Lady Mustangs miss chance on opening night

Bound Brook wins it in fourth quarter

by John E. Powers, Sports Writer
   Friday night’s season opener at Bound Brook was there for the taking for the Manville High School girls’ basketball team.
   The Lady Mustangs were tied at 19 entering the fourth quarter, but Bound Brook outscored them 13-7 to win it 32-26. Bound Brook senior center Victoria Brown had a triple double, scoring 12 points, pulling down 15 rebounds and blocking 13 shots. Bound Brook’s senior guard Courtney Wood nailed two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that really hurt.
   But that’s not what Manville’s first-year head coach Larisa Donis-Jeppson felt was the difference. Consider that the Lady Mustangs were 11-for-52 from the floor and just 3-for-15 from the free throw line. Those numbers need to be improved if the MHS girls expect to better last year’s 5-16 record. That’s what the team worked on Saturday morning when it reconvened for practice — shooting and free throw shooting.
   ”I was happy with our effort and how we changed what they wanted to do offensively, we threw their rhythm off,” Donis-Jeppson said. “I think they were frustrated with what they wanted to do and how they wanted to get Brown into the offense. I thought Amy (Evanylo) did a great job on her, making her change her shot and forcing her to do things they didn’t really want to do. So in that sense, I was really happy. But the basket seemed to have a lid on for most of the night.
   ”We had strong D, but now we have to get our offense going,” she added.
   Evanylo had a solid game with nine points and six rebounds. The Lady Mustangs also committed just nine turnovers.
   ”We protected the ball well,” the coach said.
   But shooting it? The team needs work.
   ”We missed a few layups, a few perimeter shots,” Donis-Jeppson said. “They just weren’t falling. We spent Saturday on shooting drills. It’s really a question of our confidence. It’s an issue of confidence and wanting to take the shots. We were creating shots, getting in position to make them, but they weren’t falling.”
   Senior guard Sam Aichele, who is rounding into shape after having had dental surgery, scored five points. Senior guard Rhianna Lebedz had a point, but made four steals. Junior forward Amanda Furka netted five points and sophomore guard Dana Mortensen had four points. Freshman Kate Pornovets added a basket, but got into foul trouble early.
   ”Kate did very well, but I would like to see her on the floor more,” Donis-Jeppson said.
   Manville was in the bonus situation very early, but again, the free throw shooting wasn’t good.
   ”I thought we did a nice job of penetrating and getting fouled and going to the free throw line,” Donis-Jeppson said. “We have to keep it going, but we have to do a better job of making our shots.”
   Though Aichele is just getting back, it was obvious that she and Lebedz make a very good backcourt.
   ”The two of them work really well together,” the coach said. “Once Sam gets back into the flow we’re going to be very strong at the guard position.”
   Manville was scheduled to have a very busy week with games at Skyland Conference rival North Plainfield Tuesday afternoon, a home game with Gill St. Bernards Thursday afternoon and another with divisional rival North Warren Friday night. Though the coach acknowledged how busy the week is, she welcomed it.
   ”North Plainfield is a bigger, faster and stronger team, that’s going to be a tough test,” Donis-Jeppson said. “But I look at games like a competitive practice. At this point, the girls want to play games.”