Friday, February 27, 2015

Parmus' three seniors go out in style

Paramus three seniors (left to right) Karla Kristo, Alexa Colontino and Dara Devaney.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

PARAMUS – As Paramus’ three seniors – Alexa Colontino, Dara Devaney, and Karla Kristo walked out of the locker room for pre-game warmups -- they knew this was it. Win or lose, it would be the last time they would ever suit up in their hometown high school’s uniform. It was a badge of honor for the three tri-captains as they were the only players remaining from a 12-player class who came in as freshmen. Although their season fell short of county and state tournament bids, the trio banded together to save their best for last with a flawless first half in their final game together. All three took center stage in their own way. Kristo tied her previous career-high in points in the first half alone, and her effort was matched by the defensive wizardry of Colontino and Devaney. Paramus allowed just three points in the first half and built up a 30-point lead by halftime as the seniors gave themselves an emphatic send-off with a 50-21 romp over Passaic Valley on Thursday night at Paramus High School. MORE...

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Hudson County semifinals
Secaucus returns to St. Peter's, blows by Marist

Secaucus' Julia McClure.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – Coming back to the Yantelli Center on the campus of Saint Peter's University could have been a jarring experience for the Secaucus girls' basketball team. The last time the Patriots took the floor there was two years ago in the Hudson County final, which ended in a double-overtime loss to Lincoln. Then, just sophomores, it was a crushing defeat for Andie Lennon, Julia McClure, and Kendall Caruso, who all played major roles in that game. Now, as seniors and still searching for the school's first county title, those bad memories are well in the rear-view mirror. This group has had tunnel vision all season and are determined to finish what they started when they came onto the scene as freshman. Lennon and McClure combined for 18 points in a 24-0 run in the first quarter as top-seeded Secaucus cruised into the Hudson County finals with a 76-41 semifinal win over fourth-seeded Marist on Tuesday night on that same floor at Saint Peter's University in Jersey City. MORE...

MORE HUDSON COUNTY SEMIFINALS COVERAGE!
• Lincoln one win from a 4-peat after beating North Bergen

BERGEN COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS!
• Small Ball!:IHA wins Bergen County championship

Monday, February 23, 2015

Bergen County final
IHA wins its third county title in the last five years

IHA's Alex Mesropyan.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

MAHWAH – For the Immaculate Heart Academy seniors, Sunday offered not only a great opportunity, but also a time for reflection. Playing in the Bergen County Tournament final against Immaculate Conception, it was an opportunity for them to finish off something that they were not able to do last year. But it was also point where the senior-dominated Blue Eagles realized that their time of playing together is coming to a close. With only a handful of games left and with a capacity crowd on hand, they decided to show what it takes to be a county champion: a total team effort. Caitlin Roche dropped in a game-high 19 points and under-appreciated fellow senior guard Stephanie Olear scored a career-high 13 as top-seeded Immaculate Heart Academy won its third Bergen County title in the past five years with a 50-38 triumph over No. 3 seed Immaculate Conception at Ramapo College in Mahwah. “This is a hard tournament to win and it's very gratifying to win it the way we did it today with a total team effort,” said IHA head coach Steve Silver. “We never panicked and we never lost our composure. That goes with having so many seniors who have been in big games before.” MORE...

Monday, February 16, 2015

Bergen County tournament
Immaculate Conception heading to first ever county final

Immaculate Conception's Sam Fuehring.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

MAHWAH - As confident of a player has she is, Immaculate Conception's Samantha Fuehring could not help but let doubt creep into her mind for a few seconds. After a collapse on the same floor in the Bergen County semifinals against Teaneck last year, Fuehring was watching the same scenario play out as Saddle River Day swiftly sliced a 16-point deficit down to five in the third quarter. But this was Fuehring's last chance to get her team to a county final and she simply refused to let her team lose. The Louisville-bound Fuehring was unstoppable all game long and finished with 30 points as second-seeded Immaculate Conception advanced to the school's first-ever berth in a county final in any sport with a 55-40 triumph victory over No. 10 seed Saddle River Day in the Bergen County semifinals on Sunday at Ramapo College in Mahwah. "We've played some tough competition and have had a lot of close games this year so we were better prepared to execute when the pressure was on," said Immaculate Conception head coach Jeff Horohonich. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• Roche gets back on track as IHA snaps Paramus Catholic's string of upsets

