The expectations are higher

GIRLS BASKETBALL

By: Tim Falls
   The Lawrence High School girls basketball team can play better.
   The Cardinals proved that with a 36-34 opening victory against Notre Dame.
   The historic and long-awaited win showed Lawrence can compete with the best teams in the Colonial Valley Conference.
   Against Ewing, however, Lawrence was not at its best.
   The Blue Devils defeated the Cardinals, 36-31, last Friday night.
   "We just didn’t play well as a team," said Lawrence coach Greg Zenerovitz. "It was more a case of us being our own worse enemy. It was more us than them."
   Still, Lawrence has potential and could excel in the John Molinelli Tournament. The Cardinals were scheduled to take on Hopewell in the first round yesterday and will compete in either the Consolation game at noon today or the Championship game at 4 p.m. today.
   Against Ewing, Sophomore Ashley Russo scored three 3-pointers to lead Lawrence with nine points. Zainabu Sillah added eight in the loss.
   Ewing took a 15-10 lead after the first half, but Lawrence managed to come back with 15 points in the third quarter.
   "As bad as we played, the game was still tied with two minutes left in the fourth quarter," said Zenerovitz. "They out hustled us in the last two minutes."
   Jen Korngut scored five points while Laquisha Spencer, Leronda Aviles, Courtney Smith and Lauren Regan all scored two points.
   "We’re 1-2 and it’s early in the season," said Zenerovitz, "but we could have been 3-0 if we played our game."
   The Cardinals knew they would have to be at their best against Hopewell in the tournament.
   " Hopewell is a good team," said Zenerovitz. "We’re looking at it as a winnable game, but we have to do the things we need to do to get the W."
   While Zenerovitz knows his team can perform better than their showing against the Blue Devils, he’s happy the team has stayed so positive.
   "I think we’ve had a great effort," said Zenerovitz. "They’re very upbeat. Sometimes it can be a challenge to motivate student athletes. That’s not the case with these girls."
   Zenerovitz knows Lawrence can be a winning team. The Cardinals opened their season with a win by showing that determination and teamwork.
   If they return to that, Lawrence can add plenty wins to their record.