Thursday night’s game against Pope John XXIII featured what Chatham High School (N.J.) Girl’s basketball team does best: play tough defense and shoot the ball with well.
But it was not enough, as the Cougars (1-2) lost a tight contest, 42-39, to the Lions (2-0), who were led by senior wing Mia Washington‘s 21 points, at home.
Head coach Joe Gaba chalked up the defeat to missed scoring opportunities and starting roster turnover from last season that is a work in progress during the early going.
“There were a lot of opportunities that we had to extend the lead or hold onto the lead a little bit better when we were up early,” Gaba said. “But we’re learning. This is an entirely new starting lineup, an entirely new group of kids playing (together). And one of the hardest things to do is to learn how to win.
“And the little things that we might have been able to get away with in the past, we can’t get away with now,” he added. “They (Lions) only have two kids that can really hurt you. Taking that chance and missing on that chance and giving them open shots kind of hurt us a little bit. Those are the opportunities I like to get back.”
Things began well for Chatham, as it took a 11-5 advantage in the first period, with senior Ava Paone draining two three pointers.
But Pope John went on a 7-0 run to take a 12-11 lead with 3:46 to go in the second quarter.
Just 32 seconds later, though, junior guard Ashley Nowicki responded with one from beyond the arc to help the Cougars retake advantage at 14-12.
Both teams exchanged leads until sophomore guard Lucy Arps drilled a three-pointer to give Chatham a 17-15 lead, which it took into the break.
With each squad trading blows in the third period, Arps nailed another clutch trey, a buzzer-beater, to put the Cougars ahead by a point.
The Lions buried a three-pointer of their own to start the fourth quarter, taking the lead at 34-32.
However, sophomore Caroline Kreuzer banged home a three to give Chatham a one-point advantage with 7:17 remaining in the tilt.
Pope John knotted the contest at 35-all. But Kreuzer scored a bucket to put the Cougars in front, 37-35, with 6:25 left in the game before the Lions tied it up again.
But Washington snapped the stalemate at 39-37 with 3:43 to go in the affair.
Chatham, however, retied the game with two minutes left. But that is as close as the Cougars would get, as the Lions sealed the victory by making free throws the stretch while thwarting Chatham’s last-ditch offensive efforts.
Arps led the Cougars with 15 points, while Nowicki contributed eight. Paone and Kreuzer chipped in with six and five points, respectively.
Chatham travels to Arts High School Monday at 4:00 p.m.
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