Category: SALEM

Rams on the run

Monday basketball: Motivated Salem outruns Clayton in second half to win; includes all 10 games involving Salem County teams

GIRLS GAMESBOYS GAMES
Clayton 62, Salem 27Salem 82, Clayton 69
Woodstown 79, Overbrook 28Overbrook 57, Woodstown 48
Pennsville 63, Schalick 20Schalick 61, Pennsville 38
Penns Grove 44, Glassboro 39Glassboro 65, Penns Grove 59
Wildwood 77, Salem Tech 23Wildwood 77, Salem Tech 32

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CLAYTON — Anthony Farmer called time out with four minutes left in the third quarter. He was looking for some leaders.

His Salem basketball team was clinging to a one-point lead in a game that really was that tight against a team capable of scoring 100 in any game it played – it already had twice against Salem County teams this year – and the coach wanted somebody to step up and take charge.

Azhone Burden answered the call. The 6-5 senior transfer, playing in only his fourth game since regaining his eligibility, had 14 points and nine rebounds in the second half to help the Rams pull away from Clayton 82-69.

“Azhone spoke up and kind of rallied the troops,” Farmer said. “He got the guys together, started getting a little more vocal once he got his head together, and I think that was kind of the turning point for us.”

The Rams led 41-40 at halftime and were up 45-44 when Farmer called his decisive time out, which, incidentally, left him with only one for the rest of the game. They went on a 18-4 run that carried into the fourth quarter and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the game.

Burden had 10 points in the third quarter, more than the Clippers did as a team, and 12 after the key time out.

“It’s just the fire coming out,” said the senior they call A-Magic. “I’ve been waiting on the bench this whole time, all the fire has been building up. It’s just coming out now.”

In his four game since satisfying his senior transfer requirement, Burden has scored 51 points and grabbed 41 rebounds with two double-doubles.

The Rams, who’d prefer playing at a pace somewhere between Clayton’s break-neck approach and the half-court game they purposely played against LEAP, held their own against the Clippers once they got adjusted to what was coming. As a result, four players enjoyed double-doubles. 

Tymear Lecator had a triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Burden finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds and came within two assists of joining Lecator with a triple-double. Deshaan Williams was big for the Rams in the first half and finished with 17 points and 12 boards. And Antwaun Rogers had 10 points and 10 boards.

The Rams were playing only hours after learning they had to forfeit four wins due to an ineligible player, a penalty that knocked them all the way to No. 17 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings. The win moved them all the way to No. 13.

Lecator wouldn’t speak on the issue preferring just to focus on playing basketball but said he did come into the game with “a real chip on my shoulder.”

“It’s in the back of our head,” Farmer said. “We know what what’s going on. We know what happened to us. It’s just a little motivation, that’s all. We take it game by game anyway, but the worst thing you can do in Group I South is give us a little motivation.”

SALEM 82, CLAYTON 69
SALEM (4-7): Donovan Weathers 1 0-2 2, Xavier McGriff 4 0-0 8, Neziah Spence 3 0-0 8, Tymear Lecator 7 0-1 16, Deshaan Williams 8 1-2 17, Antwan Rogers 5 0-0 10, Joe Tunis 2 1-2 5, Azhone Burden 8 0-0 16, Giovanni Tuvale 0 0-0 0. Totals 38 2-7 82.
CLAYTON (4-5): Jackson Venuto 1 1-2 4, Princeton Sackor 11 1-1 24, Nazir Davis 4 4-5 13, Demetris Williams 3 0-0 6, Anthony Taylor 0 0-0 0, Nasir Carter 4 1-2 11, Isaiah Aviles 0 0-0 0, Rodney Robinson 0 0-0 0, Anthony Archer 0 0-0 0, Trevor Rehm 0 0-0 0, King Mosley 0 0-0 0, James Fritz 4 1-2 11. Totals 27 8-12 69.

Salem 23181724-82
Clayton2318920-69
3-point goals: Salem 4 (Spence 2, Lecator 2); Clayton 7 (Venuto, Sackor, Davis, Carter 2, Fritz 2). Rebounds: Salem 67 (Burden 13, Williams 12, Rogers 10, Lecator 10). Total fouls: Salem 14, Clayton 12.

