PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL KARAS
Most players who score 25 points in a game usually aren’t anxious to talk up their defensive prowess. But Kate Brock keeps proving she’s not like most players.
The River Dell junior forward poured in 25 points, including four three-pointers, against Northern Highlands at Saturday’s Breast Cancer Basketball Challenge at Park Ridge. But Brock seemed most excited about her defensive play that helped lift the Golden Hawks, ranked No. 5 in the North Jersey Top 25 girls basketball poll, to an impressive 49-36 win over No. 13 Northern Highlands.
And why not? It was Brock’s work inside against sophomore center Jackie Reyneke that set the tone for a remarkably stingy second half.
The Golden Hawks (8-0), perhaps the best defensive team in North Jersey, kept a good-shooting Highlands team off the scoreboard for the first 6:32 of the third quarter. They were better in the fourth quarter, holding the Highlanders (5-3) to one point. Northern Highlands had eight points (only two field goals) in the second half.
“We’re usually all about defense,” Brock said. “On offense, we spread the points around, but we all focus on playing defense.”
Reyneke had a big game as Highlands threw a scare into River Dell in the championship game of the Lady Hawks Holiday Hoop Jam last month. She had 14 rebounds and two blocks this time, but only two points because Brock prevented her from getting quality shots.
“Kate has been playing like a champ,” River Dell coach Lou Wejnert said.
River Dell got another stellar defensive effort from senior forward Kristen Eckert. It was interesting to watch the way the Golden Hawks made adjustments as the game progressed, especially against junior guard Tori Balzano.
Balzano was injured and didn’t play in the Hoop Jam final, but she hit four three-point field goals in the first quarter Saturday. She finished with 14 points, but wasn’t a factor in the second half.
“We took them apart, but that’s a Top 10 team,” Wejnert said.
Senior Jill McGovern added 11 points for River Dell, while Brock grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots.
“It’s a team thing,” Brock said. “We stayed together and stayed cool. We knew we had to keep our heads straight and think against this team.”
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