WEST ORANGE, NJ — In the game of basketball, when people think of players that can dominate a game, “big men” usually come to mind.
For example, the NBA was ruled by players like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the center position. And in women’s hoops at the college level, 6-foot-4 Rebecca Lobo started things going for the dynasty at UConn.
However, fans of girls basketball at Golda Och might have a bit of a different view. Over her superb four-year varsity career, no one on the hardwood could dominate a game like guard Ally Landau, who only stood 5-foot-3.
In her senior campaign for the small West Orange religious school, Landau played like a combination of Russell, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar and Lobo. She averaged 33.1 points per game, and around 14 rebounds, six assists and nine steals per contest. The team, coached by Columbia High graduate Aaron Breitman, put together a very respectable 15-4 campaign.
Landau, who also excels in soccer and plays well in softball, will compete in college hoops at Haverford, a Division 3 school. Her older sister, Rebecca, who is a sophomore at Lehigh, and her twin brother, Ethan, also have played well on the hardwood.
“Ally had 2,037 career points,” said Breitman, “but that’s not what stands out about her. She’s just a great person, and every member of her family is like that. Heck, her sister was about the most unselfish kid you could ever find in the athletic arena.”
This winter, Landau became only the second 2,000-point scorer in school history. Gloria Rothenberg, a 2013 grad, had 2,091 points.
“I think when she played, Gloria might have been on a team with a bit more talent,” said Breitman, who will coach the softball team in the spring. “But obviously we had other kids who came through for us.”
Among those players were Gavi Newman, Jess Moskowitz and Kira Kress.
As a little kid, Landau particularly enjoyed competing in soccer. But basketball became more and more important because she enjoyed the challenges of the game.
“When I’m on the court, I want to do well in all phases of the game,” said Landau, who had a lot of respect for Rothenberg. “I want to do whatever it takes to help the team be successful.”
Like all top athletes, Landau always displayed a great work ethic. She wanted to improve in the sport as much as possible.
“When you see her in grade school, you knew she had special ability,” said Breitman, who was a fine all-around athlete at Columbia HS during the first decade of this century. “It was tough to guard her because she could handle the ball so well.”
But as good as she is, Landau keeps things in perspective.
“I think I would have a tough time against my brother because he’s bigger and stronger than me,” cracked the senior, who is in Israel along with her classmates on a work/study program. “But maybe in a game of ‘Horse,’ I could beat Ethan.”
Landau, who has enjoyed watching the success of the U.S. women’s soccer team in World Cup play, expects to do well in college ball.
“Haverford is a very nice school,” said the senior star. “I’m looking forward to being a student-athlete at the school, but I’ll certainly miss Golda Och.”
Landau, who scored 37 points in a home tilt against Weequahic to top the 2,000-point mark, played at her best in the bigger games.
When she was a sophomore, she had a career-high of 49 points against Newark Central. And she was ill at the time.
“No one wanted me to play because I was sick,” expressed Landau, who enjoys such subjects as English and history in school. “But I wanted to compete because it was a big game for the team.”
Interestingly, in her final game against Central this season, she had one of the best outings of 2019-20, pumping in 39 points. But Golda Och lost and that ended their chances of capturing a division title.
“I think Ally led the state in points per game and steals per game this winter,” said the coach. “And she was among the leaders in rebounds and assists. Her senior season was just amazing.”
For Landau, going to Golda Och was very important. She wanted to get the best education possible at an institution that has always been proud of its Jewish heritage.
Along with players like Rothenberg and Mya Bembry of West Orange High, Landau will long be remembered as one of the finest female court performers in Essex County history. In any game she competed in, fans were treated to the best that the sport of basketball has to offer.
COURT NOTES — On the boys’ side, probably the best high school all-around player in town history was guard Brevin Knight of Seton Hall Prep. Knight graduated in 1993 and went on to star at Stanford and in the NBA.
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