WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The officiating assignment called for a game between two elite girls programs. At 12:30 this past Sunday at Monmouth University nationally ranked Oak Hill (VA) faced the number one team in New Jersey, St. John Vianney.
About 45 minutes prior to the game I am courtside at Monmouth. Trenton Central is facing John F. Kennedy in a close contest. Seated next to me is Phyllis Mangina, the head coach of Seton Hall. We briefly talk about her win the day before against Marquette. Mostly there is silence as we both watch. “I’m not nervous,” I tell her, “but I know what you coaches and players go through as a big game approaches. You want to get out there and get going.” Phyllis answers saying, “it’s natural to want to do a good job.” Obviously she is referring to coaches, players and officials.
As we watch the Vianney girls walk behind us and take a seat in the stands. Dressed in warm-ups, they appear to be rather relaxed and chat among themselves.
After a pre-game with partner Eric White it’s upstairs for the game. Officiating decorum dictates you greet the visiting coaching staff prior to tip off, first. We discussed that the game is neutral in theory but is played just a few miles from Vianney’s Holmdel location. So the Oak Hill staff will get the initial greeting.
Player introductions alone tell us Oak Hill had size with three starters over 6-2. Vianney has one six-foot player but most are in the 5-6 to 5-10 range. From the opening tap the pace is quick. Vianney has no fear and is willing to run with Oak Hill. As the minutes wear on, you can see Vianney has a great system. And it was one that had their opponents frustrated all game.
The Vianney girls did not have the size, but had five on the floor who can all handle, pass and shoot. They ran the floor, reversed the ball and if the defense was back, kicked it out to an open three-point shooter who usually found the range. Against a half court zone they made a few perimeter passes and found a weakside cutter all alone in the lane. The offense inspired thoughts of some of John Beilein’s vintage teams at West Virginia – well-oiled offensive machines that would run, backdoor and/or shoot opponents into submission.
The lady Lancers of Vianney led by five at the half. Before the start of the second half Harry Parretta, the Villanova coach, tells me the Eagles-Giants game score is 7-5. “Top of the seventh,” he jokes. “I return the baseball analogy and say, “it’s time for the closer.”
Vianney opens up the margin in the third quarter. That was a memorable eight-minute stretch as Lady Lancer senior Katelyn Linney scored her 1000th career point. The Fairfield-bound Linney led all scorers with 21 points.
Between the third and fourth quarters, near the press tables I said to the media and college coaches on press row, “since when did Vianney get Mike D’Antoni’s playbook?” The response brought some laughter and thought, especially from showcase organizer Vince Cannizaro, the former coach of prep power Christ the King. The Lady Lancers were executing like some of D’Antoni’s teams did in the valley of the sun.
Vianney took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter and started to come up dry. Oak Hill responded, but could not get the deficit under double digits. Coach Dawn Karpell employed a delay the final four-plus minutes and the Lady Lancers sealed it from the charity stripe.
While Linney was a big part of the 69-53 win, freshman guard Michaela Mabey added 16 points and sophomore Missy Repoli contributed 15. Overall though, the story was Vianney’s balance and unselfishness as well as that uncanny ability to move the ball rapidly on the perimeter.
After a post-game trip to the officials room. I came upstairs to relax and watch University of Newark battle Colts Neck. It’s another marquee matchup featuring University junior Laurin Mincy, who is on everybody’s radar.
Some of the Vianney players and coaches are getting interviewed. Having just worked their game I can’t get in on the media part of it. If I could the questions would center around the nature of their offense. How did they devise it? Was it borrowed and tweaked and do they have a name for it?
Perception is a big part of officiating and Oak Hill fans, not to mention players and coaches, might not look favorably at a game official interviewing their opponent. We did get to talk informally and very briefly, as we passed by near the press table, with Nina Vecchio a Vianney assistant and former player who played at Marist and was on Brian Giorgis’ first NCAA team in 2004. Even there we just chatted briefly and, as it turned out, mostly about Marist.
A number of college coaches were in attendance to look at prospects playing the five games that afternoon at Monmouth. Among them was Harry Perretta, who employs a motion offense at Villanova that is a beauty to watch. “It is,” he said half jokingly, “when we run it properly.” For St. John Vianney, they featured an offense was definitely run properly, if not to near perfection.
Notes
- As noted the following contest had University of Newark facing Colts Neck, another strong Jersey Shore-based team. I spoke with University coach Felicia Oliver for a few minutes and mentioned that in some games Laurin Mincy, her outstanding junior was scoring under 10 points. Oliver noted that in league games she plays the 6-foot Mincy, who can post, handle, shoot or pass, about two quarters and uses her in different roles. On this afternoon University relies on Mincy as a full-timer. She scores a game-high 34 points in a 75-68 University win.
- Among those in attendance was Ellonya ‘Tiny” Green. He assisted Fairleigh Dickinson head coach Tom Green for a number of years. These days Green is active running a basketball school and several camps. He also reported his daughter Candace, who attended FDU games before she could walk, is now a freshman playing at Colgate. Time flies.
