January 13, 2012

Bayonne dominates in showdown with Lincoln

Kerrie Kosakowski (3) jumps into the arms of Lisa Rovatsos after the Bees' win. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Lincoln at Bayonne Girls Basketball Photo Gallery

By Jason Bernstein Editorial Director

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BAYONNE – If anyone was questioning whether or Bayonne was still the team to beat, yesterday's performance showed little doubt who is still No. 1 in Hudson County girls basketball.

With a stifling defense and a balanced scoring attack, the Bees dominated Lincoln 67-40 in a mid-season showdown of the county's top two teams.

But what was expected to be a tight contest, quickly shifted into a rout as the Bayonne (9-2) offense erupted for 17 unanswered points in the final 3:19 of the opening quarter.

"I told my girls in the locker room (we had to have) intensity," Bayonne head coach James Turner said. "Whatever you do, you have to be intense. Intense on defense, intense on offense, the bench has to get into it. We have to send a message that we're the best team in the county."

Tara Flynn snapped a 4-4 tie and ignited the rally with consecutive baskets in a span of 11 seconds, the later coming on a 15-foot jumper after stealing an inbounds pass. Lisa Rovatsos buried a trey from the corner and Flynn responded with a pair of 3-pointers of her own. Bayonne, which had four turnovers in the run, capped the period off with two Rovatsos free throws and a runner from Jesenia Montalvo with four seconds left to take a 21-4 lead.

"It was strange because we went away from the game plan," Lincoln head coach Tom Best said. "We knew what they were going to do in terms of the pressure, but I guess with the big game the girls started going away from the game plan.

"I didn't believe that this was going to happen. Sometimes you have games like this. Today the best team won. Hopefully we can correct some problems and see them again."

 

Flynn would give the Bees their biggest lead of the night with a late third quarter basket to make it 56-23. The senior point guard hit four 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 18 points along with six rebounds and four assists. Rovatsos had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Alex Fajardo added 16 points and five assists.

Aneia Williams chipped in with eight points as Turner praised the work of her and teammates Amanda Novielli and Amelia DeSantis for their defensive work on the Lions' Breana Bey.

Bey, who entered the contest averaging 26 points per game, was held to a season-low eight points.

"We worked for two practices on stopping (Bey)," Turner said. "We knew this is what we wanted to do. This is their best player, their bread and butter. She's a strong girl, very athletic, she runs the floor like a gazelle, but we knew in the half court against our sets it wasn't going to be a double-double."

Bey added 11 rebounds and three assists for Lincoln (8-2), which saw its five-game winning streak snapped. Chaniyah Swan heated up for four second half 3-pointers to finish with a team-high 14 points. She'Kinah Suber and freshman Kiante Johnson added eight points apiece as the Lions hope to take a valuable lesson from this defeat.

"Now we know what we need to do to get to the next level," said Best.

Lincoln's Chaniyah Swan hit four 3-pointers to finish with 14 points in defeat. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Lincoln at Bayonne Girls Basketball Photo Gallery

 

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lincoln Lions (8-2)	4	10	12	14	40
Bayonne Bees (9-2)	21	15	20	11	67

Lincoln		Bayonne
2s 3s 1s Pts Timiah Calamito 0 0 0 0 Breana Bey 3 0 2 8 She'Kinah Suber 4 0 0 8 Chaniyah Swan 1 4 0 14 Kiante Johnson 4 0 0 8 Pamela Laroco 0 0 0 0 Jadela Gaston 1 0 0 2 Ineshia Johnson 0 0 0 0 Total: 13 4 2 40		2s 3s 1s Pts Tara Flynn 3 4 0 18 Lisa Rovatsos 4 1 6 17 Alex Fajardo 3 2 4 16 Amanda Novielli 0 0 0 0 Aneia Williams 4 0 0 8 Amelia DeSantis 1 0 0 2 Jesenia Montalvo 3 0 0 6 Jenny Krysinski 0 0 0 0 Total: 18 7 10 67
Bayonne: Rovatsos 11 rebounds; Flynn 6 rebounds, 4 assists; Fajardo 5 assists; Montalvo 5 rebounds; Novielli 5 rebounds. Lincoln: Bey 11 rebounds; K. Johnson 7 rebounds; Suber 6 rebounds.