Monday, March 15, 2010

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

TOMS RIVER – Coming into this season, Pascack Valley head coach Jeff Jasper had high hopes, but not necessarily high expectations. What he had hoped was for his seniors to band together as the season wore on and peak as the Indians usually do during playoff time. Although not blessed with Division 1 talent or a wealth of big-game experience this year, the Indians far exceeded all expectations.Not even a loss to the state’s top-ranked team, Neptune, in the Group 3 state final on Sunday could take away from a whirlwind season that saw them win the NBIL Division 1 title and a North 1, Group 3 state sectional championship.

Neptune showed off its superior athleticism, size, and speed. The Scarlet Fliers used a 9-1 run to end the first half and opened up a double-digit lead that they maintained to end PV’s state tournament run with a 47-26 victory at the Ritacco Center.

“We tried to hold it together, they just put so much pressure on us that it was tough to get into our offense,” said PV’s Dana Amato. “We kept fighting like we have been the whole season. Our whole goal before the season was to win our league and get down here for the state final. Even though we didn’t come out with a win, we gave it our best and we reached our goals.”

While Neptune often beats opponents with intimidation before they even step onto the floor, the pesky Indians showed early that they were not afraid. Neptune wasted little time in jumping out to a 9-2 lead, but the Indians refused to wilt and clawed their way back.

A basket inside from Amato and a pair of free-throws from Chelsea Lombardi sliced the lead to 15-11 midway through the second quarter. The Scarlet Fliers finally started to do what they do best, forcing turnovers and turning them into easy baskets on the other end of the court. Shakeena Richardson had two baskets and Sehmonyeh Allen had another as Neptune used a closing 9-1 run to take a 24-12 lead at the half.

“We played defense like that all the time and this was a game where we really had to,” said Neptune head coach John Brown. “They are a very good defensive team and our only chance to get a fast break was by forcing turnovers.”

The momentum that Neptune gained late in the first half spilled over into the second and the game was quickly out of reach. Richardson and Allen sparked the run again by combining for 11 points in a 15-3 burst that made it a 22-point lead, 41-19.

The Indians played hard right until the final whistle, but just didn’t have the firepower to compete with a nationally-ranked team with potentially four Division 1 players on the court.

“Our whole team tried our hardest, but they were just a very, very good team,” said Pascack Valley senior Lindsey Hickey. “We never took a drill off. From a freshman, to a role player, to the seniors, we gave it everything we had every day. The great thing was about this season was the only thing we were worried about was getting better every day. There was no fighting, no drama, just basketball; and that’s the way it is supposed to be.”

Richardson led all scorers with 16 points, including a pair of three-pointers for Neptune (28-1). Chyna Golden finished with 12 points and Allen had 10. The Scarlet Fliers forced 24 turnovers and were awarded the top seed in the upcoming Tournament of Champions.

Dana Amato was named team MVP for Pascack Valley (27-4). She pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to go along with a team-high nine points. Terry Ely and Chelsea Lombardi each added eight points.

The journey that ended in the Group 3 state final was a long and interesting one, even for a head coach like Jasper, who has been doing it for over three decades.

“I’m a literary person and this season was like a good fiction novel,” said Jasper. “After a few pages, the book is so ordinary you think about putting it down. But before you know it, the pages are flowing by and what’s left of the book is a lot less than what was. The words are savored because the time, as it is right now, is really precious.

“I have no regrets and neither should these kids because of the courage we showed every step of the way. The only sadness is that with any great piece, when the book is over, it’s finished. The learning curve for each of them and collectively as a group was amazing. Over one season, we’ve gone from ordinary to extraordinary. At the end, you put the book down and you exhale and you say, ‘Now that was a classic.’ That is exactly how I feel about this team. They are a classic team and a pleasure to have the privilege of coaching them.”

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