Holiday hoops

Bass’ entry into Pennsville’s 1000-Point Club delayed by Haddon Twp., Roy breaks out for Penns Grove boys, and more

SATURDAY BASKETBALL
GIRLS
Haddon Twp. 53, Pennsville 31
Haddons Invitational
Holy Spirit 58, Woodstown 37
Audubon Holiday Tournament
Deptford 47, Penns Grove 12
BOYS
GCIT 68, Pennsville 55
Boardwalk Classic, Wildwood
Penns Grove 41, Millville 39
Woodstown Holiday Tournament
Haddon Heights 64, Camden Tech 51
Woodstown 66, Camden Prep 25

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Taylor Bass would have liked to have 1,000 points for a belated Christmas present, but Haddon Twp. played Scrooge.

The Pennsville senior needed just 14 points to become the newest member of the Eagles’ 1000-Point Club Saturday, but the Hawks weren’t having it on their watch, especially after seeing one of those celebrations the last time out. They held Bass to a season-low six points and ended the Eagles’ three-game winning streak 53-31.

Her next chance for the milestone comes Jan. 5 against Clayton, a team she’s scored 15 and 20 against the last two times they’ve played. It’s scheduled as a road game, but the Eagles are hoping the Clippers will do them a solid and change venues to facilitate celebrating the milestone at home, just as teammates Nora Ausland and Marley Wood did last season.

“I haven’t really thought about it that much until someone came up to me and was like ‘Wow you’re 14 away,’ and that’s when it really hit me this game I could possibly get it,” Bass said. “But before that I just kind of went out there and played.

“Today what I ended up doing after I realized I was going to be face-guarded the whole game was just go play basketball, It’ll come when it comes. I know it’s coming soon. It’s eight points. I know I can get eight points.”

The Hawks made it hard for her to get any points Saturday. The six were her fewest in 22 games. She didn’t get her first shot off until the first minute of the second quarter when she made a layup for her first points of the game. She had another basket in the third quarter and two free throws.

“I touched the ball maybe 10 times the whole game,” she said. “That was the main thing, just trying to touch the ball. Whether it got in the basket, whether I got to the basket, whether I passed to a teammate, I really just wanted to get my hands on the ball.”

It’s not like the Eagles didn’t have plans to get her the ball.

“It was a tall task (to get the 1,000 today),” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “They came out and face-guarded her throughout the entire game.

“As much as I encouraged my girls to go and screen for her, I need to encourage them more strongly I guess or work on it because we just couldn’t get her free. And there certainly weren’t any long distance transitions. We got her the ball a couple times and they got back and knocked the ball away.”

Bass said she hadn’t had been guarded like that since last year’s Haddon Twp. game when the Hawks stayed up on her and Marley Wood all game, holding them to 9 and 6 points, respectively. It was the last time Bass was held out of double figures.

She had averaged 20 points in the 16 games in between, 23.0 this year going into Saturday.

“We knew she was one of their best players and we just wanted to shut her down just to win the game,” Hawks coach Mark Petito said. “I don’t even know what her career total points are, I don’t even know what she got. We knew the last game she had like 30 and we knew we had to shut her down. We just wanted to take her touches away and really defend the back door cut.”

Hawks guard Julianna Martin, who drew the heaviest duty on Bass, had extra incentive to shut down the Eagles’ senior.

“We played Haddon Heights the last game and Emma Harris scored 1,000 points,” she said. “My whole mindset going into the game was I don’t want to feel like that again so I tried my best to shut her down.” 

In addition to their tight defense, the Hawks also shot it well. They hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter to open 14-point lead they maintained the rest of the game.

Top photo: Haddon Twp.’s Julianna Martin (3) keeps a close eye on Pennsville senior Taylor Bass during Saturday’s game.

HADDON TWP. 53, PENNSVILLE 31
HADDON TWP. (3-2): Kiersten Callahan 4 1-2 13, Julianna Martin 1 4-4 6, Maeve Sheehan 0 0-0 0, Reagan Mahrer 0 0-0 0, Riley Kennedy 4 4-6 12, Abby Wiedeman 3 0-0 9, Kaitlyn Martin 4 2-3 10, Aubrey Carson 1 1-2 3. Total 17 12-17 53.
PENNSVILLE (3-2): Taylor Bass 2 2-3 6, Marley Wood 2 4-6 8, Izzy Saulin 2 1-2 5, Jaida Burns 2 2-2 6, Addi Johnston 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Jaiden Wilson 2 0-0 6. Totals 10 9-13 31.

