February 6, 2011
Rodriguez wins it for UC
Union City players celebrate after defeating Marist in the final seconds yesterday.
Click Here for more photos from Marist at Union City
By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director
UNION CITY – With an all-senior starting lineup, Union City knew this was not the way to go out.
After watching an eight-point fourth-quarter lead disappear the Soaring Eagles came back in dramatic fashion. Shaela Rodriguez connected on a baseline jumper off an inbounds pass with seven seconds left as Union City held off Marist 56-54 in the first round of the Hudson County Tournament.
“We all worked hard,” senior point guard Angela Estrada said. “I think there’s nobody in the county that wants it more than Union City.”
With the scored tied at 54-all and the ball underneath the Royal Knights’ basket Estrada delivered an inbounds pass to an open Rodriguez on the weakside. Rodriguez, a junior forward, pivoted and hit the jumper with 7.1 seconds remaining.
“We were going weakside block,” said Union City head coach Charlie Roussel about the play. “We’ve had it in all year, but we haven’t used it a lot. Today we used it a lot because of Marist’s size. We were very concerned about that.”
“(The coaches) said the play was going to be there,” Estrada said. “We’ve been working on it all day yesterday and for the past week for this game. Shaela hit a clutch shot.”
Estrada had one last big play left in what had already been a sensational performance for the eighth-seeded Soaring Eagles (8-6) as she blocked the desperation shot attempt from Marist in the final seconds to preserve the victory and earn a trip into the next round.
“It’s tough, the kids played hard,” Royal Knights head coach Damel Ling said. “We knew it was going to be tough coming up here. “We played our behinds off and they made the big plays at the end. Now we just have to pick up the pieces and finish the year out the right way.”
Trailing by eight with six minutes left, ninth-seeded Marist (9-8) used its size advantage to come back as the forward duo of Antoinette Blake and Jasmine Brandon regained control of the game.
The tandem would score the game’s next seven points to make it a one-point contest. After a Union City free throw, Brandon tied the game at 48-all on a basket with 3:16 left then gave them the lead on another one just 26 seconds later.
Jocelyn Morales gave the Soaring Eagles a 54-52 lead on a 3-pointer with 1:35 left, but Brandon, who had nine points in the fourth, tied it up on a field goal with 1:01 remaining.
Both Brandon and Blake finished with double-doubles in the defeat. Brandon, a junior, had 15 points and 15 rebounds. Blake, who was limited by foul trouble in the second half, had 25 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks in a dominant performance. Blake was unstoppable early, scoring 17 of her team’s first 19 points and was a rebound shy of having a double-double in the opening quarter.
“She’s been phenomenal, Ling said. “By far I think she’s the best player in the county, hands down. She’s brought it. She sets the tone for our team. As she goes, we go.”
Blake’s jaw-dropping start gave Marist a five-point lead early in the second quarter. But the undersized Soaring Eagles fought back with a 13-0 run. Estrada capped off the three-minute surge with eight points in a span of just 34 seconds. She broke a 15-all tie on a 3-pointer with 4:08 left in the half. Estrada would connect on another trey, and then get a steal and a layup to give Union City an 8-point lead.
“I love that girl to death,” said Roussel about his diminutive point guard. “I wish someone would come and see her play. I know she can play at the next level, the word is out that she’s just too tiny. But you can’t judge heart and she did a fantastic job.”
Estrada finished with 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds in the victory. Amanda Casillas added 16 points and four steals, while Rodriguez and Kristina Rivera chipped in with eight points apiece.
With the win, Union City will face top-seeded Bayonne in the quarterfinals.
Junior forward Jasmine Brandon (right) had a double-double for the Royal Knights.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marist Royal Knights (9-8) | 13 |
9 |
17 |
15 |
54 |
| Union City Soaring Eagles (8-6) | 10 |
18 |
10 |
18 |
56 |
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| Marist: Blake 21 rebounds, 4 blocks; Brandon 15 rebounds; Randle 6 rebounds, 4 steals; McCabe 5 rebounds, 4 assists; Wilson 5 rebounds, 4 assists. Union City: Estrada 8 assists, 4 rebounds; Meneses 6 rebounds; Casillas 4 steals. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||