WEST WINDSOR — Even early on a Sunday morning, there was no curtailing the defensive intensity of the Trenton High varsity girls’ basketball team. Foul shooting? Well, that was a different story. The Tornadoes stayed close in the first quarter of the first game of the day Sunday in the Mercer Co unty Community College Holiday Classic. After missing 12 free throws and seeing Westampton Tech only forge a five-point lead, there was still hope. Even though the locals from the Colonial Valley Conference’s Colonial Division were still close at halftime, their foul shooting never got better, and the Panthers from the Burlington County Scholastic League’s Liberty Division went on to claim a 46-24 win. Now, no one expects a team to connect on all of its free throws. Yet had Trenton, which made just 3 of 26 from the charity stripe, been able to make more, they would have remained in striking distance. Had the Tornadoes made all of them, they would have won the game. “We’re playing well defensively, but we’ve got to finish,” first-year head coach Ryan Witter said. “That includes making good on our free throws, layups, second chances.” The offensive struggles allowed for a missed opportunity against head coach Darrell White’s young West Tech squad. The Panthers followed 15 points and nine rebounds from 5-foot-7 junior guard Bree Sunkett to improve to 5-1 after suffering their first setback Saturday against La’Keisha Sutton’s George School club (60-23) on the first day of MCCC’s Holiday Classic Yet, Trenton’s defense kept Westampton’s first-half leads to 9-4 at the end of one quarter and 18-9 at intermission. “Our defense is good. We talk a lot,” the Tornadoes’ Azoni Jackson said. “This was an early game. I think we still have to improve on our free throws and talking on defense. For me, it’s a matter of being more confident.” That can only help the 5-foot-3 junior ball-hawking guard who tied for the team lead Sunday with nine points, while adding a team-high eight steals and five rebounds. “Azoni is a hard worker. We put her on whomever the other team’s best ballhandler is,” Witter said. “I have nothing but confidence in the girls. They really listen and try to make adjustments. This team has a really high ceiling.” Angelie Pacheco, a 5-5 senior guard, also had nine points, five rebounds and four steals for the 2-3 Tornadoes, who dropped their third non-league game in a row. Lyric Steward contributed nine points for the Panthers, while freshman center Harmoni Cummings added eight points and seven rebounds. TRENTON (24) Pacheco 4-1-9, Phelps 1-0-2, Brown-Johnson 1-0-2, AJackson 3-2-9, ASingletary 0-0-0, Presha 0-0-0, Herbert-Wheeler 1-0-2, Darden 0-0-0. Totals — 10-3-24. WESTAMPTON TECH (46) Cummings 4-0-8, Sunkett 5-4-15, Nnebe 2-2-6, Sidney 1-0-2, Steward 2-3-9, JWilliams 0-1-1, Quaye 2-1-5, Haskins 0-0-0, Spady 0-0-0, Seidt 0-0-0. Totals — 16-11-46. Trenton (2-3)                               4    5      7      8    —    24 WestamptonT(5-1)                      9    9    15    13    —    46 3-point goals — AJackson (T), Sunkett, Steward 2 (WT). ...read more read less