Category: PENNSVILLE

Eagles split in TCC tourney

Farina leads Pennsville girls to B Flight consolation victory, Pennsville’s boys fall in the C Flight title game

TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BOYS
C Flight
Championship
Gloucester Tech 58, Pennsville 48
GIRLS
B Flight
Consolation
Pennsville 45, Pitman 13

OTHER GAMES
BOYS
West Deptford 59, Woodstown 56

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — Joe Mecholsky has never been a big fan of playing the next day after going 32 up-tempo minutes with Clayton regardless of the outcome and the Pennsville coach had more reason to dislike it Thursday night.

The experience is kind of like going to the holiday party. You know you’re going to have a good time, but you also know you’re going to pay for it the next day.

The Eagles had some of the most fun they had all season in beating the Clippers Wednesday night, but back at it 24 hours later they felt it in their legs and lost to Gloucester Tech 58-48 in the C Flight championship game of the Tri-County Conference Tournament.

They were off with their shots, both from the floor and the free throw line, and GCIT, which also played the night before, came with energy that lasted the whole game. They shot 40 percent for the game, but were only 4-of-20 from behind the 3-point arc, a sure sign of tired legs.

It’s the second time this year they have fallen victim to the Clayton Effect. They opened the season with an 80-66 win over the Clippers, then lost at Deptford 76-50 less than 24 hours later. They are 3-6 this year in the second game of consecutive starts regardless of the first-game opponent.

“We didn’t do the things that have made us successful tonight,” Mecholsky said. “We didn’t get it down to Danny (Saulin). We missed a lot of shots. Hung in it, however, basketball is a simple game. Their team made more shots than us.

“Could it have been the Clayton Effect? Maybe. I don’t want to take anything away from GCIT’s performance. They played well, they did what they wanted to do, we couldn’t stop it on defense and that’s why they won the game.”

The game was close throughout. The Cheetahs, who lost to Pennsville by 11 back in December, took the lead for good with an 8-0 run in the second quarter, but could never put the Eagles away until the end. 

Pennsville’s shooting woes took their toll in the second half when the Eagles went 1-for-13 over an eight minute stretch that put them in a nine-point hole with 1:55 to play. Still, they got it back to within three with 18.4 seconds left, then GCIT closed it out by hitting seven of eight free throws in the final 16.6 seconds.

The Cheetahs were 14-of-22 from the line in the fourth quarter. Trent Phillips was 10 of 12 and led all scorers with 20 points.

Luke Wood had a tough night shooting for Pennsville, but still wound up as the Eagles’ high scorer with 13 points and moved into third place on their boys all-time scoring list. Saulin, who went for 29 points and 26 rebounds in the Clayton game, was bottled up for 12 points and eight boards. 

“They did everything right tonight,” Mecholsky said of the Cheetahs. “I just think they played a really nice game. They came fired up, they were excited at every time out, their bench was engaged and they were ready. We got outplayed.”

The win left the Cheetahs feeling like they just won a national title. They didn’t qualify for the South Jersey Group IV playoffs, but the win did make them one of the winningest teams in school history. If they win their only remaining game on the schedule next week they would finish the season just one game below .500.

“That’s huge here,” Cheetahs coach McNeil Wrice said. “You’re talking about in the history of GCIT it’s only had one winning season in 20-plus years, so to be a double-digit win team puts us in a special place in history. For us to be the first one to bring a conference championship, whether it’s A, B, C or D, that means something.”

If the Eagles had pulled it out, it would have given them 11 wins in a season for the first time in more than 25 years. They can still hit that benchmark with an upset over second-seeded Pitman in the first round of the South Jersey Group I tournament Thursday.

“It would have been nice to go out with a good taste in our mouth on the long weekend,” Mecholsky said. “We wanted to win the C Bracket championship. It doesn’t break our heart (they didn’t). Now we get ready for Pitman and that’s our focus to end the season.”

TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
C FLIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
GLOUCESTER TECH 58, PENNSVILLE 48
GLOUCESTER TECH (12-14) — Trent Phillips 4 10-12 20, Michael Stanwood 6 1-6 13, Mark Hallman 5 3-4 15, Gavin Shainline 1 1-2 3, Ian Malgapo 1 0-2 3, Carl Schmidt 3 0-0 6, Brady Johnson 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 15-26 58.
PENNSVILLE (10-15) — Luke Wood 4-20 3-7 13, Peyton O’Brien 2-3 0-0 4, Daniel Saulin 6-10 0-1 12, Mason O’Brien 3-5 0-2 7, Cohen Petrutz 4-11 1-2 10, Jayden Thomas 0-1 0-0 0, Cole Johnston 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 20-51 4-12 48.

GCIT10161616 —58
Pennsville12101412 —48
3-point goals: GCIT 3 (Hallman 2, Malgapo); Pennsville 4-20 (Wood 2-12, M. O’Brien 1-1, Petrutz 1-6, Thomas 0-1). Rebounds: Pennsville 22 (Saulin 7, P. O’Brien 6, Wood 5). Technical fouls: Thomas. Fouled out: Petrutz. Total fouls: GCIT 13, Pennsville 17. Officials: Johnson, Pankok, Menz.

Regular Season

WEST DEPTFORD 59, WOODSTOWN 56: The Eagles capped a second-half rally with a 21-14 fourth quarter to beat the Wolverines in a game Woodstown picked in lieu of a third meeting with Penns Grove in a TCC Tournament B Flight consolation game.

WOODSTOWN (11-12) — Blake Bialecki 4 3-3 12, Alejandro Vazquez 1 0-0 2, M.J. Hall 5 0-2 11, Garrett Leyman 4 0-1 9, Max Webb 2 0-1 4, Rocco String 5 2-2 12, Elijah Carter 3 0-0 6. Totals 24 5-9 56.
WEST DEPTFORD (9-16) — Andre Johnson 7 1-2 15, Zayd Mujahid 0 0-0 0, Mark Koszowski 2 0-0 5, Nick Senatore 5 4-4 17, Carter Watson 1 0-0 3, Aiden Cranmer 8 3-3 19, Zamir Davis 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 8-9 59.

Woodstown1916714 —56
West Deptford13121321 —59
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Hall, Leyman, Bialecki); West Deptford 5 (Koszowski, Senatore 3, Watson).

Girls Games

Farina’s big game lifts Pennsville over Pitman

PENNSVILLE — Bella Farina knew it was going to be a good day the minute she hit the alarm clock early Thursday morning.

She got up on the right side of the bed, enjoyed a good lunch in the middle of the day and was excited to play a game against one of her close friends.

“I just had a lot of energy today,” she said.

She channeled that energy into the best game of her career. The senior post went for 19 points and 10 rebounds – the second double-double of her career – leading the Pennsville girls to a 45-13 rout of Pitman in the Tri-County Tournament B Flight consolation game.

“I knew the team wanted to end the week off with a win and it was my last regular season game of my career,” Farina said. “We all just worked really well together today.”

Farina’s other double-double came in a 13/11 game against Millville last Friday. Her previous scoring high was 16 points against Salem Tech in December 2022. In nine February games this season she has scored six points or more seven times and has scored eight points or more in each of the last four.

“I told her I don’t know what’s recently clicked for you but suddenly you’re getting it, you’re reading it, you’re understanding it and making the right cuts, in the right place at the right time,” Eagles coach Sam Trapp said. “Something is just clicking all of a sudden and she’s just blossoming at the right time, which is really fun to watch.”

When Farina scored, her points came in bunches. She had four straight points in the Eagles’ opening 8-0 run. She opened the second half with seven straight points, capped by a three-point play in which she went over Pennsville Senior Little League World Series teammate Jess Bretz for the putback.

And then she scored their last four points of the game.

The Eagles (13-13) took control of this one early. The Panthers (12-12) were missing one of their injured ballhandlers and the Eagles held them without a field goal and to just one point in the first quarter. They did the same thing in the third.

The win got the Eagles to .500 for the seventh time this season. They’ll play their final home game of the Trapp tenure Thursday in the opening round of the South Jersey Group I Tournament. The coach announced earlier this month that she was stepping down at the end of the season to become the new athletics director at Triton.

“The goal I set for myself at the beginning of the season was 17 wins,” Trapp said. “The best Pennsville has so far was 16 wins for the girls basketball team and I was really shooting and hoping for that 17. I finished 15-11 (each of the last two years), so my goal was not to be 15-11 one more time. I wanted to do whatever it took.

“I was hoping for that 17th win with no injuries and no issues. There was a slew of injuries that I wasn’t expecting, which significantly impacted our season. I think we were 6-10 at one point, so to be able to just turn it around and come back and get win after win after win and build their confidence and show the true potential of this team, that’s all we’ve been focusing on.

”Now that we’ve been playing all together, we’ve been playing our best basketball. We’re doing things right and we’re doing them right at the right time when were all back together finally, which is what I like to see.”

PENNSVILLE 45, PITMAN 13
PITMAN (12-12) — Miya Villari 1 1-2 4, Jess Bretz 0 3-5 3, Evelyn Wisely 1 0-0 2, Audrey Duffield 1 0-0 3, Collette Rollins 0 0-0 0, Jocelyn O’Brien 0 0-0 0, Dalayah Brown 0 1-2 1, Kendall Bennett 0 0-0 0, Bella Pramov 0 0-0 0. Totals 3 5-9 13.
PENNSVILLE (13-13) — Nora Ausland 2 1-2 5, Taylor Bass 1 0-0 2, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Karsen Cooksey 1 0-0 2, Bella Farina 8 3-4 19, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 0 0-0 0, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 7 3-3 17. Totals 19 7-9 45.