SCHALICK 61, PENNSVILLE 38: Reggie Allen hit four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 29 points to lead the Cougars to their third win in a row. It’s their longest winning streak since the last three games of the 2019-20 season. Allen’s previous career best was 22 his freshman year against Clayton.
SCHALICK (4-7): Reggie Allen 10 5-6 29, Nylan Sutton 6 5-8 17, Sherrod Jones 2 2-2 6, Justin Iacona 1 0-0 2, Jamari Whitley 3 2-4 8. Totals 22 14-20 62.
PENNSVILLE (1-8): Jovanni Rios 3-1-7, Cole Johnston 2-0-4, Shiloh Jefferson 3-0-6, Logan Hill 1-0-2, C.J. McDevitt 4-4-12, Daniel Knight 1-1-3, Arturus Franz 1-2-4, Perry Meranti 0-0-0. Totals 15-8-38.

Schalick 15151121-61
Pennsville78149-38
3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Allen 4). Rebounds: Pennsville 21 (Meranti 7, Rios 5).

OVERBROOK 57, WOODSTOWN 48
WOODSTOWN (5-3): Blake Bialecki 2 1-2 5, Alejandro Vazquez 4 0-0 10, Elijah Caesar 2 2-4 6, Garry Leyman 3 1-2 7, Rocco String 4 1-3 9, M.J. Hall 4 2-3 11. Totals 19 7-14 48.
OVERBROOK (10-2): Lamar Little 6 2-2 17, Xavier Wright 5 4-5 14, Zair Green 3 8-10 14, Elvin Santiago 1 0-0 2, Bilal Robinson 3 0-0 8, J.R. Stanley 1 0-0 2, Rashon Jones 0 0-0 0, Jaden St. John 0 0-0 0, Cody Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 14-17 57.
Woodstown 922413-48
Overbrook12111816-58
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Vazquez 2, M. Hall); Overbrook 5 (Little 3, Robinson 2).

GLASSBORO 65, PENNS GROVE 59
PENNS GROVE (2-7): Brandin Robbins 5, Roman Gipson 18, Karon Ceaser 15, Antoine Robinson 1, Haneef Frisbee 10, Jameel Horace 6, William Roy 4.
GLASSBORO (4-6): Xavier Sabb 12, Kenny Smith 28, Tashean Thomas 2, Davon Barr 4, Maurice Davis 5, Aiden Harris 14.

Penns Grove 16131416-59
Glassboro17161319-65

WILDWOOD 77, SALEM TECH 32
WILDWOOD (3-6): Brian Cunniff 15 5-6 40, Nolan Mawhinney 5 3-5 14, Trevor Troiano 3 0-0 8, Jordan Dozier 0 1-2 1, Jack Fullerton 1 0-0 2, R.J. Blanda 1 0-0 2, Gianni Troiano 1 0-0 2, Daniel Benichou 0 0-0 0, Sammy Santiago 1 4-5 6, Jeff Knight 1 0-0 2, Justice Santiago 0 0-2 0. Totals 28 13-20 77.
SALEM TECH (0-10): Ayden Myers 2 0-0 5, Joseph Hayes 1 0-0 3, Luke Kroll 3 0-0 8, Larry Pompper 1 0-0 2, Logan Pace 1 2-2 4, Chase Ayars 1 0-0 2, Chase Pompper 1 0-0 2, Aiden Bobo 2 0-0 5, Alex Thomas 0 0-2 0. Totals 12 2-4 29.

Wildwood 14152325-77
Salem Tech501212-32
3-point goals: Wildwood 8 (Cunniff 5, Mawhinney, Troiano 2); Salem Tech 5 (Myers, Hayes, Kroll 2, Bobo).

Girls Games

PENNSVILLE 63, SCHALICK 20: Nora Ausland returned to the lineup after a brief illness and posted a double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) to lead the Eagles to their fifth straight win. The game moved Ausland over 900 points on her way to the 1,000-point plateau. Marley Wood, who’s also chasing the 1,000-point milestone, had 16 points and Taylor Bass had 15 points and eight steals.

