UC snaps out of slump

Jovanique Meneses, Union City

Jovanique Meneses (center) goes up for two her eight second-half points.

Click Here for more photos from Livingston at Union City

By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director

UNION CITY – After losing six of its last seven games of the regular season, Union City entered the state playoffs in desperate need of both a win and self confidence.

Last night they got both.

The Soaring Eagles were able to get back on track at the most important time as they kept their season alive last night with a 54-45 victory over Livingston in the first round of the NJSIAA North 1, Group IV tournament.

“They just honestly believed that they could win,” head coach Charlie Roussel said. “We’ve been telling them that they’re a decent team and that they have to have self-confidence and be sure of themselves. You could see the swagger in their game.”

“It’s been hard for us,” said guard Amanda Casillas. “Obviously we’ve been losing and I know it was really important for the seniors, including myself (to win a playoff game). We just wanted to make a statement.”

Sixth-seeded Union City (11-12) did just that as it never trailed in the game. The Soaring Eagles opened with seven-straight points to take a quick lead and held a nine-point advantage after the first quarter. A stifling Union City defense forced 13 turnovers in the opening period as it never allowed the 11th-seeded Lancers to seriously threaten the early lead.

“We felt it from the get-go,” Casillas said. “We came out strong and even when people missed easy baskets and stuff we kept our heads up and played together.”

Union City took a 10-point lead into the half, but delivered the knockout blow late in the third quarter. Holding a 35-27 advantage, the Soaring Eagles ended the period with 11 unanswered points in the final 2:34 of the period.

Casillas opened the surge with a transition layup off a Jovanique Meneses steal. After juniors Meneses, Jocelyn Morales and Shaela Rodriguez scored seven points, point guard Angela Estrada slashed to the hoop for a layup with just four seconds left in the third.

“It was the first time in a while where we delivered the punch in the third quarter instead of taking the punch in the third quarter,” said Roussel, calling it the moment he knew his team was back to its old self.

Rodriguez added another easy basket to open the fourth before Livingston’s Ece Cetinkaya ended the run with a put-back.

The Union City lead would balloon up to 23 points after a steal and layup from Estrada with six-and-a-half minutes left.

“We knew it was an important game that we needed and we just played our heart out for Coach and for the team,” said Morales, who had six points.

“We knew that for the seniors if we lost tonight, that’s it,” Casillas said. “We’d be done and we knew we didn’t want to go out like that.”

Casillas helped lead a balanced offensive attack with 10 points to go with six steals, five rebounds and four assists. Estrada also scored 10 points and added seven assists and four steals.

Forwards Meneses and Rodriguez gave the Soaring Eagles an added dimension scoring eight points apiece off the bench. Fourteen of those 16 points came in the second half.

“We’re going to ride the hot hand,” said Roussel about the tandem which back up Evelyn Garcia. “There was a time when Shaela was playing phenomenal, but now Jovanique is clicking in. Before her knee injury, (Jovanique) was touted as a very good player. I think the confidence is back, her knee is stronger and she’s now imposing her will.”

Meneses added eight rebounds, while Rodriguez had five.

The Landers were led by Cetinkaya, Sydney Friedman and Sam Rothenberger with eight points each. Cetinkaya added 17 rebounds in the defeat.

Union City will host 14th-seeded Montclair in the quarterfinals tomorrow night. Montclair will be coming off a win over Vernon.

Kristina Rivera, Union City

Senior Kristina Rivera scored all seven of her points in the opening half.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Livingston Lancers (11-13)	6	12	9	18	45
Union City Soaring Eagles (11-12)	15	13	18	6	54

Livingston

Union City

	2s	3s	1s	Pts
Gionna Tarantola	0	0	0	0
Caroline Cole	2	0	0	4
Ally Boni	2	0	1	5
Carly LaGrotta	0	1	3	6
Mallory Breg	3	0	0	6
Sydney Friedman	4	0	0	8
Sam Rothenberger	4	0	0	8
Ece Cetinkaya	4	0	0	8
Steph Bishop	0	0	0	0
Total:	19	1	4	45

	2s	3s	1s	Pts
Angela Estrada	3	1	1	10
Maydelin Hernandez	0	1	0	3
Amanda Casillas	3	1	1	10
Evelyn Garcia	0	0	0	0
Kristina Rivera	2	1	0	7
Jessica Diaz	1	0	0	2
Jocelyn Morales	0	2	0	6
Jovanique Meneses	3	0	2	8
Shaela Rodriguez	4	0	0	8
Michelle Ruiz	0	0	0	0
Kyana Willoughby	0	0	0	0
Shalla Rolon	0	0	0	0
Juliette Crespo	0	0	0	0
Claudia Gomez	0	0	0	0
Total:	16	6	4	54

Livingston: Cetinkaya 17 rebounds; Cole 7 rebounds; Boni 5 rebounds, 4 steals; Rothenberger 5 rebounds; Breg 4 rebounds; LaGrotta 4 assists. Union City: Meneses 8 rebounds; Estrada 7 assists, 4 steals; Casillas 6 steals, 5 rebounds, 4 assists; Rodriguez 5 rebounds; Garcia 4 rebounds.