BROOKLYN, NY- It was a New York vs. New Jersey showdown for the Rose Classic title on Sunday as New Heights squared off with the New Jersey Sparks in a game that saw many of the top 2019 and 2020 players in our area take the floor to try and bring home the coveted championship trophy.
For a good portion of the game it looked as if the Sparks would run away with things as they took a lead as big as 17 early in the second half, but Kateri Poole (Msgr. Scanlan '20) wouldn't let New Heights go away so easily.
Poole came alive in the second half to the tune of scoring 17 points and helped get New Heights within 2 late, but that's as close as they would get as Kaelynn Satterfield (Christ the King '19) made big plays down the stretch when the Sparks needed them as she helped carry the EYBL power to the 50-46 victory and the Rose Classic title.
Both teams got off to uncharacteristic sloppy and slow starts as the Sparks and New Heights each settled for contested jumpers in the first few minutes as each team tried to find their way into the game, and it wasn't until Mariah Perez (Newark Tech, NJ '19) started to get the ball down low and finish around the rim that the Sparks began to pull away.
Once Perez found her footing the rest of the Sparks team seemed to get going as well as Michelle Sidor (Saddle River Day, NJ '19) got going from the outside with back to back three's, and with Satterfield doing a great job attacking in transition, the lead ballooned to double digits.
It was a 32-17 lead for the Sparks at halftime as they had all the momentum in defending the perimeter extremely well in not letting the New Heights guards get going, while also themselves finding ways to score from both the inside and outside. If New Heights wanted any way of getting back into the game they would need someone to rise and begin to take control of the offensive game or else things would just continue to slip away.
That someone who did step up was Poole as the rising junior guard took matters into her own hands after falling down by 17 and reeled off 10 straight points including a pair of three's well behind the three-point line, and when she wasn't dominating from deep Poole was blowing by her defenders and finishing in a variety of crowd pleasing ways at the basket.
The 17-point lead that the Sparks held with 14:40 to go in the game was whittled all the way down to 41-39 with 7:25 to play when Sidor with the Sparks needing a big bucket stuck a big three from the left wing to push the lead back up to 5. That stemmed the tide a bit but didn't put New Heights away as they stayed within striking distance as Poole and Kaylen Banwareesingh (Msgr. Scanlan '19) each came up with big buckets to keep the deficit at a single possession for much of the final few minutes of the game.
With under 2 minutes left New Heights had their first chances to tie or take the lead when down by just 2 but they missed perimeter shots, and in the most clutch of all shots up 48-46 with 12.8 sends to play, Satterfield would drain a pair of FT's with all the pressure on her to seal the deal for the Sparks.
New Heights missed another long range shot late and when Satterfield grabbed the rebound she was able to run out the clock as the New Jersey Sparks pulled it out as led by the 16 points of Satterfield they held off a late charge and came away with the 50-46 Rose Classic championship game victory.
Satterfield with her 16 points was named title game MVP for the Sparks, while Sidor added 12 points and Perez chipped in with 9 for the winners.
In the loss it was Poole who scored a game high 21 points for New Heights, 17 of which came during the strong second half comeback attempt, with Nina Rickards (Christ the King '19) doing all she could as well in finishing the title game with a solid 12 points.
After winning the Junior Division title by taking down the Bay State Jaguars 42-29, the NJ Sparks made it a twice as nice day by winning the Senior Division title too as the Nike Girls EYBL power made sure it was a memorable championship day at the Rose Classic.
