Category: BASKETBALL

Bittersweet moment

Battavio passes 1,000 points for her career, but Woodstown falls to Cherokee in close game in SJIBT Elite 8, will be updated; includes other county games of the day

SJIBT ELITE EIGHT
Saturday’s Games
Paul VI 77, Timber Creek 33
Cherokee 55, Woodstown 49
Sunday’s Games
Moorestown vs. Gloucester Catholic, 4:45 p.m.
Cinnaminson vs. Williamstown, 6 p.m.

OTHER GAMES
Girls
Pennsville 47, West Deptford 41
Boys
Gloucester Catholic 59, Woodstown 57
Salem 61, Paulsboro 60

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

VOORHEES – She really wasn’t feeling it right after the game, but in a day or so, once the sting of a hard-fought loss melts into the preparation of the next game, Talia Battavio will feel the rush accomplishment wash over her like it never has before in her career.

Battavio became the second Woodstown player to score her 1,000th career point this week when she reached the milestone in the third quarter of Saturday night’s Elite 8 game of the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament at Eastern Regional High School.

The only thing that kept it from being a perfect night was her Wolverines lost to second-seeded Cherokee 55-49.

“It’s a good accomplishment, but it’s not the biggest thing to me,” the junior guard said. “I’m more proud of the South Jersey championship banner that we have and being undefeated in the division, and I think that’s more important than any individual accomplishment.

“It really does not mean anything; we didn’t get the win as a team.”

Woodstown’s Talia Battavio stands with the banner commemorating her membership in the 1,000-Point Club.

Battavio became the 11th player in the Woodstown girls program to score 1,000 points. She pumped in 28 in the game – matching her career high set earlier this year against Bridgeton – and now has 1,009 for her career, with the rest of this year and all next season to go. Teammate Megan Donelson, also a junior, reached the milestone Thursday night at Pennsville.

Woodstown plans a special ceremony to recognize the feats Wednesday night.

“I think they’re both relieved,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “I feel like I’ve lost 10 pounds (during the pursuit) because two girls in a week with 1,000 points. Two juniors.

“She honestly had no clue how many more she needed, which I was worried coming into the game that she was going to get in her head because she’s the queen of doing too much, but she was just enough. She was perfect. She was great.” 

Battavio is the fourth Salem County player to notch their 1,000th point this season, joining Donelson and boys players Luke Wood (Pennsville) and Anthony Farmer (Salem). Penns Grove’s Meely Horace (998) can join the club as early as Tuesday.

She needed 19 entering the game and set her sights on it after collecting 11 in the first half. She added nine more in the fourth quarter, including a rare four-point play with 20 seconds left that got her team to 52-48.

“I came in here and I said I’m going to get it,” Battavio said. “I do the best against good teams like this. I come in clutch when it comes to things like this and I love that.”

A free throw by Donelson after the four-point play made it 52-49, but the Wolverines had to foul to give themselves a chance and the Chiefs made three free throws in the final 15 seconds to close it out.

Battavio had envisioned reaching the milestone on one of her signature high-arching 3-pointers in a game the Wolverines would win. Instead, it came on a free throw with 5.5 seconds left in the third quarter.

In a sense, the free throw was an even better scenario because everyone in the gym knew what it was worth and it gave the player a chance to settle and savor the moment without the worry of having to immediately get back on defense. She actually made two free throws in the situation to draw the Wolverines within 36-30 at the end of the quarter.

There weren’t many who gave Woodstown much of a chance. The Chiefs (15-5) have won the tournament five of the last six years and are now in the Final Four for the eighth year in a row, but the Wolverines (14-4) were never out of the game, even when Donelson went out in foul trouble and post Shannon Pierman fouled out.

Three times they had fallen behind by 10 in the second half – as late as with 4:59 to play – and each time they climbed back into the game.

“I think a lot of people take us for granted because we’re a small school, but we wanted that more,” Battavio said. “We have a lot of more heart and it felt like it, too. We all work together, we all want it, it’s a great team.”

“For us to come in and lose by a handful, I can’t ask them for anything else,” Straughn said. “If we play like that against anybody in Group I, we’re beating them by 20 or 30. If we play like that against Wildwood, there’s no way it’s going to be the same outcome (as their 27-point loss 10 days ago). They played their butts off.”

Woodstown returns to the tournament Saturday at 8 p.m. against the loser of Sunday’s Moorestown-Gloucester Catholic game. If that happens to be Gloucester Catholic there already has been discussion of a shifting loser bracket opponents to avoid a Tri-County Conference matchup.

SJIBT ELITE EIGHT
CHEROKEE 55, WOODSTOWN 49
WOODSTOWN (14-4) – Talia Battavio 10 4-5 28, Megan Donelson 4 6-10 15, Gianna Mairoini 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Baber 0 1-2 1, Shannon Pierman 1 3-6 5, Lauren Hengle 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 14-23 49.
CHEROKEE (15-5) – Brielle Alaba 4 6-8 16, Olivia Salverian 2 1-2 7, Sofia Recinto 2 0-0 4, Leila McNair 2 0-0 6, Jada Branford 6 4-6 16, Abby Ball 1 2-2 4, Jordan Arnold 1 0-2 2. Totals 18 13-20 55.

Woodstown5141119 –49
Cherokee11131219 – 55
3-point goals: Woodstown 5 (Battavio 4, Donelson); Cherokee 6 (Alaba 2, Salverian 2, McNair 2). Fouled out: Pierman, Alaba, Recinto. Total fouls: Woodstown 22, Cherokee 20.

PENNSVILLE 47, WEST DEPTFORD 41: The Eagles trailed by eight entering the fourth quarter, but Nora Ausland and Taylor Bass combined for 13 points to fuel their comeback. Ausland finished with 18 points and Bass had 10.

PENNSVILLE (8-11) – Calli Ausland 1 0-0 2, Nora Ausland 7 3-3 18, Taylor Bass 5 0-1 10, Karsen Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Bella Farina 3 0-2 6, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 1 0-2 2, Marley Wood 4 1-1 9. Totals 21 4-9 47.
WEST DEPTFORD (8-11) – Janie Cross 2 1-2 7, Alivia Arrera 2 0-0 4, Jescenia Diaz 1 0-0 2, DaeOnna Lawrence 3 2-3 8, Reyanna Jamison 4 2-2 10, Alyssa Taylor 0 0-0 0, Olivia Smith 0 0-0 0, Carleen Connelly 2 0-0 4, Addison Fronza 1 0-0 3, Jumanna Abdelhamid 1 1-2 3, Micahya Devose 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 6-9 41.

Pennsville126920 –47
West Deptford516146 –41
3-point goals: Pennsville 1 (N. Ausland); West Deptford 3 (Cross 2, Fronza). Total fouls: Pennsville 13, West Deptford 11.

Boys Games

BATTLE BY THE BAY
SALEM 61, PAULSBORO 60
PAULSBORO (8-10) – Malakhai McKenzie 6 1-2 14, Ty Hodges 5 3-7 13, Antonio Pandolfo 2 5-6 11, Ryann Briscoe 2 3-5 7, Aiden Milligan 2 0-0 6, Eric Scott 1 3-4 5, Jamal Robinson 2 0-0 4, Stephen Lane 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 15-28 60.
SALEM (13-6) – Paul Weathers 8 0-0 16, Ramaji Bundy 2 0-0 5, Jabez DeJesus 2 102 7, Tymear Lecator 5 5-6 18, Anthony Farmer 2 11-13 15. Totals 19 17-21 61.

Paulsboro17101221 – 60
Salem15161713 –61
3-point goals: Paulsboro 5 (McKenzie, Pandolfo 2, Milligan 2); Salem 6 (Bundy, DeJesus 2, Lecator 3).

