Missed Opportunities Cost Chatham Girls Basketball Team to Drop North 2, Group 3 Sectional Semi-Final in Double Overtime; Team is Shocked in 53-49 Loss to Cranford
at
07:45AM
on Sunday, March 06 2011
Chatham was down 48-47 in double overtime when they took a time out with just over a minute remaining.
The play discussed by Head Coach Joe Gaba worked perfectly. Senior Kelsey Hart was wide open underneath the basket, as she received a ball that she was easily able to lay in with about 42 seconds left in the period. She finished the game with 16 points.
After that play, one of the most unexpected things happened that one can expect to see in a high school basketball game.
Mairead McKeary of Cranford received a pass near half court as fans started to chant "3, 2,1." In actuality, there was over ten seconds left in the game. McKeary, however, seemed to buy into the cheers and fired up a shot from well beyond the three point line that dropped into the basket without even touching the rim.
“That last possession was crazy. (McKeary) hit a great shot,” a dejected Coach Gaba said after the game. “I don’t think that was the shot they intended on. It’s not like that shot was poorly defended. She was about six feet from the three point line.”
Chatham had one last chance to at least tie the game. With about nine seconds left junior guard Amanda Berntsen, who led Chatham with 17 points, drove to the basket in traffic. Her layup try missed its mark and Cranford’s Jenna Goeller grabbed the rebound.
Goeller was then fouled after she got the ball with 7.7 seconds left. She nailed both of her free throws to essentially ice the game.
Berntsen fired up a three pointer for Chatham with less than five seconds left, but missed. Time then expired in the game and on Chatham’s season.
“We battled all game. We couldn’t get a stop when we needed it,” Coach Gaba told The Alternative Press. “I’m proud of my kids. We had a great year,” he added.
With less than 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Chatham had their first chance to win a game that was back and forth the whole way through. Berntsen drove to the basket and was fouled when she hit a layup with 14.5 seconds left. The referees then deliberated for a bit and decided that she was not in the act of shooting when she was fouled. Therefore, Berntsen’s made layup did not count.
That decision proved to be crucial. A normally clutch Berntsen missed both of her free throw chances before Cranford grabbed the rebound with about four seconds left in the fourth. Morgan Miller of Cranford launched a long three point try, but the ball fell short of the basket as time expired in regulation.
The first overtime saw Chatham get off to a slow start, but then they came roaring back to tie the contest.
Carly Maucione of Cranford made a jump shot and Jessica McCoy sank a free throw to give their team a three point lead with just over two minutes left in the period. Afterward, Berntsen made a layup to bring the contest to within one with 1:50 on the clock.
Goeller hit one more free throw for Cranford and then Kelsey Davies swished two free throws for Chatham with under 20 seconds remaining. Cranford had an opportunity to come away with the victory, but failed to convert a basket. The score was 43-43 heading into the second overtime.
“They did a good job of slowing us up a little bit. We didn’t get as many clean possessions as we wanted,” Coach Gaba said of the first overtime period.
The play during regulation time was close and intense; fitting for a section semi-final game. Chatham got baskets from Berntsen, Davies and Lauren Winschuh in the first quarter and took a 7-6 lead after the first eight minutes of play.
Cranford came roaring back in the second quarter when Morgan Miller hit a three pointer at the 7:30 mark to give her team the first lead of the game. Kaitlin McGovern then nailed a long jump shot to give Cranford a four point edge.
Chatham then went on a small run of their own when Samantha Kennedy hit both of her free throws and Hart made a layup. The score was 13-12 in Chatham’s favor at the 2:20 mark of the second.
Miller made a 3-point field goal for Cranford with under a minute left until halftime. Chatham was down 15-13 after the first half of play.
“We struggled mightily outside against their (Cranford) zone,” Coach Gaba said of the first half.
The third quarter went in Chatham’s favor. Berntsen led the way with six points, Hart had four and Winschuh and Kennedy added three points each.
The team also went on a 6-0 run near the end of the third and scored two quick baskets in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Chatham enjoyed its biggest lead when they were up 33-25 after three minutes or so of play in the fourth.
When asked if momentum was on Chatham’s side when they were up by eight points late in the game, Coach Gaba responded, “To get to where we were in the second half, I was pleased with how we fought all game. We definitely had some momentum there.”
Toward the middle of the fourth quarter, Cranford began to eat away at Chatham’s lead. McCoy hit a three and Miller laid the ball in to bring their team to within three with 4:15 left on the clock. Maucione then put in a three ball for Cranford before Sara Gugliucc knotted the game up at 39 a piece with less than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Even with the loss, Chatham should be proud of their effort. They played strong defense, forcing 18 Cranford turnovers. They also dominated on the offensive glass for most of Saturday night’s game.
“I thought we did a good job. We timed our run and jumps well. We always play pretty good defense,” Coach Gaba said of Chatham’s defensive play.
Chatham ends its season with an impressive 26-3 record. Two of those losses came against Morris Catholic, who they also defeated once.
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