The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 246

V- THE RECORD, SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 1987 High School Girls Basketball- i -I Losers learned hard way LAWRENCEVILLE The domination was total, the destruc-. tion complete. But there was Bob Klie, the Waldwick girls basketball coach, wearing a big smile after his team had absorbed a 73-29 pounding from Hoffman of South Amboy Friday night in the final of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 1 My V. GROUP 1 He knew the Warriors had learned a lesson however painful in Basketball 101 from the three-time state champs at Rider College. "A lot of our younger kids got their eyes opened to how this game can be played," said Klie, whose team has had little trouble dominating the Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League in the past two years.

"This can be a positive lesson. Maybe this will get some of our girls to get out there when its 90 degrees out and play some ball." Waldwick didn't handle the ball well or shoot well Friday night and Hoffman Maryann Stephanick snoots over Waldwick Path played without point guard Lynn Blackman in the South Amboy school's 73-29 victory. Connelly, who severely sprained her ankle in the semifinal round. Staff photos by Joe Giardelli Lisa Smith of Hoffman splits the Waldwick defense for a layup in the Group 1 girls basketball championship game at Rider College. Kim Hasting (24) defends for the Warriors.

have five of them." court press. press and then make 20 passes be- At times, it seemed as if there "We just started running with fore a shot. But it the tempo picks were 10 of them on the court at a them and it was over," said Black- up and picks up and we got a little time, and the Warriors never did man, a junior forward. "We want- carried away." solve Hoffman's three-quarters ed to make 15-foot passes over the BOB ZEITLINGER 67 straight and ranks not only among the best in Group 1, but in the entire state. "We have an aggressive, good ball-handler in Bernadette Hauck, but Hoffman has five of them," Klie said.

"We have a great shooter in Patti Blackman, but they have five of them. We have a quick girl in Kristen Danihy, but they But Klie offered no excuses. The Warriors were simply overmatched by a team that has won Bloomfield exceeds expectations, but falls in final minutes. Bloomfield rallied to tie the score at 16 and trailed 21-20 with 4:49 to go in the half. But the Bengals were held to one point in the next 7 2 minutes as Hightstown took command.

GROUP 4 By Paul Schwartz Correspondent PISCATAWAY When coach Jim White's Bloomfield girls basketball team had a 1-3 record in December, his goals were comparatively modest. "We knew we had to win the rest of our Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League Passaic-Essex games in order to win the league," White said of his Bengals, who tied Kennedy for the NNJIL Passaic-Essex title. "We never expected to be here." second half as Hightstown scored the first seven points. Sandy Gould hit a three-point play, Kerri Choice took a pass from Ross for another layup, and Gould scored again on an inside move that made it a 36-21 with 5:47 left in the third quarter. It didn't get any better for the Bengals in the third quarter as they were held to three points, on a basket by Laura Leacy and a foul shot Carla Ward, even though Picott sat out the final four minutes of the period.

Tracey Radigan scored four points and had two assists as Hightstown extended its lead to 45-24. "Here" was Louis Brown Athletic Center, site of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 4 championship game. But the final dream of the Cinderella Bengals will have to wait until next year. Vicky Picott, perhaps the finest inside player in the state, scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds last night to lead Hightstown to a 59-39 victory and the Group 4 title. Picott made her presence felt almost immediately, scoring eight points as the Rams built a 12-4 lead in the first four was just too much." Picott, who scored 2,279 points during her career, had 18 first-half points as Hightstown went to the locker room with a 29-21 advantage.

The Bengals had a chance to pull within four just before halftime, but an ill-advised jump shot with 15 seconds to go missed and was turned into a Hightstown basket when Deb Ross converted a missed jump shot at the buzzer. Bloomfield's chance for the upset disappeared in the opening two minutes of the "We lived all year by our guards, and tonight they had a bad game," said White, whose team finished with a 22-7 record. "The tempo got a little faster than we're used to, and playing six games in 12 days Champion Cutter N. Hunterdon9 streak hits 81 By Bob Kurland Staff Writer PISCATAWAY They play basketball with the same intensity and aggressiveness as the toughest boys team. They attack on defense and offense.

The speed and toughness at both ends of the court enabled North Hunterdon to capture its third straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 3 championship Friday night at Rutgers University. GROUP court partner Darlene Andrews combined for 51 points, 12 rebounds, and 9, assists in Friday night's victory. "This was a special win for me because I'm not going to play college basketball," said Andrews, who will compete in track. The two of them destroyed Mendham with their ball-hawking defense. "We knew they were a passing team, but I expected them to be a lot crisper," Gromlowicz said.