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 59, WOODSTOWN 57 (OT)
WOODSTOWN (9-7) – Blake Bialecki 6 0-0 16, M.J. Hall 2 0-2 4, Garrett Leyman 2 0-0 4, Max Webb 7 0-0 18, Rocco String 4 0-0 8, Elijah Caesar 2 0-0 5. Totals 23 0-2 57.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (12-7) – Carlos Mendez 4 3-4 13, Jack Mustaro 8 3-5 22, Trey Battle 4 0-0 9, Billy Ginipro 1 0-0 3, Kyle Guldin 5 0-3 10, Ehthan Dugue 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 6-12 59.

Woodstown121317105 –57
Gloucester Cath.14171110 7 –55
3-point goals: Woodstown 11 (Bialecki 3, Hall 2, Webb 4, Caesar); Gloucester Catholic 7 (Mendez 2, Mustaro 3, Battle, Ginipro).

Cover photo: Woodstown’s Talia Battavio focuses on the rim as she prepares to score the 1,000th point of her high school career in the SJIBT Elite Eight against Cherokee Saturday night.

Learning curve

Couple of rough patches conspire to send Salem CC women to defeat in final home game of season

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Whether you’re a new team in the game or been playing since Naismith hung his first peach basket, three principles remain true about the game. If you don’t protect the ball, rebound and finish at the rim, you don’t win.

The revived Salem Community College women’s basketball team went through three such stretches Saturday and in a 71-41 loss to Raritan Valley CC in the Dupont Field House.

Salem CC’s Carly Santimaw (1) takes a defensive stance against Raritan Valley’s Jakayia Jenkins in Saturday’s game.

There was a 10-0 run over the final 4:30 of the first quarter that gave the Lions control of the game. Then there was a 15-4 spree over about the same stretch in the third quarter and finally a forgettable 12-2 fourth quarter in which it didn’t score a field goal.

Take away those stretches and the Mighty Oaks (8-11) hung with a sophomore-laden team of internationals that until recently had been ranked in the JUCO Division II Top 20.

“It’s one of the things we’ve been fighting through, honestly,” Oaks coach Brian Marsh said. “Our energy was there, but our execution wasn’t there.”

That kind of thing can happen when you bring in nine players from nine different schools who played the game nine different ways and try to blend them into one system that wasn’t necessarily the one they signed up for. With a year together under Marsh’s Way next season should go a lot smoother.

“I think if we work on those things for next year they will definitely be great next year,” added Carly Santimaw, a freshman with sophomore credits from Pennsville. “It’s just kind of a learning progress, we just learn as we go and it’s the first year, so …”

The loss was Salem’s fourth in a row and forces the Oaks to win their final three games on the road to make the playoffs.

The game was Salem’s final home game of its first season since bringing the program back after a 10-year break. The school shuttered the program after the 2013-14 season.

Since revitalizing the program Marsh has been trying to spread the word that there is a program here and beating the bushes to find players. He originally was hired as an assistant coach to find players for the upstart program, then was elevated to head coach when the former coach left abruptly for the Midwest. 

Both of the players who played their final home games for the Oaks Saturday joined the program after originally coming to campus to do something else. Kyla Buerger came in from Houston to play softball, but she played basketball in high school and became intrigued about helping start a program from the ground floor. Santimaw was coming to Salem just to study, but also liked what she hearing when the Oaks coaches came to her Senior Night at Salem Tech.

“I was really excited,” Buerger said. “I love being a part of stuff like this. I’m not going to lie, it’s been a tough year. We’re not the tallest (team), but it’s mainly the heart that our team has (that helps it persevere).”

“It’s a cool thing to be a part of, because we’re making history,” Santimaw said. “It’s great to be a part of that.”

The Mighty Oaks recognized one of the stars of that last team. After an exhaustive search through the archives over the summer, the school discovered Shaqui Coppage was the all-time leading scorer in program history and recognized the accomplishment at halftime.

Coppage scored 1,236 points in her two seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14) with the Oaks and is second on the school’s all-time scoring list regardless of gender. She scored 1,262 points at Salem High School before that.

She honestly didn’t know where she stood on the all-time list. When the school shut down the program, all the banners and records went into storage – until a summer intern went through them to bring the records up to date.

“It was amazing because I didn’t know any of it until now,” Coppage said. “To know all this now, with the numbers and being the all-time leading scorer, it’s overwhelming. I’m overwhelmed with different emotions. Like I want to cry, but I’m smiling real hard.”

Coppage averaged 22.9 in her sophomore year, which turned out to the program’s final season for a long time. The players learned during the year the program would be discontinued at the end of the season, but they were determined to finish strong and got the team into the playoffs for the first time in 20 years.

She was disappointed they shut it down, but was over the moon when she learned they were bringing it back.

“I was very proud of the school to do so,” she said. “Basketball was the thing that kept me going. It pushed me and for another little girl it could be the same for them, too. It was good to know they brought it back. I have a daughter as well now, so that’s something she can look forward to.” 

RARITAN VALLEY 71, SALEM CC 41
RARITAN VALLEY (19-5) – Kerine Thomas 3 0-0 7, Judith Vila 7 0-0 16, Freya Rauschenfels 1 1-2 3, Lucia Noin 11 2-2 24, Quanajah Felder 3 0-0 8, JaNya Mills 2 0-1 4, Vega Gil 2 1-2 5, Julia Fontanillo 2 0-0 4, Alexis Junker 0 0-0 0. Totals 31 4-7 71.
SALEM CC (8-11) – Caroline Zullo 0-6 1-4 1, Maggie St. Clair 2-8 0-0 5, Jakayla Jenkins 1-9 5-6 7, Kyla Buerger 0-0 0-0 0, Carly Santimaw 2-12 0-0 5, Alexa Hopkins 4-8 0-0 11, Callie Rozak 0-0 0-0 0, Kathryn Laurence 4-9 2-4 12. Totals 13-52 8-14 41.

Raritan Valley21152312 –71
Salem CC91416 2 –41
3-point goals: Raritan Valley 5 (Thomas, Vila 2, Felder 2); Salem CC 7-18 (St. Clair 1-2, Santimaw 1-4, Hopkins 3-4, Laurence 2-5). Total fouls: Raritan Valley 9, Salem CC 5.
Salem CC athletics director Bob Bunnell (R) recognizes Shaqui Coppage as the all-time leading scorer in the school’s women’s basketball program. On the cover, Mighty Oaks coach Brian Marsh draws up a play during a timeout in Saturday’s game.

Last look

Salem CC women’s basketball team to play its final home game of season Saturday, will recognize Oaks legend Coppage during the day

By Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – The Salem Community College revived women’s basketball team has been nothing short of road warriors this second half of the season, but Saturday the Mighty Oaks get one final chance to play at home and will recognize one of the legends of their game in the process.

The Oaks (8-10) host Raritan Valley CC (18-5) in their final home game of the season in a noon tip at DuPont Field House. They’ll be looking to snap a three-game losing streak against some of their stiffest competition of the year and secure a winning record at home for the season.

They’ve played their previous four games on the road and will wrap their revival season with three road games after Saturday’s contest.

Salem revived its women’s basketball program this season after a 10-year break from competition and the team is slowly trying to regain a foothold in the Garden State Athletic Conference and JUCO’s Region 19.

As part of the day’s events the school plans to recognize Shaqui Coppage, the fourth player to score 1,000 career points in the program’s history. That’s 1,000 points at a two-year school. Coppage also was a 1,000-point scorer at Salem High School.

Ironically, Raritan Valley was the opposition the last time Salem recognized Coppage’s milestone as a sophomore in 2014.

It’s just another way coach Brian Marsh is trying to spread the word to the community that there is a college team in their own backyard. That’s just one of the challenges one faces when restarting a program.

“It’s been a great learning experience for me,” Marsh said. “It’s not been all sunny and rainbows, but one thing is (the players) haven’t quit. They’ve fought through some things.”

Identity through adversity

Shorthanded Pennsville comes through a rough week 3-1 to gain confidence for stretch run; updated to include boxscores of other county games

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Boys
Pennsville 49, West Deptford 46
Riverside 59, Salem Tech 31
Schalick 49, Gateway 40
Girls
Gateway 41, Schalick 33
Gloucester Catholic 83, Salem 31
St. Joe (Hamm.) 43, Salem Tech 36

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – No team deserves to go through the turmoil the Pennsville basketball team has endured this past week. But it happens. And because it did, it just might have been the thing the Eagles needed to establish their identity.