Pitman1813 —13
Pennsville813168 —45
3-point goals: Pitman 2 (Villari, Duffield); Pennsville 0. Rebounds: Pitman 16 (Bretz 4), Pennsville 33 (Farina 10). Total fouls: Pitman 8, Pennsville 7. Officials: Johnson, Pankok, Menz.

Winning the end game

Penns Grove holds up best down the stretch, edges Pennsville for a shot at the Tri-County B Flight championship

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – As the games increase in importance and intensity the deeper teams go in the season, it’s more important than ever they learn to handle their end-game business.

The Penns Grove girls did that the best Wednesday, winning the final two minutes of the game, and it earned them a 41-38 victory over Pennsville in the Tri-County Tournament B Flight semifinals.

The eighth-seeded Red Devils (13-8) now travel to second-seeded Glassboro for the B Flight championship presumably Friday, while Pennsville (12-13) will host Pitman in the third-place game Thursday at 4 p.m.

The game was tight throughout with neither team leading  by more than five points in the second half or by more than two for most of the fourth quarter. The lead changed hands on four straight possessions in the fourth until the Red Devils pulled away at the end.

Nora Ausland’s 3-pointer with 2:03 to play gave Pennsville a 36-35 lead, but it would be the last time the Eagles would lead in the game. Penns Grove scored the next six points – four from the free throw line – to seize the win.

“They did come through on that part,” Penns Grove coach Jennifer Denby said. “That last minute or so, clutch time, is showing them they can play. It should be giving them confidence at this time for the playoffs.”

The game was played under a heavy security presence in an effort to deter a repeat of last week’s game between the teams when the gym was cleared in the third quarter due to the unruliness of some fans. There were at least five Pennsville police officers in the gym, Penns Grove security personnel stationed at each end of the Red Devils’ bench and the athletics directors from both schools on hand. Five individuals reportedly were barred from attending the rematch.

The game went off without incident, even when things were at their most intense on the floor.

Brianna Robbins’ layup with 1:36 left put Penns Grove up for good 37-36. Pennsville traveled on the next possession and moments later had their calming influence Marley Wood foul out. RaNiyah Wilson missed a layup that would have extended the Red Devils’ lead, but the Eagles’ clearing pass went right to Zoey Caesar standing alone at the opposite free throw line for another turnover.

Penns Grove’s Meely Horace hit two free throws with 26 seconds left to make it 39-36. A scramble for a loose ball at the other end of the floor produced a held ball that went to Penns Grove and Wilson hit two more free throws with 13 seconds left to make it a five-point game.

Ausland made two free throws with one second left, but all they did was create the final margin.

“It was the difference today,” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said of the end-game situation. “We went over these things yesterday. We talked about how to inbound, about changing, putting the pressure on them so they couldn’t just hold the basketball this time. 

“It is unfortunate that there were some costly mistakes, It’s high-pressure, it’s high-intensity, they’re going to make mistakes. Our biggest thing there was we didn’t foul quick enough to stop the clock enough to get the ball back. It’s a young team, they’re learning these situations, we’re teaching them in practice, and (today) will just help us learn them even better for the future and the playoffs starting next week.”

Penns Grove never trailed in the first half and led by as many as seven before Pennsville rallied. The Eagles took their first lead 22-20 on Ausland’s layup with 4:35 left in the third quarter, but the Red Devils retied it at 25 and it stayed tight the rest of the game.

Wilson (19) and Horace combined for 32 points for Penns Grove. Ausland led Pennsville with 12. 

Penns Grove has won six in a row since February began and seven of its last eight. The Red Devils won seven in a row in January last season.

PENNS GROVE 41, PENNSVILLE 38
PENNS GROVE (13-8) – RaNiyah Wilson 7 2-4 19, Meely Horace 5 2-2 13, Brianna Robbins 1 1-2 3, Zoey Caesar 1 0-0 2, Amani Taylor 1 0-0 2, JaNiyah Cummings 0 0-0 0, Arianna Dowe 1 0-0 2, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 5-8 41.
PENNSVILLE (12-13) – Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 4 3-5 12, Taylor Bass 2 1-2 5, Karsen Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Bella Farina 4 0-1 8, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 5, Marley Wood 3 2-4 8. Totals 15 6-12 38.

Penns Grove144914 –41
Pennsville7911 11 –38
3-point goals: Penns Grove 4 (Wilson 3, Horace); Pennsville 2 (N. Ausland, Saulin). Rebounds: Penns Grove 28 (Wilson 7, Robbins 8); Pennsville 28 (Bass 8, Saulin 7, Farina 7). Fouled out: Wood. Total fouls: Penns Grove 10, Pennsville 14.


Making memories

Several Pennsville players make a splash in TCC C Flight semifinal win, from Dowell’s long-awaited first varsity points to Saulin’s breakout night

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – When Nolan Dowell got the news right after Christmas of his sophomore year that a previously undetected heart condition made it too risky to play competitive sports again he figured his dream of scoring in a varsity basketball game was never going to happen.

He could fill in every line on every box score until the day he graduated and he’d never fill in a line reserved with his name. But on Valentine’s Day, the day to celebrate all matters of the heart, the Pennsville senior had his long-standing dream come true.

Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky gave the 6-foot-7 center his first varsity start with the stipulation of playing two minutes. This was no Make-A-Wish fulfilment. Dowell would still have to work for his points. If they came within the framework of the game, that’d be great; if they didn’t, well, they gave it their best shot.

Dowell broke into the scoring column from right under the basket with 5:37 left in the first quarter Wednesday on his third shot and second offensive rebound of the sequence. It was two points that would otherwise get lost in a 90-62 Tri-County Conference C Flight semifinal win over Clayton, but they made a memory of a lifetime.

“It felt great, it felt different,” Dowell said. “Going from sitting on the bench, watching the game, not being able to do anything, to going in there and actually scoring points is a completely different feeling.

“For two years I’ve sat there on the bench taking the stats, now I get to be in the stat book; it’s crazy. The difference from two years ago not knowing what’s happening with everything I had going on to now being able to go into the game and score is just great.”

Given his size and passion for playing the game, Dowell seemed destined to be a force when he got to varsity. Along with 6-8 Danny Saulin, he would give the Eagles two monsters in the middle and if they ever were in the game the same time nobody would dare challenge the rim.

And then he got COVID. During the battery of tests to address his condition it was discovered he had developed cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. Suddenly, his dream of playing any organized sports was gone. 

He dabbled in a few junior varsity games before finally giving it up, but admitted it just wasn’t the same as scoring on the varsity level.

“When I heard that it overwhelmed me, a terrible feeling,” he said. “From being out there to not being able to touch the court – I was going to be on varsity next year because we were losing everybody – is just a crazy feeling.”

He stayed involved as the Eagles’ one-man stat crew, tracking every shot and rebound and steal and assist of every player in every game they played. He was so dedicated to his post that last year he drove up to a scrimmage at Camden Academy Charter after missing the bus because of a dental appointment. It remains one of Mecholsky’s all-time favorite stories about the player.

All the while Dowell still had the desire to play and two weeks ago he asked Mecholsky if he could dress out for game and score, to which the coach happily obliged.

“It’s all part of coaching,” he said. “He’s really put time into the program, so he earned it. He got a tough break. Each time, his junior and senior year, they asked the doctor to let him play and he was shut down both times. Last year was very disappointing, this year I think he was expecting it.

“He’s a great kid, a team-first guy, so to be able to do that tonight … that’s stuff you remember about a season, so it felt good.”

When the time came to play, he was the last player announced in the starting five. The Eagles put him in an offensive set called “Tree,” which as the name implies meant standing on the block like a stately oak and letting his teammates get him the ball. He took a pass from Luke Wood early in the game, but missed from in close.

His next chance came a couple minutes later and nothing was going to stop him this time. He missed the first shot, but easily plucked the rebound from above the smaller Clippers around him, missed the putback, got the rebound again and this time made it count. He came out at that point and retired to the end of the bench for the rest of the game a satisfied man, knowing he’ll be back on the clipboard when the Eagles play Gloucester Tech for the TCC C Flight title Thursday night.

“It really, really made me happy I was able to go out there and score,” Dowell said.

Dowell wasn’t the only Eagle to enjoy a special night against the up-tempo Clippers. Saulin, the Eagles’ regular center who started alongside Dowell, nearly went for a 30-30, but finished with 29 points (on 13-of-16 shooting) and 26 rebounds. 

The night was just a continuation of the production he’s brought to the team since the start of the month. In the five games since the Eagles starting running their offense through him, Saulin has averaged 23.4 points and 12.0 rebounds.

“I was just trying to get us a win because I didn’t want it to be my last home game,” he said. “I want the ‘ship to be our last home game and send us off into the playoffs, hopefully beating Pitman and going to the second round because this school hasn’t really won a playoff game in history yet, so we want to be the first to do that.”

Senior Carlo Merindino hit three 3-pointers for nine points. He had scored only five points this season and seven in his two-year varsity career coming into the game. He made only one 3-pointer previously, but when he hit his first one Wednesday with about a minute left in the first half, it got the ball rolling. He was 3-for-5 from behind the arc in the game.

“It felt great,” he said. “It was a fun experience to go out there with all the guys, especially getting some of the young guys in. The shot felt good, the shots were falling and the energy in the gym was amazing.

