Another year, same story for Sparta girls basketball program

Sparta - Suffocating defense was the key to success as second-seeded and undefeated Sparta toppled fourth-seeded defending champion Northern Highlands by a score of 28-18 in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group III championship game on Monday at Bayonne High School in Hudson County. “This is one of the great wins in the history of Sparta basketball,” said Spartan head coach Fred Geffken, who recorded his 600th career win earlier in the season. “We talked at the half about how we wanted to challenge them and make them beat us off the dribble.” Sparta edged out to a 6-4 lead after eight minutes but trailed 14-12 at the intermission. The Lady Spartans buckled down on defense in the second half, limiting the Lady Highlanders to only four points over the final 16 minutes. Northern Highlands nearly matched Sparta’s defensive effort, and neither team scored until Highlander Julia Cohan scored the first basket of the third quarter with 5:18 left, giving her team a 16-12 lead. But Sparta came back, outscoring their opponents 15-0 from that point to the very end of the game, when K.R. Ling converted a pair of free throws for Northern Highlands with one second remaining to make the final score 28-18. Senior Kelly Keil was awesome in the paint, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking nine shots while scoring six points. Mallori Schoenemann netted a game-high eight points, and Staci Rossi tallied seven points and had eight steals as Sparta remained unbeaten, registering its 26th straight win of the season. Sparta moves into the Group III tournament and will clash with North Jersey, Section 2 champion Shabazz/Newark, which routed Scotch Plains-Fanwood 47-23 on Wednesday at Ramapo High School. In the other Group III bracket, Central Jersey’s Monmouth Regional plays South Jersey’s Woodrow Wilson/Camden with the Group III final set for Sunday at the Ritacco Center in Toms River.