Stevens girls avenge loss to O.B.
PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff J.P. Stevens’ Ayana Way (above) drives past an Old Bridge defender during a game on Friday in Old Bridge, while at left, Brittany Mullings is guarded by the Knights’ Korina Areila.
BY SHAWN LAYTON
Staff Writer
EDISON — The J.P. Stevens High School girls basketball team avenged its only loss of the season, a 66-57 defeat at the hands of Old Bridge High School Friday night, topping the Lady Knights 65-57 in the rematch.
The Hawks were down two at the half before guards Stephanie Marciano and Ayana Way executed head coach Andy Eng’s halftime speech to perfection.
"During the first half, Stephanie was trying to get her teammates involved and she wasn’t looking for her shot," Eng said. "At the half I told her to take things into her own hands."
Marciano responded with 11 of her 16 points in the third quarter, including three three-pointers.
"We started off slow," Marciano said. "We were able to play more of an up-tempo game in the second half, and one of their better players got in foul trouble."
Old Bridge senior guard Cathy Rutter picked up her fourth foul in the third quarter, and the Hawks capitalized and took a six-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Way, Marciano’s backcourt companion, took over the game in the fourth to seal the victory. "A-Way," as she was affectionately called by Hawk fans in attendance, finished the game with a team-high 19 points and seemed to find the bottom of the net each time the ball left her hands. She scored 13 in the second half.
"There is always so much concentration on Stephanie and Tania," Eng said. "As a result, Ayana has been open and making shots. She has had some monster games as of late."
Tania Kennedy finished the game with 16 points, and although her productivity was limited from the floor (she made three field-goals), half of her point total came from the foul line. Attempting to stay in the game, the Lady Knights made it a free-throw shooting contest, and Kennedy responded and put the game out of reach.
"We made sure we hit the open shots, changed defenses, and made foul shots," Eng said. "Tania came through for us on the foul line tonight."
Eng’s three guards combined for 51 of the team’s 65 points to improve the team’s record to 13-1 and maintain sole possession of first place in the Greater Middlesex Conference’s Red Division.
With the loss, Old Bridge dropped to 9-6 and is now two games behind Stevens in the league standings. Forward Jaime Capra led all scorers with 21 points and dominated the glass in the first half.
"Capra played a heck of a game," Marciano said. "She controlled the boards in the first half, and Lindsay James toughened up for us in the second half to get some key rebounds."
A senior forward, James finished the game with 12 rebounds.
"Obviously, both teams are good," Marciano said. "The rivalry is so strong, it’s the strongest in the GMC. I always look forward to the Old Bridge game and it would have been just as special if we were 0-10. I’m sure we will see them again in the tournament and both teams will want to break the tie."
The Hawks will look to stay atop the GMC Red Division when they meet cross-town rival Edison High School 7 p.m. tonight at Edison, and when Bishop Ahr travels to the Hawk’s nest 7 p.m. on Friday.