Five 3-Pointers in Third Ignite Comeback
By Mike Ready
TOMS RIVER - After their second-straight slow start of the playoffs found them trailing 26-22 at the half and desperately searching for some offensive flow, No.2 seeded Manasquan rediscovered their shooting touch in the third quarter to defeat No.6 seeded Camden Wilson, 62-42 Friday night at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.
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Manasquan (27-5), ranked third in the state, now heads to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions finals with a chance to win the prestigious event for the second time in three years. They will face No.1 seeded Shabazz, a 53-44 winner over St. Rose in Friday’s other semifinal, Monday 6:00 p.m. at the Sun National Bank Center, Trenton. Shabazz (32-1) is ranked No.1 in New Jersey and No.11 in the country according to the most recent Max Preps poll.
Shooting only 36 percent (8-for-22) from the field in the first half, including 2-for-8 from 3-point range, the Warriors shot a blazing 76 percent (16-for-22) from the field the rest of the way going 6-for-9 (67 percent) on three’s.
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“We always talk about the importance of the third quarter,” Manasquan coach Lisa Kukoda said. “We needed to get some stops and we needed to score. We knew we were going to change up our defenses by going in and out of different type zones and changing up our man. In the first half we a little hesitant, we looked a little bit off, but we picked it up defensively and made some stops which led to scores.”
The Warriors defense limited Camden Wilson to 5-for-22 shooting from the field in the second half, including 1-for-8 from 3-point range.
Manasquan opened the third quarter with a 12-2 run to take a 34-28 lead three minutes into the quarter.
Junior guard Marina Mabrey and senior forward Sam Sullivan teamed up for six quick points to open the quarter with Mabrey getting two buckets and assisting on the other, while Sullivan dished twice to Mabrey and took a pretty no-look pass from Mabrey to the hoop for two.
“I love playing with Marina; she’s my best friend.” Sullivan said. “I know where she likes to get the ball and she knows where I like to get the ball.”
With the score now tied 28-28, junior guard Courtney Hagaman hit the first of five third-quarter 3-point buckets. Hagaman, 0-for-4 on three’s in the first half, nailed back-to-back 3-point shots to open a six-point lead and the Warriors were on their way.
“At halftime I really had to figure out what I was doing wrong,” Hagaman said. “If I was like pushing it or rushing my shot and I realized I had to really set my shot and hit it. We needed those big shots and I figured I had just to get out there and just really focus and hit those shots.”
“Once Courtney hits her first shot she gets the momentum,” Sullivan said. “Courtney’s awesome, once she hit those two three’s it opened it up for everyone to start hitting them.”
After Hagaman scored her eighth-straight point of the quarter on a layup, Bridget Ford added a three just before Sullivan joined in the festivities, swishing a long 3-pointer from the top of the arc with a minute left in the third for a 42-33 lead.
“I love Sam,” Kukoda said. “She’s a good scorer, but when Sam is knocking down the three, you know we’re in good shape.”
Mabrey then capped off the 3-point barrage, backing off a defender and launching a 3-point fade away that hit nothing but net for Manasquan’s fifth 3-pointer of the quarter and a 45-36 lead as time expired in the third.
“I think we had a tough time in the first half, not expecting them to be as fast as they were,” Mabrey said. “In the locker room we were like we have to step back and deny the pass. Our defense got our transition game going and on offense we really started to move the ball.”
As a team, the Warriors had eleven second-half assists, as they consistently found the open man and hit their shots.
Mabrey had five assists in the second half while Sullivan added four in the half as each finished with six on the night.
Mabrey also had 24 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one blocked shot. She also did a good job shutting down Clemson-bound senior Chanelle Perry in the second half. Perry finished with 21 points, but only scored four points in the fourth quarter.
Sullivan finished with 15 points, 11 in the second half, and grabbed three boards while Hagaman added 14 points, with 10 coming in the second half.
“This game was great for us,” Kukoda said. “Playing with that high intensity and executing down the stretch; I think is going to be big for us moving forward. The final is going to be more about if we’re doing what we need to do to win. It’s going to be if we’re executing the way we need to execute both offensively and defensively.”
