Sixth-seeded Salem CC opens Region XIX Division III men’s tournament at CC of Philadelphia, winner plays for a bid to national tournament
REGION XIX TOURNAMENT
DIVISION III MEN
Saturday’s Games
No. 10 RCSJ-Gloucester (11-16, 9-9) at No. 7 Brookdale (18-7, 12-6)
No. 9 Ocean (16-8, 11-7) at No. 8 Atlantic Cape (14-13, 11-7)
Feb. 26 Games
RCSJ-Gloucester/Brookdale at No. 2 Montgomery (20-5, 15-3)
No. 6 Salem (21-7, 13-5) at No. 3 Philadelphia (20-7, 15-3), 6 p.m.
Atlantic Cape/Ocean at No. 1 Union (21-4, 17-1)
No. 5 Camden (17-10, 14-4) at No. 4 Northampton (22-5, 14-4)
March 1 Games
At Northampton CC
(Winners to NJCAA Tournament)
North Atlantic A Championship
Atlantic Cape/Ocean/Union vs. Camden/Northampton, noon
North Atlantic B Championship
RCSJ-Gloucester/Brookdale/Montgomery vs. Salem/Philadelphia, 3 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Just how deep is the Division III men’s basketball configuration in Region XIX? After putting together its first 20-win season in 20 years and making the biggest turnaround in the league, Salem CC pulled down a No. 6 seed for the region tournament that starts this weekend.
The Mighty Oaks will play at third-seeded CC of Philadelphia in the second round of the Region XIX Tournament Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“It feels good, it’s been a while for this school, but the job ain’t through,” Mighty Oaks coach Mike Green said. “It’d feel great to play in that national tournament. I keep telling my guys that’s where you want to be.”
It’s been a nice ride so far. The Mighty Oaks had their winningest season since reviving the program in 2019, enjoyed their first 20-win season in 20 years and beat a ranked opponent for the first time ever. They’re ranked eighth in the country (JUCO Division III) in scoring (87.2 ppg) and third in 3-pointers per game (8.8)
“We’re really proud of what coach Green and the team have been able to accomplish,” athletics director Bob Hughes said. “We’re looking forward to cheering them on and supporting them up in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.”
The team got a huge boost in January when they got four players back from injury and eligibility issues. They’ve gone 11-3 since their arrival.
If they had played enough games to qualify for the national stats (60 percent of team’s games), Jyheim Spencer would rank a solid second in Division III rebounding (14.0 rpg) and Akeem Taylor would be T-4 in the region in scoring (21.0 ppg). And because they hadn’t played in 80 percent of their team’s games, neither are eligible for all-region consideration.
“It’s OK,” Green said. “I hope they have a chip on their shoulder.”
The Mighty Oaks’ 21-7 record represents a 10-win, 8.5-game improvement over last season. When Green took the team after Christmas last year it was 2-5 and he went 9-9 trying to lay the foundation for his program.
“I think we’ve got enough guys who care,” he said of the difference. “It’s not just go out there and see what happens any more. I think these guys go out there and expect to win. Last year it was moreso go out there and give whatever you’ve got.
“I’m sure those guys wanted to win, too, but we had a built-in excuse last year, seven guys, eight guys. We don’t have that built-in excuse.”
It figures to be a competitive tournament. Five of the top six teams all posted 20 wins. Three are in the Top 15 and two others – CCP and Salem – received votes for consideration.
“On our side’s matchup I feel like anybody can beat anybody,” Green said. “It means your league’s good top to bottom. I don’t think it was that last year.”
The Mighty Oaks played CCP once this season and lost 62-59 at the end of the most demanding stretch of the season, a six-game run that included the top four teams in the league. They had a “good look” to send the game into overtime, but Taylor’s shot from the left side of the arc missed the mark.
It also was the game officials erroneously allowed the Lions to insert one of their best free throw shooters off the bench to replace the injured player who was fouled instead of allowing the Mighty Oaks to make the choice as per the rule for a common foul.
Ironically, CCP knocked the Mighty Oaks out of the playoffs the last time they made it (second round 2022).
“I think we played terrible that game, so I definitely feel good about the matchup,” Green said.
If the Mighty Oaks get through their tournament opener, they’ll advance to the bracket final at Northampton where they’ll play for a berth in the national tournament.
Because the region receives two direct bids to the JUCO national tournament, it will incorporate two separate brackets to produce two champions. One bracket is headed by No. 1 seed Union and the other that includes Salem is headed by No. 2 seed Montgomery County.
This story will be updated.
