Through two minutes, Bishop Ahr looked good.
Through two quarters, Bishop Ahr looked unbeatable.
In a showdown between two of the top teams in the Greater Middlesex Conference, Bishop Ahr built a 26-point lead at halftime and led by as much as 28 points in the third quarter before Edison, the defending runner-up in the GMC Tournament, rallied back.
That sizable cushion proved to be vital for Bishop Ahr, which saw its lead trimmed to 11 points in the fourth quarter but ultimately held on for a 56-43 win Thursday night to retain its title as the team to beat in Middlesex County this season.
"I think the glimpses that people saw in the first half, that's who we are," Bishop Ahr coach Brittney Griffin said. "For whatever reason, we allowed them to get back into their rhythm in the third and fourth quarter and that's what good teams do, they come out of a half and they're ready to go. We kind of fell asleep for a couple minutes, but I think what people saw in those first two quarters, that's what we are."
There's plenty of hype and buzz surrounding this team this season — and for good reason. Three transfers, two of which have made an immediate impact, have helped transform Bishop Ahr into a program that is expected to compete for a state title this season.
Akiyah Baker found her shooting stroke early in the game and finished with 15 points while Madison Ruddy added 13 points for Bishop Ahr. Both players transferred from the Patrick School in the offseason. Kelsey Ransom, a Pingry transfer, will be eligible next week after the 30-day point of the season.
Bishop Ahr, behind Baker's 11 first-quarter points, raced out to a 17-2 lead to put Edison behind early. It was Bishop Ahr's full-court press that led to turnovers and easy buckets in that fast start.
"Honestly, we just needed to play harder," Edison coach Frank Eckert said. "In that first half, we came out and Bishop Ahr did a really good job of shooting the ball well. We just needed to play harder, that was the key to it. In the second half, we went man and got some open looks."
Edison mustered just 10 points in that first half as it appeared Bishop Ahr would coast to the lopsided win.
But after the break, Edison came alive.
Samira Sargent scored all of her game-high 18 points in the second half as Edison, at long last, started to knock down shots and found some momentum. With Sargent running the floor, Bishop Ahr was unable to press and it led to some easy transition baskets for the Eagles.
Edison trailed by 19 points at the end of the third quarter and cut that margin down to 11 points, but it was simply too unsurmountable a deficit to overcome.
From Bishop Ahr's perspective, it was a learning experience and an understanding that, with a target squarely on its back, no win is going to come easily, regardless of how big the lead is at halftime.
"It was a good experience because we're pretty young," Griffin said. "You only saw one senior out on the floor tonight, the rest are young or new. They really do have a good team chemistry. I was happy with their passing in the first half and happy that they were finding each other. Even in the second half, it was an unselfish game and that's why we won."
And with each passing win, the expectations continue to grow for a Bishop Ahr team that is widely regarded as the team to beat in the GMC and will hope to challenge the Shore Conference powers in the South Jersey, Non-Public A state tournament down the road.
"We talk about it all the time," Baker said. "We know that we can be really, really good. We just have to keep working hard and pushing every person on our team."
Morgan Maguire finished with eight points and Emma Boslet, the glue in the middle for the Trojans, had seven points, all in the first half.
Daniella Marmol had a big double-double for Edison with 10 points and 15 rebounds, while Lourdes Marasigan produced eight points and Kenisha Chester piled in seven points.
After three non-conference losses in the opening three weeks of the season — two of those by single digits — Thursday's second half was proof that when Edison plays its game, the potential for another deep tournament run is still there.
"We have a lot of work to do but we're headed in the right direction," Eckert said. "We have a lot of pieces out here that our new to our starting lineup. We're figuring things out but if we play hard, we'll be alright."
Brian Deakyne may be reached at bdeakyne@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDeakyne. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.
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