Last night we saw a tradition return. A TOM BRENNAN team getting better as the season rolls on. Last night MIDDLETOWN SOUTH got sweet revenge against Marlboro in one of the most exciting games of the year. It took real belief in there coach and each other.
Monday night Marlboro threw there,”A” Shooting game at Middletown South. It seemed every three point shot they threw up found the basket. It the 3rd quater alone they were 6-9 and Middletown was on life support. Last year in this situation MIDDLETOWN SOUTH would have cashed in there chips. But that was last year and this year is different.
Its seemed every time Middletown South put pressure on MARLBORO they would respond with a basket to break South’s spirit. But for some reason reason South refused to die. ISA BRENNAN was not having any of this woe is me moments. She had 25 points..7 rebounds..7 dimes and 4 steals. She played perhaps the best game of her career. Her refuse to lose attitude was clear to anyone in the gym. Her fellow senior Eve Pirie clearly is sending a message to everyone. She is not mailing in her senior year. She had 14 rebounds and gave her teamnates every ounce of her energy and body. Dribbling coast to coast for baskets against the press. She played like a demon possessed. She was wonderful all night.
In the 3rd quater Marlboro tired to run away from South. They couldn’t miss and played at such a hetic pace the refs and fans couldn’t keep up. Just watching Marlboro is exhausting. They run players in and out. Each player is some kind of threat. Middletown South could have packed in, when they went down 9 and seemingly had nothing left in the tank. But Kayla Richardson was having none of that. She refused to let Marlboro close the door. She pounded the boards. Broke the Marlboro press, dropped dime after dime and finally played enforcer in the lane. She more than anyone prevented Marlboro from riding off into the sunset. When Stephanie Mayerhofer scored at the buzzer to end the third, South was still amazing alive and only down 5.
The 4th quarter was more proff this South team is nothing like last year’s team. MARLBORO was trying to apply the knockout punch. They went up 9 after Gisele Romeo scored and was fouled. There was just over 3 minutes left. There was no logical reason for Middletown South to keep fighting or to believe. But when Kayla Richardson pushed her way though traffic, jumped high in the air and with one hand tipped a missed shot in. It gave the crowd and South a shot in the arm. Once again Middletown South was not making it easy on MARLBORO to close.
Flashback to the 3rd quarter. Coach Brennan went into his bag of tricks. He changed up defenses to try and slow down the red hot shooting Marlboro team. He also went deep into his bench as his team was exhusted and he was trying to find anyone that could hit a open shot. It didnt work, his inexperienced bench couldn’t defend or take care of the ball. So it was a surprise when Coach Brennan went REALLY DEEP INTO HIS BENCH in the final 3 mins of the game. Renee Wells is just a freshman. She has not played much this season. But Tom Brennan said “she has been getting better everyday” Just like his South team. So with under 2 mins left and down 4 , when MISS WELLS went bang and cut MARBORO’S lead to a point 63-62. He was not surprised. But the baby was not done by a long shot because STEPHANIE MAYERHOFER dropped the biggest dime of the season and Renee Wells made the biggest shot of the season. She buried a 18ft jumper to give Middletown South its first lead since 2-0…64-63
Marlboro was leaking oil the final 3 mins. They missed two straight front ends of one and ones. Then missed 2 free throws on a shooting foul. Then finally they had 3 wide open looks to tie the game and missed. Meanwhile Isla Brennan was as cold as ICE making 4 straight free throws with under 30 seconds to close the door on MARLBORO
Marlboro three open threes to tie…no luck…Brennan to line to close it…she is ICE..69-63 SOUTH WINS in one of most exciting games you will see…NO LOSERS HERE FOLKS— ellonya Tiny Green (@CoachTinyGreen) January 7, 2019
MIDDLETOWN SOUTH is a team. They believe in each other and yesterday…There NEVER SAY DIE ATTITUDE WAS A THING OF BEAUTY!