Defending SCT Champion St. Rose Advances To Semifinals

Photo of #25 Lucy Thomas courtesy of Paula Lopez at http://www.palimages.com/High-...

TOMS RIVER – Monmouth University commit Lucy Thomas poured in a game-high 24 points helping defending champion and fourth-seeded St. Rose topple No. 5 seed Manchester 52-39 Saturday afternoon at the RWJ Barnabas Health Arena.

The win paved the way for the Purple Roses fifth straight appearance in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal round where they hold a 3-1 record entering Tuesday’s semifinal against top-seeded Saint John Vianney, a team they rolled over 56-31 in last year’s final to capture the programs fourth SCT championship.

Surprisingly, St. Rose (22-2) – ranked third in the state - received the fourth seed in this year’s tournament as the defending champion despite signature wins versus Rutgers Prep, Long Island Lutherane and St. Anthony’s and a one-point loss to Pickerington Central (OH) – ranked second in Ohio.

“Since I’ve been at St. Rose we usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to seeds whether it’s the states or the Shore Conference,” said St. Rose assistant coach Raheem Carter. “At the end of the day, you can’t hide; you have to play no matter if you’re a four seed or five seed. Last year we were a five seed, but you can’t hide, you have to play your best, and they have to play us. That’s the thing about the Shore Conference, it being the most competitive conference in the state especially for tournament play, you have to play everybody.”

But the Purple Roses are used to being overlooked and it doesn’t faze them in the least. In last year’s Shore Conference Tournament they were handed a fifth seed and went on to win a championship so maybe the familar route will lead to back-to-back titles.

“It’s definitely a motivating factor because we know what we have, we work hard every day, we have great players, so we’re just going to go out and show everyone that we’re not a fourth (seed),” said Thomas on her team receiving a surprising fourth seed. “We were surprised we a fourth, but we’re not letting that effect the way we play. We’re still working hard every day in practice, we’re going to go out and play our game, work together as a team to show them what we have and hopefully make it to the final and get the win.”

Thomas – a 6-foot-1 senior forward - also pulled down a game-high 14 boards and scored 11 of St. Roses 13 first-quarter points helping St. Rose stay in front, 13-10, after one quarter while taking control of the game at both ends of the floor.

“We moved the ball around really well and the team did a great job of looking inside and getting the ball to me,” said Thomas. “But it was a team effort and we all just worked off of each other.”

She scored four of St. Roses first six points in the second quarter – finishing with 15 first-half point - helping them meticulously pull away from Manchester as the game progressed leading to a ten-point margin at intermission, 23-13.

“With us being so deep, we can hurt you from different angles, outside, inside, and at some, you have to have your seniors working, and Lucy was on today. Carter said of Thomas’ effort. “She had the advantage and we kept going to her. That’s been the emphasis all week, trying to get the ball into the post.”

Meanwhile, the Purples Roses zone defense had also clamped down on the Hawks in the second quarter holding them scoreless until sophomore Nahkaleigh Hayes-Jones sank a three pointer at the 5:38 mark for the only points they could muster in the quarter.

Manchester freshman sensation Destiny Adams came into the contest averaging 15.6 points per game but was held without a single point in the first half primarily due to senior Ariana Dalia’s suffocating defense guarding Adams.

Dalia, along with junior Samantha Mikos, Thomas and senior forward Elizabeth Marsicano continued their dogged defense on Adams in the third quarter holding the 6-foot-3 Adams to one free throw. For the game Adams was held to five points, all coming via the foul line.

“I face guarded her and the big thing was to use my feet, so I really focused on that,” Dalia said when asked about her tactics guarding the taller Adams. “I used my athleticism against her height advantage.”

“That’s what we work on, we work on it all day and it is a luxury we have,” said Carter of his team’s defense on Adams. “We call them horses; we have the horses that we can switch on anybody. Ariana with her strength and speed, Sam with her physicality, and also Lucy and Lovin (Marsicano). We have very long girls who can defend multiple positions. That was Ariana’s task, and she did a hell of a job.

“She (Adams) is a freshman and we have upperclassmen that have been here before,” added Carter. “That’s the advantage having Ari, who’s a senior, Lovin, who’s a senior and Sam, who’s a junior. These girls have been playing together for years and they’ve seen everyone. We’ve played a lot of very good team’s with great guard play. So they have the advantage of seeing it all before.”

Marsicano opened the third quarter sinking a three-pointer for Saint Rose and Thomas’ hot hand continued as she put up six of the Purple Roses next eight points pushing the lead to 16 points. Senior point guard Mikayla Markham’s bucket right before the half gave them a 36-19 advantage after three quarters.

Another three-pointer by Marsicano –her second of the game - 20 seconds into the fourth quarter helped expand the St. Rose lead to 20 points, 39-19, and a Mikos bucket kept the lead at 20 with 4:49 left in the game.

Manchester chipped away at the St. Rose lead late in the fourth quarter but by that time it was a case of too little too late as Kemari Reynolds meaningless bucket at the buzzer made the final score appear closer than the game actually was.

For St. Rose, Mikos finished with 11 points, four boards and two steals, Marsicano added eight points, five assists and three rebounds while Markham had another terrific all-around game scoring six points along with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Dakota Adams and Reynolds each had 12 points to lead Manchester.

“We’re looking for that back-to-back SCT championship,” said Thomas about going out as a senior with consecutive SCT titles. “We’re definitely, especially the seniors, looking for that back-to-back.”

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