On Tuesday, January 30th, the Ramapo Girls Basketball team faced off against Northern Highlands for the second time this season. The game started with the Raiders bench getting hyped for tip-off. After the lineups were announced and the spectators took their seats, the team got loud and got ready for the action. Seniors Cayla Menicola and Ella Saxton led the starting five onto the hardwood. Having beat Northern Highlands 63-42 earlier in the season, the Raiders looked to complete the seasonal sweep on the Highlanders.
The game opened with action. Menicola used fancy footwork to drive to the basket and score. Despite the Raider’s aggressive play, they finished the first quarter down 19-9. However, this team knows how to mount a comeback. Sophomore Camden Epstein put in the work to go on an electrifying 10-2 run in the second quarter. The foot did not come off the pedal, spectators could hear Cayla Menicola say “Next Point,” a statement that assured more points were yet to come. The avalanche of energy started from the bench, where fans could see players dancing after their teammate hit a three.
After one half of physical play, the score was tied up 21-21. When Coach Gordon and the team came back from the locker room, they looked locked in and ready to capture a win for the Raiders. The third quarter proved that this was anybody’s game. Both teams went back and forth, bucket for bucket, again and again. The Raiders were playing with intense hustle. The majority of points came from offensive rebounds, a real hustle statistic. Going into crunch time, the score was even at 35-35. Camden Epstein started the closing action with a huge three-pointer, foreshadowing how the quarter would go down. With three minutes left in the game, Ramapo was down but far from beat. Ramapo continued to play physically, a mentality that Coach Gordan encourages to her players by saying “Our big thing is setting a tone for defensive pressure”. With only a minute to go, the Raiders drew fouls and shot from the free-throw line. Ella Saxton drained two free throws to get back the lead. Only seconds later, like deja vu, Ella repeated the task and sank both free throws to put the Raiders up 48-47. With continued defensive pressure leading to a clean turnover, Camden Epstein got her chance at the charity stripe. Once again, the Raiders got two free points. Watching this game was like poetry in motion. When plays were run, screens were set, and players slipped to the basket, it just made sense. The final buzzer rang and the Raiders won the game 52 – 47. This win was a hard-earned victory that set the stage for a five-game win streak going into the NJSIAA Tournament. Going into the NJSIAA Quarterfinal Round versus Highlands, Junior Jenna Lagana had this to say, “With the past two games we played against them this season being very close wins, we have been practicing harder to ensure we can dominate the game. I know our hard work and focus will pay off and we have what it takes to win”. This year’s Ramapo Girls Basketball team serves as the perfect example of how a group of athletes can pick each other up, dust themselves off, and continue their journey.