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Passaic County tournament
West Milford's season just keeps getting better

West Milford's Tess Kirinko.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

WAYNE – Having just earned a share of a league title for the first time in 19 years on Thursday, the West Milford girls basketball got a taste of success that has been missing from the program and that can become contagious. Instead of making a little bit of history earlier this week and calling it good, the Highlanders are looking for more. It's been more than a decade since they last reached the Passaic County semifinals and had a chance to end that drought, too, when they traveled to Wayne Valley on Saturday afternoon. Tess Kirinko hit her first two shots to spark a 9-0 run to open the game and fifth-seeded West Milford never trailed and held off a late surge to topple fourth-seeded Wayne Valley, 42-35, in the Passaic County quarterfinals. West Milford set the pace on both ends of the floor, forcing three turnovers in the first three minutes of the game and turning all of them into points. Kirinko hit a jumper and then a three-pointer to get off to a hot start and Lanae Vroegindewey scored inside to cap the 9-0 run. MORE...

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Bergen County tournament
Saddle River Day has arrived after upset of Highlands

Saddle River Day's Carly Christofi.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD – It had been nearly two decades since Saddle River Day had had a .500 record for a full season before Danny Brown took over as athletic director and head girls basketball coach three years ago. It was not just a rebuilding project he had on his hands, but a complete tear-down. But Brown had visions of establishing not just a winning team, but a program on par with the elites in Bergen County. While the Lady Rebels have grown by leaps in bounds over the last couple of years, they were still lacking that one signature victory that would show the rest of the county that they have truly arrived. That is, until Saturday afternoon. Facing off against second-seeded and defending Bergen County champion Northern Highlands in the quarterfinals of the Bergen County Tournament Saddle River Day officially established itself as a contender. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• Top-seeded IHA is slowed but not beaten by Holy Angels
• Motivated Immaculate Conception knocks out Westwood
• Paramus Catholic pulls another 'upset,' this time over NV/OT

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Saddle Brook's progress is on display in win over Becton

Saddle Brook's Brianna Brooks.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD – When the 2014-2015 season started and Saddle Brook head coach Darren White looked both on the court and down the bench for senior guidance, there was none to be found. After riding the wave with the Class of 2014, led by 6-foot forward Taylor Harmon, to last year's North 1, Group 1 state sectional semifinal Saddle Brook was expected to take a big step back. However, nobody relayed that message to the current group of Lady Falcons. As the season has gotten past the midway point they gained experience and Brianna Brooks has grown into one of the most consistent players in Bergen County. Facing a Becton team looking for a signature win, the Falcons fell behind early but never panicked. They quickly regained their composure behind the hot shooting of Cherie Smedlie and the all-around play of Brooks before holding off a late charge. Saddle Brook hit all 10 of its fourth-quarter foul shots, including four from Brooks in the final 34 seconds, in holding on for a 56-49 victory on Tuesday night in East Rutherford. MORE...

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Bergen County tournament
Saddle River Day plays the complete game against Teaneck

Saddle River Day's Dani McMahon.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

RIDGEFIELD PARK – When Danny Brown took over as the head coach at Saddle River Day he knew that building a winning program would have to come from the ground up. The first step was developing a culture of playing hard and finding players that wanted to succeed every time they stepped on the floor. The next step was bringing in players who could put the ball in the basket. Those two things came relatively quickly, but to truly graduate to the elite level of teams in Bergen County a team must be able to be just as efficient and dangerous on the defensive end of the floor. Facing an always dangerous Teaneck team, the Lady Rebels made a statement that last year’s run to the Bergen County quarterfinals was no fluke. Dani McMahon was all over the court in a near-flawless first half. The junior guard had seven points, three steals and three blocks in the game’s first three minutes as 10th-seeded Saddle River Day scored the game’s first nine points and never looked back in a 48-39 victory over No. 7 seed Teaneck in the Bergen County Round of 16 on Sunday night at Ridgefield Park High School. MORE...

