Mainland girls basketball team beats Timber Creek to win sectional title
LINWOOD – For the Mainland Regional High School girls basketball team, months of hard work culminated in a championship celebration on their home court.
The top-seeded Mustangs, behind a dominant second half, ran away with the win over second seed Timber Creek for the South Jersey Group III sectional title. Mainland won 53-24.
“This is what everyone is playing for,” head coach Scott Betson said. “It was their goal all year. I’m just so happy for them to be able to have these experiences back. It’s been a while since we’ve had an atmosphere like this gym felt tonight. I’m just really happy for them.”
“We worked all season for this,” Mainland sophomore Bella Mazur said. “I’m so happy for our two seniors, Kaitlyn Boggs and Camryn Dirkes. I’m just so happy to be a part of this team.”
Both teams came out cold from the field to start.
“I think it was just about settling in,” Betson said. “A lot of our key players are sophomores and we didn’t have any tournament last year. So in tournament terms, they’re all freshmen. Now, they don’t necessarily play like it. But it was just a little bit of nerves – big game, fun atmosphere – and once they settled in a little bit it was a different game.”
The Mustangs also struggled with turnovers and offensive fouls early on.
“Fouls were going both ways,” Mazur said. “We just had to make sure we weren’t taking the easy fouls 30 feet from the basket because that’s what can cost us the game. So we stayed calm. It’s a crowded gym so we had to make sure that wasn’t affecting our game.”
Fortunately for Mainland they still held a slim lead as Timber Creek couldn’t take advantage offensively.
“I think there’s a lot to that,” Betson said. “They’re a team that hasn’t been in this position. I’m sure a little bit of it was nerves, a little bit was having the disadvantage of going on the road, and I think some of that was that we have really good perimeter defenders.”
At the other end the Chargers threw the kitchen sink at Boggs, double-teaming her in the post and not allowing her to take over down low as she’s wont to do.
“I thought Kait, as always, worked her rear end off,” Betson said. “There were a couple times where we should have gotten her touches and we just didn’t happen to.”
“She’s a big threat for us,” Mazur said. “We were trying to get her looks down there, but they were doing their best to cover her. So we knew we had to look at our other options, and we found easy lay-ups. That’s what started our run.”
Mainland led 9-7 after one quarter, and 18-12 at halftime.
“At halftime we were up by a couple points,” Mazur said. “We weren’t running our best offense. We were happy that we were up, but we wanted to make sure in the third quarter we came out and ran our best offense. That’s what we did.”
Mazur spear-headed a third-quarter run that saw the Mustangs’ modest halftime lead explode to more than 20 before the Chargers could get any offense rolling.
“That starts with getting stops and then running, or steals and then going,” Betson said. “We talk all the time about how we can’t run effectively if teams are getting to the rim. So it’s all about team defense initially. Kait was great in help, and Kasey (Bretones) and Cam (Dirkes) did an excellent job closing out on shooters to make life difficult for them.”
Mainland’s speed and that shutdown defense created easy buckets the other way.
“They were daring us to shoot in the first half and we didn’t hit very many,” Betson said. “So we kind of just said, ‘Let’s get to the rim.’ That all started on the defensive end. Bella Mazur sparked that third-quarter run – just outstanding effort.”
The Mustangs outscored Timber Creek 17-2 in the decisive third quarter, 11 points coming from Mazur on her way to 17 in the game.
“My three-pointers were a little short,” she said, “so I knew I had to get to the rim and that’s what I did.”
The Mainland crowd erupted as the home team ran away with it.
“It’s so cool,” Betson said. “It’s great to be at a point where the community can come together again for something like this, something as silly as a basketball game. But the last two years have given us a little perspective on that.”
The fourth quarter played out like a victory lap as Mainland was able to give its bench players some playoff experience late.
Mazur led all scorers with 17 points, Boggs joining her in double figures with 13 after a strong second half.
Dirkes added 9, Ava Mazur 5, Bretones and McKenna Pontari 3 apiece, Sydney Stokes and Madison Naman 2 each.
Senior Amaya Burch paced the Chargers with 13.
In addition to wanting it for her senior teammates, Mazur also goes to battle for her twin sister Ava.
“It’s a great feeling,” she said. “I’m just so proud of her and I can’t wait for the next two years with her.”
Deep playoff runs have become the norm in recent years for the program.
“That’s just a testament to the type of kids we have,” Betson said. “I wish I could take credit for that, but we just had a special group of kids one after another. They keep coming through. So obviously everyone would love to be in the South Jersey final every year, but it’s only possible because we have great players.”
“He’s a really good coach,” Mazur said, “and he’s there for us always. His standards are very high, but he’s also just an amazing person. I wouldn’t want to be coached by anyone else.”
Now the Mustangs have the opportunity to do what the 2019 squad did and take home the state title.
The state semifinal is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, at Deptford High School. Mainland (27-2) is taking on Central sectional champion Ewing (25-1).
In the other state semifinal, North sectional champions Chatham (19-10) is taking on Sparta (24-3).
The state finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 13.
By KYLE McCRANE/Sentinel Sports
Photos by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
