Monday, March 14, 2016

NJSIAA Group 3 final
Old Tappan reverses course, wins Group 3 state title

NV/Old Tappan's Emily Crevani.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

TOMS RIVER -- When the Northern Valley/Old’s Tappan girls basketball team made the trip to Toms River last season for the Group 3 state final everything was new. The Golden Knights were coming off their first state sectional championship since 2007, they had never before gotten past the semifinal round and they had the feeling that, with all of those firsts accomplished, they could enjoy the ride down the shore both literally and figuratively. Brian Dunn, not known as a head coach to ever let one of his teams take its foot off the gas even for a second, may have even encouraged it. The result? Old Tappan hit the PineBelt Arena floor with a thud as it fell behind Middletown South 25-5 and lost despite a spirited second half comeback. Both teams battled their way back to the same place in the same round on Sunday, but this time Old Tappan had experience on its side and a chance to correct past mistakes, the kind of chance that does not come around too often in sports. MORE...

MORE NJSIAA GROUP 3 FINAL COVERAGE!
• GAME OF THE WEEK: Old Tappan vs. Middletown South

Sunday, March 13, 2016

NJSIAA Non-Public B final
Saddle River Day's best-ever season ends in Toms River

Saddle River Day's Michelle Sidor.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

TOMS RIVER – Saddle River Day has been the most dominant team in North Jersey this season for a variety of reasons. They had the best offensive player in freshman sensation Michelle Sidor. The Lady Rebels also had the best defensive player in do-everything senior Dani McMahon. Throw in a deep bench and a style that teams simply could not keep up with and it all added up to a record-breaking season in terms of success for the girls' basketball program. But the deeper a great team goes into the postseason, the more likely they are to meet their match. That happened on Saturday in the Non-Public B state final when the Rebels ran into a buzzsaw of a team in Rutgers Prep. Rutgers Prep forced the Saddle River Day into an uncharacteristic number of turnovers and the clock struck midnight on the Rebels' season. Rutgers Prep turned the Rebels over 14 times in the first half to take a 15-point halftime lead before pulling away to hand Saddle River Day a 69-40 defeat in the Non-Public B state final on Saturday at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. MORE...

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

NJSIAA Group 3 semifinals
Old Tappan is heading back to Toms River

NV/Old Tappan's Kailyn Sytsma.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

FRANKLIN LAKES – It is well-documented that Northern Valley/Old Tappan is a senior-led team. Point guard Emily Crevani has started every game since she entered high school, Kailyn Sytsma is a dead-eye 3-point shooter, Kelsey McLaughlin guards the opponent’s best player, Maia Levenshus does the dirty work, Ashley Sullivan provides toughness off the bench and that is to say nothing of the contributions of the other two talented seniors Alexie Piccinich and Ariana Chipolone, who are both now injured. But near the end of Wednesday night’s Group 3 state final when the Golden Knights were looking for a way, any way, to hold off the Voorhees charge, it was two sophomores that teamed up for one of the biggest buckets of the night. Voorhees, the North 2, Group 3 state sectional champion, had trailed by 10 with six-and-a-half minutes to play and normally, with the way the Knights play defense, that would have been plenty. MORE...

NJSIAA NON-PUBLIC NORTH B FINAL COVERAGE!
• Saddle River Day wins a playoff classic and its first section title

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

NJSIAA North 1, Group 1 final
Packed house sees New Milford win section title

New Milford's Bionca Chambers.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

NEW MILFORD – When New Milford chose to play in the inaugural NJIC Tournament and eventually hoisted the trophy as a group for the first time, the feeling of being a champion is something the Lady Knights realized it was something they could get used to. That opportunity presented itself again on a much bigger stage Monday night and, as the Knights took the court to face Midland Park for the North 1, Group 1 title, they knew this be a game that would stick with them for the rest of their lives. With a crowd so packed that fans were turned way well before tip-off, the Knights had a case of the jitters and got off to a slow start. But as they came out of the locker room for the second half, the nerves were and replaced with a burning desire to be a champion once again. New Milford went 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half, but It was a complete turnaround in the second as the Knights hit several big 3s at crucial junctures of the game. Alexis Monroy and Natalie Miller hit two less than a minute apart in the third quarter and Bionca Chambers hit a huge triple in the fourth quarter as third-seeded New Milford hung on to add another trophy to its collection with a 50-40 triumph over fourth-seeded Midland Park. MORE...

