Here are highlights from the action in the 2016 Central Jersey Group 1 Girls Championship between fourth seeded Middlesex and 2nd seeded Bound Brook. In front of a packed house at Bound Brook High School, Middlesex went back in forth for much of the first period before going on a 6-0 run to end the frame including a steal for a layup by Zakiya Beckles to take a 15-10 lead.
There were 7 lead changes and a tie in the first period alone. Bound Brook battled back in the second by scoring 7 of the first 9 points of the frame to tie the contest at 17-17 with 3:48 remaining in the first half. The Lady Crusaders then ended the half on a 9-7 run to take a 26-24 lead going into the intermission.
The first half of the third period saw Bound Brook increase its lead to six at 37-31 on a three pointer from the left wing at the 4:33 mark. Middlesex clawed its way back to within two at 44-42 late in the period on a follow by Beckles, but Janaee Summers, the niece of former Timothy Christian standout, Brandon Summers, knocked down a three pointer from the right wing in the closing seconds for a 47-42 lead going into the final stanza. Middlesex scored the first four points of the period to pull within two, but couldn’t get a shot to fall to reclaim the lead.
Bound Brook went back up by four at 50-46 before Beckles knocked down a triple from the right corner to close the gap to one again at 50-49. The Lady Crusaders scored the next 6 points to go back up by seven at 56-49 before Christine Neu converted a traditional three point play with 2:55 remaining to pull the Lady Jays within four again at 56-52. However, Middlesex didn’t score the rest of the way as Bound Brook finished the game on an 11-0 run, all coming from the foul line to wrap up the 67-52 victory. Beckles finished with a game high 21 points including three treys in a losing cause for Middlesex.
Meanwhile, three players scored in double figures for Bound Brook including Olivia Nilsen with a team high 20 points while Summers added 19, and Cortlyn Morris chipped in with 10. There were 49 points scored from the foul line by both teams with Bound Brook garnering a 26-23 edge at the charity stripe. Summers scored 12 of her points at the charity stripe. However, Bound Brook enjoyed a 24-9 edge in points scored from beyond the arc as Nilsen connected on six treys in the contest. Another key edge was in blocked shots with Bound Brook registering 10 in the contest including 8 by Morris.
With the victory, Bound Brook won its first sectional crown since 1989, improves to 22-7 overall on the season, and advances to the Group 1 State semifinals on Wednesday to face the South Jersey Group 1 Girls Champion, Haddon Heights at Deptford High School at 5:00 PM. Middlesex concludes its season at 21-6.