The Eagles have been down three starters for a variety of reasons since last Saturday. Many other teams might have packed it in, but the Eagles were determined to rise above. They went 3-1 this week without them, capped by Friday night’s 49-46 win over West Deptford.

It wasn’t easy and the bullet they dodged could have put them on the deck. They needed a big second half to beat one-win Gateway, but lost the night’s leading scorer Jayden Thomas to a severe ankle sprain in the closing seconds. They needed overtime to get past Schalick, got blown out by Woodstown Thursday and then needed a put-back by Peyton O’Brien with 18 seconds left and two Luke Wood free throws with 3.9 seconds to go to turn back West Deptford after blowing an second-half lead.

Thomas wasn’t the only one who’s been out. Center Danny Saulin was serving the final game of a four-game state/school suspension for a flagrant foul in the Triton game Saturday and they were missing Malik Rehmer for disciplinary reasons. Saulin is due back Monday, while Thomas remains day-to-day.

The Eagles came out of the gauntlet 9-11 on the season when under different outcomes they could easily be 6-14.

“We’re gaining a lot of confidence because guys are stepping up that haven’t had to step up a lot this year and we’re just coming together as a team,” O’Brien said. “Having that many issues you’re not like scared, but you know there are going to be some struggles, but I feel like we faced adversity pretty well.”

“Through the fire, now we’re stronger,” coach Joe Mecholsky said. “I didn’t think (they needed that to find their identity), but that’s the outcome. I didn’t think so, but hindsight being undefeated, that’s what we got.”

Pennsville was hot right out of the gate on this night, opening a 15-4 lead and holding a seven-point lead in the third quarter under a hail of 3-pointers. The Eagles made a season-high eight 3s in the game. They had hit eight in their previous three games combined.

Wood had six of them, including a running buzzer-beater to give them a nine-point halftime lead. He finished with 22 points and moved into fifth place on Pennsville’s all-time boys scoring list (1,107).

“When the roulette wheel keeps coming up red, red, red, red, red – missed 3s, missed 3s, missed 3s, missed 3s – it had to come up black one time,” Mecholsky said. “It came up black for us tonight. The little ball landed on the black for us tonight.”

“We haven’t been able to shoot all season and to finally break through and make some 3s, the whole team, it felt really good,” Wood said.

But their biggest plays of the game came around the basket in the final minute. After being down most of the game, West Deptford held a 46-43 lead with 1:21 to play.

Cohen Petrutz’ putback got Pennsville within one with 56 seconds left. West Deptford gave Pennsville the chance to get back in it when Aiden Cranmer missed two free throws, Mark Koszowski missed the putback and O’Brien cleared the rebound.

Wood missed a spinning layup in traffic for the lead at the other end, but O’Brien was in the perfect spot underneath to rebound and put it back to give Pennsville a 47-46 lead. O’Brien had 10 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

“I’m exhausted still from yesterday,” O’Brien said. “Yesterday I had to play a full game and that was a tough game, too. I tried my hardest to get that rebound, doing whatever it takes. I knew if that one didn’t go in then I had to be the one to get it back.”

Cranmer missed again with 3.9 seconds left. This time Wood rebounded and was fouled. He sank both free throws at the other end to make it a three-point game and after a time out to set the final play Cranmer missed a shot from mid-court at the buzzer.

“To go up and get shellacked last night and come back tonight and not fold under the pressure after we gave up a nine-point lead and stick to what we were doing showed a tremendous amount of fortitude in these young men,” Mecholsky said.

“I think our team has just found itself,” Wood said. “This whole past week I think we’ve jelled together, realized what everyone’s good at it, we’ve started playing together a lot better like we know we can. As a whole team it made us stronger. This whole past week I think we’ve really shown up and down our lineup we’re going to go out there and compete and we’re really a basketball team.”

PENNSVILLE 49, WEST DEPTFORD 46
WEST DEPTFORD (6-13) – Andre Johnson 4 0-1 8, Zayd Mijahid 1 0-0 3, Mark Koszowski 2 8-9 12, Jalen Chandler 0 0-0 0, Nick Senatore 4 1-2 11, Allen Eastlack 0 0-0 0, Aiden Cranmer 5 0-2 11. Totals 16 9-14 46.
PENNSVILLE (9-11) – Luke Wood 6-18 4-7 22, Peyton O’Brien 4-7 1-2 10, Cohen Petrutz 4-10 0-0 9, Mason O’Brien 0-4 3-6 3, Connor Starn 1-1 1-2 3, Carlos Merindino 1-2 0-0 2, Cole Johnston 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-43 9-17 49.

West Deptford7101514 –46
Pennsville1511914 –49
3-point goals: West Deptford 5 (Mujahid, Senatore 3, Cranmer); Pennsville 8-19 (Wood 6-13, P. O’Brien 1-2, Petrutz 1-3, Johnston 0-1). Total fouls: West Deptford 19, Pennsville 11.

RIVERSIDE 59, SALEM TECH 31
SALEM TECH (2-15) – Chase Wills 5 0-0 10, Haneef Frisby 4 1-2 9, Daviontae Russell 0 1-2 1, Tyler Zampino 3 0-0 6, Antoine Robinson 2 0-0 5. Totals 14 2-4 31.
RIVERSIDE (8-11) – Jashir Bridges 8 2-6 21, Carmine Smith 7 0-0 14, Jamir Brown 2 0-0 4, Cameron Brown 2 0-0 5, John Boston 0 0-0 0, Zaire Ali-Lewis 4 0-0 8, Dan Ventura 1 0-0 2, Isaiah Ali-Lewis 1 0-0 2, Anthony Martinez 0 0-0 0, Jayion Howell 0 0-0 0, John Salerno 1 0-0 3. Totals 26 2-6 59.
Salem Tech1194 9 –31
Riverside19121416 –59
3-point goals: Salem Tech 1 (Robinson); Riverside 5 (Bridges 3, Brown, Salerno).

SCHALICK 49, GATEWAY 40
SCHALICK (6-10) – Levi Freeney-Childers 2 9-15 13, Jake Siedlecki 5 0-0 12, Nylan Sutton 4 1-4 9, Daniel Lis 3 0-0 7, Reggie Lewis 2 1-4 6, Nasir Sutton 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 11-23 49.
GATEWAY (1-19) – Sean Cawley 10 0-0 25, Steven Morlachetta 2 1-2 6, Nahmeire Rowe-Walls 1 1-2 4, Benji Contarino 0 3-4 3, A’Key Talley 1 0-0 2, Cody Shaw 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 5-8 40.
3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Siedlecki 2, Lis, Allen); Gateway 7 (Cawley 5, Morlachetta, Rowe-Walls).

Girls Games

GATEWAY 41, SCHALICK 33
GATEWAY (11-8) – Angelina Zagone 4 4-8 12, Gabby Gasis 1 0-0 3, Tabby Bay 1 2-4 4, Bella Fini 6 5-8 19, Molly Sholders 1 1-2 3, Sydney Hughes 0 0-0 0, Jayda Catoe 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 12-22 41.
SCHALICK (5-11) – Ava Scurry 1 0-0 2, Cianna Gaines 1 1-6 3, Taylor Sparks 3 0-0 8, Abby Willoughby 2 0-0 6, Cali Fisler 5 1-7 12, Carly Vicente 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 2-13 33.

Gateway1114412 –41
Schalick67218 –33
3-point goals: Gateway 3 (Gasis, Fini 2); Schalick 5 (Sparks 2, Willoughby 2, Fisler). Total fouls: Gateway 12, Schalick 15.

