Category: PENNSVILLE

Long time coming

Pennsville girls basketball ends long title drought by clinching share of Diamond Division, plus the rest of Monday’s Salem County sports calendar

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville 65, Penns Grove 25
Pitman 48, Salem Tech 26
Schalick 46, Woodstown 25
BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove 80, Pennsville 16
Salem 60, Paulsboro 54
Pitman 52, Salem Tech 31
Woodstown 46, Schalick 33
INDOOR TRACK
Pennsville, Salem at Ocean Breeze

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE — Pennsville assistant coach Ryan Wood stood before the girls basketball team after the game and gave the day its historical context in a way uniquely his own.

The Eagles had just clinched a share of its first division title since 1988 Monday when they bashed Penns Grove 65-25 in Rudy Baric Gym and Wood let them know just how long ago that was.

“Forty years ago,” he said rubbing his hands over his thinning scalp, “I had a full head of hair.”

And if you don’t believe it, his daughter, senior guard Marley Wood, has the proof.

“I’ve seen pictures, him and my brother (Luke) look the exact same, which is really weird,” she said.

The girls basketball banner at Pennsville High will soon get an update to reflect the latest division title.

The Eagles’ sixth straight win — and fourth since the coaching change — left them 9-1 in the TCC Diamond Division and a share of their first division title since 1988 with Glassboro. The teams split in the regular season.

“We’ve all worked very hard for this,” senior forward Taylor Bass said. “A lot of sweat, blood and tears have gone into it.”

There’s a banner in the far left corner of Pennsville’s Salberg Gym that commemorates the team’s last division title. After the boys soccer team won its first division title in 32 years in October, it left girls basketball with the school’s longest championship drought among teams that have won a championship. The boys basketball program has never won one. The girls track team is now on the clock (2011).

“Every year we get reminded that it’s been a while, so getting to do with my team my senior year and my dad in the back with us is great,” Marley Wood said.

The Eagles (14-6) had control of this one from the start. They built a 33-15 halftime lead, then opened the third quarter with 16 straight points to put it out of reach.

Bass and Addie Johnston led the offense with 18 points apiece. Since the coaching change that elevated Robin Efelis to head coach and brought Ryan Wood back to the bench, Johnston has scored 52 points and hit eight 3-pointers. 

“It’s just been good games, good days,” the sophomore said. “My shooting’s been good, my confidence overall has been high. Just been coming out hot every day.”

Wood had six points, but grabbed 10 rebounds and dished 12 assists. Already the second-leading all-time girls scorer in school history, she needs one point for 1,300 and four assists for 500. That would put her in the 1300-500-500 Club since she already has 521 rebounds.

PENNSVILLE 65, PENNS GROVE 25
PENNSVILLE (14-6): Taylor Bass 8 1-5 18, Marley Wood 3 0-2 6, Addie Johnston 7 1-2 18, Izzy Saulin 4 2-2 10, Jaida Burns 3 0-0 6, Jaiden Wilson 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 1 0-0 2, Kylie Weist 1 0-0 3, Reagan Sipps 0 0-0 0, Makayla Griffith 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 4-11 65.
PENNS GROVE (2-18): Janiyah Cummings 6 3-4 16, Keziah Patterson 1 2-2 5, Yeichelyn Rodriguez 0 0-0 0, Domari Torres 1 0-0 3, Yanet Cruz 0 0-0 0, Mikayla Washington 1 0-0 2, Armahni Blackston 0 0-0 0, Yasmin Cruz 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 5-6 26

Pennsville23101913-65
Penns Grove7847-26
3-point goals: Pennsville 5 (Bass, Johnston 3, Weist); Penns Grove 3 (Patterson, JCummings, Torres). Total fouls: Pennsville 6, Penns Grove 6.

SCHALICK 46, WOODSTOWN 25: The Cougars put together one of their best defensive efforts of the season in a year filled with big defensive efforts and ended a 13-game losing streak against the Wolverines. It was almost seven years to the day the last time they won in the series, Feb. 12, 2019.

“This one feels good,” Schalick coach John Whelan said. “The girls were ready for this game and they put together four full quarters of good basketball. It was a signature win as we come to the end of there egular season. It will be a great momentum builder as we head into the playoffs.”

The Cougars (14-5) held their hosts to single digits in all four quarters. They led 10-8 after the first quarter, then took control in the second quarter. They closed Woodstown out with a 15-3 fourth quarter. They are averaging a shade under 24 points against in their 14 wins this season.

“As always we build off our defense,” Whelan said. “It was an outstanding defensive performance where the girls took pride in winning on that side of the court. That aggressiveness translated to playing downhill on the offensive end. Everyone played a part.”

Ava Scurry anchored the defense. She had 14 rebounds, including the 600th of her career, five steals and seven blocked shots. Cali Fisler had four steals and Olivia Vanacker had eight rebounds, a career-high nine assists and three steals.

Willow Davis led the offense with four 3-pointers and a career-high 18 points. Nevaeh Robinson had 10. Kendall Young was Woodstown’s leading scorer with 10 points.

The Wolverines, who once had a 39-game winning streaks against Salem County opponents, have now won lost two in a row to in-county foes.

SCHALICK (14-5): Ava Scurry 1 2-4 4, Cali Fisler 1 6-10 8, Olivia Vanacker 3 0-0 6, Nevaeh Robinson 3 3-6 10, Willow Davis 6 2-2 18. Totals 14 13-22 46.
WOODSTOWN (9-13): Lauren Hengel 3 0-0 8, Emma Perry 0 1-2 1, Kendall Young 4 0-0 10, Talia Guardascione 0 1-2 1, Gina Murray 2 0-0 5. Totals 9 2-4 25.

Schalick1015813-46
Woodstown8683-25
3-point goals: Schalick 5 (Robinson, Davis 4); Woodstown 5 (Hengel 2, Young 2, Murray). Rebounds: Schalick 32 (Scurry 14, Vanacker 8)

PITMAN 48, SALEM TECH 26: Audrey Duffield scored 19 points and three other players had at least eight as the Panthers snapped a six-game losing streak that followed their last win over the Chargers. Shelby Liber led Salem Tech with 13 points. Amora Delaine had seven points and eight rebounds.

PITMAN (4-13): Marlee Adams 4 1-4 9, Emery Sharpnack 4 0-0 8, Audrey Duffield 7 5-8 19, Bella Pramov 2 0-0 4, Jocelyn O’Brien 4 0-0 8. Totals 21 6-12 48.
SALEM TECH (2-13): Amora Delaine 3 1-6 7, Shelby Liber 5 0-4 13, Rachel Reed 0 0-0 0, Shelby Drummond 1 0-0 2, Evening Amedee 0 1-2 1, Olivia Lydon 0 0-0 0, Carmen Mott 0 0-0 0, Tiara Bazemore 1 1-2 3. Totals 10 3-14 26.

Pitman1018137-48
Salem Tech5794-26
3-point goals: Salem Tech 3 (Liber 3). Rebounds: Salem Tech 35 (Delaine 8, Mott 7).

Boys games

PENNS GROVE 80, PENNSVILLE 16: The Red Devils went out 17-0 in the first five minutes and got scoring from 13 players.

Will Roy led the assault with 13 points, nine in the first quarter. Zane Thomas and Geonni Conrad had 11 apiece, and Jameel Horace had 10.

“That’s what we’re looking for,” Penns Grove coach Damien Ware said. “We have 10 to 12 guys who can play, contribute for us, so that’s really what we want to do on a night-in, night-out basis. If we can just play together. I tell them (to) play consistent.

“We’ve been playing good in stretches. We play good for five minutes and play bad for five minutes. Once we get to the point where we’re playing consistently good basketball we’re going to be tough to beat. We’re pretty deep. We have a lot of guys who can play, so we’ll be tough to deal with.”

PENNS GROVE (14-8): Roman Gipson 0 0-0 0, Carson Pearsall 4 0-0 9, Haneef Frisby 1 0-0 2, Will Roy 6 0-0 13, Mishawn Brantley 3 0-0 6, Geonni Conrad 5 0-0 11, Luis Colon 2 0-0 4, Jameel Horace 5 0-0 10, Jeremy Costacamps 1 0-0 2, Jerry Wooten 1 1-1 3, Ahkeen Edwards 1 0-0 2, Messiah Allah 0 2-2 2, Eli Pearsall 1 0-0 3, James Minor 0 2-2 2, Zane Thomas 4 3-3 11. Totals 34 8-8 80.
PENNSVILLE (3-17): Jake Layfield 0 0-0 0, Shamir Watkins 1 0-0 2, Gavin Spears 0 0-0 0, Danny Knight 1 0-0 3, Jake Farina 2 0-0 6, Trey Clevinger 2 0-0 5, Colin Keenan 0 0-0 0, Liam Crane 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 0-0 16.

Penns Grove25252010-80
Pennsville3562-16
3-point goals: Penns Grove 4 (Pearsall, Roy, Conrad, E. Pearsall); Pennsville 4 (Knight, Farina 2, Clevinger). Total fouls: Penns Grove 3, Pennsville 4.

SALEM 60, PAULSBORO 54: Tymear Lecator scored 21 points to inch closer to 1,000 career points and hit two free throws in a one-point game to keep the Red Raiders at arm’s length. The junior guard needs 22 points to hit the milestone going into Tuesday’s game with Penns Grove. He also had eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Deshaan Williams and BJ Robbins added nine points apiece for the Rams (17-4), the No. 1 team in the South Jersey Group I power points standings and No. 2 seed in the upcoming Tri-County Conference Tournament. Marshall Stephens and Donnie Weathers both grabbed 10 rebounds Stephens also blocked three shots.

The Rams came from eight down at halftime to take a four-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Red Raiders got within 54-53, then Lecator hit two free throws to stretch the lead and the Rams (17-4) closed it out from the line. They were 18-of-27 from the line in the game as a team, Lecator was 8-for-10.

When the milestone comes, he’ll be the 18th Salem player on the Salem County boys 1,000-point list.

