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2/27/2009 |
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RC's LIONS' DEN |
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34th ANNUAL
FRANK J. CICARELL
UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2009 AT ROSELLE CATHOLIC’S LIONS’ DEN
ROSELLE CATHOLIC 55, PLAINFIELD 50 (2OT)
Taken from the article by J.R. Parachini
Roselle Catholic, the best team from the Mountain Valley Conference, and Plainfield, the supreme squad from the Watchung Conference, both played like champions. With the victory, Roselle Catholic won its sixth straight to improve to 22-3 and tied the school record for most wins in a season. There was no doubt that Roselle Catholic and Plainfield were the two best teams in Union County playing for the county championship.
LEAD CHANGES AND TIES IN A SEESAW GAME THAT ROCKED THE LIONS’ DEN
In regulation alone, there were six lead changes and eight ties. RC lead 39-33 with 3:18 remaining, when junior guard Allison Skrec, who poured in a game-high and career-high 30 points, scored her eighth field goal off a pass from fellow junior guard Jenny Malone. After Plainfield cut the lead to 39-34, RC was in possession with two and a half minutes to go. Malone was running the offense and looking to take some time off the clock when she had the ball stolen away – cleanly - and fell hard to the floor in pain. While Malone was down on the floor, Plainfield’s Woodard went the other way with the ball and made a lay-up to pull Plainfield to within three at 39-36. That’s when with less than 50 seconds Chanell Johnson found an opening and hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 43-43.
THE FIRST OVERTIME - MORE TIES, MORE LEAD CHANGES
Plainfield quickly took the lead, then Skrec followed with a lay-up to tie the game for the ninth time at 45-45. Soon after, Melissa Tobie who finished with nine points, fouled out for RC. Now the Lions had two starters out of the contest. Skrec gave RC its first lead of the overtime and sixth overall by scoring an inside basket that put RC up 47-45 with 2:06 to go. Plainfield came right back, for the 10th tie of the game, 47-47. After Ajumobi grabbed an important offensive rebound she went to the line and made one of two free throws to give RC its seventh lead at 48-47. Then, with 24 seconds left, Meghan Faughnan extended RC’s lead to 50-47. Once more, Plainfield came back again to nail another 3-pointer, and a foul by RC put Plainfield at the line for the game winner with :14 left. What appeared like an RC victory was now very much in doubt. But Plainfield's free throw did not fall, and it goes to another overtime period.
THE SECOND OVERTIME - THE LIONS FIND A WAY TO WIN
Back and forth it continued. Fingernails are chewed. Fans pace. The score remains tied at 50-50 with 2:41 left. For RC, which had to find a way to pull out the victory with two starters on the bench – one by injury and one by fouls – the play of reserves Anthonia Ajumobi and Betina Petit was critical. RC took charge when Skrec was fouled at half court, a foul that put Plainfield over the limit. Now in a 1-and-1 for the rest of the overtime period, Skrec came through with consecutive free throws to give RC its eighth and final lead for good at 52-50. With 33 seconds remaining Skrec was fouled again, and sank both free throws to give RC a 54-50 lead. Those might have been the most important free throws of the game. Then RC’s Faughnan was fouled with 11 seconds left, and made one of two free throws for a 55-50 Roselle Catholic lead. And that’s all the Lions needed to become the 2009 UCT Champions!
In winning the UCT, Coach Skrec’s RC team defeated the top two seeds – Watchung Conference schools Scotch Plains and Plainfield. RC was the last team from the MVC to win the UCT, the last parochial school to do so and the highest seeded MVC team in this year’s field.
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