Salem takes an intense win from Penns Grove; Hall, Leevy have career nights for Woodstown; Jones’ last-second FTs lifts Schalick to victory
THURSDAY’S GAMES Salem 68, Penns Grove 50 Woodstown 78, Salem Tech 27 Schalick 46, Pennsauken Tech 45
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – Under a different set of circumstances and math, this would have been a milestone night for Anthony Farmer. Instead, the Salem High basketball coach would have to be content to take the win and keep marching towards a good draw in the South Jersey playoffs.
Farmer’s Rams took down Penns Grove Thursday night 68-50 in an intense game that reminded the sellout crowd of the Salem-Penns Grove battles of old. There were five technical fouls called.
It would have been Farmer’s 100th career coaching win “on the floor,” but an NJSIAA ruling on an ineligible player in January stripped the team and him of four early-season victories leaving the coach at 96.
“That would have been special,” Farmer said. “That would have been nice.”
Once he reaches the milestone, he’ll join a unique club of basketball luminaries with 100 coaching wins, 1,000 career points in high school (St. Augustine) and 1,000 career points in college (Rutgers).
Salem sophomore guard Neziah Spence returned to his old school and torched his former team for a game-high 18 points with three assists, three steals and a blocked shot. He scored 28 points with eight 3-pointers for the Red Devils all last year as a freshman.
“That usually goes two ways,” Farmer said. “Young kid. Sophomore. Left there and went back and had a big night. Normally (they don’t), trying too hard, trying to press, trying to do too much. He really let the game come to him and had a big night. You could see how hard he was playing it really meant something to him.”
Two other times this year it went the other way for Rams players facing their former schools. Darrelle Johnson went scoreless in six minutes against Millville at the Boardwalk Classic and Tymear Lecator was under the weather when the Rams played Winslow earlier this week and had just four points.
Spence wasn’t the only Ram to have a big game against the Red Devils. Antwuan Rogers had 14 points and 15 rebounds; Johnson had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists; and Deshaan Williams had six points and 10 boards.
“We played really well; I thought it was an overall team effort,” Farmer said. “Everybody just maximized their potential and played their role to the best of their ability and when we do that we’re tough. We got a little something from everybody. It was fun to watch and good to see.”
Karon Ceaser and Jameel Horace led Penns Grove with 14 points apiece.
SALEM 68, PENNS GROVE 50 SALEM (11-12): Donovan Weathers 1 0-0 2, Xavier McGriff 2 0-0 4, Neziah Spence 6 3-6 18, Tymear Lecator 1 0-2 3, Deshaan Williams 3 0-2 6, Darrelle Johnson 5 2-2 12, Antwaun Rogets 7 1-1 15, Joe Tunis 3 0-0 6, Azhone Burden 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 6-13 68. PENNS GROVE (11-11): B.J. Robbins 1 4-6 7, Roman Gipson 2 1-2 6, Karon Ceaser 6 0-0 14, Antoine Robinson 1 2-2 4, Jameel Horace 6 2-2 14, Haneef Frisby 1 0-0 2, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0, Will Roy 1 1-1 3, Carson Pearsall 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-13 50.
Salem
7
17
19
25-
68
Penns Grove
11
9
12
18-
50
3-point goals: Salem 4 (Spence 3, Lecator); Penns Grove 4 (Robbins, Gipson, Ceaser 2). Technical fouls: Robbins, Ceaser, Lecator 2, Johnson. Fouled out: Robinson, Lecator. Total fouls: Salem 16, Penns Grove 19.
WOODSTOWN 78, SALEM TECH 27: M.J. Hall and Sid Leevy both had career nights as the Wolverines won their second straight and kept the Chargers winless. Hall hit career-high numbers for the second game in a row, this time going for 31 points. Leevy doubled his season production with a career-high 12 points.
“M.J. played great, Sid played great, too; I gave him the (MVP) chain,” Wolverines coach Ramon Roots said. “Sid has been a senior who didn’t play that much this year, but helped his teammates get better every day and never complained about minutes or hard work.
“He’s a great team-first guy. He doesn’t say too much but comes to partake ready to work every day. I rewarded him tonight. He played the whole game.”
The Wolverines’ 14 wins for first-year coach Roots this season are the most in a Woodstown boys season since a 23-5 year in 2019-20.
SALEM TECH (0-20): Larry Pompper 4 0-0 9, Chase Pompper 3 0-0 6, Ayden Myers 1 1-2 3, Joseph Hayes 1 4-6 7, Logan Pace 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 5-8 27. WOODSTOWN (14-8): Trey Markward 1 0-0 2, John Hood-McGinley 2 0-0 4, Garrett Leyman 1 1-1 3, Sid Leevi 5 1-4 12, Rocco String 7 0-0 15, Andrew White 1 0-0 2, Josh King 1 0-0 2, M.J. Hall 11 6-7 31, Jalen Markward 2 3-3 7. Totals 31 11-14 78.
Salem Tech
2
4
11
10-
27
Woodstown
23
19
17
19-
78
3-point goals: Salem Tech 2 (L. Pompper, Hayes); Woodstown 5 (Leevy, String, Hall 3).
SCHALICK 46, PENNSAUKEN TECH 45: Sherrod Jones was fouled on a putback as time expired and made both free throws to give the Cougars the victory.
Jones picked up his fourth foul in the first half and sat until Jamari Whitley fouled out in the fourth quarter. The Cougars drew up a play to get Reggie Allen the last shot. The senior got a good look at it, but missed, but Jones followed it and was fouled.
The free throws he made to win it were his only points of the game. Allen led all scorers with 18 points. Nylan Sutton had 17.
Pennsville girls get a feel for the NBA on the Sixers’ floor at Wells Fargo Center, includes scores and highlights from Tuesday night’s Salem County basketball schedule
GIRLS GAMES
BOYS GAMES
Clayton 56, Pennsville 38 (WFC)
Penns Grove 70, Pennsville 37
Woodstown 68, Schalick 15
Woodstown 65, Schalick 39
Salem 63, Gloucester Cath. 51
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PHILADELPHIA – All the times Nora Ausland would watch the 76ers play, whether it be one of the rare times in person or on TV, she always thought the NBA 3-point line was way out there.
