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MONTGOMERY: Coletti’s 1,000th adds to win

Senior forward hits milestone in sectional semis

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Laura Coletti scored her 1,000th point on Friday, something she had largely put out of her mind.
   The Montgomery High School senior was surprised to learn she hit the milestone when Cougars head coach Kevin Kretschy told her of the achievement in the third quarter of their 64-41 win over Brick Memorial in the Central Jersey Group IV semifinals.
   ”Going into the game, I knew I was close,” Coletti said. “I had been counting my points early in the year and I hadn’t been playing well so I stopped. It was a long shot to get it.
   ”Going into this game, I wasn’t thinking about it,” she added. “The most important thing was to win. It’s kind of like the cherry on the top.”
   Coletti felt lucky just to have the opportunity to play after MHS was nearly upset in its state opener by Steinert. Her free throws in the final minutes clinched the Wednesday win, and left her just 14 points from the grand achievement.
   ”We only beat Steinert by four points,” she said. “It really speaks to the team. I wouldn’t have had a shot at it if we didn’t win that game.”
   Kretschy was impressed with the way that Coletti had responded, initially to the disappointment of potentially missing the milestone, and then to the way that she achieved it.
   ”We did some calculations early in the year and didn’t think she’d be able to make it,” Kretschy said. “I told her, let’s move our focus onto the postseason. She just said, OK, there were no questions asked. She just went forward.”
   Said Coletti: “It looked like it would have to be the perfect season. It’s shaping up to be that. We’re in the sectional final.”
   Coletti finally hit her 1,000th point on a post move inside. It was one of the hundreds she has made since starting early in her freshman year for the Cougars.
   ”She had been fouled earlier in the game and they didn’t call it,” Kretschy said. “I told her to keep going strong. She did and that’s how she got her 1000th point.”
   Coletti finished the win over Brick with 18 points, second only to Marcia Voigt, her fellow senior who achieved her own special place in MHS history. The MHS guard became the all-time leading scorer in Cougars program history and finished with 19 points Friday.
   ”She’s worked so hard,” Kretschy said. “I’m just blessed. I’m blessed to have kids that work this hard. We’re not that talented, but our kids work hard.”
   Coletti and Voigt will look to add to their totals in the sectional finals 7:30 tonight at North Brunswick against top-seeded Colts Neck. Every game they get together at this point is a bonus.
   ”Those two have been starting since they were freshmen,” Kretschy said. “It’s special.”
   Doing so in front of the final home crowd to see the MHS seniors made it all the bigger. After falling on that same court in the Somerset County Tournament semifinals, the seniors exited the MHS court as winners and can keep their season going in the sectionals.
   ”It’s a very huge night,” Coletti said. “Going into the game, all we wanted to do was have a shot to play for the sectional final. We didn’t know much about Brick after they upset Jackson. We knew we had to come out strong and communicating.
   ”We got up 8-0 and never stopped putting our foot on the pedal. We kept extending our lead. Sometimes we start well, but let them hang around. We put them away when we had to.”
   Coletti was happy that her teammates played such a big part in the night as well. It made her achievement a little more special.
   ”It’s great to do it on such a happy night,” Coletti said. “We played so well. Everyone contributed. It’s a happy night anyway. This just adds to it.”