Vicki DeTata continues family tradition on the court
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer
For the past seven years, there has always been a DeTata sibling in the lineup for Brick Township's girls basketball team.

Vicki DeTata is the latest, and last of four sisters to don a Green Dragons jersey andwill have one final season after this one.

Over the holidays, she got together with her other sisters from the oldest one - Marissa, who graduated last spring from Rutgers where she ran for the cross-country and track and field teams, to Kathy, who played soccer last fall for Seton Hall University as a senior to Alessandra, who significantly helped Monmouth University's soccer team to the Northeast Conference Tournament as a freshman.

"It's been very exciting over the holidays. Lots of people have come into the house and it was fun when we all put up the Christmas tree the weekend before Christmas," said Vicki. "And they'll all be here until the middle of January when Kathy and Ali go back to college."

They also headed out together on New Year's Eve to a cousin's wedding in the town of Tabernacle. And DeTata last Friday tested for a provisional driver's license, so it's been hectic for her.

She has squeezed in get-togethers with her sisters amid the responsibilities of practices and playing in the Brick Memorial Mustang Classicwhere the teambeatMarlboro, 36-32, behind Victoria Finelli's 14 points, many in the final quarter, to set up a second-round game late in the week. The team is off to a 2-2 start and has come along better after its season opener when it was held to 16 points in a loss to Southern.

It's been a funny experience for Vicki as there were two De- Tata sisters playing at the same time for most of those seven seasons. Ali was a guiding influence for Vicki when she got ample playing time as a freshman two seasons ago before graduating after last season.

"We're doing good," said DeTata of the current Brick Township team. "When Kat Connelly comes off the bench she helps me bring up the ball, which is more help in that area than I got last year. And the big people of Lauren McElroy and Victoria Fineli are helping underneath."

In the team's other triumph, a doubledigit margin of victory over Toms River South, DeTata continued her fine defensive play with five steals and scored 15 points.

"I try to score as much as possible but the most important thing is that we're winning," said DeTata. And with that, DeTata finds she has an

expanded role from last year that involves

another intangible -

leadership.

"I'm a junior now and I realize now that the upperclassmen

have to take the lead,"

said DeTata. "In the past, I

was younger and would just go

out there and play. But it (leadership) is going good." With a more mature team than a year ago, the players feel a greater sense of personal responsibility to the team than a year ago when it won all six games at the end of the season.

"They definitely realized that at the beginning of the season," said DeTata. "Everyone is dedicated to basketball. They realize they want to win and it's not just about having fun."

But DeTata said "just nervousness" was the reason why the team shot 4-for- 30 in its opening game loss.

"I'd probably say the difference is passing," said DeTata. "This year is better (in that regard) than last year. We know how each other plays."

And DeTata has the reassurance of knowing that, along with the solid post players to turn to, she also can give the ball to reliable shooters Kim Harder and Michelle Colantoni, who can hit the longrange shots. As a result, she is taking fewer three-point shots herself, which is a good situation for a point guard. When that player has to take shots from long range on a regular basis, it does not bode well for the rest of the players who are in a better and closer position to shoot.

"I think we're a lot better than last year," said DeTata. "I like this season a lot."

And there is plenty ahead when the team goes full steam into the always grueling Shore Conference A South.

Host team Brick Memorial, meanwhile, also advanced with a thrilling 44- 42 victory over Pinelands as Bethany Butka scored her only field goal with .6 seconds left on a layup. She had 12 points.