Published in the Courier News on December 17, 2003
Stockton and Malone. Kobe and Shaq. Jordan and Pippen. Burke and Klimowicz?
Is it a stretch to compare Jenny Burke and Hillary Klimowicz of the ScotchPlains-Fanwood High School girls basketball team to some of the NBA's mostfamed tandems? Sure. But it's not far-fetched to say Klimowicz and Burke are the foundation of theCourier News' No. 1 team.
They were catalysts to last season's 23-3 team andcarry the expectations of another banner season. As they go, the Raiders go. "We've been practicing really hard," Klimowicz said. "We've been practicingreally well, working a lot better as team. It's everyone. The whole team."
Klimowicz and Burke are the perfect complements. In Klimowicz, Burke has a consistent inside target who averaged nearly 20points per game, to go along with eight rebounds and nearly four blocks. InBurke, Klimowicz has a heady pass-first floor general who can deliver passes tothe post and break down opposing defenses. With gritty forward Jenn Russell and sharp-shooting guard Maura Gillooly addedto the mix, they have a supporting cast that not only make ScotchPlains-Fanwood arguably Union County's elite, but also one of the state's bestsquads.
They all return from a team that last year pummeled opponents by an average of31 points. But for all the blowouts, the Raiders went home empty-handed. They twice fell to Tournament of Champions victor Shabazz, including asectional final defeat, and fell to Union Catholic in the Union CountyTournament semifinals. Scotch Plains-Fanwood once again will be lumped into a competitive sectionalbracket that should include Shabazz, Voorhees -- the Courier News' No. 3 team-- and No. 10 Ridge.
"It's a curse," coach Brian Homm said, referring to the North Jersey, Section2, Group III bracket. "Especially with the teams that were added in this year(from realignment)." "We do concentrate on winning the big ones," Burke said, "but we've kind of hada problem with that. If we don't win Union County, there's definitely somethingwrong with us."
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