Colonia faced JP Stevens home on Feb. 11 where they smoothly advanced to the second round of GMCs in a blowout of 67-34.
First Quarter
Going into the game, Abigail Palacios exclaimed, “our loss to Piscataway didn’t really set us back it just changed out seating and made us want to get better.” Colonia was ready to win this match. Both Colonia and JP Stevens started in a man-to-man match up. Showing up with the hustle and commitment of hopefully proceeding to the next round of GMCs, everyone is ready. However, Colonia is just barely shining through ending the quarter with a somewhat close leading score of 19-10. Throughout the quarter you can transparently tell who the standouts from both teams will be. JP Stevens. For JP Stevens #1 Aliyah Manley with her standout 3s and play-making. When asked in an interview, Ariana Sosa #4 stated, “#1 stood out to me most of all,” truly showcasing she’s the heart of their team. On the other hand, #3, Ivana Gidado, #4, Ariana Sosa, and #23, Samantha Howell are clear stars on Colonia’s roster. Their intensity along with play-making skills help to make the team strive on offense, while their focused and fast thinking drives their defense. On both teams, specifically Colonia, there is not a certain player; everyone on the team contributes in their own ways to help their team get to the point they are at.
Second Quarter
Throughout the second quarter, both teams demonstrated hustle and the need for this win. JP Stevens started off the quarter in a 2-3 defense that contained Colonia’s offense to an extent. Colonia’s defense is extremely well. They are all over the place being able to hold #1, Aliyah Manley’s 3-point shots to a minimum. Colonia’s liveliness on defense translates to their offense. They continuously get fast breaks off of steals and rebounds. As their steals mainly come from #14, Nashaelah Hooker, and rebounds from #1, Hailey Conklin. Despite the seeding difference between JP Stevens and Colonia, it seems that JP Stevens is holding some ground at this point. They aren’t letting up just yet as the half-time score ends up being 37-22 in Colonia’s favor.
Third Quarter
The third quarter really set the tone of the game. Colonia took their chance and widened the lead to 53-34. Their 2-3 defense disrupted JP Stevens’ offensive tactics and forced turnovers that immediately led to easy layups. Steals turned into simple shots and the overall communication of the team on defense kept JP Stevens scrambling. Sosa especially controlled the tempo of the quarter with slick ball handling and smart play making. Frequently, Sam created offense both for her teammates and herself off of aggressive traps that resulted in steals. On the other hand, Ava showcased some high IQ on defense, anticipating plays and rotating effectively to be where she was needed. At times she struggled with initial hustle, she recovered quickly. Her awareness on offense helped JP Stevens to not completely rush through plays as Colonia was tempting them to do. Overall, both teams really contributed a lot to defense and offense while there were certain standout players. As NJ.com stated, “Defense that ravel’s is what separates contenders from pretenders,” Colonia took that principle and truly depicted it.
Fourth Quarter
By the final quarter the game was set into fate. Colonia would be advancing to the next round of GMCs while JP Stevens’ was left in the dust. Over the last quarter, JP Stevens had a particularly highlighted stretched of lock down defense that briefly slowed down Colonia’s offense. They turned to trapping on defense that overturned to forced shots and some steals. However, inconsistency and scattered possessions prevented the momentum they once had. TAPinto.net emphasized that “Teams that convert turnovers into transition points control the game’s pace” and JP Stevens just couldn’t find their control while Colonia easily did.