ST. JOESEPH (HAMM.) 43, SALEM TECH 36
ST. JOSEPH (8-8) – Cassidy Perri 8 1-2 21, Erica Paranzino 3 0-0 6, Giselle Pescatore 2 0-0 4, Leylani Muniz 1 0-0 2, Madyson Longwith 4 2-2 10. Totals 18 3-4 43.
SALEM TECH (1-14) – TiRonna McGaha 1 0-2 2, Morgan VanDover 4 2-5 11, Hanna DeWitt 2 0-0 4, Kaylin Beardsley 1 0-0 3, Demajae White 2 0-0 4, Shelby Drummond 2 0-0 5, Rylee Doerr 3 1-2 7. Totals 15 3-9 36. 

St. Joseph186613 –43
Salem Tech811710 –36
3-point goals: St. Joseph 4 (Perri 4); Salem Tech 3 (VanDover, Beardsley, Drummond).

Cover photo: Pennsville’s Peyton O’Brien puts back an offensive rebound with 18 seconds left in the game to give the Eagles the lead for good against West Deptford.






Ain’t life grand

Donelson reaches 1,000-point milestone as Woodstown overcomes slow start to beat Pennsville; includes other Salem County games and box scores

THURSDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Woodstown 66, Pennsville 57
Penns Grove 81, Overbrook 24
Glassboro 67, Schalick 14
Wildwood 67, Salem 22
Clayton 51, Salem Tech 30

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — Megan Donelson might have had prettier baskets in her career, but not many were more memorable than the one she dropped in the fourth quarter Thursday night.

The Woodstown junior became the 10th player in her school’s girls basketball history to score 1,000 career points — and the third player in Salem County to reach the milestone this season – in the Wolverines’ 66-57 win over Pennsville.

She needed 29 points to reach the milestone entering the game and hit it on the number. She hit the milestone on a layup with 1:57 left in the game.

“I was really determined to get my thousandth point and it put me to drive to get that goal,” she said. “I set that goal for myself as soon as I walked in my freshman year and I just wanted to complete my goal.”

Donelson was four points short of the milestone entering the fourth quarter, but given the weight of the situation they were as hard to get as the final three outs of a no-hitter and made harder by picking up her fourth foul with five minutes left in the game. She didn’t peel away the first two points until 2:41 remained – and they were on free throws. The milestone came about a minute later.

It wasn’t artistic, but it was effective. She took the outlet pass from one of Shannon Pierman’s defensive rebounds, drove the length of the floor and tossed an off-balanced shot towards the basket in traffic from the right side of the lane. It went through just as she was falling out of bounds.

“I thought it was a really good way to score the thousandth,” she said. “I had the defender on me and I got the thousandth point off the defender.”

She is the first Woodstown girls player to reach the milestone since Riley Fulmer in 2022. Junior teammate Talia Battavio could join her in the club as early as Saturday when the Wolverines play Cherokee in the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament at Eastern. The girls school record for points is 1,566 by Tori Smick (2013).

Boys players Luke Wood (Pennsville) and Anthony Farmer (Salem) joined the club earlier this year and Penns Grove girls guard Meely Horace, who needs just two points after putting 38 on Overbrook Thursday, is a lock to get it in her next game against Schalick.

“There was anxiousness all day of is she going to get it, when is she going to get it, how is she going to get it, is she going to have to get Saturday,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “Once she got it, it was just like this overwhelming sense of relief, like, all the hard work she put in came to fruition.

“She’ll say she wasn’t counting, but I know inside she probably was.”

Woodstown’s Megan Donelson (24) drives on Pennsville’s Marley Wood (4) in the fourth quarter on the way to the basket for her 1,000th career point.

The final score may have looked like another routine win for the Wolverines (14-3), but it was anything but that. Pennsville (7-11), playing the best it has all season, jumped out to leads of 13-0, 15-2 and 26-15 before Donelson and Pierman brought their team back.

Donelson scored the last nine points in an 11-0 run that drew the Wolverines even at 26 with 1:27 left in the half. She made two free throws with 10 seconds left to give them a 32-30 halftime lead.

They never trailed again. They scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and by the end of it led by 15.

“I’m really proud of the way we didn’t give up,” Pierman said. “We obviously did not give up. We pushed back, we fought harder and it showed. We knew we could play better. We knew we were better than that. Eventually something has to change, especially when we know how we can win.”
Pennsville built its early lead by making layups inside Woodstown’s 2-3 zone and caught the Wolverines on a cold start.

Taylor Bass got it started with a 3 and two free throws. Marley Wood made three buckets and Bella Farina hit two free throws. Suddenly it was 13-0 and the Wolverines called time looking for energy. It was 17-8 at quarter’s end.

“We talked about what the best way to open up the court to get open looks, we talked about where the cuts need to be,” Eagles coach Sam Trapp said. “As long as that kept happening we kept scoring.”

The quick start wasn’t without a hitch, however. Post Bella Farina picked up three fouls in the first six and a half minutes and sat the rest of the half.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines were just stuck in the mud. They missed their first 11 shots and had five turnovers before Donelson finally broke the ice off an inbounds play with 2:34 left in the first quarter. They shot 2-for-14 from the floor in the quarter.

The Eagles’ inspired play continued through the first half of the second quarter, extending the lead to 26-15. The Wolverines were 7-of-25 from the field before Donelson and Co. started the charge to get back in the game.

“Their two leading scorers were creeping into their 1,000, that always makes a kid nervous, that kind of got in their head a little bit and this is the first time they’ve seen us at full strength and now they’re being able to see what the girls Pennsville basketball team can really bring,” Trapp said. “I think that was what executed that great 13-0 stretch at the beginning.

“I’ve been putting a big emphasis on playing together, looking ahead, focusing on using each other’s strength and I think that’s a big component. I keep telling the girls when we play together, when we’re sharing the ball, distributing the ball, making everybody work to help us get to a good place we play our best basketball.”

Nora Ausland led the Eagles with 21 points. Wood had 15.

Donelson’s 29 points matched her season-high. Pierman had 12 points and 15 rebounds for her fourth straight double-double. Battavio had 21 points and needs 19 to become the next member of Woodstown’s 1,000-Point Club.

WOODSTOWN 66, PENNSVILLE 57
WOODSTOWN (14-3) — Talia Battavio 7 4-4 21, Megan Donelson 9 7-8 29, Gianna Mairoini 1 0-2 2, Alyssa Baber 0 1-2 1, Shannon Pierman 4 4-4 12, Lauren Hengel 0 1-2 1, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 17-22 66.
PENNSVILLE (7-11) — Celli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 9 1-1 21, Taylor Bass 3 2-2 9, Karsen Cooksey 0 2-2 2, Bella Farina 1 2-2 4, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 2 2-2 6, Marley Wood 7 0-2 15. Totals 22 9-11 57.

Woodstown8242311 —66
Pennsville17131017 —57
3-point goals: Woodstown 7 (Battavio 3, Donelson 4); Pennsville 4 (N. Ausland 2, Bass, Wood). Fouled out: Farina. Total fouls: Woodstown 16, Pennsville 18.

WILDWOOD 67, SALEM 22
WILDWOOD (14-4) — Sophia Wilber 4 3-4 12, Angela Wilber 2 0-0 5, Macie McCracken 9 0-0 25, Saliah Sumlin 2 0-0 4, Rebecca Benichou 8 1-2 20, Cydnee Kilian 0 0-0 0, Mia Cripps 0 1-4 1, Ashley Nagle 0 0-0 0, Janet Gonzalez 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 5-10 67.
SALEM (7-10) — Ryann Foote 1 1-6 3, Ava Rodgers 3 1-2 7, Ameriyona Hunter 1 0-0 3, Kaela Nichols 1 0-0 3, Carlysia Pierce 1 0-0 2, NaeNae Logan 1 0-0 2, Marjziah Bundy 1 0-0 2, Zaniyah Freison 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Hickman 0 0-0 0, Marissa Bower 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 2-8 22.

Wildwood19191613 —67
Salem7645 —22
3-point goals: Wildwood 12 (S. Wilber, A. Wilber, McCracken 7, Benichou 3); Salem 2 (Hunter, Nichols). Rebounds: Wildwood 29 (McCracken 9, Sumlin 9); Salem 57 (Rodgers 13, Logan 10).

