By Andy Loigu

Warren Hills and Bound Brook both took 7-1 records into their girls basketball game in Washington on Saturday. Following a decisive 51-36 win for the visitors, the Blue Streaks stood at 7-2, heading into a tough week in which they host Bernards on Jan. 16 and visit Pingry on Jan. 18.

“When you fall off the horse, you’ve got to get right back on it,” said Warren Hills head coach Meghan McGeehan. “We had a bad day shooting and got out rebounded. You have to give Bound Brook credit for coming off the bus ready to play a great game. They pressed us early, forced some turnovers, got off to a lead and kept building it.”

The difference makers for Bound Brook were Cartlyn Morris with 10 rebounds, seven blocked shots and six steals, and Cameron Ward with eight rebounds. “They scored a lot on second shots, put backs, backdoor plays and free throws,” McGeehan said. “They didn’t need to shoot from the perimeter very much.”

Warren Hills was led in rebounding by Heather Laffan and Advika Thandoni, each with four. The Blue Streaks were led in scoring by Devyn Gara, with 10 points.

Bound Brook quickly took a 6-0 lead and increased it to 17-5 and 27-7 in the first half. The closest Warren Hills could make it in the second half was 27-18 following an 11-point run.

“We’ve been playing well this season, you didn’t see us at our best today,” McGeehan said.

The Blue Streaks came into the game off an impressive 55-43 win at Voorhees (a tough place to win) which was sparked by aggressive defensive play. The Blue Streaks made 21 steals.

Veteran team leader Nicole Mallard scored seven points, pulled down four rebounds, dished six assists and made three steals. Gara scored 10 points and made four steals. Scoring leader Laffan registered 16 points, including three threes from beyond the bonus arc. She also pulled down six rebounds and made seven steals.

Looking ahead on the team’s schedule, the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament starts on Saturday, Jan. 27. With their good start, the Streaks are likely to get a high seeding and play the first round at home. The Streaks will host the Hackettstown Tigers in their spirited annual rivalry game at 7 p.m. on Feb. 13. Hackettstown has a strong program, having reached a sectional final last year in Group 2.

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