Lady Hawks anxious to prove themselves
BY SHAWN LAYTON
Staff Writer

EDISON - The J.P. Stevens High School girls basketball team will get an opportunity this week to see just how far it has come since the beginning of the season in a rematch with county powerhouse Piscataway.

In the first meeting between the two schools, Piscataway won handily by a 64-40 score.

"I really think we'll do a better job against them this time around," Stevens head coach John Spiess said. "The kids are ready to step up to the challenge."

The Lady Hawks appeared up to the task after winning five straight games heading into this week's schedule with an 11-4 record.

The team was on a roll that began with a last-second win over North Brunswick, followed by an impressive game over division foe East Brunswick 44-37. Brittany Mullings paced the Hawks with a team-high 18 points.

A 20-point victory over a struggling Woodbridge team stretched the winning streak to four and was due in large part to Bobbi Van Fleet's monster performance. Van Fleet ended the game with a season-high 19 points to go with 13 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 blocks.

"Bobbi started the season slow, but she's certainly come around," Spiess said. "She's so multi-talented that she creates problems for opposing teams. She has the quickness of a guard, but she can also control the paint with her presence. With Bobbi on track, she and Brittany Mullings give teams a handful. It's nice to have two kids like that on your team."

Stevens' fifth win in a row was a nice come-from-behind win over Carteret. Down nine points heading into the fourth quarter, Stevens responded to its deficit with a 15-3 run to finish the game with a win.

"That was a nice win for us because Carteret has some really nice players but we were able to pull it out," Spiess said. "Our defense really stepped up and did the job. Carteret's top player, Courtney Larson, had 10 points through the first three quarters but was held scoreless in the fourth. We only gave up three foul shots the entire quarter."

Van Fleet and Mullings were impressive in the win once again, combining for 26 points. Van Fleet turned on the heat in the final quarter, scoring six of her team-high 14.

Caitlyn Seamster added nine points and nine rebounds in the win for the Hawks.

"Although Bobbi and Brittany are having such solid seasons, it has really been a team effort," Spiess said. "Kathryn Ruhno has given us solid outside shooting and Casey Kirsch and Caitlyn Seamster have played well. Casey has played some really good defense and been a solid point guard for us."

Unfortunately, Piscataway ended the Hawks' winning streak in impressive fashion, winning last week's contest 82-49. A 24-6 run in the second quarter broke the game wide open. Van Fleet led Stevens with 16 points.

In the follow-up to their lopsided loss, the Hawks failed to sweep the season series with Edison as the Eagles were led by Kristin Sciarrillo's 12 points and 14 boards in a 42-32 win.

The Hawks snapped the two-game skid with a 47-39 win over Bishop Ahr. Bishop Ahr opened the game with a 13-4 run and eventually built a 24-17 lead at the half before the Hawks fought their way back and ended the game with a 17-6 run. Seamster led the team with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"It was a very tough week," Spiess said. "This upcoming week will be an important stretch for us as we get closer to the county tournament. The girls want to step it up and make a run at the leaders of the division."