Monday,
February 16, 2015
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Caitlin Roche scored a game-high 17 points to help lead IHA back to the Bergen County Tournament final with a 65-34 win over Paramus Catholic at Ramapo College. |
MAHWAH - For most of the season, the senior-laden Immaculate Heart Academy has dismantled opponents in a variety of ways. Whether it's pounding the ball inside to Jordan Wilmoth and Katia Oge or Alex Mesropyan smothering the opposing team's point guard to key a staunch defensive effort, IHA has excelled in all facets. The only thing missing in recent weeks has been the normally hot hand of Division 1-bound shooting guard Caitlin Roche.
While the Blue Eagles were not on their home court on Sunday in the Bergen County semifinals, Roche felt right at home as she got back on track on a big way.
After three close games in the past eight days, top-seeded IHA pulled away early in the third quarter against upstart Paramus Catholic. Roche had seven points in a 15-0 run that put the game away and lifted the Blue Eagles into the Bergen County final with a 65-34 win over the 12th seeded Paladins at Ramapo College in Mahwah.
"I thought we did a great job of playing with poise and doing all the little things you need to do to beat a good team," said IHA head coach Steve Silver. "Play good honest defense and make them struggle to find points was what we stressed before the game. We carried out the gameplan and Caitlin (Roche) shot the ball well for us."
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PC's Destinee Hall had 7 points to tie for team-high honors. |
After a scare against Holy Angels in the quarterfinals last week along with another close game against them along with one against Ramapo, IHA has finally been tested by someone other than Passaic County favorite Paterson Eastside. Paramus Catholic, which pulled upsets over the No. 4 and 5 seeds, Northern Valley/Old Tappan and Ramapo, in the previous two rounds, was looking to pull the ultimate upset over its biggest rival. Nyree Grant kept it close early with her 3-point play cutting the IHA lead to 10-8.
Mesropyan never allowed the Paladins to get any closer as she had consecutive steals and breakaway layups late in the first quarter. IHA built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and took a 31-19 lead into halftime. Although that seemed like a sizable margin, Silver was not particularly comfortable with it.
"I knew this game could still go either way and we had to keep playing with the same sense of urgency in the second half as we did in the first," added Silver. "A 12-point lead can either go up to 16 or 18 where you can start to relax and feel comfortable. Or they can quickly cut it down to 5 or 7, and now you're in a dogfight. We harped on all week is coming out and having a strong third quarter after so many close games in the past week or so. I thought we came out really focused in the third quarter and it showed with how well we executed."
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Megan Swords scored 9 points off the bench for IHA, which will play Immaculate Conception for the county title on Sunday. |
Roche scored in different ways to spark the game-clinching run. She nailed a rainbow 3-pointer, hit a pull-up jumper and also finished a drive to the basket in the 15-0 run that put to rest any thoughts of an upset and gave IHA a 49-21 lead.
Roche led all players with 17 points for IHA (19-1). Oge and Wilmoth added 14 and 13 points, respectively. Megan Swords contributed nine points off the bench. Jasmin Wilson and Destinee Hall each had seven points to lead Paramus Catholic (15-8).
Ever since a crushing defeat in the Bergen County final to Northern Highlands last year, the IHA players have had a laser-like focus to getting back to the county final. Now that opportunity is in front of them as they will face third-seeded Immaculate Conception to determine who will be crowned Bergen County champion.
"Coach (Silver) always says that the next game is always the most important one and it is, but once we get to Thursday night we'll have all of our focus on winning a county title," said Roche, who will play at Robert Morris University next year. "It was nice to get out of the slump and get my mind right. We know this gym well, we've been here four years in a row. It's the last time that the seniors will be playing on this court and we hope to have the time of our lives."
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