John Jay Lights up Hen Hud in 41-30 Victory

Last Friday when John Jay faced Yorktown at home, the team didn’t look as crisp as in past games, and a 49-32 loss put the girls themselves in pursuit of a readjustment. “We ignited a fire, understanding that we’re in a lull in our season,” said Jaime Bartley-Cohen. “We need to bring it up.” And the change was immediately noticeable when the Wolves faced Hen Hud on Monday, February 5.

The girls came out with the match lit, jumped out to a 9-2 lead and carried through to a 41-30 victory.

So the sneakers squeaking at the outset and the ball moving around the perimeter with zip, the Wolves were engaged. But a miss to start, Bartley-Cohen began the day’s offense by ripping the defensive board - quickly repaying her coach’s confidence with Natalie Ellrodt out due to injury. Passionate, aggressive and becoming more consistent, she said. “I think that’s what he’s seeing in me.”

Vision on the docket, the center spotted Jane Brennan, and not wasting much time, she connected with Jordan Kauftheil under the basket.

In for two, Kauftheil then got her protractor out and perfectly executed the angle to drop three more. Or the luck of the draw from the side, the Wolves made no apologies and Bartley-Cohen made sure by going straight for another triple.

Now 7-2, Bartley-Cohen was the impetus again. She ran down the defensive rebound in the corner and got the whole team into the act. Across to Sela Halaifonua, up to Brennan, over Kauftheil and underneath to Brooke Habinowski for two.

Maria Ribeiro did get to the line for two so Kauftheil stayed in touch again. Trailing the play, she received the pass, and the glass had its say for a second triple.

Still, Hen Hud kept pace. Hailey Person got a fast break layup and did the same on Kayla McCarthy’s dish to close the quarter scoring at 12-8.

The Sailors kept coming too. After Charlotte Omin swished on the elbow, Kate Stratton put her hips and high tops into it. She posted up for a turnaround jumper in the paint and connected from downtown

A one point game at 6:39, Coach Matt Gallagher called for time, and Omin responded. The freshman buried the three, and Gallagher noted how much the momentum means to the backup two-guard. “She saw the first one guy in, I think that set her off," he said.

Know sounds more like it. Omin followed up with a three, and a beautiful teardrop runner on the baseline to open up a 22-14 lead. The pull away begun, Omin didn’t make hay about her impact and made it very simple. “My job is to get the ball and shoot it,” she said.

Continuing the modesty, she left out hustle and rebounding. Following Brennan’s fast break miss, Omin was fouled on the put back attempt, and knocking down both, Gallagher gave proper voice. “She played great today,” said the coach.

Leaving John Jay up 25-15 at the half, the forest was ready to burn, and Bartley-Cohen brought the kindling. Open at the arc, she got the first two and literally handed the match to Halaifonua and Brennan.

Bartley-Cohen grabbed another board, dumped to Brennan in the backcourt and the air mail package was en route. Pulling down the pass, Halaifonua got the layup and increased the lead to 29-15 at 5:38.

Not done yet, the duo did it again. Only this time Habinowski got the play going with the rebound and the break ended with Halaifonua sinking two from the line.

A 16 point lead at 4:39, John Jay suffered a three minute power outage. But so did Hen Hud, and Brennan’s nose to the grindstone played a big part.

She went to the hardwood on at least five occasions in the timespan, and the disruption in the Sailors’ flow didn’t get past Gallagher. “She’s a hustle player,” he boasted. “She takes pride in it and never wants to be outworked.”

That said, Brennan deserved a break, and her drive into the paint freed up Amanda Riolo for an open jumper on the baseline.

In for two, the 18 point lead put the Wolves in the driver’s seat. Too much ground to make up, you wouldn’t know it from Gallagher’s continuing directives, and he verified that lighting a late game cigar a la Red Auerbach isn’t part of his DNA. “Never happen, I keep coaching until the end,” he assured.

Long before the beginning also, he addressed the same lull as his player. “We changed our mindset. I think it was a little bit of a confidence thing that we talked about in practice. We came out with more, and it was nice to see a couple go in,” Gallagher concluded.