The number one seeded West Morris Highlanders proved that they belong at the top after a dominating 58-38 win over Pequannock in the Morris County Tournament Semifinals at Fairleigh Dickinson University on Friday. The senior duo of Alisa Greco and Julia Scanlon, along with some major help from Shayna Ericksen propelled the Highlanders into the finals. The girls will look to repeat as County Champs when they face Chatham next Friday at Fairleigh Dickinson University at 7.

The 20-3 Highlanders showed no mercy for the Panthers as the girls from West Morris jumped out to an early lead. The first quarter ended at 13-7 in favor of the Highlanders thanks to exceptional combinations between Scanlon and Greco as well as defensive plays that ultimately decided the game. Pequannock’s possessions occasionally turned into West Morris’ steals, giving the girls opportunities to score.

However, although West Morris played strong defense and offense, Pequannock began to pick up some momentum at the end of the first quarter because of Scanlon’s missed layups and an Alex Brown layup. The Panthers immediately picked up the pace in the second quarter as Samantha Tabakman blocked a shot by Scanlon, Brown scored a layup and then Tabakman forced another turnover from the Highlanders. Soon, the score was tied at 13 and the Highlanders began to feel the pressure.

It’s a good thing that West Morris works well under pressure as Scanlon responded with a layup, followed by a three pointer on the ensuing possession to get the Highlanders ahead by 5. Soon after, Ericksen made herself comfortable at the foul line as Tabakman, Kathryn Kosmack, and Nicole Hausleben each had a foul on the sophomore forward. Ericksen went 1-5 at the line, but was able to grab a rebound from her own shot and bank it off the glass for the last play of the quarter, ending the half at 23-13.

The third quarter consisted of fouls and foul shots on both sides of the court. The teams combined for 7 fouls and the Panthers were 4-6 from the line with help from Tabakman and Brown while the Highlanders went 3-4 thanks to Greco and Scanlon. Scanlon added six additional points, including one shot that went in as the buzzer sounded. The score at the end of the quarter was 36-21.

The Highlanders were really able to pull away in the fourth quarter as the girls were able to make it rain inside the gym. Ericksen dropped 13 points in the final quarter alone and had 24 on the night. Help from Jess Poole, Carly Shello, and Age Orlando really stretched West Morris’ lead. A fighting attempt from the Panthers was lead by Tabakman and Kosmack who combined for five points in the second half of the quarter, but it just wasn’t enough as West Morris’ strength in rebounds and defense overpowered any chance of an upset.

Alex Brown was the high scorer for the Panthers with 15, but Julia Scanlon had a career high 20 points as she lead her team to yet another victory and a chance to grab the County Title for the fourth time. Look for Shayna Ericksen and Alisa Greco to be key players next week as the West Morris Highlanders hope to repeat against Chatham.