January 27, 2012

St. Anthony forward Jasmine Brandon had her eighth-straight game in double figures. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Holy Family at St. Anthony Girls Basketball Photo Gallery

JERSEY CITY – Calling Jasmine Brandon the final piece to the puzzle might be an oversimplistic explanation for St. Anthony's recent turnaround. But the impact the 5-foot-10 senior forward has made since returning to the Jersey City school has been undeniable.

Brandon, who transferred back to St. Anthony after starting the school year at Nazareth High School in Brooklyn, had 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 57-46 win over Holy Family Academy yesterday. The victory marked the Friars' fifth in the last six games.

"If I was going to come back (to New Jersey), I wouldn't go to any other school except for St. Anthony," said Brandon, who played with the Friars in the summer. "They've been really loving, kind, the basketball team welcomed me back. I just love them, they're just really nice people."

"It wasn't that difficult," said head coach Buddy Matthews of trying to incorporate Brandon back into the lineup. "These are a good group of girls who get along with each other so it wasn't difficult at all."

St. Anthony (7-8) started out its season 0-5, but has gone 5-3 since Brandon returned to the court. She has averaged 18.2 points per game since coming back and has scored in double figures in all eight contests she has played for the Friars.

After a slow start, Brandon showed why she is one of the county's top offensive threats, scoring eight points in the second quarter allowing her team surge ahead for good late in the period.

"I know I have someone down low to dump it off to if my guards are not open," Cassandra Houghton said. "I can just give it to Jasmine.

"She's been giving me a lot of confidence to be able to bring the ball up the floor without being pressured 24-7. It's been a big difference."

Houghton, a senior, has been the ideal complement on the perimeter to Brandon's inside presence. The point guard filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals in the win. Four of those assists came on Brandon baskets.

"I can't feed the ball to myself and every time I'm open she always sees me," said Brandon. "If I put my hand up, she always sees me and passes me the ball every single time."

"Everybody's feeding off each other confidence wise. It was a matter of everybody getting to know each other," said Matthews in his first year at St. Anthony after being the Hoboken boys coach the previous 10 seasons. "Them getting to know me as a coach, me getting to know them, and I think everybody's starting to trust each other more and its starting to show."

Sadiera Crawford added nine points, seven rebounds and five steals. Janasha King (five points) sealed the victory with a 3-pointer to give the Friars a 49-40 lead with 2:35 left in the game.

Senior Kaydee Murphy paced the visiting Falcons (5-9) with 12 points. Kaitlyn Karteron scored 11 points, while Shannon Folger and Alexis Ogbin added nine and eight points respectively.

Senior Kaydee Murphy scored a team-high 12 points for Holy Family Academy. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Holy Family at St. Anthony Girls Basketball Photo Gallery