“I just felt like I radiated off the energy of my teammates and the gym. Seeing Nolan getting his first points, that was an amazing experience. It was just overall great energy that led to a lot of shots falling for not only me but also my teammates.”

Truly, a memorable night.

PENNSVILLE 90, CLAYTON 62
CLAYTON (4-19) – Dillon Jones 2 1-2 5, John Carter 1 0-0 3, Demetris Williams 9 1-2 19, Jon Cox 1 1-4 3, Cristan Scott 3 0-0 7, Nasir Carter 1 1-2 4, Fareed Maman 2 0-0 4, Michael Akosah 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Aviles 1 2-4 4, Deion Scott 2 0-0 4, Jordan Thompson 0 0-0 0, D’Karie Jones 3 0-0 9. Totals 25 6-14 62.
PENNSVILLE (10-15) – Luke Wood 7-12 0-0 16, Peyton O’Brien 1-2 0-0 2, Daniel Saulin 13-16 3-4 29, Mason O’Brien 7-10 0-0 16, Cohen Petrutz 5-11 0-0 12, Nolan Dowell 1-3 0-0 2, Cole Johnston 0-2 0-0 0, Connor Starn 0-4 0-0 0, Logan Hitt 0-1 0-0 0, Carlo Merindino 3-6 0-0 9, Shilo Jefferson 0-1 0-0 0, Boni Rios 1-4 0-0 2, Arturus Franzy 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 39-74 3-4 90.

Clayton1472021 –62
Pennsville26252910 –90
3-point goals: Clayton 6 (Dk Jones 3, N. Carter, Scott, J. Carter); Pennsville 9-21 (Wood 2-3, M. O’Brien 2-3, Petrutz 2-5, Johnston 0-2, Starn 0-2, Hitt 0-1, Merindino 3-5). Rebounds: Pennsville 48 (Saulin 26, Wood 5, P. O’Brien 6). Assists: Pennsville 21 (Wood 8). Total fouls: Clayton 5, Pennsville 13.

Cover photo: Pennsville senior Nolan Dowell is greeted by his coaches and teammates as he comes t the bench after scoring the first varsity points of his career in the first quarter Wednesday night against Clayton.
Pennsville’s Danny Saulin looks to outlet the ball to teammate Carlo Merindino (24) after clearing another rebound against Clayton.

County series

Here are the series records for the intra-county basketball series between Salem County school (since 2017-18)

BOYS

TEAMTOTALPGRPVLSALSVTSCHWDT
Penns Grove43-6XXX10-16-34-012-111-1
Pennsville15-301-10XXX3-64-36-41-7
Salem18-123-66-3XXX4-04-11-2
Salem Tech6-200-43-40-4XXX3-40-4
Schalick13-361-124-61-44-3XXX3-11
Woodstown25-161-117-12-14-011-3XXX

GIRLS

TEAMTOTALPGRPVLSALSVTSCHWDT
Penns Grove18-30XXX3-85-33-07-60-13
Pennsville32-188-3XXX7-25-08-24-11
Salem13-223-62-7XXX4-03-61-3
Salem Tech0-200-30-50-4XXX0-50-3
Schalick22-296-72-86-35-0XXX3-11
Woodstown41-813-011-43-13-011-3XXX



Tri-County Tournament

Here is Wednesday’s schedule and scores for the Tri-County Basketball Tournament; look for separate stories on Pennsville-Clayton boys, Penns Grove-Pennsville girls elsewhere on the website

TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
BOYS
A Flight
Timber Creek 63, Pitman 61
Delsea 56, Salem 54
Overbrook 59, Wildwood 43
Triton 59, Gloucester Catholic 52
B Flight
Kingsway 64, Deptford Twp. 41
Clearview 54, Highland 52
Washington Twp. 63, Penns Grove 40
Glassboro 73, Woodstown 45
C Flight
Pennsville 90, Clayton 62
GCIT 62, Williamstown 46
Salem Tech 52, Schalick 49
GIRLS
A Flight
Gloucester Catholic 62, Williamstown 46
Clearview 54, Wildwood 42
Woodstown 71, Highland 67
Timber Creek 55, Washington Twp. 34
B Flight
Penns Grove 41, Pennsville 38
Glassboro 48, Pitman 34
GCIT 34, Delsea 24
Kingsway 56, Clayton 48
C Flight
Overbrook 52, Salem 48
Cumberland 60, Schalick 28
Deptford 51, Salem Tech 23

Boys Games

DELSEA 56, SALEM 54: A wise coach once said sometimes you’re the bull and sometimes you get the horns. Salem caught the horns Wednesday night.

Chase Ambrosius hit the last of his seven 3-pointers with 13 seconds left to give Delsea the lead and the Rams couldn’t get a a final shot to tie or win the A Flight semifinal.

The Rams led 23-3 after the first quarter and 38-15 at halftime and couldn’t hold it.

The loss came two days after they beat Overbrook 51-50 in the opening round.

Ambrosius led Delsea with 21 points. Luke Van Auken had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Max Van Auken had 13 points and eight boards.

Salem’s Anthony Farmer led all scorers with 23 points. Jabez DeJesus had 20.

The loss sends Salem to a consolation game matchup with Pitman.

SALEM (16-8) – Anthony Farmer 7 6-8 23, RaMaji Bundy 1 0-0 2, Jabez DeJesus 6 5-5 20, Paul Weathers 0 0-2 0, Tymear Lecator 3 1-2 9. Totals 17 12-17 54.
DELSEA (17-8) – Luke VanAuken 7 3-5 17, Max VanAuken 4 4-5 13, Mike McGinley 2 1-1 5, Chase Ambrosius 7 0-0 21, Frank Master 0 0-0 0, Shane Madden 0 0-0 0, Jimmy Reardon 0 0-0 0, Jelani Poles 0 0-0 0, Dahmir Hart 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 8-11 56.

Salem2315610 –54
Delsea3122318 –56
3-point goals: Salem 8 (Farmer 3, DeJesus 3, Lecator 2); Delsea 8 (M. VanAuken, Ambrosius 7).

SALEM TECH 52, SCHALICK 49: The Chargers steadily built their lead over the first three quarter and it was big enough to withstand a fourth-quarter charge by the Cougars.

SALEM TECH (4-18) – Chase Wills 5 3-4 14, Haneef Frisby 6 0-0 12, Joseph Hayes 2 0-0 5, Josh Muntz 1 2-2 5, Tyler Zampino 2 2-5 6, Antoine Robinson 4 0-2 10. Totals 20 7-13 52.
SCHALICK (7-15) – Reggie Allen 4 1-1 11, Jake Siedlecki 3 0-0 9, Justin Iacona 2 0-0 6, Nylan Sutton 3 1-2 7, Daniel Lis 2 0-1 4, Nasir Sutton 4 4-10 12, Jase Volovar 0 0-2 0. Totals 18 6-16 49.

Salem Tech14121312 –52
Schalick68926 – 49
3-point goals: Salem Tech 5 (Wills, Hayes, Muntz, Robinson 2); Schalick 7 (Allen 2, Siedlecki 3, Iacona 2).

WASHINGTON TWP. 63, PENNS GROVE 40: The Minutemen got out to a quick start and carried it to a victory in a B Flight consolation game. Washington Twp.’s Gevon Conrad led all scorers with 23 points. He also had seven rebounds and seven assists. Giomar Conrad was Penns Grove’s only scorer in double figures (20).

PENNS GROVE (10-14) – Brandon Robbins 2, Giomar Conrad 20, KaRon Ceaser 5, William Roy 6, Camren Thompson 2, Mr Peterson 1, Geonni Conrad 4.
WASHINGTON TWP. (14-11) – Gevon Conrad 9 2-3 23, Justin Pagano 0 0-0 0, Ethan Hyman 2 0-0 4, Luke McKenty 7 0-1 15, Matt Rodia 4 2-2 12, Kade Pekarick 2 1-2 5, Keegan Smith 1 0-0 2, Jahsir Sansbury 0 0-0 0, Anfernee Arias-Garrido 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 5-8 63.

Penns Grove1111810 –40
Washington Twp.24178 14 –63
3-point goals: Penns Grove N/A; Washington Twp. 6 (Conrad 3, McKenty, Rodia 2).

GLASSBORO 73, WOODSTOWN 45: Clinton Suggs hit five 3-pointers on the way to 23 points, Charles Graves had 20, Xavier Sabb had 17 and Glassboro pulled away with a big fourth quarter. Max Webb and Blake Bialecki had 13 points each for Woodstown.

WOODSTOWN (11-11) – Manny Ortega 1-2-4, Blake Bialecki 5-0-13, M.J. Hall 2-0-6, Garrett Leyman 1-0-3, Max Webb 5-2-13, Rocco String 2-2-6. Totals 16-6-45.
GLASSBORO (12-12) – Xavier Sabb 6 3-4 17, Charles Graves 9 2-3 20, Clinton Suggs 8 2-2 23, Josh Buff 1 0-0 3, Crowly Marley 1 0-0 2, Wolfgang Donoway 1 0-0 2, Aiden Harris 1 4-4 6. Totals 27 11-13 73.

Woodstown138159 –45
Glassboro12112129 –73
3-point goals: Woodstown 7 (Bialecki 3, Hall 2, Leyman, Webb); Glassboro 8 (Sabb 2, Suggs 5, Buff).

Girls Games

WOODSTOWN 71, HIGHLAND 67 (OT): Highland’s Big Three outscored Woodstown’s Big Three, but the Wolverines complementary players were just a little stronger and it proved to be the difference.

