Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 30

6D COURIER-POST, Monday, March 14, 2005 extra. MB 1 1 iL: fcVA i M3i i Slow pace can't stop the Tigers By LIAN SKAF Courier-Post Staff DOVER TWP. Scoring six points for an entire quarter isn't exactly typical for the Woodrow Wilson High School girls' basketball team. North Jersey champion Northern Highlands did everything it could to slow down the fast-paced, high-scoring Tigers in Sunday's State Group 3 final, including limiting the Tigers to only six first-quarter points. But as the game wore on, Woodrow Wilson, No.

1 in the Courier-Post Top 20, got increasingly comfortable and went on to win its first Group 3 state title since 1997, 5647. It may not have been the way Woodrow Wilson imagined it, but it still was momentous. "I marked this as one of my goals," Woodrow Wilson coach Al Dyer said. "Since I've been here I wanted to win a state championship. I wrote it on a piece of paper, and I saved it from five years ago.

I said this is going to be mv fifth I DENISE HENHOEFFERCourier-Post Salem's Brittany Smith (left) goes for a steal against Bloomfield Tech's Ash-Lee Smith In Sunday's state final. Salem not able keep up against Bloomfield Tech DENISE HENHOEFFERCourier-Post Coach Al Dyer and the Woodrow Wilson girls' basketball team celebrate their Group 3 state title Sunday. WOODROW WILSON NORTHERN HIGHLANDS 56 47 What Group 3 state final. MVP: With 1 1 points, two steals and six rebounds, Deree Fooks took home the game's MVP. Championship history: The last time Woodrow Wilson won a state title was 1997.

What's next Woodrow Wilson will play against the five other state champions in the Tournament of Champions. Quote: "We know it's not over," Woodrow Wilson coach Al Dyer said. "We didn't come here to settle for that. We still want the big prize." Group champion Sacred Heart and Group 4 champion Absegami. The prospect of playing Absegami particularly is interesting as the Tigers' only loss to a South Jersey team this year came at the hands of the Braves in the team's second game of the year.

Dyer, of course, isn't making any predictions. "I would like to see that, and I think people in South Jersey would like to see that," Dyer said. "But I am not creating any bulletin board mate-rial." Reach Lian Skaf at Wallace hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second coming off a steal at midcourt, putting Woodrow Wilson up 15-10. The Highlanders hung in the game even as Woodrow Wilson turned it on. Northern Highlands cut the lead to 35-31 in the third and 49-44 in the fourth.

But even with senior point guard Devaughn Hailey fouled out, the Highlanders were forced to continuously foul Woodrow Wilson to try and get back in the game. Junior guard Ashley Baker knew that with Hailey out, she would have to deal with the con- year so we have to win the whole thing." The Highlanders' zone defense created problems for the Tigers early on. Unable to find room to play its normal transition game, Woodrow Wilson got frustrated and found it hard to adapt "We ended up playing their kind of game instead of our kind," senior forward Deyshia Williams said. "They played good defense and it was working, but we got going." The Tigers got their spark with five minutes to go in the half from Tay-lore Wallace off the bench. stant pressure from the Highlanders.

"I feel more comfortable when we're both in the game," Baker said of Hailey. "But it was just what I had to do with her gone. I just had to deal with their defense and it worked out." With the win, Woodrow Wilson advances to this week's Tournament of Champions. The Tigers are among three area state title teams to qualify for the tournament, including BLOOM. TECH 73 SALEM 48 What Group 1 state final.

Key players: Kateema McLean had 21 points to earn MVP honors for Bloomfield Tech, while Salem senior Shanel Turner was the Rams' MVP with 21 points and nine rebounds. Key stretch: The Spartans used a 21 -4 run to close out the decisive third quarter. Up one at the break, they would take a 54-38 lead into the final quarter. Quote: "There was some exceptional basketball out there. For a program that was in an underdog situation based on players, Salem didn't come out with any hesitation," Bloomfield Tech coach Mike Davidson said.

"It was just that our pressure and their fatigue wore them out." points and 13 rebounds, while Ashley Crenshaw added 14 points. For Salem (19-5), Shanel Turner earned team MVP honors with 21 points and nine rebounds. Brittany Smith added nine points, while Shalya Llanos had six points, six rebounds and four assists. "Despite losing the game, everyone played their hearts out," said Turner, the only senior starter and one of only three on the Rams' roster. Things began to come un-glued for Salem in the early stages of the third quarter.

Turner hit one of two free throws for a 34-33 lead with just over six minutes to play, but it was the Rams' final advantage. A corner jumper by McLean gave Bloomfield Tech the lead, and kick-started a run Salem never stopped. Reach Kevin Minnick at By KEVIN MINNICK Courier-Post Staff DOVER TWP. Despite 19 first-half turnovers and a lack of depth, the Salem High School girls' basketball team was right in the thick of things. But games are often decided down the stretch, with the first 16 minutes generally just setting the tone.

Bloomfield Tech showed Sunday that depth, poise and execution when it matters most are instrumental pieces when a championship is on the line. Closing out the third quarter on a 21-4 run, the Spartans went on to a lopsided 73-48 victory over the South Jersey champion Rams at the Ritacco Center at Toms River North High School. "They've been here before, and I expected them to be more composed," Salem coach Steve Merritt said. "With the experience, I hope we can get back. But the reality is that it may not happen.

Sometimes it takes a long time to get back. "I hope this lays the foundation for things next year and the year after that. This should bode well. We need to keep the enthusiasm and keep the kids involved. There will be a banner in our gym and kids will start to wear jackets." Salem led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter and built a nine-point lead in the second quarter.

But Bloomfield Tech closed out the half on a 15-5 run, giving the Spartans a 32-31 lead and setting the tone for what would be a decisive second half. Kateema McLean scored 21 points to earn MVP honors for Bloomfield Tech (25-3). Thazina Cook has 12 Dyer keeps Tigers prepared and focused Kevin Minnick elite. They play a gritty style of basketball, not afraid of hitting the floor for a loose ball. They play with emotion, yet are under control There's no reason to save anything, it's Dyer's job to prepare the Tigers for the next encounter and he's done an outstanding job of it "He's very emotional, but you can't take it personally," Curry said.

"He means well and wants the best for you." "He really cares, and I respect that," Hailey added. No doubt Dyer will have his team ready the next time the ball goes up. He always does. Reach Kevin Minnick at (856) 486-2424 or DOVER TWP. The chants were loud and clear.

Wilson! Wilson! Wilson! The smiles on the faces of the Woodrow Wilson High School girls' basketball team said it all. Coach Almar Dyer leaping up and down as the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard clock told the story. "I made it a goal for my fifth year that I wanted us to win a state championship," Dyer said. "But we're not settling. We want the big prize." The big prize being the ultimate state title the Tournament of Champions crown.

Wilson (24-3), No. 1 in the Courier-Post Top 20 and No. 3 in the Gannett New Jersey poll, didn't have an easy time against pionship since 1997, the Tigers sent Monmouth in the state semifinal and Northern Highlands packing instead. "We didn't think the road would be easy," Dyer said. "That team (Northern Highlands) was incredible.

They were disciplined and ran their offense to perfection. Only a couple of times this year did teams make us play their game. "If you beat Shabazz, you're a real good team. They came out to play, and that's the way a state championship should be. We knew that and were prepared." And it's not over yet "This is a real big deal and it's been very exciting, but we want the whole thing," said Curry, who had eight rebounds.

Said senior guard De Vaughn Hailey: "This means a lot to me. We've worked so hard, but it's not over yet We won this game, but we don't want to lose our last. That's what we've been preparing for." On Sunday, the Tigers showed they can respond to pressure. They failed to fold in the closing minutes. They worked hard on the boards, maintained composure.

A little bit better shooting from the free-throw line would have allowed Dyer to breathe a bit easier, but they made enough to stay out in front "I was praying that we'd make at least one," Dyer said. The Tigers were 17-for-31 from the line in the game. There are plenty of reasons why Woodrow Wilson is among the state's Northern Highlands on Sunday at the Ritacco Center. The 5647 win in the Group 3 state final was a lot different than some of the cakewalks the Tigers experienced throughout theseasoa "He had us prepared," senior forward Letitia Curry said of her coach. "Defense wins championships and that was our focus.