PENNSVILLE (6-2): Marley Wood 6 2-6 16, Taylor Bass 4 4-4 15, Izzy Saulin 0 2-2 2, Nora Ausland 9 0-0 21, Jaida Burns 1 0-0 2, Addison Johnston 2 0-0 6, Calli Ausland 0 1-2 1, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Kylie Weist 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 9-14 63.
SCHALICK (2-5): Abby Willoughby 1 0-0 3, Cali Fisler 1 0-2 2, Naveah Robinson 2 0-0 6, Ava Scurry 1 0-0 2, Willow Davis 2 0-0 5, Emily Miller 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 2-2 2, Emma O’Neill 0 0-0 0, Carly Vicente 0 0-0 0, Olivia Vanacker 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 2-4 20.

Pennsville 17121420-63
Schalick07112-20
3-point goals: Pennsville 10 (Wood 2, Bass 3, N. Ausland 3, Johnston 2); Schalick 4 (Willoughby, Robinson 2, Davis). Total fouls: Pennsville 6, Schalick 11.

PENNS GROVE 44, GLASSBORO 39: RaNiyah Wilson scored 21 points and the Red Devils won the fourth quarter 16-11 to win the game.

“They played great in the fourth quarter — poised, together on both ends of the floor,” Penns Grove coach Jennifer Denby said. “I saluted them as a team today. The coaches are proud of them.”

PENNS GROVE (6-2): RaNiyah Wilson 9 1-2 21, Brianna Robbins 3 0-0 7, JaNiyah Cummings 4 5-9 13, Mikayla Washington 0 1-4 1, Keziah Patterson 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 7-15 44.
GLASSBORO (4-5): Sanaa Thomas 4 3-4 14, Tamia Smith 3 2-4 10, Kezia Brackett 1 3-4 5, Kimora Miles 1 1-2 3, Sianna Wedderburn 0 2-2 2, Lily Czubas 2 0-0 5. Totals 11 11-16 39.

Penns Grove 515816-44
Glassboro6101211-39
3-point goals: Penns Grove 3 (Wilson 2, Robbins); Glassboro 6 (Thomas 3, Smith 2, Czubas).

WILDWOOD 77, SALEM TECH 23
SALEM TECH (2-6): Shelby Drummond 0 0-0 0, Kaylin Beardsley 2 0-0 5, Shelby Liber 3 0-0 6, Lavae Scott 1 0-0 2, Evening Amedee 2 0-0 4, Payton Fitzpatrick 3 0-0 6. Totals 11 0-0 23.
WILDWOOD (7-1): Macie McCracken 8 4-4 26, Angela Wilber 7 0-0 16, Rebecca Benichou 6 0-0 14, Cydnee Kilian 0 0-0 0, Kiana D’Antuono 1 0-0 3, Addison Troiano 3 0-0 6, Lily Atkinson 1 0-0 3, Talia Fathi 1 0-0 3, Julia Ennis 1 1-2 4, Janet Gonzalez 1 0-0 2. Totals 32 5-6 77.

Salem Tech5648-23
Wildwood 2328206-77
3-point goals: Salem Tech 4 (Beardsley, Fitzpatrick 3); Wildwood 10 (McCracken 2, Wilber 2, Benichou 2, D’Antuono, Atkinson, Fathi, Ennis). Rebounds: Wildwood 35 (Troiano 10, McCracken 7).

WOODSTOWN 79, OVERBROOK 28: Megan Donelson scored 13 points and Kendall Young and Lauren Hengel scored 11 points apiece to lead the Wolverines. For Young, a sophomore, it was a career high and came all in the second half. Hengel, a junior, grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for her first career double-double.

“Kendall has worked her butt off this season,” Woodstown coach Matt Smart said. “She has a high basketball IQ and watches a ton or film. Whenever I have to call on her she seems ready.

“My favorite part of Lauren’s game today wasn’t the scoring, it was the 14 rebounds. She’s a tough kid who will run through a brick wall if you asked her to do so. When she’s confident with the basketball she is dangerous.”

