By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
ATLANTIC CITY — There’s a lot of love between Mainland Regional senior sisters Bella and Ava Mazur. But, make no mistake, there’s also a healthy rivalry on the court between the identical twins.
In the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament quarterfinals against Absegami, Ava went off for 28 points — including seven 3-pointers — to lead the Mustangs to a 66-52 win. On Tuesday night in the tournament semifinals at Atlantic City High, it was Bella’s turn to make her statement. She sank four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 28 points to lead Mainland — the No. 1 seed and defending champion — to a 59-38 win over No. 4 Middle Township. The win puts the Stangs into the championship game where they will once again meet Wildwood Catholic Academy. Game time is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Egg Harbor Township High.
Middle Township (19-7, 8-4 Cape-Atlantic American) jumped out to an early 5-1 lead but Mainland (24-1, 12-0 CAL American) stormed back, tying the game at 9 after a couple of buckets from Kasey Bretones. Sydney Stokes nailed a 3-pointer to give Mainland a 12-11 lead after one quarter, and Bella Mazur gave the Stangs the lead for good early in the second quarter when she hit the first of her four 3-pointers. She added another during a 9-0 run that gave Mainland a 20-13 lead, and from that point on the Panthers were playing catch-up.
“It feels amazing. We’re just so excited to be back there on Saturday. It’s our third appearance in a row and I just have so much trust in our teammates,” Bella Mazur said. “We knew coming into this game that (Middle) was going to be really hungry to beat us. It’s our third time playing them, but I knew that if we settled down in the second half we’d be totally fine.”
The Mazur twins kept coming up with big plays all night. Middle stormed back to get within 26-22 on a layup by McKenzie Palek and a couple of free throws from Reagan Powell, but then Bella Mazur scored on a driving layup to make it 28-22. She nailed another three with 36 seconds left before halftime to push the lead out to 31-24. Ava Mazur got in on the act in the third quarter, hitting a pair of threes to help Mainland extend its lead to 40-29.
“I feel like we feed off each other,” Bella Mazur said. “When one of us is hot, we just say, ‘keep shooting.’ I think it’s really important to help each other out. If she’s on, I just give her the ball because I know she’s hot.”
“In the locker room (at halftime) I was like, ‘man, you’re playing great and I’m not playing well at all.’ But she was like, ‘just keep shooting, you got it.’ Having her support really helped me,” Ava Mazur added. “We know how to find each other. We know each other more than an average teammate does, so when she’s hot I know I have to feed her the ball.”
Mainland shot 47 percent from the field for the game and scored 20 points off the 17 turnovers they created. Stokes finished with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Ava Mazur had 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. The win was the third this season for Mainland over Middle Township, and St. John Vianney is the only team to have beaten the Stangs so far this season. The Stangs are now 50-4 over the last two seasons.
“Playing a team three times — and beating them three times — is not easy. So we knew we had to pick up the pressure, and pick it up on both the offensive and defensive sides early,” Ava Mazur said. “Going into Saturday, we know Wildwood Catholic — again, playing a team three times in a row and beating a team three times in a row is really hard. They are going to be hungry for us and want to take that title, but we’re ready for it.”
The Mazurs, as well as fellow seniors Bretones and Stokes, have just a few more games left in a Mainland uniform, and they’re looking to make the most of the last few weeks of their high school careers.
“As much as we’re ready for our next chapter (at West Chester University), this chapter isn’t over yet,” Bella Mazur said. “We’re just ready for the next game. We turn this page and we’re on to Saturday.”
Added Ava, “we’re excited to close out our senior year. It’s sad, but we’re making the best memories. I’m excited (for Saturday) and I hope we come out on top.”
WHAT’S NEXT: No. 1 Mainland vs. No. 2 Wildwood Catholic Academy in the Cape-Atlantic League championship game, Saturday at 2 p.m. at Egg Harbor Township High. Middle Township hosts Pennsauken Tech in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 2 state playoffs on Nov. 21, time TBD.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sullyglorydays@gmail.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays
