SP-F Girls' Basketball Falls in UCT, But Qualifies for States

In a few years when players such as Taylor Sebolao, Tara Sweeney and Renee Oliver are seniors, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood girls' basketball team hopes to teach a younger, less experienced squad a lesson similar to the one Roselle Catholic taught the Raiders Monday night.

The defending Union County Tournament champion and present top-seeded Lions, with five of their top six players back from last season, prove on a night-in and night-out basis why they are – arguably - the best "team" once again in Union County.

Monday night was no exception.

 The way they run their offense passing the ball until the right player is open underneath for an easy basket or on the perimeter for a high-percentage outside shot is worth emulating.

Then there's Roselle Catholic's hustling, swarming-to-the-ball defense, which also includes not just one player, but all five going up for rebounds and coming down with them.

It may take some time, but Scotch Plains has the potential to be where Roselle Catholic is some day.

The Raiders can consider Monday night's first round UCT game against the Lions as "growing pains," but in a positive manner.

Before you knew it Roselle Catholic scored the game's first seven points. The Lions also held 17th-seeded Scotch Plains to under 10 points in all four quarters en route to an expected 63-31 triumph.

Roselle Catholic won its eighth straight to improve to 19-2 and will next face eighth-seeded Linden in Thursday night's second quarterfinal at Rahway at 7:30.

Scotch Plains had its second two-game winning streak of the season snapped and fell to 6-12.

In a season where injuries occur almost as much as baskets and rebounds for the Raiders, junior point guard Evie Klotz had to be carried off the court after twisting an ankle in the second quarter.

Although Klotz did not return to action after that, she still managed to be her team's high scorer with 12 points on three 2-point baskets and two 3-pointers.

Scotch Plains first-year head coach Jennifer Ryan hopes that Klotz will be healthy soon, with the Raiders wanting her back for at least their March 1 date with Millburn.

Scotch Plains earned the 13h seed for the upcoming North 2, Group 3 playoffs and will play at fourth-seeded Millburn in a first round game on Monday, March 1.

The NJSIAA allowed teams with records under .500 to qualify this year for the first time since the early 1970s. The NJSIAA also switched up when Groups 4 and 2 and then Group 3 and 1 will play.

This year it will be Groups 3 and 1 on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the first week in March and then the sectional finals for those schools will be played on the following Monday – March 8.

In years past, Groups 4 and 2 went on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the first week, while Groups 3 and 1 went Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and then played in sectional finals on the following Tuesday.

Ryan is just happy her Raiders are getting another opportunity.

Who knows, if Scotch Plains had not been hit so hard by injuries this year, the record could be different and the Raiders might have qualified with at least a .500 mark.

"Like I've been saying after every game, we just need to keep playing together and we'll take any opportunity that we can," Ryan said. "I think we're actually in a pretty good spot, coming out and playing Millburn. Anything can happen, that's the beauty of the game. We're just going to come out fighting."

With a record of 4-7 in the Watchung Division of the Union County Conference, the Raiders still have league games remaining at Summit, at Elizabeth and at Union to make up.

Scotch Plains is scheduled to play at non-conference foe Johnson Tuesday at 4 p.m. – which will be the Raiders' third trip to Clark since last Friday's UCT first round win over Rahway.

On Thursday, Scotch Plains has a non-conference home game against Somerset County foe Watchung Hills at 4 p.m., which is the Raiders' last scheduled regular season contest.

NOTES: Sebolao also scored in double digits for the Raiders, finishing with 11 points.

Roselle Catholic was paced by senior 2-guard Allison Skrec, who finished with 17 points and now has 1,226 for her four-year career. Skrec is now 41 points away from passing Schrene Isidora's school mark of 1,267 set in 1999.

Skrec also produced six rebounds, four assists and had six steals.

Junior forward Melissa Tobie scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists and came up with two steals.

Senior long-range shooting guard Meghan Faughnan scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half and made her first three 3-point field goal attempts. Faughnan also grabbed six rebounds, had one assist and one steal. 

Senior forward Anthonia Ajumobi led all players with 13 rebounds and added five points.

Senior point guard Jenny Malone had five points, two rebounds, two assists and six steals. 

UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND GAME

AT JOHNSON HIGH SCHOOL IN CLARK

17-SCOTCH PLAINS (6-12)                   9       7       6      9 - 31

1-ROSELLE CATHOLIC (19-2)            22     14     15    12 - 63 

SCOTCH PLAINS (31): Erin Brown 1-0-0-2, Liz Gallo 0-0-0-0, Evie Klotz 3-0-2-12, Becca Kreyer 0-0-0-0, Kelsey Meisch 0-0-0-0, Christine Monroy 0-0-0-0, Renee Oliver 0-0-0-0, Taylor Sebolao 2-2-1-11, Tara Sweeney 3-0-0-6. Totals: 9-4-1-31.

Starters: Klotz, Sebolao, Sweeney, Oliver, Monroy.

ROSELLE CATHOLIC (63): Anthonia Ajumobi 2-0-1-5, Meghan Faughnan 1-3-4-15, Niovanni Grant 0-0-1-1, Jenny Malone 1-0-3-5, Marcia Senatus 1-0-0-2, Allison Skrec 5-0-7-17, Melissa Tobie 6-0-4-16. Totals: 16-3-22-63.

Starters: Malone, Skrec, Faughnan, Tobie, Ajumobi.