Patriots advance to HCT semis

Andrea Innis, Secaucus

Senior Andrea Innis had 24 points, 15 rebounds and six assists for Secaucus.

Click Here for more photos from Kearny at Secaucus

By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director

SECAUCUS – For the better part of the past three seasons, the Patriots have had to rely almost exclusively on Andrea Innis and Shannon Waters for offense. As much success as that tandem has provided, Secaucus knows that county and state playoff success will require more than just Innis and Waters putting up points.

The two talented seniors continue to do most of the heavy lifting for the Patriots, but it has become more than just the Innis and Waters show during their recent winning streak.

This time it was Alyssa Lyngholm in the role of third scorer as she scored 15 points as Secaucus extended its winning streak to 14 games after defeating Kearny yesterday in the quarterfinals of the Hudson County Tournament.

“It’s vital,” Patriots head coach John Sterling said. “In certain games when you’re winning easily those points don’t mean as much. But in a game like this they certainly do and getting them in those other games gives you the confidence to take the big shot here in a closer game. We need those other girls to play well for us.”

In a matchup of two of the county’s top tandems, it was the hot shooting of Lyngholm which proved to be the difference.

With third-seeded Secaucus (16-2) holding a two-point lead late in the first, Lyngholm buried a pair of 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to make it 25-17.

“Whenever I hit the first shot I always get the chills,” Lyngholm said. “Then it comes to me. I know if the first one goes in I know its going to be a good game.”

The junior would add another 3-point dagger in the third quarter after the sixth-seeded Kardinals (11-9) had cut the deficit down to six. Lyngholm, who finished just one-point shy of her career high, added five more points in the fourth.

“It’s a big load off me and Shannon’s backs,” Innis said. “We’re used to doing the majority of the scoring, but when the younger girls step up it’s really great.”

Lyngholm wasn’t the only role player to deliver late for the Patriots. Brittney Mitchell, who entered the game after Waters picked up her fourth foul late in the third quarter, delivered a critical 3-pointer from the corner as Secaucus kept the lead above eight the entire second half.

“It was like the dagger every time,” said Kearny head coach Jody Hill. “We overcompensated in trying to clog the middle up because Innis (kept attacking). When we did overcompensate to stop her, those girls nailed big, big threes and you’ve got to give them credit for making big shots.”

“In games like this when you’re playing teams that have good athletes, and they have a lot of good athletes, you need all five players to do something really well,” Sterling said.

For Sterling and the Patriots there was no other option. Sophomore forward Araiana Simon was a late scratch due to illness leaving Secaucus to play its starting five for virtually the entire 32 minutes.

Innis and Waters led the way with 24 points apiece and each had a double-double. Innis added 15 rebounds and six assists while Waters had 11 rebounds in a showdown with Kearny’s duo of Janitza Aquino and Stefanie Gomes.

Aquino, a senior, led all scorers with 27 points. Gomes a junior, added 20 points (17 in the first half) and 13 rebounds. The tandem combined for 30 of the Kardinals’ 31 points in the opening half.

With the win, Secaucus will face the winner of tonight’s North Bergen-St. Dominic Academy game in the semifinals. If the Bruins win, it will be an opportunity of revenge for the Patriots. North Bergen was the last team to defeat Secaucus (a 59-58 win on Dec. 30) and knocked the Patriots out of the county tournament a year ago.

“This is exciting for us, being a Group 1 school and getting to the final four of the county,” Sterling said. “It’s an exciting moment for all of our girls to go play at Saint Peter’s College and play against a Group IV school, what more can you ask for?”

“We just want to redeem ourselves,” said Lyngholm about last year’s early exit in the quarterfinals. “We know we can do it, last year we could have done it to. I guess we weren’t ready last year, but this year we’re ready and we want to do it.”

Janitza Aquino, Kearny

Janitza Aquino led all scorers with 27 points for Kearny in defeat.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Kearny Kardinals (11-9)	19	12	13	15	59
Secaucus Patriots (16-2)	25	12	17	18	72

Kearny

Secaucus

	2s	3s	1s	Pts
Janitza Aquino	8	1	8	27
Stefanie Gomes	5	3	1	20
Michelle Goncalves	0	0	1	1
Angel Conde	3	0	2	8
Vanessa DaSilva	1	0	1	3
Ashleigh Amadeo	0	0	0	0
Mercedes Lois	0	0	0	0
Jenna Sandomenico	0	0	0	0
Total:	17	4	13	59

	2s	3s	1s	Pts
Shannon Waters	7	1	7	24
Andrea Innis	8	1	5	24
Lauren Guillen	1	0	2	4
Danielle Roesing	0	0	2	2
Alyssa Lyngholm	2	3	2	15
Brittney Mitchell	0	1	0	3
Total:	18	6	18	72

Kearny: Gomes 13 rebounds; Lois 7 rebounds, 5 steals; Aquino 4 steals; Conde 4 rebounds; DaSilva 4 rebounds. Secaucus: Innis 15 rebounds, 6 assists; Waters 11 rebounds; Roesing 7 assists.