Zoe Wasserlauf scored a game-high 16 points for NV/Demarest, which knocked 9x defending champion Saddle River Day out of the county tournament, 65-42, in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.
DEMAREST – On Sunday, February 21, 2016, Michele Sidor, then a freshman who went on to become the all-time scoring leader in Bergen County history, scored 34 points to lead Saddle River Day to its first ever Bergen County championship. The second seeded Rebels beat No. 1 Immaculate Conception, a school that no longer exists, 53-36, in front of a packed house at Ramapo College (you can read that story here).
That was the start of a dominant nine-year run that saw the Rebels win every county title since, culminating in last year's final against Northern Valley/Demarest. The streak, however, is now a history lesson rather than a current event.
It was on Saturday, February 7, 2026, that Saddle River Day was displaced from its perch atop the county when Demarest broke through for a 65-42 victory in the quarterfinal round of this year's tournament.
"We were 0-3 against Saddle River Day, never beaten them at the height of what Saddle River Day became," said Demarest head coach Jenny Jurjevic. "I don't know what happened before me, but in my 11 years here they have kicked our [butt] every single time, including [last year's] county final."
It was different this time around as Saddle River Day's ability to attract players from around the area as a non-public school has been matched by in many ways by Demarest and other public schools. Demarest is now a part of the Bergen County Academy set-up and offers enrollment to out-of-district students who pay tuition. The Norsewomen lost two seniors from last year's team and replaced those roster spots with juniors Zoe Wasserlauf, who transferred in from Tenafly, and Nassiah Cole-Hancha, who came in from IHA.
Both have been huge contributors. Cole-Hancha is a force on the boards, a problem in the high post and a willing passer as a big. Wasserlauf brings the kind of athleticism that affects every part of the game, especially on defense and in the open floor. Teamed in the backcourt with senior Gabriella Mittelman, Wasserlauf gives the Norsewomen two primary ballhandlers with each one willing to share the ball and the credit.
"It makes me a better player. Every day in practice I am being pushed by Gabby, obviously, and everyone else. They all have their own talents. Deana [Finkelstein] plays three sports and she brings that kind of ability to practice every day," said Wasserlauf. "We all push each other to be better athletes, to be better basketball players. I get them the ball, they get me the ball and that is just being a team. We all try to make each other look good."
Emily Mattson led Saddle River Day with 13 points.
Saddle River Day looked good early as Grace Darling's two 3-pointers within 38 seconds of each other gave the Rebels an 8-3 lead, but sustaining offense against a Demarest side that pressures the ball relentlessly. Eventually, Demarest wore the Rebels down and the turning point was obvious. An 18-0 run that started with Cole-Hancha's free throw with 3:27 left in the first quarter and ended with Mittelman's steal and lay-up with 3:04 left in the second took Demarest from down 5 to up 21-8.
Saddle River Day got back to within single digits on Jackie Sarkar's 3-pointer that made it 27-18 at halftime and a conventional 3-point play by Harper Cohn that made it 33-24 with a 6:05 left in the third quarter, but an 8-0 run the other way with four different Norsewomen making field goals pushed the lead back into double digits for good.
The Demarest lead was 51-29 after three quarters and the rest of it was just running out the clock on Saddle River Day's near decade of dominance.
"We definitely played with a chip on our shoulder, like we were the underdogs even though we are the higher seed. We've never beaten them before," said Mittelman, Demarest's lone senior and a four-year starter. "As a team we just came together with one common goal and when we share the ball like we did today we can be one of the top teams in the county or in the state, I think."
The final point totals bear out Demarest's unselfishness as Wasserlauf (16 points), Mittelman (15) and Ava Francesca (10), all finished in double figures while Cole-Hancha (9), Finkelstein and Ella Peck (6 points) all took advantage of their opportunities when they came around.
Gabriella Mittelman finished with 15 points for Demarest, which will play Teaneck in the semifinals next weekend.
Francesca, a sophomore from Park Ridge, came off the bench and scored all of her points after halftime. She made two third quarter 3s and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line as Demarest showed off its wealth of offensive options.
"I am grateful to be a part of this team. I came here, we all came here for this reason," said Francesca. "I feel like we all share that drive together, we just want to be a part of the process and see where it takes us."
Where it takes Demarest is into the semifinals. Despite being the first team to keep Saddle River Day out of the county final since 2016, and riding a 15-game winning streak, the Norsewomen (17-2) have not won anything yet. They have a tough week in league play coming up with games against Old Tappan and Pascack Valley and then a third meeting of the season with No. 3 Teaneck in next weekend's county semifinal round. The winner of that will play the winner of No. 1 IHA vs. No. 5 Ramapo in the county final.
Demarest has not lost since the calendar turned to 2026, but it will be judged not by what has been, but what lies ahead in the next couple of weeks.
"We have to take it day by day. We play in the Big North-National [Division] and we have Old Tappan and Pascack Valley this week," said Jurjevic. "Happy to get this win and we will enjoy it for the next 24 hours, but then Monday it is right back in the gym to prepare for a big week in the league."
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