Sunday,
January 26, 2014
By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director
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Jessica Powell scored a game-high 9 points for Pascack Valley, which topped River Dell, 34-19, in the first round of the Bergen County Tournament on Saturday in Hillsdale. |
HILLSDALE – The fabled history of the Pascack Valley girls basketball is told in a long gold line that spans the full 900-plus wins in the career of head coach Jeff Jasper. But when the Indians started this season with a 2-5 record, there was concern that the line might have to take a detour right around the 2014 Bergen County Tournament.
“No one has made [the county tournament] consecutive years more than we have. I don't know how many years [in a row] it is, but it is a lot and these kids were right on the verge [of not making it] when we were 2-5,” said Jasper. “I remember going in the locker room and writing it on the board and telling them to get this under control. 'You want to be the remembered in the long gold line as the team that did not qualify for the county tournament?”
As it turns out, this year's version of the Indians, despite not having a single returning starter from last year's team, will be known as not only another in a long line of county tournament qualifiers, but also among the group that won at least one game in it. By holding River Dell, the 17th seed, to just five made field goals in the 32 minutes of Saturday's first round matchup, No. 16 Pascack Valley cruised to a 36-19 win and climbed back over the .500 mark at 7-6.
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Emily McGovern finished with a team-high 8 points for River Dell. |
While the nets at either end were never in danger of being set alight due to friction, Pascack Valley was able to be somewhat consistent in its approach. It had an advantage inside with Jessica Powell, a 6-foot-2 junior center, and used her to draw the attention of the defense to open up other stuff. She was also a force on the defensive end as the Indians held River Dell without a field goal and to just two points in the first quarter on the way to taking a 14-9 halftime lead.
“When other teams adjust to our defense we look for every opportunity to make it so that we are strong and make it so they can't get around us,” said Powell, who finished with 4 of PV's 10 blocked shots. “We made a really big effort to help on defense in this game and we were really prepared.”
Pascack Valley again held River Dell to just two points in the third quarter so, despite scoring just seven points of its own, stretched its lead to as many as 12 at 21-9 when Powell scored inside with 1:45 left in the period. River Dell's lone points of the third quarter came on Kayleen Melvin's steal and layup with 1:01 left that gave the Golden Hawks their only transition points of the game. The PV lead was 21-11 going into the final eight minutes.
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In her first county tournament game, Pascack Valley freshman Shannon Culloo scored 7 points. |
The struggles on the offensive end have grown wearisome for River Dell, which is trying everything it can to find the answers.
“We can't put the ball in the basket right now. Even when we get open looks and the shot looks good, it is rimming in and out,” said River Dell head coach Lou Wejnert. “We have been working hard on our offense, maybe too hard because we can't snap out of it. Until we can knock down some shots, we are going to be in trouble. Our defense wasn't bad today, we held them to 35, but we had two two-point quarters and you can't win that way.”
As well as any team around, Pascack Valley knows how to protect a late lead and its motion offense forced River Dell to foul early and often in the fourth quarter to try to get some extra possessions. Pascack Valley point guard Chrissy Loganchuk kept the Indians organized and away from turnovers that could have given the Hawks a way back into the game.
“With the kind of team we have we always have to be patient,” said Loganchuk. “Every possession is important in this kind of game where it is low scoring. You can't take any bad shots and you can't give the ball away and then we had to make free throws.”
And make free throws the Indians did. After going 8 of 9 from the stripe through the first three quarters, Pascack Valley made 12 of 19 in the fourth quarter to continually stretch its lead.
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River Dell's Kayleen Melvin going in for a layup. |
No player from either team reached double figures. Powell, who was 5 of 6 from the free throw line, finished with a game-high 9 points to go with 7 rebounds and the 4 blocks, Lisa Marcellari scored all 7 of her points in the second half with five of them coming from the line and freshman Shannon Culloo also finished with 7. Loganchuk added 4 points, Kim Pane made the game's only 3-pointer for either team and Else DiGiacopo also had 3 points. Emily McGovern (8 points) and Melvin (7 points) combined to score 15 of River Dell's 19-point total.
For Pascack Valley, it is now on to a tough week of games as it plays Demarest and Teaneck in the regular season before getting a shot at IHA, the defending county champion and No. 1 seed, in next weekend's Round of 16.
“I think it is a great opportunity for us. It's an honor for us to play the No. 1 seed and it is well-chronicled just how good IHA is. They are always so well coached, Steve [Silver] is a gentleman and it is great. Regardless of what the outcome is, it is exciting because we get to prepare,” said Jasper. “We have a big week, we have Teaneck and Demarest and I won't be thinking about IHA until Friday, but it's exciting to get another county tournament game for these kids.”
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