Cranford (42) at West Morris (53), NJSIAA Tournament, Final Round, North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3
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By Sean ReillyThe first quarter of last night's NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final didn't go well for Shayna Ericksen and her West Morris teammates.
West Morris couldn't solve Cranford's zone defense, which caused it go scoreless for more than five minutes and fall behind by seven points. It was no way to begin such an important game being played inside its own gym.
``The zone troubled us a bit,'' Ericksen, a 5-11 junior forward, said. ``But we all said that there was no way we were going to lose this game.''
Ericksen, who had two points and two fouls with seven minutes left in the opening half, wound up with final totals of 31 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks when West Morris took control over the final two quarters for a 53-42 victory in Long Valley.
She scored eight in the second quarter to get her team to within 23-21 at halftime. She then scored all 11 points for West Morris in the third period, on two baskets inside and a 7-for-8 showing from the free throw line, as coach Fran Gavin's team went ahead, 32-29. She then put the finishing touches on her superior effort by hitting five baskets for 10 points, collecting eight rebounds and rejecting two shots over the final eight minutes.
``She was just too tough to handle inside,'' Cranford coach Jackie Dyer said. ``She's a very good player.''
Cranford, which held a 13-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, maintained a two-point lead at the half behind nine points from Morgan Miller, who finished with a team-high 13 points.
But once West Morris adjusted to Cranford's 2-3 zone, its guards were able to connect with Ericksen in the paint. After Brielle Kelly scored off a steal by Carly Shello to give West Morris a 23-23 tie 50 seconds into the second quarter, it didn't get a basket from a player other than Ericksen until Caroline Consol connected with five minutes left in the game for a 42-32 lead.
``Once we got used to the zone, we started to settle down,'' Ericksen said. ``It was important for us to stay patient.''
Ericksen went into the game with season averages of 24.2 points and 12 rebounds. She averaged 25.8 points and 16 rebounds in the four-game run to the sectional crown.
``She's a born leader and basketball player,'' Shello said. ``You couldn't ask for anything more than the way she stepped up for us in this game.''
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