Then she actually got on the floor and saw it from a player’s perspective and her suspicions were confirmed. The line was way, way out there.
But that didn’t keep her or her Pennsville teammates from trying their hand at shooting from out there. The Eagles made seven 3s from the NBA line Tuesday afternoon, with Ausland and Taylor Bass each hitting three, in a 57-38 loss to Clayton in the Wells Fargo Center that was more about the experience than the result.
“I just wanted to hit some NBA 3s and I did do it,” Ausland said. “I’m impressed because it’s really far.
“I always thought it looked far. When I was walking down on to the floor I’m like it’s not really that far, and then my first shot completely air-balled it; it was pretty far. It makes my perception really off, so I was glad I was able to make a few.”
Ausland wasn’t the only one drawn by the NBA 3-point line. Marley Wood also kept an eye on the arc. She only took a few shots from out there during the game, but finally hit one in the fourth quarter to cross that off her basketball bucket list.
“Being able to shoot from the NBA 3-point line was something really cool, being able to score from there,” she said. “It bounced off the rim a couple times and then went in, but it felt really cool to be able to make it from there.”
“I thought it was a great opportunity for them to have that experience,” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “I’m really happy for them.”
Ausland had hit 37 3s this season, 77 in her two seasons at Pennsville and 139 in her career from the high school line, but when you get the chance to shoot on an NBA floor, that line is a challenge no one could resist. The extra four feet from the NBA line, when the shots started going in, made her feel a little like Caitlin Clark, a little like Steph Curry.
Shooting into the abyss that would be filled with fans watching the Sixers lose to Toronto later that evening, many of the Eagles’ shots from behind the arc during warmups hit nothing but … air. Undeterred, Ausland hit three of the next five attempts – all from the wing. She also made a layup and finished with 11 points.
“I got the hang of it,” she said. “Just being able to make those shots is what I’ll remember.”
That’s what Merritt was hoping they’d all remember, the experience of the day. All 11 Eagles who made the trip got in the game and can say they held court in an NBA arena. And they all got shots up.
“That was the whole thing,” he said. “Prior to the start of the game I called them all together, they were trying to acclimated to the depth perception, so I said, ‘Look, you know how I feel about competition and my desire to win – I don’t like not winning — but today, when are we ever going to get an opportunity to play basketball on an NBA court, when am I going to get a chance to coach on an NBA court, we’re just here to have some fun.
“Our position in the division is set. As far as the tournaments are concerned, that’s already locked, too. So, there’s nothing to be gained by winning this game so let’s just go out and have fun. Go out and enjoy yourself.”
It was a quick game and had to be. The teams had an hour to play while workers set up for the NBA game that followed and they didn’t have all the customary amenities that come with a regular game. It may have been a rushed experience, but one they wouldn’t trade for anything.
“It was really cool,” Ausland said. “Just thinking about the fact that all these famous players like Kobe (Bryant), people I looked up to, were playing on the same court I just played on was really cool.”
Pennsville’s Nora Ausland (10) and Jaida Burns (15) come across the center logo during the Eagles’ game with Clayton in the Wells Fargo Center. Top photo, Taylor Bass goes up for the opening tip to get the once-in-a-lifetime adventure started. (Submitted photos)
Relishing the life of the underdog, Schalick wrestlers knock off top-seed Audubon to reach Wednesday’s SJ Group I team finals
WRESTLING SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1 TOURNAMENT Quarterfinals At Audubon Audubon 45, Pitman 24 Schalick 44, Haddon Twp. 36 Semifinals Schalick 36, Audubon 31 At Paulsboro Woodstown 61, Pennsville 16 Paulsboro 62, Palmyra 15 Semifinals Paulsboro 38, Woodstown 37 SJ Group I Championship Wednesday at Paulsboro Schalick at Paulsboro
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
AUDUBON – Riley Papiano has never felt so happy to be dropped on his head before.
Papiano painfully won his match at 157 in the South Jersey Group 1 wrestling semifinals Monday night when Audubon’s Pedro Marte was disqualified for slamming the Schalick senior to the mat.
As much as it hurt in the moment, Papiano knew what it meant. The win clinched the Cougars’ 36-31 victory over the No. 1 seed sending them to the sectional final for the first time in school history.
“It was a great night,” Papiano said. “I think it was amazing for the team, the school, everybody.
“I don’t think anybody counted on us getting this far. All the newspapers were going against us and I think we’re just shocking the world. We’re showing everybody else wrong that we can compete at a higher level than anybody else thinks we can.”
The school-record setting win sends the once-beaten Cougars (24-1) to Paulsboro Wednesday – weather permitting – to face the perennial power Red Raiders for a spot in the state final four.
“I don’t think anyone thought we had a shot,” Schalick coach Joe Frassenei said. “Everyone was like, you don’t wrestle a good enough schedule. They weren’t afraid of the big situation. They just wrestled them like they were another opponent and went out and did a great job.
“I told my assistant it was like disbelief (when they clinched). We knew we had a shot, but then reality set in that we actually are going to the South Jersey final for the first time in school history.”
The Cougars had a lot of work to do to get there. Ricky Watt (175) and Evan Elliott (190) “really set the tone for the whole night” with a pin and decision in the first two weight classes to get them rolling.
The Green Wave (22-5) won the next four bouts to go up 20-9. The Cougars stormed back to retake the lead 24-20 on wins from E’Shion Underwood, Luke Silva and Ryan Miller, but Audubon took it right back on Tyler Perozzi’s tech fall at 138 to set up the end game.
Koen Martin (144) and Ayden Jenkins (150) won tight decisions to set up the Papiano-Marte match. If Marte won, the match would go down to the final bout. If Papiano won, it was over.
