Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 45, COLTS NECK 43
Emily Spratt was named MVP of Sunday’s win over Colts Neck on day two of Super Games at the Shore. It was easy to understand why. The senior standout scored a game high 24 points, which included three 3-pointers and a perfect 13-for-13 effort at the foul line in a stellar outing.
“She did it in all facets of the game,” West coach Zach Sibel said. “She went 13-for-13 from the line. She’s getting there more this year, and that’s a credit to her attention to detail.
“Also, her ability to knock down shots. She had two big 3’s – the first was a step-back that really got her into a rhythm, and she was doing her thing. It’s always nice when you can post her, play her outside and play her off the dribble. She was without a doubt a five-tool player today.”
The Bucks – behind 12 points from Spratt and six from Katie Finnan – took a 28-17 lead into halftime. Colts Neck came roaring back with a 17-8 third quarter, trimming the Bucks’ lead to two heading into the final frame. Spratt’s seven fourth quarter points – which included a 4-for-4 effort at the foul line – helped keep Colts Neck at bay.
“We took an 11-point lead into halftime, and we said, ‘This team is going to come back fighting. Their coach has coached a thousand games, and he’s going to have them ready to roll in the second half. We just have to keep being solid,’” Sibel said. “To their credit, they made shots in the third quarter. There are definitely some things we can clean up, but you have to give them credit for making plays. Again, down the stretch, we did what we needed to do. We were patient, we took care of the basketball, and we hit free throws.
“It was cool to see Gabbi Senior go to the line late in the game and make a big free throw to push it to a two-possession game. She missed the second one, but Ava Longo was on the glass and got a big offensive rebound. We were able to extend the possession and take more time off the clock. It was definitely a big end stretch for us where we made the right plays and played smart. It was very similar to our CB South game. We were up four, they got a layup, and we just didn’t inbound it and time ran out.”
The win was the third by two points or less in five games for the Bucks. Colts Neck was led by the 15-point efforts of Julianna Gibson and Katie Finnegan. Finnegan scored 14 of her points after the intermission and spearheaded her team’s comeback rally.
“They had length,” Sibel said. “They were probably the biggest team we have played so far. They had length at both the forward and the guard position. Their starting 5 (Julianna Gibson) is going to St. Francis, and it was good to play a big like that and kind of get used to battling inside. I thought Ava Longo and Alexis Castro both did a really nice job there, making that post tough. Our guards complemented that by making the passes tough as well.
“They were a solid team. They’re coached by Nick Russo who has won multiple state championships when he was coaching at St. John Vianney. He took over the job this year. They won 10-plus games last year. It was a good team, a legendary coach and a really good game to be a part of.”
The weekend tournament provided more than just an opportunity for the Bucks – who improved to 5-0 – to gain game experience.
“The cool thing is – you get away from home a little bit,” Sibel said. “We’re getting used to that – five straight games on the road.
“One of the things that really stood out to me – even just our team meal last night, there’s something so communal about sharing a meal together, sitting down and getting a chance to talk and getting to see everybody’s true colors.
“I think that was a really special moment. Coming out of COVID last year, getting a chance to get away, spend some quality time together. Really, I think that helped our team as much as the competition this morning did – just sharing those moments together and sharing those types of memories.”
Central Bucks West (5-0, 2-0 SOL) will host Pennridge on Tuesday in a battle of undefeated squads.
Central Bucks West 17-11-8-9 45
Colts Neck 6-11-17-9 43
Central Bucks West (45) – Tai Henkels 1 1-2 4; Katie Finnan 3 0-2 6; Emily Spratt 4 13-13 24; Alexis Castro 2 0-0 5; Ava Longo 1 1-4 3; Gabi Senior 1 1-2 3; TOTALS 12 16-23 45.
Colts Neck (43) – Julianna Gibson 4 7-8 15; Madison Hunt 0 2-2 2; Taryn Jacobs 4 0-0 9; Katie Finnegan 6 1-2 15; Savannah Butz 0 2-4 2; TOTALS 14 12-16 43
3-point goals: CBW – Emily Spratt 3, Tai Henkels, Alexis Castro, Colts Neck – Katie Finnegan 2, Taryn Jacobs.
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