SOMERVILLE, NJ — When the Cranford High School girls basketball team lost at home to Roselle Catholic High School, 52-42, in Union County Conference–Watchung Division play on Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Cougars fell to 4-9.
Time was slipping away on Cranford, trying to figure out its 2024-2025 season.
Somehow, the Cougars did. They went from being five games less than .500 nearing the end of January to actually having a lead in the North 2, Group 3 sectional state championship game on Friday, March 7. Not only were they winning the game entering the second quarter, but they were doing so in the gym of the team that won the section last year, beating Cranford at home in the semifinals on the way.
After stunning second-seeded Somerville High School, 52-46, on the road in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals – Somerville had nine more wins than Cranford – the Cougars had the unenviable task of going to Chatham High School for the third time in a year.
In last year’s North 2, Group 3 semifinal at Chatham, the host Cougars topped the visiting Cougars, 53-35.
On Saturday, Dec. 28, of this season in the Cougar Classic at Chatham, it was host Chatham once again defeating visiting Cranford, this time by the even more convincing score of 66-31.
Chatham won 28 games last year, en route to winning the section and then reaching the Group 3 final. The Cougars had 29 wins under their belt when they hosted Cranford again last week.
A much more inspired and confident Cranford team gave Chatham a real battle this time before ultimately falling, 41-33. Cranford led 13-5 after the first quarter and, although the visiting Cougars were shut out 10-0 in the second quarter, they still trailed by just two at intermission. Chatham’s lead was only five points entering the fourth quarter.
Defense, playing well on defense, usually wins championships. Cranford’s solid play on defense almost led it to another big road upset victory.
Chatham improved to 30-2 and remained undefeated against public school competition.
Cranford, bouncing back in incredible fashion, producing a winning season of 15-12. After the 4-9 record on Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Cougars went on to win 11 of their final 14 contests.
Standout senior Bella Curanovic was special, as usual, against Chatham, pouring in a game-high 21 points. Curanovic also contributed three rebounds, one block and one steal.
Curanovic, one of the greatest players to ever compete at Cranford, finished with a career-high 459 points this year to conclude at 1,275.
Here’s an account of Cranford’s final win of the season, its 52-46 triumph at Somerville on Tuesday, March 4:
Just seconds into the second quarter, Somerville extended its lead to a high of eight.
Cranford came back.
With less than four minutes to play in the third quarter, junior sharpshooter Kaylee Lauber drained a second consecutive three-point basket to put the host Pioneers back up by four.
Cranford came back again.
After that, no more comebacks were necessary.
Why?
Because after Lauber’s second of those two three-pointers, her last of four total, the visiting Cougars were not to be stopped.
Cranford followed with a third quarter-ending 12-0 run to take back the lead back for good at 40-32, heading into the final eight minutes. Nothing on this night was going to deter a Cranford Cougar squad that was not frazzled at all in a visiting gym against a loud crowd and against a team that had won nine more games.
Then Cranford’s best player, Curanovic, hit two, big, consecutive jumpers from the top of the key with a little more than three minutes to play to put the Cougars up by seven, after Somerville cut the deficit to three with four straight free throws.
Curanovic followed by grabbing what seemed like every rebound the rest of the way.
As great as Curanovic was, a stellar effort that included game-highs of 21 points and 16 rebounds, Cranford’s performance was anything but a one-person show. Brooke Bentrewicz poured in 15 points including three big three-pointers. Ella Grady produced two huge threes in the third quarter, one from the top of the key and one from the right side. Lily Costello scored five points and grabbed four boards. Courtney Toy hauled in five rebounds.
It was a team effort, led by their best player, that propelled sixth-seeded Cranford to a stunning 52-46 triumph at second-seeded Somerville in the Tuesday, March 4, North 2, Group 3 girls basketball semifinal contested in Somerset County.
Somerville had a seven-game winning streak snapped and saw its season end at 23-6. Cranford won its fourth straight to improve to 15-11 and advanced to the North 2, Group 3 final for the first time since winning it in 2013.
It appeared early on for Cranford against Somerville that the home team may be on its way. The Pioneers quickly began the game with two buckets for a 4-0 lead and then ended the first quarter on a 5-0 run to go up 14-8. After Somerville took its biggest lead of eight at 16-8, Cranford managed to somehow keep the game a bit closer on the scoreboard.
Curanovic, who scored Cranford’s first basket after grabbing three offensive rebounds, scored again off an offensive board, was fouled and then made the free throw to pull the Cougars to within one at 21-20. Bentrewicz scored inside and then Costello on a layup to put Cranford ahead 24-21, courtesy of a second quarter-ending 7-0 run, at intermission.