“I was more proud of the team (than his win),” said Papiano, who’s headed to Norwich (Vt.) University to play football. “It was a team win tonight, it wasn’t an individual. It wouldn’t have been a clinch if Ricky Watt didn’t pin in the first and Ayden Jenkins did get that tough match or Koen didn’t squeeze by and all these other matches, it wouldn’t have mattered.
“As a team I think we embrace (the underdog role) fully. We know no one believes in us and we know every time we win it just makes everybody else more mad.”
If the Cougars are able to pull it off Wednesday, Papiano said, “it would mean the world” to him. He also was part of the Schalick football team that played for South Jersey Group I title in the final.
“Two sectional final games in one year for me is amazing,” he said. “I’d love to win one.”
The Cougars got to Audubon by beating Haddon Twp. in the quarterfinals 44-36. They opened a 44-0 lead, then forfeited the last six weight classes.
Paulsboro got through its half of the bracket by beating Pitman 45-24 and Woodstown 38-37. Sawyer Cabanas pinned Thomas Lacy in 21 seconds at 157 to give Paulsboro a 13-point lead in the Woodstown match and the Red Raiders forfeited the last two weight classes to bring the final margin.
Woodstown took out Pennsville 61-16 in its first-round match.
SCHALICK 44, HADDON TWP. 36 165: Riley Papiano (S) tech fall over Damian Shepherd, 17-1 (3:25) 175: Ricky Watt (S) pinned Antonio Reyes, 5:57 190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Joseph Sum, 1:01 215: Gerardo Felipe (S) dec. Brennan Berger, 5-1 285: Julian Reid (S) pinned Willem Conniver, 1:49 106: Emma Cain (S) pinned Sok Hoy, 3:15 113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Jon Rodriguez, 1:05 120: E’Shion Underwood (S) won by forfeit 126: Owen Ziegler (HT) won by forfeit 132: Finn Boucher (HT) won by forfeit 138: Thomas Andrews (HT) won by forfeit 144: Brady Monoid (HT) won by forfeit 150: Justin Capri (HT) won by forfeit 157: Ryan Henry (HT) won by forfeit
SCHALICK 36, AUDUBON 31 175: Ricky Watt (S) pinned Joem Gonzalez, 5:40 190: Evan Elliott (S) dec. Gabriel McCracken, 10-3 215: David Borodziuk (A) tech fall over Gerardo Felipe, 19-4 (4:55) 285: Jonah Jordan (A) dec. Julian Reid, 8-1 106: Jason Ortiz (A) pinned Emma Cain, 0:41 113: Rocco Monteferrante (A) pinned Caleb Jenkins, 0:37 120: E’Shion Underwood (S) pinned Nicholas Sassany, 1:26 126: Luke Silva (S) dec. R.J. Bauman, 9-4 132: Ryan Miller (S) pinned Brayden Ervin, 1:11 138: Tyler Perozzi (A) tech fall over Collin Bittle, 22-6 (4:27) 144: Koen Martin (S) dec. Andean Leahan, 11-9 150: Ayden Jenkins (S) dec. James McSweeney, 4-2 157: Riley Papiano (S) over Pedro Marte, DQ 165: Giovanni Patti (A) won by forfeit.
WOODSTOWN 61, PENNSVILLE 16 175: Greyson Hyland (WO) pinned Joseph Halstead, 1:28 190: Paul Banff (WO) dec. Connor Ayars, 4-0 215: Walter Carter (WO) won by forfeit 285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Trevor Waddington, 0:09 106: Brett Land (P) pinned Hunter Allen, 3:35 113: Luke Woronicak (WO) pinned Erick Davalos, 3:39 120: Carson Bradway (WO) pinned Mehki Dicks, 2:10 126: Travis Balback (WO) maj. dec. Christopher Daniels, 11-2 132: Alex Torres (WO) pinned Nathaniel Mason, 4:44 138: Gave Supernavage (P) maj. dec. Louie Scholl, 10-1 144: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Angel Hernandez, 1:50 150: Brett Rowand (WO) won by forfeit 157: Thomas Lacy (WO) pinned Juan Velasquez, 1:43 165: Laitton Roberts (WO) won by forfeit
PAULSBORO 38, WOODSTOWN 37 190: Paul Banff (WO) pinned Evan Holloway, 1:37 215: Walter Carter (WO) dec. Frank Damming, 7-1 285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Jared Hazel, 0:48 106: Will Cruz (P) pinned Hunter Allen, 0:25 113: Antonio Chila (P) pinned Luke Woronicak, 3:16 120: Hayden Holmes (P) maj. dec. Carson Bradway, 15-4 126: Walker Battavio (WO) maj. dec. Sheena Cruz, 12-2 132: Aundre Hill (P) maj. dec. Travis Balback, 28-15 138: Julian Sosa (P) pinned Alex Torres, 3:17 144: Angel Hernandez (WO) pinned Ben Price, 3:39 150: Kyaire Harvey (P) pinned Brett Rowand, 5:27 157: Sawyer Cabanas (P) pinned Thomas Lacy, 0:21 165: Laitton Roberts (WO) won by forfeit 175: Greyson Hyland (WO) won by forfeit
GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS South: Schalick (24-1) at Paulsboro (14-7) Central: Manville (21-5) at Delaware Valley (16-3) North I: New Milford (15-1) at Kittatinny (12-10) North II: Hasbrouck Heights (19-1) at Hanover Park (14-6)
Boys Bowling
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 2 TOURNAMENT Cinnaminson 2, Salem Tech 0
Ian Jungbult rolled games of 202 and 232 to lead Cinnaminson to sweep. Aaron Dean rolled the high game (177) and high series (327) for the Chargers.