CLAYTON 51, SALEM TECH 30
SALEM TECH (1-13) — Morgan VanDover 5 3-4 15, Kaylin Beardsley 2 0-0 5, Hanna DeWitt 1 0-2 2, Rylee Doerr 2 0-0 4, Shelby Drummond 2 0-0 4. Totals 12 3-6 30.
CLAYTON (8-9) — Jordyn Jones 9 6-8 24, Deondria Simon 4 1-2 9, Ava Delaney 4 0-0 8, India Williams 1 0-0 3, Janice Blair 0 2-4 2, Kaya Gunther 1 1-4 3, Sophia Petsch 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 10-18 51.
Salem Tech65127 —30
Clayton9121516 —51
3-point goals: Salem Tech 3 (VanDover 2, Beardsley); Clayton 1 (Williams).

GLASSBORO 67, SCHALICK 14
SCHALICK (5-10) — Ava Scurry 1 0-2 2, Gianna Gaines 0 3-4 3, Taylor Sparks 1 0-0 3, Abby Willoughby 0 0-2 0, Cali Fisler 3 0-0 6, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-2 0, Carly Vicente 0 0-0 0. Totals 5 3-10 14.
GLASSBORO (11-5) — Sanaa Thomas 5 0-0 13, Tamia Smith 8 3-8 21, Kezia Bracektt 9 6-8 28, Sianna Wedderburn 2 0-2 4, Kimora Miles 0 1-2 1, Ante Davis 0 0-0 0, Jayde Darling 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Cox-Clement 0 0-0 0, Samyra Lane 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 10-20 67.
Schalick2354 —14
Glassboro 1592518 —67
3-point goals: Schalick 1 (Sparks); Glassboro 9 (Thomas 3, Smith 2, Brackett 4). Fouled out: Davis. Total fouls: Schalick 16, Glassboro 13.

Practice makes perfect

Salem Tech scores its first Tri-County Conference divisional win in shootout with Clayton; includes Salem County games and box scores

THURSDAY’S BOYS SCORES
Glassboro 44, Schalick 41
Overbrook 53, Penns Grove 37
Salem 62, Wildwood 52
Salem Tech 86, Clayton 76
Woodstown 81, Pennsville 51

By Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – The two things Salem Tech worked on all week in preparation for Thursday night’s basketball game were the two things that helped the Chargers score an historic victory.

The Chargers outran Clayton for an 86-76 victory that was their first in Tri-County Classic Division play in school history.

They had lost 16 straight division games since officially joining the conference last academic year and were 0-6 this season.

“The first thing I did was congratulate the boys, they did exactly what I told them do,” Chargers coach Bryan Riley said. “And then I told them this was our first win in the Tri-County Classic. They were pretty excited.”

The 86 points were the most the Chargers have scored in a game in Riley’s two seasons as the coach and the most they’ve scored in any game since putting 88 on Clayton in a win in January 2022. The school record is 92, in a pre-Christmas loss to the Clippers in 2019.

Five players scored in double figures for the Chargers (2-14), led by junior Tyler Zampino’s career-high 25 points. Joseph Hayes had a career-high 17 points with four 3-pointers. Haneef Frisby had 14, Chase Wills 13 and Antoine Robinson 11.

Clayton’s Demetris Williams led all scorers with 28 points.

“There was no set offense, it was just run and gun; we had to keep up with them,” Riley said. “I knew it was going to be a high scoring game. I told the boys it’s a track meet, bring your running shoes.

“We finished at the rim. It was fast breaks, beat the press, finish at the rim. We’re 49 percent from the (foul) line this season and were 63 percent today. It was those little things. That’s what I had them doing all week, shooting foul shots and full-speed sprints to the basket, and that’s exactly what they did.”

The Chargers got a good jump out of the blocks. Zampino had nine points in the first quarter as the Chargers jumped out to 22-13 lead.

“He finished at the rim,” Riley repeated. “He was the deep guy. They moved the ball around beating that press and he was the guy down at the other end. We found him and he connected on most of his drives.”

SALEM TECH 86, CLAYTON 76
CLAYTON (3-15) – Dillon Jones 3 0-0 6, Nazir Davis 5 2-7 15, John Carter 1 2-2 5, Demetris Williams 10 7-11 28, Jon Cox 2 0-0 4, Cristan Scott 0 0-2 0, Ashaud Hine-Pope 4 1-2 9, Nasir Carter 2 0-0 5, Mason Gable 0 0-0 0, Chimali Mitchell 0 0-0 0, Earl Townsend 1 0-0 2, Michael Akosah 0 1-4 1, Brian Marshall 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 13-28 76.
SALEM TECH (2-14) – Chase Wills 6 0-0 13, Haneef Frisby 7 0-3 14, Joseph Hayes 6 1-2 17, Daviontae Russell 0 0-0 0, Tyler Zampino 8 9-11 25, Gio Holmes 3 0-0 6, Antoine Robinson 3 5-8 11. Totals 33 15-24 86.

Clayton132224 17 –76
Salem Tech22172819 –86
3-point goals: Clayton 6 (Davis 3, Carter, Williams. N. Carter); Salem Tech 5 (Wills, Hayes 4). Fouled out: Willis. Total fouls: Clayton 18, Salem Tech 19.

WOODSTOWN 81, PENNSVILLE 51
PENNSVILLE (8-11) – Luke Wood 4 3-4 12, Peyton O’Brien 6 4-6 16, Mason O’Brien 5 0-0 10, Cohen Petrutz 1 0-0 2, Connor Starn 0 1-2 1, Cole Johnston 3 0-0 7, Logan Hitt 0 1-2 1, S. Jefferson 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 9-14 51.
WOODSTOWN (9-6) – Manny Ortega 2 0-2 5, Blake Bialecki 4 0-0 10, Alejandro Vazquez 5 0-0 14, M.J. Hall 7 1-2 17, Connor Sanderson 0 0-2 0, Garrett Leyman 1 0-0 2, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0, Lucas Fulmer 2 0-0 4, Max Webb 3 5-6 12, Rocco String 6 3-3 15, Elijah Caesar 1 0-0 2. Totals 31 9-15 81.

Pennsville10131414 – 51
Woodstown19232514 –81
3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (Johnston, Wood); Woodstown 10 (Ortega, Bialecki 2, Vazquez 4, Hall 2, Webb).

OVERBROOK 53, PENNS GROVE 37
PENNS GROVE (6-12) – Brandon Robbins 6, Roman Gipson 2, Giomar Conrad 16, Willie Slocum 4, Mehki Ballard 7, Luis Colon 2.
OVERBROOK (14-5) – Lamar Little 1 0-0 2, Xavier Wright 0 2-4 2, Chris Grier 2 1-2 5, Amare Kee 3 0-0 9, Maki Ortiz 0 0-0 0, Shaun Mills 5 0-0 10, Tory Scott 2 0-0 4, Zair Green 3 3-4 9, Kevin Satchell 1 0-0 2, Nic Johnson 4 1-5 10. Totals 21 7-15 53.

Penns Grove810109 –37
Overbrook6171713 –53
3-point goals: Penns Grove NA; Overbrook 4 (Kee 3, Johnson)

GLASSBORO 44, SCHALICK 41
GLASSBORO (9-10) – Xavier Sabb 3 4-8 10, Charles Graves 4 8-12 16, Michael Dougherty 3 1-2 10, Tashean Thomas 1 1-2 3, Crowly Marley 2 1-3 5. Totals 13 15-25 44.
SCHALICK (5-10) – Reggie Allen 3 3-6 11, Danny Lis 6 2-2 16, Jordan Johnson 2 5-7 9, Ryan Johnson 2 0-0 4, Nasir Sutton 0 1-4 1, Jake Siedlecki 0 0-0 0, Dylan Sheehan 0 0-0 0, Jase Volovar 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 11-19 41.

