Nilah Rivera filled the stat sheet with 9 points, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 rebounds for Montclair Immaculate, which advanced to the Non-Public North B final with a 68-56 victory over Saddle River Day.
CALDWELL – Saddle River Day came into the Non-Public B North semifinals with confidence and for good reason. Fresh off a record ninth straight Bergen County Tournament title, the Rebels were looking to back it up with a state sectional title. They ran into a buzzsaw, however, against a team that was not only looking to also keep its season going, but to wear their school’s jersey one more time.
After 100 years of operation, Montclair Immaculate will shut its doors at the end of this school year. The Lady Lions played like a team desperate to keep their legacy alive.
They took control of the game early and then used a huge third-quarter run to put the game away. Senior center Nila Giraud scored 11 of her career-high 32 points in an 18-4 run that lifted second-seeded Montclair Immaculate past No. 3 seed Saddle River Day, 68-56, in the Non-Public B North semifinals on Thursday at Mount St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell.
“Our best assets are playing solid defense and getting out in transition, we did that well in the first quarter,” said Montclair Immaculate head coach Jimmy Kreie. “I think we executed our gameplan exactly how we wanted to in the first quarter. When we do make adjustments, our girls have to buy into them and apply them a little quicker. Overall, though, I thought we did a good job defensively and on the glass.”
Brooke Braen got a layup with the foul on the Rebels’ first possession of the game. She converted the free throw, but that would be their only lead of the game. The Lions responded with seven straight minutes of flawless basketball on both ends of the floor. All six players who got on the floor during the quarter scored, including 12 combined points from point guard Nilah Rivera and Giraud to give the Lions a commanding 23-7 lead.
“We know Saddle River Day has a lot of shooters, so we made an effort to run them off the three-point line,” said Rivera. “It was important for us to keep our composure. We wanted to set the tone and stay calm through all the momentum changes that happen throughout the game.”
The Rebels were shellshocked after one quarter before shooting their way back in the game during the second. Bella Pedone nailed a trio of three-pointers and Faith Williamson scored eight points to cut the lead to single-digits, 33-24.
Saddle River Day senior Faith Williamson scored a team high 22 points.
Giada Celetti scored on a pair of layups wrapped around another corner 3 from Pedone. The latter of Celetti’s layups trimmed the lead down to 6, 39-33, near the midway point of the third quarter.
Giraud, known more for her bruising style inside, showed her range when her team needed her most. She hit an elbow jumper and a pair of threes late in the third quarter to help the Lions regain control and push the lead back to 19, 58-39, by the end of the third quarter.
“If I’m open and someone has their hands down or is late closing out, I’m going to let it fly,” said Giraud. “Knowing we’re the last team that will ever wear these uniforms; we know every game could be our last in the history of the school. We want to take it all home and that drives us to keep working hard.”
Giraud also added a game-high 12 rebounds to go with her 32 points for Montclair Immaculate (19-9). Nilah Rivera ran the show effectively with nine points, four assists, three steals, and three rebounds. London Caldwell dropped in 10 points and Camille Wiley added eight.
Williamson finished her stellar career with another solid performance for Saddle River Day (17-9). The Johns Hopkins University-bound guard led the way with 22 points, including a perfect 8-8 at the foul line. Pedone scored all 12 of her points behind the three-point line. Celetti finished with eight points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Grace Darling and Braen each chipped in with seven points.
For Saddle River Day it marks the end of a remarkable run for seniors Williamson, Pedone, Braen, Bella Ratsprecher, Anabelle Harrison, and Brooke Miqueli. Together the group were a part of 84 wins and four Bergen County titles over their four years together.
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