Wednesday, March 4, 2009

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Erin Moore scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the second half as Hackensack, the No. 6 seed, pulled away for a 40-28 win over No. 11 North Bergen in the opening round of the North 1, Group 4 state sectional playoffs.

HACKENSACK – To say that the first half of Tuesday’s first-round North 1, Group 4 state tournament matchup between Hackensack and North Bergen was not aesthetically pleasing would not be a stretch of the imagination. The teams combined for just six field goals over the first 16 minutes of play. Put it this way, Hackensack shot just 13.3-percent from the floor in the first half and was leading by five points at halftime.

The Lady Comets were ahead, but not at all satisfied with their first-half performance. But they knew if they continued to play solid defense, they wouldn’t need to score that many more points to survive and advance.

The Comets clamped down defensively and got a much-needed offensive lift from Erin Moore. She scored 11 of her game-high 17 points in the second half as Hackensack, the No. 6 seed, pulled away for a 40-28 win over 11th-seeded North Bergen at Hackensack High School.

Sometimes an extra day of rest, which both teams got from Monday’s cancellation due to the snow, can help a team heading into the state tournament. This was not the case for either team this time around as both teams came out ice cold right out of the gate. They combined to miss their first 18 shots from the floor. At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 3.

North Bergen finished its season with an 11-12 record.

North Bergen’s Laura Muriel clicked on a layup to put the Bruins ahead, 5-4, early in the second quarter. But Hackensack responded with an 8-2 run to end the half with a 12-7 lead. Despite hitting just four of 30 shots from the floor and 1-17 from three-point range, the Comets found a way to take a lead into the locker room. That is largely because the Bruins were even colder, hitting just two of their 26 first-half shots (7.7percent).

“We played really well defensively, we just couldn’t buy a basket,” said North Bergen head coach Dan Reardon. “The bottom line is that when you shoot less than 10 percent for a half and less then 20 percent for a game, you’re not beating anyone in the state tournament and you don’t deserve to win. We didn’t hit enough shots at any point to give ourselves a chance to pull this one off.”

The Bruins did a fantastic job in shutting down Hackensack’s leading scorer, Jackie Marshall. However, the attention Marshall received opened up lanes for Moore, who took full advantage of them.

She got a steal and a layup, and then nailed a three-pointer in the midst of a 13-4 third-quarter run that gave Hackensack a double-digit lead going into the fourth quarter. It never got below eight points the rest of the way and Hackensack advanced to the North 1. Group 4 quarterfinals with the win.

Aiyana Sawyer came off the Hackensack bench to score 8 points and grab 9 rebounds.

“We like to run up and down the floor, but we are known at Hackensack for our tough defense,” said Moore. “We knew this one wasn’t going to be pretty, but we didn’t think both teams would shoot like we did today. As long as we get to keep playing, that’s all I care about.”

Ashley Vizzona was the lone bright spot for North Bergen, which finished the season with an 11-12 record. Her 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists were all team-highs.

“This is a learning curve for us and getting here is a big accomplishment,” added Reardon. “I thought we rebounded well and played really well defensively. Not one girl on the floor for us tonight ever played a minute in a state tournament game. You had to expect some mistakes and today we just made a few too many.”

Moore led all players with her 17 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals for Hackensack (16-8). Marshall had her worst shooting day of the season, but still finished with nine points and five rebounds. The Comets also got solid play off the bench from Aiyana Sawyer, who had nine rebounds and eight points.

Erin Moore and Hackensack will visit No. 3 Fair Lawn in the sectional quarterfinals.

Hackensack will have to dial it up again and be ready to go as they travel today to face third-seeded Fair Lawn on Wednesday. This is where Hackensack head coach Charles McKnight feels the NNJIL schedule they play gives them a huge advantage coming into this match-up.

“You name any team in the NNJIL, and they have a big post presence, so we know what we’re up against,” said McKnight. “[Fair Lawn center Nicole] Sisco is a fantastic player who is dominant in the post and can eat you up if you’re not prepared to stop her. But we have faced a lot of very good post players in our league, which I feel is the best league in the state, and done well against them. It is nothing we haven’t seen before.”

“What we have to keep in mind is you don’t have to be the best team over a whole season when it comes to the state tournament, you just have to be the best team that day. If you’re the best team that day, you get a chance to move on. As long we’re the best team against Fair Lawn like we were today against North Bergen, then we’ll get the privilege of advancing in the state tournament.”

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