February 12, 2010
HCT: Bees look to remain on top
Adrianna Allen has averaged 16 points a game for No. 5 seed St. Anthony.
By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director
After five play-in games, the inaugural Hudsson County Girls Basketball Tournament starts in earnest on Friday with eight matchups. Here is a breakdown of some of the teams and players to watch.
The Favorite:
(1) Bayonne
The Bees entered the year as pre-season favorites after winning the last HCIAA Coviello championship and haven’t done anything to dispute that notion. Bayonne has stormed out to a 15-4 record and brings a deep and talented roster into the tournament. Opponents have to pick their poison on defense trying to slow down the potent one-two combo of Lisa Rovatsos and Connie Hayes.
| 2010 HCT Schedule |
|---|
Friday, February 12 Weehawken at Bayonne 6:30 p.m. Kearny at North Bergen 7:00 p.m. Saturday, February 13 Union City at Holy Family 12:00 p.m. High Tech at St. Anthony 1:00 p.m. Hoboken at Secaucus 1:00 p.m. Memorial at Lincoln 1:00 p.m. Snyder at St. Dominic Acad. 5:00 p.m. County Prep at Marist 7:00 p.m. |
Rovatsos, a sophomore, is a constant double-double threat with the speed to blow by bigger opponents and the strength to over-power smaller defenders. While Rovatsos is the center of attention inside, Hayes is a zone-buster who will punish teams with 3-pointers from the corners.
Kerrie Kosakowski is a consistent, yet overlooked threat on the wings for the Bees while Samantha Maggio and Tara Flynn provide stability in the backcourt.
The Contenders:
(2) Secaucus
Consistently one of the elite teams in the BCSL National, the Patriots get their chance to show the rest of the county what the BCSL National has known for years. Secaucus (15-2) enters the tournament with the most prolific duo in the County with juniors Shannon Waters and Andrea Innis.
Waters, a forward, leads the team in scoring at 19.5 points. Innis, a point guard with the height of a forward, averages 19 points a contest and leads the team in rebounding and assists.
With three freshmen and a sophomore rounding out the rotation, experience is limited for the Patriots. Freshmen Danielle Roesing and Ariana Simon add rebounding and toughness while sophomore Alyssa Lyngholm provides another perimeter shooter.
(4) Marist
What Desiree Denmark may lack in terms of height, she certainly doesn’t lack in toughness and versatility. A threat inside and outside, Denmark leads the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game and is often matched up against the other team’s top scorer.
Diminutive point guard Ashley Vazquez averages 14 points a game and is unafraid to drive the lane. Antoinette Blake (12.7 points per game) might be the county’s strongest player and has the ability to dominate on the glass.
While the Royal Knights (13-7) have relied heavily on that trio for most of the season, the team’s X-factor is Alexis Wilson. After playing in anonymity for the first five weeks of the season, the freshman guard has broken out offensively with 83 points over the past five games.
Sleepers:
(5) St. Anthony
After struggling the past two seasons, the Friars (15-2) have thrived this season under new head coach Tony Jackson and star transfer Shonice Hawkins. The Iona-bound guard is the county’s premier scorer, averaging 23 points per game. Hawkins can also a take over a game as a distributor and rebounder.
Joining Hawkins in the backcourt is senior Adrianna Allen. A holdover from St. Anthony’s 2007 Non-Public, North B title team, Allen has averaged 16 points per game and a team leader.
Junior forwards Nadirah Duri and Na’Quell Simmons give the Friars a presence in the paint.
(7) North Bergen
North Bergen enters the tournament with a seven-game winning streak and a reputation as a giant killer. The Bruins handed Bayonne its one loss in the county and they also swept a season series with No. 3 seed Lincoln.
Junior Ashley Vazzona leads a balanced offensive attack with her basketball IQ and 3-point shooting. Forward Laura Muriel plays bigger than her 5-foot-3 height would indicate.
Vazzona and fellow juniors Ashley Heredia and Jazmin Palma are three-year starters making North Bergen (14-5) one of the more experienced teams entering the tournament.
Potential Bracket Buster:
(10) Kearny
Injuries and inconsistency have put a damper on a promising start for the Kardinals (7-11). Despite their recent struggles, the presence of point guard Janitza Aquino makes them capable of an upset. Aquino, a three-year starter and one of the county’s fastest players, is the team’s leader in points and assists on the season.