Megan Donelson scored 23 points and Talia Battavio had 19 and both made big plays down the stretch in regulation and in overtime as the Wolverines (17-8) rallied from an early 10-point deficit to beat the Tartans (14-11) for the second time this season. Shannon Pierman added 14 points despite fouling out in the fourth quarter to join the 500-500 Club in career points and rebounds.

Highland’s Dacia Mack led all scorers with 24 points. Breelynn Learn had 21 and Alonsa Thomas had 16.

WOODSTOWN (17-8) – Talia Battavio 6 5-8 19, Megan Donelson 9 2-6 23, Gianna Maiorini 2 0-0 4, Alyssa Baber 2 0-0 5, Shannon Pierman 6 2-4 14, Lauren Hengel 3 0-0 6, Emma Perry 0 0-2 0. Totals 28 9-20 71.
HIGHLAND (14-11) – Sejeida Jordan 1 0-0 2, Breelynn Leary 8 4-7 21, Jalena Lee 1 0-0 2, Dacia Mack 9 2-2 24, Hanilyah Williams 1 0-0 2, Alonsa Thomas 6 4-6 16. Totals 26 10-15 67.

Woodstown111619169 –71
Highland211311184 –67
3-point goals: Woodstown 6 (Battavio 2, Donelson 3, Baber); Highland 5 (Leary, Mack 4).

OVERBROOK 52, SALEM 48: Salem senior NaeNae Logan reached a significant individual milestone in the game, but all things considered, she’d rather have been celebrating a victory.

Logan surpassed 100 blocked shots for the season in the first half of the C Flight semifinals. She had eight altogether and now has 104 for the year.

“She’s a kid who’s real heavy on herself, so for her to come back and get to have a moment like that and her teammates counting it down for her, she deserved it,” Salem coach Tiasia Tatem said.

The Rams, the No. 1 seed in the flight, celebrated Logan and her feat in the locker room at halftime with a 28-17 lead. They should have ridden that wave into the second half, but somebody forgot to tell Overbook. The visitors stormed through the third quarter on a 23-3 blitz to take the lead.

OVERBROOK (7-15) – Gianna Simon 6 5-5 18, Joel Presley 3 2-5 8, Sarah Evans 2 0-0 6, Zahaisha Nevius 6 7-10 20. (Only scorers reported) Totals 17 14-20 52.
SALEM (8-15) – Ava Rodgers 4 6-9 14, Kaela Nichols 3 0-0 6, NaeNae Logan 3 0-0 6, Ryann Foote 3 0-4 6, Zaniyah Freison 2 0-0 4, Marissa Bower 2 0-0 5, Carlysia Pierce 4 0-0 9, Ameriyona Hunter 0 1-2 1. Totals 19 8-19 48.

Overbrook5122312 –52
Salem1612317 –48
3-point goals: Overbrook 4 (Simon, Evans 2, Nevius); Salem 2 (Bower, Pierce).

CUMBERLAND 60, SCHALICK 28: The Cougars were held scoreless in the first quarter and never recovered. Addison Weist scored 16 points and Isabella Albert had 13 to lead the Colts into the C Flight championship game. Taylor Sparks hit three 3-pointers and led Schalick with nine points.

SCHALICK (6-16) – Ava Scurry 2 0-2 4, Abby Willoughby 0 1-2 1, Cali Fisler 2 1-2 5, Cianna Gaines 2 2-2 7, Taylor Sparks 3 0-0 9, Carly Vicente 1 0-0 2, Emma O’Neill 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-2 0. Totals 10 4-10 28.
CUMBERLAND (7-15) – Isabella Albert 5 0-0 13, Gabby Albert 2 1-2 6, Grace Albert 1 3-6 5, Emily Bokma 0 0-0 0, Ellie Bodine 2 0-0 8, Elizabeth Pfleiger 3 1-1 8, DaNya Gould 2 0-0 4, Kamila Ramos 0 0-0 0, Rachel Salvatierra 0 0-0 0, Nya Stephenson 0 0-0 0, Addison Weist 5 4-4 16. Totals 21 9-13 60.

Schalick081010 –28
Cumberland16161711 –60
3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Gaines, Sparks 3); Cumberland 9 (I. Albert 3, Ga. Albert, Bodine 2, Pflieger, Weist 2).


High drama

3 Salem County boys games in Tri-County Tournament decided by two points or less; Penns Grove girls upset top seed in their flight

BOYS GAMES
A Flight
No. 1 Timber Creek 76, No. 8 Gloucester Catholic 52
No. 4 Pitman 61, No. 5 Triton 48
No. 6 Salem 51, No. 3 Overbrook 50
No. 2 Delsea 57, No. 7 Wildwood 46
B Flight
No. 1 Kingsway 62, No. 8 Woodstown 52
No. 4 Deptford 55, No. 5 Glassboro 45
No. 3 Highland 48, No. 6 Washington Twp. 46
No. 2 Clearview 51, No. 7 Penns Grove 50
C Flight
No. 5 Clayton 71, No. 4 Cumberland 67
No. 3 Williamstown 48, No. 6 Schalick 46
No. 2 GCIT 75, No. 7 Salem Tech 55

GIRLS GAMES
A Flight
No. 1 Williamstown 57, No. 8 Highland 47
No. 4 Gloucester Catholic 46, No. 5 Woodstown 40
No. 3 Wildwood 58, No. 6 Washington Twp. 42
No. 2 Clearview 63, No. 7 Timber Creek 38
B Flight
No. 8 Penns Grove 54, No. 1 GCIT 44
No. 5 Pennsville 43, No. 4 Delsea 35
No. 6 Pitman 36, No. 3 Kingsway 33
No. 2 Glassboro 29, No. 7 Clayton 22
C Flight
No. 5 Overbrook 52, No. 4 Triton 34
No. 3 Schalick 43, No. 6 Deptford 37
No. 2 Cumberland 46, Salem Tech 21

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
BOYS
A Flight
Pitman at Timber Creek
Salem at Delsea
Wildwood at Overbrook
Gloucester Catholic at Triton
B Flight
Deptford Twp. at Kingsway
Highland at Clearview
Penns Grove at Washington Twp.
Woodstown at Glassboro
C Flight
Clayton at No. 1 Pennsville
Williamstown at GCIT
Salem Tech at Schalick
GIRLS
A Flight
Gloucester Catholic at Williamstown
Wildwood at Clearview
Highland at Woodstown
Timber Creek at Washington Twp.
B Flight
Penns Grove at. Pennsville
Pitman at Glassboro
Delsea at GCIT
Clayton at Kingsway
C Flight
Overbrook at No. 1 Salem
Schalick at Cumberland
Salem Tech at Deptford

Boys Games

SALEM 51, OVERBROOK 50: Anthony Farmer scored 19 points and the Rams rallied from 10 down with four minutes left to upset the No. 3 seed in the A Flight. Marshall Stephens blocked four shots, including two in a row down the stretch to keep the Rams in front.

The win was Salem’s third in a row and ninth in its last 10 games and sent Overbrook to its second straight one-point loss.

SALEM (16-7) – Anthony Farmer 19, Ramaji Bundy 3, Jabez DeJesus 10, Paul Weathers 2, Tymear Lecator 10, Marshall Stephens 5, Antwone Rogers 2. Totals 17-40 12-16 51.
OVERBROOK (18-7) – Shaun Mills 2 2-4 8, Chris Grier 0 2-4 2, Nic Johnson 3 3-7 9, Lamar Little 4 0-1 10, Zair Green 2 2-2 6, Maki Ortiz 2 1-1 5, Xavier Wright 4 0-0 8, Kevin Satchell 1 0-0 2, Amare Kee 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-19 50.

Salem7131120 –51
Overbrook1516613 –50
3-point goals: Salem 5-16; Overbrook 2 (Little 2). Rebounds: Salem 23 (DeJesus 6, P. Weathers 6, Stephens 7).

WILLIAMSTOWN 48, SCHALICK 46: The Braves had won only one game all season and lost 10 in a row, but they were the third seed and beat the Cougars on a couple late free throws. Daniel Lis hit four 3-pointers and led Schalick with 19 points.

SCHALICK (7-14) – Daniel Lis 6 3-4 19, Nylan Sutton 9 0-1 18, Jake Siedlecki 1 0-0 2, Nasir Sutton 1 3-4 5, Ryan Johnson 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 6-9 46.
WILLIAMSTOWN (2-23) – Kaysen Matthews 3 2-2 10, Drew Schnapp 3 2-2 9, Basill Mateen 1 7-12 9, Sean Donlin 2 0-0 4, Ozias Williams 1 0-0 2, Amir Washington 2 0-0 4, Brayden Covington 3 1-3 8, Gavin Batterman 0 2-2 2. Totals 15 14-21 48.
Schalick7121413 –46
Williamstown1016913 –48
3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Lis 4); Williamstown 4 (Matthews 2, Schnapp, Covington).

GLOUCESTER TECH 75, SALEM TECH 55: Trent Phillips led four scorers in double figures with 16 points and Michael Stanwood had a double-double (12/13) to lead GCIT’s victory. Haneef Frisby had a double-double for Salem Tech (13/14).

