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.”
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 Deptford
7
10
15
14 –
46
Pennsville
15
11
9
14 –
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.
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.
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.
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.
Clayton
13
22
24
17 –
76
Salem Tech
22
17
28
19 –
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.
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.
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 Tech
11
4
15
11 –
41
Salem
32
28
12
11 –
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.”
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.
Monday girls roundup: Penns Grove uses strong defense to dump Salem, Woodstown dominates Delran, Pennsville falls to Glassboro
MONDAY GIRLS SCORES Glassboro 47, Pennsville 41 Penns Grove 66, Salem 31 Woodstown 65, Delran 31
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – The Penns Grove girls are at their best when their defense is running hot and Monday it was as good as it has been all year – especially in the first half.
The Red Devils forced a ton of turnovers and cleared most of the boards on both ends of the floor while dominating Salem 66-31 to snap a three-game losing streak in which they didn’t really have their best defensive player.
“They did pretty good with the defense,” Penns Grove coach Jennifer Denby said. “They did OK.”
The Red Devils were particularly sharp in the first half. They had 12 steals in the first 12 minutes to fuel a 25-5 lead that became 29-5 at the half. The only two baskets they allowed in the half were a bucket down low by Ava Rodgers in the first quarter and a 3-ball from Carlysia Pierce in the second.
“I feel like we could do better, but it was pretty good at the start,” guard Amani Taylor said.
Taylor was the catalyst. She missed significant minutes or altogether games during the losing streak after taking a shot in the nose during the Pennsville game, but she was back Monday wearing a plastic faceguard and was eager to make up for lost time.
“She was our missing (piece to the) puzzle,” Denby said. “We need her on the floor. She’s our general on the floor.”
Taylor had four steals in the first quarter and seven in the first half, whether it was with quick hands at the front of the press, sealing off the back door in the trap or just being disruptive in the middle of the floor. She finished with eight steals in the game.
“I really missed playing defense knowing my team was struggling a little bit,” she said. “I just like being aggressive.”
All coaches hope their defense leads to offense and it did for the Red Devils. RaNiyah Wilson led them in scoring with 28 points; she had 10 in the first quarter and 14 in the fourth.
Meely Horace put a dent in her bid to reach the 1,000-point plateau with 17; she needs 56. She also had 16 rebounds.
3-point goals: Salem 1 (Pierce); Penns Grove 2 (Wilson 2). Technical fouls: Foote. Total fouls: Salem 14, Penns Grove 16.
WOODSTOWN 65, DELRAN 31: Megan Donelson and Talia Battavio moved closer to the 1,000-point plateau with 22 and 21 points, respectively and Shannon Pierman passed 500 career rebounds with 15 in the game.
Both Donelson and Pierman enjoyed double-doubles. Donelson had 10 steals to go with her points and Pierman had 12 points to go with her rebounds. Pieman now has 503 career boards.
Donelson is now 52 points shy of the milestone. Battavio needs 56.
GLASSBORO 47, PENNSVILLE 41: Nora Ausland returned to the Pennsville lineup for the first time in 10 days and scored six points, but the Eagles didn’t quite have enough to offset a pair of 20-point Glassboro efforts in their first game since coach Sam Trapp announced her decision to step away from coaching at the end of the season.
Kezia Brackett and Tamia Smith had 22 and 20 points, respectively, to lead the Bulldogs. Bella Farina led Pennsville with 13 points.
Cover photo: Penns Grove’s Amani Taylor (5) comes up to play defense on Salem’s Ameriyona Hunter during their game Monday. Taylor led a defense effort that was strong all game and held the Rams to two field goals in the first half.
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 3; SJIBT Elite 8, four county basketball players could reach 1,000-point milestone among this week’s highlights
Monday
BASKETBALL Girls Glassboro at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Salem at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Delran, 6:30 p.m. Boys Penns Grove at Salem, 5:30 p.m. Pennsville at Gateway, 5:30 p.m.
INDOOR TRACK Schalick vs. TBA, Toms River
SWIMMING Salem vs. Woodstown at GCIT, 8:15 p.m.
BOWLING Salem vs. Kingsway, Wood Lanes, 4 p.m. Salem Tech at West Deptford, 4 p.m.
WRESTLING Deptford Twp. at Schalick, 5 p.m.
Tuesday
BASKETBALL Girls Penns Grove at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m. Pennsville at Schalick, 5:30 p.m. Salem at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m. Boys Schalick at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m. Woodstown at Penns Grove, 5:30 p.m. Salem Tech at Salem, 7 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL Men CC of Philadelphia at Salem CC, 6 p.m. Women Salem CC at Harcum College, 5 p.m.
BOWLING Salem Tech at Lindenwold, 4 p.m.
Wednesday
WRESTLING Cumberland at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m. Pennsville, Glassboro at Clayton, 6 p.m.
SWIMMING Tri-County Conference Showcase at GCIT, 3 p.m.
BOWLING Salem vs. Salem Tech, Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.
Thursday
BASKETBALL Girls Overbrook at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. Schalick at Glassboro, 5:30 p.m. Salem Tech at Clayton, 5:30 p.m. Wildwood at Salem, 5:30 p.m. Woodstown at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m. Boys Clayton at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m. Glassboro at Schalick, 5:30 p.m. Penns Grove at Overbrook, 5:30 p.m. Pennsville at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m. Salem at Wildwood, 5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL Women Salem CC at RCSJ-Gloucester, 5 p.m. Men Salem CC at RCSJ-Gloucester, 7 p.m.
BOWLING Salem vs. Hammonton, Wood Lanes, 4 p.m. Salem Tech vs. Kingsway, Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.
Friday
BASKETBALL Girls St. Joe (Hamm.) at Salem Tech, 5 p.m. Gateway at Schalick, 5:30 p.m. Salem at Gloucester Catholic, 5:30 p.m. Boys Salem Tech at Riverside, 5:15 p.m. Schalick at Gateway, 5:30 p.m. West Deptford at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
WRESTLING Salem, Pitman at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. Woodstown at Timber Creek, 5 p.m. Pennsville at Burlington Twp., 6 p.m. Schalick at Absegami, 6 p.m.
INDOOR TRACK NJSIAA Sectionals, Toms River
SWIMMING Woodstown vs. Haddon Heights at Giant Fitness, 6 p.m.
Saturday
BASKETBALL Girls Pennsville at West Deptford, 11:30 a.m.
South Jersey Invitational Tournament at Eastern HS Paul VI vs. Timber Creek, 5:45 p.m. Woodstown vs. Cherokee, 7:30 p.m.
Boys Woodstown at Gloucester Catholic, 11:30 a.m. Salem vs. Paulsboro at Atlantic City, 6:30 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL Women Raritan Valley CC at Salem CC, noon Men Salem CC at Luzerne County CC, noon
WRESTLING Bordentown, Vineland at Penns Grove, 9 a.m. Clearview, Hammonton, Central Regional at Pennsville, 10 a.m. Woodstown, Lacey, Pennsauken at Burlington Twp., 10 a.m.
Riverview Sports News 