Glassboro1218122 –44
Schalick131297 –41
3-point goals: Glassboro 3 (Dougherty 3); Schalick 4 (Allen 2, Lis 2).

SALEM 62, WILDWOOD 52

Salem (12-6)16181117 –62
Wildwood (11-8)9131515 –52


Feels good to finish

Penns Grove finally pulls out close game, edges Woodstown to snap five-game losing streak; Salem slams Salem Tech, shorthanded Pennsville beats Schalick in OT

TUESDAY’S BOYS GAMES
Pennsville 42, Schalick 37
Penns Grove 47, Woodstown 42
Salem 83, Salem Tech 41

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – That Penns Grove won a basketball game for the first time in two weeks was cause enough for celebration in the locker room after it was over, but the way it won the game might have been the most welcoming news of all.

The Red Devils snapped a five-game losing streak – their longest slide in seven years – Tuesday night with a 47-42 win over Tri-County Diamond Division rival Woodstown. They did it by outscoring the Wolverines 7-2 over the final minute and hitting five of six free throws down the stretch.

Exactly a week ago they lost a game they were leading by three with less than a minute to go.

“We needed it bad,” Penns Grove coach Damian Ware said. “The five-game losing streak was really rough. To get this win today against a good Woodstown team is very important for us. It gives us confidence.

“The guys work so hard and it hurts when you have those close losses because you want the kids to have success. I want them to have the success and feel the success because they work for it.”

Now, teams win games with late runs all the day, but if you knew anything about the Red Devils’ recent history, you knew endgame scenarios haven’t been kind to them.

The losses on the front and back ends of the five-game losing streak were hopeless blowouts, but in each of the three in the middle – in a span of four days – they had legitimate chances to win and couldn’t finish.

They lost at Clearview on a steal and layup with 12 seconds left and missed two shots to win or tie it. They got beat at home by Glassboro on a buzzer-beater 3 in a game they were leading by three with a minute left. And then they lost at home to Wildwood in overtime when they just ran out of gas.

“I think the fact of winning a close game that came down to when it was winning time (was the big thing),” Ware said. “I tell the kids all the time the thing with winning and losing is it’s one possession here or there. Everything has to be solid. 

“You can’t try to be fancy because that one possession could be the one that we needed at the end of the game. I try to make them value every single possession and we’re starting to get to that point.”

Penns Grove’s Mr Peterson (10) comes out to challenge a shot by Woodstown’s Alejandro Vazquez in the game’s closing seconds.

Neither team would let the other get too far ahead. The way they were going after it defensively, a six-point lead felt like it was a lot bigger than it actually was.

Early in the game Rocco String gave the Wolverines an edge with his commanding inside presence. But soon both he and Max Webb would be in foul trouble and sat most of the second quarter. Penns Grove’s Mr Peterson was there to take advantage of the opening and command the respect his name demands.

Peterson had six points and two rebounds in an 11-2 run that gave the Red Devils the lead early in the quarter. The Wolverines followed with their own rally to cut Penns Grove’s halftime lead to 20-19. It stayed close like that the rest of the game.

“Tonight was all about playing harder than I did last night,” Peterson said, referring to the Red Devils’ 40-point to Salem. “So, I came out and did it. To be honest, it felt good.”

With the game tied at 40, Penns Grove guard KaRon Ceaser made a basket around String and then stole the inbounds pass like a defensive back. He got it to Mekhi Ballard who was fouled and hit the first two of his four free throws with 41 seconds left to give the Red Devils a four-point lead.

“Coach called the press and I got the middle,” Ceaser said. “It’s like playing safety in football, so I just reacted when the ball was in the air. I had to go get it and make a play.”

“The last couple days at practice we’ve been doing situationals,” Ware said. “I think we’re starting to understand what it takes at the end of games to win, especially when we’re in these close games. I’m glad we got one today.”

“It feels like we just broke the spell, so we’re just going to keep winning from here on,” Mekhi Ballard said.

Woodstown’s Garrett Leyman converted a crisp pass from Alejandro Vazquez into a layup to make it 44-42 with 25 seconds left. The Wolverines called time to set up their end game, then came out of the break and fouled Ballard in the backcourt. The Red Devils’ guard, the player Ware wants at the line down the stretch of a close game, made those two to make it 46-42. 

The Wolverines missed three shots to get closer – 3-pointers by Blake Bialecki and Webb and a wild turnaround jumper in the lane by Connor Sanderson – then fouled Willie Slocum on the defensive rebound. Slocum made one of two for the final margin.

The Red Devils were 7-of-10 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. They were 6-for-10 in the first three, usually making the first and missing the second.

“I remember going to the line thinking I’ve got to make these free throws if we want to win this game,” Ballard said. “I think in the clutch we come through as a team and we end up making our free throws.

“Sometimes in the beginning of the game we start off real shaky. In the beginning of the game I don’t think we really try as hard to make our free throws as at the end of the game. When it’s time to win the game I think we come through as a team and make our free throws.”

While it may be debatable just how good a win it was for the Red Devils, there’s no denying it was a bad loss to for the Wolverines. 

Woodstown is currently one of the bubble teams in the South Jersey Group I power points standings. The Wolverines went into the game as the only team between No. 10 and the bottom (No. 23) with a winning overall record, but they were No. 15 in the standings.

PENNS GROVE 47, WOODSTOWN 42
WOODSTOWN (8-6) – Manny Ortega 0 0-0 0, Blake Bialecki 3 1-2 8, Alejandro Vazquez 1 0-0 2, M.J. Hall 4 0-0 8, Connor Sanderson 0 0-0 0, Garrett Leyman 3 0-0 6, Anthony Bokolas 1 0-0 2, Max Webb 1 1-2 3, Rocco String 5 0-0 10, Elijah Caesar 1 0-0 3. Totals 19 2-4 42.
PENNS GROVE (6-11) – Roman Gipson 0 0-0 0, Giomar Conrad 7 0-0 16, KaRon Ceaser 1 4-10 6, Willie Slocum 1 3-4 5, Mekhi Ballard 3 4-4 12, Camron Thompson 0 0-0 0, Khiry Higgs 0 2-2 2, Mr Peterson 3 0-0 6. Totals 15 13-20 47.

Woodstown9101013 –42
Penns Grove6141314 –47
3-point goals: Woodstown 2 (Bialecki, Caesar); Penns Grove 4 (Conrad 2, Ballard 2). Total fouls: Woodstown 16, Penns Grove 10.

SALEM 83, SALEM TECH 41: One night after senior Anthony Farmer became the latest member of the school’s 1,000-point club and they nearly turned over the scoreboard, the Rams poured it on again. They opened a a 60-15 halftime lead and cruised to their fourth straight win and 13th in a row over Salem County competition.

Freshman Tymear Lecator led three Salem scorers in double figures with 19 points. Jabez DeJesus had 11 and Davonte Jackson doubled his season output with a career-high 10, and four other Rams had at least eight points. Farmer saw limited action after scoring 36 points in each of his previous two games.

Salem has won four in a row.

SALEM 83, SALEM TECH 41
SALEM TECH (1-14) – Chase Wills 3 0-0 7, Haneef Frisby 3 2-6 8, Joseph Hayes 4 1-2 9, Daviontae Russell 1 0-0 2, Tyler Zampino 3 0-0 6, Antoine Robinson 3 3-5 9, Gio Holmes 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 6-13 41.
SALEM (11-6) – Anthony Farmer 0 0-0 0, Donovan Weathers 1 0-0 2, Ramaji Bundy 3 0-0 6, Jabez DeJesus 4 0-1 11, Paul Weathers 2 3-4 8, Tymear Lecator 8 0-0 19, Xavier McGriff 3 0-0 8, Antwone Rogers 4 1-2 9, Marshall Stephens 4 0-0 8, Joseph Tunis 1 0-0 2, Davante Jackson 4 0-0 10. Totals 34 4-6 83.
Salem Tech1141511 –41
Salem32281211 –83
3-point goals: Salem Tech (Wills); Salem 11 (DeJesus 3, P. Weathers, Lecator 3, McGriff 2, Jackson 2). Total fouls: Salem Tech 8.