SALEM TECH (4-18) – Josh Muntz 3 1-2 7, Tyler Zampino 6 0-1 13, Antoine Robinson 5 3-3 14, Haneef Frisby 3 6-8 13, Chase Wills 3 1-2 7, Joseph Hayes 0 1-2 1. Totals 20 12-18 55.
GLOUCESTER TECH (10-14) – Trent Phillips 8 0-0 16, Mark Hallman 5 4-4 15, Michael Stanwood 5 2-2 12, Carl Schmidt 5 0-0 12, Ian Malgapo 2 0-0 5, Patrick Monaghan 2 0-0 4, Gavin Shainline 1 1-2 3, Charles Donaldson 1 0-0 2, Ethan Morris 1 0-0 2, Brady Johnson 1 0-0 2, Amad Traore-Koffi 1 0-0 2. Totals 32 7-8 75.
Salem Tech1211824 –55
GCIT21212211 –75
3-point goals: Salem Tech 3 (Zampino, Robinson, Frisby); GCIT 4 (Hallman, Schmidt 2, Malgapo).

CLEARVIEW 51, PENNS GROVE 50: The Red Devils missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the fourth quarter and could only get a layup at the buzzer for the final margin. Kaprice Stewart scored 24 points to lead Clearview.

PENNS GROVE (10-13) – Willie Slocum 5 0-4 10, Mehki Ballard 4 2-2 10, Giomar Conrad 5 3-5 15, Mr Peterson 2 0-0 4, Roman Gipson 2 0-4 4, KaRon Ceaser 2 1-3 5, Camren Thompson 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 6-18 50.
CLEARVIEW (14-9) – Kaprice Stewart 7 6-6 24, Daulton Pralinés 3 0-0 6, Jake Slotter 3 0-2 6, Russ Manel 4 1-1 10, Jonah Turner 2 0-0 5, JD Steidle 0 0-0 0, Michael Guy 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 7-9 51.
Penns Grove149916 –50
Clearview14111313 –51
3-point goals: Penns Grove 2 (Conrad 2); Clearview 6 (Stewart 4, Manel, Turner).

KINGSWAY 62, WOODSTOWN 52: Max Webb hit three 3-pointers and had 18 points to lead Woodstown, but Kingsway placed three scorers in double figures.

WOODSTOWN (11-10) – Manny Ortega 1 1-1 3, Blake Bialecki 2 0-0 5, Alejandro Vazquez 2 0-0 6, M.J. Hall 3 0-0 7, Garrett Leyman 2 0-0 4, Max Webb 6 3-8 18, Rocco String 2 1-1 5, Elijah Caesar 0 4-4 4. Totals 18 9-14 52.
KINGSWAY (13-11) – Nasir Williams-Bey 3 3-4 9, Jadan Martin-Cooper 4 3-3 12, Mikah Hart 5 0-0 10, Maurice Tavares 4 2-2 12, Terrence Collier 2 1-3 5, Christian Conklin 2 0-0 6, P.J. Frey 3 2-2 8. Totals 23 11-14 62.
Woodstown1115917 –52
Kingway15241211 –62
3-point goals: Woodstown 7 (Bialecki, Vazquez 2, Hall, Webb 3); Kingsway 5 (Martin-Cooper, Tavares 2, Conklin 2).

Girls Games

PENNS GROVE 54, GLOUCESTER TECH 44: Brianna Robbins is returning to the scoring form she displayed early in the season, going for a career-high 26 points as the Red Devils upset top-seeded GCIT in their B Flight opener. Robbins has been on a tear of late, scoring 63 points in her last three games. RaNiyah Wilson added 17 points. The Red Devils have won a season-best five in a row and six of their last seven.

The Red Devils will play at Pennsville in the Flight semifinals Wednesday.

Pennsville beat Delsea 43-35 behind Marley Wood’s 16 points. The win got the Eagles (12-12) back to .500 for the first time since mid-January.

PENNS GROVE (12-8) – RaNiyah Wilson 4 7-12 17, Meely Horace 2 3-4 8, Brianna Robbins 9 8-9 26, Amani Taylor 0 1-2 1, JaNiyah Cummings 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 19-27 54.
GLOUCESTER TECH (13-9) – Maggie Duer 2 4-6 9, Ava Friel 3 0-0 6, Savanna Shute 3 2-3 8, Leanne Riddick 4 2-3 11, Gina Sheehan 2 0-0 4, Averie Clement 0 5-7 5. Totals 14 13-17 44.

Penns Grove10141911 –54
Gloucester Tech817712 –44
3-point goals: Penns Grove 3 (Wilson 2, Horace); GCIT 2 (Duer, Riddick).

SCHALICK 43, DEPTFORD 37: Cianna Gaines scored in double figures for the second time in her career and Abby Willoughby had 11 points and 10 steals as the Cougars won a first-round game in the tournament for the first time since 2021.

The Cougars got off to a slow start, falling behind 12-5 in the first quarter, but held the Spartans to just 13 points over the next two quarters to take control of the game. They outscored Deptford 16-5 in the second quarter behind eight points from Willoughby to grab the lead by halftime.

“We game planned to be a little more aggressive than normal and we were just that – aggressive and created turnovers,” Schalick coach John Whelan said. “Offensively, we showed a lot of growth in our confidence as we didn’t second-guess decision and that confidence showed with good ball movement and the highest amount of assists in a game this season. All the girls deserve a shoutout as the hustle and effort was there from everyone, but Abby played a great game today. 

“The team wanted to get our seniors a win in their final home game and played for one another tonight. It was fun to see as a coach.”

DEPTFORD (3-19) – Autumn Daniels 2 3-4 9, Dana Mosad 2 0-0 4, Kayla Jenkins 1 1-2 4, Rachel Farr 3 6-9 12, Brenna Ivey 0 0-0 0, Kylie Galantic 1 1-2 3, Sanai Green 0 2-4 2, Zakyah Bobb 0 3-8 3. Totals 9 16-29 36.
SCHALICK (6-15) – Ava Scurry 2 1-4 5, Abby Willoughby 4 2-3 11, Cali Fisler 1 2-10 4, Cianna Gaines 3 4-6 10, Taylor Sparks 1 2-2 5, Carly Vicente 3 1-2 7, Olivia Lunemann 0 1-2 1. Totals 14 13-29 43.

Deptford125811 –36
Schalick5161012 –43
3-point goals: Deptford 3 (Daniels 2, Jenkins); Schalick 2 (Willoughby, Sparks). Fouled out: Ivey, Bobb, Scurry, Willoughby. Total fouls: Deptford 25, Schalick 24.

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 46, WOODSTOWN 40: Jahzara Green went 9-for-9 from the free throw line and scored 25 points for Gloucester Catholic. 

WOODSTOWN (16-6) – Talia Battavio 4 0-0 10, Megan Donelson 6 3-5 16, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Baber 2 0-0 6, Shannon Pierman 3 2-2 8, Lauren Hengel 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-7 40.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (19-6) – Jahzara Green 8 9-9 25, Julianna DiFebbo 4 0-0 11, Talia Shumate 1 0-0 2, Jalyn Moore 1 3-4 5, Yazaniah Shumate 0 3-4 3, Alyssa Elliott 0 0-0 0, Kendall Scott 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 15-17 46.

Woodstown7131010 –40
Gloucester Catholic2131912 –46
3-point goals: Woodstown 5 (Battavio 2, Donelson, Baber 2); Gloucester Catholic 3 (DiFebbo 3).

CUMBERLAND 46, SALEM TECH 21
SALEM TECH (1-19) – Hanna DeWitt 2 3-6 8, Kaylin Beardsley 1 0-0 3, Demajae White 1 0-0 2, TiRonna McGaha 0 1-2 1, Morgan VanDover 1 2-6 5, Rylee Doerr 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 6-14 21.
CUMBERLAND (6-15) – Isabella Albert 3 0-0 6, Gabby Albert 3 2-4 8, Grace Albert 6 1-2 13, Ellie Bodine 3 0-0 6, Elizabeth Pflieger 1 0-0 2, Nya Stephenson 1 0-0 2, Addison Weist 3 2-2 9, Rachel Salvatierra 0 0-0 0, Kamila Ramos 0 0-0 0, DaNya Gould 0 0-0 0, Emily Bokma 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 5-8 46.

Salem Tech5772 –21
Cumberland1311913 –46
3-point goals: Salem Tech 3 (DeWitt, Beardsley, VanDover); Cumberland 1 (Weist).

This week’s schedule

The Tri-County Conference Tournament highlights the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Feb. 12-17

Monday

BASKETBALL
TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BOYS
A Flight
No. 8 Gloucester Catholic at No. 1 Timber Creek
No. 5 Triton at No. 4 Pitman
No. 6 Salem at No. 3 Overbrook, 5:30 p.m.
No. 7 Wildwood at No. 2 Delsea
B Flight
No. 8 Woodstown at No. 1 Kingsway, 6 p.m.
No. 5 Glassboro at No. 4 Deptford Twp.
No. 6 Washington Twp at No. 3 Highland
No. 7 Penns Grove at No. 2 Clearview, 6 p.m.
C Flight
No. 5 Clayton at No. 4 Cumberland
No. 6 Schalick at No. 3 Williamstown, 4 p.m.
No. 7 Salem Tech at No. 2 GCIT
GIRLS
A Flight
No. 8 Highland at No. 1 Williamstown
No. 5 Woodstown at No. 4 Gloucester Catholic, 5:30 p.m.
No. 6 Washington Twp. at No. 3 Wildwood
No. 7 Timber Creek at No. 2 Clearview
B Flight
No. 8 Penns Grove at No. 1 GCIT, 4 p.m.
No. 5 Pennsville at No. 4 Delsea, 5:30 p.m.
No. 6 Pitman at No. 3 Kingsway
No. 7 Clayton at No. 2 Glassboro
C Flight
No. 5 Overbrook at No. 4 Triton
No. 6 Deptford at No. 3 Schalick, 4 p.m.
No. 7 Salem Tech at No. 2 Cumberland

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Men
Williamson College of Trades at Salem CC, 6 p.m.