“I’m not anxious, I know what work I put in and that never lies,” he said. “I’m just looking at it like another game and it’ll definitely be a blessing to hopefully reach the milestone tomorrow.”

SALEM (17-4): Donnie Weathers 2 1-2 5, Xavier McGriff 1 0-0 2, Neziah Spence 0 2-4 2, Tymear Lecator 5 8-10 21, Fatah Paige 1 0-0 2, Deshaan Williams 3 3-4 9, BJ Robbins 4 0-0 9, Marshall Stephens 3 0-1 6, Darrelle Johnson 0 4-6 4. Totals 19 18-27 60.
PAULSBORO (9-10): Malakai McKenzie 4 11-14 21, Jeremiah Carr 3 4-9 10, Jeff Taylor 2 0-0 6, LaShawn Clay 2 0-0 5, Dayvon Kersey 1 1-2 4, Jamal Robinson 1 1-2 3, Khalil Streater 1 1-2 3, Jakai Bennett 0 2-4 2. Totals 14 20-33 54.

Salem1392018-60
Paulsboro1317816-54
3-point goals: Salem 4 (Lecator 3, Robbins); Paulsboro 6 (McKenzie 2, Taylor 2, Clay, Kersey). Rebounds: Salem (Lecator 8, Williams 7, Johnson 7, Stephens 10, Weathers 10); Paulsboro 30 (Carr 7, Bennett 7).
1000-POINT WATCHTODAYTOTALNEXT
Tymear Lecator, Salem21 vs. Paulsboro978vs. Penns Grove, Tues.

WOODSTOWN 46, SCHALICK 33: The teams played even for a half, but Woodstown came out of the break in a strong defensive posture and pulled away. The Wolverines held them hosts to two points in the third quarter to pull ahead, then kept the pressure on in the fourth quarter.

“No special adjustment,” Woodstown coach Ramon Roots said. “We just played harder in the second (half),.”

Elijah Caesar led Woodstown’s offense with 14 points. Blake Bialecki added 12, including his 194th career 3-pointer, and went over 200 career assists. Kade Macom led the Cougars with a career-tying 16 points.

WOODSTOWN (14-8): Elijah Caesar 7 0-0 14, Blake Bialecki 4 2-2 12, Lucas Fulmer 0 2-2 2, Andrew White 2 2-4 7, Frank Hoerst 0 0-0 0, Alejandro Vazquez 2 0-2 5, Josh King 3 0-0 6, Jalen Markward 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-10 46.
SCHALICK (9-11): Julian Dickerson 4 0-0 10, Orion Baldwin 1 0-0 3, Dylan Sheehan 1 0-0 2, Kade Macom 6 2-2 16, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 2-2 33.

Woodstown1312813-46
Schalick121227-33
3-point goals: Woodstown 4 (Bialecki 2, White, Vazquez); Schalick 5 (Dickerson 2, Baldwin, Macom 2).

PITMAN 52, SALEM TECH 31: The Panthers controlled the game by dominating the first and third quarters. Peter DeChristopher led the effort with 16 points, four 3-pointers and six rebounds. Lucas Razze had six points, seven assists and five steals. Aiden Bobo led the Chargers’ offense with 10 points.

SALEM TECH (2-16): Chase Pompper 2 1-2 5, Luke Kroll 2 0-0 6, Ayden Myers 1 0-0 3, Raphael Busch 2 0-0 4, Sterling Lewis 1 1-2 3. Totals 12 3-6 31.
PITMAN (9-13): Lucas Razze 2 1-2 6, Parker DeChristopher 6 0-0 16, Joey Zubert 4 0-0 9, Jake Bowen-Ashwin 1 1-2 3, Jay Craig 4 0-0 8, Oliver Spier 3 0-0 8, Micah Frost 0 0-0 0, Michael Aubrey 0 0-0 0, Kiernan Clark 0 0-0 0, Liam Etter 1 0-0 2, Brady Green 0 0-0 0, Brayden Geary 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 2-4 52.

Salem Tech312313-31
Pitman1911184-52
3-point goals: Salem Tech 4 (Kroll 2, Myers, Bobo); Pitman 8 (Razze, DeChristopher 4, Zubert, Spier 2). Rebounds: Pitman 27 (DeChristopher 6, Craig 6).

Indoor track

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Salem’s Amiyah Jones and Pennsville’s Aubrey Manorowitz both posted Top 10 finishes in jumping events to headline the Salem County performers at the SJTCA Meet at the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Facility.

Jones was fourth in the girls long jump (15-7) and eighth in the girls triple jump (30-9.75). Manorowitz placed fifth in the girls high jump (4-10).

TCC Tournament

Salem pulls down No. 2 seed in boys championship bracket; Kingsway No. 1 boys seed, Gloucester Catholic No. 1 girls seed; tournament starts Friday

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

Salem’s approach of playing anybody, anywhere, any time and having some success in it landed it the No. 2 seed among the boys and five total Salem County teams made their respective championship brackets in the Tri-County Conference tournament that starts Friday.

The 16-4 Rams, the TCC Classic Division champions and current South Jersey Group 1 No. 1, drew a first-round bye with the other three division winners when the tournament pairings dropped Monday and are the highest seeded Salem County team in either field. They will host the Penns Grove-Williamstown winner in the quarterfinals next Monday.

“We have been able to take care of business during the regular season to put ourselves in this position,” Rams coach Anthony Farmer said. “Now we have to go finish the job.”

Kingsway (No. 1), Delsea and Overbrook are the other three boys top seeds. Gloucester Catholic (No. 1), Wildwood, Glassboro and Timber Creek are the top four seeds in the girls bracket.

Penns Grove (No. 10) and Woodstown (No. 11) are the other two Salem County teams in the boys championship bracket. Pennsville (No. 9) and Woodstown (No. 11) are the two county teams in the girls championship bracket.

All the other county teams were placed in what the conference is calling the “post-season bracket.” Teams that lose in the opening round can play a second game unless they mutually opt out of the matchup. 

Anthony Farmer has the Salem Rams No. 1 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings and the No. 2 seed in the Tri-County Tournament. The boys championship bracket is in the top photo.

TCC officials seeded the top 12 teams in each championship bracket according to South Jersey power points, rewarding the four division winners with first-round byes. Other tiebreakers were in place for divisions not decided by Sunday’s deadline and teams could jump seed if they had the head-to-head edge over the team immediately above them in the rankings.

Pennsville and Glassboro are currently tied for the Diamond Division girls lead – Pennsville can clinch a share of its first division title since 1988 today at Penns Grove – but Glassboro got the bye with a better overall record (and power points), and Wildwood overtook the Bulldogs for the 2 seed by virtue of winning their regular-season meeting.
 
Teams that finished 13 through 23 in the power points standings went to the post-season bracket. Schalick’s girls had the best luck of the local teams on the bubble. The Cougars (13-5) came in at 13 overall, but grabbed the No. 1 seed in their bracket with a first-round bye.

All games in the post-season bracket will be played at the higher seed. The first three rounds of the championship bracket will be played at the higher seed with the finals played in a boys-girls doubleheader at Washington Twp. Feb. 21.

“We are excited to be in a position to have the tournament run through Pittsgrove,” Schalick coach John Whelan said. “It’s another step in the right direction for this team.

“The girls have earned this opportunity and they are excited about having home court advantage. Our parents, fans and student section have been great recently creating a fun atmosphere to play in.

“Coach (Les) Berry and I are proud of the girls for everything they’ve accomplished so far and we are excited to see where this opportunity takes us.”

The girls Championship Bracket for the Tri-County Basketball Tournament.



TCC BOYS TOURNAMENT
Championship Bracket
Friday’s games
Game 1: No. 9 Clearview (9-13) at No. 8 Timber Creek (10-10)
Game 2: No. 12 Gloucester Catholic (8-14) at No. 5 Deptford (18-4)
Game 3: No. 11 Woodstown (13-8) at No. 6 Cumberland (15-8)
Game 4: No. 10 Penns Grove (13-8) at No. 7 Williamstown (13-8)

Feb. 17
Game 5: Clearview-Timber Creek winner at No. 1 Kingsway (14-9)
Game 6: Gloucester Catholic-Deptford winner at No. 4 Overbrook (16-6)
Game 7: Woodstown-Cumberland winner at No. 3 Delsea (12-9)
Game 8: Penns Grove-Williamstown at No. 2 Salem (16-4)

Feb. 19 (at higher seed)
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Feb. 21
At Washington Twp. HS
Championship game, 11 a.m.

Postseason Bracket
Friday’s games
Game 1: No. 9 Schalick (9-10) at No. 8 Clayton (7-12)
Game 2: No. 5 Glassboro (6-13) bye
Game 3: No. 11 Salem Tech (2-15) at No. 6 Wildwood (13-8)
Game 4: No. 10 Pennsville (3-17) at No. 7 Highland (5-16)

Feb. 17
Game 5: Schalick-Clayton winner at No. 1 GCIT (10-10)
Game 6: Glassboro at No. 4 Triton (7-14)
Game 7: Salem Tech-Wildwood winner at No. 3 Pitman (8-13)
Game 8: Pennsville-Highland winner at No. 2 Washington Twp. (7-15)

Feb. 19 (at higher seed)
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Feb. 21 (at higher seed)
Championship game


TCC GIRLS TOURNAMENT
Championship Bracket
Friday’s games
Game 2: No. 12 Cumberland (10-11) at No. 5 Clearview (13-8)
Game 3: No. 11 Woodstown (9-12) at No. 6 Kingsway (14-8)
Game 4: No. 10 Triton (11-10) at No. 7 Washington Twp. (12-8)
Saturday’s games
Game 1: No. 9 Pennsville (13-6) at No. 8 Delsea (12-9)

Feb. 17
Game 5: Pennsville-Delsea winner at No. 1 Gloucester Catholic (17-3)
Game 6: Cumberland-Clearview winner at No. 4 Timber Creek (12-7)
Game 7: Woodstown-Kingsway winner at No. 3 Glassboro (15-6)
Game 8: Triton-Washington Twp. winner at No. 2 Wildwood (14-6)

Feb. 19 (at higher seed)
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Feb. 21
At Washington Twp. HS
Championship game, 1 p.m.

