Manchester Wins Group II Title, Heads To Tournament Of Champions

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Manchester Township coach Dave Beauchemin knew it would happen. He knew the Lincoln girls basketball team had gone on runs in each of their last three state tournament games to win and advance.

So when Lincoln drew to within a basket of Manchester's lead with 3 minutes to play in the third quarter of the NJSIAA Group II final at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena, he called time out.

"It was a chance to stop the run, but also to compose ourselves, get our feet back under us," Beauchemin said.

That steadying moment was all the Hawks needed. Manchester responded with a run of its own and pulled away to a 65-48 victory over Lincoln to capture its first NJSIAA Group II title and its first trip to the Tournament of Champions. The Hawks (31-2) play Group III champion Mainland at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena.

The Hawks (31-2) have relied on a team effort all season that has made it difficult for opponents to completely shut them down; when one player gets all the attention, other step up. That was fully on display Sunday afternoon.

With senior Leilani Correa, the team's leading scorer, drawing intensive defensive pressure from the Lions (24-6) after a 25-point performance in the Group II semifinal, sophomore Destiny Adams went on a tear, scoring 34 points, including 8 after the timeout as Manchester pulled away.

"Once we figured out what they were doing, we took advantage," Destiny Adams said.

Her performance was breathtaking. On the offensive end, she tortured the Lions, driving the lane and drawing fouls on Lincoln's leading scorer, Daniya Darby, who scored 22 points but fouled out with about 2:40 to go. When she wasn't driving, Destiny Adams was hitting from 3-point range, including one from the top of the arc in the fourth quarter that fired up the Manchester fans.

On the defensive end, Destiny Adams was equally active, grabbing 5 of her 9 rebounds and recording 8 blocks, frequently stopping Darby as she went up for a layup.

"Destiny stepped up big-time," said Correa, who finished with 15 points despite Lincoln's pressure and had three of the Hawks' 11 steals. "It's not always going to be me getting the points."

"She (Leilani) did a good job playing within herself," Beauchemin said. "She didn't try to force it."

"We try to have a systematic operation, and let the game come to us," he said.

Part of that systematic operation is senior Dakota Adams, who is active under the basket on both ends, feeding the ball to her sister and to Correa, and providing an option when defenders close on the other two. Dakota Adams finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, including a nifty pass between a defender's legs to Correa with 5:20 left that pushed the lead to 13. Lincoln never got close again.

Serenity Anderson, who answered Lincoln's easy opening bucket with a booming 3-pointer, harassed Lincoln's ballhandlers, helping to force 18 turnovers. And Kemari Reynolds quietly added 5 assists, 3 points and 3 assists.

Beauchemin said the support of the fans, who turned out in force Sunday, has been enormous.

"The way the school and the community has embraced us, they've been on this ride with us," he said.

The Hawk are hoping that ride lasts a little longer.

Manchester faces Mainland at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the TOC quarterfinals, and the winner will take on Saddle River Day, the Non-Public B champion, at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Saddle River Day handed Manchester a 61-52 loss on Jan. 4. The other TOC quarterfinal pits University, the Group I champion, against Non-Public A champion St. Rose, with top-seeded Franklin getting the winner. The semifinals are Thursday at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena, and the TOC championship game is 2 p.m. Sunday at Rutgers University.

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