Wednesday

BASKETBALL
TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BOYS
A Flight
Gloucester Catholic-Timber Creek winner vs. Triton-Pitman winner
Salem-Overbrook winner vs. Wildwood-Delsea winner
Consolation games
B Flight
Woodstown-Kingsway winner vs. Glassboro-Deptford Twp. winner
Washington Twp.-Highland winner vs. Penns Grove-Clearview winner
Consolation games
C Flight
Clayton-Cumberland winner at No. 1 Pennsville
Schalick-Williamstown winner vs. Salem Tech-GCIT winner
Schalick-Williamstown loser vs. Salem Tech-GCIT loser
GIRLS
A Flight
Highland-Williamstown winner vs. Woodstown-Gloucester Catholic winner
Washington Twp.-Wildwood winner vs. Timber Creek-Clearview winner
Consolation games
B Flight
Penns Grove-GCIT winner vs. Pennsville-Delsea winner
Pitman-Kingsway winner vs. Clayton-Glassboro winner
Consolation games
C Flight
Overbrook-Triton winner at No. 1 Salem
Deptford-Schalick winner vs. Salem Tech-Cumberland winner
Deptford-Schalick loser vs. Salem Tech-Cumberland loser

Thursday

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Men
Salem CC at Northampton CC, 7 p.m.
Women
Salem CC at Montgomery County CC, 5 p.m.

Friday

BASKETBALL
TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT
BOYS/GIRLS
All Flights
Third-place games
Championship games

Saturday

BASKETBALL
Girls
Overbrook at Woodstown

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Men
Sussex County CC at Salem CC, 1 p.m.

Waiting on the numbers

Penns Grove did everything it could Friday to give it a chance to get a home playoff game, didn’t get outside help it needed and likely will be on the road; Pennsville thinks it’s in, but position hinges on Saturday’s results’ Woodstown, Same Tech also win

FRIDAY’S BOYS GAMES
Penns Grove 59, Schalick 36
Woodstown 77, Buena 22
Paulsboro 63, Pennsville 55
Salem Tech 64, Cape May Tech 53

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Damian Ware left the Schalick gym Friday evening comfortable in the knowledge his Penns Grove basketball team did everything it in its power to put itself in position to get a first-round playoff game. Now it was up to other games around the region to cooperate.

The Red Devils scored their fourth win in a row with their second win over the Cougars in four days, 59-36. It’s a result they figured they needed to move into the top eight of the South Jersey Group I power points standings to secure a first-round home game in the playoffs.

Their job done, all they needed now was a LEAP Academy victory over Palmyra and they could start printing home playoff tickets. But about a half hour after they left the building, the Red Devils learned Palmyra had won, leaving them once again on the outside looking for some mathematical help.

“Our goal was to win four games this week and we accomplished that goal,” Ware said immediately after the game and before the LEAP-Palmyra result was posted. “Right now we did what we had to do, everything else it out of our hands, so you just got to let the chips fall where they may.

“But I’m proud of the way my guys played today. A four-game week is a tough week and we stepped up and played hard. We played great defensively today; held them down. We did what we had to do, we did our part, now hopefully LEAP does their part.”

The win in Burlington County sent Palmyra soaring up the standings, all the way into a tie for sixth with Glassboro, leaving the Red Devils still ninth, eight points behind Woodbury. 

The state cutoff is Saturday, then the final cross checks and calculations are made before the standings become official. Woodbury has a game against a 15-win Paul VI team in the opening round of the Camden County Tournament and the chance to pick up more power points before the deadline. Penns Grove is done until next week’s Tri-County Conference Tournament.

Once the results of Friday’s games started to hit, Ware resigned himself to the idea the Red Devils would be going on the road for the playoffs.

“We’ve got to be road warriors,” he said. “I was thinking the whole time we’re going to be on the road. I actually already kind of collected all of our home uniforms from most of the players. The whole time I was thinking we were going to be on the road, but hopeful we could get a home game. I was already kind of pre-planning to be on the road.

“We did all we could do. Now if we’d have won a couple games early in the season it would have been a no-brainer, but we kind of put ourselves in a position to where we had to hope for some other team’s help and if we didn’t get help, then we’d just have to do what we’ve got to do.”

Knowing they had to win to enhacing their position, the Red Devils controlled Friday’s game from the start. They opened with a Giomar Conrad 3, scored the first seven points of the game and led 20-7 early in the second quarter. They scored the last eight points of the second quarter for a 17-point halftime lead and led by 20 most of the second half.

“I think we’re doing great; the team chemistry is getting better,” post Willie Slocum said. “People have been doubting us, so it felt great to come together and be on this winning streak.”

The Red Devils haven’t won four in a row since starting the 2020-21 season 8-0.

Conrad led the Red Devils with 13 points – all in the first half. KaRon Ceaser had 11. Slocum and Camren Thompson also played big roles. Slocum had eight rebounds and Thompson, drawing his third start of the season in place of absent Mr Peterson, had four points in the first half, seven rebounds and several steals.

“I was just waiting my time, honestly,” Thompson said. “My time would come.”

PENNS GROVE (10-12) – Brandon Robbins 2 0-0 5, Roman Gipson 1 2-3 4, Giomar Conrad 6 0-0 13, Karon Ceaser 5 0-2 11, Willie Slocum 1 0-0 2, Mekhi Ballard 2 1-2 6, Camron Thompson 2 0-0 4, Luis Colon 3 0-1 6, Neziah Spence 2 0-0 5, Jameel Horace 1 1-4 3, Gionni Conrad C 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 4-12 59.
SCHALICK (7-13) – Reggie Allen 3 0-0 7, Daniel Lis 5 1-2 11, Nylan Sutton 3 0-4 6, Nasir Sutton 1 0-1 2, Jake Siedlecki 1 0-0 3, Jordan Johnson 0 0-2 0, Ryan Johnson 1 0-0 2, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3, Dylan Sheehan 1 0-0 2, Nyzie Wonder 0 0-0 0, Sherrod Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 1-9 36.

Penns Grove13151615 –59
Schalick 561114 –36
3-point goals: Penns Grove 5 (Robbins, Conrad, Ceaser, Ballard, Spence); Schalick 3 (Allen, Siedlecki, Volovar). Rebounds: Penns Grove 39 (Slocum 8, Thompson 7); Schalick 30 (Ny. Sutton 8, Lis 6). Total fouls: Penns Grove 11, Schalick 14.

PAULSBORO 63, PENNSVILLE 55: Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky has done some quick calculations and believes his Eagles are in the 16-team South Jersey Group I playoff field, but where they fall won’t be decided until after Saturday’s cutoff.

The Eagles are currently 15th in standings, but likely will be 15 or 16 depending on the outcome of current No. 16 Burlington City’s game with Riverside. In any event, they’ll be on the road against one of the top seeds in the tournament. But at least they’re in.

“We had a chance to handle our business, we didn’t ,so now we let it fall as it may,” Mecholsky said. “We had three home games and one away game. We couldn’t close any of them out (going 0-4), so we deserve our fate.”

The Eagles made it a game despite missing 1,000-point scorer Luke Wood and Jayden Thomas with ankle injuries. 

Throughout this recent spate of injuries, the Eagles have been playing through center Danny Saulin and the 6-8 senior delivered another solid game (19 points on 9-of-15 shooting, nine rebounds). Cohen Petrutz has his best game of the season, 18 points with three 3-pointers. They combined for 20 points in a 25-point third quarter that got them back in the game.

The Eagles led by one in the fourth quarter, then Paulsboro closed it out with an 8-0 run. Aiden Milligin hit a 3-pointer to get it started. Milligan scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.

PENNSVILLE (9-15) – Peyton O’Brien 3-10 0-0 6, Daniel Saulin 9-15 1-4 19, Mason O’Brien 1-9 2-2 4, Cohen Petrutz 7-13 1-1 18, Cole Johnston 0-1 0-0 0, Connor Starn 2-3 0-0 6, Logan Hitt 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 23-54 4-7 55.
PAULSBORO (10-12) – Ty Hodges 2 3-4 7, Ryann Briscoe 4 0-1 9, Aiden Milligan 6 2-2 16, Antonio Pandolfo 7 0-0 17, Yan Rodriguez 1 0-0 2, Eric Scott 4 2-2 10, Stephan Lane 0 0-0 0, Aaron Scott 0 0-0 0, Jamar Robinson 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 7-9 63.
Pennsville1362511 –55
Paulsboro10221516 –63
3-point goals: Pennsville 5-16 (P. O’Brien 0-2, Petrutz 3-7, Johnston 0-1, Starn 2-3, Hitt 0-2); Paulsboro 6 (Briscoe, Milligan 2, Pandolfo 3). Rebounds: Pennsville 27 (Saulin 9, Petrutz 8); Paulsboro 30 (Briscoe 9, E. Scott 8). Total fouls: Pennsville 15, Paulsboro 9.

WOODSTOWN 77, BUENA 22: Connor Sanderson and Elijah Caesar both enjoyed career scoring nights and 11 players hit the scoring column as the Wolverines swamped winless Buena to solidify their spot in the South Jersey Group I playoffs.

Sanderson hit four 3-pointers and led the Wolverines with 14 points. He had scored only two points previously this season. Caesar scored 11 points, his first game in double figures.

