Perhaps the best thing that could have happened to the Edison High School girls basketball team was to lose.
Since the Eagles (10-1) dropped a 59-33 decision to Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division rival Piscataway on Jan. 10, they have played with more determination, according to coach Amy Hansen. Following the defeat, Edison has knocked off South Brunswick, 48-43, and Wardlaw-Hartridge, 79-55, both quality teams.
“That [Piscataway] made us realize we need to play together if we’re going to beat teams like that,” observed Hansen. “We came out and played South Brunswick with a renewed sense of commitment. We know we’re talented. We just have to go out now and prove it.”
Edison, defending NJSIAA North Jersey Section II Group IV champions, will get another opportunity to even the score with Piscataway when they meet Feb. 2. The rivals could also clash in the GMC Tournament, depending on where each is seeded, and in the state sectional. “Wewere a little down after losing to [Piscataway],” said Hansen. “We realized we didn’t step it up when we needed, so we want to prove to ourselves we can get the job done.”
Edison’s rotation is talented and experienced. The leading scorer is senior guard Tierra Johnson, who averages 19.2 points per game and is the catalyst that generates the Eagles’ high-octane offense. She can feed the ball to senior Rachel Groom, averaging 15 ppg, or junior Morgan Peacock, who has deposited 9.6 ppg.
Hansen mentions the play of junior Ayla Luna, who has come out of “nowhere” to become an effective starter. Senior Cassie Lubonski and sophomore Marisa Daniels have also made important contributions.
“We’re looking forward to the rest of the season,” says Hansen. “We feel we’re in a strong position and capable of doing well against any opponent. We’re hoping for a big year.”
Edison hosted Woodbridge yesterday and visits Old Bridge tomorrow in GMC matchups. The Eagles then host East Brunswick on Monday. Edison closes out the regular season with visits to a strong Bishop Ahr on Feb. 4 and South Brunswick on Feb. 7. The GMC Tournament begins the following week.
The BishopAhr girls have served notice that they will be a serious challenger to win the GMC Tournament with its 10-1 start. But coach Kevin Harper maintains that his team is still focused on winning the White Division. The Trojans defeated North Brunswick, its closest challenger, by a 63-47 margin and face the Raiders again on Feb. 7.
The result of an out-of-conference clash against Piscataway should give Bishop Ahr a test as to how tournament-ready they are. The Trojans’ record includes impressive victories over Paterson Kennedy and Curtis (N.Y.) in December and a strong Pequannock team on Saturday.
Liz Sharlow (22.3 ppg), committed to Lehigh University, is the leading scorer and has been dominant in every game. But what stands out is the balanced scoring from Bishop Ahr’s deep rotation. Senior Kelsey Harsh and junior Erica Guketov have averaged 7.9 ppg, senior Christina Merlin has scored 7.5 ppg, senior Dana Peterson has chipped in with a 6.9 ppg average and sophomore Brianna Srahm has averaged 4.8 points per game.
The Trojans have also received valuable contributions off the bench from senior Emily Miller and sophomore Brianna Foster.
“Liz leads the charge,” Harper says, “but the makeup of this team is such that if one isn’t [on], another picks up the slack. We’re not concerned with scoring averages. This is a very unselfish group.”