Cayla Menicola, one of the two seniors on the Ramapo roster, scored 14 points as the Green Raiders won the Westwood Showcase with a 56-39 win over Tenafly.

WESTWOOD – With just two seniors, but still with a roster chock full of talent, the Ramapo girls’ basketball team thought the best course toward having a successful season was to get back to basics: Pressure defense, ball movement on offense, play with energy and, most importantly, have fun. That has served them well thus far heading into a showdown with a red-hot Tenafly squad looking to prove itself against one of Bergen County’s best.

Camden Epstein got the Green Raiders off to a hot start with nine first quarter points. Cayla Menicola and Toni Pernetti each dropped team-highs of 14 points as Ramapo had 20 assists on its 24 field goals and led wire-to-wire in winning the Westwood Showcase title with a 56-39 victory over Tenafly on Saturday afternoon at Westwood High School.

It was evident right from the get-go that it was going to be tough for Tenafly to score points. With athletes all over the floor, the Green Raiders turned up the pressure fullcourt, which forced the Tigers to rush their shots or turn the ball over throughout the first half. It was a four-point game midway through the opening stanza when Epstein nailed a three-pointer from the corner.

“Everyone has bought in to playing defense and that leads us to getting opportunities to score,” said Epstein. “We all bring something unique both offensively and defensively. We all help each other in different ways. The chemistry we’ve built off the court has definitely contributed to us having success on the court. Our confidence has grown, and we realize we’re a good team.

Ramapo’s trio of Saxton sisters (senior Ella along with sophomores Maddie and Grace) helped provide smothering defense to help the team stretch its lead. The Green Raiders forced 11 turnovers in the second quarter alone and allowed just two points to take a commanding 30-12 lead at the half. The halftime intermission did not slow down the Green Raiders in any way. They hit their first four shots of the third quarter, including a pair of threes from Epstein for a 28-point lead.

Juliet Schwartz scored a career-high 26 points for Tenafly, which is now 5-2 on the season.

“We are so interchangeable that it basically comes positionless basketball, which we feel works in our favor,” said Pernetti. “Our ability to share the ball to find the open shot is an asset as well. Besides our two seniors (Ella Saxton and Menicola), we’re a pretty young team, so there’s still a learning curve. As long as we bring the intensity and continue to work together, we feel it will work itself out more often than not.”

Epstein’s 20-point performance was the fourth time she has scored at least 20 in a game this season for Ramapo (6-1). Menicola’s seven assists were a career-best along with matching her career-high by pulling down 11 rebounds. Another career-high was posted by Juliet Schwartz, who led all players with 26 points for Tenafly (5-2).

Ramapo gets a day to rest before a tough week to start 2024. They take on perennial power IHA on Tuesday before facing off against rival Northern Highlands (who swept Ramapo in their two meetings last season) on Thursday. It will be a measuring stick of just how far this team is capable of going. For now, they are focused on what has got them to this point; playing hard, rooting for one another, and having fun.

“I think beating Teaneck right after we lost to (Northern Valley/Old Tappan) was huge for us,” said Menicola. “We won a game that we probably were not expected to win. That definitely boosted our confidence and showed people what this team can do. I think this game was one of our best games of playing together and making the extra pass. We’re playing great so far, but now we have to work even harder, and it motivates us to be even better.”

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