We knew the offense would come." Dyer knew it wouldn't be easy. Expecting to face teams like Willingboro and Shabazz on the road to the program's first cham of pairings announced Courier-Post staff Absegami girls rally to win Group 4 championship By LIAN SKAF capturing the Group 4 ABSEGAMI Courier-Post Staff 62 57 MONTCLAIR PISCATAWAY The seeding can only be called shocking. The Haddonfield High School boys' basketball team, the No. 1-ranked team in the Courier-Post Top 20, was seeded fifth Sunday night in the upcoming Tournament of Champions. Many among the media assembled at Rutgers University wondered before the seedings were announced if the Bulldogs would break the predictable pattern of the two parochial school champions of being seeded first and second.

At the very least, it was widely assumed Haddonfield, which only loss camea-gainst powerful Germantown Academy, would be seeded third. Instead, Group 4 state champion Atlantic City was seeded third. As a result, both the Vikings and the Bulldogs play in the quarterfinals of the of Thursday night at the Ritacco Center at Toms River North High School. The Vikings will play at 6 p.m. against sixth-seeded Newark Sciences, which beat Schalick for the Group 1 state title.

Haddonfield, the Group 2 winner, will play at 8 p.m. against fourth-seeded Shabazz, which defeated Camden for the Group 3 crown. Group winner St. Patrick's was seeded No. 1 and Group A champion Seton Hall Prep was seeded No.

2 Both have first-round byes. Girls: South Jersey teams Absegami and Woodrow Wilson picked up the top two seeds and first-round byes in the of C. In first-round action Wednesday, No. 3-seeded Pascack will take on No. 6 Sacred Heart at 6 p.m.

and No. 4 St. John Vianney will battle No. 5 Bloomfield Tech at 8 p.m. at the Ritacco Center.

from junior guard Alysha Taylor. Montclair hung around for the remainder of the game and came within two points of the Braves down the stretch. With Rosario and starting guard Danielle Parks on the bench after fouling out early in the fourth quarter, it was two Absegami freshmen who helped hold the lead. Freshman center Sara Mostafa was strong underneath the basket, and freshman guard Tara Booker made three of her four free throws in the last 30 seconds. "I just tried to block everything out, take a couple of deep breaths and concentrate on my shot," Booker said.

Reach Lian Skaf at inbounds. By the time Absegami junior Krissy Rosario finally ended the drought with 4:45 to play in the half, the Braves were down 20-11. Maintaining their composure, the Braves endured the Mounties' attack and eventually fought back. Down 31-23 at halftime, Absegami talked about the need to bounce back. "We talked about how we never know if we are going to get this chance again," Rosario said.

"We knew we had to come and win this because who knows what could happen next year." Absegami climbed back into the game throughout the course of the third quarter. With seven seconds left in the third, the Braves took their first lead at 44-41 on a 3-pointer state title 62-57. It was the first Group 4 state title for the Braves, who advance to this week's Tournament of Champions. "We just wanted to be down by four going into the fourth quarter and go from there," Absegami coach Greg Goodwin said. "We hit a nice run and we held on.

I think we had an opportunity to nail that win away. We never gave up because if you do against a team like Montclair, you never know what's going to happen." The game started on a positive note for Absegami as the Braves jumped out to a 9-2 lead. That's when the tide turned. The Mounties took a 12-9 lead after the first quarter and continued the run into the second quar- DOVER TWP. The Absegami High School girls' basketball team is not used to playing from behind.

The Braves had only one loss all season and often rolled over opponents. But in Sunday's Group 4 state final against North Jersey champ Montclair at the Ritacco Center at Toms River North High School, they were in a unique situation. After suffering through an 18-0 Montclair run, Absegami trailed 20-9 with under five minutes to play in the first half and were down 31-18 with 1:28 left in the half. Slowly chipping away, Absegami, No. 4 in the Courier-Post Top 20, came through under pressure, What: Group 4 state final.

MVP: With 16 points and 12 rebounds, junior Krissy Rosario won the game's MVP. Championship history: Absegami is the first South Jersey team to win the Group 4 title since 1982 when Atlantic City won. What's next Absegami will play in the Tournament of Champions. Quote: "I was dying," Absegami coach Greg Goodwin said of Montclair's 18-0 run. "I knew we could come back, but when you get in a situation like that with a team like that that can hit their 3s, it's scary." ter.

Montclair senior Erin McSherry opened the quarter with a basket, followed by another from teammate Crystal Clarke off a steal on the ensuing.