MONTGOMERY: Home finale is special night

Wysocki, seniors save best for last

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   It was obvious from the opening tip that this one meant a bit more to Jen Wysocki and the Montgomery High School girls basketball team.
   The senior forward had two scores as the second-seeded Cougars scored the first eight points of the game and cruised into the Central Jersey Group IV final against top-seeded Colts Neck with a surprisingly lopsided 64-41 semifinal win over No. 11 Brick Memorial on Friday.
   ”I was really excited for the game,” said Wysocki, who finished with 12 points. “We didn’t want to lose. I never got to play for a state sectional championship. This is my last chance to do it. I think it gave us that extra drive to go the distance.
   ”The whole team did incredible,” she added. “It was our last home game. You’ve got to go out with a bang.”
   This one was like a cannon shot. It was only the second time this season that MHS has scored more than 60 points in a contest.
   ”It was our best game of the year,” said MHS head coach Kevin Kretschy, whose team takes its 23-4 record to North Brunswick at 7:30 p.m. tonight against Colts Neck. “Their focus was tremendous. We weren’t nervous. We were more nervous in the county tournament. We were expected to make it there (to the county finals).
   ”No one expected us to make it this far. We’re not your typical 2 seed. We’re not Trenton. We’re not Jackson. No one expected us here.”
   The lone other area remaining team, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, was eliminated from the CJ III tournament with a 64-27 quarterfinals loss at top-seeded and unbeaten Neptune on Thursday. Gabi Hahn had eight points to lead the Knights, who finish the season 12-16 overall.
   The Cougars know too well about seeing their dreams dashed. They weren’t about to let it happen in the sectionals.
   ”It was kind of disappointing in the county,” Wysocki said of a semifinal loss to Somerville. “I think we’re making up for it now.
   ”But it still doesn’t feel like we’re going to a championship. I don’t want to feel like the season is that close to being over. It’s a big deal on Tuesday.”
   MHS hasn’t won a sectional title since 1998. Then, they were just a Group I school. The Cougars have grown and this group of seniors has helped bring them to new heights.
   ”For people to consider us the best team ever to come through Montgomery, you’re still in awe,” Wysocki said. “You don’t even realize.”
   Marcia Voigt had 19 points and Laura Coletti added 18 and both seniors hit milestones in Friday’s win. Voigt became the program’s all-time leading scorer while Coletti scored her 1,000th career point.
   ”I really think of my job as to somewhat alleviate pressure from Marcia and Laura,” Wysocki said of her classmates. “They’re the two that teams focus on because they’re 1,000-point scorers. If everyone else starts making shots, it opens everyone else up.”
   It certainly seemed to work Friday. Wysocki scored some early, as did Carlee Rosenthal, who finished with nine points. It gave the Cougars four viable options at the offensive end, too much for Brick to handle.
   ”Jen got off to a quick start and Carlee got going in the second quarter,” Kretschy said. “We had a fifth player, Julie (Smith) hit a jump shot. And Kelsey (Jacobson) got in and hit one too. So we had five options, which was good with Marcia getting in foul trouble early.
   ”I just talked to them about having no regrets. We understand we live and die with our seniors and the girls off the bench have to contribute.”
   MHS had no trouble in any department Friday. It increased a seven-point first-quarter lead to 29-15 by halftime and never looked back. Brick’s offense never did get on track while the game was in reach.
   ”I was looking at their previous game, and I saw they scored in the 60s,” Wysocki said. “We’re not typically the most high scoring team. We score, but we’re really usually in the 40s. We knew our defense had to be crucial and everybody had to be on the same page and it turned into offense. It was just great.”
   A win tonight might be even greater. If outsiders were doubting that the Cougars could reach the finals, winning tonight would provide quite a sequel to Friday’s perfect home court send-off.
   ”I’m really just excited,” Wysocki said. “I’m not too nervous. I’ll probably be really nervous (tonight) and not able to do anything. Right now, I’m just excited and living in the moment. I think that’s one of my last basketball games ever.”
   One of the biggest games just may have been Montgomery’s best.