Cinderella run continues for Moorestown

Moorestown girls' basketball coach Chris Hill pumped her fist in the air twice as her players celebrated around her.

The euphoria came moments after the Quakers upset Timber Creek, 57-52, in the South Jersey Group 3 semifinals Saturday. The win continues the 14th-seeded Quakers' improbable run in the playoffs.

"Different kids have been stepping up, and I couldn't be more proud of their maturity," Hill said.

The win is the seventh in the row for Moorestown (13-14), which opened the season 6-14 but hasn't lost since Feb. 14.

"We're just really coming through in these games. The seven in a row is really building our confidence, and we're just running on that," said junior forward Marisa Randazzo, who sank the game-clinching free throws for Moorestown with one second remaining.

Moorestown will face Ocean City for the South Jersey Group 3 championship on Monday.

In a game that came down to the last minute, Moorestown's shooting was the difference. The Quakers took only 24 shots in the game, making 14, and also went 20 for 24 from the foul line. Freshman forward Emily Filoon paced Moorestown with 15 points.

Moorestown hurt itself and kept Timber Creek in the game by committing costly turnovers. The Quakers had 22 turnovers in the game, compared to only nine by the Chargers.

"If we could have eliminated turnovers, this game would have had a different flavor," Hill said.

The seventh-seeded Chargers received another stellar performance from senior forward Jasmine Martin, who scored 32 of the team's 52 points. This came after a 29-point performance in an emotional win over Kingsway on Thursday.

"We didn't come out ready to play. We didn't have the same intensity as Thursday," Timber Creek coach Donna Clark said.

Timber Creek (20-8) fell behind early, trailing by 15-9 after one quarter. The Chargers struggled particularly in scoring points. Despite ample opportunities because of all the Moorestown turnovers, the Chargers made only 18 of 48 shots.

Despite the lack of energy and shooting struggles, Clark made no excuses for her team.

"We haven't had a day off, but neither have they. The emotions may have played a part, but it comes down to five people on the floor, playing as a team, and we didn't do that," Clark said.

Randazzo's game-sealing free throws came with one second left and her team clinging to 55-52 lead. She was fouled on the inbounds pass after Martin had nailed a three from the top of the key with 1.7 seconds left.

Moorestown   15 14 12 16 – 57

Timber Creek   9 17 19 7 – 52

M: Maura Talvacchia 6, Nikki McMonagle 4, Stephanie Toy 10, Frankie Angeleri 6, Emily Filoon 15, Kellen McGinley 8, Marisa Randazzo 8.

TC: Meghan Barth 2, Alexis Riiff 10, Jasmine Martin 32, Deanna Miller 8.