LAWRENCE TWP. — Watching Stuart Country Day School’s Taylor States and Lawrence High’s Kayla “K.J.” Williams go at each other head to head Monday was a lot like looking at a reflection.
The only difference was that States is a 5-foot-10 senior forward/center who is currently chasing 1,000 points for the Tartans, while Williams is a 5-11 sophomore forward/center who will be chasing milestones down the road.
The best part was that neither recognized the age difference, so they went at each other hard the whole game.
It made for quite the matchup, as did the game itself, which is why when Stuart Country Day came from behind in the fourth quarter to pull out a 51-44 victory, it was a good learning experience for both sides, even if it did not feel that way to the Cardinals.
Lawrence (12-9) controlled the first three quarters and still had a 42-36 lead with 5:30 left after senior guard Amber Wooding hit a jump shot for her 15th point.
Then the game, which saw both teams in deep foul trouble, turned when Cardinals’ senior defensive standout Kimyah Carter fouled out with 5:19 to go.
The 12-4 Tartans scored the game’s next 12 points, a streak that was not halted until Williams scored inside with 36.2 seconds remaining to trim Stuart’s lead to 48-44.
The visitors, who also received nine points, seven rebounds and three steals from 5-8 junior forward Betsy Murphy, added three more free throws (one by States and two by sophomore guard Carmela Arana, the game’s leading scorer with 27 points) to secure their fourth consecutive win (sixth out of their last seven).
“To be down like we were, with the amount of fouls that were called in the game, we got that grit that we needed by the end,” said States, who scored 14 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked four shots. “We made our way around our foul trouble.”
The Cardinals were not as fortunate in the fourth quarter when their foul count started to climb. Stuart Country Day went on to hit 11-of-23 free throws in that final stanza to change the game.
“I think we played like we were down at the end,” said Williams, who finished with 14 points, 22 rebounds and four blocked shots. “We have to learn to play with refs who call a tighter game.”
Regarding the tremendously even matchup between States and Williams, both showed respect.
“I felt like I was playing myself,” Williams said. “It was like looking in the mirror. Going against the other, you are trying to figure out who is the better one.”
“She’s a sophomore?,” States asked. “I feel like I’ve seen her around. Going up against players like her who are my size helps me stay in the game. Seeing different players helps all of us prepare.”
Both teams admitted to needing such a challenge with big games ahead on Wednesday. The Cardinals will welcome Trenton High, while the Tartans will host Pennington in a New Jersey Independent Schools Athletic Association Prep B semifinal.
STUART COUNTRY DAY (51)
TStates 3-8-14, Chirik 0-1-1, LHernandez-Lewis 0-0-0, Broughton 0-0-0, Murphy 3-3-9, CEnimil-Ashun 0-0-0, Arana 6-13-27.
Totals — 12-25-51.
LAWRENCE (44)
Wooding 6-1-15, Orashen 1-0-2, Carter 2-2-6, Cohen 0-0-0, KWilliams 6-2-14, Swaroop 0-0-0, Boucicaut 0-0-0, Straczynski 0-1-1, Gorczynski 1-3-6.
Totals — 16-9-44.
Stuart (12-4) 16 6 11 18 — 51
Lawrence(12-9) 19 10 9 6 — 44
3-point goals — Arana 2 (SCD), Wooding 2, Gorczynski (L).
EWING 55, STEINERT 45
EWING — Lillie Alston’s game-high 17 points, plus 12 points apiece from Ariana Wadley and London Bennett, helped the Blue Devils secure a win over the Spartans on Senior Night at Emil Wandishin Gymnasium.
Naomi Gray’s 12 points and Caitlin Medino’s nine points directed Steinert’s attack.
STEINERT (45)
McCarthy 2-0-6, Gray 6-0-12, Wright 0-0-0, Chirichella 1-0-2, Constance 2-3-7, Rosa 2-1-6, Milton 1-0-3, Medino 3-2-9.
Totals — 17-6-45.
EWING (55)
Alston 6-4-17, TWilliams 2-1-5, KSmith 2-0-5, Glover 0-0-0, McClees 0-0-0, Wadley 6-0-12, Bennett 5-1-12, SWhite 0-0-0, Maldonado 1-2-4, Hadden 0-0-0, Hickmond 0-0-0.
Totals — 22-8-55.
Steinert(11-7) 7 12 10 16 — 45
Ewing (12-7) 17 15 18 5 — 55
3-point goals — McCarthy 2, Rosa, Milton, Medino (S), Alston, KSmith, Bennett (E).
BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN 64, WW-P NORTH 22
PLAINSBORO — Annabelle Lee returned to the Northern Knights’ lineup and put up 16 points with four 3-point field goals, but the visiting Panthers prevailed.
BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN (64)
Tremarco 1-0-2, Corbitt 1-1-3, Hurlbut 2-2-6, Ciser 3-2-9, Albano 1-1-4, Cacchio 3-2-8, Brocklehurst 1-0-2, Kohutis 5-2-12, Fakhry 5-3-13, Kaschak 2-0-5.
Totals — 24-13-64.
WW-P NORTH (22)
ALee 5-2-16, Slater 1-2-4, Agrawal 0-0-0, Marda 0-0-0, Saitoh 0-0-0, Krishna 0-0-0, Kailashram-Krishna 1-0-2, Karthik 0-0-0.
Totals — 7-4-22.
Bridgewater (10-9) 21 11 18 14 — 64
WW-P North (3-15) 5 3 11 3 — 22
3-point goals — Ciser, Albano, Kaschak (BR), ALee 4 (WWN).
BORDENTOWN 45, PALMYRA 43
PALMYRA — Behind 20 points from Ciara Knight and 15 more from Addison Dziubak, the Scotties held off a furious fourth-quarter comeback by the Panthers in this Burlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division first-place battle.
BORDENTOWN (45)
CArnold 1-0-2, Knight 8-3-20, LKelly 0-2-2, ATaylor 0-0-0, Madeya 3-0-6, SBrown 0-0-0, Dziubak 4-5-15.
Totals — 16-10-45.
PALMYRA (43)
Sims 7-2-16, Hines 2-2-6, Coefield-Elie 2-4-8, DiMeo 2-2-7, Kenson 1-1-4, Cannuli 0-0-0, Guglielmucci 0-0-0, Bednarek 1-0-2.
Totals — 15-11-43.
Bordentown(12-2) 13 10 12 10 — 45
Palmyra (13-4) 12 7 8 16 — 43
3-point goals — Knight, Dziubak 2 (B), DiMeo, Kenson (P).
NORTHERN BURLINGTON 56, MEDFORD TECH 40
COLUMBUS — Emmalee Nazario scored a game-high 19 points, while Zhariah Jones and Vivien Wasilewski backed her with 12 points apiece, as the Greyhounds outdistanced the Jaguars in BCSL Patriot Division play.
MEDFORD TECH (40)
Rock 3-1-7, AMiddleton 2-4-8, Coleman 6-2-15, TJohnson 2-0-4, Kai 3-0-6, Browne 0-0-0, Rabinowitz 0-0-0.
Totals — 16-7-40.
NORTHERN BURLINGTON (56)
Ramaswamy 0-0-0, Nezezon 0-0-0, Nazario 6-5-19, DWilliams 3-0-6, ZJones 6-0-12, Wasilewski 4-2-12, Kowalczyk 2-0-5, Bifulco 0-0-0, HBrown 1-0-2.
Totals — 22-7-56.
Medford Tech (3-12) 2 7 20 11 — 40
No. Burlington (5-13) 7 21 12 16 — 56
3-point goals — Coleman (MT), Nazario 2, Wasilewski 2, Kowalczyk (NB).
