Teamwork carries Mainland over Chatham to first-ever girls basketball state title

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — So many of Mainland’s biggest offensive plays followed a similar pattern.

The defense collapsed on 6-foot-4 Kylee Watson in the paint. Watson would absorb the pressure, shrug off the physicality. She would find an open teammate. The open teammate — in front of a packed house in a state title game — would bury a shot from distance.

On a team that does, in fact, have a glaring star in Watson, Mainland’s emergence as a state champion on Sunday took every player on the court.

“We needed to play together as a team. We really wanted this for each other — we really wanted this for the seniors — and were able to [play as a team],” said Watson after her Mustangs topped Chatham, 42-35, Sunday afternoon at Toms River North, to capture the Group 3 state championship and advance to this week's Tournament of Champions.

The win marked the program’s first-ever girls’ basketball state title.

“This is such a likable, such a nice group of kids,” Mainland coach Scott Betson said of his team, which finished 28-3 despite Watson being its only returning starter. “Obviously talented — but they’re so deserving and I’m so happy for them.”

Watson, a junior, and freshman guard Camryn Dirkes both generated a team-high 11 points. Watson also chipped in 11 rebounds. She was 5 of 6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and grabbed five rebounds in the final period during a lock-down defensive effort.

Chatham (23-7) recorded just three field goals in the second half as Mainland’s defense looked increasingly strong as the game wore on.

“We talked about not helping off of ball side — they were too good of shooters — we talked about helping away from the play — so we made that adjustment [in the second half] and it made it a lot harder for them to get clean looks from three and that made a big difference,” Betson said.

Mainland had been in a funk offensively for most of the third quarter and, despite leading for most of the game to that point, went into the final period behind, 29-27.

The Mustangs’ first basket of the fourth quarter, however, shifted momentum back in their favor: Watson, in the paint, found a wide-open Taylor Dalzell, who swung it to an even more wide open Madison Hafetz in the corner. Hafetz buried a three-pointer, giving Mainland back a lead that it never lost.

“That’s how I go — I shoot. I knew my teammates would be looking for me for the spot-up,” said Hafetz, who finished with six points on two second-half threes. “To be honest, believe it or not, I think I’m better when there’s pressure — when I know that we need the shot.”

For most of the first half, Mainland clung to a lead thanks to a balanced attack that Chatham — led by Maddie Hartnett’s 12 points and Tess Ford’s 8 — couldn’t match. The Mustangs went into halftime with a 22-20 lead thanks largely to a huge second quarter by Dirkes, who had six points and two steals in the quarter and led Mainland in scoring, with nine at halftime.

Watson is one of the most heralded players in the country. She was easily the tallest and most talented player on the court on Sunday.

But her teammates stepped up. As they had all season. And that made all the difference.

“This is a dream come true,” Hafetz said. “These girls are my family, I’ve been with most of them since I was in third grade. This is just awesome.”

Mainland 13 9 5 15 — 42

Chatham 12 8 9 6 — 35

M: Taylor Dalzell 6, Madi Hafetz 8, Claudia Mairone 6, Kylee Watson 11, Camryn Dirkes 11.

C: Michaela Ford 6, Shannon Donohoe 3, Maddie Hartnett 12, Olivia Mathern 3, Tess Ford 8, Carly Frohnapfel 3.

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