Zoe Wasserlauf, a transfer from Tenafly, was a force on the defensive end for Demarest, which opened its season with a 48-34 win over a sold Colts Neck team.
DEMAREST – In her four years on the varsity level Gabriela Mittelman has seen it all at a Northern Valley/Demarest girls basketball program. From a sub-.500 freshman season to the Bergen County championship game and a state sectional final as junior to this season where a couple of new players have raised the program's profile and its expectations.
The lone senior on the roster, Mittelman was already the leader of a team with talented underclassmen even before juniors Zoe Wasserlauf and Nassiah Cole-Haricha transferred in from Tenafly and IHA, respectively.
"We love having Nas[siah] and Zoe here as part of our family. We are so grateful that they could join us this year. From going 9-18 my freshman year to opportunities we have now, it has a chance to be special," said Mittelman, who has committed to play at Smith College next year. "You want to leave a program better than you found it and I am super excited for this season and what is ahead."
And Demarest has scheduled accordingly. The Norsewomen will play Trinity Hall and Franklin this weekend at the talent-packed Shore Games at Red Bank Catholic and, instead of opening this year's run with what probably would have been a crossover walk-over win, they invited a young and up-and-coming Colts Neck team up for the season-opener. The challenge was accepted.
"I think if we would have had this team and played the strength of schedule that we had last year I think we would have been ridiculed. It would not have challenged the girls and what, would we be playing for our record? Who needs a record? I am the only one that stays here, they all cycle out," said Demarest head coach Jenny Jurjevic. "I think this group could quite possibly be the best team that NVD has ever had, so that is expectations and pressure on me. I have to do something with it. Colts Neck today, Trinity Hall on Friday, Franklin on Sunday...it is not going to be an easy task for us."
Colts Neck sophomore Jules Jasina led all scorers with 21 points.
Demarest's task was maid slightly easier by the fact that Colts Neck showed up on Wednesday minus two starters courtesy of the flu. The short-handed Cougars gave it a run, but Demarest's depth and its defensive pressure proved to be too much for the visitors. The Norsewomen led just about wire-to-wire in a 48-34 victory that provided the desired outcome and a successful first step in welcoming the new players into the fold.
"I thought fitting in might be hard at first, but when you have a senior like Gabby [Mittelman] and then so many good juniors and other players to help me out, it has really made it feel like a family," said Cole-Haricha, who admitted to some pre-tip jitters. "I was terrified, honestly. I tried to keep a cool face, but I was really nervous. First game with a new team, a new coach and you never know what is going to happen, but I thought played really well and I am really proud of that."
Wasserlauf scored her first point for Demarest from the free throw line to open the game's scoring before sophomore Jules Jasina scored off the offensive glass for Colts Neck. That gave the Cougars their first and only lead of the game at 2-1 before Cole-Haricha's first two baskets in royal blue, both in transition created by turnovers, gave Demarest the lead for good.
The Norsewomen led 13-5 after the first quarter, 27-16 at the intermission and had eight players make at least one first half field goal. Demarest got eight points from its bench in the first half with Sheridan Wertz made field goals on consecutive trips to help stretch the lead.
Mittelman opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to make it a 14-point spread and Deana Finkelstein's bucket in the paint to open the fourth quarter gave the Norsewomen their largest lead of the game at 43-22.
A four-year starter, senior Gabriela Mittelman scored a team-high 13 points for Demarest.
Mittelman (13 points) led Demarest's eight scorers. Cole-Haricha (9 points) and Finkelstein (8 points) were steady options. Ava Francia added 5 points, including a fourth quarter 3-pointer, Werts and Ella Peck each added 4 points, Wasserlauf chipped in with a field goal and a free throw in addition to her hard-nosed on the ball defense Caitlyn Fontana's first quarter field goal rounded out the scoring for Demarest (1-0).
Colts Neck (0-1) was led by sophomore Jules Jasina, who, with a variety of post moves and dives to the basket from the free throw line, finished with a game-high 21 points.
The Cougars should improve rapidly when they get their two missing starters back, but every team has plenty to work on as the season gets underway. Demarest is no different.
"For this group it has to be growth over results. We have to focus on getting better and playing more together," said Jurjevic, who lost two solid seniors from last year's team in defensive specialist Chloe Poirot and leading scorer Angelina Tirado. "I don't know if I really like where we are right now. Our shot counts are down, our turnovers are up and our offense looks only OK. I thought our high/low game looked better than our five-man out, so maybe that is us this year. It wasn't us last year, but I am not stubborn. We can adapt and play some different styles."
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