LAWRENCE TWP. — The most exciting game of the Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division girls’ basketball season took place Thursday when Steinert visited Lawrence’s home court. With both teams entering with 11 wins under their belts, it figured to be a good matchup. The Spartans and Cardinal s, both Central Jersey Group III contenders who could end up meeting two more times this winter, proved to be even better matched. The game featured five ties and five lead changes before the home team, which had trailed by as much as six points in the fourth quarter, flipped the script, then hung on for a 51-48 victory. Lawrence (12-7) rallied from a 40-34 deficit when 5-foot-10 freshman guard/forward Nell Straczynski got hot in the final stanza. After not scoring the rest of the game, Straczynski scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter to inspire head coach Dana Williams’ team as it came back to tie the game at 45 when she hit her second 3-point field goal with 2:54 left. “It was a great time to get hot,” said Straczynski, who matched her second highest scoring total of the season. “Sometimes things can start off a little rough, but then I will get it back. And I know my teammates will always be there to pick me up.” With 5-5 senior guard Amber Wooding (19 points) converting a three-point play and 5-11 sophomore forward/center Kayla “K.J.” Williams (13 points, 18 rebounds) putting back an offensive rebound, the Cardinals built a five-point lead of their own a minute later at 50-45 (the Spartans’ biggest deficit). The game’s leading scorer, Katie Corby (30 points), drained her fifth 3-pointer of the day to bring Steinert (11-6) back within a basket with 1:34 to go. Five possession changes later, Wooding hit 1-of-2 free throws to put Lawrence up three with 20.7 seconds left. Head coach Kristin Voorhees Jacobs’ Spartans had two of the game’s final three possessions, yet could not even the score as Bella Rosa’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed its mark. “That team really matched up well with us,” said Rosa, a 5-7 sophomore guard/forward who finished with 10 points. “The difference was just small details.” One of those was the 10 points added by Lawrence’s 5-6 senior guard/forward Kimyah Carter over the first three quarters. It marked the first time this season that Carter has scored in double figures. Steinert, meanwhile, got four points and 10 rebounds from 5-9 senior forward/guard Allie McCarthy to keep the game a nailbiter down to the final horn. STEINERT (48) McCarthy 2-0-4, Gray 0-0-0, KCorby 11-3-30, Chirichella 0-0-0, Constance 1-0-2, Rosa 4-0-10, Medino 1-0-2. Totals — 19-3-48. LAWRENCE (51) Wooding 7-4-19, Orashen 0-0-0, Carter 5-0-10, Cohen 0-0-0, KWilliams 6-1-13, Swaroop 0-0-0, Straczynski 3-1-9, Gorczynski 0-0-0. Totals — 21-6-51. Steinert (11-6)                      14      8    15    11    —    48 Lawrence(12-7)                   12    13      9    17    —    51 3-point goals — KCorby 5, Rosa 2 (S), Wooding, Straczynski 2 (L). ...read more read less