Williamstown 48, Cumberland 43

This game definitely exceeded expectations as far as intensity and entertainment value. The way Williamstown had been struggling to score the last few weeks, Rachael Matreale's out-of-the-blue 25-point explosion was a welcome shock. At least to me.

Everybody seemed to have a lot of fun last night, especially when the Braves boys team showed up in the fourth quarter. Cumberland made its runs beyond Pariphany Pender and Keyona Grant, but Williamstown handled things just a tiny bit better. I was happy to see them earn a share of the Royal title because, for the vast majority of the season, they had to deal with the pressure of being the favorite and the frontrunner. Everybody brings their best game to play the favorite.

One trivial question that's been tugging at me: why does Williamstown wear blue shorts with home white jerseys? Is it a statement of some kind, or did the budget only allow for one set of shorts? If it's the budget, I certainly think they made the right choice, as blue jerseys with white shorts on the road wouldn't be a great look.

And since I got on the subject of gyms the other day, I might as well mention that Williamstown has a nice one. I especially enjoy the arena-style scoreboard above the court. The place gets pretty full for the SJ Group 4 and 2 title games, which are held there every year, though I'm a little surprised they've kept on with that now that Williamstown has moved into Group 4. The Braves could concievably reach the sectional final on their home floor. The Group 3/1 site for the last few years has been Cherry Hill East, so they couldn't just switch the two since East is even more likely than Williamstown to be in the Group 4 sectional final. They used to have the 3/1 doubleheader all the way down at Woodstown, and while I liked the atmosphere down there, I wasn't crazy about the drive. Cherry hill East is nice and close, and if they ever move the other game out of Williamstown, I hope it goes someplace like, say, Camden Catholic. There's nothing like a 45-second drive to the office when you're in a tight deadline jam. Of course, the biggest problem venue is the Non-Public sectional finals, which are always all the way out at Lakewood in Ocean County. Not only is it far, but there's really no fast way to get there.

But enough of my whining.

I talking with folks after the game, I was really impressed with Pender. As her team's impromptu spokeswoman in defeat, she was a delightful interview: thoughtful, sincere, original and respectful of the victors without seeming condescending. It's often a tough trick for a high school kid to pull off, especially after a game as tough as last night's, and she did it with aplomb. It sort of makes me hope Cumberland has a long enough tournament run for me to cover them again, because now I know I'll get decent Parsiphany quotes every time. A quick glance at the bracket would have the Colts likely hosting Wilson in the sectional semis, and that would also explain the presence of coach Al Dyer in the gym last night. I'm sure that will be a good game, but it might be too much orange for me to handle. We'll see.

As long as I'm thinking about Williamstown, I might as well pass along a terrific suggestion made by Braves coach Karen Dilmore. But on second thought, the idea is good enough that it deserves a post of its own...