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Dickinson comes from way back to beat Weehawken

Dickinson's Janeris Rodriguez.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

JERSEY CITY – Physical errors like turnovers, bad defensive position and poor shot selection are all correctable with repetitions in practice and Dickinson's girls basketball team has been working hard on those areas of the game. But one facet of the game that the Lady Rams have not had to address is hustle and that can make up for a lot of deficiencies especially when match against a team of like athletic ability. Down by double-digits in the fourth quarter against Weehawken, Dickinson just kept playing and eventually things started to click. The question was if there was enough time left to complete the comeback? Dickinson used a pair of huge fourth-quarter runs to turn the tables. An 11-0 spurt got the Rams within striking distance before they rattled off a closing 13-0 run over the final 2:39 and scored 24 of the final 28 points of the game to grab a 44-36 triumph over Weehawken on Thursday in Jersey City. MORE...

Monday, January 26, 2015

Bergen County tournament
Immaculate Conception survives an upset bid from an upset Bergenfield

Immaculate Conception's Sam Fuehring.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

BERGENFIELD – When the seeds were released for the Bergen County Tournament last week, Bergenfield head coach Mike Kilgallen and his team were disappointed but understanding when they were not selected for entry into the tournament. Sitting a game below .500 on the day of the cutoff, the Lady Bears were left to wonder what might have been. But a day later, an error was corrected (somewhat) and Bergenfield was placed in as the No. 30 seed. It was a good news/bad news situation as Bergenfield was in, but its opponent was No. 3 seed Immaculate Conception, which has on its roster Louisvlle-bound forward Samantha Fuehring. On paper it appeared a mismatch, but with a second lease on life Bergenfield was not just happy to be in the tournament. It wanted to make a statement that could be heard throughout the county. Even though the Bears did not make the ultimate splash, they made enough noise to put a major scare into the Blue Wolves by nearly pulling off the biggest upset in the 40-plus year history of the tournament. MORE...

MORE BERGEN COUNTY TOURNAMENT COVERAGE!
• River Dell survives and advances against Ridgefield Park

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Dumont turns the tables on Indian Hills

Dumont's freshman Amber Porrett.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

DUMONT – Independent games are designed so that teams can branch out and test themselves against different levels or competition and different styles of play. Having won 10 of its first 11 games of the season, Dumont’s torrid start came to a screeching halt when it went out of its league to take on Indian Hills last Friday night. In that matchup, Indian Hills raced out to a quick lead and won easily and it started a downward spiral for the young Lady Huskies, who lost three of four starting with that loss. It is rare that a team gets a chance for revenge against an opponent out of its league, but that was the opportunity the Lady Huskies had when Indian Hills returned the schedule and this time with much more at stake. Led by sophomore sharpshooter Sarah Skeith and freshman center Amber Porrett in the middle, it was the Huskies who led wire-to-wire the second time around. An 8-0 run to start the second half provided the necessary breathing room as 15th seeded Dumont scored its first Bergen County Tournament victory in nine years with a 59-41 triumph over the No. 18 Braves in a first round game on Saturday at Dumont High School. MORE...

In a defensive struggle, Lodi snaps Pompton's win streak

Lodi's Sukhi Kaur.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

LODI – Senior leadership is a luxury. With experience comes poise, which is of vital importance when a team is not playing at its best. That was the case on Thursday when Lodi took a red-hot Pompton Lakes team. With the game still in doubt, the Rams needed one of their five senior starters to step forward and Sukhi Kaur was more than happy to do so. She had two of her game-high six steals early in the fourth quarter and converted them both into baskets on the other end to provide Lodi with some breathing room as it snapped Pompton Lakes’ six-game winning streak with a 35-25 victory at Lodi High School. “It was a tough game because we couldn’t get anything going but we had to finish strong,” said Kaur. “With a roster of mostly seniors, it’s frustrating that we’re making the little mental mistakes that a team with so much experience shouldn’t be making, myself included. Even though we’re (9-2), we know we have a lot of room to improve. We don’t have the tallest girls so we have to keep playing fast, force turnovers, and limit turning the ball over ourselves.” MORE...