The Wolverines jumped out to a 22-5 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 47-8 at halftime. Buena has lost 25 in a row over the last two seasons.

WOODSTOWN 77, BUENA 22
BUENA (0-22) – Carlo Spreng 1 0-0 3, Troy Gregory 2 0-0 6, Michael Letushko 1 0-2 2, Dominic Longona 1 0-0 3, Nathan Nieves-Medina 3 0-0 8. Totals 8 0-2 22.
WOODSTOWN (11-9) – Manny Ortega 4 0-0 8, Blake Bialecki 4 1-1 10, Alejandro Vazquez 1 0-0 3, M.J. Hall 2 0-0 5, Connor Sanderson 5 0-0 14, Garrett Leyman 1 0-0 3, Anthony Bokolas 2 0-0 5, Lucas Fulmer 2 0-0 4, Max Webb 4 0-0 8, Rocco String 3 0-0 6, Elijah Caesar 5 0-0 11. Totals 33 1-1 77.

Buena5386 –22
Woodstown22251218 –77
3-point goals: Buena 6 (Spreng, Gregory 2, Longona, Nieves-Medina 2); Woodstown 10 (Bialecki, Vazquez, Hall, Sanderson 4, Leyman, Bokolas, Caesar).

SALEM TECH 64, CAPE MAY TECH 53: The Chargers opened a 19-point halftime lead and held on through a barrage of Benjamin Lynch 3-pointers in the second half for their third win, one more than they had all last season.

Tyler Zampino hit five 3-pointers and matched his career-high (set Feb. 1 against Clayton) with 26 points. Antoine Robinson had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Haneef Frisby had nine points and 10 boards.

The Chargers led 36-17 at halftime, but Lynch got hot in the second half and hit six of his seven 3-pointers. he hit four of them in the fourth quarter, but the Chargers had enough of a cushion to close it out. They were 2-23 last year and are guaranteed to have won more and lost fewer this year.

“It’s big for me,” coach Bryan Riley said. “It’s exactly how we envisioned it going.

“Last year we had two guys returning with varsity experience .I knew that getting into the Tri-County (Conference) was going to be difficult (and) playing in the Classic Division, in my eyes, was even harder … It was a big task, but every day my boys come, strap up the boots and get to work.

“This year, the underclassmen are stepping up and the seniors are leading with their energy. Antoine (Robinson), Tyler (Zampino) and Haneef (Frisby) are all returning and putting up big numbers the back end of the season. There were a few close games this year that we were missing starters that I would have liked to have won (but) you live and learn.

“We have three games left. We are hoping to end the season strong.”

SALEM TECH (3-17) – Chase Wills 2 0-0 4, Haneef Frisby 3 3-3 9, Joseph Hayes 1 0-0 3, Josh Muntz 0 2-7 2, Daviontae Russell 0 1-2 1, Tyler Zampino 8 5-10 26, Antoine Robinson 3 8-9 16, Gio Holmes 0 0-0 0, Charlie Brown 1 0-0 3, Chase Ayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 19-31 64.
CAPE MAY TECH (2-19) – Tyler Dille 1 1-2 3, Colin Gery 1 4-4 6, Ronnie Neenhold 2 4-4 8, Lucas Woolcock 0 0-0 0, Benjamin Lynch 8 1-1 24, Austin Bigelow 0 0-0 0, Chance Ginyard 2 0-0 5, Trevor Frey 1 0-0 2, Alec Dooley 1 2-2 4, Paul Simmerman 0 1-2 1, Jimmy Richie 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-15 53.
Salem Tech19171513 –64
Cape May Tech1071522 –53
3-point goals: Salem Tech 9 (Hayes, Zampino 5, Robinson 2, Brown); Cape May Tech 8 (Lynch 7, Ginyard). Rebounds: Salem Tech 40 (Frisby 10, Robinson 9, Zampino 6). Fouled out: Wills, Holmes, Dille, Gery, Lynch. Total fouls: Salem Tech 24, Cape May Tech 29.

South Jersey Group I
Top 16 Power Points

(Games through Feb. 9; state cutoff Saturday)
TEAMRECORDPTS
KIPP Cooper19-6493
Pitman18-6461
Salem14-7393
Wildwood13-9388
Audubon14-8357
Palmyra12-8345
Glassboro11-11345
Woodbury13-10331
Penns Grove10-12323
Paulsboro10-12315
Riverside10-12288
LEAP Academy13-9279
Woodstown11-9262
New Egypt7-12249
Pennsville9-15235
Burlington City4-18208
No. 17 Maple Shade (8-15) 203, No. 18 Schalick (7-13) 182

Big night for NaeNae

Salem’s Logan goes for triple-double in Senior Night victory that clinches a playoff spot; Penns Grove wins its fourth in a row, Pennsville pushing for a home game in playoffs

FRIDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Penns Grove 52, Schalick 14
Salem 58, Pleasantville 12
Cape May Tech 35, Salem Tech 24
Pennsville 52, Millville 36

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – NaeNae Logan let everything go and turned it loose Friday night. The result was a game for the ages.

LOGAN

The Salem senior enjoyed her second triple-double of the season, going for 19 points, 25 rebounds and 13 blocked shots to lead the Rams to a 58-12 Senior Night victory over winless Pleasantville that snapped five-game losing streak and locked up a spot in the South Jersey Group I playoffs.

The Rams (8-14) came into the game holding the 16th and final SJ-I power points position and a 30-point cushion on No. 17 Schalick, which lost at Penns Grove. They gained a point overnight and are solidly at No. 16, projected to play at No. 1 Woodbury in the opening round.

“I’m just happy that my seniors get a fighting chance at doing something in their last year,” Rams coach Tiasia Tatem said. “Last year we didn’t have any seniors, so we always knew all the girls would be coming back where this year they’re actually going to fight for it.”

The spotlight Friday shined on all the Salem seniors in this game, but Logan projected the brightest light.

She had her first triple-double against Oakcrest on Dec. 27 (10 points, 11 rebounds, 15 blocked shots). She now has 96 blocked shots on the season. 

“I feel like today was one of those days where you could see she had her confidence up,” Tatem said. “All season we’ve been on her to push her to her full potential. I told her before the game forget everything else, this night is for y’all, so just go out there and have fun and just play basketball.

“I think that took the pressure off of her and she was just relaxed and playing.”

All three sets of numbers were impressive, but the one that jumped out to Tatem were her points. She’d scored in double figures only one other time in her career – the triple-double game once this year – but had 10 or more rebounds in seven of her last eight games and had at least five blocked shots 10 times this season.

Over her last eight games she has 108 rebounds, 46 blocked shots and 45 points.

“Her rebounding and her blocking skills come natural,” Tatem said. “As her coach watching her throughout the season I know how hard she gets on herself. I tell her all the time your defense is phenomenal, it’s OK if you don’t always make all these points. So for her to have those 19 points today, I feel like she needed that.”

PLEASANTVILLE (0-17) – Janderlys Reyes 1 5-9 8, Keyana Osoria 0 1-2 1, Ivana Garcia 0 2-2 2, Nahkiyah Harris 0 1-2 1. Totals 1 9-15 12.
SALEM (8-14) – Ameriyona Hunter 2 0-1 5, Marjziah Bundy 1 0-2 2, Ryann Foote 0 2-4 2, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0, Dakirah Gray 1 0-0 2, Carlysia Pierce 1 2-6 4, Marissa Bower 2 2-2 6, Nevaeh Hickman 0 0-0 0, Zaniyah Freison 0 0-0 0, NaeNae Logan 9 1-2 25, Kaela Nichols 6 4-6 16, Ava Rodgers 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 11-23 58.

Pleasantville1731 –12
Salem1917139 –58
3-point goals: Pleasantville 1 (Reyes); Salem 1 (Hunter).

PENNS GROVE 52, SCHALICK 14: Arianna Dowe matched her career-high with 14 points and Meely Horace had 12 to lead the Red Devils to its second win over the Cougars in three days. Horace scored her 1,000th career point in the first meeting Tuesday.

Dowe scored all her points in the second half. Horace and RaNiyah Wilson scored nine points each in the first half as the Red Devils opened a 32-8 halftime lead.

SCHALICK (5-15) – Gianna Gaines 1 1-6 3, Ava Scurry 1 0-0 2, Taylor Sparks 0 0-0 0, Cali Fisler 1 0-0 2, Abby Willoughby 2 1-2 5, Carly Vicente 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 2-8 14.
PENNS GROVE (11-8) – RaNiyah Wilson 4 0-0 9, Meely Horace 5 1-2 12, Brianna Robbins 3 2-2 8, Zoey Caesar 1 1-2 3, Amani Taylor 0 0-0 0, JaNiyah Cummings 3 0-2 6, Arianna Dowe 6 0-0 14, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 4-8 52.

Schalick6152 –14
Penns Grove1715137 –52
3-point goals: Schalick 0; Penns Grove 4 (Wilson, Horace, Down 2). Total fouls: Schalick 9, Penns Grove 10.

PENNSVILLE 52, MILLVILLE 36: The Eagles hit four of their five 3-pointers and five of their six free throws in the second half to pull away from a close game and pick up enough point to go into the cutoff day in a position to host a first-round playoff game.

It didn’t look good after their lost to Penns Grove the night before, but the Eagles moved into eighth place in the South Jersey Group I power point standings by the end of the day. The top eight seeds host first-round games.

“We know we are in the playoffs,” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said. “We will play wherever we need to play.”

