Brookdale Community College’s women’s basketball team took fifth place in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division III Championships.
Forward Sasha Fabrizio, who made the All-Tournament Team, led the Blues, the 2008 Garden State Athletic Conference and Region XIX champions. The sophomore averaged a double-double for the Blues with 10.7 points and 14 rebounds per game.
The Blues, coached by Marianne Campacci and Joanne Cobb, finished the season at 24-4. This was BCC’s second straight appearance in the national tournament. They also finished fifth in 2007 and were the No. 5 seed this year.
The NJCAATournament was played at Mohawk Community College in Utica, N.Y., March 13-15.
Brookdale got off to a fast startwith a 63- 48 victory overMadisonArea Technical College, Wisc. The Blues had four players in double figures led by Kitora Jones’ 15. Fabrizio had 14 and a game-high 18 rebounds. Keshia Taylor (13) and Lisa James (10)were the others in double figures.
The Blues’ defense forced 34 turnovers, which accounted for 30 points. They came up with 19 steals led by Fabrizio’ 12, making for a unique triple-double by the Brick Memorial grad.
Madison Area was hanging with Brookdale 15 minutes into the game trailing by just 18-17. Brookdale used a 16-4 run at the end of the half to build a 34-21 lead at the half. They continued to build on that momentum stretching the lead to 22 at point in the second half.
Eventual champion Monroe College, 82-62, dashed Brookdale’s championship hopes the next day.
The Blues fell behind 17-7 in the first five minutes and never recovered.
Fabrizio led the Blues with 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, six on the offensive end. Guards Erica Hoffman (12) and Olivia Triano (10) also scored double figures for Brookdale.
The loss put Brookdale in the third/fifthplace consolation game against the College of DuPage, Ill. The game turned out to be one of the best of the tournament. The teams battled into overtime before DuPage eked out a 67-65 win. The lead changed hands 12 times during the seesaw game.
Jones (16) and Triano (15) combined for 31 points and Jones added 11.
The three-point shot, a big pat of BCC’s offense all year was big in this game as the Blues connected on 11 led by Jones, Triano and Taylor, who each knocked down three.
Fabrizio had her third double-figure rebounding game of the tourney with 12.