CURANOVIC PUTS IN 25 PTS, DeMARCO BANGS 4 3-PTRS

Leads zigzagging back and forth for the Union County Tournament (UCT) Championship led to a contest between the second-seeded Cranford High School girls basketball team and the fourth-seeded Elizabeth Minutemen that was not decided until the buzzer blared ending overtime at Kean University in Union on February 18. With the score knotted, 53-53, in regulation, the two teams still jockeyed for the lead untilAlexa Koon rolled in a 2-pointer with four seconds remaining to earn the Lady Minutemen the UCT crown with a 59-57 victory.

That dramatic overtime period began with Koon sinking a free throw but Bella Curanovic answered with a lay-up to put the Cougars in front by a point. Elizabeth retook the lead, 5755, when Jah’nae Lembrick put in a 2-pointer and Koon added another free throw. Curanovic tied the score then Koon worked her magic for the game winner.

Curanovic (9 rebounds) led the 177 Cougars with 25 points, including 5-for-7 from the free throw line. Koon led the 16-9 Minutemen with a doubledouble (21 points – 6 free throws – and 12 rebounds). Lembrick also had a double-double with 10 points (4 free throws) and 10 assists.

The Cougars scored first when senior Kristina Lowe (3 points, 6 rebounds) swiped a ball and tossed to sophomore Lily Costello, who drove to the basket and rolled in the lay-up. Costello (9 points, 3-for-4 free throws) was fouled and sank the first of her two free throws to make the score 30 with 5:46 left in the first quarter. Ashanti DeWalt (13 points, 3 assists) scored then Cougar senior Maddy DeLong (8 points, 6 rebounds) assisted Curanovic on a lay-up. With three minutes on the clock, Alani Gordon (11 points – trip 3-pointers – 3 assists) nailed a 3-pointer to tie the score 5-5.

Back came the Cougars when Lowe grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Curanovic. With 1:35 left in the quarter, Koon sank a pair of free throws to tie the score, 7-7. Lowe then assisted DeLong to put the Cougars up 9-7. With :01.1 on the clock, Curanovic had an opportunity to extend the lead but she was off target on both of her free throws.

Early in the second quarter, Koon sank a 2-pointer and Dynasty Chandler (4 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists) created a steal and converted to put Elizabeth up 11-9. Curanovic answered with two but so did Koon. Midway through the quarter, Curanovic set up Sophie DeMarco (12 points) with the first of her four 3pointers to give the Cougars a 14-13 lead. The zigzagging continued when Lembrick sank a 3-pointer then Curanovic knotted the score, 16-16, with 3:46 remaining in the half.

The Cougars grabbed a 19-16 lead when DeLong on an assist from Costello, pumped in a 3-pointer. Elizabeth regained a one-point lead when Lembrick scored twice but Costello sank a free throw with 1:06 left. With 2.6 remaining, Curanovic sank a pair of free throws to give Cranford a 2220 lead at the half.

The third quarter was not particularly a point-for-point tradeoff but more or less a series of short runs beginning with the Cougars scoring six of the first eight points to take a 28-22 lead. The Lady Minutemen answered with a 7-0 run to grab a one-point lead but Curanovic answered with a 2-pointer and so did Koon. The Cougars added a 5-0 run then Lembrick sank a free throw before the buzzer with Cranford leading, 36-32.

Elizabeth rallied and won the fourth quarter, 21-17, to set up the exciting overtime period. It could have ended sooner in Elizabeth’s favor but DeMarco nailed her fourth 3-pointer to force overtime.

Elizabeth 7 13 12 21 6 59 Cranford 9 13 14 17 4 57