OVERBROOK (1-9): Leslies Rosario 1 0-0 3, Jael Pressley 5 3-7 13, Lelani Knight 1 2-2 4, Ahlani White 1 0-0 2, Kayla Reynolds 1 1-2 3, Lily LaFountain 0 0-0 0, Taija Wiggins 0 0-2 0, Rosetta Loibman 1 0-0 3. Totals 10 6-13 28.
WOODSTOWN (8-2): Megan Donelson 5-9 2-2 13, Talia Battavio 3-10 3-4 9, Gianna Maiorini 3-5 2-2 8, Lauren Hengel 4-7 3-5 11, Kyia Leyman 1-6 1-4 3, Emma Perry 2-2 0-0 4, Ryann Foote 1-4 3-6 5, Kendall Young 5-10 0-0 11, Jala Thomas 4-4 1-2 9, Talia Guardascione 1-2 0-0 2, Lizzy Daly 0-1 0-0 0, Brynley Ecret 0-1 0-0 0, Mia Waterman 0-0 0-0 0, Kailyn Kennedy 1-2 0-0 2, Ava White 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-64 15-25 79.
Overbrook74512-28
Woodstown16281520-79
3-point goals: Overbrook 2 (Rosario, Loibman); Woodstown 2-18 (Donelson 1-4, Young 1-4, Battavio 0-4, Hengel 0-3, Kennedy 0-1, Foote 0-2). Rebounds: Woodstown 47 (Hengel 14, Donelson 8, Daly 6). Total fouls: Overbrook 16, Woodstown 9. Officials: McGaffeny, Brown.


Active scorers watch

SALEM COUNTY SCORING LIST TODAYPOINTS
Talia Battavio, Woodstown 91371
Megan Donelson, Woodstown131340
1000-POINT WATCH
Nora Ausland, Pennsville
(Salem 462/Pennsville 448)		21910
Marley Wood, Pennsville16827
RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove
(Kingsway 251/PG 573)		21824

Through games of Jan. 13

Salem sanctioned

Ineligible player forces Salem to forfeit four victories, record drops to 3-7 but Rams remain eligible for the playoffs

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – The Salem boys basketball program learned earlier today it would have to forfeit four pre-2025 wins because of an ineligible player.

The Rams were informed of the penalty by the NJSIAA after it was ruled junior Darrelle Johnson was in violation of the student transfer rule.

“They said there was inaccurate information on (Johnson) coming from his technical school, so the state gave us the wrong information back and we played him and lost four games,” Rams coach Anthony Farmer said. “It’s a huge shock because it seemed like an error on their end because we only did what the state allowed us to do and they approved him.”

Johnson played for Vineland as a freshman enrolled at Cumberland Tech, which does not offer basketball, and played for Millville last year before transferring to Salem to join his cousin, Rams’ leading scorer Tymear Lecator.

Students who attend tech schools that do not offer a particular sport can play that sport at their home district public school. They cannot play at the public school if their tech school sponsors the sport.

Senior transfers are required to sit out the lesser of 22 days from the first game or 1/3 the maximum number of games to regain their eligibility. Underclassmen transfers don’t have that requirement, but all student-athletes who transfer to a second school must sit out the lesser of 30 days or half the maximum number of games, but Johnson didn’t do that.

The Rams say they were only working with information they were given.

“When I put him in the portal I just put the school of record, which was Cumberland County Tech, not realizing they didn’t have sports and he played at Millville,” Salem athletics director Darryl Roberts said. “I didn’t have any idea Cumberland County Tech didn’t have sport because of my experience most of the tech schools we deal with right now have sports and I didn’t know anything about Cumberland County Tech.

“So I was unaware he played elsewhere, so when I put him in the portal I sent the information to Cumberland County Tech. It’s not really their responsibility to let you know if he played somewhere else.”

Roberts attempted to plead their case further Monday, but was told by state officials there was no further appeal.

The Rams were forced to forfeit their first two wins against Woodbury and Woodstown that opened the season and their two wins at the Boardwalk Classic over Oakcrest and Millville. They now have a record of 3-7 and are No. 17 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings.

Johnson, a 6-3 junior guard, had 11 points and five rebounds against Woodbury, six points and 10 rebounds against Woodstown and 12 points, 10 boards and five assists against Oakcrest. He played six minutes against Millville without scoring. He had scored in six of the Rams’ 10 games, averaging 6.5 points and 7.2 rebounds.

The Rams were made aware of an issue after playing Millville.

They remain eligible for the playoffs and Johnson will be eligible to return Feb. 8.

“It’s nothing we tried to do because we had five transfers,” Farmer said. “We played the ones we could play. We followed all the rules with everything, it’s just the technical school didn’t clear him and we ended up getting jammed up.

