Monday basketball

Pennsville girls edge Penns Grove to set modern-era team win mark, heads to Wells Fargo Center Tuesday

GIRLS GAMES	BOYS GAMES
Pennsville 55, Penns Grove 49	Pitman 68, Penns Grove 38
Winslow 58, Schalick 31	Winslow 61, Salem 40
Salem at LEAP	Mastery Charter 59, Woodstown 54
	Wildwood 68, Schalick 58
	Triton 63, Pennsville 25

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – The Pennsville girls basketball team gathered on the floor for a picture after receiving instructions for Tuesday’s trip to the Wells Fargo Center. They just thought it was another opportunity to take a team picture, but little did they know at the time it was a whole lot more.

It was a picture for posterity.

When the Eagles dispatched Penns Grove 55-49 they became the program’s winningest team in recent memory.

The Eagles had been stuck on 15 wins three times in the last previous five years, but Monday’s win was their 16th of the season in coach Steve Merritt’s first season with the team. (Their winningest teams went 23-3 in 1986-87.)

“I’m not going to take all that credit,” said Merritt, who came out of coaching retirement to take the program. “The ingredients were there. I just helped direct it.

“I am blessed with a group of people who really want to work and want to win and want to play. If it weren’t for the personnel, it’s tough to do that.”

The Big Three in that personnel – Taylor Bass and 1,000-point scorers Nora Ausland and Marley Wood – combined for 48 points. Ausland hit three 3-pointers and had a game-high 23, her first 20-point game since going for a season-high 29 against Overbrook Jan. 28. She had scored 53 points with an oh-for in the six games in between.

She hit two 3s in the first quarter and was off and running.

“Once I start making my shots I have more confidence in myself,” Ausland said. “The previous games, if I keep missing and missing I get in my head. I’m glad I got out of it today because we really needed it. We had a tough team today.”

The Eagles (16-6) never shook the Red Devils (9-10). Every time Pennsville pulled out to a lead, Brianna Robbins was there to bring Penns Grove back.

Robbins led the Red Devils with 16 points. She hit three of her four 3-pointers in the third quarter when the teams traded the lead on 10 straight possessions.

The game was tied at 41 with 6:05 left when Merritt called time to avoid a turnover. During the break he implored his charges to make Penns Grove work the ball to 40 seconds. The Eagles came out of that break and scored the next six points, with each of their Big Three getting a bucket, and never trailed again.

The trip is a go

With winter weather looming and a winter storm watch kicking in while they play, the Pennsville girls’ basketball game with Clayton at the Wells Fargo Center Tuesday is still on. 

The Eagles’ plan is to play their game in the NBA arena, spend some quality time together at a nearby Dave & Busters, then head back to watch the Sixers play Toronto. The team bus will return to Pennsville after the D&B dinner with those going to the Sixers game carpooling back.

“We are definitely going to go,” Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas said Monday.

It’ll be a quick game. The Sixers give the teams an hour on the floor to get their 2:50 p.m. game in while crews set up for the main event later that night.

The Schalick boys beat the Clippers at the Wells Fargo Center last year 42-35. Those who stayed for the NBA game saw Joel Embiid go for 70 points against the Spurs.

“I’m really excited,” Eagles junior guard Marley Wood said. “It should be a pretty fun night. I’d prefer to get a dub. Hopefully we get it.”

PENNSVILLE 55, PENNS GROVE 49
PENNS GROVE (9-10) – Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Brianna Robbins 6 0-0 16, NyAsia Numan 1 0-0 2, RaNiyah Wilson 4 3-4 13, Keziah Patterson 3 0-0 9, Mikayla Washington 1 0-0 2, JaNiyah Cummings 2 3-4 7. Totals 17 6-8 49.
PENNSVILLE (16-6) – Taylor Bass 6 2-5 15, Marley Wood 3 4-4 10, Izzy Saulin 1 0-0 2, Nora Ausland 9 2-4 23, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Sofia Belitsas 1 0-0 3, Jaida Burns 0 2-2 2. Totals 20 10-15 55.

Penns Grove	3	19	17	10-	49
Pennsville	12	13	15	15-	55

Boys games

PITMAN 68, PENNS GROVE 38: It’s never helpful when you’re missing a lot of shots, but missing against one of the top teams in the section is a recipe for disaster.

The combination of the ball refusing to go in the basket and 26 points from Pitman’s Elijah Crispin did the Red Devils in.

