CLARK, NJ- The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders found themselves locked in a battle with the North Hunterdon High School (Annandale) Lions as they kicked off the Fifth Annual Crusaders Christmas Tournament.
After trailing by as much as eight points late in the third quarter, the Crusaders grabbed a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but came up short, losing to the Lions 60-55 Thursday afternoon in Clark.
The girls dedicated the Christmas Tournament in memory of Michael Sot, the 2017 Johnson graduate who died on December 4 at the age of 20. Sot succumbed to his injuries two days after being struck head-on by a driver alleged to be drunk at the time. A banner was displayed on the back wall near the benches that read, “We play for Mike.”
In the second half, Johnson showed the fight within them that they’ve displayed throughout their season so far.
The teams played in a tight first quarter, with Johnson ahead 18-17 after the first eight minutes. Freshman Domenika Kosiek and junior Ally Bowen led the way with five points apiece.
Johnson grabbed a 29-22 lead at the halfway mark of the second quarter, before North Hunterdon charged back with a 12-5 run to close out the first half and take a 34-33 lead going into halftime.
North Hunterdon appeared to be in control after building a 44-38 lead with 1:03 left in the third quarter before Johnson pushed right back. The Lions were ahead 44-38 with seconds remaining in the third quarter, before freshman Allison Wysocki banked in a quick shot to get Johnson within 44-40 heading into the fourth quarter.
Johnson carried some momentum into the final quarter, Kosiek cashed in on a shot and senior Bailey Rosenmeier completed a three-point play, to give the Crusaders a 45-44 lead, their first lead since the second quarter.
“We never quit. We kept hustling and looking for people. We had a lot of good looks,” Johnson head coach Joe Marino said of his team’s rally.
“We all played hard and worked together. We’re all getting better and improving,” Kosiek said, echoing Marino’s words. “Our foul shots have gotten a lot better and team is bonding.”
North Hunterdon embarked on a 9-0 run, fueled by baskets from Nikki Alexatos, two free throws and a basket from Kirsten Newsome, along with a three-point basket from Alexa Vasile, to take a 53-45 lead with 5:18 left in the fourth quarter. Facing a major deficit, Johnson would not back down, as they charged back a second time.
The Crusaders got a basket and two free throws from Bowen and a basket from Kosiek, getting to within 53-50 with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, but that was as close as they would get. The Lions were able to pull away and secure the win.