“Now we’re going to be a nightmare for somebody at an 11 or 12 spot (in the seedings). Wherever we end up at, we’re just going to be a nightmare for Group I.”

The sanction also put a dent in Farmer’s record. With the adjustment, he now needs 12 more victories to reach 100 for his coaching career.

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Jan. 13-18

JAN. 13
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Clayton at Salem
Overbrook at Woodstown
Pennsville at Schalick
Penns Grove at Glassboro, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Wildwood
BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at Glassboro
Salem at Clayton
Schalick at Pennsville
Wildwood at Salem Tech
Woodstown at Overbrook
SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. Schalick at Vineland YMCA, 3:15 p.m.
TRACK
Pennsville, Woodstown at Ocean Breeze, Staten Island

JAN. 14
WRESTLING
Cumberland at Penns Grove
Pennsville at Pitman, 6:30 p.m.
Salem at Cedar Creek
Schalick at St. Joe (Hamm.)
BOWLING
Salem vs. Gloucester City at Wood Lanes
Salem Tech vs. Clayton
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Cumberland, 5 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Harcum at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

JAN. 15
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Pitman at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
Salem at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Woodstown
BOYS BASKETBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Salem, 7 p.m.
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Pitman at Salem Tech
Woodstown at Schalick
BOWLING
Salem vs. West Deptford, Bolero Deptford Lanes
Salem Tech vs. Gloucester City at Westbrook Lanes
SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. Haddon Heights at Camden County Tech
WRESTLING
Woodstown at Middle Twp.

JAN. 16
WRESTLING
Clayton at Penns Grove
Pennsville at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Timber Creek at Woodstown, 6 p.m.
SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. Gloucester Catholic at GCIT, 5:45 p.m.
Schalick vs. Pitman at GCIT, 7:15 p.m.
Salem vs. Deptford at GCIT, 8:15 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem vs. Salem Tech at Wood Lanes
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Atlantic Cape, 6 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Anne Arundel CC, 5 p.m.

JAN. 17
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Camden County Tech at Salem Tech
Pennsville at Woodstown, 7 p.m.
Salem at Gloucester City
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennisville at Woodstown
Haddon Twp. at Schalick
Salem Tech at GCIT
TRACK
NJSIAA Relays, Bennett Center, Toms River

JAN. 18
BOYS BASKETBALL
Salem at Lenape, 1 p.m.
WRESTLING
Pennsville Collingswood, Sterling at Vineland
Penns Grove, Salem, Overbrook at Pitman
Deptford, Haddon Twp., Pemberton at Schalick, 9 a.m.
Buena, Haddon Heights, Pennsauken at Woodstown
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Passaic County CC at Salem CC, 2 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Essex County, noon

Locked in and loaded

‘Locked in’ senior Tunis has career night while leading deliberate Salem to a victory over LEAP; Pennsville crushed by Clayton

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Salem 48, LEAP 28
Clayton 101, Pennsville 45

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – Joe Tunis says he’s “locked in” this year and that’s really good news – for Joe Tunis and the Salem basketball team.

Tunis was on the team last season but didn’t see enough action to be productive. He changed his mindset in the offseason and is playing regularly in the rotation. Friday night the senior guard had the best game of his career in leading the Rams to a 48-28 win over LEAP Academy that snapped a two-game losing streak.

He led all scorers with 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

“I wasn’t really locked in (last year); I’m locked in now,” he said. “I realized it’s my last year, coach told me I had to lock in, so I locked in.

“I want to win. Last year, losing in the playoffs to Pitman, that hurt. I didn’t want to feel like that anymore. We’ve lost two back-to-back tough ones (this week) we should’ve won (Pitman and Glassboro). Wanted it bad. Hate losing, that’s all it is.”

Consistency has always been Tunis’ key. It wasn’t there a lot of the time last year when it came to going to practice and it impacted how much coach Anthony Farmer was going to play him. 

While some bits of Allen Iverson remain, he has gotten away from what he called that “childish mindset” and has played in eight of the Rams’ 10 games this year, producing 41 points and 28 rebounds with his most consistent production coming the last two nights.

His best game before going off against the Lions (4-5) was nine points and six rebounds against Woodstown in the second game of the year. He had eight points Thursday night at Glassboro.

