The Secaucus girls basketball team celebrates winning its first ever sectional title
after defeating Madison, 44-37, in the North 2, Group 2 final.
Alyssa Craigwell was tired of finishing in second place.
This season has seen Secaucus defeat bigger schools and more than hold its own in three other tournaments, each culminating in second place finishes. With two big fourth quarter 3-pointers and a stingy defense, the Patriots ensure this fourth tournament final would be different
Craigwell scored 20 points, highlighted back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth that put top-seeded Secaucus ahead for good as it held off second-seeded Madison, 44-37, in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 final in Secaucus.
It is the first ever sectional title for Secaucus (28-3) after losing in the finals seven times prior dating back to 2008, including last year’s North 2, Group 1 title game. Secaucus now plays Jefferson in the Group 2 semifinals on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Bloomfield.
Madison, the defending North 2, Group 2 champions, finish the season at 22-5.
“It just feels really good to win,” said Craigwell, who added 12 rebounds and five steals. “Every tournament we’ve been to we made it to the finals, we’d lose. We had to show this time was different.”
Craigwell ensured that would be the case.
With the game even at 34, Gabriella Torrillo found Craigwell open in the corner for a tie-breaking trey with 5:18 left. On the other end of the court, Craigwell pulled down the rebound after a Madison missed layup,. Then, 40 seconds after the previous long range dagger, Craigwell fired another one, this time coming from the top off the key to make it 40-34 with 4:38 remaining.
“When she was shooting those threes I was so happy for her. She really deserved those threes to win the game,” senior guard Daniela Peschetti said. “I just told them (after) that we have to play defense.”
The 5-foot-6 Peschetti, who is the key to Secaucus’ defense, made sure this lead never got closer than three as she had two steals after that to go with a pivotal rebound and free throw in the final moments.
Peschetti, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, showed her toughness on the defensive end, guarding Madison’s 6-foot-1 star Charlotte Tuhy for large portions of the night, while also running the point on offense.
“I said to my older sister (Julia) that I wanted this more than anyone else wanted it. It’s a good way to finish my basketball career,” said Peschetti, who will play soccer at Fairleigh Dickinson next year. “I wanted this one worse than anybody else did.”
Twice, Madison came back from double-digit point deficits. Down by 11 early in the third quarter, the Dodgers held Secaucus scoreless for a 6:45 stretch. Tuhy, who finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds, hit a 25-foot jumper at the buzzer to cut Secaucus lead to 31-27. Madison then tied within the next 32 seconds with a Gabby Mariani lay-up followed by a steal and transition bucket from Beau Braverman.
Peschetti took back the lead, making 1-of-2 from the line, only for Tuhy to power her way into the paint on the ensuing possession to give Madison its first and only lead of the game at 33-32 with 6:27 left.
In the first half, the Dodgers overcame a 14-4 first quarter deficit with a 14-4 run that featured seven points by Tuhy, four from Mariani, and a Braverman 3-pointer.
“This team is a special group of kids,” Madison coach Lisa DiTuro said. “They fight really hard, they never give up, they don’t turn on each other and they showed that today.
“They didn’t quit, they kept going and that’s the team they’ve been all year. I’ve never been prouder of a group than I am of this group. That’s why I’m so emotional, we have a group of five seniors that transformed Madison basketball. I’m really proud to be their coach.”
Alex Reigle had six points and eight rebounds as she and Erin Kleiven are the two starters for a senior class that went 73-26 in their four years and brought the school is first sectional title in 25 years as juniors.
Peschetti, the lone senior starter for Secaucus, had nine points with three steals. Gabriella Torrillo added eight points and six rebounds and Katie Lynn Schneider made three free throws in 34.6 seconds to seal the victory and a much-sought after title after finishing second in the Hudson County, NJIC and Joe Poli Holiday Tournaments.
“I would have felt so bad for them (if they lost),” Secaucus head coach John Sterling said. “You would look back years from now if we had lost this game, 27-4 and you had a tremendous season where you’re beating bigger schools and quality opponents. But to finish second in the four different tournaments would have been heartbreaking. To come out on top of this one is something they really deserved.”