MORE NJSIAA NORTH 1, GROUP 3 FINAL COVERAGE!
• Old Tappan goes back-to-back in North 1, Group 3
• GAME OF THE WEEK: Old Tappan vs. Ramapo

Friday, March 4, 2016

NJSIAA North 2, Group 2 playoffs
Ridgefield Park rolls past Lodi and into section semifinals

Ridgefield Park's Sam Rinaldi.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

RIDGEFIELD PARK – When athletic forward Dorian Capurso went down for the year with an ACL injury, it looked like it was going to be a major blow to the hopes of the Ridgefield Park girls basketball team. Losing the team’s second-leading scorer put more pressure on Samantha Rinaldi to raise her level of play significantly. After a four-game losing streak in early February, Rinaldi became more comfortable in her role and the Scarlets started to catch fire. It has spilled over into the state tournament where the senior guard put on an impressive offensive display on Thursday night. Rinaldi scored 17 of her game-high 27 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer to start the second quarter and a layup at the halftime buzzer, as second-seeded Ridgefield Park led wire-to-wire and advanced to the North 2, Group 2 semifinals with a 63-25 drubbing of Lodi at Ridgefield Park High School. Lodi was coming in on a high after the program’s first state tournament win in nearly 20 years on Tuesday over North 13th Street Tech (Newark). MORE...

Thursday, March 3, 2016

NJSIAA North 1, Group 3 playoffs
Brogan, from 28 feet, throws Ramapo into section semis

Ramapo's Karlie Brogan.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

FRANKLIN LAKES – The message in the huddle was clear. With 47 seconds left and the game tied in the North 1, Group 3 state sectional quarterfinal, Ramapo head coach Sandy Gordon wanted her team to take the last shot no matter what. Worst case scenario the Green Raiders would be forced into overtime against rival Northern Highlands with momentum after having wiped out a seven-point fourth quarter deficit. Best case scenario? Well, that was up to Karlie Brogan, the senior and 1,000-point scorer, who found herself dribbling the ball across the floor from left to right with a defender trailing. Ramapo had been patient, but was out of options as Brogan realized that time was almost up and she was still 28 feet from the basket. “We came out of the timeout and Coach [Sandy Gordon] said ‘It is our destiny. You have the ball, you get the last shot.’ We were passing it around and keeping it wide, but I honestly didn’t know how much time was on the clock,” said Brogan. “So when I heard everyone yelling ‘Shoot, shoot, shoot!’ I turned with two seconds left and just launched it up.” MORE...

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

NJSIAA North 1, Group 2 playoffs
Glen Rock closes out Lakeland in state tourney opener

Glen Rock junior Kelly Lohr.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

GLEN ROCK – As far as state tournament playoff problems go, Glen Rock’s was relatively easy to solve. After taking a huge early lead and dominating for three-plus quarters, the Panthers last bit of crisis management came early in the fourth when visiting Lakeland finally got some shots to fall. There were a few times when Glen Rock left the floor unbalanced and picked up the ball in trap zones and it almost got to the point where Lakeland could start to think that a comeback might be possible. Glen Rock only needed a basket or two to close out the game, but made none through the first 3:42 of the final period. A 3-pointer and a steal and a layup by Lakeland’s Annie Yost had the Lancers creeping closer. “We knew they were going to press us, we went over the press break, but for a couple of minutes there we were lost,” said Glen Rock head coach Steve Grenz. “But other than that our girls did a great job today. They built up a 20-point lead and we had some room to work with.” MORE...

