The Alternative Press

MILLBURN, NJ – Jennifer Smith scored a team high 22 points for the Millburn Lady Millers, including 14 in the third quarter, and they forced 35 turnovers from the Livingston Lady Lancers en route to a 45-21 victory on Monday afternoon at Millburn High School.

 

With the score knotted up a 13 a piece at the seven minute mark of the third, Millburn went on an 18-0 run through a large part of the quarter to take a commanding 31-13 lead with about 2:50 left until the final frame of play.  As a team, they outscored Livingston 24-4 in the first quarter after halftime.

 

“We played good defense. We pressured them a lot,” Smith said of the third. “We got steals and then just went to the basket,” she added.

 

A simple answer from Smith and that is exactly how Millburn made it look during the stretch of the game that saw nine Livingston turnover and two baskets in transition for the home team to all but put the contest away.

 

The run started at the free throw line when guard Taylor Perretti hit one from the charity strike followed by a pair of swishes from Smith.  Smith then converted in transition after a Livingston turnover before Megan Weissman put back an offensive rebound to make the score 20-13.

 

About a minute later, Courtney Brosnan hit from the foul line and Perretti hit a layup. The scoring stint was completed by Smith when she hit two free throws, a three ball and a lay up followed by an ensuing free throw as she was fouled on the play; her second three point play of the game.

 

“I just drove and made some defensive plays (that allowed me) to get to the basket,” Smith commented on her third quarter performance.

 

“The key was upping our defensive intensity.  We turned the game around totally with aggressive defense. Then we got some turnovers that we converted,” Millburn Assistant Coach Randy Porges said of the Millburn run. “We kept the pressure throughout the third quarter and broke the game open. That to me was the difference in the game.”

 

Although not indicative of the final score, the first half was played fairly tightly between the two Essex County squads.

 

Millburn built an eight point first quarter lead with Smith catching fire early. She made a three-pointer, an easy bucket after a Millburn steal and a free throw followed by a lay in that she was fouled on. Millburn led 11-3 after one.

 

The second quarter is when Livingston was able to battle back into the ball game. Mallory Breg hit a shot from underneath off a nice inbound pass near half court from teammate Sam Rothenberger, who led her team with five points. 

 

Livingston later put together a 6-0 run to close out the first half. Caroline Cole gathered an offensive board after a missed shot and converted, Catherine Callaghan made a layup and Carly Lagrotta scored in transition as they were down just 13-11 at halftime.

 

The visiting team also scored the first basket of the second half when Breg put back a missed shot to knot the game at 13 a piece about a minute into the third.  It was the only tie of the entire game.

 

“We had some turnovers that contributed to a few baskets that they (Livingston) made,” Porges said. “They played a little better offensively then they did to start the game."

 

With less than three minutes left in the third, Rothenberger made a layup to put an end to the Millburn 18-0 run. However, they still trailed 37-17 heading into the fourth quarter.

 

Brosnan had four points and Isabel Manfredonia and Sabrina Ahampura each had two in the fourth quarter for Millburn.

 

LaGrotta hit two free throws and Cole had a basket for Livingston in the fourth.

 

With the win Millburn is now 9-12 on their season. They will next play host to Irvington High School, this Thursday at 4 p.m.

 

Livingston (6-13) will look to rebound when they play at Newark Vocational School this Thursday at a time to be announced.