Haddon Twp.	24	4	12	13-	53
Pennsville	10	8	7	6-	31

Holy Spirit	11	14	15	18-	58
Woodstown	4	15	8	10-	37

AUDUBON HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
DEPTFORD 47, PENNS GROVE 12: Kendall Evans led the Spartans with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Penns Grove (0-4)	2	2	5	3-	12
Deptford (3-2)	17	9	11	10-	47

Boys

WILDWOOD – Will Roy is taking on an expanded role in the Penns Grove lineup this season and he took a big step forward Saturday, breaking out for a career-high 22 points to lead the Red Devils past Millville 41-39 in the Boardwalk Classic at the Wildwood Convention Center.

Roy came up from the JVs and made a couple spot starts last season, but this year’s he’s been handed the keys as the Red Devils’ point guard.

“He had what I call a breakout game for himself because I think it’s the first time he scored over 20 in his career,” head coach Damian Ware said. “This year he’s taken over the starting point guard role and I feel like he’s finally embracing it and starting to get comfortable in that role and taking a lead role.

“The last couple years he’s been a background guy. He started a few games last year, but mostly he’s been coming off the bench. He’s taken that point guard role and starting to establish himself.”

Roy’s previous career high was 16 earlier this year against St. Joe. His breakout game was anchored by a career-high four 3-pointers. He hit three in the first half.

“I always say if you make your first 3-point shot it gives you a good feeling,” Ware said. “He made his first 3-pointer and that got him going. Once you see one go in the basket the rest of them look easy.

“He’s still learning how to be a point guard, he’s not all the way there yet, but today was a big game for him.”

The Red Devils (4-1) fell behind at the start and fought through some early foul trouble. They trailed by five going into the fourth quarter, but won the final eight minutes 14-7 with Roman Gipson delivering a couple big baskets to pull out the game.

PENNS GROVE 41, MILLVILLE 39
PENNS GROVE (4-1): Haneef Frisby 1 1-2 3, Luis Colon 2 1-2 5, Roman Gipson 2 2-2 6, Geonni Conrad 1 0-0 2, Will Roy 9 0-0 22, Mishawn Brantley 1 0-0 3. Totals 16 4-6 41.
MILLVILLE (2-3): Rosaun Rhett 3 0-0 6, Caiden Allen 4 4-4 12, Divonte Smith 3 0-0 6, Kaseem Carter 0 2-4 2, Cayden Pierce 1 0-0 2, Alex Doss 1 4-8 6, Xavier Hart 1 2-2 5, Kris Harrell 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 12-18 39.

Penns Grove	7	13	7	14-	41
Millville	13	10	9	7-	39

WOODSTOWN HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT

WOODSTOWN – The host team was down two starters, but the rest of the lineup pulled the extra weight and lifted Woodstown to a 66-25 victory over Camden Prep in the opening round of its holiday tournament.

“We had a shorthanded lineup today … but we still handled business pretty well,” senior Blake Bialecki said.

The Wolverines (3-2) got scoring from all 10 players who got in the game. Bialecki led the way with 22 points. John Hood-McGinley had 10 and Josh King added nine.

“It didn’t surprise me,” coach Ramon Roots added. “I have full confidence in all of our players to step up in those situations.”

The Wolverines jumped out front 20-2 and steadily stretched the lead. Bialecki had two of his three 3-pointers and eight points in the first quarter.

They now play Haddon Heights in Monday’s 11:30 a.m. championship game. The Garnets (4-1) used a big second half to dump Camden Tech, 64-51. Tech and Prep will play in the 10 a.m. consolation game.

WOODSTOWN 66, CAMDEN PREP 25
CAMDEN PREP (0-4): Markece Baker 0 0-0 0, Shaquan Merlin 5 1-2 11, Jasool Clark 0 0-0 0, Sherron Logan 0 0-2 0, Kayden Miller 1 0-0 2, Luis Cordero 2 0-1 4, Henry Castelan 0 0-0 0, Noel Moore 0 0-0 0, Manny Bonilla 2 0-1 2, Ahnige Ewing 2 0-0 4, Justyn Ferreira-Paredes 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 1-6 26.
WOODSTOWN (3-2): Blake Bialecki 7 5-5 22, Alejandro Vazquez 2 1-2 6, Josh King 4 1-1 9, Lucas Fulmer 1 3-4 5, Conner Miller 1 0-0 2, Johni Hood-McGinley 4 1-2 10, Trey Markward 1 1-2 3, Frank Hoerst 1 1-4 3, Bryce Ayars 1 0-0 2, Brayden Hall 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 13-19 66

Camden Prep	2	9	10	4-	25
Woodstown	20	17	18	11-	66

GCIT (4-2)	18	18	12	20-	68
Pennsville (1-4)	15	11	17	12-	55

Salem County 1000-Point Watch

PLAYER	TODAY	TOTAL	NEXT
Taylor Bass, Pennsville	6 vs. Haddon Twp.	992	Jan. 5 vs. Clayton
Blake Bialecki, Woodstown	22 vs. Camden Prep	797	Dec. 29 vs. Haddon Heights
Tymear Lecator, Salem	DNP	685	Dec. 30 vs. Rancocas Valley