Postseason Bracket
Friday’s games
Game 1: No. 9 Pitman (3-13) at No. 8 Highland (2-19)
Game 2: No. 5 Salem (8-8) bye
Game 3: No. 11 Salem Tech (2-12) at No. 6 Clayton (7-11)
Game 4: No. 10 Penns Grove (2-17) at No. 7 Overbrook (4-16)

Feb. 17
Game 5: Pitman-Highland at No. 1 Schalick (13-5)
Game 6: No. 5 Salem at No. 4 Williamstown (4-15)
Game 7: Salem Tech-Clayton winner at No. 3 GCIT (5-16)
Game 8: Penns Grove-Overbrook winner at Deptford (8-13)

Feb. 19
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

Feb. 21 (at higher seed)
Championship game

Season records as of Feb. 8

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Feb. 9-15

MONDAY, FEB. 9
BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
Salem at Paulsboro, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Pitman, 5:30 p.m.
Woodstown at Schalick, 5:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Pitman at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
Schalick at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
INDOOR TRACK
Pennsville, Salem at Ocean Breeze, 4:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB. 10
BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at Salem, 5:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
Delsea girls at Schalick, 5 p.m.
Woodstown at Timber Creek, 5 p.m.
Penns Grove at Palmyra, 5:30 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Schalick, 6 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Union at Salem CC, 5 p.m.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Morris, TBA

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Pitman, 5:30 p.m.
Woodstown at Salem Tech, 5:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Oakcrest at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Pitman at Pennsville, 5:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Woodstown, 5:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
Pennsville, Salem at Overbrook Girls Jamboree, 5 p.m.
Salem at Willingboro, 5 p.m.
Pennsville at Haddon Heights, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB. 12
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Wildwood at Salem, 5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Camden at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 13
BOYS BASKETBALL
TCC Tournament
Championship Bracket
Clearview at Timber Creek
Gloucester Catholic at Deptford
Woodstown at Cumberland
Penns Grove at Williamstown
Postseason Bracket
Schalick at Clayton
Salem Tech at Wildwood
Pennsville at Highland
GIRLS BASKETBALL
TCC Tournament
Championship Bracket
Cumberland at Clearview
Woodstown at Kingsway
Triton at Washington Twp.
Postseason Bracket
Pitman at Highland
Salem Tech at Clayton
Penns Grove at Overbrook
WRESTLING
Schalick, Burlington Twp., Cherry Hill West at Maple Shade, 3:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 14
BOYS BASKETBALL
Salem Tech at Salem, 10 a.m.
Woodstown at Haddonfield, 11:30 a.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
TCC Tournament
Pennsville at Delsea
WRESTLING
Highland, Mainland at Pennsville, 10 a.m.
Woodstown, Allentown, Haddon Heights at Delran, 10 a.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Sussex at Salem CC, 2 p.m.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Essex at Salem CC, noon

SUNDAY, FEB. 15
INDOOR TRACK
NJSIAA Sectionals at Bennett Complex, 9 a.m.

Salem County Saturday

Here are the scores and details from Saturday’s Salem County sports calendar; includes basketball, wrestling

BOYS BASKETBALL
Deptford 68, Penns Grove 62
Woodstown 66, Pennsville 21
Battle by the Bay, Atlantic City
Cherry Hill East 73, Salem 56

By Riverview Sports News

ATLANTIC CITY — Salem had hoped to get off to a hot start in its highly charged Battle By The Bay matchup with Cherry Hill East. Instead, the Rams fell behind out of the gate and although they played even in the second half fell 73-56.

It was a battle between the No. 2 teams in the South Jersey Group I power points standings against the No. 1 in SJ Group 4.

The Cougars (19-2) ran out to an 11-1 lead and held the Rams (16-4) without a field goal until Deshaan Williams’ put back with 3:22 left in the first quarter. It was 17-9 after the first quarter and 39-22 at halftime.

The Cougars were aware of the damage Salem guard Tymear Lecator could inflict and held him to nine points, the first time he’s been out of double figures in 12 games. The junior guard is now 43 points shy of 1,000 for his career.

Neziah Spence led Salem with 21 points, tying his career high, set earlier this year against A.I. duPont.

Chris Delgado led CHE with 19 points. Justin Farber had 15 points and Chris Abreu 14. The Cougars hit nine 3-pointers in the game. Salem was 3-of-13 from behind the arc.

CHERRY HILL EAST 73, SALEM 56
CHERRY HILL EAST (19-2): Chris Abreu 4 5-7 14, Chris Delgado 7 3-3 19, Justin Farber 5 3-4 15, Noah’s Marciano 2 0-0 5, Rya Olson 1 0-0 2, Noah Johnson 3 1-4 9, Kristian Glenn 3 0-0 7, Jaden Green 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 12-18 73
SALEM (16-4): Marshall Stephens 1 0-2 4, Xavier McGriff 1 2-2 4, Neziah Spence 6 6-7 21, Tymear Lecator 3 3-3 9, Deshaan Williams 2 1-2 5, BJ Robbins 1 0-2 2, Darrelle Johnson 2 0-0 4, Fatah Paige 2 1-4 5, Donnie Weathers 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 13-24 56.

Cherry Hill East17221519-73
Salem9131420-56
3-point goals: CHE 9 (Abreu, Delgado 2, Farber 2, Marciano, Johnson 2, Glenn); Salem 3 (Spence 3). Rebounds: CHE 27 (Marciano6, Abreu 6); Salem 42 (Weathers 9Paige 7, Johnson6).
1000-POINT WATCHTODAYTOTALNEXT
Tymear Lecator, Salem 9 vs. Cherry Hill East957at Paulsboro, Monday

WOODSTOWN 66, PENNSVILLE 21: Alejandro Vazquez tied his season-high with four 3-pointers and scored 18 points, Lucas Fulmer hit three 3s and scored a career-high 17 points, and the Wolverines opened a big halftime lead. Vazquez scored 15 points in the first half as the Wolverines opened a 45-9 lead. Danny Knight had 13 of the Eagles’ 21 points.

PENNSVILLE (3-17): Jake Layfield 0 0-0 0, Gavin Spears 0 0-0 0, Aidan Clark 0 0-2 0, Danny Knight 4 2-4 13, Jake Farina 2 0-0 6, Shamir Watkins 0 0-0 0, Keevan 0 0-0 0, Trey Clevinger 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 2-6 21.
WOODSTOWN (13-8): Eli Caesar 1 0-0 2, Jalen Markward 3 1-3 7, Blake Bialecki 3 0-0 8, Alejandro Vazquez 7 0-0 18, John Hood-McGinley 0 0-0 0, Josh King 1 0-0 2, Andrew White 2 0-0 5, Trey Markward 1 0-0 2, Lucas Fulmer 6 1-2 16, Bryce Ayers 1 0-2 2, Brian Booker 0 0-0 0, Frank Hoerst 1 0-0 2, Connor Miller 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 2-7 66.

Pennsville6384-21
Woodstown19261110-66
3-point goals: Pennsville 5 (Knight 3, Farina 2); Woodstown 10 (Bialecki 2, Vazquez 4, White, Fulmer 3). Total fouls: Pennsville 5, Woodstown 4.

DEPTFORD 68, PENNS GROVE 62: Both teams had three scorers in double figures, but the Spartans’ trio outscored Penns Grove’s 52-41. Deptford’s Jordan Williams led all scorers with 24 points, Luke Vilary had 17 and Kenny Cockrell had a double-double (11/10 assists). The Red Devils got 15 points apiece from Roman Gipson and Geonni Conrad. Carson Pearsall had 11.

PENNS GROVE (13-8): Roman Gipson 7 1-1 15, Haneef Frisby 4 0-0 8, Geonni Conrad 5 5-7 15, Mishawn Brantley 2 0-0 5, Carson Pearsall 4 2-3 11, Jameel Horace 3 2-2 8, Will Roy 0 0-0 0, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 10-13 62.
DEPTFORD (18-4): Luke Vilary 7 0-0 17, Brian Orio 1 0-0 2, Jordan Williams 11 0-0 24, Kenny Cockerill 3 5-5 11, Mike Yankowski 2 1-2 5, Antoine Sims 1 0-0 2, Bryce Tull 3 0-0 7. Totals 28 6-7 68.

Penns Grove17141714-62
Deptford20171714-68
3-point goals: Penns Grove 2 (Brantley, Pearsall); Deptford 7 (Vilary 3, Williams 2, Tull 2).

Wrestling

WILLIAMSTOWN 40, WOODSTOWN 30
106: Ayden Danley (WI) pinned TJ Conto, 0:44
113: Jadon Middlemiss (WO) won by forfeit
120: Carson Bradway (WO) dec. Maddox Slotnick, 4-2
126: Freedom Neff (WI) pinned Walker Battavio, 5:52
132: Joseph Lascala (WI) dec. Barry Coverly, 7-3
138: Jayden Hennessy (WI) tech fall over Luke Woronicak, 18-1 (3:25)
144: Ahmed Valverde (WI) pinned Nehemiah Carter, 2:32
150: Ryan Douk (W) tech fall over Mathyias Ellis, 15-0 (5:54)
157: Jack Masterson (WI) pinned Chance Bayonne, 2:17
165: Logan Warfield (WO) dec.Aiden Garcia, SV-1, 19-12
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) pinned Aiden Garcia, 4:37
190: Karlens Borgart (WI) dec. Asher Fitzpatrick, 6-4
215: Bradley Snitcher (WO) pinned Bernardo DeJesus, 1:37
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Logan Kennedy, 0:19


