CLARK, NJ- The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders girls varsity basketball team returned to their home court to take on the Rahway High School Indians, looking to bounce back from their 49-38 setback to New Providence HS on Thursday.
This was the third matchup between the two teams, with Johnson winning the previous two games (41-10 on December 20 and 53-24 on December 28).
Despite a shaky opening eight minutes, the Crusaders were looking for an offensive spark to build on their lead.
“We just wanted to stick with the basics and execute to the best that we can,” Johnson head coach Joe Marino said.
They wasted no time getting right to work, outscoring their opponent 17-7 in the second quarter to take a commanding lead at halftime and never looked back, as the Crusaders defeated the Indians 54-26 Tuesday afternoon in Clark.
Johnson sprinted out to a 10-2 lead over Rahway through the first five minutes of the game, with junior Lily Gull leading the way early on with six points. Later, the teams traded scoring chances and points, as the Crusaders led the Indians 14-9 after the first quarter.
Rahway scored four straight points at one point to make it a 12-9 game, a different look than the previous two meetings between the two former conference foes.
“After the first quarter, we knew we had to keep playing because Rahway wasn’t giving up,” Gull said. “We marked up girls on defense and tried to get as many steals so we can to get quick baskets so the score would no longer be close.”
The talk after the opening eight minutes appeared to pay off, as the Crusaders would eventually take control in the second quarter.
They embarked on a 10-0 scoring run, with freshman Domenika Kosiek and sophomore Chelsea Kessock fueling the run with five points apiece. In the span of two and a half minutes, the Crusaders were out in front 29-12 with 1:37 left in the second quarter.
The second unit of players were inserted at points of late in the second quarter. Freshman Peyton Collings added four points and Johnson went into halftime with a 31-16 halftime lead.
Full Coverage of Johnson Girls Varsity Basketball Win Over Rahway HS Here