“He was tremendous,” Farmer said. “We know what Joe can do, but Joe’s issue has been consistently showing up and being here. We’re better with Joe, when he’s around. We call him ‘The Junkyard Dog,’ he does a little bit of everything. Tonight, it went in for him. That’s great. Hopefully he stays hot for us.”

The Rams (7-3) needed somebody to break out because the game wasn’t played at their typical fast tempo. Farmer deliberately slowed down and it led to just an 18-12 lead at halftime.

Tunis and Donnie Weathers both drew starts because they were the spark in the stretch the Rams were at their best in an otherwise lacking performance against Glassboro. The 48 points were the fewest they’ve scored in a win since beaten Gloucester Catholic with 39 in January 2023.

“I don’t think we’ve been playing pretty good basketball,” Farmer said. “We’ve been able to squeak out seven wins now, but tonight I didn’t let them get up and down. We’ve been in the half-court a lot and we stink in the half-court. We had 18 points at the half, just running half-court offense.

“That was by design. I know in order to win the big game come March we’re going to have to settle down in the half-court and you’re going to have to run something. You can’t just rely on Ty (Lecator) to run around and jack up shots. We’ve got to get better, so that was by design.”

The second half they were a little more efficient, outscoring the Lions 30-16. Lecator (eight) and Xavier McGriff (seven) scored all of their points in the second half. Tunis had 10 in the half – seven in a 9-0 run that opened the third quarter and a 3 in the fourth.

“We thought (Tunis) could be a piece last year, but the consistency hurt him,” Farmer said. “Hopefully this helps him with some confidence and he’s feeling good about his role on the team and how important he is to the team. If he buys in he can be a really big picture for the back stretch.”

DeShaan Williams and Azhone Burden continued their strong play since the start of the new year. Williams had five points, three rebounds and blocked six shots against the Lions. Burden, a 6-4 senior transfer from Bridgeton who just became eligible this week, had seven points, 10 rebounds and five assists. 

In the three games he’s played since becoming eligible, Burden has 35 points and 28 rebounds. Williams has 58 points and 30 rebounds in his last four games.

“It’s great to have him back,” Farmer said of Burden. “He can do a multitude of things for us and he’s going to be a big piece to our success down the line. It’s been a tough stretch for him being a senior having to sit and wait, so we’re just happy to have him back and he’s excited.

“I’ve been trying to get (Williams) to come out of his shell. He’s a real quiet kid, a real humble kid, a coach’s dream, but I’ve been urging for more from him and he’s turning it on.”

SALEM 48, LEAP 28
LEAP (4-5) – Jeremiah Rodriguez 3 2-2 10, Angel Mieses 3 0-0 6, Greg Shoultz 0 3-5 3, Lashawn Clay 1 0-0 2, Isaiah Carr 0 0-2 0, Benjamin Noel 2 1-4 5, Others 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 6-13 28.
SALEM (7-3) – Donnie Weathers 1 0-0 2, Xavier McGriff 3 0-0 7, Neziah Spence 1 2-2 5, Tymear Lecator 2 4-6 8, DeShaan Williams 2 1-4 5, Harlem Parsons 0 0-0 0, Joe Tunis 4 5-5 14, Azhone Burden 3 1-2 7, Giovanni Taluve 0 0-0 0, Cole Sayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-19 48.

LEAP75106-28
Salem1171515-48
3-point goals: LEAP 2 (Rodriguez 2); Salem 3 (McGriff, Spence, Tunis). Rebounds: LEAP 28 (Noel 10); Salem 30 (Burden 10, Tunis 7). Fouled out: Shoultz. Total fouls: LEAP 16, Salem 12.
Recently eligible Azhone Burden (15) and sophomore DeShaan Williams have been consistently giving Salem big games since the start of the new year. Top photo: Joe Tunis (14) had a career game Friday night.

CLAYTON 101, PENNSVILLE 45: Princeton Sackor scored 23 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Clippers handed Pennsville (1-7) its fifth straight loss. Demetris Williams (14), Nazir Davis (12) and James Fritz (10) also scored in double figures for Clayton (4-4).

It’s the third time the Clippers have scored 100 points in a game this season and the fifth time in their last six one of the teams in the game scored 100.

