Cranford assistant coach Chris Raguseo praises Johnson senior Gina Trani for reaching 1,000 points

By JR Parachini

Union County Sports Editor

Second-year Cranford assistant coach Chris Raguseo’s final two seasons as the head coach at Johnson were Gina Trani’s freshman and sophomore seasons on the varsity there.

Trani scored a game-high 26 points in Monday night’s UCC-Mountain Division 50-45 home triumph over Governor Livingston to reach and pass 1,000 points. She began the
game with 988 and finished with 1,014.

“You knew right from the beginning that she would be something special,” said Raguseo, whose last two seasons as the head coach at Johnson were Trani’s first
two seasons on the varsity.

“Through the years, playing around girls like her sister (Jordana), Marissa DiCosmo, Sandra Parin and all those girls, it was going to come,” Raguseo said. “I’m
glad that she did it on Senior Night at home. It was great. She deserves it.
She’s a good kid.”

Trani followed up that performance with a game-high 22 points in Tuesday afternoon’s 51-46 non-conference home win over Essex County foeNutley.

Johnson will enter the Central Jersey, Group 2 playoffs with a 15-8 record and two-game winning streak. The Crusaders lost at GL in conference player earlier this
season.

“She came in and gave us a spark when she needed to, getting the boards or whatever,” Raguseo said of Trani’s freshman season.

With Trani contributing as a freshman and starting as a sophomore, she helped Johnson capture the MVC-Mountain Division championship both of those seasons.

With Trani starting as a sophomore for Raguseo during the 2007-2008 season, she helped lead the Crusaders to a home game in the Central Jersey, Group 2 semifinals.

“She stepped up and had a great junior year and senior year,” Raguseo said. “She deserves everything she gets."

Trani has really been filling the hoop of late. Tuesday was the fourth straight game she scored at least 22 points. On Feb. 16 in a 50-31 non-conference home win over Scotch
Plains, Trani poured in a
game-high 26.

In last Thursday’s UCT quarterfinal against Roselle, Trani netted a game-high 23.