PENNSVILLE QUAD
CLEARVIEW 48, PENNSVILLE 24
106: Brett Land (P) won by forfeit
113: Johnathan Contravo (CL) dec. Erick Davalos, 5-4
120: Michael Lloyd (CL) dec. Earl Wynn, 10-6
126: Jason Hughes (CL) dec. Mehki Dicks, 11-6
132: Landon Wright (CL) maj. dec. Chase Baker, 11-3
138: Ethan Calhoun (CL) pinned Vincent Grether
144: Lucas Gandy (CL) tech fall over nathaniel Mason, 18-2
150: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Logan Wright
157: Elijah Beatty (CL) pinned Gabe Supernavage
165: Tyler Trovato (CL) pinned Robbie McDade
175: Julian Malatesta (CL) pinned Cristian Blyler
190: Stephen Pangle (P) pinned Antonio Green
215: Aaron Veytsman (CL) won by forfeit
285: Jacob Hand (P) won by forfeit

OAKCREST QUAD
OAKCREST 70, SALEM 12
106: Giovanni Taylor (O) won by forfeit
113: Mason Sanchez (O) won by forfeit
120: Joseph Sanchez (O) tech fall over Zachary Tortella, 17-2
126: Keagan Santana (O) tech fall over Jesiyah Tomlinson, 18-2
132: Nikoloz Tchikadze (O) won by forfeit
138: Brodie Parker (S) pinned Kevin Longo
144: Aiden Xayaphachan (O) pinned Joseph Goetaski
150: Ziyon Moore (S) pinned Gavin Gabriel
157: Malik Hughes (O) won by forfeit
165: Adrienn Aponte (O) pinned Jordan Brown
175: Gunnar Olivieri (O) won by forfeit
190: Nyree Montford (O) won by forfeit
215: Nicholas Bellace (O) won by forfeit
285: Youssef Nossair (O) pinned Abdullah Jenkins

STERLING 65, SALEM 15
113: Gavin Kangas (ST) won by forfeit
120: Lucas Romano (ST) tech fall over Zachary Tortella, 19-4
126: Chris Gallucci (ST) pinned Jesiyah Tomlinson, 1:32
132: Guylherme Quintanilha (SA) pinned Ryan Pleis, 0:35
138: Marlon Williams (ST) pinned Brodie Parker, 0:56
144: Joseph Goetaski (SA) dec. Sebastian Adams, 11-10
150: Chase Szpargowski (ST) won by forfeit
157: Mason Marvin (ST) won by forfeit
165: Victor Romano (ST) pinned Jordan Brown, 1:31
175: Rene Camacho (ST) won by forfeit
190: Julian O’Donnell (ST) won by forfeit
215: Liam Crawford (ST) won by forfeit
285: Abdullah Jenkins (SA) won by med. forfeit
106: Luciano Pizzo (ST) won by forfeit

PENNS GROVE QUAD
LINDENWOLD 35, PENNS GROVE 24
106: Jose Santiago (P) won by forfeit
113: Double forfeit
120: Double forfeit
126: Adan Gonzalez (P) won by forfeit
132: Nyla West (P) won by forfeit
138: Joshua Knight (L) pinned Cristian Garcia, 1:04
144: Brandon Caro (L) won by forfeit
150: Ravon Jackson (L) tech fall over Angel Ocasio, 25-10
157: AbdulMuta’Alie IbnAbdulHailm Tart (P) pinned Kane Castner, 2:49
165: Angel Ramos (L) pinned Rogelio Fraga-Martinez, 0:23
175: Raheem Johnson (L) won by forfeit
190: Double forfeit
215: Julian Sanchez (L) dec. Antonio Cooper, 6-3
285: Mekhi Collins (L) dec. Maliq Reddick, 5-1

VINELAND 57, PENNS GROVE 22
120: Joseph Ruberti (V) won by forfeit
126: Nick Garreffi (V) dec. Adan Gonzalez , SV-1 17-14
132: Donnie Tharp (V) pinned Nyhla West, 1:15
138: Jayden Minkowski (V) pinned Cristian Garcia, 0:41
144: Angel Ocasio (P) pinned Joel Acosta, 1:15
150: Ismael Rodriguez (V) won by forfeit
157: AbdulMuta’Alie IbnAbdulHailm Tart (P) won by forfeit
165: Cameron Herman (V) pinned Rogelio Fraga-Martinez, 0:11
175: Cris Lopez Perez (V) won by forfeit
190: Ethyn Mercado (V) won by forfeit
215: Antonio Cooper (P) won by forfeit
285: Brian McCarter (V) pinned Maliq Reddick, 3:51
106: Jose Santiago (P) maj. dec. Jeremiah Rosa, 23-10
113: Santino Machinsky (V) won by forfeit

WINSLOW 66, PENNS GROVE 18
113: Christopher Steed (WI) won by forfeit
120: Aaden King (WI) won by forfeit
126: Alverse Cannon (WI) pinned Adan Gonzalez, 0:49
132: Nathan Downey (WI) pinned Nyhla West, 0:35
138: Noah Young (WI) pinned Cristian Garcia, 0:50
144: Nathan Smalls (WI) pinned Angel Ocasio, 5:03
150: Chase Hamilton (WI) won by forfeit
157: AbdulMuta’Alie IbnAbdulHailm Tart (P) pinned Luke Virogito, 1:36
165: Emilian Sanchez-Thompkins pinned Rogelio Fraga-Martinez, 1:57
175: Pablo Hernandez (WI) won by forfeit
190: London Brown (WI) won by forfeit
215: Antonio Cooper (P) pinned Make Coney, 1:22
285: Izuchukwu Ugwuzor (WI) pinned Maliq Reddick, 0:43
106: Jose Santiago (P) pinned Jason Green, 0:58

Learning on the go

Pennsville girls win third straight for new coach on Senior Night; Robinson comes to life in second half to lead Schalick

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville 44, Millville 38
Schalick 42, Penns Grove 37

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – There are still some things about this head coaching stuff Robin Efelis is still getting used to.

The interim Pennsville girls basketball coach was down on the floor doing a couple post-game interviews Friday after the Eagles put away Millville 44-38 on Senior Night – an exercise she repeated a couple times that she’s never done before – when assistant coach Ryan Wood ducked his head out of the locker room and asked if she wanted to talk to the team.

Something else she hadn’t done before.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for all this,” she said. “I’m just trying to go from one day to the next, you know.

“This week has been really hard, but the girls are settled, they’re trying their hardest, I can’t ask for any more.

There are a lot of things different from her time as an assistant for the Eagles’ last two girls basketball coaches. When you’re the assistant you can always defer to the head coach. When you’re the head coach, the buck stops here.

Efelis was installed as the interim head coach Monday following the abrupt resignation of former coach Steve Merritt on the eve of one of the Eagles’ biggest games of the season. She accepted the assignment with the aim of keeping the girls together and the team on track to secure a share of its first division title since 1987-88.

So far, so good. The Eagles are 3-0 since the change with wins over Woodstown, Schalick and Millville, and have won five in a row overall. They can clinch that elusive division title with a win at Penns Grove Monday and can claim it outright with a win and a Glassboro loss to Clayton Wednesday.

“I think everyone is taking the change well,” senior guard Marley Wood said. “I don’t think anyone’s playing bad. I think everyone’s taking it very well.

“Everyone’s been really pumped up. We made some changes to our offense because of the different coaching styles that Ms. Efelis and Merritt and my dad have. Everyone’s been super pumped. We love basketball, so that’s all we really care about, and being together as a team.”

To give Efelis some help, Eagles athletics director Jamy Thomas reached out late Monday night to longtime Pennsville coach Ryan Wood to be the assistant coach.

The former boys basketball and football coach has coached seven of the players on the team, including all four of the seniors recognized before Friday’s game, which he said makes the transition “a little bit easier.” He was doing the X and O detail during the timeouts in Friday night’s game.

“He’s trying to help me,” Efelis said. “I listen to how he talks. I used to listen to Sam (Trapp) talk, how she talks (to the players), and I get more out of that trying to see how to maneuver the girls to be the best they can be.”

Looking at it as a career coach, Wood said Efelis is doing just fine.

“She is wonderful,” he said. “The girls love her; she’s great with the girls. She does a lot of stuff and I take care of a lot of X and O stuff.

“I don’t think you really learn how to become a head coach until it’s thrust upon you. There’s a big difference between being an assistant and being ‘the guy.’ It’s two different things.”

One of the benefits of being the team’s assistant is it gives him the chance to coach his daughter, Marley, again. It’s been a joy for both of them.

“I had no idea (he was going to be asked),” Marley said. “My dad told me they asked him to coach and I was like, OK. I was excited because I love having my dad as a coach. He coached for a little bit my sophomore and freshman year, which was nice, and then last year and this year he didn’t. Having him back has been nice.”

“Having the opportunity to coach my daughter is always a special thing, for anybody,” Papa Wood said. “I’m just here to support Robin in any way I can.”

Both teams got off to a slow start Friday. The Eagles scored the last five points of the second quarter to take a 16-12 halftime lead. Millville got within one in the third quarter, 22-21, then Taylor Bass made a bucket and Wood hit a 3-pointer and the Eagles never led by less than three the rest of the game.

“We had a slow start, but the second half everyone stepped it up,” Marley Wood said. “It’s really nice to win on your Senior Day.”

To mark the occasion, seniors Wood, Bass, Izzy Saulin and Kylie Harris started with sophomore Addie Johnston. The four senior players and a senior manager, a former player, have combined for 2,835 points and 60 wins in their career.

Wood scored 23 points to move into third place on Pennsville’s all-time girls scoring list, 10 away from No. 2. She also cleared 500 career rebounds and moved closer to 500 career assists.

Getting to No. 1 might be a bit of a stretch. Pennsville’s all-time leading scorer Katie Kline also is Salem County’s all-time leading scorer among the girls with more than 2,100 points.

“I can’t (get that), Katie Kline has 2,000,” Marley said. “I beat my siblings (Ryane and Luke), though. I was trying to get 1,500. I don’t know if that’s going to happen, but I’m glad I beat my siblings.”

PENNSVILLE 44, MILLVILLE 38
MILLVILLE (7-12): Kamya Smith 2 1-2 5, Rahnasia Casper 1 0-0 2, Naomi Burkhart 6 2-2 19, Angeliya Cephas 5 1-1 12, Aphrea Robinson 0 0-2 0, Jada hart 0 0-0 0, Brielle Rivera 0 0-0 0, Tatyana Myles 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 4-7 38.
PENNSVILLE (13-6): Taylor Bass 4 0-1 8, Marley Wood 9 4-4 23, Addie Johnston 0 3-4 3, Izzy Saulin 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Jaiden Wilson 1 0-0 2, Jaida Burns 3 2-2 8. Totals 17 9-11 44.

