HEARTBREAK MIKE
TCA falls in overtime to Rutgers Prep in Non-Public B South final >>
JACKSON » Much as was the case the entire 2017-18 season, few thought the Trenton Catholic Academy girls basketball team was going to have a shot at making the state final when the Mikes fell behind Rutgers Prep by 18 points with two minutes left in the third quarter of the NJSIAA Non-Public B South final Tuesday at Jackson Liberty High.
Few, that is, except the Mikes themselves.
To the amazement of all in attendance, top-seeded TCA scored 22 unanswered points, then forced overtime before succumbing to the second-seeded Argonauts, 58-54.
The Mikes’ first season under head coach Bob Fusik ended one game short of the state final with a 26-3 record one year after the team was 13-10.
“The girls easily could have folded their tents, but instead they fought, fought, fought as they have all season,” a proud Fusik said.
And they did so in exciting fashion.
The rally started innocently enough when sophomore guard/ forward Leianya Massenat hit TCA’s first 3-point field goal of the game with 1:30 left in the third quarter of a game Rutgers Prep led, 38-20.
As their defense tightened on the Argonauts, who turned the ball over 30 times in the game, the Mikes got the ball back three more times before the quarter ended, resulting in a pair of treys from sophomore Giana Boulden around a put back by senior Jada Queen. That was 11 points in 90 seconds.
“I really wanted to do it for our four seniors,” said Massenat, who scored eight more points in the fourth quarter to help TCA continue to cut into the lead.
Two free throws by Boulden (23 points) and another 3-pointer by Massenat (11 points) drew the top seed within a basket.
“We wanted it bad,” said Queen (12 points), who stuck another offensive rebound with 5:58 left in the fourth quarter to even the score at 38-38.
Before the Argonauts could call timeout, Boulden stole the ensuing inbound pass and scored to give the Mikes their first lead since three minutes remained in the first quarter.
“I could imagine us coming back because I knew we’d keep fighting for it, just like we do in practice,” senior point guard Kaela Reed said.
Boulden scored again to stretch TCA’s lead to 42-38 before Rutgers Prep regained its form and built a 48-43 lead with 1:30 left.
But once again, the Mikes responded. Consecutive baskets by Massenat cut the lead to a point with 33 seconds left. Then, after a drive by the Argonauts’ Olivia Mullins (10 points), TCA got the ball back with 15 seconds left.
With their main targets covered, Reed swished her seventh 3-pointer of the season to knot the score with seven seconds left. She was mobbed by her teammates when Rutgers Prep could not get the winning shot. “Every now and then, I’ll hit one,” Reed said. “I just wish it could have come a little sooner.” “In OT, I told the girls, ‘We’ve prepared for this all year. We’ve gotta get a stop now,” Argonauts head coach Mary Klinger said. Instead, Reed proceeded to steal the ball to open overtime, but the Mikes could not take the lead. Instead, RP’s Leilani Correa (26 points) hit four consecutive free throws and a 12-foot jump shot before Boulden scored two in a row with 1:38 and 1:18 left in OT. That got TCA as close as 5654. Yet, despite another steal by Reed, the Mikes could not get their dream season to end the way they wanted as Rutgers Prep held on to face Saddle River in Saturday’s state final.