4-15 season, most coaches would say, ‘Boy, it was miserable.’ But it wasn’t miserable not at all. And I give that credit to those senior girls. They were great. They were just enjoyable kids to be around."
There are only three varsity players returning next year. Junior swing player Laura Gibbons tied with Jones in the rebounding department. Classmate Katie Lederman was a forward. Baumlin, a sophomore, only got to play in six games this past winter because of a fractured bone in her foot, but she averaged 11.9 points in her few appearances.
"There’ll be a lot of spots open next year," Hudak said. "We’re going to look at kids on our JV team first, and hope that they can help us out, kids like Jillian Chen and Emma Bossard."
Both of those girls saw some varsity time this season. Hudak is hoping to get them, and the rest of the younger players in the program, to work in the off-season.
"We’ll be involved in some summer leagues, and we’ll see about getting in the weight room," the coach said. "We do some things now during the regular season in practice to increase our speed, and decrease our chances of getting injures. We’ll continue with that."
The parents of the basketball players organized a dinner at the Cambridge Inn for the girls program earlier this month. For the seniors, it was a time to reminisce about their high school careers.
"I’ll remember the bus rides the most," Shannon McNamara said. "Everyone was so hyped up for the games, and we always had music going. We were all singing and dancing on the bus."
Hudak will be looking for more fun with the Lady Falcon varsity next year.
