Slowdown game frustrates Cougars in battle for first
Girls' basketball team comes up short, 29-21.
It was a game in which every possession was critical and a six-point deficit seemed like 60. Governor Livingston’s deliberate, patient style will do that to a team and it did it to Cranford on Thursday evening in a battle for first place in the Watchung Conference in Berkley Heights.
The Cougars were frustrated in just about every way possible and despite a valiant second-half rally, came up short in a 29-21 loss. Cranford (8-3) lost for the first time in eight games while the Highlanders won their ninth consecutive to improve to 9-1.
How frustrating was it? Try five points in the first half. Try being held scoreless for the first 11 minutes of the game and not reaching double figures until 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Try a 6-for-25 second-half shooting performance being the better of your two halves. Overall the Cougars made just 8 of 44 shots and missed all 15 of their three-point attempts.
Despite all that and despite what surely must have seemed an insurmountable 12-point deficit even though more than 12 minutes remained in the contest, Cranford nearly pulled this one off. With swarming second-half defense, the Cougars went on a 16-5 run from the 4:10 mark of the third period to the 1:28 mark of the fourth period.
Jess McCoy’s two free throws pulled the Cougars within a single point with 1:28 remaining. But Alyssa Polimeni scored on a scoop shot, McGovern missed on the other end and the Highlanders closed out the game with a lay-up and 3 of 4 free throws to set the final margin.
A hint of what was to come came early when Gov. Livingston ran nearly two minutes off the clock before launching a shot. Cranford didn’t take its first shot until three minutes into the game and missed their first 10 attempts. The Cougar defense was keeping it close, holding the Highlanders to 1 of 7 shooting in the first period.
Morgan Miller final got Cranford on the board with a steal and lay-in with 4:54 left in the first half, but by the time she scored the Cougars’ only other first-half field goal with 3:00 left, Gov. Livingston had grabbed a 10-4 lead. It was 11-5 at intermission when the Cougars made only 2 of 17 shots.
While Cranford took good care of the basketball – though their 10 turnovers might in part be due to their limited possessions – they forced shots on offense and allowed 10 offensive rebounds, which in this game meant more than usual.
When the Highlanders scored the first six points of the second half – all by Mallory George – the lead grew to 17-5 and any comeback was going to have to be propelled by the Cougar defense against an opponent now even more intent on running clock. With McGovern and Miller blocking shots and the Cougars beginning to force turnovers, their rally began.
McCoy scored her first points of the game on a drive from the right wing and Mairead McKeary hit a 10-footer along the baseline. After Erin Ferguson extended the lead to 10 with a bucket, McCoy scored on a runner in the lane and Cranford was back in it, trailing 19-11 after three periods.
Miller’s spinning bank shot and McCoy’s 12-footer from the baseline had the Cougars within 19-15 before Polimeni scored on a difficult shot in the lane. McGovern knocked down two free throws and later drilled an 8-footer on the baseline to cut the lead to 21-19 with 2:14 left in the game.
Gov. Livingston made 1 of 2 free throws and Miller’s bid to tie it on a three-pointer went all the way in and came out. But McCoy got the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws. But the Highlanders closed out the game with seven straight points.
The Cougar defense forced 17 turnovers and blocked seven shots – four by McGovern and three by Miller. But the frigid shooting and only six trips to the line (Cranford made five) was too much to overcome. The Highlanders were whistled for only seven fouls in the physical contest, a number that had Dyer none too happy afterward.
“The girls fought real hard,” said frustrated head coach Jackie Dyer. “Our shots didn’t fall at the start of the game but our defense worked really, really hard. They fought.
Gov. Livingston made only 9 of 29 shots but knocked down 9 of 12 free throws and outrebounded Cranford 33-29.
McCoy finished with eight points and four rebounds, while Miller added six points, three boards and two steals. Jenna Goeller and Sarah Gugliucci each had four rebounds.
The Cougars will try to bounce back when they host Elizabeth (1-7) at 4 p.m. on Friday.
The Cougars were frustrated in just about every way possible and despite a valiant second-half rally, came up short in a 29-21 loss. Cranford (8-3) lost for the first time in eight games while the Highlanders won their ninth consecutive to improve to 9-1.
How frustrating was it? Try five points in the first half. Try being held scoreless for the first 11 minutes of the game and not reaching double figures until 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Try a 6-for-25 second-half shooting performance being the better of your two halves. Overall the Cougars made just 8 of 44 shots and missed all 15 of their three-point attempts.
Despite all that and despite what surely must have seemed an insurmountable 12-point deficit even though more than 12 minutes remained in the contest, Cranford nearly pulled this one off. With swarming second-half defense, the Cougars went on a 16-5 run from the 4:10 mark of the third period to the 1:28 mark of the fourth period.
Jess McCoy’s two free throws pulled the Cougars within a single point with 1:28 remaining. But Alyssa Polimeni scored on a scoop shot, McGovern missed on the other end and the Highlanders closed out the game with a lay-up and 3 of 4 free throws to set the final margin.
A hint of what was to come came early when Gov. Livingston ran nearly two minutes off the clock before launching a shot. Cranford didn’t take its first shot until three minutes into the game and missed their first 10 attempts. The Cougar defense was keeping it close, holding the Highlanders to 1 of 7 shooting in the first period.
Morgan Miller final got Cranford on the board with a steal and lay-in with 4:54 left in the first half, but by the time she scored the Cougars’ only other first-half field goal with 3:00 left, Gov. Livingston had grabbed a 10-4 lead. It was 11-5 at intermission when the Cougars made only 2 of 17 shots.
While Cranford took good care of the basketball – though their 10 turnovers might in part be due to their limited possessions – they forced shots on offense and allowed 10 offensive rebounds, which in this game meant more than usual.
When the Highlanders scored the first six points of the second half – all by Mallory George – the lead grew to 17-5 and any comeback was going to have to be propelled by the Cougar defense against an opponent now even more intent on running clock. With McGovern and Miller blocking shots and the Cougars beginning to force turnovers, their rally began.
McCoy scored her first points of the game on a drive from the right wing and Mairead McKeary hit a 10-footer along the baseline. After Erin Ferguson extended the lead to 10 with a bucket, McCoy scored on a runner in the lane and Cranford was back in it, trailing 19-11 after three periods.
Miller’s spinning bank shot and McCoy’s 12-footer from the baseline had the Cougars within 19-15 before Polimeni scored on a difficult shot in the lane. McGovern knocked down two free throws and later drilled an 8-footer on the baseline to cut the lead to 21-19 with 2:14 left in the game.
Gov. Livingston made 1 of 2 free throws and Miller’s bid to tie it on a three-pointer went all the way in and came out. But McCoy got the rebound, was fouled and made two free throws. But the Highlanders closed out the game with seven straight points.
The Cougar defense forced 17 turnovers and blocked seven shots – four by McGovern and three by Miller. But the frigid shooting and only six trips to the line (Cranford made five) was too much to overcome. The Highlanders were whistled for only seven fouls in the physical contest, a number that had Dyer none too happy afterward.
“The girls fought real hard,” said frustrated head coach Jackie Dyer. “Our shots didn’t fall at the start of the game but our defense worked really, really hard. They fought.
Gov. Livingston made only 9 of 29 shots but knocked down 9 of 12 free throws and outrebounded Cranford 33-29.
McCoy finished with eight points and four rebounds, while Miller added six points, three boards and two steals. Jenna Goeller and Sarah Gugliucci each had four rebounds.
The Cougars will try to bounce back when they host Elizabeth (1-7) at 4 p.m. on Friday.
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