PENNSVILLE 42, SCHALICK 37 (OT): The Eagles were down three starters and had only eight varsity players available, but found enough within themselves to win for the second night in a row, this time in overtime.

Jayden Thomas, Danny Saulin and Malik Rehmer all missed the game for various reasons and probably won’t be available when the Eagles go to Woodstown Thursday. Coach Joe Mecholsky pulled up two junior varsity players to make sure he had two full units

The Eagles led most of the game, but fell behind 30-29 with 1:47 left before Cohen Petrutz put them back on top with a 3-pointer.

Schalick’s Danny Lis’ tip-in off a missed 3 with 4.8 seconds left tied the game at 33. The Eagles had a shot to win it in regulation and got what they wanted with Petrutz driving the lane. There was contact, but no foul and the game went to overtime.

Petrutz and Mason O’Brien gave the Eagles the lead in overtime and their defense did the rest.

“When you give up 36 points you’ve done something right,” Mecholsky said.

Peyton O’Brien led the Eagles with 13 points. Petrutz had 12. Luke Wood had all nine of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Reggie Allen led Schalick with 13 points – all in the second half – and Lis had 12.

“To be shorthanded and to pull through the adversity will make us tougher for the stretch run,” Mecholsky said.

PENNSVILLE 41, SCHALICK 37 (OT)
SCHALICK (5-9) – Reggie Allen 5 0-4 13, Levi Feeney-Childers 1 1-2 3, Dan Lis 6 0-0 12, Nylan Sutton 3 0-2 7, Nasir Sutton 0 0-0 0, Jake Siedlecki 0 0-0 0, Ryan Johnson 0 0-0 0, Dylan Sheehan 1 0-2 2, Jase Volovar 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 1-10 37.
PENNSVILLE (8-10) – Luke Wood 2 5-5 9, Peyton O’Brien 6 1-4 13, Cohen Petrutz 5 1-2 12, Mason O’Brien 2 0-0 4, Connor Starn 1 0-0 3, Cole Johnston 0 0-0 0, Carlos Merendino 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 7-11 41.
Schalick 668144 –37
Pennsville867118 –41
3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Allen 3, Ny. Sutton); Pennsville 2 (Petrutz, Starn). Total fouls: Schalick 14, Pennsville 7.

Tri-County Conference

CLASSICALLDIVDIAMONDALLDIV
Pitman14-46-0Overbrook13-56-1
Gloucester Cath.10-75-3Glassboro8-105-2
Salem11-64-3Penns Grove6-114-2
Wildwood11-74-3Woodstown8-63-4
Clayton3-141-5Pennsville8-102-5
Salem Tech1-140-6Schalick5-90-6

Shannon steps up

Tuesday’s girls roundup: Pierman produces in a big way on Woodstown’s Senior Night, Pennsville sees what its full complement can do, Salem back in win column

TUESDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Woodstown 60, Penns Grove 44
Pennsville 49, Schalick 16
Salem 52, Salem Tech 32

By Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Shannon Pierman enjoyed a big Senior Night and juniors Megan Donelson and Talia Battavio both moved within 40 points of 1,000 for their careers Tuesday leading Woodstown’s girls to a 60-44 victory over Penns Grove.

Pierman had 14 points and 10 rebounds for her third straight double-double and ninth of her career. It was the seventh time in the last eight games she has had 10 or more rebounds and the 10th time all season. She has averaged 12.7 points and 11.7 rebounds over the past three games, the best three-game stretch of her career.

“Shannon played her butt off,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “She is by far the best center in Salem County.”

Donelson and Battavio, meanwhile, both continued their march to a milestone. Donelson led the Wolverines’ offense with 23 points and now stands at 971 for her career. Battavio added 16 points and is now at 960.

The Wolverines (13-3) opened the game on a 16-2 run, led 24-18 at halftime and pulled away in the third quarter.

“The girls played solid, composed team ball,” Straughn said, “and that’s what wins us games over and over.”

Penns Grove’s Meely Horace also is on track to reach the 1,000-point plateau. She scored 15 points in the game and now had 959. RaNiyah Wilson was the Red Devils’ leading scorer with 22 points.

WOODSTOWN 60, PENNS GROVE 44
PENNS GROVE (7-8) – RaNiyah Wilson 9 1-2 22, Meely Horace 7 0-0 15, Brianna Robbins 2 0-2 5, Amani Taylor 0 0-0 0, Zoey Caesar 0 1-2 1, JaNiyah Cummings 0 0-0 0, Rolande Delva 0 0-0 0, Semijah Hines 0 1-2 1. Totals 18 3-8 44.
WOODSTOWN (13-3) – Talia Battavio 6 4-4 16, Megan Donelson 7 9-13 23, Gianna Maiorini 1 0-0 2, Alyssa Baber 2 1-2 5, Shannon Pieman 4 6-8 14, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0, Lauren Hengel 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 20-29 60.

Penns Grove612917 –44
Woodstown1681917 –60
3-point goals: Penns Grove 5 (Wilson 3, Horace, Robbins).

SALEM 62, SALEM TECH 32: Nine players scored and four players flirted with double-doubles as Salem bounced back from a Monday loss to Penns Grove to pick up a win that moved it into third place in the Tri-County Classic Division behind two of the best teams in South Jersey.

Ameriyona Hunter led the Rams with 11 points. She also had seven rebounds and seven steals. Ryann Foote had nine points and 10 boards. Ava Rogers had eight points and nine rebounds. NaeNae Logan had seven points, 14 rebounds and seven blocked shots (raising her season total to 74).

SALEM 52, SALEM TECH 32
SALEM (7-9) – Ameriyona Hunter 4 0-0 11, Ryann Foote 4 1-3 9, Lyric Hayes 1 0-0 3, Carlysia Pierce 1 1-2 3, Madison Dixon 1 0-0 2, Ava Rodgers 4 0-0 8, NaeNae Logan 3 1-2 7, Kaela Nichols 1 1-1 3, Dakirah Gray 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Hickman 3 0-0 6, Zaniyah Freson 0 0-0 0, Marjziah Bundy 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 4-8 52.
SALEM TECH (1-12) – Hanna DeWitt 0 0-4 0, Morgan VanDover 3 0-0 7, TiRonna McGaha 2 1-1 5, Kaylin Beardsley 1 0-2 2, Rylee Doerr 2 1-2 5, Shelby Drummond 2 2-2 6. Totals 10 4-11 25.

Salem1561813 –52
Salem Tech65615 –32
3-point goals: Salem 4 (Hunter 3, Hayes); Salem Tech 1 (VanDover).

PENNSVILLE 49, SCHALICK 16: Nora Ausland had the best game of the two she’s played since returning from a foot injury and hit five 3-pointers on the way to leading the Eagles with 19 points. Marley Wood had 15 points.

The Eagles held their hosts scoreless in the second quarter and without a field goal in the second and third quarters.

“It was a much-needed win,” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said.

The Eagles had lost four in a row.

PENNSVILLE 49, SCHALICK 16
PENNSVILLE (7-10) – Nora Ausland 7 0-0 19, Taylor Bass 3 1-2 7, Karsen Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Bella Farina 0 2-4 2, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 3 0-0 6, Marley Wood 7 0-0 15. Totals 20 3-6 49.
SCHALICK (5-9) – Ava Scurry 2 1-3 5, Gianna Gaines 0 0-2 0, Taylor Sparks 2 1-4 7, Abby Willoughby 0 0-0 0, Carly Vicente 0 0-0 0, Cali Fisler 1 2-4 4, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Kyleigh Cutler 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-0 0. Totals 5 4-11 16.
Pennsville13111213 –49
Schalick6028 –16
3-point goals: Pennsville 6 (N. Ausland 5, Wood); Schalick 2 (Sparks 2). Total fouls: Pennsville 9, Schalick 7.

