Cougars Put Clamps on Crusaders Again, Sweeping Season Series
Final score is 43-31 Cranford.
Since Cranford held A.L. Johnson to a scant 23 points in a surprisingly easy victory back on Jan. 4, the Crusaders had won four of five games, scoring 50 or more points in each of those contests.
Whatever it was that worked defensively for Cranford earlier this month worked again on Friday night as the Cougars shut out the Crusaders over the final eight minutes, 12 seconds to pull away for a 43-31 victory as Cranford improved to 11-3 while dropping Johnson to 7-4.
“We struggled a little bit defensively through the first three quarters,” said Cranford head coach Jackie Dyer. “But then something snapped in the fourth quarter and that’s how we got our easy points, off turnovers.
For the most part, the combination of Kaitlin McGovern and Carly Maucione held the always-tough Kate Matthews in check. Matthews finished with 14 points, scoring eight of those over a five-minute spurt in the first half, and the other six in a three-minute span of the third period.
“She’s a very good player, very aggressive,” Dyer said. “We tried to front her but she’s hard to get around. I thought Carly and Kaitlin did a very good job against her.”
While the Cougars were taking care of things defensively, Jess McCoy was taking over offensively down the stretch. The sophomore scored eight of her game-high 18 points over a three-minute span in the final period to help Cranford begin to pull away.
The Cougars, who have now won three straight since a 29-21 debacle at Gov. Livingston on Jan. 20, a game Dyer admits “we don’t even talk about,” opened up their biggest lead to that point when Morgan Miller fed McCoy inside for a basket 20 seconds into the second half to put Cranford up 23-15. It was one of seven assists for Miller.
But the Cougars began to get careless with the basketball, committing three consecutive turnovers, as Johnson roared back to tie it with an 8-0 run. Though McCoy put Cranford back in front with a pull-up 14-footer, the Crusaders scored twice to take their first lead since early in the second quarter.
That seemed to get the Cougars’ attention as they closed out the final nine minutes, 18 seconds of the contest by going on an 18-4 run.
Jenna Goeller’s steal and lay-in tied the game at 27-27 with 1:44 left in the third. A fast break lay-up 30 seconds later put Johnson up for the final time. Maucione, who has sparked the Cougars since seeing more action over the past three games, knocked down two quick buckets to spark the final surge.
Though Johnson tied it with a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the third quarter, McGovern’s steal started a fast break and lay-in by McCoy with 7:32 left in the game that gave Cranford the lead for good as Johnson wouldn’t score again. A minute later, McCoy scored on a rebound basket, then added a six-footer in the lane to push the lead to 37-31.
McCoy got a steal and feed ahead to Goeller for another basket before Miller sparked a fast break that ended in a McCoy lay-up and the Cougars opened up a 10-point lead with 4:10 left.
It was another slow start for Cranford, which missed its first seven shots. Goeller finally broke the ice with a 15-footer midway through the period and Cranford scored the next six points to go up 6-3.
Maucione came in the game and immediately knocked down a 14-footer in the lane, and Miller hit a three-pointer from the top of the circle to give the Cougars an 11-10 lead after one period. The Cougars got in sync offensively against Johnson’s aggressive 1-2-2 zone, making 5 of 11 shots, including Miller’s runner at the buzzer that staked Cranford to a 21-15 halftime lead.
“The idea was to get the ball into the middle and then go to the basket,” Dyer said of her team’s strategy against the zone. “You’re not going to get anywhere passing it around the outside.”
Cranford made 11 of 17 shots in the second half, when it exploited Johnson’s press as well as turnover to break through for some easy buckets. Overall the Cougars made 21 of 46 shots, though they missed 7 of 8 from beyond the arc, taking only one in the second half. They turned it over 18 times and forced 17 by Johnson. The Crusaders made 6 of 20 shots in each half, and missed their final 12 attempts.
McCoy had five rebounds, three steals and two blocks to go along with her 18 points. Miller, though she scored only seven points – all in the first half – produced a balanced line with seven rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and three steals.
“That’s the thing we talk about and look at,” Dyer said. “Everyone’s going to get their points, but it’s the other things that make a team win. So we’re getting more steals, more blocked shots, more assists because they’re doing the little things.”
Maucione had eight points and five rebounds, while Goeller added eight points, three rebounds and two assists. Mairead McKeary didn’t score, but grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists as well as grabbing a steal.
The Cougars will go for their fourth straight victory on Monday when they host Union Catholic at 7 p.m.
Whatever it was that worked defensively for Cranford earlier this month worked again on Friday night as the Cougars shut out the Crusaders over the final eight minutes, 12 seconds to pull away for a 43-31 victory as Cranford improved to 11-3 while dropping Johnson to 7-4.
“We struggled a little bit defensively through the first three quarters,” said Cranford head coach Jackie Dyer. “But then something snapped in the fourth quarter and that’s how we got our easy points, off turnovers.
For the most part, the combination of Kaitlin McGovern and Carly Maucione held the always-tough Kate Matthews in check. Matthews finished with 14 points, scoring eight of those over a five-minute spurt in the first half, and the other six in a three-minute span of the third period.
“She’s a very good player, very aggressive,” Dyer said. “We tried to front her but she’s hard to get around. I thought Carly and Kaitlin did a very good job against her.”
While the Cougars were taking care of things defensively, Jess McCoy was taking over offensively down the stretch. The sophomore scored eight of her game-high 18 points over a three-minute span in the final period to help Cranford begin to pull away.
The Cougars, who have now won three straight since a 29-21 debacle at Gov. Livingston on Jan. 20, a game Dyer admits “we don’t even talk about,” opened up their biggest lead to that point when Morgan Miller fed McCoy inside for a basket 20 seconds into the second half to put Cranford up 23-15. It was one of seven assists for Miller.
But the Cougars began to get careless with the basketball, committing three consecutive turnovers, as Johnson roared back to tie it with an 8-0 run. Though McCoy put Cranford back in front with a pull-up 14-footer, the Crusaders scored twice to take their first lead since early in the second quarter.
That seemed to get the Cougars’ attention as they closed out the final nine minutes, 18 seconds of the contest by going on an 18-4 run.
Jenna Goeller’s steal and lay-in tied the game at 27-27 with 1:44 left in the third. A fast break lay-up 30 seconds later put Johnson up for the final time. Maucione, who has sparked the Cougars since seeing more action over the past three games, knocked down two quick buckets to spark the final surge.
Though Johnson tied it with a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the third quarter, McGovern’s steal started a fast break and lay-in by McCoy with 7:32 left in the game that gave Cranford the lead for good as Johnson wouldn’t score again. A minute later, McCoy scored on a rebound basket, then added a six-footer in the lane to push the lead to 37-31.
McCoy got a steal and feed ahead to Goeller for another basket before Miller sparked a fast break that ended in a McCoy lay-up and the Cougars opened up a 10-point lead with 4:10 left.
It was another slow start for Cranford, which missed its first seven shots. Goeller finally broke the ice with a 15-footer midway through the period and Cranford scored the next six points to go up 6-3.
Maucione came in the game and immediately knocked down a 14-footer in the lane, and Miller hit a three-pointer from the top of the circle to give the Cougars an 11-10 lead after one period. The Cougars got in sync offensively against Johnson’s aggressive 1-2-2 zone, making 5 of 11 shots, including Miller’s runner at the buzzer that staked Cranford to a 21-15 halftime lead.
“The idea was to get the ball into the middle and then go to the basket,” Dyer said of her team’s strategy against the zone. “You’re not going to get anywhere passing it around the outside.”
Cranford made 11 of 17 shots in the second half, when it exploited Johnson’s press as well as turnover to break through for some easy buckets. Overall the Cougars made 21 of 46 shots, though they missed 7 of 8 from beyond the arc, taking only one in the second half. They turned it over 18 times and forced 17 by Johnson. The Crusaders made 6 of 20 shots in each half, and missed their final 12 attempts.
McCoy had five rebounds, three steals and two blocks to go along with her 18 points. Miller, though she scored only seven points – all in the first half – produced a balanced line with seven rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and three steals.
“That’s the thing we talk about and look at,” Dyer said. “Everyone’s going to get their points, but it’s the other things that make a team win. So we’re getting more steals, more blocked shots, more assists because they’re doing the little things.”
Maucione had eight points and five rebounds, while Goeller added eight points, three rebounds and two assists. Mairead McKeary didn’t score, but grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists as well as grabbing a steal.
The Cougars will go for their fourth straight victory on Monday when they host Union Catholic at 7 p.m.
