Gutty play, defense have Jersey Blues atop GSAC
By tim morris
Staff Writer

FARRAH MAFFAI Brookdale’s Jamie Crahan, of Raritan, defends against Salem’s Tahanee McKeown during the Jersey Blues’ game on Saturday in Middletown.

Opponents of Brookdale Commu-nity College’s women’s basketball team are beginning to get that worn-down feeling.

The Jersey Blues have parlayed a deep, athletic team into a full-court, harassing nightmare for their opponents.

"Speed and guts" is what co-head coach Joann Cobb said described the Jersey Blues. "We have a gutty crew. We play pressure full-court defense.

"We wear teams down," she added. "We’re a small team, but we have stamina. We use nine players and always have fresh legs on the floor."

With the difficult part of the schedule behind them, the Blue are 12-6, ranked ninth in the county in Division III, and on a roll.

Brookdale stacked the early part of its schedule with Division II teams and the strength of schedule has paid off. The Blues are 7-0 in the Garden State Conference and in first place after knocking off previous undefeated and No. 4 ranked Passaic, 58-52, on Jan. 22. Passaic is 6-1 in the division and that is their season record as well.

BCC has a nice mix of sophomores and freshmen.

"We have dedicated players who like playing with each other," said Cobb. "We really have meshed as a team."

Sophomore Tony Ingenito of Brick Memorial has been the Jersey Blue constant. In 18 games, the forward has 12 double-doubles including eight in a row. She is leading the team in both scoring (14.8) and rebounding (11). Her 11 caroms a game put her among the national leaders. Her versatility of being able to shoot threes or post-up inside is a key to BCC’s offense. No matter where she plays, she is an outstanding rebounder.

"She’s been seeing double duty as a three or four," said Cobb. "We have her playing inside or outside, depending on where we need her."

Another sophomore, Cassandra Crawford, has stepped up and done a superb job at point guard. She was slated to start at the two guard, but when returning point guard Jesse Moreno tore her ACL before the season began, Crawford got the call. Fortunately, she had split time last year with Moreno at that position and has been running the offense well. She is averaging five assists a game and 10 points.

Newcomer Jamie Crahan from Raritan, has given the team a boost at the two guard. She is averaging 10 points a game herself.

The Blues’ productive backcourt has complemented Ingenito.

Up front, forward Laura Hensley and center Kelly Griffin have added rebounding. Hensley, a St. Rose grad, is averaging seven rebounds a game at the four spot. Last year, ankle injuries limited her playing time. Healthy this winter, the 5-10 player has given the team what it expected.

The 6-2 Griffin, from Virginia, is the team’s top offensive rebounder. The Blues plant her down low and she keeps plays alive with her rebounding. She is averaging seven a game.

The strength of the Jersey Blues is their depth. They use all nine of their players extensively.

Manalapan’s Katie Pusz is the team’s sixth man. She is defensive specialist who provided a spark off the bench. In addition to her defense, she is strong rebounder and can shoot from three-point range.

Jamie DePalo, a transfer from Brooklyn, who just became eligible, is the back-up point guard. She is a dangerous three-point shooter.

Alana Nikola, from Colts Neck, is the back-up center behind Griffin. At 6-0, Nikola provides a rebounding presence in the paint, and she has displayed offensive potential.

Ocean Township’s Jennifer Thompson is a slashing forward who can drive to the basket and is a strong rebounder.

Cobb and her co-head coach Marianne Campacci have a similar approach to offense: it is generated from the defense.

"A good defensive team makes a good offense," she said. "Our offense begins with our defense."

Brookdale’s defense was at its best in the win over Passaic. It enabled them to overcome an eight-point night from Ingenito. Crahan came through with three three-pointers and a game high 19 points, while Crawford and Hensley each chipped in with 10.

Before embarking on a three-game road trip, the Jersey Blues will host Lacka-wanna (Pa.) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The theme of the 2001-02 Blues is "unfinished business." Last year, their finest season ever (26-5) ended in the semi-finals of the Region XIX Champion-ship. They were one game away from playing for a trip to the junior college national championships. This year, the Blues want to take that next step and go to the nationals. They will have one advantage in ’02. Brookdale is hosting this year’s semi-finals and finals on Feb. 28 and March 2.