Merry Christmas
It's 3 a.m. and I've just now starting to wrap my wife's gifts, which is fitting considering so many of them were bought in the last two days. In fact, I spent a couple hours at the Cherry Hill Mall this (yesterday) afternoon. To be honest, however, I usually make a point of spending some time at the mall every Christmas Eve, just to watch all the insane folks no matter what the state of my shopping list. It's helped me, I think, to maintain a sense of detachment from the hysteria, even when I have a lot to buy. Anyway, I was not really in a panic today, though I probably should have been.
Anyway, I was lamenting the fact that I haven't seen a game really go down to the wire yet this season, and it bought to mind some of the best games I've seen covering basketball. And everybody loves a list, so I figured I'd run down the top five girls' games I've ever seen and the top five girls' basketball performances I've witnessed. Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to doing the Top 5 regardless of level or gender.
So:
Top 5 GB games. (Remember I saw precious little girls' hoops in 04-05)
5. Wilson beats Camden Catholic in overtime, at Wilson 2003 -- Another OT thriller in this classic series, I'll remember it was really the end of Kelly Killion's junior season. I remember the very play she hurt her kneee on, but she still kept playing and throwing daggers at Wilson's heart. Just as they had been earlier in the season, the Tigers were a little too much for the Irish that afternoon, but it was a thrill to see two teams go to war like that. It's too bad more people weren't there for that one; the gym was about a quarter full.
4. 2002 SJ Group 4 final, Cherokee beats Toms River North -- The most bizarre finish I have ever seen, probably in any sport. TRN had it won, but a celebration a few seconds early resulted in a turnover and three (THREE) more chances for the Chiefs. In the end, Ariel Davis made two foul shots to give Cherokee a one-point win. Depending on your point of view, that game could be seen as the best and the worst. I'm sure TRN remembers it much the same way we in the US remember the 1976 Olympic game versus the USSR, when the officials kept giving the Russians chance after chance to win the game. No matter what, it's a set of circumastances I never expect to see again as long as I live.
3. 2003 Par. B state final, Sacred Heart beats Morris Catholic in overtime -- This game had everything, and it was the best performance in a stories career by Ijea Witt. It elevated her onto my All-SJ first team that year (more on that later). The Hearts were dead, and they came back to life to win in overtime. If I were on the losing end, I'd never forgive Sacred Heart for that heartbreak. Andrienne Rochetti, Vika Sholokhova, Mosley, Bowen, Meyer, they needed every single girl. I still have a picture of Steve DiPatri and Melissa Meyer turning themselves inside out with glee on the sideline. It's tacked -- along with a lot of other clippings -- to the wall next to my desk at home.
2. SJ Group 1 final, Wildwood beats Haddon Township -- Basketball is certainly a team sport, but sometimes it's nice to see two great players just slug it out between themselves. Eight girls got out of the way for two that night at Woodstown. Neither Monica Johnson nor Cara Murphy were known as the greatest defendered, but they were on each other at both ends of the floor and they both elevated their games. It was a sight to see. Johnson's quickness and unparalleled range was balanced perfectly by Murphy's strength of will and preternatural ability to get to the basket. Murphy played the entire second half on a sprained ankle, and Johnson prevailed in the end, but both girls went home in full possession of the packed gym's total awe that night.
1. 2003 Par. A playoffs, Camden Catholic beats Holy Cross in three overtimes, playoffs 2003 -- There was so much stuff going on. The game was the first half of a boy-girls double header, with the second game being CC-Paul VI, so by the time the game got to overtime all the girls' fans and al the boys' fans were there at the same time, with many of the latter stuck outside and out of luck. The Richards twins, who had transferred to HC away from CC, were back in the Irish's gym for the first time. CC's best player, Kelly Killion, was in the stands, leading the cheers with waving crutches. The Irish, who were really a bunch of guards, were having a very tough time stopping Danielle Howard, but they were able to hang in there. I recall Annie Bilinsky making five of six foul shots down the stretch and Marcy Cuneo hitting some huge threes. I really loved watching that CC team play. They had like eight losses that season, but if the current Irish squad could capture half their chemistry, they'd be unbeatable.
Top 5 GB performances:
5. Sharnee Zoll, Highland, 2003 SJ Group 3 final -- The one thing I regretted about that season was that we never really got to see Highland play well in a close game. They were a little overjuiced, and therefore a little off, in the state semi against Willingboro, but Zoll made them a beautiful thing when they played relaxed as they did in the sectional final against Wilson. It's hard for me to believe one player can make so much different to a team, but without her, the Tartans probably would have lost to that Wilson team. With her, it wasn't even a game. To be honest, the only player I've watched from close up on a regular basis who had better vision and feel for the game was Pepe Sanchez, and he was only the best passing and game-management point guard in the college game his junior and senior years. I fully expect Zoll to reach the WNBA and made some team extremely fun to watch.
4. Kara Ayers, Absegami, 2004 Cougar Classic vs. Willingboro -- Ayers was never the flashiest player on the court, and against the Boro, she probably wasn't even in the top five, but nobody could touch her that night. It helped that the game was extremely highly anticipated, that the gym was pretty much packed, and that Krissy Rosario played what is probably still her best game of her career in frustrating Crystal. And yet, somebody has to win the game down the stretch and that was Ayers.
3. Ikea Witt, Sacred Heart, 2003 Par. B state final -- As I mentioned above, this was the capper on a storied career for Witt, who had ironically been long overshadowed by the diminutive Adrienne Rochetti. Rochetti was a great player and an all-time gamer, and she got that team to within sight of a state title. But Witt carried them the rest of the way. She came into the game with four fouls in the middle of the fourth and just lit the Dunn Center on fire. She had like five or six steals in the late going, a bunch of huge baskets, a couple of blocked shots, and never got that fifth foul. For 10 minutes, she was the best player in the state.
2. Monica Johnson, Wildwood, 2001 SJ Group 1 final -- I mentioned this one above as well. This might not have been Moni's best game, but I really believe it was the best game out of the eight or nine times I saw her play. It was the game that proved to me that I wasn't just seeing a really good girls' basketball player, that I was seeing greatness. A couple of moments I remember: HT had just scored a big bucket in the second half, so Moni responded by pulling up from about 30 feet -- Dujuan Wagner style -- and burying one right back. A few plays later, HT was pressuring Wildwood and Monica came barrelling down the court with the ball. Two Hawk defenders -- Lauren Bolis and Vanessa Gercke, I think -- converged on her at halfcourt and tried to pin her just over the timeline. She never slowed down. At a full run, she split the defenders -- whose feet were practically tangled -- with a through-the-legs crossover. From that moment on, I considered it a privilege to cover any Wildwood game and went in ready to remember everything I saw.
1. Crystal Langhorne, Willingboro, 2003 SJ Group 3 final -- Yes, Pat Summitt was there, and so was Dawn Staley and half a dozen other D-1 coaches, but Crystal didn't know that until hafltime, after she had scored like 30. She ended up with a truly astounding line, and it went something like this: 47 points on 19-f0r-22 from the floor and 9-for-11 from the foul line, 22 rebounds including 12 offensive, five blocks, four steals. Awesome. Crystal was the absolute queen of being really nice and playing really mean. That night at CH East was the full realization of her potential as a high school player, even though she was only a junior. She's yet to reach that level of dominace at the next level, but she's gotten a lot closer than many expected, and she has only just begun.
That's it for now. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments. And again, Happy Holidays.
Anyway, I was lamenting the fact that I haven't seen a game really go down to the wire yet this season, and it bought to mind some of the best games I've seen covering basketball. And everybody loves a list, so I figured I'd run down the top five girls' games I've ever seen and the top five girls' basketball performances I've witnessed. Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to doing the Top 5 regardless of level or gender.
So:
Top 5 GB games. (Remember I saw precious little girls' hoops in 04-05)
5. Wilson beats Camden Catholic in overtime, at Wilson 2003 -- Another OT thriller in this classic series, I'll remember it was really the end of Kelly Killion's junior season. I remember the very play she hurt her kneee on, but she still kept playing and throwing daggers at Wilson's heart. Just as they had been earlier in the season, the Tigers were a little too much for the Irish that afternoon, but it was a thrill to see two teams go to war like that. It's too bad more people weren't there for that one; the gym was about a quarter full.
4. 2002 SJ Group 4 final, Cherokee beats Toms River North -- The most bizarre finish I have ever seen, probably in any sport. TRN had it won, but a celebration a few seconds early resulted in a turnover and three (THREE) more chances for the Chiefs. In the end, Ariel Davis made two foul shots to give Cherokee a one-point win. Depending on your point of view, that game could be seen as the best and the worst. I'm sure TRN remembers it much the same way we in the US remember the 1976 Olympic game versus the USSR, when the officials kept giving the Russians chance after chance to win the game. No matter what, it's a set of circumastances I never expect to see again as long as I live.
3. 2003 Par. B state final, Sacred Heart beats Morris Catholic in overtime -- This game had everything, and it was the best performance in a stories career by Ijea Witt. It elevated her onto my All-SJ first team that year (more on that later). The Hearts were dead, and they came back to life to win in overtime. If I were on the losing end, I'd never forgive Sacred Heart for that heartbreak. Andrienne Rochetti, Vika Sholokhova, Mosley, Bowen, Meyer, they needed every single girl. I still have a picture of Steve DiPatri and Melissa Meyer turning themselves inside out with glee on the sideline. It's tacked -- along with a lot of other clippings -- to the wall next to my desk at home.
