Cougars Cage Mendham
Cranford varsity girls' basketball team win opening round of Region 3 state tournament.
Maintaining focus against lesser foes has been an ongoing issue with the talented and often-dominating Cranford Cougars girls' basketball team this season, and it popped up again on Tuesday night in the opening round of the Section 2, Group 3 state tournament.
Fortunately, Mendham was hardly a match for the Cougars, who experienced little trouble in their 43-31 victory. Now things are about to get tough. Fourth-seeded Cranford hosts fifth-seeded Milburn in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 7 p.m. Milburn improved to 20-5 with a victory over 12th seed Nutley on Tuesday.
Morgan Miller led the way against a young and inexperienced Mendham team on Tuesday at Cranford High School, scoring 12 points – 10 in the second half – and adding six rebounds, five assists, four blocked shots and three steals. Eight Cougars scored in the contest, but Cranford, despite dominating in the first half, could never quite put the Minutemen away.
While the outcome never seemed in doubt, Mendham used an 8-0 run to whittle a 17-point lead to nine, and had two chances to draw even closer. But when it failed to do so, Cranford regained its balance and went on its own 8-0 run midway through the final period to erase any lingering doubt.
“I think as a team we sometimes get a little over-confident,” said Miller after her team improved to 20-5. “We need to focus on playing the same way the entire game and it shouldn’t matter if we’re way up or way down.”
Head coach Jackie Dyer also cautioned against the dangers of such an attitude, especially as the competition gets tougher down the stretch.
“We’ve had a problem of playing down to teams’ levels,” she said. “That’s one of our problems, getting a little lackadaisical. We called a time-out and came out more focused.”
That was after the Cougars saw a 33-16 lead following Jess McCoy’s 14-footer late in the third period dwindle to 33-24 after a couple of Mendham free throws, two steals and baskets by Paige Russell and a 10-footer by Elizabeth Malman.
After another Cranford turnover, Mendham misfired on the other end, and Miller scored on a spinning bank shot in the lane. She blocked two shots on the other end – two of her four blocks over a two-minute span in the final period – and Jenna Goeller grabbed the rebound and fed ahead to freshman Mairead McKeary for a fast break lay-up.
Another freshman, Carly Maucione, followed with two straight baseline baskets and the game was sealed at 41-24 with 3:15 remaining.
Mendham made only one field goal in the first half, when Cranford forced 15 turnovers. But the Cougars were almost as careless, turning it over 13 times. With seven players scoring between two and four points at intermission, Cranford was able to take a 19-7 lead into the locker room.
“We’re working on not having just one or two people doing all the scoring,” Dyer said. “That way, teams have to watch out for four or five of us. I like that balance a lot.”
Mendham was much better in the second half, turning it over only five times and knocking down 9 of 19 shots after making only 1 of 13 in the first half.
Maucione provided her typical instant spark off the bench when she blocked three shots in the first two minutes of the second quarter. She also immediately made two perimeter shots and finished with eight points, four blocks, three rebounds, a steal and an assist.
“I don’t think she’s missed her first shot in a game all year,” Dyer said.
Added Miller: “She’s a really good shooter. We need to get her open and get her involved. She knocks it down every time and she also blocks shots.”
A fast-break lay-up by Sara Gugliucci and Kaitlyn McGovern’s 8-footer in the lane put the Cougars up 12 at the half.
McKeary scored seven points and dished out two assists, while McCoy, one of Cranford’s most reliable scorers, sat out the entire fourth period with foul trouble and scored only four points. But she grabbed six rebounds and had two steals. Goeller and McGovern added four apiece, with Goeller also handing out five assists and grabbing six rebounds.
Millburn, which has won six of its past seven games, lost to New Providence by 25. Cranford lost twice to New Providence – by 16 and six points. The two teams’ other common opponent is Livingston. Cranford beat the Highlanders by 16 in a tournament back in December, while Millburn beat Livingston twice, by 36 and 34 points.
Cranford has won eight of its previous nine games.
Fortunately, Mendham was hardly a match for the Cougars, who experienced little trouble in their 43-31 victory. Now things are about to get tough. Fourth-seeded Cranford hosts fifth-seeded Milburn in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 7 p.m. Milburn improved to 20-5 with a victory over 12th seed Nutley on Tuesday.
Morgan Miller led the way against a young and inexperienced Mendham team on Tuesday at Cranford High School, scoring 12 points – 10 in the second half – and adding six rebounds, five assists, four blocked shots and three steals. Eight Cougars scored in the contest, but Cranford, despite dominating in the first half, could never quite put the Minutemen away.
While the outcome never seemed in doubt, Mendham used an 8-0 run to whittle a 17-point lead to nine, and had two chances to draw even closer. But when it failed to do so, Cranford regained its balance and went on its own 8-0 run midway through the final period to erase any lingering doubt.
“I think as a team we sometimes get a little over-confident,” said Miller after her team improved to 20-5. “We need to focus on playing the same way the entire game and it shouldn’t matter if we’re way up or way down.”
Head coach Jackie Dyer also cautioned against the dangers of such an attitude, especially as the competition gets tougher down the stretch.
“We’ve had a problem of playing down to teams’ levels,” she said. “That’s one of our problems, getting a little lackadaisical. We called a time-out and came out more focused.”
That was after the Cougars saw a 33-16 lead following Jess McCoy’s 14-footer late in the third period dwindle to 33-24 after a couple of Mendham free throws, two steals and baskets by Paige Russell and a 10-footer by Elizabeth Malman.
After another Cranford turnover, Mendham misfired on the other end, and Miller scored on a spinning bank shot in the lane. She blocked two shots on the other end – two of her four blocks over a two-minute span in the final period – and Jenna Goeller grabbed the rebound and fed ahead to freshman Mairead McKeary for a fast break lay-up.
Another freshman, Carly Maucione, followed with two straight baseline baskets and the game was sealed at 41-24 with 3:15 remaining.
Mendham made only one field goal in the first half, when Cranford forced 15 turnovers. But the Cougars were almost as careless, turning it over 13 times. With seven players scoring between two and four points at intermission, Cranford was able to take a 19-7 lead into the locker room.
“We’re working on not having just one or two people doing all the scoring,” Dyer said. “That way, teams have to watch out for four or five of us. I like that balance a lot.”
Mendham was much better in the second half, turning it over only five times and knocking down 9 of 19 shots after making only 1 of 13 in the first half.
Maucione provided her typical instant spark off the bench when she blocked three shots in the first two minutes of the second quarter. She also immediately made two perimeter shots and finished with eight points, four blocks, three rebounds, a steal and an assist.
“I don’t think she’s missed her first shot in a game all year,” Dyer said.
Added Miller: “She’s a really good shooter. We need to get her open and get her involved. She knocks it down every time and she also blocks shots.”
A fast-break lay-up by Sara Gugliucci and Kaitlyn McGovern’s 8-footer in the lane put the Cougars up 12 at the half.
McKeary scored seven points and dished out two assists, while McCoy, one of Cranford’s most reliable scorers, sat out the entire fourth period with foul trouble and scored only four points. But she grabbed six rebounds and had two steals. Goeller and McGovern added four apiece, with Goeller also handing out five assists and grabbing six rebounds.
Millburn, which has won six of its past seven games, lost to New Providence by 25. Cranford lost twice to New Providence – by 16 and six points. The two teams’ other common opponent is Livingston. Cranford beat the Highlanders by 16 in a tournament back in December, while Millburn beat Livingston twice, by 36 and 34 points.
Cranford has won eight of its previous nine games.
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