Trenton Catholic Academy girls basketball team state champions
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Christina Leslie | Correspondent
The seemingly unstoppable girls basketball team from Trenton Catholic Academy clinched their fifth state title in seven years with a victory over Morris Catholic High School 60-49 in the NJSIAA finals March 10 at the Pine Belt Arena, Toms River. The Lady Mikes, led by head coach Khaliq Lewis-El and energized by stellar play from their starting five, qualified for the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions and a place in the record books as one of the all-time best girls teams to come out of the Hamilton school.
Guard Isis Young scored a team high 21 points in the game, one in which the Lady Mikes had maintained control for most of the first half. TCA permitted the Crusaders to hit four three-pointers and take a slim 31-30 lead at the half, with the North Jersey B champs expanding their lead to 40-34 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter.
The Lady Mikes upped the pressure with shots such as Tyler Raysor’s pair of free throws and forward Erin Garner sinking a perfect pass from Isis Young at the buzzer; TCA rallied to trail 42-40 going into the third quarter. Marcia Senatus nailed a 3-pointer during the Mikes’ first possession, upping the score to 43-42 and creating a lead the Hamilton school would not relinquish.
Unbowed determination coupled with season-long physical conditioning was the key to the final victory. Knowing their season was on the line, TCA racked up another 17 points, outshooting and outlasting the Crusaders who appeared to run out of gas just when they needed it most.
On their way to the finals, TCA had vanquished teams from Wardlaw-Hartridge, Edison; St. Joseph, Hammonton, and Roselle Catholic. The championship game against Gill St. Bernard’s School, Gladstone, on March 6 saw the Lady Mikes top the state’s fourth-ranked Knights by a score of 70 to 53.
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By Christina Leslie | Correspondent
The seemingly unstoppable girls basketball team from Trenton Catholic Academy clinched their fifth state title in seven years with a victory over Morris Catholic High School 60-49 in the NJSIAA finals March 10 at the Pine Belt Arena, Toms River. The Lady Mikes, led by head coach Khaliq Lewis-El and energized by stellar play from their starting five, qualified for the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions and a place in the record books as one of the all-time best girls teams to come out of the Hamilton school.
Guard Isis Young scored a team high 21 points in the game, one in which the Lady Mikes had maintained control for most of the first half. TCA permitted the Crusaders to hit four three-pointers and take a slim 31-30 lead at the half, with the North Jersey B champs expanding their lead to 40-34 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter.
The Lady Mikes upped the pressure with shots such as Tyler Raysor’s pair of free throws and forward Erin Garner sinking a perfect pass from Isis Young at the buzzer; TCA rallied to trail 42-40 going into the third quarter. Marcia Senatus nailed a 3-pointer during the Mikes’ first possession, upping the score to 43-42 and creating a lead the Hamilton school would not relinquish.
Unbowed determination coupled with season-long physical conditioning was the key to the final victory. Knowing their season was on the line, TCA racked up another 17 points, outshooting and outlasting the Crusaders who appeared to run out of gas just when they needed it most.
On their way to the finals, TCA had vanquished teams from Wardlaw-Hartridge, Edison; St. Joseph, Hammonton, and Roselle Catholic. The championship game against Gill St. Bernard’s School, Gladstone, on March 6 saw the Lady Mikes top the state’s fourth-ranked Knights by a score of 70 to 53.
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