Brookdale demoralizing teams with their three-point shooting
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

That the three-point shot is a major part of Brookdale Community College's women's basketball team is not a surprise in and of itself.

What has teams in a state of confusion on the hardwood is who is putting up those long-range shots - their 6-0 forwards.

The Jersey Blues are forcing teams to rethink common perceptions on the basketball court. Their power forwards are just as likely to step outside and knock down a long-range three as they are to post-up in the blocks.

"It's mentally devastating to the opposing team," co-head coach Joanne Cobb said of her three-point shooting forwards. "When they see how tall we are, they rotate their defenses down low and our forwards step out and hit the three."

It's been raining threes for the Jersey Blues, which is a big reason behind the team's current six-game win streak. In the last five games, they have knocked down 51 threes with as many as 12 in a game.

Lisa James (Manchester) Keishia Taylor (Point Pleasant) and Olivia Triano (Keyport) are the Jersey Blue forwards who are as comfortable shooting from the outside as they are playing with their back to the baskets. They are not soft players who can be pushed out of position inside. They can be as physical as they can play with finesse.

These three freshmen make it difficult for teams to defend them because they play inside or outside with equal effectiveness. Put a small forward on them and they will post them up. Match them up with someone of equal size or bigger and they will jump outside and hit the three.

Jamie Biddle (Howell) and Sasha Fabrizio (Brick Township), both 5-11, provide the steady inside presence that gives defenses even more to think about. If they choose to follow James, Taylor and Triano outside with their big players, it leaves Biddle and Fabrizio to clean up inside.

Brookdale's guards are as likely to get into the long-range action as anyone. Point guard Brie Kwiatkowski (Marlboro via Monsignor Donovan) leads a talented backcourt that includes shooters like Allison Oliver (Middletown South), Katie Miller (Raritan) and Erica Grimaldi (Middletown South).

As devastating as Brookdale's three-point shooting is, its balanced scoring is equally frustrating for opponents. They don't have any one or two players to key on.

Taylor, Biddle, Fabrizio, Kwiatkowski and James have all been scoring in double figures. Kwiatkowski has been finding the open shooters no matter where they are on the floor.

As good as they've been on offense, Brookdale's defense has been every bit as good, and is another reason the team is tied with Gloucester for first place in the Garden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) at 5-1 (overall the Blues are 6-4).

Because of the team's depth, the Blues have been pressing teams from one end of the floor to the other. Brookdale's coaches promised to make the Blues an exciting team to watch, and they have been just that with their up-tempo style.

"We play a lot of man-to-man, but we will fall back into a zone," said Cobb, who co-coaches the team with Marianne Campacci. "Sometimes we'll play a junk zone. We're mixing up all kinds of defense, and the kids are absorbing it all. We have 12 strong kids."

Erica Hoffman (Middletown South), Jennifer Johnson (Freehold Borough) and Melissa Scragg (Middletown North) have all made their significant contributions to this deep squad that plays everyone.

Because of the team's depth and the versatility of its players, the Blues have no set starting lineup. It can come down to who the team is playing or who is playing the best in practice.

"We can go big, we can go small and we can go in between," said Cobb. "We're so well rounded. We've pinpointed their strengths, and every kid has their role. There are no complaints about playing time. They want to win."

Winning is what it's all about, and the Blues are in the driver's seat as far as the playoffs are concerned. The top four teams in the GSAC qualify for the Region XIX Tournament that gets under way on Feb. 28 at the home of the highest-seeded team.

The semifinals (March 2) and final (March 4) will be held at the County College of Morris. After a three-game road trip, the Blues are back in Lincroft on Tuesday to take on Essex (5 p.m.), and then Harcum on Jan. 24 (7 p.m.), a pair of Division II teams.