Swimming
NJSIAA GROUP C SECTIONALS Semifinals Seneca 91, Woodstown 79
Track
SJTCA MEET 18 At Ocean Breeze Complex, Staten Island
Salem’s Anthony Parker and Pennsville’s Megan Morris both scored top three finishes. Parker finished second in the 55 hurdles (7.61), while Morris was T-3 in the girls pole vault with Rancocas Valley’s Milena Too (9-6). Salem’s Ava Rodgers was eighth in the girls shot put (31-5.5).
Here are the official Tri-County Conference Tournament pairings; first-round games are Feb. 18, semifinals Feb. 20, finals Feb. 21 or 22; records as of Feb. 9
BOYS BRACKET Flight A (8) Deptford Twp. (11-8) at (1) Overbrook (18-3) (5) Delsea (13-8) at (4) Pitman (14-4) (6) Woodstown (12-7) at (3) Timber Creek (11-7) (7) Penns Grove (10-9) at (2) Kingsway (17-4) Flight B (8) Salem (9-11) at (1) Washington Twp. (7-14) (5) Clearview (9-13) at (4) Gloucester Catholic (9-12) (6) Glassboro (7-12) at (3) Triton (8-12) (7) Highland (7-13) at (2) Williamstown (7-14) Flight C (1) Clayton (9-12) bye (5) Cumberland (5-17) at (4) Schalick (6-15) (6) Pennsville (2-19) at (3) Wildwood (6-13) (7) Salem Tech (0-19) at (2) GCIT (9-12)
GIRLS BRACKET Flight A (8) Timber Creek (12-9) at (1) Gloucester Catholic (17-4) (5) GCIT (12-6) at (4) Wildwood (15-4) (6) Clearview (10-10) at (3) Woodstown (14-5) (7) Pennsville (15-6) at (2) Washington Twp. (13-6) Flight B (8) Cumberland (9-11) at (1) Williamstown (10-12) (5) Glassboro (9-11) at (4) Triton (14-8) (6) Kingsway (9-12) at (3) Penns Grove (9-9) (7) Delsea (8-14) at (2) Clayton (13-6) Flight C (1) Deptford Twp. (7-11) (5) Salem (1-16) at (4) Schalick (4-14) (6) Salem Tech (2-17) at (3) Overbrook (5-16) (7) Highland (1-18) at (2) Pitman (5-13)
Here are the statistical leaders from the Salem County high school basketball season through Feb. 8; minimum 50 percent of team’s games played needed to qualify
NOTE: The statistics are based on the consistency of reporting to the statewide reporting service. Players who do not score in games may not always be included in those nightly results and some teams do not report complete box scores or statistics.
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Feb. 10-15; all events 5:30 p.m. unless noted, watch the weather
FEB. 10 GIRLS BASKETBALL Schalick at Winslow, 3:45 p.m. Penns Grove at Pennsville, 4 p.m. Salem at LEAP, 4 p.m. BOYS BASKETBALL Pennsville at Triton Pitman at Penns Grove Salem at Winslow, 5:15 p.m. Schalick at Wildwood Woodstown at Mastery Charter BOYS BOWLING South Jersey Group 2 Tournament At Laurel Lanes Salem Tech vs. Cinnaminson, 3:45 p.m. TRACK Pennsville, Salem at Ocean Breeze, Staten Island SWIMMING NJSIAA Sectionals Woodstown vs. Seneca at Camden County Tech, 4:45 p.m. WRESTLING South Jersey Group I Tournament Quarterfinals At Audubon Pitman at Audubon Haddon Twp. vs. Schalick At Paulsboro Woodstown vs. Pennsville Palmyra at Paulsboro, 6 p.m. Semifinals At Audubon, 7 p.m. At Paulsboro, 7:30 p.m. FEB. 11 GIRLS BASKETBALL Gloucester Catholic at Salem, 4 p.m. Pennsville vs. Clayton at Wells Fargo Center, 2:30 p.m. Salem Tech at Pitman Woodstown at Schalick BOYS BASKETBALL Pennsville at Penns Grove Salem Tech at Pitman, 7 p.m. Salem at Gloucester Catholic, 7 p.m. Schalick at Woodstown GIRLS BOWLING South Jersey Group I Tournament At Thunderbowl, Wrightstown Salem vs. New Egypt, 3 p.m. At Wood Lanes, Woodstown Salem Tech vs. Point Pleasant Boro, 3:45 p.m. WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL Salem CC at Mercer CC, 5 p.m.
FEB. 12 GIRLS BASKETBALL Clearview at Penns Grove, 4 p.m. WRESTLING Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 6 p.m. Manchester Twp. at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m. South Jersey Group I Team Finals
FEB. 13 GIRLS BASKETBALL Pennsville at Pitman Penns Grove at Salem, 4 p.m. LEAP Academy at Schalick, 7 p.m. Woodstown at Salem Tech BOYS BASKETBALL Salem at Penns Grove Salem Tech at Woodstown Schalick at Pennsauken Tech GIRLS BOWLING South Jersey Group I Tournament Salem Tech-PP Boro winner vs. Salem-New Egypt winner BOYS BOWLING South Jersey Group I Tournament At Ocean Lanes, Lakewood Salem vs. Donovan Catholic, 3 p.m. South Jersey Group 2 Tournament Salem Tech-Cinnaminson winner vs. Gloucester FEB. 14 GIRLS BASKETBALL Triton at Schalick BOYS BASKETBALL Salem Tech at Camden Academy Charter WRESTLING Schalick, Burlington Twp., Maple Shade at Cherry Hill West, 4 p.m. FEB. 15 WRESTLING Pennsville, Barnegat, Cherokee at Notre Dame, 9 a.m. Penns Grove, Rancocas Valley, Sterling at Highland, 9 a.m. Central Regional, Delran, Haddon Heights at Woodstown, 10 a.m. TRACK NJSIAA Sectionals at Bennett Center, 9 a.m. MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL Salem CC at Sussex County CC, 2 p.m. WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL Salem CC at Lackawanna, 1 p.m.
