By Matthew Rocco
The Saint John Vianney High School girls’ basketball team came up short in its defense of a state championship, as rival Red Bank Catholic High School advanced to the sectional finals.
The Lancers, seeded third in the NJSIAA Non-Public A South bracket, had knocked the Caseys out of the state tournament three years running. Red Bank Catholic finally got the best of the Lancers in a semifinals game March 4, 47-39, thanks to a fourth-quarter surge.
Less than two weeks after the Lancers toppled the Caseys in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals, the two teams played a see-saw battle for a ticket to the sectional championship game.
Red Bank Catholic dominated a rough first half for both sides, as turnovers defined the start of the game. The Caseys remained in the lead throughout the half, and they held a two-point lead at halftime. The offenses kicked into gear in the second half, when St. John Vianney led by as many as six points. But Red Bank Catholic climbed back with a 10-0 run in the last quarter.
The Caseys successfully kept Kimi Evans at bay, using their defense to prevent St. John Vianney’s leading scorer from taking control of the floor. Evans still finished with 13 points — a team-high for the game. The Seton Hall University-bound senior also pulled in nine rebounds.
Madison Doring scored nine points off the bench for the Lancers. Senior guard Julia Ramos added seven points.
Red Bank Catholic was scheduled to play Paul VI High School, the fifth seed, in the A South finals March 7.
The loss wrapped up a season in which the Lancers went 23-5 overall and won the Shore Conference A Central Division title. St. John Vianney was a perfect 12-0 against division rivals, beating Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School’s mark of 10-2.
The Lancers made it to the Shore Conference Tournament finals with a 54-48 victory over Red Bank Catholic. In the championship game, St. John Vianney couldn’t solve St. Rose High School’s offensive game in a 56-31 loss.
Evans led St. John Vianney in scoring and rebounding this season, while Sarah Karpell was the team’s leading 3-point shooter. Seniors Courtney Dobrzynski, Riley Kehoe and Abby Anderko also led the Lancers, who experienced heavy turnover from a 2015-16 squad that won the Tournament of Champions.
