Rams rise and shine

Salem girls meet the day, erupt for 21-point first quarter and run past Burlington City in morning game

MONDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Salem 52, Burlington City 42
St. Joe’s at Schalick, ppd.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

BURLINGTON – The history of Salem’s girls basketball team in morning matchups has been a mixed bag. Sometimes the Rams rise and shine and others they look like they missed their wakeup call.

Monday morning’s road game was one of those times they skipped the snooze alarm and came to play, beating Burlington City 52-42.

Rams coach Tiasia Tatem had a feeling her team would answer the bell.

“I knew it coming in,” she said. “We had a little break because I gave them the weekend off because we didn’t have access to our gym, so I knew coming in they should’ve come in with fresh legs. And I think they were carrying the momentum from Friday night’s game.”

The Rams (4-6) were coming off their highest-scoring game in more than 20 years, a 75-14 rout of Camden Academy Charter, and rode that wave to their best first quarter of the season against the Blue Devils (8-6) – 21 points to open a 21-9 lead.

Kaela Nichols continued her recent roll with two 3-pointers in the quarter and 10 of her team-high 14 points in the first half. Nichols, Marissa Bower (12) and Carlysia Pierce (12) all scored in double figures for the Rams to offset a 33-point game from Aneesa Artis that included 21-of-34 from the free throw line.

“To see the kids come in their senior year with that fire and that spark and just go off, I’m loving watching in,” Tatem said of Nichols. “Carlysia Pierce, she’s great at finding the space; she’s killing the back door right now. She’s tiny, but she’s able to sneak around and she’s great at finding the open position and getting the easy layup. One moment you see her, the next minute she’s going and by the time you realize where she is, there’s already a layup.”

The Rams won’t have to remember to set their alarm anymore as they have regularly scheduled games the rest of the year. They are scheduled to play Gloucester Catholic, Tuesday weather permitting.

Understandably, Tatem will keeping her eye on the weather.

“I want to keep the girls hot,” she said.

Salem 52, Burlington City 42
SALEM (4-6) – Ryann Foote 1 4-4 6, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0, Marissa Bower 5 0-2 12, Kaela Nichols 6 0-0 14, Ava Rodgers 3 0-0 6, Carlysia Pierce 5 2-4 12, Ameriyona Hunter 1 0-0 2, Zaniyah Fresion 0 0-0 0, Marjziah Bundy 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 6-10 52.
BURLINGTON CITY (8-6) – Aneesa Artis 6 21-34 33, Mya Boykin 2 0-0 4, Anala Stover-Head 0 0-0 0, Olivia Moore 1 0-2 2, Hannah Richey 1 0-0 3, Raquel Wilcox 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 21-36 42.