Millville481214-38
Pennsville2141513-44
3-point goals: Millville 6 (Burkhart 5, Cephas); Pennsville 1 (Wood). Technical fouls: Robinson, Wood. Fouled out: Burkhart. Total fouls: Millville 16, Pennsville 12.

SCHALICK 42, PENNS GROVE 37: The Cougars used a big third quarter to take the lead, then held on in the fourth.

Penns Grove held Neveah Robinson was held in check in the first half, but the Cougars’ leading scorer came to life after the break and scored 11 of her 13 points in a 21-point third quarter that gave here team a 39-28 lead. Robinson also grabbed 13 rebounds.

Ava Scurry led the Cougars (13-5) with 14 points. She also had a career-high 18 rebounds and seven blocked shots. She know has 592 rebounds and 214 blocks for her career. Liv Vanacker came within one point and one steal of a double-double.

Penns Grove’s Keziah Patterson led all scorers with 15 points. Janiyah Cummings had 13, six in the fourth quarter and the Red Devils cut it close.

PENNS GROVE (2-17): Janiyah Cummings 6 1-3 13, Keziah Patterson 5 3-5 15, Mikayla Washington 3 1-3 7, Domari Torres 0 0-0 0, Armani Blackston 1 0-2 2, Jamila Colon 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-13 37.
SCHALICK (13-5): Cali Fisler 0 0-1 0, Ava Scurry 5 4-8 14, Willow Davis 3 0-0 6, Nevaeh Robinson 5 1-3 13, Olivia Vanacker 4 1-4 9, Vicky Basich 0 0-0 0, Emmalyn Weir 0 0-0 0, Jaelynn Jarmon 0 0-0 0, Emma O’Neill 0 0-0 0. 17 6-11 42.

Penns Grove14689-37
Schalick108213-42
3-point goals: Penns Grove 2 (Patterson 2); Schalick 2 (Robinson 2). Total fouls: Penns Grove 16, Schalick 9.

Top photo: Interim head coach Robin Efelis (R) and assistant coach Ryan Wood talk with the Pennsville girls basketball team in a timeout during Friday’s win over Millville.

Making their way

Salem boys clinch TCC Classic division title in big way; Pennsville girls settling in with new coach, win second with Efelis; also scores and highlights from the rest of Thursday night’s Salem County sports calendar


BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove 66, Glassboro 52
Salem 110, Clayton 77
Schalick 63, Pennsville 33
Overbrook 51, Woodstown 46
Buena 57, Salem Tech 42
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Glassboro 65, Penns Grove 31
Salem 54, Clayton 40
Woodstown 54, Overbrook 16
Pennsville 52, Schalick 35
WRESTLING
Oakcrest 67, Salem 9

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The second time around was a little bit easier for Robin Efelis and the Pennsville girls basketball team.

With a lot less chaos and a bit more preparation, the Eagles won their second game in three days under their new coach Thursday night, topping Schalick 52-35 to remain on pace for a Tri-County Conference Diamond Division crown.

“They named Ryan Wood assistant coach, so with his knowledge and skill it made it a lot easier,” Efelis said. “Right now I’m just trying to get used to the thought (of being head coach). The girls are good. They’re handling it well, all the changes this week. They just pushed and pushed tonight and they did really good.

“I was just letting the girls be the girls. We had a few things that we tweaked here and there, but for the most part this week we were just letting them play.”

Efelis was installed as the Eagles’ interim head coach Monday night, less than 24 hours before they took on their biggest county rival in a game that could have derailed their title hopes. They beat Woodstown that night, but Efelis admitted “I was just a little bit overwhelmed. Everything happened so fast. I don’t mind stepping up, but I kind of miss my partner, too.”

She was promoted following the abrupt resignation of coach Steve Merritt after Monday’s practice. It’s her first time as a head coach in basketball, although she spent two seasons as the Pennsville track coach earlier in her career.

Neither Merritt nor Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas would comment on the internal nature of the resignation when the news broke. And neither would Efelis, except to express loyalty and appreciation for the coach she aided both years of his tenure.

“Steve’s heart was in the game,” Efelis said. “He had basketball in his heart. My opinion is not going to change.”

The Eagles (12-6) are a veteran team so Efelis wasn’t worried about them being able to handle the adversity. They got off to a slow start Thursday, falling behind 14-7 in the first quarter, but the fortunes swung on the last two minutes of the second quarter and first two minutes of the third. It was Pennsville’s fourth straight win.

Taylor Bass and Marley Wood led the offense with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Bass had 13 in the second half. Addie Johnston, who hit five 3-pointers in the Woodstown game, hit three more against the Cougers (12-5) and finished with 11 points. Jaida Burns and Izzy Saulin played key roles defensively.

Nevaeh Robinson and Ava Scurry led Schalick with 11 points apiece. Robinson hit a pair of 3-pointers in the Cougars’ first-quarter surge, but was held to five the rest of the night.

“The Pennsville girls kind of ran the show tonight,” Efelis said. “They got it together. They were a little lax the first quarter and then they took off.

“My coaching thing is I’m in it for the girls. I love watching them play. I love everything. Whether they lose or whether they win, I love seeing them compete. Tonight was a good night for us.”

They don’t time to rest on it. They have another emotional game Friday, hosting Millville for Senior Night.

PENNSVILLE 52, SCHALICK 35
PENNSVILLE (12-6): Taylor Bass 7 2-2 18, Marley Wood 5 6-8 17, Addie Johnston 4 0-0 11, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 4, Jaiden Wilson 0 0-0 0, Jaida Burns 1 0-2 2. Totals 19 8-12 52.
SCHALICK (12-5): Cali Fisler 1 1-4 3, Ava Scurry 4 3-8 11, Willow Davis 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Robinson 4 0-0 11, Olivia Vanacker 3 2-2 8, Vicky Basich 0 0-0 0, Emmalyn Weir 0 0-0 0, Jaelynn Jarmon 0 0-0 0, Emma O’Neill 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 6-11 35.

Pennsville716209-52
Schalick14597-35
3-point goals: Pennsville 6 (Bass 2, Wood, Johnston 3); Schalick 3 (Robinson 3). Total fouls: Pennsville 13, Schalick 10.


SALEM 54, CLAYTON 40: Dyaira Anderson scored 16 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season, Carlysia Pierce scored 16 points and Jaryn Weathers had 10 as the Rams won their second straight and got back to .500 (8-8) on the season. Pierce also had eight rebounds, six steals and two blocked shots.

WOODSTOWN 54, OVERBROOK 16: The Wolverines got balanced scoring and played a tough defense that held the Rams to two points in three of the four quarters. Kendall Young led Woodstown’s offense with 14 points. Lauren Hengel had 10. Kemma Perry and Autumn Paleschic had eight apiece. For Paleschic, a sophomore in her first year on varsity, it was a career-high and doubled her season point total.

GLASSBORO 65, PENNS GROVE 31. Keziah Patterson scored 20 points for Penns Grove, but Glassboro got 27 from Kezia Brackett and 19 from Lily Czubas to remain on track with Pennsville to tie for the TCC Diamond Division crown,

Boys games: Salem clinches

CLAYTON — Salem scratched off a big box on their to-do list Thursday night, clinched its first Tri-County Classic Division title in five years and did it in a most emphatic way.

The Rams placed five scorers in double-figures, got double-doubles from Tymear Lecator and Marshall Stephens, and scored the most points in a game under coach Anthony Farmer, outgunning Clayton 110-77.

With their fourth straight win, the Rams (16-3) opened a two-game lead on Wildwood with one division game to play.

“It’s one of the first goals that you try to accomplish as you move forward to the ultimate goal, which is winning a state title,” Farmer said. “The first one you’ve got to get is the division. So, definitely a good feeling for the boys and the program to claim a division again, but there’s more work to be done.”

It was the second time this season and fifth time in Farmer’s five-year tenure the Rams have scored 100 or more in a game. Four of those games were against Clayton.

Lecator led the Rams with 17 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Stephens had 11 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. Xavier McGriff (15), Neziah Spence (15) and Deshaan Williams (14) also scored in double figures. All of Spence’s points came on 3-pointers. Clayton’s James Fritz led all scorers with 30 points.

The Rams led 46-34 at halftime, then erupted for 38 points in the third quarter to give themselves a chance at 100.

“That’s what our pregame was about, mentally preparing for the task at hand and going to play the right way,” Farmer said. “We have been playing better lately and we wanted to keep it rolling. We know Clayton forces you into some bad things and some bad habits with their style of play, so we wanted to be conscious of the things we’ve been working on and continuing to take steps forward. I’m proud of the way they finished today.”

It was another big game for Lecator. The junior moved to within 52 points to becoming a 1,000-point scorers. He’s scored 71 points in three games this week and he’s been averaging 20.7 in the 11 games since Pitman held him to seven points on Jan. 6. He’s also had 63 assists in the same stretch.

“Ty is a true student of the game,” Farmer said. “He’s a hard worker so I’m proud as coach to see those type of guys rewarded. He’s a heck of a player and he’s improving day by day. The sky’s the limit for that kid if he continues to listen and do the right things. He’s just gotten better each year.”

The Rams have a big test in their next game, facing SJ Group 4 No. 1 Cherry Hill East (18-2) Saturday in the Battle by the Bay in Atlantic City.

