Watchung Hills Comes Up Short Against Edison In Thriller

Two free throws kept the Watchung Hills women's basketball team from beating the top-seeded Edison Eagles, after the shots downed Watchung 57-55 in the second round of the state tournament.

The Warriors, who entered the game as the eighth seed, were the underdog coming into the game.  However, they stayed step for step with Edison, and had an opportunity to tie the game with 1.5 seconds left.

After a very tough loss, head coach Sandy Whelan loved the effort that her team showed against one of the top teams in the state.

“I couldn’t be any prouder of my team,” Whelan said.  “We had to battle back early but unfortunately we didn’t finish.  My team left everything on the court and I’m proud of the effort.”

Alana Tielmann led the way for the Warriors with 17 points.  Breanua Williams added 14 points and Brielle Macellara had 13 points including four three pointers.  Tierra Johnson led all scorers with 19 points for Edison, and Morgan Peacock added 14 points.

The game started slow for the Warriors who fell to an early 7-0 deficit in the first three minutes.  With nerves perhaps getting the best of Watchung Hills, Whelan called a timeout to calm her team down.  The team answered with a 13-5 run to end the first quarter and give the Warriors a one point lead.

“We just needed to settle down,” Whelan said.  “We have a tendency to get a little too amped up during the game and we forget to implement our game plan.  I just needed to remind them what the game plan was and as soon as we got back to that, we went on a nice run.”

Edison held a six point lead at halftime but never led by more than that for the rest of the game.  Tielmann, who played in her last game as a Warrior, put on a show in the third quarter.  She scored ten of her points and cut the Edison lead down to two going into the fourth quarter.

“If it wasn’t for her that game would not have been tied down the stretch,” Whelan said.  “She made huge baskets in the paint and she played like a senior who wanted to win a state playoff game.”

Amy Park also was a key contributor in the second half.  Park scored all of her 10 points in the second half including eight in the final frame.  She also had two huge blocks in the final two minutes of the game and ran the offense to perfection to keep the Warriors within striking distance.

“Amy Park took over as the heart and soul of our basketball team,” Whelan said.  “I think tonight she showed that she was one of the most clutch players to ever come through Watchung Hills.  I’m excited to have her back next season.”

The loss marks the last time that the seniors on Whelan’s team will play for Watchung Hills, and she expressed her appreciation for her senior players and commented on how it was a tough game to go out on.

“The seniors on this year’s team have been very important to our program,” Whelan said.  “Three years ago, they were here watching the best team to ever go through Watchung play in the sectional final and they have worked hard to have success.  I can’t ask for much more than what they gave tonight and they are going to set a great example for the younger players on our team.”

Although some might not believe in moral victories, one positive that came out of this game was the valuable experience that the returning players got.  Besides playing competitively against one of the top teams in the state, along wth the Edison student section playing the role of “sixth man” to a tee.  The atmosphere made for a tough playing environment, but the Warriors never blinked.

“I think this game shows our underclassman what to strive for,” Whelan said.  “We continually get back to these big games because these younger kids look up to our upperclassman.  We want to come back to this point next season and keep our winning tradition going.”

“This was a great basketball game,” Whelan added.  “We went 18-8 this season, so we know we’re a good team.  Obviously someone had to win and Edison played a great game.  I’m just upset for my girl’s because now our season is over.”