By R.J. LIBERATORE Jr.

Sports Editor

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP -- The Egg Harbor Township High School girls varsity basketball team responded like an upper division team on Friday, Jan. 6 by denying a late-game Atlantic City comeback and posting a 48-41 victory in a Cape Atlantic League American Conference Division I game.

“The big difference between last year and this year is how they respond to the challenge,” said Lady Eagles coach Harry Sachs after his team held the Lady Vikings scoreless during a five-minute stretch of the fourth quarter.

“We know what to do when the other team comes back to tie the game,” he said. “The girls know how to respond.”

After the Lady Vikings popped in a pair of baskets to open the fourth quarter and tie the game at 35, the Lady Eagles returned to their scrappy ways and shut down the Atlantic City offense for 4:49.

“I kept thinking, ‘Did we score yet?’” said Lady Viking coach Laurie Carter, who watched her team come up empty on repeated trips down the floor and drop to 5-3.  “We just couldn’t score.”

Egg Harbor Township players Erika Wachter, Brittany Baum, and Julie Clock made key steals that resulted in points as the Lady Eagles put together a 9-2 run to take control of the game.

“We don’t have any one player who is a star for us,” Sachs said. “But we have a lot of players who contribute.”

Baum, who finished with 14 points, dropped in six consecutive free throws while the Lady Eagles maintained a six-point advantage through the game’s final minutes.

Teammate Tynisia Rassman joined Baum with a team-high 14 points.

Junior 6-foot-3-inch center Jamila Garrette followed with 13 points, most of them coming on turnaround jumpers from the paint.

Atlantic City senior Aliyah Montague scored a game-high 25 points, including 15 in the second half, as she single-handedly tried to keep her Lady Vikings in the game by dropping in fast-break lay ups and sinking long-distance pull-up jumpers.

Egg Harbor Township began the game with a 6-2 run as Rassman and Garrette turned offensive rebounds into quick points. The Eagles lead 15-7 after the first quarter.

But Atlantic City, which combined a full-court press with a fast-paced offense, rallied with a 9-3 run to trail 18-17 with 3:53 remaining in the first half.

“We play with a lot of patience,” said Sachs. “Then we let Atlantic City change the way we play.”

Atlantic City forced Egg Harbor Township into an up-tempo style of play and the Vikings trailed by only three at halftime as a result.

With one quarter remaining Egg Harbor Township held a 35-31 lead.

Then Atlantic City’s Ashley Ingram and Montague connected on baskets to open the fourth quarter and tie the game with 6:12 remaining.

However, the Lady Eagles responded by taking control of both ends of the floor.

“It’s frustrating,” Carter said. “I makes me angry, but not at the girls. I know we are capable of winning games like this and the girls put in the effort. We just have to find a way to win these games.”

The win enabled the Egg Harbor Township team to remain close in the division standings with Absegami which remains undefeated in division play. The Lady Eagles trail only Ocean City and the Lady Braves, both of which only one overall loss, in the conference standings.

The victory was Egg Harbor Township’s second important win during the week. The Lady Eagles knocked off rival Mainland Regional 58-49 on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

“I knew they were going to on a high coming off the Mainland game,” Carter said, “but I thought we were capable of beating them.”

FREE THROWS: Both Sachs and Carter were called for technical fouls during the game…Atlantic City was scheduled to host Mainland Regional at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9 before playing at Millville 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11….Egg Harbor Township was scheduled to face another test 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9 against 7-1 Ocean City…The Lady Eagles return home to face Oakcrest at 6 p.m., Jan. 12.

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