Pennsville senior gets back in the game on Senior Night, Bass has big game, Wood moves closer to 1,000; includes all the scores and highlights from Thursday night’s Salem County high school basketball games
GIRLS GAMES
BOYS GAMES
Pennsville 60, Schalick 21
Schalick 73, Pennsville 57
Glassboro 33, Penns Grove 31
Penns Grove 58, Glassboro 54
Clayton 76, Salem 22
Salem 102, Clayton 66
Woodstown 63, Overbrook 7
Overbrook 74, Woodstown 55
Wildwood 71, Salem Tech 15
Wildwood 85, Salem Tech 31
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – It’s days like these that make Senior Nights something special.
MACALINO
When Pennsville’s Anikka Macalino tore the ACL in her left knee in the opening minutes of last year’s holiday tournament game against Buena, she didn’t expect to play basketball ever again. If she ever had a chance of coming back at all, she hoped it would be for Senior Night.
Well, not only did she play on Senior Night Thursday, she started (as is customary) and scored the first points of the game in the Eagles’ 60-21 victory over Schalick.
“It meant a lot because I haven’t played in about a year,” Macalino said. “I played JV earlier and my knee just gave up on me. I went into the room and started to cry, but I refused to give up on basketball so I came out and tried again.
“It’s a good feeling scoring the first points of the game.”
And it wasn’t some gift basket to make a player who’d been out all season feel good, either. The Eagles won the opening tip, got it to Macolino and she attacked the basket for a layup. She hit a deep 3-pointer in the third quarter as well.
“To see them go out there and be successful on their night is really kind of cool,” Eagles coach Steve Merritt said.
The game was quietly billed as the night Marley Wood would go over 1,000 career points, but Taylor Bass stole the show.
Bass stood out in the left corner all night and drained a career-best six 3-pointers on the way to a career-high 29 points. The junior hadn’t hit more than three 3s in any game previously in her career, but she was 6-for-7 from beyond the arc against the Cougars.
“I’ve never shot like that before in my life,” she said. “You have those days where you hit them and other days when you don’t. Today was one of those days they went in. I had all those open shots so I took them.”
Wood needed 20 points coming into the game to become the second Pennsville player to reach the 1,000-point mark this season, but had only 12 – and got most of those late. It’s all set up for her to get it Friday when the Eagles host Millville in a game the Thunderbolts agreed to move to Pennsville just for the occasion.
She’s “really excited” about the prospect of joining her sister and brother in the Eagles’ 1,000-Point Club, but it didn’t really hurt her feelings not to get it Thursday.
She said she’d rather do it Friday when more friends, family and especially her AAU teammates and coaches “who are the reason I’m going to score 1,000” could be on hand to witness it. And she didn’t want to steal any thunder from the four seniors who were being honored on their special day.
That mindset was evident early on when she came down on a 2-on-1 break with a clear path to the basket, but she passed to Bass who converted the layup just the same. She had seven assists in the game.
Wood had only five points through the first three quarters, but heated up with all seven of Pennsville’s points in the fourth to get the target down to a manageable number.
“I was getting a little nervous because I only had like five points in all three quarters,” she said. “I wanted to be able to know that I was going to get it tomorrow so I was trying to get at least double digits today so I could have an easier time of it.”
WOODSTOWN 63, OVERBROOK 7: Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson, who’ve been running neck-and-neck in their race up Woodstown’s all-time scoring list, both went over the 1,500-point mark and the Woodstown defense pitched a shutout through the first half.
Battavio scored 13 points to run her career total to 1,510. Donelson scored 15 to reach 1,501. Tori Smith, Woodstown’s all-time leading girls scorer, has 1,566 total points.
GLASSBORO 33, PENNS GROVE 31: Kimora Miles gave the Bulldogs the lead for good with 3:30 to play on a length of the floor layup after fighting through traffic on the other end of the floor. Kezia Brackett extended the lead with three free throws, the last with 14.6 seconds left to make it 33-29.
Penns Grove’s RaNiyah Wilson, the game’s leading scorer, went to the line for three shots with 1.8 seconds left. She made the first two to make it a two-point game, then missed the third on purpose with hopes of a quick put-back, but Glassboro was there to secure the rebound as time expired. GLASSBORO (9-10): Sanaa Thomas 5 0-0 13, Grace Moore 0 0-0 0, Kezia Brackett 5 6-14 16, Kimora Miles 0 0-0 0, Sianna Wedderburn 2 0-0 4, Lily Czubas 0 0-2 0. Totals 12 6-16 33. PENNS GROVE (9-9): RaNiyah Wilson 6 3-8 19, Brianna Robbins 1 1-2 3, JaNiyah Cummings 1 3-6 5, Syanna Robbins 1 0-0 3, Mikayla Washington 0 1-2 1. Totals 9 8-18 31.
Glassboro
4
9
12
8-
33
Penns Grove
11
7
9
4-
31
3-point goals: Glassboro 3 (Thomas 3); Penns Grove 5 (Wilson 4, S. Robbins). Rebounds: Glassboro 31 (Wedderburn 10, Miles 7, Thomas 7).
WILDWOOD 71, SALEM TECH 15: Macie McCracken had 23 points and nine rebounds to lead the Warriors. She also had four assists and three steals. Rebecca Benichou had 11 points and five assists. Rylee Doerr had 11 rebounds for the Chargers.
CLAYTON 76, SALEM 22: Rainelle Blocker had 26 points and Ava Delaney 17 to lead the Clippers (13-5).
Boys games
SALEM 102, CLAYTON 66: You know when you schedule a game against Clayton you can figure on a lot of points behind scored.
Xavier McGriff scored a career-high 23 points, Salem placed four scorers in double figures, and broke 100 for the first time since the 2020 South Jersey Group I tournament. The Rams beat Clayton 100-75 that day.
Antwuan Rogers had a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Deshaan Williams had 14 points and six boards.