“This was a game of runs,” Skrec said. “It’s something we talked about. We’ve been in these types of games before.”
The game’s biggest run, Cranford’s 12-0 surge to close the third quarter, went like this: Grady drained a three from the top of the key to pull Cranford to within one again at 32-31. Grady then followed with a three-pointer from the right side to elevate the Cougars to the lead for good at 34-32 with 1:45 remaining before the fourth quarter.
Curanovic followed with two free throws before the Cougars took advantage of a Somerville turnover and saw Bentrewicz score on a fastbreak. Grady then made two big free throws and suddenly Cranford was ahead by eight at 40-32 as the fourth quarter commenced.
“We found open players and we took care of the ball,” Skrec said.
Cranford even survived a full-court press Somerville went to in the fourth quarter and the Cougars were also able to take chunks of time off the clock at the start of the third and fourth quarters by passing the ball around until someone was open for a clear shot.
After Lauber scored her team’s final two points on two free throws with 11.5 seconds left to make the score 51-46, Curanovic was fouled, made one of two free throws and then came up with a block and a rebound right before the final buzzer.
“Bella had so many big rebounds for us in that fourth quarter,” Skrec said. “Everyone did their jobs. All of our players made contributions. Our girls kept their composure.”
Playing teams such as New Providence, Westfield, Roselle Catholic and Elizabeth in the Watchung Division of the Union County Conference proved worthy for the Cougars, despite finishing less than .500 in the division.
“Bend, but don’t break,” Skrec said. ‘We were prepared for moments like tonight.”
The key to Cranford bouncing back from being five games less than .500 as January was nearing its conclusion?
“We just had a stronger second half of the season,” Skrec said. “It was just playing games and reps and players still learning their roles. We jelled and started playing together as a team.”
“We had to step up and keep locking in,” Curanovic said. “We feel that we played such great teams and that prepared us.”
Somerville ended the first quarter on a 5-0 run.
Cranford ended the second quarter on a 7-0 run.
Cranford ended the third quarter on a 12-0 run to take the lead for good.
North 2, Group 3 Girls Basketball Semifinal at Somerville
6-Cranford (15-11) 08 16 16 12 – 52
2-Somerville (23-6) 14 07 11 14 – 46
Cranford Cougars (52)
13-Sienna DiStefano, sophomore, 0-0-0-0
21-Bella Curanovic, senior, 9-0-6-24
22-Brooke Bentrewicz, junior, 2-3-2-15
23-Courtney Toy, junior, 0-0-0-0
3-Lily Costello, junior, 2-0-1-5
4-Ella Grady, senior, 0-2-2-8
Starters: Curanovic, Bentrewicz,
Toy, Costello, Grady.
Totals: 13-5-11-52.
Somerville Pioneers (46)
1-Charlotte Taylor, senior, 1-1-0-5
5-Amaya Miller, junior, 4-1-6-17
2-Kaylee Lauber, junior, 1-4-6-20
23-Lily Taylor, sophomore, 1-0-0-2
24-Riley DeSarno, senior, 1-0-0-2
10-Kelsey Butler, senior, 0-0-0-0
Starters: C. Taylor, Miller,
Lauber, L. Taylor, DeSarno.
Totals: 8-6-12-46.
2025 North 2, Group 3 Girls Basketball
Seeds: 1-Chatham. 2-Somerville. 3-Summit. 4-Mendham. 5-Randolph. 6-Cranford. 7-Carteret. 8-Payne Tech. 9-South Plainfield. 10-Nutley. 11-Millburn. 12-North Plainfield. 13-North Hunterdon. 14-Rahway. 15-Colonia. 16-Orange.
First Round
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Chatham 71, Orange 29 – at Chatham
South Plainfield 57, Payne Tech 48 – at Payne Tech
Randolph 66, North Plainfield 49 – at Randolph
Mendham 59, North Hunterdon 28 – at Mendham
Summit 48, Rahway 45 – at Summit
Cranford 52, Millburn 33 – at Cranford
Carteret 40, Nutley 33 – at Carteret
Somerville 52, Colonia 30 – at Somerville
Quarterfinals
Saturday, March 1
Chatham 69, South Plainfield 38 – at Chatham
Mendham 49, Randolph 35 – at Mendham
Cranford 38, Summit 36 – at Summit
Somerville 65, Carteret 43 – at Somerville
Semifinals
Tuesday, March 4
Chatham 44, Mendham 21 – at Chatham
Cranford 52, Somerville 46 – at Somerville
Finals
Friday, March 7
Chatham 41, Cranford 33 – at Chatham
Photos by JR Parachini