Tri-County Conference

CLASSICALLDIVDIAMONDALLDIV
Wildwood13-46-0Woodstown13-36-0
Gloucester Cath.13-55-1Glassboro10-55-2
Salem7-93-3Pennsville7-104-3
Pitman8-72-4Penns Grove7-82-4
Clayton7-92-4Schalick5-91-5
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Farmer hits 1,000

Salem senior puts up 36 for second straight game, reaches milestone at home in fourth quarter; Pennsville’s Brooklyn-born bomber has breakout game in Eagles win

MONDAY’S BOYS SCORES
Pennsville 68, Gateway 46
Salem 96, Penns Grove 52

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM — Anthony Farmer wanted to get his 1,000th career point Monday night in the worst of ways — and for a lot of reasons.

The game against Penns Grove was at home in front of all his friends, fans and family. And it was against a respected county rival. If he could pull it off, chances are it would have come in another victory to move his Salem basketball team forward and, after weeks of it dangling out there, the chase would finally be over and they all could starting thinking of bigger things.

There are a lot of points in this picture. Salem coach Anthony Farmer (L) has 1700 in high school, 1000 in college. His son, Salem guard Anthony Farmer, got his 1000th point Monday.

But 35 points is a big ask, especially in a rivalry. That’s what he needed coming into the game. Yet he was confident.

The senior guard got his 35 Monday and then some. He maxed out at 36 — for the second game in a row — in the Rams’ 96-52 win.

“I wanted to get it tonight bad,” he said, while his teammates hovered around chanting 1K, 1K as he spoke. “This is a rivalry game. Since my sophomore year these games are big. We always look forward to playing Penns Grove and I really wanted it here at home against them.

“(The milestone) has been on my mind for weeks now, so I’m excited to get it over with and move on with the season. We’ve got a whole lot of season left. I know my dad’s (Rams coach Anthony Farmer) happy to get it out the way. I’m done talking about it. We can move on now.”

Anticipation for the milestone built throughout the second half, especially after Farmer scored 17 in the first half to cut his target in half. It was absolutely tingling after he scored eight straight points for his team across the third and fourth quarters to get the target within single digits.

About the only disappointing part of it all was he got the historic point on a mundane free throw with 7:09 left in the fourth quarter when he was fouled driving to the basket after missing two 3-pointers.

Both teams retreated to mid-court when Farmer went to the line standing at 999, partly out of respect for the player and the moment and partly because there was a technical foul called right after the original foul.

When he drained the first of the free throws — there were four altogether — for points 35 and 1,000, he raised his arms in relief and triumph and the crowd rushed the floor. The mass of humanity eventually carried him into a dogpile in the corner of the gym near the DJ stand. There were T’s for that, too.

“It was just a great moment; one he’ll remember forever,” Coach Farmer said. “And it wasn’t scripted.”

“It happened all so fast,” young Anthony said. “Like snapping your finger, I’m crowded.”

Farmer’s heart still was racing when order was restored and he returned to the line with free throws to take. He’s a good free throw shooter as it is — 78 percent this year — and was working on 11 in a row and 24 of his last 25 at the time of his 1,000th point, but understandably he was short on the second free throw and the first tech. 

But he added point 1,001 to complete the sequence and retired for the evening cheering enthusiastically from the bench while the rest of his teammates attempted to break the scoreboard. The Rams had 90 points with three minutes left in the game.

“I’m really happy about it; he deserved it,” said teammate Jabez DeJesus, one of the first to mob him after the milestone point. “I was really excited because I assisted a lot of those points of his. It means a lot. Now his name is going to be on the banner up there so it means a lot to the city, the school. I’m happy for him.”

The milestone might have been on everyone’s mind, but so was the game. The Rams were looking to extend their season winning streak to three games and winning streak against county competition to 12 straight. (Penns Grove was the last county team to beat them, Feb. 16, 2021). Farmer the player admitted he wanted to be “a little more aggressive than usual” because of the circumstances, but everything he did in the high-scoring night was done within the context of the game.

He wasn’t forcing shots. If he were all about getting the points he needed for the milestone he would’ve taken it to the hole both times he made steals at midcourt on the back of that eight-point second-half run. Instead, he fed Xavier McGriff and Tymear Lecator for fast-break layups that extended the Rams’ lead. 

“I wasn’t concerned about that,” his father said. “I’ve been telling him if you go out there and you don’t play the right kind of basketball you’re going to sit next to me. The 1,000 will come. We’re trying to string together wins, we’re trying to play the right way of basketball to get ready for next month, to try to make a run in Group I; that’s our goal.

“I didn’t think he’d actually do it tonight, but we realized at halftime he was halfway there, so he went for it.”

Farmer is the 27th player in Salem history to reach the milestone, 17th boy, and first since Gage Ausland in 2020.

And he’s the second player in his house with 1,000. His father and coach, Anthony Farmer, scored more than 1,700 points at St. Augustine as a high schooler and 1,000 at Rutgers.Little Anthony was at the game dad scored his 1000th for Rutgers (against DePaul), so it was only fitting his dad was there when he made it.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” the elder Farmer said. “I don’t know how many duos in South Jersey, father-son, (have done it), let alone I had a chance to coach the kid to his 1,000; it’s really special. It’s a great honor. He gets to go down with some of the greats in the state. I’m proud of the kid.”

SALEM 96, PENNS GROVE 52
PENNS GROVE (5-11) – Brandon Robbins 2 0-0 5, Roman Gipson 1 1-4 3, Giomar Conrad 2 2-6 6, KaRon Ceaser 2 3-6 7, Willie Slocum 2 4-6 8, Mekhi Ballard 4 1-2 12, Camron Thompson 0 0-2 0, Luis Colon 1 0-0 2, Mr Peterson 0 0-0 0, Neziah Spence 1 2-4 5, Will Roe 2 0-0 4. Totals 17 13-30 52.
SALEM (10-6) – Anthony Farmer 11 12-14 36, Ramaji Bundy 1 0-0 2, Jabez DeJesus 5 1-2 14, Paul Weathers 3 0-2 6, Tymear Lecator 7 3-3 20, Xavier McGriff 2 0-0 4, Donovan Weathers 1 0-0 2, Antwone Rogers 0 0-0 0, Marshall Stephens 0 0-0 0, Cole Sayers 2 2-2 6, Davonte Jackson 2 0-0 6. Totals 34 18-23 96.

Penns Grove14101216 –52
Salem22242525 –96
3-point goals: Penns Grove 5 (Robbins, Ballard 3, Spence); Salem 10 (Farmer 2, DeJesus 3, Lecator 3, Johnson 2). Technical fouls: Penns Grove 2, P. Weathers, Lecator, Salem (admin). Total fouls: Penns Grove 17, Salem 20.

PENNSVILLE 68, GATEWAY 46: The Eagles have been waiting for Jayden Thomas, their Brooklyn-born bomber, to have a game like this. The senior put 25 points on the hapless Gators (1-16) to help his team snap a four-game road losing streak.

Thomas had put together three straight double-figure games last week, but his big night Monday beat his previous Pennsville best by eight points. It was a painful night in some respects, however, as he rolled an ankle late in the game and left on crutches.

Pennsville junior Luke Wood, the first Salem County player to reach the 1,000-point mark this season, added to his total with 18 points.

PENNSVILLE 68, GATEWAY 46
PENNSVILLE (7-10) – Luke Wood 7 2-3 18, Jayden Thomas 9 5-7 25, Peyton O’Brien 2 3-7 7, Mason O’Brien 4 1-3 9, Cohen Petrutz 3 0-0 6, Connor Starn 1 0-0 3. Totals 26 11-20 68.
GATEWAY (1-16) – A’Key Talley 2 1-4 5, Peter Frombach 2 1-4 5, Benji Bontarino 2 0-0 4, Steven Moriachetta 4 0-0 8, Sean Simmons 8 3-5 22, Sean Cawley 1 0-1 2. Totals 19 5-14 46.

Pennsville10132520 –68
Gateway12111020 –46
3-point goals: Pennsville 5 (Wood 2, Thomas 2, Starn); Gateway 3 (Simmons 3).