"Maybe they were a little scared at the start. And when they started lobbing passes I looked at Darlene and said, 'This is going to be a great Mendham, which eliminated Pascack Valley in the semifinals, couldn't handle the pressure and committed 20 turnovers in the first three periods. The Lions (24-0) converted most of the mistakes into points. "They just swarm to the ball and their pressure bothered us," said Mendham coach Fred Corona. "But I thought at halftime, when we score some points we might be able to cut into their lead and make it a game.

"Then they ran off those points in the third quarter and it was over. We were outmatched, but you don't win 81 straight games by accident." Stephanie Baker opened the second half with a Mendham basket to make it 38-23, but North Hunterdon reeled off the next 16 points and the West Morris team was added to the long victim list. rwiwiiw jr: Mrry- "I didn't want to find out what it means to lose," said Most Valuable Player Beth Gromlowicz after North Hunterdon's 82-40 demolish-ment of West Morris-Mendham. "I can't remember the last time I was in a losing game." The guard's last taste of defeat came in the 1984 championship game against Clifford Scott. Since then the Lions have won 81 straight.

"This had to be the best because it's the last one," said Gromlowicz, who is deciding where to play college ball. "Right now it's down to Wake Forest, Lafayette, and Boston University. I'll make my decision in the next couple of weeks, but I'm sure I'll never play on an undefeated team again." Duke reportedly has shown some interest in her. And if the Blue Devils watched her performance, they might intensify their recruiting efforts. Gromlowicz and speedy back- Staff photo by Robert S.

Townsend Mocco of Fair Lawn gets a hand in the face from Ridge's lom Durso en route to the state 142-pound wrestling title. Manasquan press crushes Jefferson coach Jeffrey Todd. "They came right out with that good pressure, and I felt that the kids weren't up for it. No excuses for that, that's my fault." GROUP 2 NJSIAA schedule Boys basketball PAROCHIAL 8 FiMl Suftdtv Immaculata Bishop Eastace at Brookdale CC, able to recover from the early blow. Their offense did come alive in the second quarter, but they still trailed, 41-26, at halftime.

"A lead like that is always a big concern," Johnson said. "Right away the kids get complacent, and soon they see it dissolve away. I wanted to make sure that didn't happen here, so I told the kids to go out in the second quarter as if the score was still 0-0." The key for Manasquan was the play of Dallaportas, who was chosen the game's Most Valuable Player. With the high-scoring Siemaszko in foul trouble, Dallaportas took over the offense. She scored a game-high 23 points, 11-of-14 from the free-throw line.

"She has been fairly consistent all season long," Johnson said. By Mark J. Czerwinski Correspondent LAWRENCEVILLE Richard Johnson of Manasquan wasn't about to waste any time in yesterday's New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 2 girls basketball championship game. Johnson had his team applying pressure from the outset, and the result was a 71-49 victory over Jefferson at Rider College. The Big Blue (27-3) put the game out of reach in the first quarter, thanks mostly to their tight, pressing defense.

The Jefferson offense looked flustered and disorganized as the Manasquan defenders set the tempo for the rest of the game. "We haven't been pressed like that all season," said Jefferson "Sometimes teams play her tough and she doesn't get the points, but she is a very good outside shooter." Four of the five starters scored in double figures for Manasquan. Christine Cox had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Ellen Murray added 10 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Sophomore Diana Poulsen was the most consistent player for the Falcons. She keyed Jefferson's second-quarter offensive revival, scoring 12 of her team-high 19 points and adding five of her seven rebounds.

Senior Kristin Shriner scored 15 points and added five assists for Jefferson before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. Nicole Buist added nine points, all in the second half. PAROCHIAL A Final Hockey SEMIFINALS The Falcons couldn't move the ball out of their own end for most of the opening quarter, and Manasquan never let up. Led by seniors Jenniffer Siemaszko and Patty Dallaportas, the Big Blue opened a 20-3 lead. Siemaszko, who missed most of the second half because of foul trouble, scored nine of her 17 points in the first quarter.

She was also a major force on defense in that quarter with five rebounds and two blocked shots. The Falcons (26-4) were never Union CanwSc vs. CBA at Brookdale Comm. College. fc Ml PAROCHIAL I Final Santa St.

AnmoWJ St. Joseph's (Hammonton) at Brookdale CC 1J0 m. Girls basketball PAROCHIAL A Final At (eanea Arena Semifinals Detoartoo St. Joseph, 6 P.m. Bergen Catholic vs.

Montdair, I p.m. FINAL At Mennta Arena CkMipianai Union Catholic vs. McCorratin at Brookdale CC w0 Joseph vs. wo Bergen CathoOc- Montdair, 7 p.m. I.