Category: BASKETBALL
Region XIX standings
Here are the Region XIX basketball standings; games through Feb. 18; teams .500 or better make the tournament, seeding meeting Wednesday
| MEN’S DIVISION III | REGION | ALL |
| x-Union | 17-1 | 21-4 |
| x-Montgomery | 15-3 | 20-5 |
| x-Philadelphia | 15-3 | 20-7 |
| x-Northampton | 14-4 | 22-5 |
| x-Camden | 14-4 | 17-10 |
| x-Salem | 13-5 | 21-7 |
| x-Brookdale | 12-6 | 18-7 |
| x-Ocean | 11-7 | 16-8 |
| x-Atlantic Cape | 11-7 | 14-13 |
| x-RCSJ-Gloucester | 9-9 | 11-16 |
| Passaic | 7-11 | 11-15 |
| Lehigh Carbon | 6-12 | 7-17 |
| Sussex | 5-12 | 8-20 |
| Luzerne | 5-13 | 7-16 |
| Delaware County | 5-13 | 9-17 |
| Harrisburg Area | 4-13 | 5-19 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 4-14 | 5-17 |
| Bergen | 3-15 | 4-19 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 0-18 | 0-26 |
| x-Clinched playoff spot |
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Harcum 89, Hagerstown CC 68
Brookdale 82, Sussex 59
Mercer 100, Raritan Valley 98
Montgomery 67, Middlesex 66
Essex 92, Atlantic Cape 81
Union 84, RCSJ-Cumberland 38
Morris 104, Prestige Prep 49
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Penn St.-Lehigh Valley at Lehigh Carbon
THURSDAY’S GAME
Morris at Mercer
PROJECTED PLAYOFF PAIRINGS
SATURDAY’S GAMES
RCSJ-Gloucester at Brookdale
Atlantic Cape at Ocean
FEB. 26 GAMES
Gloucester-Brookdale winner at Montgomery
Salem at Philadelphia
Atlantic Cape-Ocean winner at Union
Camden at Northampton
| DIVISION II WOMEN | REGION | ALL |
| x-Union | 15-1 | 24-2 |
| x-Harcum | 12-3 | 21-5 |
| x-Lackawanna | 12-4 | 17-6 |
| x-Raritan Valley | 11-5 | 18-10 |
| x-Mercer | 9-7 | 16-7 |
| Middlesex | 5-10 | 12-14 |
| Salem CC | 4-12 | 11-13 |
| Essex | 2-13 | 5-14 |
| Morris | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Delaware Tech | 0-15 | 0-21 |
| x-Clinched playoff spot |
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Montgomery 55, Salem 43
Raritan Valley 74, Mercer 69
Harcum 86, Hagerstown CC 33
Brookdale 52, Sussex 32
Atlantic Cape 65, Lehigh Carbon 51
Lackawanna 83, Middlesex 67
Northampton 58, Passaic 47
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Middlesex at Harcum
Lackawanna at Monroe Univ.
Lehigh Carbon at Manor
Anne Arundel at Delaware Tech
FEB. 22
Essex at Delaware Tech
Harcum at Allegany (Md.)
Cougars get boost
Schalick, Woodstown, Penns Grove win first-round games in the Tri-County Conference girls tournament
TRI-COUNTY GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Flight A
Gloucester Catholic 60, Timber Creek 31
Wildwood 69, Gloucester Tech 50
Woodstown 52, Clearview 48
Washington Twp. 64, Pennsville 42
Flight B
Williamstown 64, Cumberland 24
Triton 41, Glassboro 40
Penns Grove 42, Kingsway 39
Delsea 59, Clayton 53
Flight C
Schalick 53, Salem 25
Overbrook 45, Salem Tech 43
(7) Highland at (2) Pitman
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Flight A
(4) Wildwood at (1) Gloucester Catholic
(3) Woodstown at (2) Washington Twp.
Flight B
(4) Triton at (1) Williamstown
(7) Delsea at (3) Penns Grove
Flight C
(4) Schalick at (1) Deptford
(3) Overbrook vs. (7) Highland/(2) Pitman
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SALEM — Schalick girls coach John Whalen went to bed Monday night resigned to the fact his team just missed out on the biggest tournament of the season. But about an hour before their Tri-County Conference flight opener Tuesday the Cougars got a big surprise.
With his junior players standing behind him, Whalen out of curiosity opened the South Jersey Group I girls tournament bracket on his computer and discovered they had indeed landed a spot in the field. It’s a tough spot — No. 16 to face top-seeded Haddon Twp. — but a spot nonetheless.
The Cougars were the No. 17 team in the SJ Group I power points, but apparently bumped up into the field when Pitman fell out.
“It’s a nice surprise,” Whalen said. “I’m excited for the girls. It’ll be a good experience, especially for the juniors who didn’t get to see the playoffs last year and the freshmen will get a good experience. It’ll be a good opportunity for us as we look ahead to the future.”
Buoyed by that news, they went out and put together a balanced effort to throttle Salem 53-25 in their TCC Tournament Flight C opener.
The Cougars (6-16) jumped out to a 15-4 lead and outscored the Rams in three of the four quarters. Ten players scored, led by freshman Navaeh Robinson’s 11 points. Five players scored six points apiece.