NJSIAA NORTH 1, GROUP 2 PLAYOFFS COVERAGE!
• Reynolds late entry gives Ramsey a last push past Hawthorne

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Hudson County final
Bayonne seniors win long-awaited county title

Bayonne's Kailey Gallagher.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – When Madison McGlone and Kailey Gallagher were in junior high they used to watch as Bayonne dominated the Hudson County landscape with a long run of county championships. As the two entered high school and earned spots in the rotation as freshmen, the duo had thoughts of playing a big role their own string of titles. Going into Saturday night’s title game though, this was it. After three years of falling painfully short, McGlone and Gallagher had one last shot at winning one. Facing longtime nemesis Lincoln, the two seniors made sure they finally got their chance to celebrate. McGlone got the Lady Bees off to a hot start and Gallagher helped make sure they maintained their lead throughout as top-seeded Bayonne won its first Hudson County title since 2011 with a 34-27 triumph over second-seeded Lincoln at the Yanitelli Center on the campus of St. Peter’s University in Jersey City. “This team deserved to win this title. We won this for Madison and Kailey,” said Bayonne head coach James Turner. MORE...

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Hudson County semifinals
Final twist turns Bayonne's way in semifinal win over Secaucus

Bayonne's Jesse Semeniak.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – When Madison McGlone and Kailey Gallagher came into Bayonne High School as impact freshmen, it seemed more a formality than anything that the Lady Bees would play for a Hudson County title and that they would be a part of the celebration. Now seniors, the two are still searching for that elusive trophy. Holding a 13-point lead with less than four minutes left in Wednesday night's semifinal against Secaucus, it looked like the Bees would finally get another shot at getting back to the HCT title game. But as the final seconds wound down, it was the Bees who had to make a defensive stop to prevent a collapse of epic proportions. Fittingly, it was another impact freshman who came up with the big play that helped seal the victory to give McGlone and Gallagher one last shot at a title. In a rare low-scoring game with strange twists and turns, the Bees were up by a single point with just seconds to play when a missed free-throw gave Secaucus a chance to go ahead. MORE...

MORE HUDSON COUNTY SEMIFINALS COVERAGE!
• Lincoln gets defensive in semifinal win over Marist

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Erickson's free throw gives Hoboken a win on Senior Night

Hoboken's Jasmine Erickson.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

HOBOKEN – As Hoboken’s Jasmine Erickson stepped to the foul line late in a tie game she knew that the outcome was on her shoulders. Never in her basketball life had she been put in a position with the game on the line and just seconds remaining. But with it being Senior Night at Hoboken and her teammates cheering her on, Erickson had to block out everything and focus on getting the job done for those seniors. Erickson knocked down the first free throw with 3.6 seconds remaining to make Senior Night a successful one for Hoboken with a 40-39 victory over St. Dominic Academy on Monday at Hoboken High School. “This was a really close game and we really wanted to win this for our seniors,” said Erickson. “We’re a team that has won close games so we knew we could do it. I wanted to help the seniors make this a night to remember and I’m really happy we got this win for them.” MORE...

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Athlete of the Week:Saddle River Day's Michelle Sidor

NJS.com Multimedia

SADDLE RIVER -- This week's NorthJerseySports.com Athlete of the Week (for the week ending February 21) is Saddle River Day School's Michelle Sidor. Sidor, who leads the state in scoring as a freshman, had 12 points, eight assists, two rebounds and two steals in a 55-54 win over Lincoln (Jersey City) on Thursday and then dropped 34 points in the BCWCA girls basketball tournament final on Sunday to lead Saddle River Day School to a 53-36 victory over Immaculate Conception and the first Bergen County championship in school history. MORE...

MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE!
• UNKNOWN RANKER: Girls Basketball Top 20:Week8

Monday, February 22, 2016

Bergen County tournament final
Saddle River Day wins its first ever county championship

Saddle River Day School freshman Michelle Sidor.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

MAHWAH – When Danny Brown took over as the head coach at Saddle River Day his vision for the program was not exactly one that could be seen by most on the Bergen County girls basketball scene. In the four years before Brown arrived, the Lady Rebels had won just one game. Not one game in each of those four seasons…one game…total. His goal was to not only build a winning program from the ground up, he wanted to build a championship team. When the class of 2016 arrived as freshmen, Brown saw the potential and figured by the time they were seniors that this team had the chance to be special. All they were missing was one piece. Michelle Sidor has burst onto the scene in her freshman year as an elite player who can take over a game at any time. Mixed with relentless full-court pressure defense it proved to be the equation for championship success that Brown had drawn up when he took over. MORE...

Sunday, February 21, 2016

NJIC tournament final
New Milford wins inaugural NJIC Tournament title

New Milford's Alexis Monroy.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

NEW MILFORD – For Bergen County’s smaller schools, the county girls basketball tournament has presented a dilemma. To play or not to play? Other than those rare but notable occasions when a Group 1 team rides a cycle of talent that allows it to compete against, if not beat, the bigger opponents, entering the county tournament has not been an easy decision. Because the selection committee considers all teams with a .500 or above record and because the lowest seeds are thrown in against the top right from the get-go, Group 1s often faced the possibility of an opening-round blowout and a confidence rattling loss that could affect state tournament seeding. This year though, for the first time ever, some of those smaller schools were presented with another option; a chance to not only play meaningful tournament games, but also the chance to play for a championship. It was a chance that New Milford felt it could not pass up. With numerous schools within the NJIC opting out of county tournament play, a tournament just made up of NJIC members quickly gained traction and drew a 16-team field. MORE...

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Hudson County tournament
Secaucus' title defense enters semifinals after win at North Bergen

Secaucus' Kristina Ulrich.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

NORTH BERGEN – With the graduation of four-year standouts Julia McClure, Andie Lennon, and Kendall Caruso, it was widely considered that Secaucus’ run as Hudson County champion would be short-lived. The Patriots won their first ever county title in any sport when, as a Group 1 school, they rode the Class of 2015 to the ultimate prize. There was bound to be some rebuilding as there are just two seniors on this year’s roster, but the current squad has continued to play with the heart of a champion. Facing a talented North Bergen team on its home floor in the Hudson County Tournament quarterfinals, Secaucus showed that it is not going to be easy to wrest the trophy from its grasp. Lindsey Mack kept the Patriots afloat with torrid shooting from 3-point range before the Ulrich sisters iced the game at the foul line. Senior Kristina Ulrich and freshman Amanda combined to hit all 10 free throws they attempted over the final 55 seconds as fifth-seeded Secaucus pulled away in that final minute for a 60-51 upset over fourth-seeded North Bergen on Friday night to advance to the Hudson County semifinals. MORE...

Mahwah downs Demarest for 10th straight win

Mahwah's Casey Doran.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

MAHWAH – After a first-round loss to rival River Dell in the Bergen County Tournament, Mahwah's season was at a crossroads. A team with plenty of promise coming into the season was sitting at 7-5 with both the players and the coaching staff wondering how to turn things around. Head coach Alan Clements decided to keep the focus on fundamentals, but also reminded his players that fundamentals cannot be spelled without the word fun right at the front. The Lady Thunderbirds got back having fun and the wins have been piling up ever since. Junior center Kayla Devine was unstoppable inside and senior point guard Casey Doran found her early and often. The duo combined for 14 first-quarter points as Mahwah took a double-digit lead four minutes into the game and let it slip into single-digits for all of 8.6 seconds thereafter to earn a 10th straight win, 51-38, over Northern Valley/Demarest on Thursday in Mahwah. MORE...

