Woodstown comes up with late steal and layup, last-second free throws to complete comeback against Pennsville; Schalick, Salem both fall in the opening round
SJ GROUP I GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Friday’s games
Burlington City at Woodbury
Palmyra 40, New Egypt 23
Glassboro 60, Cape May Tech 15
Audubon 54, Salem 35
Woodstown 51, Pennsville 47
Gateway 43, Schalick 21
Monday’s games
Burlington City-Woodbury at Haddon Twp.
Palmyra at Glassboro
Woodstown at Audubon
Gateway at Wildwood
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — There’s a power stronger in sports than the will to keep a rival from beating you three times in the same season. It’s the will to keep a legacy alive.
That’s the power that drove the Woodstown girls team Friday night.
The Wolverines have made deep playoffs runs so often over the years that it’s almost an expectation. They haven’t lost a first-round sectional playoff game since 2019, and they weren’t about to start. They did face their biggest challenge to that legacy Friday and found a way to keep it alive.
Emma Perry’s dramatic steal and layup with 13 seconds left snapped a 47-all tie and Lauren Hengel hit two free throws in the final second to seal it as the Wolverines got past sixth-seeded Pennsville 51-47 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group I playoffs.
The 11th-seeded Wolverines (12-15) lost to the Eagles (16-8) twice during the regular season and were in danger of making it three in a row when they trailed by seven with 3:39 to play.
It was at that point Pennsville star Marley Wood picked up her fifth foul and her departure changed so much of what the Eagles could do.
The Wolverines chipped away and finally got it tied at 45 on Hengel’s 3-pointer from the right corner right after Kyia Leyman kept the possession alive by banging a loose ball off a Pennsville defender out of bounds. It was tied again at 47 and stayed that way until 13 seconds left when the Eagles set up for an inbounds play at midcourt across from their bench.
Perry ran up on Taylor Bass to knock the inbounds pass away and after a frozen few seconds to realize there was no foul, Perry scooped up the loose ball and drove in alone for the go-ahead layup. Pennsville’s inbounds pass went out of bounds without hitting anyone and when the Wolverines put the ball back in play Hengel was fouled immediately and went to the line for her clinching free throws.
Hengel got Woodstown going early while the Eagles were getting into the game and led the Wolverines with 15 points. Kendall Young had 14, Leyman 12 and Perry 10.
Pennsville’s Wood led all scorers with 20 points and finished her high school career as the Eagles’ second all-time leading girls scorer with 1352 points and 12th all-time in Salem County. Bass had 11 points and finished with 1237, tied for 19th on the all-time county girls list.
The Wolverines now play at third-seeded Audubon in the quarterfinals Monday.
This story will be updated.
WOODSTOWN 51, PENNSVILLE 47
WOODSTOWN (12-15): Lauren Hengel 6 2-4 15, Emma Perry 5 0-0 10, Kyia Leyman 5 2-5 12, Kendall Young 5 3-4 14, Talia Guardascione 0 0-4 0, Gina Murray 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 7-13 51.
PENNSVILLE (16-8): Taylor Bass 3 4-5 11, Marley Wood 5 9-12 20, Addie Johnston 1 1-2 4, Izzy Saulin 6 0-0 12, Jaiden Wilson 0 0-0 0, Jaida Burns 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 14-19 47.
| Woodstown | 15 | 8 | 11 | 17- | 51 |
| Pennsville | 8 | 13 | 10 | 16- | 47 |
GATEWAY 43, SCHALICK 21
SCHALICK (17-8): Cali Fisler 2 2-4 6, Emmalyn Weir 2 1-2 6, Willow Davis 1 2-2 5, Nevaeh Robinson 0 2-2 2, Liv VanAcker 0 0-2 0, Jaelynn Jarmon 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 7-12 21.
GATEWAY (17-10): Sydney Hughes 0 2-3 2, Jayda Catoe 5 0-2 10, Peyton Cutler 4 0-0 8, Layla DeMaise 3 2-2 8, Lucy Matthews 4 3-6 13, Koby Williams 0 0-0 0, Lexie Kirwin 1 0-0 2, Caitlin Gettings 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 7-14 43.
| Schalick | 5 | 3 | 9 | 4- | 21 |
| Gateway | 9 | 8 | 8 | 18- | 43 |
AUDUBON 54, SALEM 35
SALEM (9-11): Carlysia Pierce 5 3-6 3, Dyaira Anderson 5 2-12 12, Saniyah Moore 1 0-0 2, Jaryn Weathers 0 2-2 2, Timmiyah Simmons 1 0-0 2, Kaliyah Taylor 2 0-2 4, Madison Dixon 0 0-2 0. Totals 14 7-24 35.
AUDUBON (19-8): Emma Speyerer 10 2-4 22, Kylie Canada 1 0-0 2, Giavanna Heller 8 0-1 16, Sophia Homa 3 4-6 10, Mylia Madden 1 0-0 3, Jules Heck 0 1-4 1, Acen Bangle 0 0-0 0, Clara Poponi 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 7-15 54.
| Salem | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10- | 35 |
| Audubon | 16 | 10 | 21 | 7- | 54 |
Riverview Sports News 