“We played a very good, a complete, basketball game today,” Whalen said. “Before the game we kind of challenged the girls to play fast, play aggressive. We came out, we pressed, forced some turnovers, got some early scoring. It was good to see it be a balanced effort both defensively and offensively. Everybody chimed in and did their part.
“It’s nice for all the girls to kind of find some success. We’re starting to gain some confidence as the season is kind of coming to an end. It gives us a lot to look forward to for next year when we bring back everybody.”
While their South Jersey Group I Tournament draw is a tough one, the Cougars will get an advance feel for facing a No. 1 seed. Their win over Salem sends them to face the top seed in their flight, Deptford, Thursday.
SCHALICK 53, SALEM 25
SCHALICK (6-16): Cali Fisler 2 2-2 6, Ava Scurry 1 0-0 2, Abby Willoughby 2 2-6 6, Olivia Vanacker 2 1-3 5, Navaeh Robinson 4 1-4 11, Willow Davis 2 1-2 6, Olivia Lunemann 3 0-3 6, Emily Miller 0 2-2 2, Carly Vicente 2 0-0 6, Victoria Basich 1 1-2 3, Emma O’Neill 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 10-24 53.
SALEM (3-17): Carlysia Pierce 2 6-7 11, Nevaeh Hickman 1 0-0 2, Zaniyah Frieson 2 1-2 6, Timmiyah Simmons 3 0-0 6. Only players reported. Totals 8 7-9 25.
| Schalick | 15 | 8 | 17 | 13- | 53 |
| Salem | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6- | 25 |
PENNS GROVE 42, KINGSWAY 39
| Kingsway (11-14) | 15 | 4 | 10 | 10- | 39 |
| Penns Grove (10-11) | 5 | 9 | 11 | 17- | 42 |
WOODSTOWN 52, CLEARVIEW 48
CLEARVIEW (12-11): Hannah Meloro 0 0-0 0, Sienna Maysonet 0 0-0 0, Alessia Lombardi 0 1-2 1, Brett Foster 6 2-4 15, Jillian Guzzardo 1 0-2 3, Casey Maxwell 1 0-0 2, Juliette Mirigliani 11 3-4 27. Totals 19 6-12 48.
WOODSTOWN (17-5): Talia Battavio 5 9-11 21, Megan Donelson 5 4-4 14, Gianna Maiorini 0 2-2 2, Lauren Hengel 4 1-4 10, Kyia Leyman 1 0-2 2, Emma Perry 1 1-2 3, Ryann Foote 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 17-25 52.
| Clearview | 17 | 6 | 13 | 12- | 48 |
| Woodstown | 14 | 15 | 12 | 11- | 52 |
WASHINGTON TWP. 64, PENNSVILLE 42
PENNSVILLE (17-8): Taylor Bass 17, Nora Ausland 9, Jaida Burns 2, Marley Wood 8, Addie Johnston 2, Izzy Saulin 4.
WASHINGTON TWP. (16-7): Leah Roe 10, Shyla McLean 17, Kate D’Ottaviano 6, Jade Mazzuca 3, Alaina LaMonica 15, Lena Giannini 6, Elena Dabrowski 7.
| Pennsville | 12 | 6 | 10 | 14- | 42 |
| Washington Twp. | 17 | 11 | 11 | 25- | 64 |
OVERBROOK 45, SALEM TECH 43
| Salem Tech (2-19) | 5 | 6 | 11 | 21- | 43 |
| Overbrook (6-18) | 6 | 18 | 11 | 10- | 45 |
Something to prove
Motivated Salem was the only Salem County boys team to emerge victorious from Tuesday’s opening round of the Tri-County Conference Tournament
TRI COUNTY BOYS TOURNAMENT
Flight A
Overbrook 59, Deptford Twp. 49
Pitman 52, Delsea 41
Timber Creek 58, Woodstown 49
Kingsway 73, Penns Grove 43
Flight B
Salem 57, Clearview 44
Gloucester Catholic 50, Triton 48
Glassboro 54, Williamstown 41
Highland 42, Washington Twp. 37
Flight C
Cumberland 67, Schalick 45
Wildwood 86, Pennsville 35
GCIT 86, Salem Tech 18
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Flight A
(4) Pitman at at (1) Overbrook
(3) Timber Creek at (2) Kingsway
Flight B
(8) Salem at (5) Gloucester Catholic
(7) Highland at (6) Glassboro
Flight C
(5) Cumberland at (1) Clayton
(3) Wildwood at (2) GCIT
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
MULLICA HILL – The last kind of team anybody wants to play in a tournament setting is one with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Salem has been playing with an us-against-the-world mindset for the last month or so and Tuesday added another notch in its belt, knocking off adjusted top-seed Clearview 57-44 in the opening round of B Flight play in the Tri-County Conference Tournament.