SALEM 110, CLAYTON 77
SALEM (16-3): Donnie Weathers 2 1-2 5, Xavier McGriff 7 0-0 15, Neziah Spence 5 0-0 15, Tymear Lecator 6 2-2 17, Fatah Paige 3 0-0 6, Deshaan Williams 7 0-0 14, BJ Robbins 4 0-0 9, Cole Sayers 2 0-0 4, Kaden Robinson 1 0-0 2, Jovanni Rios 3 0-0 6, Marshall Stephens 5 1-2 11, Darrelle Johnson 3 0-0 6. Totals 48 4-6 110.
CLAYTON (7-11): Jackson Venuto 2 2-3 7, James Fritz 10 8-9 30, Nasir Carter 5 1-1 12, Kevin Mosley 3 1-4 10, Isaiah Aviles 1 0-0 2, Dominic Lemon 1 0-0 2, Trevor Rehm 1 0-0 3, King Mosley 2 0-0 5, Enok Figeruoa 1 0-0 2, Anthony Archer 1 2-2 4. Totals 27 14-19 77.

Salem25213826-110
Clayton15191924-77
3-point goals: Salem 10 (McGriff, Spence 5, Lecator 3, Robbins); Clayton 9 (Venuto, Fritz 2, Carter, Ke. Mosley 3, Rehm, Ki. Mosley). Rebounds: Salem 58 (Stephens 11).
1000-POINT WATCHTODAYTOTALNEXT
Tymear Lecator, Salem17 vs. Clayton948vs. CHE, Saturday in Atlantic City

PENNS GROVE 66, GLASSBORO 52: The Red Devils jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first 3:30 of the game and maintained the lead. Penns Grove’s three double-digits scorers outscored Glassboro’s three by 13 points. Roman Gipson led Penns Grove with a season-high 21 points and Haneef Frisby scored 16, his best game in a Penns Grove uniform. Geonni Conrad added 10. Glassboro was led by Xavier Sabb’s 13.

OVERBROOK 51, WOODSTOWN 46: Newly minted 1,000-point scorer Blake Bialecki had 12 points and hit four 3-pointers to set Woodstown’s all-time record for career treys and Elijah Caesar had 10, but the Wolverines couldn’t overcome three double-digit scorers by the Rams. Bialecki now has 1,013 career points and 190 career 3-pointers.

SCHALICK 63, PENNSVILLE 33: Danny Knight had 22 points for Pennsville.

Wrestling

OAKCREST 67, SALEM 9
106: Giovanni Taylor (O) won by forfeit
113: Mason Sanchez (O) won by forfeit
120: Joseph Sanchez (O) tech fall over Zachary Tortella, 23-4 (4:00)
126: Romas Rivera (O) dec. Hayden Stauble, 15-11
132: Heriberto Curtidor (O) tech fall over Guylherme Quintanilha, 18-3 (4:00)
138: Kevin Longo (O) pinned Brodie Parker, 4:00
144: Aiden Xayaphachan (O) won by forfeit
150: Joseph Goetaski (S) pinned Gavin Gabriel
157: Roberth Quiroz (O) won by forfeit
165: Malik Hughes (O) won by forfeit
175: Gunnar Olivieri (O) won by forfeit
190: Nyree Montford (O) won by forfeit
215: Nicholas Bellace (O) won by forfeit
285: Abdullah Jenkins (S) dec. Youssef Nosair, 7-2.

TCC tournament

Conference tournament goes to two tiers, division winners earn first-round byes, official seeding done Super Bowl Sunday

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

The Tri-County Conference basketball tournament will have a different look this year, one that expands the championship bracket to 12 teams and rewards division champions.

The tournament will be split into two sections rather than three divisions, a 12-team “championship bracket” and an 11-team “post-season bracket.” It will be seeded by conference officials on Super Bowl Sunday.

The championship bracket will be contested Feb. 13, 17 and 19, with the championship games on both the boys and girls side being played Feb. 21 at Washington Twp. Teams in the post-season bracket are guaranteed two games, but can drop the second if mutually agreed upon. 

All games leading to the championship bracket final as well as all post-season bracket games will be played at the higher seed.

The four division winner will draw first-round byes. All seeds will be determined by the NJSIAA power points standings after Saturday’s games, with some teams leapfrogging the one directly above them if they have the head-to-head advantage.

“They felt like we were cutting teeth between the 8 seed in the A bracket and the 9, 10, even down to the 11 seed, in the B bracket,” said Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas, who assists the TCC in the seeding process.

“There were a couple things at play,” he continued. “If you were that 8 seed in the A, often times you’d rather be the 9 seed in the B. It made it more competitive.

“We often didn’t have all four division champs in the A bracket – I think that happened last year – because of power points and they were basically like that shouldn’t happen. You should at least get something for winning your division.”

Based on the power points standings Wednesday morning, the projected bracket looks like this:

The four byes: 1. Deptford, 2. Kingsway, 3. Salem, 4. Overbrook.

Seeds 5-12: 5. Cumberland, 6. Williamstown (head-to-head over Delsea), 7. Delsea, 8. Timber Creek, 9. Penns Grove, 10. Clearview, 11. Woodstown, 12. Gloucester Catholic.

The bracket would have 8v9 playing the 1 seed, 5v12 playing 4, 6v11 playing 3, and 7v10 playing 2.

Seeds 13-23: Washington Twp, GCIT, Triton, Glassboro, Wildwood (head-to-head over Pitman), Pitman, Highland, Clayton, Schalick, Pennsville, Salem Tech.

And the girls projected seeds based on Wednesday’s power points standings are …

The four byes: 1. Gloucester Catholic, 2. Wildwood, 3. Glassboro, 4. Timber Creek.

Seeds 5-12: 5. Washington Twp. 6. Clearview, 7. Kingsway, 8. Delsea (beat Pennsville), 9. Pennsville, 10. Triton, 11. Woodstown, 12. Cumberland

Seeds 13-23: Schalick, Williamstown (beat Deptford), Deptford, GCIT, Clayton, Salem, Pitman, Highland, Penns Grove (beat Overbrook twice), Overbrook, Salem Tech.

Of course, it all becomes official Sunday,

“I think this will probably make it go a little smoother,” Thomas said. “Because you really only have the one cutoff between the two divisions and, honestly, power points should lock that down.”

Bialecki hits 1,000

Woodstown senior reaches milestone on 2 FTs with 2.4 seconds left in Wolverines’ win; plus scores and details from Tuesday night’s Salem County sports calendar

BOYS BASKETBALL
Woodstown 45, Cherry Hill West 40
Salem 73, Pitman 35
Glassboro 69, Schalick 23
Overbrook 52, Penns Grove 39
Clayton 80, Salem Tech 60
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville 47, Woodstown 33
Penns Grove 60, Overbrook 39
Clayton 42, Salem Tech 26
Salem 67, Pitman 51
Glassboro 52, Schalick 8
BOYS BOWLING
Salem Tech 4, ACIT 0
Lindenwold 3, Salem 1

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News


CHERRY HILL — Blake Bialecki became the latest member of the Salem County 1,000-Point Club Tuesday and he took the bid all the way down to the wire.

The Woodstown senior needed 14 points to become the 11th boys player to join the list. He got a game-high 15. He reached the milestone on two free throws with 2.4 seconds to play to seal the Wolverines’ 45-40 bounce back win at Cherry Hill West.

“They were actually really important free throws,” he said. “It was, I needed to ice the game and get my 1,000 points at the same time.

“I wasn’t worried about it. I just wanted to get the win. They face-guarded me. They definitely didn’t want me to get it against them. I didn’t get many shots off today, but when I did I made it.”

For the longest time it looked like he might to extend the celebration to another day. The Lions (6-13) face-guarded him in such a manner “they definitely didn’t want me to get it against them” and limited his touches.

He had eight points with 4:30 to play and the game tied at 34. His 3-pointer from the right side with 3:15 left gave the Wolverines (12-7) a 39-34 lead. He hit two free throws with 1:01 left to make it 41-36, then hit the milestone after being fouled on an inbounds play in the backcourt.

“There are a lot of emotions,” he said. “Me and my parents have worked so hard for it and it’s been a goal of mine since middle school. There’s been countless hours in the gym with my dad. I’m just super excited and happy.

“Over COVID I really fell in love with training and getting better at basketball and I really fell in love with the sport. I set a lot of goals and one of them was 1,000 points.”

The fourth-quarter 3 was his third of the game and equally historic. It tied him with 1,600-point girls scorer Talia Battavio for Woodstown’s all-time 3-pointer record (186), a mark he covets as much as the 1,000-point mark.

“It’s definitely important to me because I define myself as a shooter and I work really hard on shooting 3s,” he said. “I train shooting 3s like a ton. Most of my workouts are focused on 3-point shooting. I still work on other stuff, but it’s mostly based around shooting. I want to be known as a shooter.”

He is the 68th player to make the Salem County boys 1,000-point list. He made sure to credit his coaches and teammates to reaching the milestone, calling it “our award, our 1,000 points and not just mine.”

WOODSTOWN 45, CHERRY HILL WEST 40
WOODSTOWN (12-7): Elijah Caesar 3 4-6 11, Jalen Markward 2 2-2 6, Blake Bialecki 3 6-6 15, Alejandro Vazquez 2 0-0 5, Josh Kiing 4 0-0 8, Lucas Fulmer 0 0-2 0. Totals 14 12-16 45.
CHERRY HILL WEST (6-13): Jordan Wise-Jones 1 2-2 4, Andre Blalock 3 0-0 7, Korey Morton 3 0-0 8, Hayden Boyle 3 2-2 8, Rasheed Braxton 5 3-4 13. Totals 15 7-8 40.

Woodstown1113615-45
Cherry Hill West791113-40
3-point goals: Woodstown 5 (Caesar, Bialecki 3, Vazquez); Cherry Hill West 3 (Blalock, Morton 2).
1000-POINT WATCHTODAYTOTAL
Blake Bialecki, Woodstown15 vs. Cherry Hill West1001
Tymear Lecator, Salem26 vs. Pitman931

SALEM 73, PITMAN 35: The Rams’ Tymear Lecator connected on six 3-pointers and scored 28 points to move closer to becoming the 69th player on the Salem County boys 1,000-point list. The junior was 10-for-18 from the field, 6-of-12 from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds and five assists. He’s gone for at least 25 in four of his last six games. Twelve players scored for the Rams in the game.

