The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The Franklin High School Lady Warriors basketball team made history March 15 with an NJSIAA Group 4 championship, the program’s first.
The senior-dominated starting five showed the tenacity that now has them in the Tournament of Champions, battling back from several deficits to finally best the Shawnee Renegades, 54-48.
That effort was led by senior guard Alexandra Jackson, who scored a career-high 14 points.
Also contributing big was point guard Mary Trossi, who scored 10 points, seven of them from the foul line.
In fact, it was Jackson’s and Trossi’s foul shooting in the final minute or so that helped cement the Lady Warriors’ win.
The game got off to an inauspicious start when Shawnee, after winning the opening tip-off, took the ball the wrong way on the court. Referees soon discovered the mistake, stopped play and set things straight.
After quickly being down by five, the Lady Warriors overcame the deficit and jumped ahead, ending the first quarter ahead 17-11.
The second quarter saw Shawnee fight back, erasing that six-point lead and coming within one point, 24-23 when the half ended.
Shawnee went ahead, 34-33 with about three minutes left in the third quarter. The Lady Warriors snatched the lead back with about two minutes left, but the quarter ended with Shawnee up 38-37.
A seven-point Lady Warriors’ lead in the fourth was eventually whittled down to two, 47-45, and it looked as though momentum had switched to Shawnee.
But a late charging call against Shawnee stifled whatever rally they had going, and a succession of fouls – mostly against the sharp-shooting Trossi – allowed the Lady Warriors to pad their slim lead and hold on for the win.
Trossi said hitting those foul shots late in the game – seven points from the foul line is a season high for her – gave her a sense of redemption.
“I’ve actually had some times in the past where I’ve missed some big free-throws for us to win the game, and for me to make the last closing free throws, I felt I actually made up for the past when I missed the game-winning free throws,” Trossi said after the game.
“Aftr I got the first one, I said, ‘ok I got this,.” Trossi said. “After I made the first one, there was no pressure. Same follow-through, same movement.”
Speaking about Jackson, Coach Audrey Taylor said she was not surprised by her performance.
“Alex has that potential in any given night,” Taylor said. “I’m not shocked, I’m not surprised. I’m heart-filled for Alex tonight. This was an opportunity tonight for her to show everybody what she can do and I’m very proud of her.”
Also helping with the Lady Warriors’ win were Adreana Miller with 13 points, Jaeda Wildgoose with 10, while Monique Davis-Campbell with 4 and Tahira Scott with 3.
2015 Group 4 Basketball Championship Game