The Rams (12-12) have been facing an uphill climb since mid-January when the NJSIAA ruled they had played an ineligible player and stripped them of four victories. That created a cascade of challenges that left a 15-win team on the floor to be seeded eighth in the second tier bracket of their conference tournament and No. 11 in the upcoming South Jersey Group I tournament.
In addition, they had to play Tuesday without leading scorer Tymear Lecator, serving the first of a two-game suspension for his ejection in the Penns Grove game, which would have been coach Anthony Farmer’s 100th career coaching win without the NJSIAA ruling.
“We’re keeping receipts,” Farmer said. “We’re definitely playing it to the tee, playing it up. It’s us against everyone, no one’s going to give us anything, everyone’s against us, we’ve got to go take it.
“We’re embracing it. Nothing has gone our way this year, but that’s life. That’s adversity. Life is adversity. Basketball teaches you how to deal with that. We’ve been facing adversity all year, but it’s how you respond to it.”
The Rams showed they meant business right from the start Tuesday night, holding their hosts to two points in the first quarter and opening an 11-2 lead.
Neziah Spence led the Rams’ offense with 17 points. Deshaan Williams had 13 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Darrelle Johnson grabbed 10 rebounds and dished five assists. Xavier McGriff had eight points, eight boards and three steals. Joe Tunis brought energy for 11 points, five rebounds and three steals.
“When one guy guys goes, I know it’s a cliché, but it gives other guys opportunity to step up,” Farmer said. “That’s what this is about. We’ve been preaching the brotherhood all year, picking each other up.”
This year’s TCC B Flight has become a flight of fancy with all four lower seeds pulling off road “upsets” in the opening round. The Rams now travel to fifth-seeded Gloucester Catholic, one of those teams seeded ahead of them they have already beaten twice this season.
“We’re just trying to get better and hit our stride at the right time and win three, four in a row next week when it really matters,” Farmer said.
SALEM 57, CLEARVIEW 44
SALEM (12-12): Donovan Weathers 2 0-0 4, Xavier McGriff 4 0-0 8, Neziah Spence 6 2-2 17, Deshaan Williams 6 1-1 13, Darrelle Johnson 2 0-0 4, Antwuan Rogers 0 0-0 0, Joe Tunis 4 3-3 11. Totals 24 6-6 57.
CLEARVIEW (9-16): Luke Andres 7 2-2 19, J.D. Steidle 0 0-0 0, Jake Flotter 2 1-2 5, Jonah Turner 2 4-4 8, Georgie Kritikson 1 1-2 3, Luke Zuba 3 2-2 9, Brady Medel 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 10-12 44.
| Salem | 11 | 14 | 15 | 17- | 57 |
| Clearview | 2 | 14 | 10 | 18- | 44 |
KINGSWAY 73, PENNS GROVE 43
PENNS GROVE (11-12): Karon Ceaser 1 1-2 4, Luis Colon 1 2-4 4, Jeremy Costacamps 1 2-2 4, Roman Gipson 0 1-2 1, Carson Pearsall 2 4-4 9, Antoine Robinson 1 0-0 2, B.J. Robbins 2 2-2 6, Will Roy 6 0-0 13, Totals 14 12-16 43.
KINGSWAY (21-4): Dasir Williams-Ray 5 0-0 10, Brady Shelton 1 0-0 2, Mike Hart 5 4-4 15, Abdulai Bayraytay 1 0-2 3, Maurice Tavares 4 0-0 9, Luca Kuzmick 1 0-0 3, Terrence Collier 1 0-0 2, J.D. Johnson 1 0-0 2, Owen Ellison 1 2-2 5, Dylan Lewis 1 0-0 3, Czar Witherspoon 4 1-2 9, Richmond 2 0-0 4, Kai Tolley 3 0-0 6. Totals 30 7-10 73.
| Penns Grove | 4 | 6 | 10 | 23- | 43 |
| Kingsway | 16 | 23 | 18 | 16- | 73 |
TIMBER CREEK 58, WOODSTOWN 49
WOODSTOWN (14-9): Elijah Caesar 1 0-0 2, Blake Bialecki 4 2-2 12, Alejandro Vazquez 3 1-1 9, M.J. Hall 4 0-1 8, Garrett Leyman 2 4-7 8, Rocco String 4 2-3 10, Jalen Markward 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 9-14 49.
TIMBER CREEK (16-7): Asa Wharton 4 2-4 10, C.J. Atkins 4 0-2 9, Jerome Ford 6 2-2 14, Jaidyn Bolds 6 1-2 17, Noah Witzel-Smith 2 1-1 5, Ronald Johnston 0 1-2 1, Justice Avery 1 0-0 3, Roseby Lubintis 0 0-0 0, Julius Lee 0 0-0 0, Kenny Buchanan 0 0-0 0, Sencere Spriddle 0 0-0 0, Cody Murphy 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 7-13 58.
| Woodstown | 9 | 9 | 14 | 17- | 49 |
| Timber Creek | 14 | 6 | 19 | 19- | 58 |
CUMBERLAND 67, SCHALICK 45
CUMBERLAND (6-19): Kaleb Green 12, Josh Davis 9, Michael Hollis 8, Major Martin-Dunn 12, Pat Crawford 6, Kamal Branch 8, Dumajze Cartwright 2, Jaden Brown 4, Sincere Sadler 1, Khalif Dawkins 5.