Pennsville (1-7)1511109-45
Clayton (4-4)21183329-101





Smart defense

Donelson mccracks down on McCracken, Leyman big in the post and Woodstown beats Wildwood in OT; includes all of Thursday’s Salem County basketball action

GIRLS GAMESBOYS GAMES
Woodstown 49, Wildwood 46 (OT)Woodstown 66, Wildwood 47
Glassboro 64, Salem 20Glassboro 76, Salem 62
Penns Grove 47, Pitman 26Pitman at Penns Grove, ppd.
Schalick 36, Salem Tech 26Schalick 79, Salem Tech 22
Pennsville 58, Triton 49Gloucester Catholic 61, Pennsville 40

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN — How many times does it happen? You have a game with some of the most dynamic scorers in South Jersey and of course it’s defense that determines the outcome.

Woodstown’s Megan Donelson cracked down on Macie McCracken and the Wolverines gained a bit of satisfaction for last year’s last-second loss in the sectional final, beating Wildwood in overtime 49-46 Thursday night to give first-year coach Matt Smart an early signature win.

“It always comes down to defense,” Smart said. “It’s about boxing out, rebounding, defense. McCracken’s an incredible player. She’s going to get her points no matter what defense you throw on her. It’s about limiting her opportunities, playing nice good hard defense and then boxing her out and making her only get one shot instead of two or three and Megan was phenomenal. She was up to the challenge.

“That’s kind of what we always preach, play unselfish basketball. And defense, you have to be unselfish. She did a great job. Other girls did a great job switching, hedging, all the little things to try to limit her. She still played amazing. She’s an incredible basketball player and our girls just kind of took it as a personal challenge.”

Donelson was on McCracken from the time the Warriors got off the bus. She held the senior on the verge of 2,000 career points to one field goal and four points in the first half, no points in overtime and 14 points total. Meanwhile, she scored 13 points to go over the 1,300-point career mark.

“My goal was just to shut her down because I know she’s a good shooter; yeah, lock down,” Donelson said. “When coach gives me a player to man up on I just follow what he says and give it my all on that one player.”

But she wasn’t the only one who came up big in a big game. Kyia Leyman, who had been limited the last two seasons because of knee injuries, gave the Wolverines a huge game in the post, scoring 11 points and grabbing 19 rebounds — both career highs — and blocking two shots.

She had four points and eight rebounds in the first half and back-to-back three-point play opportunities in the third quarter to help the Wolverines open a nine-point lead.

“I think my mindset was just to do it for the team,” Leyman said. “It was definitely a team effort and I wanted to be there for them. I didn’t want to let them down, so I think I just tried my best — and I wanted to come back and beat a really good team. I think this was the best I’ve played, the most calm, collected I’ve played (since coming back).”

Donelson’s layup with 42 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 41. Both teams had shots in the closing seconds to win it. Donelson stole an entry pass but lost her footing driving to the basket. Gianna Maiorini collected the loose ball on the baseline but her shot was blocked by Sara Djellal. The Warriors raced back up the floor for the final shot, but McCracken’s 3 from the left side hit off the far iron and Leyman grabbed the rebound as the horn sounded.

Woodstown (6-2) jumped out front in overtime and never lost the lead. Donelson drove around the lane for the first basket and Talia Battavio, who struggled with her shot most of the game, squared up on the left elbow and buried at 3 to give the Wolverines a five-point lead. Battavio had 12 points in the game.

“That was pretty big,” Battavio said of her 3. “I feel like it got us motivated, fired up a little bit, got me fired up.”

Wildwood (6-1) had the ball for a last shot in overtime. The Warriors had it on the sideline near the scorer’s table with 1.1 seconds left and needed what seemed like a miracle 3 to tie. They had trouble pulling the trigger on the inbounds and when they did get it in the pass landed in the hands of Woodstown’s Lauren Hengel as the clock expired.

The Warriors beat Woodstown in last year’s South Jersey Group I final in a controversial finish after the home crowd rushed the floor in reaction to Wildwood’s go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds. While the game was on everyone’s mind, Smart said revenge wasn’t the motivating factor in this regular-season game.

“We’re a different team than the team last year, they’re a different team than they were last year,” Smart said. “Our message to the girls this week was this isn’t professional wrestling. We don’t beat them today and get the belt back. There’s still a lot of work to do. This is just a first step.”