A 3-pointer play by Karon Ceaser and a 3-pointer by Roman Gipson got the Red Devils within two midway through the second quarter and then they went cold. Pitman scored the last 12 points of the half to take control of the game.

PITMAN (15-4): Hudson Rue 5-2-12, Elijah Crispin 8-9-26, Greg Peterson 1-0-3, Michael Fisicaro 3-1-9, Aidan Stranahan 5-1-11, Jake Bowen 1-0-2, Joey Zubert 2-0-5. Totals 25-13-68.
PENNS GROVE (10-10): B.J. Robbins 3-0-8, Roman Gipson 3-1-9, Karon Ceaser 2-1-6, Antoine Robinson 1-2-4, Will Roy 1-1-3, Luis Colon 1-0-2, Jeremy Costacamps 1-0-2, Carson Pearsall 0-4-4. Totals 12-9-38.

Pitman	15	15	20	18-	68
Penns Grove	10	6	12	10-	38

MASTERY CHARTER 59, WOODSTOWN 54
WOODSTOWN (12-8): Elijah Caesar 2 0-0 5, Blake Bialecki 5 1-4 15, Alejandro Vazquez 3 1-1 10, M.J. Hall 4 1-2 9, Garrett Leyman 3 0-0 6, Rocco String 3 3-4 9. Totals 20 6-11 54.
MASTERY CHARTER (14-8): Zy’Air Kendrick 2 0-0 5, Dontae Garrett 1 1-2 3, Jahvi Anderson 2 2-2 6, Dixson Dowayee 1 0-0 2, Damien James 7 8-11 23, Ezequiel Cosme 6 1-3 14, Jo’Shawn Jackson 2 0-0 6, Tahjon Mattocks 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 12-18 59.

Woodstown	12	13	13	16-	54
Mastery Charter	19	13	15	12-	59

WILDWOOD 68, SCHALICK 58: Reggie Allen scored a career-high 31 points and attacked the basket well enough to get to the free throw line, where he went 17-for-19. But his individual effort wasn’t enough to offset three double-figure scorers from Wildwood and Brian Cunniff’s 38 points.

“Reggie’s quick and was able to use his speed to create separation,” Cougars coach James Turner said. “Once he got in the lane he knew how to draw contact and get to the line. He played with a lot of confidence and poise.

“The two of them attacking all night made it a good game. Reggie did a great job staying in attack mode and credit to Cunniff, he finished well at the rim.”

Allen hadn’t taken more than eight free throws in a game in his career before Monday night. He was 9-for-9 at the line in his previous two games. He raised his season scoring average to 15.14 points per game to close the gap on county scoring leader Tymear Lecator of Salem, but remains second in the county.

SCHALICK (6-16): Reggie Allen 6 17-19 31, Jamari Whitley 2 2-2 8, Kenneth Bartee 2 0-0 5, Jase Volovar 2 0-0 4, Nylan Sutton 4 0-0 8, Sherrod Jones 1 2-2 4. Totals 17 19-23 58.
WILDWOOD (7-13): Eric Jordan 2 1-4 5, Nolan Mawhinney 5 0-0 11, Trevor Troiano 3 3-4 10, R.J. Blanda 0 0-0 0, Jordan Dozier 0 0-0 0, Gianni Troiano 2 0-0 4, Brian Cunniff 13 12-14 38. Totals 25 16-22 68.

Schalick	12	17	19	10-	58
Wildwood	21	14	17	16-	68

TRITON 63, PENNSVILLE 25: Talen Walsh hit six of Triton’s 12 3-pointers and finished with 18 points.

PENNSVILLE (2-20): C.J. McDevitt 2 2-2 6, Mason O’Brien 1 0-0 3, Logan Hitt 1 0-0 3, Cole Johnston 2 0-0 6, Daniel Knight 1 0-0 2, Aiden Alleye 1 0-0 2, Perry Meranti 1 1-2 3. Totals 9 3-4 25.
TRITON (9-12): Yandel Santos 2 0-0 5, Talen Walsh 6 0-0 18, Michael Severo 1 0-0 3, Scott Case 3 0-0 7, Joel Almirez 3 0-1 8, David Jones 2 0-0 6, Marcelino Guerrero 1 0-0 2, Metzgerdy Lamy 4 0-0 8, Jaylen Morris 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 0-1 61.

Pennsville	5	3	8	9-	25
Triton	22	17	18	6-	63

Salem	10	9	13	8-	40
Winslow	15	14	9	23-	61