SCHALICK (7-18): Reggie Allen 1 5-9 7, Nylan Sutton 8 1-6 17, Jamari Whitley 2 0-0 4, Sherrod Jones 2 3-4 8, Kenneth Bartee 1 0-0 2, Sean Kelly 2 3-6 7. Totals 16 12-25 45.
| Cumberland | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17- | 67 |
| Schalick | 4 | 6 | 17 | 18- | 45 |
WILDWOOD 86, PENNSVILLE 35
PENNSVILLE (2-22): Daniel Knight 2 1-2 6, Mason O’Brien 3 0-0 8, Cole Johnston 0 0-0 0, Adrian Alleyne 2 0-0 5, Jacob Miller 2 0-0 6, Gavin Spears 2 0-0 5, Logan Hill 1 1-2 4, C.J. McDevitt 0 1-2 1, Noah Owen 0 0-0 0, J.P. Laughrey 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 3-6 35.
WILDWOOD (8-15): Eric Jordan 5 0-0 10, Nolan Mawhinney 8 1-1 20, Trevor Troiano 2 0-0 6, Vinny Sweeney 3 0-0 7, Jordan Dozier 0 0-0 0, Daniel Benichou 3 0-0 7, Gianni Troiano 4 0-0 9, Justice Santiago 1 0-0 2, Brian Cunniff 6 2-2 14, Sammy Santiago 1 0-0 2, Jeff Knight 1 1-2 3, Jack Fullerton 3 0-0 6. Totals 37 4-5 86.
| Pennsville | 5 | 7 | 16 | 7- | 35 |
| Wildwood | 21 | 22 | 26 | 17- | 86 |
GCIT 86, SALEM TECH 18
| Salem Tech (0-21) | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3- | 18 |
| GCIT (11-14) | 16 | 25 | 23 | 22- | 86 |
So close, so far
Salem CC women fall in final bid to make region playoffs, take No. 14 Montgomery County deep into the fourth quarter but run out of gas
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Brian Marsh had never seen his Salem CC women’s basketball team in a do-or-die situation before and frankly he was a little nervous about how it would handle it.
The Mighty Oaks had to beat nationally ranked Montgomery County in Tuesday’s Sophomore Night season finale to qualify for the Region XIX Division II playoffs. There was no two ways around it: Win and you’re in with a .500 record, lose and the season’s over. There was no tomorrow.
Would the moment be too big for a program in only its second year back on the floor or would the team that already exceeded last year’s production cast the pressure aside and deliver in a big moment.
It didn’t start off so well, but the moment wasn’t too big for the Mighty Oaks. They gave themselves a chance in the second half — some might even say had the Mustangs on the run – but they just didn’t have enough at the end and suffered a 55-43 defeat that brought their season to a close.
“We had a lot of things work against us, but I thought we played really well in the second half energy wise, we just didn’t make shots,” Marsh said. “I was worried it was going to be too big a moment, but I don’t really think that happened. I just thought we didn’t make shots, and that happens.”
Actually, the Mighty Oaks came within three minutes and eight seconds of making the region playoffs for the first time in 20 years. They trailed by only four with 3:08 to play and five with 2:36 left, but didn’t score the rest of the game.
They were hurt on the boards in the first half and didn’t shoot well the whole game. They were outrebounded badly by the 14th-ranked Mustangs (22-2) in the first half, but thanks to a halftime adjustment held their own on the boards in the second half.
What really hurt them was going 2-for-22 from 3-point range, 0-for-14 in the second half.
It was their worst night from behind the arc at home since bringing the program back last year and third overall, behind only a 2-for-23 in a mid-January win at Anne Arundel this year and a 2-for-26 last Feb. in a dreadful loss at RCSJ-Gloucester.
“I’ve got to give them credit,” Marsh said. “They did some things, they did just enough to win or found the right people and were making free throws at the end. I thought we played our hearts out. At some point you’ve gotta make shots and we didn’t.”
The Mighty Oaks wanted to jump out quickly to control the pace but fell behind by 11 in the first quarter. They kept the deficit from getting any larger in the half by holding the Mustangs to just nine points in the second quarter.
It was a five-point game with 3:42 left in the third quarter, but five straight empty possessions led to seven Montco points and the deficit was back up to 12. The Mighty Oaks cut it to four for the first time with 7:08 to go on a pair of Alexa Hopkins free throws and twice more later after layups by Nyaijah Jackson and Maggie St. Clair, but they never could get closer.
In addition to the better rebounding, the Mighty Oaks had 12 steals in the second half and forced the Mustangs into 19 turnovers.
