Sunday,
February 2, 2014
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Caitlin Roche hit a 3-pointer to kick off a 17-2 run for defending champion IHA, which knocked off Pascack Valley in the Bergen County Tournament. |
HILLSDALE - When a decided underdog is playing the best team in the county, the value of a possession is incalculable. Facing top-seeded Immaculate Heart Academy yesterday, Pascack Valley found that out first-hand. Through the game's first 10 minutes, Pascack Valley stayed patient and took good shots in playing the defending Bergen County champion to a standstill. But two turnovers and two rushed shots by the Indians were just the opening IHA needed to take over the game as all four of those miscues turned into baskets on the other end of the floor.
Caitlin Roche got a fortuitous bounce on a 3-pointer then scored on a driving layup to cap a 17-2 run as No. 1 seed IHA cruised from there to a 50-29 victory over 16th seeded Pascack Valley on Saturday at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale.
"Playing Pascack Valley in their gym is never an easy task and they gave us a good run early on," said IHA head coach Steve Silver. "We took care of the ball much better in the second quarter than we did the first and we forced some turnovers, which helped get us going. Playing against a team coached by Jeff (Jasper), is a game that's tough to play because we're so close and have so much respect for one another. But we really came on in the second quarter to get into a flow that carried us well into the second half."
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Shannon Culloo scored a team-high 15 points for Pascack Valley. |
Lisa Marcellari dropped in a 3-pointer from the corner and freshman Shannon Culloo scored on a pull up jumper to keep the Indians within striking distance. Jessica Powell opened the second quarter with a turnaround jumper just inside the elbow to knot the score at 12. The Indians had a chance to take the lead but turned the ball over. which led to Roche's 3-point attempt that bounced high off the back rim and kissed the rim three times before dropping through. Another turnover and a pair of rushed shots led to two baskets from Lindsey Rogers and one from Katia Oge as IHA opened up a 29-17 lead.
"We knew we were overmatched and the mistakes you make against a team like IHA are going to be magnified because they are so talented," said Pascack Valley head coach Jeff Jasper. "My kids played their hearts out and we gave it everything we had. As a coach, you can't ask for more than that. IHA is so talented and so deep that unless a team like us plays absolutely mistake-free it's hard to stay in a game with them. It's a learning curve for us and we'll gain valuable experience from playing a team like IHA."
The Blue Eagles put to rest any hopes of a comeback as Jordan Wilmoth nailed a 3-pointer to kickstart an 11-0 run to start the second half with IHA leading by as many as 25 in the third quarter.
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IHA's Lindsey Rogers scored a game-high 16 points. |
IHA (12-4) was led by Lindsey Rogers with a game-high 16 points. Roche added 15 points and Oge chipped in with 10. Culloo pumped in 15 points for Pascack Valley (8-8) and Marcellari scored 10.
IHA moves into next week's quarterfinal round where it will face eighth-seeded Saddle River Day and former IHA point guard Izzy McMahon. With a target on their back and a title to defend, the Blue Eagles have grown to love every team giving them their best shot.
"When you pay for IHA, you know teams are going to be gunning for you," said Rogers. "It's definitely a challenge but we're aware of that and we like that challenge of having to play our best every time out. The deeper we go into the counties, we have to come out stronger each time. We're getting better every day and after the loss (to Paramus Catholic), we've bounced back to where we were before that game."
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