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Long drought over; wins coming in bunches for Pal Park

Pal Park's Tatenda Samakande.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

PALISADES PARK – When Will Hutchinson took over as the head coach of the Palisades Park girls’ basketball team, he knew he had the ultimate rebuilding project on his hands. When Hutchinson swung the whistle around his neck for the first time at his alma mater, the Tigers had not won a game for nearly five seasons. Forget about state and county tournament berths, Hutchinson's first order of business was to get the Lady Tigers a win; any win against any team would suffice. Pal park eventually broke the schneid and when it won eight games last year, it really was a fantastic season. With a bunch of seniors back, this is the year that Hutchinson could hope to plan for the postseason. “I remember back to my first year during a timeout in a Holiday Tournament at Lyndhurst and one of my seniors was crying. I asked what was wrong and she was so emotional because it was the closest we had been in a game in her four years,” said Hutchinson. “I remember that moment as if it happened yesterday and that’s fueled me to work even harder to get this program back on track.” MORE...

Monday, January 5, 2014

Cappolla comes on late as River Dell downs Bayonne

River Dell senior Jeana Cappolla.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

RUTHERFORD – Despite being the only senior and just one of two returning starters for River Dell, Jeana Cappolla did not do much to lead her team heading into halftime of Sunday's game against Bayonne. Cappolla, normally a reliable shooter from both the foul line and from 3-point range, was held scoreless in the first half. Her frustration grew but her confidence never wavered and she knew that if her team was going to extend its halftime lead and avoid an upset, then she would have to show her teammates what being a senior leader is all about. Cappolla scored all 14 of her points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter as River Dell pulled away for a 46-29 victory in the Ray Long Classic held at Felician College in Rutherford. “No matter what the situation is, we always play hard for each other and that gets us through the tough times,” said Cappolla. “We had to some players who came in and really stepped up today and I had to do the same in the second half.” MORE...

Sunday, January 4, 2014

3s for Sandy Hook:Wins and losses takes a back seat for the day

Saddle River Day's Carly Christofi.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

SADDLE RIVER – As their respective seasons progress, the Saddle River Day and Newtown (CT) girls basketball teams are just like any others. They are in the gym working hard on a day-in/day-out basis and improving on the weak spots that show up as the games come and go.But when two teams are matched up against one another, it is easy to see how the two hard-driving programs under similarly hard-driving coaches, Saddle River Day's Danny Brown and his Connecticut counterpart Jeremy O'Connell, might let their guards down a little bit. In the third year of playing in the Three’s for Sandy Hook benefit to raise funds for the families of the victims of the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, the members of both teams and coaching staffs have formed an unbreakable bond that has grown exponentially over the past two-plus years. While it was Saddle River Day who technically won Saturday's game, 58-44, it was the wider community that has only grown since this event's inception, that was the true victor. It was a day filled with basketball interspersed with love, caring, compassion and a sense of the greater mission. MORE...

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Secaucus makes a statement in Poli Tourney final

Secaucus' Julia McClure.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

HILLSDALE – The Joe Poli Holiday Tournament has often attracted top competition over the years and teams do not necessarily accept the invitation with the main goal of winning it. The idea is to play three competitive games that will toughen up a team that has deep county and state tournament runs as their main priorities for the season. But after upset wins in the semifinals, Poli finalists Secaucus and Northern Valley/Old Tappan now had their sights set on a new goal: Winning the tournament and making a statement heading into 2015. Secaucus got contributions from its entire lineup. Kristina Ulrich provided the Patriots with a much-needed third scoring option and Julia McClure nailed a big 3-pointer with three minutes remaining that provided enough breathing room for Secaucus to become the first Group 1 team ever to win the Joe Poli Tournament with a 51-48 triumph over Northern Valley/Old Tappan at Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale. “We've been an aggressive team all season and we had to be that again tonight,” said Ulrich. “We don't have a lot of height but we keep attacking the basket and trying to make something happen. Once we got that momentum in the third quarter we started playing our game.” MORE...