“I realized after the first half we needed to step it up,” sophomore Caroline Zullo said. “In the second half I think we all kind of realized, especially the sophomores, that this might be our last game so we had to step it up. We tried our best, we just came up short.”
Zullo hit a free throw with 2:36 to play to make it 48-43, but that would be the Mighty Oaks’ final point of the season as they didn’t score again and the Mustangs pulled away with seven free throws over the final two minutes.
Jackson led the Mighty Oaks with 16 points and was their only scorer in double figures. St. Clair had nine points, six rebounds and five steals in her final JUCO game. The Mustangs had two scorers in double figures and three players with 10 or more rebounds.
GATHERING ACORNS: The Mighty Oaks started their five sophomores on Sophomore Night. For Hopkins, it was her first start since Jan. 7 against Camden … With Salem failing to qualify, the Region XIX Division II women’s playoffs are expected to be a six-team affair … The win was Monaco’s 18th in a row … Salem guard Kathryn Laurence scored her 500th career point in the first half. St. Clair scored her 500th point in the Lackawanna game.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY CC 55, SALEM CC 43
MONTCO (22-2) — Azjiona Golston 7-15 3-6 19, Tieisha Walker 2-10 3-6 7, Rachel Dunn 4-14 0-1 8, Alana Decker 1-3 0-0 2, Molly Butler 5-7 2-2 12, Kyla Taylor 0-2 0-2 0, Koumba Samassa 3-9 0-0 6, Sanaa Gulled 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 22-61 9-19 55.
SALEM CC (11-13) — Caroline Zullo 1-6 1-4 3, Maggie St. Clair 4-19 0-2 9, Kathryn Laurence 2-13 1-2 5, Jakayla Jenkins 0-5 0-0 0, Alexa Hopkins 2-4 2-2 7, RayNescia King 0-2 0-0 0, Nyaijah Jackson 8-16 0-2 16, Dani Gustin 1-1 0-1 2, Akira Chambers 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 18-67 5-15 43.
| Montgomery | 22 | 9 | 11 | 13- | 55 |
| Salem CC | 11 | 9 | 12 | 11- | 43 |
Tourney pairings
Here are the South Jersey Group I basketball tournament pairings; Woodstown, Penns Grove set up to host doubleheaders, Pennsville girls get home game, Schalick girls, Salem boys open on road
GIRLS
Feb. 26 Games
(16) Schalick at (1) Haddon Twp.
(9) Glassboro at (8) Penns Grove
(12) Cape May Tech at (5) Audubon
(13) Gateway at (4) Woodstown
(14) Riverside at (3) Wildwood
(11) Woodbury at (6) Pennsville
(10) Burlington City at (7) Clayton
(15) New Egypt at (2) Palmyra
March 1 Games
Schalick-Haddon Twp. vs. Glassboro-Penns Grove
Cape May Tech-Audubon vs. Gateway-Woodstown
Riverside-Wildwood vs. Woodbury-Pennsville
Burlington City-Clayton vs. New Egypt-Palmyra
BOYS
Feb. 26 Games
(16) Wildwood at (1) Pitman
(9) Burlington City at (8) Penns Grove
(12) Glassboro at (5) Woodbury
(13) Paulsboro at (4) Audubon
(14) Clayton at (3) Haddon Twp.
(11) Salem at (6) Palmyra
(10) New Egypt at (7) Woodstown
(15) Maple Shade at (2) KIPP Cooper Norcross
March 1 Games
Wildwood-Pitman vs. Burlington City-Penns Grove
Glassboro-Woodbury vs. Paulsboro-Audubon
Clayton-Haddon Twp. vs. Salem-Palmyra
New Egypt-Woodstown vs. Maple Shade-KIPP Cooper Norcross
21 and counting
Mighty Oaks open second half in big way, pull away from Sussex to close regular season with a victory; finish sixth in region standings, await playoffs
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
NEWTON – There was still six minutes left in halftime and the Salem CC basketball team was out there on the floor getting up shots. Usually, the Mighty Oaks would still be in the dressing room making plans for the second half, but this time coach Mike Green had said his peace and there was nothing more to do there.
The Mighty Oaks rolled out the ball rack and spent the rest of the break in the layup line. They were a different team in the second half because of it.
If the first five minutes of a half set the tone for the way a team will play, the Mighty Oaks couldn’t have started better. They opened the second half on an 18-2 tear to pull away from a tie game and went on to beat Sussex CC 89-64 Monday to complete the winningest regular season since the revival of the program.
“I needed to say some things and when you’re not playing up to your level nobody has much to say so it was quick,” Green explained. “You’re gonna hear what I’ve got to say, now get your butts out there and warm up.
“They were a lot tougher in the second half. The first half I think we kind of got pushed around. We just challenged them. We’re not the same team on the road that we are at home. Our next game will be on the road so if you come out like this against any of the teams in the playoffs you’re going to have a hard time getting back in the game and your season is gonna be cut short.”
