When a No. 1-seeded team, such as the Chatham High School Girl’s basketball (N.J.) squad takes on a No. 16 ranked club, Orange, it is hard to envision an upset would occur, especially since the way the Cougars have been playing this season.
Well, just like people expected, Chatham (27-2) rolled to a dominate 71-29 victory Wednesday night at home in the New Jersey State Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NJSIAA) 1st Round of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 state tournament.
The Cougars jumped out to a quick 12-0 advantage, with seniors Arden Alvarez, Ella Kreuzer and Mia Semioli dropping in eight, four, and four points, respectively, with 4:42 to go in the first period.
Turning the game into an early track meet, Chatham ended the quarter up 23-8.
The Cougars, who played near flawless hoops, did not allow a point until the Tornadoes (14-15) scored a bucket with 19.9 remaining in the first half.
By that time, Chatham had built a commanding 55-10 lead going into the locker room.
With the Cougars holding a comfortable advantage in the third period, Chatham head coach Joe Gaba inserted his backups into the tilt.
While the Orange did outscore the Cougars, 10-6, in the third quarter, the home team still held a sizable 63-20 lead at that point.
From there, in the fourth period, Chatham cruised their way to the decisive victory.
“We just wanted to get back on the court and just play,” Gaba said of starting the playoff run on the right foot. “The road starts here. We have three weeks. We have to get on a six-game winning streak. So, we just have to come in and play and not play sloppy, which we did tonight.”
Alvarez and Kreuzer drained 15 points apiece, while Semioli contributed 11 points.
Sophomore forward/guard Phoenix Fraser led the Tornadoes with 12 points.
The Cougars play the winner of South Plainfield/Payne Tech.
— Jerry Del Priore
NY NJ Sports World/Brooklyn Sports World 