Chatham High School (N.J.) girls’ basketball team did everything right in its game against Colonia Saturday night. What resulted was a 67-32 lopsided Cougars’ victory, as well as the 2023-24 North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 title.
It was Chatham’s seventh sectional title in nine trips, after losing to Mendham in the semifinals last season.
In coach Joseph Gaba’s words, he said the Cougars (27-3) put on a classic clinical performance, pleasing him to no end.
“Once we got them out of zone, we didn’t even have to run any of our main sets,” Gaba explained. “We went to basic motional offense, and just went to cross cutting and back cutting. It was just a really clinical effort by my kids. I’m so proud of them.”
Chatham, behind eight points from junior Ella Kreuzer, jumped out to a 18-7 lead in the first quarter.
The Cougars delivered some more of the same on court punishment to the Patriots (23-7), with four different players scoring and helping Chatham widen its advantage to 31-14 at the break.
In the third period, Kreuzer added 10 more points to her ledger, as the Cougars took a commanding 33-point by the end of the quarter.
Senior Addison Barrett started off the fourth period by sinking two foul shots, and Chatham sealed the deal with a 12-10 run to finish the tilt.
Though it was Barrett’s last game on the Cougars’ home hardwood, she said she did not allow it to distract her and let it break her concentration while dealing with the task at hand of picking up the victory.
“Even though this was my last game on this court, I was just focusing on the win and the moment,” said Barrett, who is committed to Princeton’s D-1 Women’s lacrosse program, of her last basketball contest at Chatham High School. “I wasn’t thinking too much about that. But it’s super awesome. My teammates set me up really well. Everyone finished on their shots. And this was a picture-perfect way to end it.”
Kreuzer led all scorers with 22 points, while Barrett played one of her best games of the season, recording 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Juniors Mia Semioli and Arden Alvarez dropped in 12 points apiece.
The Cougars’ stingy defense held senior Taylor Derkack, one of the top players on the New Jersey high school girls’ hoop scene, to 14 points.
The Cougars will travel to Teaneck Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. for a NJSIAA Semifinal Round, Group 3 Tournament matchup.
Chatham High School girls’ basketball team celebrates big sectional win in video below.
— Jerry Del Priore
NY NJ Sports World/Brooklyn Sports World 