GLASSBORO 69, SCHALICK 23: Xavier Sabb went for 30 points as the Bulldogs beat a Salem County opponent for the second day in a row. The Bulldogs started the year 2-9 but have won four of their last seven.

“We’re just trying to put it all together at the right time,” Bulldogs coach Lynell Payne said after his team dispatched Woodstown Monday. “I don’t want to speak too soon, but I will say we’re understanding what needs to be done. We will be the most dangerous 16 seed in the tournament.”

OVERBROOK 52, PENNS GROVE 39: Lamar Little filled the boxscore with 13 points, two rebounds, four assists, two blocks and three steals as the Rams clinched the Tri-County Diamond Division title. Bilal Robinson (11) and Gavin Cajuste (10) also scored in double figures. Penns Grove got balanced scoring, but didn’t have a scorer in double figures.

CLAYTON 80, SALEM TECH 60: Aiden Bobo scored a career-high 22 points, but the Chargers couldn’t overcome 12 Clippers hitting the scoring column with half of them going for at least eight points. James Fritz led the winners with 15 points.

Girls games

PENNSVILLE — Robin Efelis didn’t really know what to expect. She was just hoping for the best.

In the 24 hours prior to Tuesday night’s game with Woodstown, Efelis has gone from assistant coach to head coach and had to prepare for her team’s biggest basketball rival.

The new head coach and her Pennsville girls came through it well, taking down the Wolverines for the second time this season, 47-33 to remain on pace to share the Tri-County Diamond Division crown with Glassboro. Both teams are 7-1 in the six-team division and split their series during the season.

Efelis landed in the position after Eagles head coach Steve Merritt abruptly resigned after practice Monday night.

The teams battled it out in the first half with Pennsville going into the break with a 16-13 lead, but the Eagles dominated the second half, outscoring the Wolverines 31-20. They took control with a 12-4 third quarter.

Addie Johnston led the Eagles (11-6) with 20 points, just missing her career high. Taylor Bass had 13 points and Marley Wood had eight. Kendall Young led Woodstown with 11 points.

Among Merritt’s parting words to the team Monday was they had a good chance to win the game if they played like a five-man unit and protected the ball.

“The girls played extremely well tonight,” Efelis said.

PENNSVILLE 47, WOODSTOWN 33
WOODSTOWN (8-12): Lauren Hengel 4 0-2 8, Kyia Leyman 2 0-0 4, Emma Perry 3 0-0 6, Kendall Young 4 2-2 11, Talia Guardascione 1 3-4 6, Totals 14 5-8 33.
PENNSVILLE (11-6): Taylor Bass 5 1-2 13, Marley Wood 2 2-2 8, Addie Johnston 8 2-2 20, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 4, Jaida Burns 1 0-0 2, Jaiden Wilson 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 5-6 47.

Woodstown76416-33
Pennsville971219-47
3-point goals: Woodstown 2 (Young, Guardascione); Pennsville 4 (Bass 2, Johnston 2).

SALEM 67, PITMAN 51: The Rams got a combined 56 points from their big three — Carlysia Pierce, Dyaira Anderson and Maddie Dixon — produced a pair of double-doubles and outscored Pitman in the fourth quarter 21-6 to pull away. Pierce had a team-high 19 points, 14 rebounds and six steals. Anderson delivered 18 points and 17 boards, and Dixon scored 16 points (with five rebounds and four steals).

GLASSBORO 52, SCHALICK 8: The Bulldogs did to Schalick wahat the Cougars usually do to their opponents: D them up. The Bulldogs held their visitors to one points in the first quarter and shut them out in the third to snap their seven-game winning streak. Kezia Brackett led their offense with 27 points. Sianna Wedderburn and Lily Czubas both grabbed 11 rebounds and Sanaa Thomas dealt 10 assists.

CLAYTON 42, SALEM TECH 26: India Bryant led Clayton with 14 points. Shelby Drummond led the Chargers with seven.

PENNS GROVE 60, OVERBROOK 39: The Red Devils collected their second win of the season and snapped a nine-game losing streak. Their other win came over the Rams in early January.



Abrupt ending

Pennsville girls basketball coach Merritt resigns after two winning seasons with the team, Efelis promoted to head coach

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – On rhe day of one of its biggest games of the season the Pennsville girls find themselves a team in transition following the abrupt resignation of head coach Steve Merritt.

The long-time county coach, in his second year with the Eagles after coming out of retirement, stepped down after practice Monday night. 

Assistant coach Robin Efelis immediately was promoted to head coach. The Eagles host county rival Woodstown tonight in a game that has some bearing on the Tri-County Diamond Division race.

Neither Merritt nor Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas would comment on the elements of what led to the resignation.

“It was a very, very, very difficult decision to make,” Merritt said. “In part, for my health, both mental and physical, it’s just not a good idea to continue.”

Merritt, 73, was 28-16 in his two seasons at Pennsville. He came out retirement last year and directed the team to an 18-10 record and the quarterfinals of the South Jersey Group I tournament. He helped produce three 1,000-point scorers – Nora Ausland, Marley Wood and, this year, Taylor Bass.

His all-time record as a basketball coach, including 19 years at Salem, is 285-246. He was inducted into the Salem County Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.

This year’s team is 10-6 and currently tied with Glassboro for first place in the TCC Diamond Division. It beat Woodstown 47-46 in their first meeting in January, ending the Wolverines’ 39-game winning streak against in-county competition.

“I was under the impression the kids had learned some things,” Merritt said of his time with the team. “This freshmen group that came in, the six players who came in, they made some significant improvements over the skills that I saw when they first started, and I’m not going to say it was solely because of me. But they learned some things and I did my best to teach them some things. Hopefully in the future that will carry on, but who’s to say.

“Beyond that, the numbers speak for themselves. We were successful. They have a genuine shot at winning today and if they take care of business against Penns Grove and Schalick then they can share the title with Glassboro. I told them yesterday at the start of practice they needed to do two things – play as a five-person group, not a four, not a three, but as a five-person group, and they needed to take care of the ball.”

Efelis, meanwhile, has been with the program for the last five years, through the tenures of former coach Sam Trapp and Merritt. Thomas said in a statement “the administration is confident that Coach Efelis is the perfect person to help lead us through this transition.”

The Eagles made Efelis’ coaching debut a success, overcoming the turmoil to win the game 47-33.

Top photo: Steve Merritt makes a point during a timeout in one of his first games as coach of the Pennsville girls basketball team.

Monday sports report

Glassboro denies Bialecki bid for 1000, Salem takes control of division, Schalick girls set up Willoughby for special Senior Night experience and more

BOYS BASKETBALL
Gateway 64, Salem Tech 31
Glassboro 71, Woodstown 49
Salem 55, Wildwood 43
Schalick 54, Cape May Tech 40
West Deptford 58, Pennsville 15
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Millville 46, Woodstown 39
Penns Grove at Paulsboro
Overbrook 55, Salem Tech 35
Schalick 34, Cape May Tech 16
WRESTLING
Schalick 65, Salem 12

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

GLASSBORO — The banner had been prepared and was folded neatly in the car. The plan was to bring it in sometime during the second half if Blake Bialecki was getting close to the milestone.

The Woodstown senior has been closing in on the 1,000-point barrier, but Glassboro — and Mekhi Parker — were determined not to have it happen on their watch. 

The Bulldogs played what their coach, Lynell Payne, called “one of our better” defensive games of the season. They held Bialecki to nine points and stuffed the “sleepwalking” Wolverines, 71-49.

The nine points left Bialecki with 986 for his career. His nine points came on three 3-pointers – one in each of the last three quarters – and moved him within four of breaking the school’s all-time record for 3s, currently held by Talia Battavio (186).

“We made it a point,” Payne said. “He was sitting at 977 and I told the guys we don’t let anybody get that 1,000th point on us, so they collectively took it upon themselves and said OK we’re going to have some pride. We’re playing at home, we’ve been up and down all year ,so today we’re going to have some pride and definitely stop him because he torched us last time.”

Bialecki went for 25 when the teams played right before Christmas. He needed almost that many Monday to reach the milestone, but was held to single digits for just the fifth time this season and the first time in six games.

“When you look at our games people have been scoring on us,” Payne continued. “The LEAP guy (Gabriel Shoultz) had 30. Last week, the guy from Camden County Tech (Charles Barbour) had like 25. So, we’ve got to take some pride on defense and not let anybody score on us and I think tonight we actually locked in and did that.”

Actually, they’ve had an opposing player go for at least 25 in three of their previous four games.

The assignment to keep Bialecki in check fell to Parker. The 6-foot-4 sophomore never let his man get more than arm’s length away and held him to 3-for-16 shooting.

“When I said we cannot let this guy go off on us, he said, ‘Coach, I got him,’” Payne said of Parker “That’s what I look for. I can assign any of you, but whoever’s comfortable and you don’t want to let your brothers down, you guard him. And then he said ‘I got him’ and we all trusted him.”

“They definitely played very good defense on me today,” Bialecki said. “They did a really good job. My shot was rushed, took away my confidence kind of.”

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs dictated the pace. Xavier Sabb led all scorers with 19 points. Parker had 16 and Will Boggans 10. Alejandro Vazquez was the only Woodstown scorer in double figures. He hit three 3s and finished with 14.

The Wolverines held a 14-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, then starting going the other way. They were outscored 13-5 in the second quarter and 46-30 in the second half. Sabb, Parker and Maurice Davis combined for 33 points in the second half.

“Sleepwalking,” Woodstown coach Ramon Roots said. “We were sleepwalking. They played tougher. They played stronger. That’s what it came down to. (His team) didn’t play tough tonight.”

Bialecki’s next shot at the milestone is Tuesday, when the Wolverines — and the banner — travel to Cherry Hill West. He’s not pushing it.

“I’m going to do whatever I can to help us win,” he said. “If that comes, it comes.”

