There may be no stopping the Colts Neck Cougars now. With three big wins within the last week, John Truhan’s Cougars have taken their game to another level.
ERIC SUCAR staff Colts Neck’s Lauren Clarke (r) tries to get a shot off before Middletown North’s Stephanie Zeller (l) can get a piece of it during the second quarter of their game on Jan. 24, which Colts Neck won, 70-43. At the Jan. 20 Battle of the Boardwalk in Asbury Park’s Convention Hall, the Cougars scored the final 10 points of the game in defeating New York’s Bishop Kearny, 47-39.
“Games like this can only help us,” said Truhan. “Playing in that arena and on that floor is what we’ll be experiencing in the state playoffs.”
The Cougars overcame a disastrous, to say the least, first half of shooting to win. The Cougars were just 6 for 41, but thanks to a defense that has been clamping down on opponents, they managed to be in the lead at half, 16-15.
The game remained close throughout the second half,with theCougars’10-0 run at the end of the game breaking it open.
Truhan pointed out that the win displayed the team’s maturity over the course of the season. The last time their shooting eye was that far off, the Cougars suffered their only loss of the season, at Howell. Sunday, under similar circumstances in an unfamiliar gym, like all good teams, they found a way to win.
Brooke Hampton, who is headed toward a school record for assists, was named the Cougar Most Valuable Player for the game, with 11 points, seven big assists and six rebounds. Lauren Clarke had a team-high 15.
Earlier in the week, defense powered Colts Neck to a pair of critical Shore Conference A North Division wins. First, on Jan. 14, the Cougars beatMarlboro, 59-35, with Clarke hitting for 22, and on Thursday they avenged their lone loss of the season to Howell, 51-33.
Colts Neck led by just one, 20-19, at the half, but their defensive pressure began to take its toll in the second half. An 18-3 edge in the third quarter put the game away and enabled the Cougars to move into a first-place tie with Howell (10-2). Both teams are 7-1 in division play.
Clarke (17) and Hampton (13) combined for 30 to pace the offense.
Colts Neck’s defense has been sparked by the play of “sixth man” Crystal Butler, still not 100 percent after a preseason knee injury.
“She has been the difference off the bench,” said Truhan. “The team feeds off her energy.”
Tiffany DeTulio has been important on the defensive end as well. She is now contributing on both ends of the floor.
The 6-foot-2 Brittany Howes is giving the team a post-presence it didn’t have last year. She is not only scoring on putbacks, but off-set plays. She has made teams defend the paint. That, along with Hampton’s drives to the basket, have opened things up for the team’s long-range shooters. Clarke and DeTulio are one-two in the Shore in three-pointers made. Clarke has 34 and DeTulio has 31.
“This is themost complete teamI’ve ever had,” said Truhan. “We go eight deep.”
With a 70-43 win over Middletown North on Thursday night, the Cougars improved to 16-1 overall and 8-1 in the division, still tied with Howell (the Rebels beat Manalapan, 48-19).
Hampton had the hot hand in this road win, connecting on four three-pointers and scoring 22 points. DeTulio (12) and Clarke (11) had two treys each, giving the Cougars eight for the game.
The Cougars have now won 13 consecutive games and have the highest state ranking – 10th – of any girls team in school history.
Colts Neck has three games remaining in division play.Manalapan made a call to the Cougar den Monday night. They are at Freehold Township (5:30 p.m.) tomorrow night, and conclude the division schedule at home Monday to Middletown South (5:30 p.m.)