Cherokee girls win S. Jersey tournament in double OT

The emotion after the game was layered with exhaustion for both teams.

But when it was over, and the Cherokee girls' basketball team emerged the champion of the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament - winner of a 43-39 double-overtime thriller against Gloucester Catholic in Sunday's title game - there were more tears around Cherokee's bench than anywhere else in the Eastern High School gym.

"It meant everything to us," said the game's star player, Isabella Therien, who recorded a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds.

The SJIBT is often described as the tournament to crown South Jersey's de facto champion.

In many respects, that's how Cherokee viewed it. Gloucester Catholic beat the Chiefs in the title game last season and the Rams entered Sunday's game widely regarded as South Jersey's best team.

The Chiefs, who returned just one starter this year, were thought of as a one-trick pony - a team with not much punch outside of Therien, its established star player. Cherokee has spent this season on a mission to change that perception.

The Chiefs (22-2) talked Friday after their semifinal win over Rancocas Valley about "proving a point." And Sunday they proved it.

"We were the underdog in this game, and we came out and showed everyone who we really were," Therien said. "We played with a lot of heart. And it goes to show you that heart goes a long way."

Therien scored all six of her team's points in double overtime, including going 4 for 4 from the foul line to ice the game. The 6-foot senior was named the tournament's most valuable player.

Gloucester Catholic (18-5) led by as many as seven points in the third quarter.

Sophomore forward Azana Baines - who paced the Rams with 12 points and eight rebounds - put her team ahead by 35-30 with 7 minutes, 40 seconds left in the fourth.

It was the Rams' final basket of regulation. In fact, from that point forward - accounting for 15:40 of play - Gloucester Catholic scored just four points, a staggering total for such a vaunted offense.

Therien "is the engine that makes us go, but she's done a pretty good job of bringing the rest of the team along with her. . . . we're a nice unit and we complement each other," said Cherokee coach Ron Powell.

"In the beginning of the year I told our kids, other than [Isabella Therien], no one is going to think we're all that this year," Powell said. "That was a driving force for us: How good could we get?"

Cherokee 10 8 12 5 2 6 - 43

Gloucester Cath. 10 12 11 2 2 2 - 39

C: Ava Therien 2, Isabella Therien 28, Katie Cummiskey 9, Kennedy Wilburn 2.

GC: Dan Sanderlin 8, Tenisha Pressley 5, Katie Gerardi 9, Azana Baines 12, Naiyana Sabb 5.