With Camden’s win over Ocean Monday, the Mighty Oaks (21-7, 13-5) will finish sixth in the Region XIX Division III standings and likely be the sixth seed to face projected No. 3 CC of Philadelphia in the region tournament. They will learn their official seed, first-round opponent and the site of their opening-round game following Wednesday’s region seeding meeting.
Because the region receives two direct bids to the JUCO national tournament, the region will incorporate two separate brackets to produce two champions. Three Region XIX teams were included in the most recent Division III Top 15 and two others, including the Mighty Oaks, received votes for consideration.
“I don’t know who we’ll play, but we’ll be ready,” Green said. “I don’t know what we look like to other people. I feel like we should be a tough draw for anybody. I don’t know if the league feels that way, but it really doesn’t matter now, the games are here.
“We’ll be ready regardless who it is. I already started that. Weeks ago. All three teams we could possibly play, I’ve got them down. And for the next round. I’ve already started.”
Akeem Taylor led the Mighty Oaks with 25 points and nine rebounds. Xavier Brewington (16), Tyrese Fortune (14) and Tamir Powell (10) also scored in double figures. Jyheim Spencer grabbed 11 rebounds and A.J. Jones had six assists.
The teams played to a 33-33 tie in the first half with Taylor hitting a layup to beat the buzzer. Four minutes into the second half the Mighty Oaks had a 16-point lead.
Brewington and Taylor opened the second-half run with back-to-back 3-pointers. Fortune closed it out with eight straight points. Spencer had the other four points.
“We’re going to find somebody who’s going to play how I want them to play,” Green said. “I gave the guys who started the game another opportunity and they showed up.”
Moments after the Skylanders hit a pair of free throws to make it 51-37, Taylor answered with a putback, but limped towards the sideline with an apparent ankle injury and collapsed behind the Salem bench. He made his way to the training room, then returned to the floor about five minutes later and immediately hit a putback and one to give the Mighty Oaks a 65-48 lead.
The Salem CC women play for their Region XIX Division II playoff lives in their regular-season finale at home Tuesday night.
| Salem CC | 33 | 56- | 89 |
| Sussex | 33 | 31- | 64 |
PROJECTED REGION XIX SEEDS
1-Union, 2-Montgomery, 3-Philadelphia, 4-Northampton, 5-Camden, 6-Salem, 7-Brookdale, 8-Ocean, 9-Atlantic Cape, 10-RCSJ Gloucester
This week’s schedule
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Feb. 17-23
FEB. 17
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Sussex CC, 5 p.m.
FEB. 18
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Tri-County Conference Tournament
Flight A
(8) Timber Creek at (1) Gloucester Catholic
(5) GCIT at (4) Wildwood, 4 p.m.
(6) Clearview at (3) Woodstown
(7) Pennsville at (2) Washington Twp.
Flight B
(8) Cumberland at (1) Williamstown
(5) Glassboro at (4) Triton, 4 p.m.
(6) Kingsway at (3) Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
(7) Delsea at (2) Clayton, 5 p.m.
Flight C
(5) Salem at (4) Schalick, 4 p.m.
(6) Salem Tech at (3) Overbrook, 4:30 p.m.
(7) Highland at (2) Pitman
BOYS BASKETBALL
Tri-County Conference Tournament
Flight A
(8) Deptford Twp. at (1) Overbrook, 6 p.m.
(5) Delsea at (4) Pitman
(6) Woodstown at (3) Timber Creek, 5 p.m.
(7) Penns Grove at (2) Kingsway, 5 p.m.
Flight B
(8) Salem at (1) Clearview
(5) Gloucester Catholic at (4) Triton, 6 p.m.
(6) Glassboro at (3) Williamstown, 4 p.m.
(7) Highland at (2) Washington Twp.
Flight C
(5) Cumberland at (4) Schalick
(6) Pennsville at (3) Wildwood
(7) Salem Tech at (2) GCIT, 4 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Montgomery County (Pa.) CC at Salem CC, 5 p.m.
FEB. 19
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at Cherry Hill West, 4 p.m.
BOYS BOWLING
South Jersey Group I Semifinals
Salem vs. Clayton at Bolero Bowl
Maple Shade at Camden Catholic
FEB. 20
GIRLS BASKETBALL
TCC Tournament
Flight A
Timber Creek-Gloucester Catholic vs. GCIT-Wildwood
Clearview-Woodstown vs. Pennsville-Washington Twp.
Flight B
Cumberland-Williamstown vs. Glassboro-Triton
Kingsway-Penns Grove vs. Delsea-Clayton
Flight C
Salem-Schalick at Deptford Twp.
