When
Rutgers Prep jockeyed for position early in their Tournament of
Champions quarterfinal-round game against University, Mary Klinger
brought her players together and gave an unflinching reminder.
"I said to them at one point that they're a state champion like we are," Klinger stated. "You won't be the state champion simply by being poor. We needed to show them the respect they deserve. earned, and we needed to be more competitive."
Rutgers Prep (28-2), the No. 3 seed in the final T of C to be played at New Jersey, did enough to beat sixth-seeded University to win 68-56 on Wednesday night at the RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River, although it didn't come easy.
Katie Ledden poured in 23 points in the first half . Mikayla Blakes who was the Argonauts most prolific scorer of the year, came in with 18 points. Rutgers Prep won a Tournament of Champions game for the first time in the program's history following semifinal-round losses in both 2016 and 2017.
But the most important test will be the next day.
Rutgers Prep, the No. 4 squad on the NJ.com Top 20, will take on second-seeded and. 2 ranked Manasquan at the T of C semifinals on Friday night. The winner likely going into the semifinals at Rutgers to take on the top-ranked St. John Vianney. Both teams made a strong chance to win the no. 2 seed and go straight to the semifinals, but the final ended up going to Manasquan.
"We knew what the three seed meant to us, especially because we didn't get the two seed," Blakes declared. "We're striving harder to try and beat them on Friday. The seeds aren't important for us, it's an extra game to take part in so that we get used to the environment."
"I said to them at one point that they're a state champion like we are," Klinger stated. "You won't be the state champion simply by being poor. We needed to show them the respect they deserve. earned, and we needed to be more competitive."
Rutgers Prep (28-2), the No. 3 seed in the final T of C to be played at New Jersey, did enough to beat sixth-seeded University to win 68-56 on Wednesday night at the RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River, although it didn't come easy.
Katie Ledden poured in 23 points in the first half . Mikayla Blakes who was the Argonauts most prolific scorer of the year, came in with 18 points. Rutgers Prep won a Tournament of Champions game for the first time in the program's history following semifinal-round losses in both 2016 and 2017.
But the most important test will be the next day.
Rutgers Prep, the No. 4 squad on the NJ.com Top 20, will take on second-seeded and. 2 ranked Manasquan at the T of C semifinals on Friday night. The winner likely going into the semifinals at Rutgers to take on the top-ranked St. John Vianney. Both teams made a strong chance to win the no. 2 seed and go straight to the semifinals, but the final ended up going to Manasquan.
"We knew what the three seed meant to us, especially because we didn't get the two seed," Blakes declared. "We're striving harder to try and beat them on Friday. The seeds aren't important for us, it's an extra game to take part in so that we get used to the environment."