Brick needs to stay hot to earn playoff berth
Memorial girls in position to be the spoiler
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

For the third straight year, a DeTata is among the Shore leaders in steals in girls basketball.

Alessandra DeTata has led the Shore Conference A South with 5.7 steals per game, like her sisters — Kathy last year and Marissa two years ago — did for Brick Township. Good defense from her and her teammates has helped Brick Township rekindle its hopes of making the NJSIAA Tournament.

The Green Dragons, who are 5-8 with three wins in their last four games after losing three straight, play host on Thursday to Brick Memorial, which beat Brick Township in a tightly contested game earlier in the season.

It was the only victory for Brick Memorial this season.

Brick Township can spare only one loss by next weekend’s cutoff to qualify for the state tournament.

Along with getting steals, Brick Township is getting more rebounds during the streak, which includes a 62-36 victory over Toms River East. Christina DeMarco made her head coaching debut with a victory over Toms River East last month.

“We’re rebounding better on the offensive and defensive ends,” said DeMarco of the turnaround that includes beating Asbury Park and Lacey on a buzzer-beating layup by Amy Nelson. “We’re getting out in transition and executing our plays; we’re setting picks and getting open looks.”

That means DeTata and Michelle Harder, who averages a dozen points a game, are running the offense effectively, while DeMarco said her team also is “stepping up inside” behind Sasha Fabrizio, who grabs 10 rebounds a game.

Brick Memorial, meanwhile, has gotten consistently strong performances from Shataya Worth, while Mallory Baker has played tough defense and rebounded strongly throughout the season.

“Shataya give us good defense, crashes the boards even though she’s only about 5 feet 6 inches, and scores, and each game one other player steps up — different ones along the way — but that’s it,” said coach Kevin Kuhn, who has gotten streaky scoring from Sara Perri

“We have a young team and not a lot of depth. We play six girls and three of them never played varsity before, and there’s only bodies after that. The kids work hard but they get tired.”

Brick Memorial suffered a heartbreaking loss recently when Manalapan hit a game-winning layup in the closing seconds. The Mustangs also lost to Toms River South by six and had a tie game early in the final quarter against Toms River East along with a triple-overtime loss to Freehold Township last month.

“We don’t have trouble getting the ball up against the press with Shana Brady and Olivia Krupinski, but then we’ll throw the ball around,” said Kuhn, who also lost a key player when Ashley Welsh suffered a season-ending injury.

“We’re not following up shots and crashing the boards like we should.”

Brady, who suffered an ankle injury in a game last week, is uncertain for Thursday’s game for Brick Township.