A picture of a happier time on March 7 when the Raiders won South Jersey Group III Championship game. - Picture Credit OCHS Facebook Page
Grace Sacco scored a team-high 14 points including a jumper that gave Ocean City a 35-34 lead with seven minutes left in the game, but the heavily favored defending state champions Middletown South roared back last night to post a 51-41 victory in the State Group III Semi-final at Deptford High School.
Ocean City, trying to win its second state title since 2013, battled gamely throughout, but the three-time defending Central Jersey champs proved too tough down the stretch, outscoring the Raiders 17-6 after Sacco’s go-ahead basket.
The Eagles (25-3) advance to the State Final vs. Old Tappan Sunday in Toms River, while Ocean City ended its season at 25-5.
Paced by Stephanie Karcz, who scored a game-high 17 points, Middletown South threatened to blow the Raiders out early, racing to a 18-4 lead in the first quarter. But Ocean City settled down and gave the Eagles all they could handle. They got back into the game on the defensive end, clogging the basket area and forcing the Eagles to settle for outside shots. They also got Karcz into foul trouble.
Ocean City mounted a third quarter comeback highlighted by a 7-0 run with four of the points coming on put-backs by Michaela Baker, who came off the bench and was Ocean City’s second-leading scorer in the game with 12.
Karcz, who will play Divison I ball next season at Loyola University, was forced to sit out much of the third quarter with foul difficulty.
But Karcz re-entered the fray soon after, and scored nine points in the fourth quarter to key Middletown South’s rally.
Despite the loss, Ocean City had much to be proud of. The student section produced the loudest cheers of the game and never backed down from their favored opponent.
“We are a scrappy team,” Ocean City Coach Paul Baruffi told reporters. “We played them very tough and I’m very proud of them. But give (Middletown South) credit, they made the big shots down the stretch and we didn’t.”
