February 15, 2012

North Bergen's Ceiline DeLaHoz had six points, five steals and four assists. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Harrison at North Bergen Girls Basketball Photo Gallery

NORTH BERGEN – Ceiline DeLaHoz was North Bergen's No. 4 option at point guard before the season. DeLaHoz and fellow guard Stephanie Valencia were only expected to be role players off the bench, but a series of injuries pressed the  two seniors into prominent spots.

With their team's playoff life on the line, the DeLaHoz and Valencia proved to be the difference as the Bruins bounced back from an 11-point deficit to hold off Harrison 55-51 in the first round of the Hudson County Tournament.

"I thought the two seniors DeLaHoz and Valencia turned things around," head coach Dan Reardon said. "They were aggressive, they played real good defense and we started putting the ball in the basket."

Valencia and DeLaHoz had nine steals in the win, eight of them coming in the game's final 10-plus minutes when the seventh-seeded Bruins (12-9) made their comeback.

Trailing 41-30 late in the third quarter, North Bergen scored the final seven points in the period. DeLaHoz, normally a wing player, opened the fourth with a theft and uncontested layup to cut the deficit down to two points. DeLaHoz would get another steal on the next possession and feed Valencia for a game-tying layup with 7:10 left in the game. Forty seconds later, Valencia's steal would help create an Icies Hammer basket to make it 43-41 and give the Bruins their first lead since the opening period.

"Stephanie and Ceiline, they came in and it was their defense that gave us the momentum, no doubt," said Reardon.

DeLaHoz (five steals) assisted on an old-fashioned three-point play from Hammer which capped off a 16-0 run for the Bruins. Valencia (four steals), who scored all five of her points in the fourth, would add a 3-pointer to make it 51-45. Sophomore Alyssa Marrero, another player pushed into a bigger role late in the season, increased the lead to eight with a pair of free throws with 57.6 seconds left.

Tenth-seeded Harrison (13-8) would mount a late comeback. A Emmalee Lucas basket and free throws from Rayven Lucas and Bianca Martinez cut the deficit down to three. Freshman Amber O'Donnell stole a North Bergen inbounds pass with 11.6 seconds left to give the Blue Tide a chance to force overtime, but a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the wing was off the mark as North Bergen will advance to face No. 2 seed Lincoln in the quarterfinals on Friday.

"I'm real proud of them. I'm proud of the effort, the effort was totally there," Harrison head coach Al Ruiz said. "I think it was the pressure that some of the younger girls weren't ready for it and that's something we hopefully adjust for come state tournament time."

"They weren't intimidated and that's why they have 13 wins," Reardon said. "They can play, they can put the ball in the basket. You don't get 13 wins, I don't care where you are, unless you can do some things well. I give them credit."

Rayven Lucas scored 11 points in the first quarter for Harrison and finished with a team-high 20 points. Sarai Rivera added 14 points, 10 coming in the opening half. Martinez chipped in with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Hammer led all scorers with 24 points (16 in the first half) to go with seven rebounds for North Bergen. Marrero scored 11 points off the bench. DeLaHoz, in her first career start at point guard in place of the injured Amanda Rivera, had six points and four assists. Doris Ilic added eight assists and five rebounds.

Harrison junior Rayven Lucas scored 11 of her team-high 20 points in the first quarter. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Harrison at North Bergen Girls Basketball Photo Gallery