The Central Jersey Hawks 13-under AAU girls’ basketball team is hoping that the third time is the charm this week at the AAU National Championships in Orlando, Fla.

The Hawks, who are composed of players from throughout the area, won their third straight state AAU title to qualify for the national tournament which began on Friday. Coached by Temple University (Philadel-phia) guard and former St. John Vianney (Holmdel) superstar Regan Apo, the Hawks will go to the nationals with their most complete team yet, providing them with reason for optimism.

"This is a much deeper team than we’ve had before," said Apo, who has coached the Hawks for four years. "I can go 10 deep without losing much skill-wise in intensity or height. I’m very comfortable with the depth."

The team’s flexibility has enabled Apo to mix-and-match her lineup by the opponent they play.

This year’s Hawk squad is much more offensive than past units, but their bread and butter remains the full-court press. It leads to a quick-transition offense and easy baskets.

But unlike other Hawk squads, this one can score in the halfcourt.

Center Catherine Cristino, who has been with the Hawks for all of the championship runs, remains the club’s inside presence. As she has matured and grown over the years, she has become a more physical player who can hold her own in the paint.

Cristino has been helped considerably by the addition this year of power forward Anat Sibony, who has been the team’s most consistent player all around. Teams can’t collapse their defense around Cristino anymore because of SibonyCentral Jersey Hawks off to national AAU tournament

By tim morris

Staff Writer.

"They are our go-to players," noted Apo. "They have to be big at the nationals."

Another veteran of the team’s three-straight trips to the nationals is point guard Brianne Lavin. The Hawks are in good hands with her at the helm.

"Brianne controls the team," said Apo. "She distributes the ball and handles pressure. She is a good defensive player as well."

Kaitlin Weldon and Cristina Martorelli round out the normal starting five. Weldon plays small forward where she brings defensive intensity to the table. She is the blue-collar worker that all winning teams require. She does all of the little things like hustling after loose balls and taking the charge. Martorelli is the team’s outside shooting threat, but she brings an added dimension to the two guard position with her ability to take the ball to the basket and finish.

Aliso Apo, Regan’s younger sister, provides a spark off the bench at guard. She has seen time as a starter, but Apo thinks her energy is better used off the bench.

"She picks up the pace of the game," Apo said. "She can score and play either the point or two guard."

Erica Hoffman, who can play the two guard or small forward, is the team’s best catch-and-shoot player. Her 87 percent free-throw shooting makes her a problem for teams.

Kim Herriger is another versatile backcourt player. She handles the ball well and is a good shooter. She can provide offense when needed.

For the three-pointer, Apo can turn to Lauren DiAngelo. She provides instant offense. She can enter the game at any time without a warm-up and knock down a shot from behind the arc.

Jessica Nimbley, Lexi Cheshier and twin sisters Sharifa and Shani Dunn provide the team with the depth it hasn’t had before. For the first time, when Apo goes to the bench, the team does not lose size up front. Nimbley is a hard-nosed forward/center who has post-up moves and will fight for rebounds. Cheshier goes to the basket well, providing another scoring threat in the paint. The Dunns bring the same aggressive play to the paint as Nimbley.

Apo, who described her team’s play at the state championships as exceptional, believes her team is ready to make some noise at the national championships and knows that the first game holds the key to success.

"The biggest game is the first game. You have to win that," she said. "You have to play well so that you feel good about yourself."