Bob Nuse

By: centraljersey.com
Alicia Carthan knows her role for the Bordentown High girls basketball team.
The junior center is a presence in the middle and can help turn a game around with her rebounding. And some nights she adds some scoring, like she did Monday when she had 16 points to go with 13 rebounds in a 61-45 win over Robbinsville in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group II tournament.
"We played really aggressive and we played good team ball," said Carthan, who helped the Scotties advance to the quarterfinals, where they were scheduled to play at Middlesex on Wednesday. "We didn’t have many turnovers and everybody stepped up. We had a good game rebounding. Breanna Hudik is one of our main rebounders and she had a real good game for us. She’reva Mendenhall also had a real good game. And some of the young girls stepped up as well."
Hudik scored just two points, but grabbed 11 rebounds. Emily Lawson led the scoring with 19 points, while Mendenhall added 13 in a balanced effort for Bordentown.
"We knew they would come in and be scrappy and that was exactly what they were," Scotties coach Bill Lloyd said of Robbinsville. "I told the girls if we came in and rebounded and played our style we would be all right and that is what they did.
"It was nice that we had some different girls scoring. Alicia Carthan and Breanna Hudik both had double digit rebounds. If they are hitting the boards for us we feel like we’ll be in games."
Hitting the boards is something Carthan has been doing all season. And she’ll look to do the same as long as the Scotties can stay alive in the state tournament.
"I try to keep rebounding," said Carthan, a junior who helped the Scotties improve to 17-10 with the win over Robbinsville. "Even if I don’t have a high-scoring game I try to keep rebounding. We played good competition to get ready for the playoffs and it prepared us well. It showed us exactly what we’re made of. Robbinsville was a really good team. You have to give props to their girls because they did a real good job."
Bordentown trailed early, 11-5, but closed out the first quarter on a 9-2 run for a 14-13 lead. They then opened the second quarter with a 15-4 run and led, 29-19, at halftime. Lawson scored 11 of her points in the first half to help build the lead.
"All year every game someone has stepped up," Lloyd said. "That’s what comes from starting three seniors and having a senior-heavy team. We think the league we play in, going against Holy Cross, Willingboro, Delran, it’s brutal every night. There are no nights off. So it is nice to see some different teams."
Carthan and Kaylee Creegan combined to score the first 10 points of the second half for Bordentown, which never let the Ravens get closer than five in the second half.
"It’s nerve-racking coming in not knowing what the other team is about," Carthan said. "But all I want to do is win the game and extend the season for the seniors.
"We had a little bit of a struggle in the beginning but we pulled it together and got our chemistry back."