Cougars win NJSIAA Group IV championship

For all of its offensive brilliance, the Colts Neck High School girls basketball team's bread and butter is its defense.

ERIC SUCAR staff Colts Neck High School's Emily Laurence (top) watches her shot teeter on the rim during the second quarter of the Cougars' 52-40 victory over Washington Township in the NJSIAA Group IV semifinals on March 12. "Because we're all really good offensively, people don't pay attention to how much we put into defense," Cougars guard Lauren Clarke said. "It gives us energy."

The members of the Columbia High School of Maplewood girls basketball team will attest to how well Colts Neck plays defense, after the Cougars beat them 58-52 on March 15 to win the NJSIAA state Group IV championship at the Ritacco Center in Toms River.

Columbia, the North Jersey Section I Group IV champions, had the Cougars on the ropes in the first quarter and were scoring at will. They started off by getting the ball inside to Abigail Martin and then worked the outside with Brianna Thomas and Chenae Earle hitting three-point field goals.

At the end of the first quarter, Columbia led, 22-13, over the Cougars, who were in a state group final for the first time.

"They really attacked us," Colts Neck Coach John Truhan said. "We backed it up and gave them a 3-2 zone look. Off the bench Leeann Lanza rebounded and filled the lanes. We got energy off the bench."

With the Cougars' trio of Lanza, Brittany Howes and Emily Laurence starting to take away the penetration of Thomas and her backcourt mate Shaina Earle, Columbia's offense stalled. The outside shots stopped falling and the Cougars' pressure began to force turnovers. That allowed Colts Neck to claw its way back into the game.

Columbia only scored four points in the second quarter and with Brooke Hampton scoring five points, Colts Neck pulled within a basket, 26-24, at halftime.

Having turned back Columbia's offense, the Cougars needed to make things happen on their offensive end of the floor. In the third quarter, Hampton began to take charge.

"They were double teaming us a lot," she noted.

With Columbia making it difficult for the Cougars to run their offense, Hampton and Clarke began to beat their defenders off the dribble and take the ball to the basket.

Hampton's mid-ranger jumper gave Colts Neck its first lead of the game, 33-32, in the final minute of the third quarter. Columbia'sMarcelynWilliams answered with a 15-footer, but as the clock was winding down, Hampton picked up a loose ball and flung it toward the basket. It hit nothing but net and the Cougars led 35-34 heading into the fourth quarter.

"I don't usually show my emotions, but (that shot) boosted our confidence," said Hampton. pickup we needed."

Hampton started the fourth quarter with

rainbow three-pointer and suddenly the Cougars, who had not led until late in the third quarter, were up by four, 38-34.

Columbia responded with a 5-0 spurt to regain the lead at 39-38.

Lanza put the Cougars back on top with

basket in the paint that started a decisive 10-0 run which eventually extended Colts Neck's lead to 48-39.

The game was now in the hands of Hampton and Clarke, which is just where the Cougars wanted it. Columbia's only path to victory was to force turnovers, which Hampton wasn't about to do, or rely on the Cougars to miss free throws. Clarke

was a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line in the in the fourth quarter.

"After the last game when I missed a couple, I really concentrated on them (free throws)," said Clarke. "I knew they would be huge."

In the end, Colts Neck won its first NJSIAA state group championship.

"These kids are just so special," said Truhan, whose team improved to 27-3.

Hampton and Clarke each scored 23 points. Hampton was named the Cougars' Most Valuable Player for the way she carried the team in the critical second and third quarters.

Williams, who scored 11 points, was named as Columbia's MVP.

Colts Neck defeated Washington Township, 52-40, on March 12 in the Group IV semifinals at Southern Regional High School, Manahawkin.

Laurence had her biggest night of the season as she scored a game-high 22 points for the Cougars, who used a 10-0 third quarter advantage to break open the game against the South Jersey Group IV champions.

Having won the Group IV state title, the Cougars moved on to this week's NJSIAA Tournament of Champions which began last night in Toms River.

The Cougars were seeded No. 4 and played No. 5 Rumson-Fair Haven, the Group II state champion. The winner of that game will play No. 1 seed Malcolm X Shabazz of Newark at 8 p.m. March 19 in the Tournament of Champions semifinals.

The Tournament of Champions final will be played at the Izod Center in East Rutherford on March 23.

Colts Neck is only the second Freehold Regional High School District basketball team to reach the Tournament of Champions. In 2003, the Marlboro High School girls basketball team reached the Tournament of Champions final before falling to Shabazz.