By: Rich Fisher
The Monroe High girls basketball team went into the holiday break on a high note, winning their first game in two seasons over John F. Kennedy on Dec. 22. But it could not sustain that momentum over the holidays.
The Falcons fell to Allentown and Union in the Redbird Tournament at Allentown last week, then fell to New Brunswick when the Greater Middlesex Conference White Division schedule resumed on Tuesday.
That left the Falcons at 1-4 entering Thursday’s game with Perth Amboy, but they did manage to snap a long losing streak that dated back to last year.
"We’re competing every game, it just becomes, in the last quarter we kind of lose it there," coach Leigh Vogtman said. "The second half of the game is always our toughest, we put everything we have into the first two quarters, and it’s kind of hard to put it away."
Vogtman said the Falcons are not getting worn down emotionally. Physically, however, they lack that go-to player that can make a difference at crunch time.
"These girls are definitely keeping high sprits and confidence," Vogtman said. "They’ve been knocked around a lot since the beginning of last season, but they’re not coming to game thinking they’ll get beat.
"They do their best, other teams just have more than we do, either a lot of height, or one dominant player. We have a lot of good players. Its difficult to say we have one person who can step up and take over when the game is on the line."
But the Falcons are getting contributions across the board, despite the fact they go into most games undermanned. Or underwomanned, as the case may be.
"Carly Keane is doing a nice job as our center, being that she’s 5-8 or 5-9, she’s really holding her own in there," Vogtman said. "She can hit from the outside and she’s taken control a few times. Against Allentown she had 22 points.
"Lindsey Curran has been trying to control things from the point. I have a lot of confidence in Mai’Lee (Paselio), she has to find it in herself because she’s a good player.
"Lisa Cosentino been hitting a lot of shots (scoring 15 against New Brunswick) and Marissa Allamby is trying to do a lot. She’s really been playing her heart out."
Vogtman said the Falcons just need to become more aggressive throughout the game.
"We have to play to win rather than not to lose," she said. "If we play not to lose the entire game, you’re in a big hole in the fourth quarter, and that’s kind of hard to get out of."