CLAYTON (9-11): Princeton Sackor 3 2-5 8, Nazir Davis 4 0-0 8, Demetris Williams 6 1-4 13, James Fritz 7 0-1 18, Jackson Venuto 3 2-2 10, Nasir Carter 4 0-0 9. Totals 27 5-12 66. SALEM (9-10): Xavier McGriff 9 0-0 23, Deshaan Williams 7 2-2 17, Neziah Spence 5 2-2 14, Kyaire Parsons 3 2-2 8, Antwan Rogers 7 0-0 14, Harlen Parsons 2 0-0 6, Joe Tunis 2 1-2 5, Azhone Burden 3 0-0 6, Giovani Talavera 0 0-0 0, Donovan Weathers 2 0-0 4, KaiSiere Muhammad 2 0-0 4, Tamir Lusby 2 0-0 5. Totals 44 7-8 102.
Clayton
15
4
28
21-
66
Salem
22
33
24
22-
102
3-point goals: Clayton 7 (Fritz 4, Venuto 2, Carter); Salem 13 (McGriff 4, Williams, Spence 2, K. Parsons 3, H. Parsons 2, Lusby). Rebounds: Salem 58 (Weathers 9, Burden 10, Rogers 14).
PENNS GROVE 58, GLASSBORO 54: B.J. Robbins hit the last of his three 3-pointers from the top of the key with 2:00 left to give Penns Grove a 56-52 lead and the Red Devils held on. Robbins finished with 14 points. Glassboro’s Xavier Sabb led all scorers with 20.
GLASSBORO (7-12): Xavier Sabb 9-2-20, Davon Barr 3-0-6, Aiden Harris 3-0-6, Kenny Smith 5-3-14, Marley Crowl 3-2-8. Totals 23-7-54. PENNS GROVE (10-9): B.J. Robbins 5-1-14, Roman Gipson 4-5-13, Antoine Robinson 1-2-4, Jameel Horace 7-1-15, Will Roy 0-0-0, Luis Colon 1-0-2, Jeremy Costacamps 1-0-2, Karon Caesar 4-0-8. Totals 23-9-58.
Glassboro
17
11
14
12-
54
Penns Grove
14
15
16
11-
58
3-point goals: Glassboro 1 (Smith); Penns Grove 3 (Robbins 3).
SCHALICK 73, PENNSVILLE 57: Reggie Allen torched Pennsville for the second time this season, going for 26 points. The senior set his career high with 27 against the Eagles in mid-January. Nylan Sutton (14) and Zaeshawn Mills (11) also scored in double figures for the Cougars. Jovanni Rios led Pennsville with 25 points. Mason O’Brien had 18.
WILDWOOD 85, SALEM TECH 31: Brian Cunniff hit 11-of-14 free throws to highlight a 26-point game to help the Warriors snap a four-game losing streak. SALEM TECH (0-19): Larry Pompper 12, Ayden Myers 7, Chase Pompper 4, Joseph Hayes 4, Aiden Bobo 4. WILDWOOD (6-12): Brian Cunniff 25, Nolan Mawhinney 14, Jeff Knight 9, Jordan Dozier 8, Vinny Sweeney 5, Daniel Benichou 5, Trevor Troiano 7, Era Jordan 4, R.J. Blanda 3, Justice Santiago 2, Sammy Santiago 3, Jack Fullerton 2.
Salem Tech
11
3
3
14-
31
Wildwood
18
31
17
19-
85
3-point goals: Wildwood 2 (Mawhinney 2).
OVERBROOK 74, WOODSTOWN 55: Lamar Little scored 34 points, Zair Green had 23 and together they helped turn back Woodstown scorers in double figures. Little’s night was powered by seven 3-pointers.
OVERBROOK (18-2): Lamar Little 12 3-3 34, Zair Green 6 9-11 23, Bilal Robinson 1 0-0 3, JR Stanley 2 0-0 4, Elvin Santiago 1 1-2 3, Xavier Wright 2 0-0 4, Jaden St. John 1 0-0 2, Jayden Wilkerson 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 13-16 74. WOODSTOWN (12-6): Eli Caesar 1 0-0 2, Garrett Leyman 1 1-2 4, Rocco String 4 8-12 16, Blake Bialecki 5 1-3 12, Alejandro Vazquez 5 1-1 14, M.J. Hall 5 0-1 11. Totals 21 3-16 55.
Woodstown girls regain the lead in Diamond Division after turning back Pennsville, Battavio, Donelson closing in on 1,500 points, Eagles’ Wood nearing 1,000
TUESDAY’S GAMES Woodstown 59, Pennsville 47 Glassboro 52, Schalick 22 Clayton 66, Salem Tech 12 Penns Grove 64, Overbrook 19 Pitman at Salem
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – The Woodstown girls basketball team hasn’t had a five-year stranglehold on the TCC Diamond Division by folding under the pressure of a challenge.
The Wolverines faced the sternest late-season challenge to their diamond dynasty Tuesday night, but they never flinched and turned back upstart Pennsville 59-47.
The teams entered the game tied for the Diamond Division lead. Had the Wolverines fallen, it not only would have ended their 34-game Salem County winning streak, it may also have ended their run of four straight division titles.
Now, they’ve won 35 straight against in-county opponents and are on the verge of a fifth straight Diamond Division crown having only the two weakest teams left to play on their divisional schedule.
“At the beginning of the season we set a list of goals and obviously one of those goals was to win the division,” said Woodstown coach Matt Smart, the newest gatekeeper of the dynasty. “It’s something we will never take for granted, especially with this group of girls.
“They come out in games like today, they had a different look on their face. You could tell that we had three days off and they kind of got re-energized, refocused. Basketball is a long season and I think those three days off helped us a lot and you could tell the girls were extremely focused. When we play together like that, we’re just phenomenal.”
The Wolverines trailed only once in the game, at 7-5. From there they went on a 13-2 run to the end of the quarter, capped by Ryann Foote’s bucket at the buzzer, to take control. Foote only regained her eligibility in January after transferring from Salem – where she played for current Pennsville coach Steve Merritt as a freshman – and has brought additional quality to an already stacked line-up.