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Ramapo pulls away from Ramsey in Carty Tournament

Ramapo sophomore Emily Calabrese.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

MAHWAH – With a host of offensive options, there is nothing more frustrating for a team like Ramapo then when the ball simply not going in the basket consistently. Playing against a pesky Ramsey squad that gave it fits for three-plus quarters, Ramapo used a different approach over the final minutes. The Green Raiders let their defense kickstart their offense and it proved to be the style that finally got them back on the right track. Emily Calabrese stole a pass and scored on a layup and Kasey Finn followed with a 3-pointer as Ramapo used a 13-3 fourth-quarter run to survive a scare and advance to the final of the John Carty Tournament with a 52-38 victory on Saturday at Mahwah High School. Ramapo came into the first-round contest as the favorite to win the whole tournament, but nobody told the Lady Rams, who got off to a fast start behind the shooting of Hailey Reynolds. She hit all four of shots and scored nine points in an 11-4 Ramsey run to open the game. MORE...

MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE!
• That's sick:Demarest tops Midland Park at Westwood tourney

Another classic finish as Fair Lawn wins Fast Break Classic again

Fair Lawn's Tia Solomon.

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

FAIR LAWN – It was going to be hard for the Fair Lawn girls basketball team to top itself in the holiday tournament it hosts. Last year the Cutters got a conventional 3-point play from Tia Solomon in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter to tie the score before going on to beat North Bergen in overtime to win the Fast Break Classic. Trailing Bloomfield 10 points entering the fourth quarter of this year's final played on Friday afternoon, Fair Lawn was going to need another spirited finish to win the tournament for the third straight year. And spirited was just one way to describe what happened in the final five minutes. Bloomfield lost its point guard to an ejection after a flagrant foul with 3:23 to play and the Fair Lawn comeback that was already unfolding hit full stride shortly after. The Cutters scored the final six points of the game over the final 1:42 to pull out an improbable 51-48 win. MORE...

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Dwight-Englewood picks up first win against Q of P

Dwight-Englewood's Stella Mayer.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

ENGLEWOOD – Whenever a pressure situation arose last year, the Dwight-Englewood girls basketball team looked to its star guard to bail them out. Stella Mayer was able to do that from time to time, but in order for this year's team to be consistently successful, head coach Marissa Moore knew that it could not be Mayer and four other players watching her. It would have to be a collaborative effort on both ends of the floor. Looking for their first win of the season on Monday, the Lady Bulldogs suffocated Queen of Peace with team defense to take control of the game early and never looked back. Dwight-Englewood closed the first quarter on a 15-0 run and had the game well in hand by halftime to pick up its first win of the season, 57-25, in Englewood. “We got off to a really slow start when we lost to Secaucus (down 25-3 after one quarter, lost 70-54) and we didn't want that to happen again,” said Dwight-Englewood's Regan Contrucci, a sophomore guard. “Stella is a great player but we can't just rely on her to do everything. I think the rest of us are playing with a lot more confidence and we know how to get the open player the ball for a good shot." MORE...

Run, gun, repeat:Dumont sprints past New Milford

Dumont sophomore Sarah Skeith.

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

ORADELL – Under longtime head coach Dave Cieplicki, Dumont has been known around Bergen County for going against conventional wisdom of most high school programs. A majority of teams pride themselves on moving the ball until the perfect shot is there, defending well, and keeping the opponent off the boards. Not the Lady Huskies. They are not afraid to take the first available shot, they use the three-point shot as their major offensive weapon, and they try to run their opponents into submission. It is a style that breeds confidence in the shooting of the Dumont guards, none more so than in sophomore Sarah Skeith. As New Milford learned first-hand on Sunday, when the Huskies are playing at their pace and Skieth is shooting well it makes them an awfully tough team to stop. Skeith lit it up from beyond the arc, netting career-highs of seven 3-pointers and 30 points as Dumont led for all but the game's first minute in a 65-31 win over New Milford at the Hoops4Autism Benefit played at River Dell High School in Oradell. MORE...

MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE!
• Secaucus' experience makes the difference in win over High Point
• In an early 'Big Game' Ridgefield Park gets a win over Paramus