By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
LINWOOD — The Mainland Regional girls basketball team averages more than 45 points per game this season, but it was defense that carried the Mustangs into the South Jersey Group 3 championship game with a 36-25 victory over Winslow on Saturday in front of a packed house.
The No. 2 Mustangs limited the No. 6 Eagles to just six points combined in the second and third quarters, built up a 29-15 lead and cruised through the fourth quarter to set up a showdown with rival Ocean City on Tuesday for the sectional title. Top-ranked Ocean City shook off a spirited effort by Woodrow Wilson, pulling away late to win the other semifinal 47-34.
Mainland (22-6) showed a lot of patience on offense, continually working the ball around to get open shots. Freshman Kylee Watson was hot early, matching the Eagles’ first-half output with 11 points as Mainland took a 19-11 lead into the break. Watson finished with 12 points, and five other Mustangs scored. Fran Geromini added eight points, Gabby Boggs and Aly Nazarok each scored five, and Georgia Schoen and Claudia Mairone added three apiece.
“Teams always want to play better at the end of the season. You want to have a build-up, and I think that’s what’s going on. We’re progressing and playing better and better. It’s a great feeling to know we are playing our best when it really means something,” Nazarok said. “I think, finally, we’re all really playing as a team. This game, we knew it was going to be tough. Last year, we lost to them (in the playoffs) and we knew they were really athletic and a good team. I’m happy that we came out and played our best in front of a huge crowd. I walked in and there was a line from the gym all the way to the fence outside our school. I was like, ‘holy cow, this is actually happening.'”
Mainland and Winslow also played in the boys’ sectional semifinals, with the girls game preceding the boys. The double-header of playoff basketball drew a standing-room-only crowd for both games.
“It was great having a double-header. We were excited about that. It was a great atmosphere here,” Watson said.
Winslow (21-8) tied the game, 8-8, late in the first quarter, but Watson scored an inside basket to put Mainland up, 10-8, and the Mustangs never gave up the lead again. Mairone drilled a 3-pointer early in the second quarter to push the lead to 15-8, and Watson capped off an 11-0 run with a jumper that gave Mainland a 19-8 advantage. Watson and Boggs played an effective two-man game in the low post, and Geromini — who had to sit out the first 30 days of the season after transferring from Holy Spirit — played a critical role in breaking Winslow’s pressure defense.
“She’s definitely comfortable with us, and getting to know her better we’ve been able to figure out what she can do. It’s worked out pretty well so far,” Watson said of Geromini.
There were only seven points total scored in the third quarter as each team’s offense stalled, but Mainland outscored the Eagles 13-11 in the fourth quarter to keep its lead intact.
“We knew we had to work hard to get here,” Watson said. “We’ve definitely improved since the beginning of the season. We’re really starting to move the ball better and utilizing our passes.”
Nazarok said the Mustangs are ready for the chance to bring home a South Jersey title on Tuesday night against their arch-nemesis. And they have confidence, having beaten Ocean City 38-25 on Feb. 16.
“It gives me chills every time I think about it. Hopefully, we’ll get a banner,” Nazarok said. “We haven’t done it in so long, and now the opportunity is in front of us.”
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays