Even with a lead, St. Thomas Aquinas trudged into the locker room at halftime knowing there was more to give Saturday afternoon.
Sixteen points, after all, is not the norm for one of the most talented offensive teams in New Jersey this season.
But as St. Thomas Aquinas learned in the Score at the Shore championship game in Manahawkin, not every win — even for a team under the microscope like this one is — will follow the game plan.
And while offense may come and go, defense can always remain. And it did for St. Thomas Aquinas.
Against a scrappy team in Lenape, St. Thomas Aquinas, the No. 5-ranked team in the NJ.com Top 20, pitched a tremendous defensive effort in a 43-30 win to win the tournament title as the No. 2-seed.
The Trojans held a strong-shooting Lenape team that knocked off No. 17 Mainland in the semifinals two days earlier to just five first-half points.
“We have the components to score, we have all the pieces to score and be a great offensive team but our focus, specifically this year, is our defense,” St. Thomas Aquinas coach Brittney Griffin said. "We knew that they were a good shooting team.
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“If you look at their stats, they’re across the board everyone can shoot the three. Our goal today was to cut back and even if they shoot half of what they normally do, that’s a win. Closing out the shooters, getting the help and getting into the lanes and rebounding, no second chances. They did get a couple in the second half but five points in a half is not typical. That’s not going to happen.”
Georgetown commit Kelsey Ransom, who battled the same shooting struggles that her teammates did, carried the offense for the Trojans in this game and finished with a monster double-double of 17 points and 15 rebounds.
With mid-range and perimeter shots not falling early, Ransom changed her strategy and attacked the rim in the second half to get to the foul line and high-percentage shots — and Lenape had no answer for her athleticism.
“I guess the best basketball you can play when your shots aren’t falling and you can’t do the fancy stuff is to do the raw stuff, the things that don’t take skill and just take effort,” Ransom said. “At one point, that’s what the game became. You can’t control what the refs are calling or the other team but you can control your effort.”
St. Thomas Aqujnas held Lenape without a single point in the first quarter and took a 16-5 lead into the halftime break, but Lenape had no intentions of going down without a fight.
The runner-up in this tournament last year and the defending South Jersey, Group 4 sectional champions found their offense in the third quarter thanks to key 3-pointers from Olivia Johnstone, and Claire Zhang and cut the deficit to four points midway through the frame at 20-16.
But as good teams often do, St. Thomas Aquinas countered with an 8-0 run and closed the quarter out on a 9-3 spurt to seize back momentum and thwart any thoughts of an upset.
Not bad for a team that is still, in a way, learning to win while handling the day-in, and day-out expectations of a legitimate Tournament of Champions contender.
“It was definitely a good experience for us,” Griffin said. “Coming down and seeing a different way other teams play in the state is always good. We’re always trying to get outside the county and see different teams and making sure we’re as prepared for the state tournament as we can possibly be. This is definitely the best way to do it.”
Emma Boslet was sensational early and late for St. Thomas Aquinas, scoring seven of her 15 points in that first quarter that saw the Trojans take an 11-0 lead over Lenape. Jessica Cooper supplied a good spark off the bench with six points and three rebounds.
Lenape, figuring to be in a rebuild after graduating guard Shannon Mulroy, made a surprising run to the final for the second straight year, this time as the No. 4-seed. The Indians knocked off defending champion Mainland in the semifinals before battling St. Thomas Aquinas Saturday.
Johnstone led Lenape with eight points.
But the underdog role is still working out for St. Thomas Aquinas, which was oddly handed the No. 2-seed behind Mainland despite its roaring success a year ago and big-time preseason hype.
“I think these kids are so used to being the underdog that they’re just continuing on with the same mentality,” Griffin said. “Our mentality hasn’t changed. We’re always coming from behind, we’re always reaching for that next step and wanting to play with the better teams.
"I don’t think these kids realize they caliber they can play at yet. I think they’re still thinking about those top teams and the state and maybe we can play with them. I think they’re finally realizing that they are a part of that.”
Brian Deakyne may be reached at bdeakyne@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDeakyne. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.
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No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas wins defensive battle to earn Score at the Shore title - nj.com
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