She had her Woodstown best eight points in the game and pulled down seven rebounds. She called getting the win against a former teammate and coach “put the cherry on top” of the day.
“I was excited because we really needed a win,” Foote said. “We obviously knew we really had to show up and do good, but we didn’t really let that get in our heads. We just knew we had to play our game and work as a team and a family to get it done.”
The Wolverines were led by Talia Battavio (18) and Megan Donelson (13). Battavio hit four 3-pointers and moved within three points of 1,500 for her career. Donelson needs 14 to reach that milestone.
Meanwhile, a big part of the Wolverines’ success came from eliminating one of the Eagles’ three main scorers. Taylor Bass had 18 points and Marley Wood had 15 (to move within 20 points of 1,000), to basically play Battavio and Donelson to a scoring stalemate, but the Wolverines held 1,000-point scorer Nora Ausland scoreless for the second time this season and got modest contributions from their supporting cast..
The Eagles won the last time Ausland was shut out, but that wasn’t the case this time.
“Just watching film on them from our previous game we kind of made a few adjustments and I’ll be honest Meg Donelson came up to me on Monday and said I want to try to guard her,” Smart said. “Whenever Meg comes up to me like that and she has a look on her that’s like we’re doing this (it’s happening).
“She is a phenomenal defender. She always has the hardest assignment every game. She has to output us for offense and stop the girl on defense and she’s always up for the challenge.”
Had Pennsville won the game, the Eagles would have been in good position to win a division title for the first time since 1988. They’d have held a one-game lead on Woodstown with division games left with only Penns Grove and Schalick.
It’s unlikely the Wolverines will lose one of their two remaining division games that would have given the Eagles the chance to climb back into a share for the title.
“I told them 18 games ago, when I pointed that out to you it would have been nice (to get), but I didn’t realize how good you could be,” Merritt said. “I discovered. I learned. Today was a big step. We were there. Nobody expected us to be there, but here we are. I’m proud of them. Of course, I’m disappointed, but I’m proud of them. We hung in there.”
Woodstown’s White has breakout game at Pennsville, includes scores and stats from Tuesday’s high school boys basketball games involving teams from Salem County
TUESDAY’S GAMES Pitman 61, Salem 58 Woodstown 68, Pennsville 30 Overbrook 58, Penns Grove 43 Glassboro 72, Schalick 45 Clayton 126, Salem Tech 62
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Woodstown coach Ramon Roots’ focus was clearly on the present Tuesday night, but he also got a pretty good glimpse of the future.
The Wolverines had their way with Pennsville in a 68-30 win. It was the kind of game that gave them a chance to do a lot of things, play a lot of different people.
Impressed by his play in a weekend loss to Bridgeton last time out, Roots gave Andrew White his most appreciable minutes of the season and the freshman didn’t disappoint.
White scored a career-high nine points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot.
“At the beginning of the year, like at practice and stuff, you would see glimpses of what he can be,” Roots said. “He’s going to be a big piece of the program in the future. He just got kind of lost in the rotation a little bit, but he’s always been that type of player.
“Then in the Bridgeton game I just happened to try something. He only had like a 2-3 minute stint, but in the first couple possessions he got back-to-back rebounds and he got a putback. I’ve just been impressed at what he’s been doing in practice and the JV level. He’s been working his way up and he’s going to keep on adding minutes.”
White did most of his damage in the second half. He scored eight points in a 32-point third quarter that left the Wolverines with a 37-point lead.
“This means a lot,” he said. “It shows on the varsity level that I can do it.”
As White spoke one of his teammates draped the Wolverine medallion indicative of the game’s MVP around his neck.
“This means everything,” he said. “I worked my butt off to get the chain.”
The big third quarter was the Wolverines’ first 30-point quarter of the season and more than doubled their point production for the game. They opened the half with four straight 3-pointers, two by Alejandro Vazquez and one each from Garrett Leyman and Eli Caesar. The Wolverines hit seven in the game.
Six different players scored in the third quarter, nine players scored in the game.
“Our tempo in the first half was slow,” Roots said. “I was telling the guys before the game let’s pass the ball inside. I think they thought I meant be passive. I was explaining we had 12, 12 and then we had 30. We had more (points) there than in the first half combined.”
Among the other future leanings Roots worked into the game was getting White and fellow freshman Branden Hall on the floor at the same time and giving junior Blake Bialecki extended minutes at point guard. Hall had four points in the third quarter. Bialecki didn’t score in the game, but he dished at least a half-dozen assists in the first half, four in the first quarter.
OVERBROOK 58, PENNS GROVE 43 OVERBROOK (17-2): Lamar Little 3-0-8, Xavier Wright 4-0-8, Zair Green 6-0-12, Elvin Santiago 1-0-2, Bilal Robinson 9-0-20, J.R. Stanley 2-0-5, Jayden Wilkerson 1-0-2, Jaden St. John 0-1-1. Totals 26-1-58. PENNS GROVE (9-9): Will Roy 1-0-3, B.J. Robbins 0-0-0, Roman Gipson 5-7-17, Karon Ceaser 2-2-6, Antoine Robinson 0-0-0, Jameel Horace 8-1-17, Luis Colon 0-0-0, Jeremy Costacamps 0 0-0 0. Totals 16-10-43.
Pennsville boys lose big early lead, fall to Buena on Senior Night, girls stage big rally in fourth to get past West Deptford; Costacamps makes most of first start for Penns Grove, and more
GIRLS GAMES
BOYS GAMES
Haddon Twp. 61, Penns Grove 36
Penns Grove 76, Riverside 48
Pennsville 58, West Deptford 51
Buena 57, Pennsville 49
Schalick 37, Buena 21
GCIT 52, Salem Tech 22
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Senior Night started with such promise for the Pennsville basketball team, on the court and on the scoreboard. But in the end a winnable night turned into a game that got away.
The Eagles raced out to a 15-point lead on Buena early in the second quarter, but they couldn’t hold it. A lack of rebounding and a series of turnovers down the stretch conspired to send them to a 57-49 loss.