Salem Tech-Overbrook vs. Highland-Pitman
BOYS BASKETBALL
TCC Tournament
Flight A
Deptford Twp.-Overbrook vs. Delsea-Pitman
Woodstown-Timber Creek vs. Penns Grove-Kingsway
Flight B
Salem-Clearview vs. Gloucester Catholic-Triton
Glassboro-Williamstown vs. Highland-Washington Twp.
Flight C
Cumberland-Schalick at Clayton
Pennsville-Wildwood vs. Salem Tech-GCIT
FEB. 21
WRESTLING
District Tournaments
Penns Grove, Salem in District 32, RCSJ-Gloucester
Pennsville, Schalick, Woodstown in District 30, Delsea
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Genesee CC at Salem CC (2), 2 p.m.
FEB. 22
GIRLS BASKETBALL
TCC Tournament A, B, C Championships
BOYS BASKETBALL
TCC Tournament A, B, C Championships
FEB. 23
TRACK
NJSIAA Group Championships, Bennett Center, Toms River
Power pairings
Here are the projected South Jersey Group I high school basketball tournament pairings based purely on power points standings; other factors may impact the official bracket
BOYS
No. 16 Wildwood at No. 1 Pitman
No. 9 Burlington City at No. 8 Penns Grove
No. 12 Glassboro at No. 5 Woodbury
No. 13 Paulsboro at No. 4 Audubon
No. 14 Clayton at No. 3 Haddon Twp.
No. 11 Salem at No. 6 Palmyra
No. 10 New Egypt at No. 7 Woodstown
No. 15 Maple Shade at No. 2 KIPP Cooper
GIRLS
No. 16 New Egypt at No. 1 Haddon Twp.
No. 9 Glassboro at No. 8 Penns Grove
No. 12 Cape May Tech at No. 5 Audubon
No. 13 Gateway at No. 4 Woodstown
No. 14 Riverside at No. 3 Wildwood
No. 11 Woodbury at No. 6 Pennsville
No. 10 Burlington City at No. 7 Clayton
No. 15 Pitman at No. 2 Palmyra
One last shot
The Salem CC women’s region playoff hopes rest with the season finale after road loss to Lackawanna
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SCRANTON, Pa. — If the Salem CC women’s basketball team wants to play in the region playoffs for the first time in 20 years, it will have to win its final game of the regular season. There will be no scoreboard watching, except the one in Dupont Fieldhouse. It’ll all be on them.
The Mighty Oaks lost their final road game of the regular season Saturday, 72-57 at Lackawanna. It left them one game under .500 for the season and needing to beat Division III No. 15 Montgomery County CC Tuesday in a game already steeped with Sophomore Night emotion to qualify for the Region XIX playoffs.
They last time they had a .500 or better record that would have gotten them in the playoffs was 2005-06 (14-14).
“Nothing has been easy with this team this year so why would this last game be any different?” Mighty Oaks coach Brian Marsh said. “It all comes down to one game on Sophomore Day and it won’t be handed to us. We have to go get it.
“I have faith this team will do what is necessary and come away with the win in their last home game of the year.”
The Mighty Oaks got off to a slow start against the Falcons (16-6) and couldn’t recover. They shot just 3-of-16 from the floor in the first quarter and 7-of-29 in the first half and trailed by 15 at the break. Lackawanna scored 28 points in the paint and 19 points off Salem turnovers.
“We played hard and our energy was great, but our execution was poor,” Marsh said. “We missed a lot of layups.”
Two Salem CC players reached personal milestones in the game. Maggie St. Clair led the Mighty Oaks with 15 points and went over 500 points for her JUCO career. Kathryn Laurence hit two 3-pointers among her eight points to reach 100 treys for her career. She needs three points for 500.
“Very proud of Kathryn, who in my opinion is the best shooter in program history,” Marsh said. “Maggie is a dynamic scorer, so I expect her to score for us regardless of the opponent.”
LACKAWANNA 72, SALEM CC 56
SALEM CC (11-12): RayNescia King 0-0 0-0 0, Nyaijah Jackson 5-11 4-7 14, Caroline Zullo 3-10 0-0 6, Maggie St. Clair 4-22 6-7 15, Jakayla Jenkins 1-7 0-0 2, Kathryn Laurence 3-12 0-0 8, Dani Gustin 0-3 3-4 3, Akira Chambers 2-2 3-4 7, Alexa Hopkins 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 19-69 16-22 57.
LACKAWANNA (16-6): Eternity Aiken 4-5 3-4 11, Semi Young 0-4 3-4 3, Diamond Wilson 0-6 0-2 0, Sophia Suma 0-0 2-2 2, Salote Franklin 6-11 2-2 15, Desiree White 5-14 3-6 15, Jayla South 4-14 2-2 10, Saraiah Franklin 4-8 3-6 12, Kalea Ferguson 1-6 0-0 2, Anna Crocker 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 25-71 18-28 72.
| Salem CC | 9 | 13 | 14 | 21- | 57 |
| Lackawanna | 17 | 20 | 11 | 24- | 72 |