WOODSTOWN (11-7): Eli Caesar 1 0-0 2, Jalen Markward 1 2-4 4, Blake Bialecki 3 0-0 9, Alejandro Vazquez 5 1-3 14, John Hood-McGinley 0 0-0 0, Josh King 1 0-0 2, Andrew White 2 2-2 7, Trey Markward 0 0-0 0, Lucas Fulmer 1 0-0 2, Bryce Ayars 0 0-0 0, Frankie Hoerst 0 0-2 0, Connor Miller 3 2-2 9, Brian Booker 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 7-13 49
GLASSBORO (5-12): Xavier Sabb 7 5-8 19, Mehki Parker 7 0-2 16, Will Boggans 5 0-0 10, Riley Brown-Dispensa 1 4-4 6, Marley Crowl 3 2-2 8, Maurice Davis 3 3-4 10, Wolfgang Donoway 0 0-0 0, Cam Parker-Akins 0 1-2 1, David Gillis 0 0-0 0, Lorenzo Jones 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 15-22 71.

Woodstown1451416-49
Glassboro12132323-71
3-point goals: Woodstown 8 (Bialecki 3, Vazquez 3, White, Miller); Glassboro 2 (Parker 2). Rebounds: Woodstown 22 (White 7); Glassboro 29 (Sabb 5, Parker 6, Brown Dispensa 6). Total fouls: Woodstown 17, Glassboro 12).

Top photo: Glassboro’s Mekhi Parker (5) keeps a close eye on Woodstown’s Blake Bialecki during Monday’s game.

SALEM 55, WILDWOOD 43: The Rams solidified their hold on the Tri-County Classic Division lead by completing their season sweep of the Warriors.

The game was tight throughout, but the Rams carried a four-point lead into the fourth quarter, never lost it and closed it out with six straight Tymear Lecator free throws in the final minute. Lecator was 8-for-8 from the line in the game — all in the fourth quarter — and finished with 28 points.

“I believe we’re starting to become a more disciplined team down the stretch,” Rams coach Anthony Farmer said. “That has helped us come out on the other side of some really tough games. I’m proud of my guys.”

The Rams, still No. 2 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings, are the only undefeated team in the Classic with three divisions games to play. They hold a two-game lead in the loss column over Wildwood, which has one division game left, and a three-game lead in the loss column over Clayton, which has three division games left.

SALEM (14-3): Tymear Lecator 8 8-8 28, Deshaan Williams 3 2-7 8, Neziah Spence 2 0-0 6, Marshall Stephens 2 0-0 4, Xavier McGriff 1 0-2 2, Donnie Weathers 2 1-3 5, Darrelle Johnson 0 2-2 2, BJ Robbins 0 0-0 0, Harlem Parsons 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 13-22 55.
WILDWOOD (7-11): Owen Bannon 7, Gianni Troiano 1, Jordan Dozier 4, Trevor Troiano 14, Nolan Mawhinney 12, Michael Sciarra 3, Vinny Sweeney 2.

Salem169822-55
Wildwood1312414-43
3-point goals: Salem 6 (Lecator 4, Spence 2). Rebounds: Salem 41 (Williams 8, Stephens 8, Johnson 7). Technical fouls: Farmer.

GATEWAY 64, SALEM TECH 31: Evan Haase hit five of the Gators’ 11 3-pointers and scored a game-high 15 points.

SALEM TECH (2-13): Chase Pompper 3 2-4 9, Ayden Myers 4 0-0 9, Luke Kroll 2 0-2 4, Brody Kroll 1 0-0 3, Raphael Busch 1 0-0 2, Micah Cavanaugh 1 0-0 2, Sterling 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 2-6 31.
GATEWAY (8-9): Evan Haase 5 0-0 15, DJ Bink 4 3-4 13, Eddie Coryell 3 0-0 8, Naqwon Langston 3 0-0 7, Ben Runner 3 0-0 6, Ben Cook 2 0-0 4, Devin Forman 2 0-0 5, Tamil James 3 0-0 6, Pierce Kaeferie 0 0-0 0, Max Hohl 0 0-0 0, JaQuahn Smith-Carney 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 3-4 64.

Salem Tech84613-31
Gateway17161813-64
3-point goals: Salem Tech 3 (Pompper, Myers, B. Kroll); Gateway 11 (Haase 5, Bink 2, Coryell 2, Langston, Forman). Rebounds: Salem Tech 23 (Cusch 8, Lewis 5, Myers 5); Gateway 36 (Runner 8, Cook 7).

WEST DEPTFORD 58, PENNSVILLE 15: Michael Joseph scored 13 points and West Deptford got points from 11 players. West Deptford opened a 24-3 lead in the first quarter.

PENNSVILLE (3-15): Danny Knight 2 1-2 5, Shamir Watkins 1 0-0 2, Gavin Spears 1 0-0 3, Colt Willis 1 1-3 3, Aidan Clark 1 0-2 2. Totals 6 2-7 15.
WEST DEPTFORD (6-12): Curtis Pearson 3 0-2 6, Kyree Eason 2 0-0 4, Thomas Cross 2 2-2 7, Carter Watson 2 0-0 5, Yasmine Abdel-Hamid 1 0-0 2, Anthony Martello 2 1-2 5, Michael Garcia 1 0-0 2, Michael Joseph 6 1-3 13, Zamir Davis 1 0-2 2, Talib Bogar 1 3-4 5, Cole Stanish 3 1-1 7. Totals 24 8-16 58.

Pennsville3543-15
West Deptford2411194-58
3-point goals: Pennsville 1 (Spears); West Deptford 2 (Cross, Watson).
1000-POINT WATCHTODAYTOTALNEXT
Blake Bialecki, Woodstown9 vs. Glassboro986at CHW, Tues.
Tymear Lecator, Salem28 vs. Wildwood905vs. Pitman, Tues

Girls games: Special moment

PITTSGROVE — Schalick recognized its seniors Monday night and orchestrated a special moment for one of them.

Abby Willoughby hasn’t been able to play this basketball season while recovering from an injury during the soccer season, but the but the Cougars gave her a chance to score one more time in their 34-16 win over Cape May Tech.

It came right out of the gate. They positioned Willoughby under the basket, Ava Scurry directed the opening tip to Vicky Basich, who then passed to Willoughby for a layup.

“It was a special moment for her as I know she has missed being on the court,” Cougars coach John Whelan said. “Abby has been a big part of this program the last four years and she without a doubt earned this moment. I’m glad she was able to celebrate it with her teammates and family.”

After the bucket the Cougars subbed her out and allowed CMT to get the points back.

“Cape May Tech showed great sportsmanship and we truly appreciate their understanding,” Whelan said.

She played in 65 of 69 games over her first three years and wraps her high school career with 158 points, 242 rebounds and 138 steals.

The game was tight in the first half, but the Cougars (12-3) pulled away in the second for their seventh straight win. They outscored their visitors 22-5 in the second half.

Olivia Vanacker scored seven of her team-high nine points in the second half. Scurry had six of her eight and Cali Fisler five of her seven in the half.

CAPE MAY TECH (6-11): Sam Cabral 0 0-0 0, Bobbi Fashaw 2 0-2 4, Camryn James 2 0-0 4, Sofia Alegre 0 0-0 0, Bella Culican 0 0-0 0, Hayli Estes 1 0-0 2, Kiley Dicta 0 0-0 0, Aryanna Crawley 0 0-0 0, Emma Oravits 2 0-0 6, Olivia Kiser 0 0-0 0, Riley Puvilla 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 0-2 16.
SCHALICK (12-3): Abby Willoughby 1 0-0 2, Cali Fisler 1 5-10 7, Ava Scurry 4 0-0 8, Vicky Basich 2 0-0 4, Emma O’Neill 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Robinson 1 0-0 2, Willow Davis 0 0-0 0, Emmalyn Weir 1 0-0 2, Jaelynn Jarmon 0 0-0 0, Olivia Vanacker 4 0-2 9. Totals 14 5-12 34.

Cape May Tech7432-16
Schalick841210-34
3-point goals: Cape May Tech 2 (Oravitss 2); Schalick 1 (Vanacker). Total foul: Cape May Tech 11, Schalick 5.

MILLVILLE 46, WOODSTOWN 39: The Wolverines had everything going on early, jumping out to a 10-2 lead, then the game completely changed. Millville’s Naomi Burkhart scored a game-high 20 points. Lauren Hengel and Kendall Young led Woodstown with 10 points each.

WOODSTOWN 8-11): Lauren Hengel 5 0-0 10, Kyia Leyman 3 3-8 9, Kendall Young 5 0-0 10, Talia Guardascione 3 2-5 8, Jaelyn McDonald 1 0-4 2. Totals 17 5-17 39.
MILLVILLE (7-10): Kamya Smith 1 1-2 3, Rahnasia Casper 3 5-7 11, Naomi Burkhart 6 7-8 20, Angeliya Cephas 2 1-3 5, Aphrea Robinson 0 0-0 0, Brielle Rivera 2 2-4 7, Anya Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 16-24 46.

Woodstown1061013-39
Millville2131615-46
3-point goals: Millville 2 (Burkhart, Rivera).

OVERBROOK 54, SALEM TECH 37: Gianna Simon had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rams. She also had five assists and four steals.

Salem Tech (2-11)95185-37
Overbrook (4-13)8141517-54

Wrestling

SCHALICK 65, SALEM 12
106: Victor Fenske (SC) won by forfeit
113: Nicholas Latona (SC) won by forfeit
120: E’Shion Underwood (SC) pinned Adrien Morales, 0:30
126: Caleb Jenkins (SC) tech fall over Zachary Tortella, 17-2 (2:30)
132: Guilherme Quintanilha (S) dec. Jacob Potts, 11-6
138: Aiden Piernikowski (SC) pinned Brodie Parker, 0:23
144: Michael Baisch (SC) pinned Joseph Goetaski, 1:30
150: Ziyon Moore (S) pinned Gabriel McFeeley, 3:30
157: Mason Hollywood (SC) won by forfeit
165: Anthony Deaver (SC) pinned Jordan Brown, 3:30
175: Ricky Watt (SC) pinned Josthen Jimenez, 1:16
190: Gerardo Felipe (SC) pinned Kaleb Ewald, 0:56
215: James Cook (SC) won by forfeit
285: Abdullah Jenkins (S) dec. Jeff Edmonds, 7-0