“Sometimes you get grapes and sometimes you get raisins,” Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky said. “Tonight we got the raisins. Tomorrow we’ll look to have grapes.”
The teams played a triple-overtime game in their first meeting, but the Eagles (2-16) came out Monday determined not to do that again. They held the Chiefs (6-12) to two points in the first quarter and led 17-2 two minutes into the second. But then Josue Cuadrado got going for Buena and the Chiefs cut their deficit in half by halftime.
“That’s a dagger,” Mecholsky said of the early lead. “17-2, you want to go ahead and put that game away when you can; credit to Buena, they stuck with it, and offensively we shut down again. 17-2, everybody thought it was a good night, let’s blow these guys out, we lost our brains. Young teams will lose their brains sometimes.”
Cuadrado’s run in the second quarter just set the stage for Jaevon Alexander in the second half. Alexander scored 22 of his 25 points in the half and made the biggest plays down the stretch.
His 3-pointer with 5:06 left in the third quarter tied the game at 26 and moments later Cuadrado’s three-point play gave the Chiefs the lead for good.
Buena led 48-46 with one minute to play, then Pennsville committed four straight turnovers off which the Chiefs scored seven points to decide the game. Alexander had three steals in the stretch. The first one he sent Cuadrado off on a layup, the last two he took in himself. Pennsville had eight turnovers in the fourth quarter.
“We got beat by the better team,” Mecholsky said. “When the chips were down we folded. None of us collectively played well tonight. I didn’t coach well, the players didn’t play well and everybody collectively in the Pennsville basketball program has to get better for each other.”
The loss spoiled a 25-point game by Pennsville’s Jovanni Rios. He had eight in the first quarter to get the Eagles going.
The game got off the chain at the end. Moments after Cuadrado beat the buzzer with a final layup, one of the referees tossed his whistle to his officiating partners at midcourt and squared up on a Pennsville assistant. The game video from above the floor clearly shows the official taking a boxer’s stance.
The other two officials moved their partner away from situation and towards the officials’ dressing area with Mecholsky chasing behind. Pennsville police and game security stepped on the floor to restore order and PMHS athletics director Jamy Thomas directed the gym to be cleared.
There appeared to be some additional activity outside the gym, but it had dispersed by the time security still inside rushed out to the scene.
PENNS GROVE 76, RIVERSIDE 48: Red Devils coach Damian Ware gave Jeremy Costacamps his first varsity start and the sophomore made the most of the opportunity.
Costacamps drew the start because the Red Devils were down in the post and he responded with 10 points.
“He’d gotten into a car accident and hurt his knee, so he’s been out a couple weeks,” Ware said. “He just came back last week and looked really good so I said let’s throw him in the starting lineup, let’s give him a chance.
“He did what he’s supposed to do. He did what I expected him to do, actually.”
Costacamps had been making his bones on the JV team, but played in one varsity game before Monday night. He scored four points in a January game against Pennsville shortly before the accident. Ware already has decided the sophomore would start again Tuesday against Overbrook.
“You play well, you play, you keep playing well, you play more,” Ware said. “It’s all about opportunities and maximizing your opportunities, and he did that tonight.”
Eleven players scored for the Red Devils (9-8). Roman Gipson led the way with 13 points. Karon Ceaser had 10 and Luis Colon tied his career high with nine.
RIVERSIDE (2-17): Isaiah Ali-Lewis 2-0-5, Cameron Brown 8-1-18, Shane Stoney 2-0-4, Andrew Weaver 2-0-6, Dan Ventura 1-0-2, Jeremiah Boston 2-0-6, Justin Porter 2-0-5, Brett Grinnam 0-2-2. Totals 19-3-48. PENNS GROVE (9-8): B.J. Robbins 2-1-6, Roman Gipson 5-1-13, Karon Ceaser 3-2-10, Antoine Robinson 0-1-0, Jameel Horace 3-2-8, Will Roy 3-0-7, Geonni Conrad 1-0-3, Luis Colon 4-1-9, Caleb Fowler 2-0-4, Mishawn Brantley 2-1-5, Jeremy Costacamps 4-2-10. Totals 29-11-76.
PENNSVILLE 58, WEST DEPTFORD 51: A steady and successful march to the foul line and a switch on defense midway through the fourth quarter powered the Eagles to their second straight win in the tuneup for their TCC Diamond Division showdown with Woodstown.
The Eagles (13-5) went 13-of-14 from the line and switched to a man defense to power a 25-9 fourth-quarter uprising that won them the game.
Pennsville trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter. Marley Wood went 7-for-7 from the line and scored 13 points in the quarter. Nora Ausland went 6-for-7 and had eight in the frame.
“They had a lead and I could see that West Deptford’s coach wanted to hold the ball; naturally, we couldn’t allow that,” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “I handed out assignments and told them to personal responsibility if their player got the ball or scored. To their credit, they stepped up.”
Wood led all scorers with 23 points and moved to within 35 of 1,000 for her career. Ausland, who went over 1,000 last week, finished with 13. Taylor Bass had 12 with two 3-pointers.
A win over the Wolverines Tuesday night would give the Eagles a split of their season series and a one-game lead in the division race.
3-point goals: Pennsville 3 (Bass 2, N. Ausland); West Deptford 4 (Jamison, Connelly, Fronza 2). Fouled out: N. Ausland, Fronza. Total fouls: Pennsville 13, West Deptford 20.
SCHALICK 37, BUENA 21: The Cougars took control of the game with a 14-4 second quarter and got more separation with an 11-2 third. The win snapped a four-game losing streak.
“We challenged the girls to be more aggressive scoring inside and they did a nice job,” Schalick coach John Whalen said. “Likewise, defensively we were aggressive and very disciplined when we decided to press in the middle two quarters.”
Freshman Navaeh Robinson led the Cougars (4-11) with nine points.
Riverview Sports News 