Tuesday,
January 26, 2016
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Samantha McClutchy scored six points in an 11-0 run to start the second quarter to help Westwood pull away from Glen Rock in a 65-25 win in the opening round of the Bergen County Tournament. |
WESTWOOD – Even for a veteran team that has tasted success there are times when even experienced high school players get anxious before a big game. Playing in front of a big home crowd on Monday night in the first round of the Bergen County Tournament against Glen Rock, Westwood felt that adrenaline rush.
As the first quarter came to a close it was apparent that playing with all of that nervous energy was not necessarily a good thing for the Cardinals. With a chance to take a breather and refocus their energies, the Cardinals did just that and then some.
Samantha McClutchy scored six points in an 11-0 run to start the second quarter and the Cardinals never looked back. Over the final 24 minutes, No. 14 seed Westwood dominated the glass and smothered 19th-seeded Glen Rock defensively. The Cardinals allowed just 17 points over the final three quarters in a 65-25 romp to advance to the Round of 16.
In order for Glen Rock to stay in the game with a bigger, more athletic Westwood squad, the pace had to be set by the Panthers. Over the first eight minutes they were able to do that with an offense predicated on the three-man weave to run clock until a lane to the basket opened up. Tara Szawaluk scored on a driving left-handed floater off the glass to give the Panthers an 8-5 lead after one quarter. Westwood was reeling and used the time between the first and second periods to regroup both emotionally and tactically.
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Tara Szawaluk had a team-high 9 points for Glen Rock, which fell to 10-4 on the season. |
“We definitely had some butterflies before the game and we had to get them out of our system,” said McClutchy. “After we adjusted and we calmed down we were fine. We had a size advantage inside and we had to start taking advantage of it. The big thing was we had to be smart in the way we crashed the boards on offense so that we didn't get into foul trouble.”
Sophomore Carlye Danziger has emerged as a consistent outside threat. Her 3-pointer just seconds into the second quarter tied the game and McClutchy scored on the next possession to give Westwood the lead. In a manner of 30 seconds, the Cardinals had equaled its entire offensive output of the first quarter. They were not done, though, as Danziger nailed another 3 and McClutchy went to work inside with two more baskets en route to a 27-15 halftime lead.
The lead was still 12 near the midway point in the third quarter before Westwood took over. Shannon Monaghan hit a 3-pointer sandwiched between putbacks by Richmond-bound forward Jaide Hines-Clarke and McClutchy as the lead quickly grew to 20. While the outcome of the game was not in doubt throughout the second half, Westwood head coach Charlie Collis was happy to see his team get better as the game wore on.
“It was nice to see us close out a game strong against a good team,” said Collis. “We've been emphasizing about closing out games strong. Once we got the jitters out, we got back to playing solid defense and running through our offense.”
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Carlye Danziger had 8 points for Westwood, which will face Saddle River Day in the Round of 16. |
McClutchy was outstanding throughout, leading Westwood (8-5) in five different categories with 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. Hinds-Clarke added 15 points and five rebounds. Danziger and Monaghan chipped in with eight and seven points, respectively. Szawaluk led Glen Rock (10-4) with nine points. Fiona Higgins led all players with four blocked shots.
Westwood now advances to the Round of 16 in the Bergen County Tournament in an intriguing matchup against third-seeded Saddle River Day, where Hinds-Clarke played her freshman year. Collis likes the direction his team is headed and the Cardinals are excited for the challenge.
“Carlye Danziger and Shannon Monaghan are really stepping up and becoming impact players,” added Collis. “Those two are getting comfortable with their games on the court and now defenses can't just focus on trying to shut us down inside. Everyone knows we have two very good players in Jaide and Sam. Now the little pieces are coming together and we're finally healthy. We're excited to play this weekend and our confidence is growing.”
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