Monday, February 15, 2016

Bergen County semifinals
Immaculate Conception gets a step closer to the title it can win

Immaculate Conception's Jordan McLemore.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

MAHWAH – The loss that Immaculate Conception took on Thursday did not take place on the floor, but it was worse than any loss any last second defeat or 30-point drubbing. On that day the NJSIAA determined that the Blue Wolves had played too many out-of-state games and did not meet the 70-percent requirement of games played within New Jersey borders to be considered eligible for state tournament play. That meant that Immaculate Conception would not be able to defend its Non-Public B North section title. With just one championship left to play for, the Bergen County title, the Blue Wolves had to shift gears and put all of their energy into finishing the season as champions. Senior and four-year starter Jasmine Gee made some big plays in the fourth quarter and fellow senior Autumn Webster knocked down a huge 3-pointer late as top-seeded Immaculate Conception held on for a 39-36 victory over fourth-seeded Teaneck on Sunday in the Bergen County Tournament semifinals at Ramapo College in Mahwah. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• Saddle River Day starts fast, finishes in its first ever county final

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Bergen County tournament
Old Tappan gets over a loss with a win over IHA

NV/Old Tappan senior point guard Emily Crevani.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

FAIR LAWN – When Northern Valley/Old Tappan's leading scorer Ariana Chipolone went down on Tuesday with a season-ending knee injury it looked like any chance had to make a run through county and state tournament play had come to an abrupt end. After the initial shock wore off with the tight-knit Golden Knights, they banded to together to play as hard as Chipolone would have if she were out on the floor. Facing defending Bergen County Tournament champion Immaculate Heart Academy, Old Tappan used a gritty performance and some timely shot-making to advance. Alex George was tough inside all game and senior point guard Emily Crevani stepped up in the second half. Her 3-pointer with 1:21 to play gave second-seeded Old Tappan a five-point lead and the Golden Knights moved onto the Bergen County semifinals with a 42-36 quarterfinal triumph over seventh-seeded IHA on Saturday at Fair Lawn High School. “Ariana spoke to us before the game and it really pumped us up to play this game,” said George. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• Oge and Saddle River Day swat Pascack Valley

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

The Ballgame!: BCWCA wrap-up + Demarest coach Jenny Jurjevic

NJS.com Multimedia

NORTH JERSEY -- Sure it was only the Round of 16, but it was one of the best games ever played in the Bergen County Girls Basketball Tournament. Mackenzie Press' buzzer-beater gave Northern Valley/Demarest the upset of previously unbeaten Queen of Peace. Jenny Jurjevic coach Demarest to that win and she makes an extended appearance here to talk all about. We also have interviews with Saddle River Day's Danny Brown and Michelle Sidor and IHA head coach Steve Silver. LISTEN TO THE BALLGAME!

MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE!
• UNKNOWN RANKER: Girls Basketball Top 20:Week5

Monday, February 1, 2016

Bergen County tournament
Press beats the buzzer, Demarest stuns Queen of Peace

NV/Demarest's MacKenzie Press.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

HILLSDALE – Through 30-plus minutes of play against an uber-talented and undefeated Queen of Peace squad, it was not necessarily how Northern Valley/Demarest guard Mackenzie Press envisioned the game going. She did not have a field goal for almost the entire game as the Norsewomen fought valiantly late in the fourth quarter to stay within striking distance. With time winding down, Press knew that this game presented an opportunity that neither she nor her teammates might ever have again. With the packed crowd buzzing and the Norsewomen needing some key baskets, Press stepped up and made two shots that she, and everyone else who was in attendance, will remember forever. Her 3-pointer tied the game with 1:11 to play but it was the final shot that meant even more. Trailing by one with the final seconds ticking away, Press took a pass from Brianna Tarabocchia and knocked down a 15-foot jumper from the baseline as the final buzzer sounded to give ninth-seeded Northern Valley/Demarest a stunning 69-68 upset win over No. 8 seed Queen of Peace in the Bergen County Tournament's Round of 16 on Sunday at Pascack Valley High School. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• Three-point barrage lifts Immaculate Conception over River Dell
• IHA plays big in county tournament win over Ridgewood
• Saddle River Day runs away from Westwood

