By Tim Morris
The young Colts Neck High School girls basketball team has a lot to look forward to in the second half of the season.
The Cougars have not played like a young team forging a 7-4 overall record at mid-season. That has given head coach Glenn Jansen reason to be optimistic about the remainder of the season.
“I think in the second half, we will continue to improve with our young team,” Jansen said.
It’s senior Elise Brown, however, who has been the Cougars’ dependable mainstay. One of the most underrated players in the Shore, she’s averaging 15 points and six rebounds a game. She also brings the intangibles. The Cougars can count on her game-in and game-out.
Freshman Lola Mullaney has been one of the team’s key contributors. She’s the team’s hot hand behind the arc with 19 3-pointers. She’s averaging just under 13 points a game and is playing like anything but a freshman.
Brown and Mullaney have received support offensively from a number of players, including Jamie Prestigiacomo, Cara Volpe and Sam Roth.
Senior Amanda Hunt has been a force on the glass for the Cougars, averaging just under seven caroms a game. Volpe is pulling down better that five boards a game. Rebounding has been a team effort as well.
What Jansen would like the 2015-16 season to lead to is meaningful postseason tournament games where, if the team continues to make strides, the Cougars could make some noise.
“We hope to have another meaningful run in [Central Jersey Group IV] as well,” he said.
The Cougars won the state sectional championship just two years ago.