John Jay Girls Basketball falls 41-30 to Lakeland

The last time the John Jay Wolves faced the Lakeland Hornets, the girls pulled out a 55-44 first round sectional one win. A year later, the team roster has almost completely turned over, but a 10-9 second quarter game looked like a pretty good start for the young Wolves team. That is until inexperience caught up with the girls on Friday, December 1 at the Lakaland home court

Lakeland took the quarter by a score of 11-2 and easily cruised to a 41-30 victory.

Even so, the road game began from a position of strength for John Jay. Sela Halaifonua put up a jumper, Jane Brennan boxed out the rebound and muscled the put back for an early 2-0 lead.

Unfazed, Lakeland started on the inside and the out. Sarah Devane got to the foul line on her post up move, Amanda Franco drained a long three, and Ava Lugo made it a 6-2 game on her slick pull up jumper.

Brennan and Halaifonua stayed engaged nonetheless for the visiting team. Brennan poked the ball away, Halaifonua corralled the loose ball and hit Brennan on the fast break to make it 6-4 game with 5:24 left in the first period.

Halaifonua then sliced the lead in half with the help of Jordan Kauftheil. Off Jaime Bartley-Cohen’s miss from the foul line, Kauftheil grabbed the offensive rebound, hit an open Halaifonua, and she buried the three pointer jumper.

An 8-7 game at this point, the teams would end the first quarter on the foul line. Lugo went one of two twice, and Amanda Riolo did the same after getting fouled on the offensive boards.

The start of the second period also followed the same formula. Bartley-Cohen got a halfcourt steal and went 50-50 at the line when she was fouled on the fast break.

Unfortunately, the rest was down hill for the visitors. After Devane’s drive yielded another made free throw, Grace Hahn dropped a three pointer from the corner, and then Lakeland pulled away by getting in close to the basket.

Riley Waters would essentially do the honors. She converted her steal into a fast break layup and twice drove to the rim to open a 21-11 halftime lead.

The Hornets didn’t let up after the half time break either. Nichole ljuljic continued the overdrive with a layup to begin the third period, and after Amanda Franco buried a triple, ljuljic drove for another layup for a resounding 28-13 lead.

John Jay did at least try to contain the Hortnet buzz, and Halaifonua and Brennan again played a hand in the matter. First Halaifonua played give and go with Natalie Ellrodt for a well earned layup, and next, Brennan successfully drove the paint after grabbing a long defensive rebound.

32-18 at this point, John Jay looked like they might inch even closer as the clock ran out on the final period. Charlotte Omin launched a three, but the clank off the back of the rim just rubbed it the indignity. Grace Hahn posted up a layup to start the fourth, and then took a feed inside from ljuljic to blow the game wide open at 36-18.

John Jay did make a brief statement before warming up the bus, though. Halaifonua knocked down a three pointer, sunk two more from the line, and Ellrodt hit a late three to finish with a respectable 11 point defeat.

Please like my page on Instagram

Please like my page on Facebook

And if you are looking for a photographer for any sport, any level, I can be reached at [email protected] or 914 318 0997