2. SJ Group 1 final, Wildwood beats Haddon Township -- Basketball is certainly a team sport, but sometimes it's nice to see two great players just slug it out between themselves. Eight girls got out of the way for two that night at Woodstown. Neither Monica Johnson nor Cara Murphy were known as the greatest defendered, but they were on each other at both ends of the floor and they both elevated their games. It was a sight to see. Johnson's quickness and unparalleled range was balanced perfectly by Murphy's strength of will and preternatural ability to get to the basket. Murphy played the entire second half on a sprained ankle, and Johnson prevailed in the end, but both girls went home in full possession of the packed gym's total awe that night.
1. 2003 Par. A playoffs, Camden Catholic beats Holy Cross in three overtimes, playoffs 2003 -- There was so much stuff going on. The game was the first half of a boy-girls double header, with the second game being CC-Paul VI, so by the time the game got to overtime all the girls' fans and al the boys' fans were there at the same time, with many of the latter stuck outside and out of luck. The Richards twins, who had transferred to HC away from CC, were back in the Irish's gym for the first time. CC's best player, Kelly Killion, was in the stands, leading the cheers with waving crutches. The Irish, who were really a bunch of guards, were having a very tough time stopping Danielle Howard, but they were able to hang in there. I recall Annie Bilinsky making five of six foul shots down the stretch and Marcy Cuneo hitting some huge threes. I really loved watching that CC team play. They had like eight losses that season, but if the current Irish squad could capture half their chemistry, they'd be unbeatable.
Top 5 GB performances:
5. Sharnee Zoll, Highland, 2003 SJ Group 3 final -- The one thing I regretted about that season was that we never really got to see Highland play well in a close game. They were a little overjuiced, and therefore a little off, in the state semi against Willingboro, but Zoll made them a beautiful thing when they played relaxed as they did in the sectional final against Wilson. It's hard for me to believe one player can make so much different to a team, but without her, the Tartans probably would have lost to that Wilson team. With her, it wasn't even a game. To be honest, the only player I've watched from close up on a regular basis who had better vision and feel for the game was Pepe Sanchez, and he was only the best passing and game-management point guard in the college game his junior and senior years. I fully expect Zoll to reach the WNBA and made some team extremely fun to watch.
4. Kara Ayers, Absegami, 2004 Cougar Classic vs. Willingboro -- Ayers was never the flashiest player on the court, and against the Boro, she probably wasn't even in the top five, but nobody could touch her that night. It helped that the game was extremely highly anticipated, that the gym was pretty much packed, and that Krissy Rosario played what is probably still her best game of her career in frustrating Crystal. And yet, somebody has to win the game down the stretch and that was Ayers.
3. Ikea Witt, Sacred Heart, 2003 Par. B state final -- As I mentioned above, this was the capper on a storied career for Witt, who had ironically been long overshadowed by the diminutive Adrienne Rochetti. Rochetti was a great player and an all-time gamer, and she got that team to within sight of a state title. But Witt carried them the rest of the way. She came into the game with four fouls in the middle of the fourth and just lit the Dunn Center on fire. She had like five or six steals in the late going, a bunch of huge baskets, a couple of blocked shots, and never got that fifth foul. For 10 minutes, she was the best player in the state.
2. Monica Johnson, Wildwood, 2001 SJ Group 1 final -- I mentioned this one above as well. This might not have been Moni's best game, but I really believe it was the best game out of the eight or nine times I saw her play. It was the game that proved to me that I wasn't just seeing a really good girls' basketball player, that I was seeing greatness. A couple of moments I remember: HT had just scored a big bucket in the second half, so Moni responded by pulling up from about 30 feet -- Dujuan Wagner style -- and burying one right back. A few plays later, HT was pressuring Wildwood and Monica came barrelling down the court with the ball. Two Hawk defenders -- Lauren Bolis and Vanessa Gercke, I think -- converged on her at halfcourt and tried to pin her just over the timeline. She never slowed down. At a full run, she split the defenders -- whose feet were practically tangled -- with a through-the-legs crossover. From that moment on, I considered it a privilege to cover any Wildwood game and went in ready to remember everything I saw.
1. Crystal Langhorne, Willingboro, 2003 SJ Group 3 final -- Yes, Pat Summitt was there, and so was Dawn Staley and half a dozen other D-1 coaches, but Crystal didn't know that until hafltime, after she had scored like 30. She ended up with a truly astounding line, and it went something like this: 47 points on 19-f0r-22 from the floor and 9-for-11 from the foul line, 22 rebounds including 12 offensive, five blocks, four steals. Awesome. Crystal was the absolute queen of being really nice and playing really mean. That night at CH East was the full realization of her potential as a high school player, even though she was only a junior. She's yet to reach that level of dominace at the next level, but she's gotten a lot closer than many expected, and she has only just begun.
That's it for now. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts in the comments. And again, Happy Holidays.
posted by SMc. @ 3:12 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home