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Bergen County tournament
Crevani tops 1,000, Old Tappan knocks out Indian Hills

NV/Old Tappan senior point guard Emily Crevani.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

HILLSDALE – After a short jumper by Northern Valley/Old Tappan's four-year starting point guard Emily Crevani in the second quarter of Saturday's Bergen County Tournament game against Indian Hills, she looked around bewildered as a buzzer sounded to stop play and her teammates were on their way to congratulate her. Having just reached 1,000 points for her career, Crevani had cemented herself as one of the best to come through the halls of one the more successful girls' basketball programs in Bergen County. But her focus was not on an individual milestone. Crevani was caught up not in the moment, but in the task of getting her team another step further in the county tournament. Locked in a tight battle at halftime and with virtually the entire Golden Knights starting five in foul trouble, Crevani took control of the game and refused to let her team fall victim to another Indian Hills upset bid. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• Pascack Valley carves up Holy Angels, carves out county win

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

St. Mary's Tello has a night to remember in win over Becton

Samantha Tello (15).

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD – Going into Tuesday night’s game against Becton, St. Mary’s Samantha Tello knew that she had the chance to do something special. Needing just 11 points to reach 1,000 for her career, Tello needed less than a half to achieve that milestone. But it was just the tip of the iceberg in a thrilling game that saw many twists and turns before Tello had the ball in her hands with time winding down in overtime and the game on the line. Although she is known more for her scoring exploits, Tello also showed how dangerous she can be distributing the ball. She tossed a perfect lob pass to Nicole Lucainin for the go-ahead layup with 10 seconds remaining in overtime to give St. Mary a huge 57-56 triumph over Becton on the road in East Rutherford. “We’re not the type of team that is going to blow out anyone so this is senior group is used to playing in close games,” said St. Mary’s head coach Joella Pounds. “They kept their composure on the floor better than I did on the sidelines today. When you have seniors like Samamtha and Makiela [Walker], who are great leaders, we feel confident that we can find a way to win at the end.” MORE...

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Bergen County tournament
Westwood settles its nerves, settles the issue against Glen Rock

Westwood's Samantha McClutchy.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

WESTWOOD – Even for a veteran team that has tasted success there are times when even experienced high school players get anxious before a big game. Playing in front of a big home crowd on Monday night in the first round of the Bergen County Tournament against Glen Rock, Westwood felt that adrenaline rush. As the first quarter came to a close it was apparent that playing with all of that nervous energy was not necessarily a good thing for the Cardinals. With a chance to take a breather and refocus their energies, the Cardinals did just that and then some. Samantha McClutchy scored six points in an 11-0 run to start the second quarter and the Cardinals never looked back. Over the final 24 minutes, No. 14 seed Westwood dominated the glass and smothered 19th-seeded Glen Rock defensively. The Cardinals allowed just 17 points over the final three quarters in a 65-25 romp to advance to the Round of 16. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• River Dell holds off Mahwah to reach Round of 16

Monday, January 25, 2016

Bergen County tournament
Indian Hills pulls a first-round upset at Ramsey

Indian Hills' Angela Serica.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

RAMSEY – It depends on how you want to write it. Either Indian Hills was looking for its second Bergen County Tournament win in the last three years or the timeline could be expanded a little bit to give a more true picture. “We had a county win against Glen Rock two years ago, but before that it was something like 20 years since we had won one,” said Indian Hills head coach Julie Haledjian. “So for us, for this program, to get a county win is a big deal.” So it is a big deal then that 18th-seeded Indian Hills, after falling behind by as many as 11 points in the first half, pulled off a first round tournament upset by knocking off No. 15 Ramsey, 63-58, on Sunday afternoon. The Braves earned a shot at second-seeded Northern Valley/Old Tappan in next weekend’s Round of 16, but they also earned the right to enjoy this one for a couple of hours. “From being down double digits to coming back and winning against a really good team, this feels really good,” said Brooke Benna, one of four Braves to finish in double figures. MORE...

MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE!
• UNKNOWN RANKER: Girls Basketball Top 20:Week4

Saturday, January 23, 2016

The Ballgame!:Bergen County tourney talk + Sandy Gordon, Brett Rosco and Charlie Collis

NJS.com Multimedia

NORTH JERSEY -- The Bergen County Girls Basketball is upon us and it might be as wide open as it has ever been. With the lack of a clear favorite and with a host of teams being thought of as being able to win it, who knows what happens from here. We try to make some sense of it with a trio of guests as we are joined by Sandy Gordon, head coach of No. 5 Ramapo, Brett Roscoe, the head coach of 15th-seeded Ramsey and Charlie Collis, whose Westwood team is seeded 14th, but is also just getting healthy. LISTEN TO THE BALLGAME!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

The little things add up in Old Tappan's win over Ramapo

Old Tappan's Ashley Sullivan.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

OLD TAPPAN – In game between two established teams with All-County caliber players running around all over the place, inevitably there will come a time when one of the supporting cast will get the opportunity to affect the outcome of the game. Northern Valley/Old Tappan was shooting a second free throw with 16 seconds left while trying to close out the game against Ramapo. Up two with a chance to make it a full one-possession game, the shot was short and hit the rim at the front left corner. That was when Ashley Sullivan, whose job it is to do the dirty work under the basket, saw her chance. She got her hands on the rebound, kicked it out and simultaneously gave her team two more chances on the free throw line while denying Ramapo a possession on which it could have tied the game as the clock wound down. “I was just kind of following directions. Coach [Brian Dunn] told me to go get a rebound and that is what I did,” said Sullivan, a senior whose minutes have increased with the season-ending injury to Alexie Piccinich. “My favorite part of the game is the tough stuff like going for loose balls or trying to grab a rebound. Those are the things I like to do.” MORE...

MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE!
• Ghalam helps Midland Park pull away from Bogota

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Adversity and overcoming it nothing new to NV/OT's Piccinich

Old Tappan senior Alexie Piccinich.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

OLD TAPPAN – Alexie Piccinich was just starting out. A two-sport standout who had cracked the varsity lineup as a freshman in both basketball and softball, she was just about to really get to work on what should have been an eight-varsity-letter kind of career at Northern Valley/Old Tappan High School. In that pursuit, she showed up for the first captain’s practice before what would have been her sophomore hoops season. And then it happened. The anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee gave way. Her sophomore seasons in her favored two sports went from promising to over with one non-contact injury and she spent the rest of them rehabbing instead of enjoying her time on the court and softball diamond. Surgery, crutches, a leg immobilizer, a brace, constant running on the roads and working in the weight room…that was the progression. MORE...

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Nothing fancy, just an Old Tappan win over rival Demarest

Old Tappan's Ariana Chipolone.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

OLD TAPPAN – With the majority of its players back from last year’s team that reached the Group 3 state final and with most of them being seniors with extensive varsity experience, there is no tricking the Northern Valley/Old Tappan girls basketball team. No junk defense is going to confuse the Golden Knights, no funky traps or presses are going to fluster them and the man-to-man defensive fundamentals that are ingrained in them means the only way to beat Old Tappan is to outplay it in an old fashioned game of straight up basketball. For proof, look no further than the scouting report put together by Northern Valley/Demarest head coach Jenny Jurjevic for Tuesday’s game between the sister schools rivals. “They do such a good job of sticking to the basics. With them, less is more. [Head coach Brian Dunn] teaches hard-nose defense, a basic motion offense and they just stick to what they know. Because his kids know those basic principles they are tough to defend,” said Jurjevic. “There really isn’t anything to scout. Those kids come out and just play basketball. They flat out just play basketball.” MORE...

MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE!
• ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Rutherford's Jessica Rogers

Sunday, December 27, 2015

Sidor runs Saddle River Day to a win over New Providence

Saddle River Day School's Carly Christofi.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – When a freshman steps into an already established basketball program and is quickly anointed the starting point guard and number one option offensively, the chemistry of the team can really only go one of two ways. Either there is bitterness on the part of the upperclassmen that leads to a team’s demise, or the team can embrace that player to grow from a very good team into one that can contend for county and state titles. For Saddle River Day, Michelle Sidor possesses the kind of talent to truly bring this team to the next level. Her teammates have welcomed her with open arms and the results have been eye-popping thus far. Facing reigning Group 1 state champ New Providence, Sidor put on a dazzling first-half display by hitting 10 of her 14 shots, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range with several of those coming well behind the 3-point line as Saddle River Day’s remained unblemished with a 69-34 triumph over New Providence on Saturday at the Lady Lions Tournament at Lincoln High School in Jersey City. MORE...

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Eastern Christian defends itself against Elmwood Park

Eastern Christian's Erin VanderPlaat.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

ELMWOOD PARK – Erin Vander Plaat is known for her exploits as one of the state's most dangerous strikers on the soccer pitch, but when Eastern Christian's basketball season comes around, the junior is more than happy to switch gears. On the hardwood it is not scoring that she is known for, it is playing defense and setting up her teammates. Against Elmwood Park on Tuesday, Vander Plaat showed that a player does not have to be a pure scorer to be the most dominant player on the floor. She had a fantastic game defensively and never allowed Elmwood Park to get into any offensive rhythm. That led to lots of transition baskets as Eastern Christian took control and allowed just four points over the final two-plus quarters to score a 54-12 road win over Elmwood Park. “One of our strengths is on-the-ball pressure and Erin does a great job of that to set the tone for us,” said Eastern Christian head coach Barry Veenstra. “We need Erin to play great defense every time out if we're going to play well. Erin is leading by example and she did so against today. She led the way and everyone else followed her lead to pick up the slack.” MORE...

Passaic Valley shoots the lights out against North Arlington

Passaic Valley's Jalyssa Marques.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

LITTLE FALLS – For the past four years leading up to this one, whenever the Passaic Valley girls basketball team needed to find instant offense it was more often than not that sharp shooting Deanna Duran was going to get the ball. With Duran, the all-time leading 3-point shooter in school history, having graduated the Hornets have had to adjust accordingly and now have to rely on all five players on the court to contribute on every possession both offensively and defensively to be successful. Just two games into the season, the once modest goals the Hornets had going into the season have changed significantly. Even without Duran, this year’s Passaic Valley squad has shown it can still light it up from beyond the 3-point arc. That was on full display on Monday when North Arlington came to Little Falls hoping to get its first win of the season. After a slow start, the Hornets heated up quickly and never cooled off. Jalyssa Marquez had a game-high 18 points and backcourt mate Alyssa Sole added 17 as Passaic Valley shot a blistering 13-for-20 (65%) from 3-point range and rolled to a 67-27 win at Passaic Valley High School. MORE...

Monday, December 21, 2015

Rumors of Northern Highlands' demise are greatly exaggerated

Highlands' senior Madison Kahn.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

OLD TAPPAN – Entering the past couple of seasons, Northern Highlands had been thought of as one of a handful of programs with the potential to win the Bergen County Tournament and make a deep run in the state tournament up to and including a trip to the state finals in Toms River. The Highlanders have had multiple Division 1 players pass through Allendale in the past decade and were county champs in 2014. This year there were whispers that maybe they were falling back to the pack a little bit, especially after one of two returning starters, junior Tori Reich, was lost for the season due to injury. But once the games actually begin, all of that is just outside noise. The expectations inside the program have not changed at all. “We have a lot of potential. With Tori out for season it is tough, but it opens the door for other kids who are going to get the chance to fill in,” said Highlander head coach Al Albanese. “We always talk about [winning the] league first, then getting into the counties and making a nice run and then making a good showing in the states. We chose a really hard schedule with Saddle River Day, I[mmaculate] C[onception], Paramus Catholic and this game. That is the only way we are going to get better.” MORE...