The Eagles spread the wealth in the second half. Taylor Bass hit both of her 3-pointers in the third quarter and scored all 10 of her points in the second half. Nora Ausland hit both of her 3s in the second half and finished with 11 points. Bella Farina scored nine of her 13 in the second half and Marley Woods had seven of her 12 in the half.

MILLVILLE (8-13) – Jaylynn Jones 0 0-0 0, Aubree Justin 1 0-0 2, Ayla Gomez 1 0-0 3, Marissa Stevens 3 0-2 7, Brooke Justin 8 5-6 24, Aphrea Robinson 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 5-8 36.
PENNSVILLE (11-12) – Calla Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 4 1-2 11, Taylor Bass 4 0-0 10, Sophia Belindas 0 0-0 0, Lily Edwards 0 0-0 0, Bella Farina 6 1-1 13, Izzy Saulin 3 0-0 6, Marley Wood 4 3-3 12. Totals 21 5-6 52.

Millville513117 –36
Pennsville6112015 –52
3-point goals: Millville 5 (Gomez, B. Justin 3, Stevens); Pennsville 5 (N. Ausland 2, Bass 2, Wood). Total fouls: Millville 7, Pennsville 9.

CAPE MAY TECH 35, SALEM TECH 24: Emma Drumm scored 17 points and Anna Delaney had 10 to lead Cape May Tech.

Cape May Tech (9-12)152513 –35
Salem Tech (1-18)4668 –24

South Jersey Group 1
Top 16 Power Points

(Through games of Feb. 9; state cutoff Saturday)
TEAMRECORDPOINTS
Woodbury15-8559
Wildwood16-6485
Maple Shade17-5457
Woodstown16-4455
Palmyra14-6408
Audubon13-6373
Glassboro13-7349
Pennsville11-12339
Gateway14-9337
Burlington City14-8319
Clayton11-9294
Penns Grove10-8272
Cape May Tech9-12271
Pitman10-10244
Paulsboro7-12234
Salem8-14222
No. 17 Schalick (5-14) 191

Tensions rise

Penns Grove, Pennsville play to an empty house in second half as gym cleared in third quarter; includes all of Thursday’s Salem County girls games

THURSDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Penns Grove 39, Pennsville 32
Clayton 58, Salem 30
Pitman 43, Salem Tech 28
Overbrook 41, Schalick 27

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Games between Pennsville and Penns Grove in every sport are always a spirited affair, but Thursday night added a new layer of intensity to the rivalry, at least on the girls basketball side of things.

Tensions spilled over from the visitors’ bleachers in Salberg Gym midway through the third quarter, precipitating a 30-minute delay and forcing site managers to clear the gym before allowing play to continue. When it did resume, Penns Grove closed out a 39-32 victory that helped it solidify a spot in the South Jersey Group I playoffs and win for only the second time in its last 10 games against the Eagles.

The drama developed after a hard collision between the Red Devils’ recently installed 1,000-point scorer Meely Horace and Pennsville’s Taylor Bass on a 50-50 ball in the frontcourt with 3:32 left in the third quarter and Penns Grove leading 34-26.

Fans in the Penns Grove stands took exception to the contact and let the officials know about it. It was so concerning to Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas that he approached the group, directed authorities to remove the most vocal individuals and announced over the public address system the game “will not continue until the bleachers are cleared.”

Both teams left the floor and waited in the bench area before finally retiring to their respective dressing rooms. Three Pennsville police officers appeared on the scene to help restore order while Thomas watched from the center circle. Three more officers arrived later. At one point Penns Grove coach Jennifer Denby crossed the floor to engage the crowd.

After about 15 minutes game managers began to clear the stands on both sides of the gym with the Penns Grove group the last to leave. After about a 30-minute delay, which included a brief warmup for the teams, play resumed with no spectators in the gym.

Horace and Bass collided again diving for a loose ball in the fourth quarter without incident between the players.

“I was trying to remove the folks who were instigating the whole thing and getting a little bit too aggressive,” Thomas said. “They asked where’s my warning; your warning’s at the beginning of the game. There’s a sportsmanship message in there and it clearly says this is your first and last warning, we’re not issuing warnings.

“When you’re standing up and approaching the court and screaming at the top of your lungs, that’s over the top, because what’s the next step. It’s trying to almost cut the head off the snake right away and be done with the problem. I think we let some go that got to a point we had to shut it down. It’s unfortunate you’ve got to get rid of everybody.”

There were no arrests and a game management report was being prepared after the game to send to the respective district superintendents, principals, officials assignor, Penns Grove athletics director Anwar Golden and the Tri-County Conference. Details of the report will not be made public.

It wasn’t the first time tensions in the series red-lined. There was a dust up in this game at Pennsville last year that resulted in fan ejections on both sides.

“Our fans have got our back and we’ve got their back,” Denby said. “They support us, we support them, so that’s what we’ve got to do because we’re tired on 7-on-5.”

Pennsville coach Sam Trapp declined to comment on any aspect of the game.

Right before the incident, the Red Devils (10-8) had rebuilt a 10-point lead after Pennsville (10-12) closed the second quarter with a 7-0 run to get back within three at halftime. Marley Wood had five of her team-high 12 points in the rally.

But Penns Grove opened the third quarter with runs of 6-2 and 7-2 to gain some breathing room. Brianna Robbins had a spinning layup to start the first run and a three-point play to cap the second. She had 13 points in the game. RaNiyah Wilson led the Red Devils with 16.

“What we try to teach the girls is we’re always like 7-to-5, so you’ve got to continue to play,” Denby said. “I’m happy they came out and continued to play regardless of the calls that were made and things like that. I think the girls played through the situation and that speaks volumes about them.”

The win moved Penns Grove to 12th in the South Jersey Group I power points standings with a game against Schalick left before Saturday’s state cutoff. Pennsville remained tied for ninth with Burlington City, 18 points behind the final spot for a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

“Every game is important at this point,” Denby said.

PENNS GROVE 39, PENNSVILLE 32
PENNS GROVE (10-8) – RaNiyah Wilson 6 2-2 16, Meely Horace 2 2-2 6, Brianna Robbins 5 3-8 13, Zoey Caesar 1 0-0 2, Amani Taylor 0 0-0 0, JaNiyah Cummings 0 0-0 0, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Arianna Down 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 7-12 39.
PENNSVILLE (10-12) – Celli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 2 1-2 5, Taylor Bass 2 4-6 9, Sofia Belitas 0 0-0 0, Bella Farina 1 0-2 2, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 4, Marley Wood 4 4-8 12. Totals 11 9-18 32.

Penns Grove174135 –39
Pennsville810104 –32
3-point goals: Penns Grove 2 (Wilson 2); Pennsville 1 (Bass). Fouled out: Bass. Total fouls: Penns Grove 14, Pennsville 19. Officials: Lahm, Moskovitz, Ryan.
Pennsville athletics director Jamy Thomas (L) talks with a Pennsville police office as fans file out of the gym before play is resumed in the Penns Grove-Pennsville girls basketball game.

CLAYTON 58, SALEM 30: NaeNae Logan led Salem with eight points, 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots. She now has 83 blocks for the season and 100 for her career. Carlysia Pierce had seven points, five rebounds and four steals. Ava Rodgers grabbed nine rebounds and Marjziah Bundy had eight.

SALEM (7-14) – Carlysia Pierce 3 1-3 7, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0, Marjziah Bundy 1 0-0 2, Ava Rodgers 2 0-0 4, Nevaeh Hickman 2 0-0 5, Ameriyona Hunter 1 0-0 2, Dakirah Gray 1 0-0 2, NaeNae Logan 4 0-0 8, Zaniyah Freison 0 0-0 0, Marissa Bower 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 1-3 30.
CLAYTON (11-9) – Jordyn Jones 3 3-8 9, Rainelle Blocker 6 1-2 13, Rosalina Pereira 1 0-0 2, Deondria Simon 6 0-0 14, Ava Delaney 6 0-0 12, India Williams 2 0-0 4, Janice Blair 1 0-0 2, Kaya Gunther 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 4-10 58.

Salem 231510 –30
Clayton 2219116 –58
3-point goals: Salem 1 (Hickman); Clayton 2 (Simon 2).

PITMAN 43, SALEM TECH 28
SALEM TECH (1-17) – Hanna DeWitt 0 1-2 1, Demajae White 1 0-0 2, TiRonna McGaha 1 0-0 2, Kaylin Beardsley 4 0-0 9, Morgan VanDover 3 0-0 6, Lavae Scott 1 0-0 2, Rylee Doerr 2 1-2 5, Drummond 0 1-2 1. Totals 12 3-6 28.
PITMAN (10-10) – Anna Fisicaro 7 0-0 15, Miya Villari 4 4-6 14, Jessica Bretz 1 0-0 2, Evelyn Wisely 3 0-0 7, Audrey Duffield 2 0-0 5. Totals 17 4-6 43.

Salem Tech41158 –28
Pitman141199 –43
3-point goals: Salem Tech 1 (Beardsley); Pitman 5 (Fisicaro, Villari 2, Wisely, Duffield).

OVERBROOK 41, SCHALICK 27: Zahaisha Nevius and Gianna Simon led Overbrook with 19 and 11 points, respectively.

Schalick (5-14)84105 –27
Overbrook (5-14)813911 –41

Cover photo: Penns Grove’s RaNiyah Wilson tosses a pass to Meely Horace in an empty gym during the second half of their game with Pennsville Thursday night.