But it was satisfying nonetheless.

“Leading up to this game we talked about three things in the team — being confident, being relaxed and having fun — and I think we did those three things as a program today,” Smart said. “It was a fun game.”

WOODSTOWN 49, WILDWOOD 46 (OT)
WILDWOOD (6-1) — Macie McCracken 4 4-4 14, Angela Wilber 3 3-4 10, Rebecca Benichou 3 0-0 9, Cydnee Kilian 0 0-0 0, Sarah Djellal 4 1-2 9, Addison Troiano 2 0-0 4, Lily Atkinson 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 8-10 46.
WOODSTOWN (6-2) — Talia Battavio 5-27 0-2 12, Megan Donelson 5-14 2-3 13, Gianna Maiorini 2-3 2-4 6, Lauren Hengel 2-12 2-4 7, Kyia Leyman 5-14 1-2 11, Kendall Young 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-70 7-15 49.

Wildwood11613115-46
Woodstown12611128-49
3-point goals: Wildwood 6 (McCracken 2, Wilber, Benichou 3); Woodstown 4-21 (Battavio 2-9, Donelson 1-6, Hengel 1-6). Rebounds: Wildwood 32 (McCracken 10); Woodstown 54 (Leyman 19, Hengel 12). Total fouls: Wildwood 15, Woodstown 14.
Woodstown’s Kyia Leyman (33) leaves her feet in hopes of disrupting Wildwood’s inbounds play Thursday night. On the cover, Megan Donelson forces Macie McCracken (3) to take a deep 3 in the first half.


PENNSVILLE 58, TRITON 49: The Eagles fought through illness and the absence of leading scorer Nora Ausland to rally for their fourth in a row. They were down 10 at one point in the second quarter, but rallied to get the deficit to one at halftime. Pennsville’s Taylor Bass led all scorers with a season-high 21 points. Addison Johnston had a career-high 19 points and Marley Wood had 12.

TRITON (4-3) — Melannie Noel 7 2-6 17, Kaidan Henry 5 0-0 15, Gianna Loftis 4 1-2 10, Riley Mikiewicz 2 0-0 5, Gianna Endt 1 0-0 2, Kimora Dobson 0 0-0 0, Akeera Reid-Streater 0 0-0 0. 19 3-8 49.
PENNSVILLE (5-2) — Taylor Bass 9 2-4 21, Marley Wood 4 2-4 12, Addison Johnston 6 4-7 19, Jaida Burns 1 0-0 2, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 4, Ashlyn Fredo 0 0-0 0, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-15 58.

Triton1116157-49
Pennsville14121717-58
3-point goals: Triton 8 (Noel, Henry 5, Loftis, Mikiewicz); Pennsville 6 (Bass, Wood 2, Johnston 3).

SCHALICK 36, SALEM TECH 26
SCHALICK (2-4) — Carly Vicente 2 0-0 4, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-0 0, Emily Miller 0 0-0 0, Willow Davis 1 1-2 3, Olivia Vanacker 2 0-0 4, Ava Scurry 2 1-2 5, Naveah Robinson 2 2-3 6, Cali Fisler 1 1-2 3, Abby Willoughby 4 1-2 11. Totals 14 6-11 36.
SALEM TECH (2-5) — Hannah Dewitt 0 1-2 1, Shelby Drummond 3 0-2 7, Kaylin Beardsley 1 0-0 2, Demajae White 4 2-2 10, Shelby Liber 2 0-0 6, Rylee Doerr 0 0-0 0, Evening Amedee 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 3-6 26.

Schalick116811-36
Salem Tech7676-26
3-point goals: Schalick 2 (Willoughby 2); Salem Tech 3 (Drummond, Liber 2). Rebounds: Salem Tech 43 (White 14, Doerr 9).

GLASSBORO 64, SALEM 20
GLASSBORO (4-4) — Sanaa Thomas 1 0-0 2, Tamia Smith 5 4-8 14, Grace Moore 4 1-1 9, NiJha Norzon Clark 1 0-0 3, Brackett 7 1-4 19, Kimora Miles 1 3-6 5, Sianna Wedderburn 3 2-2 8, Lily Czubas 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 11-21 64.
SALEM (0-7) — Carlysia Pierce 1 2-3 4, Nevaeh Hickman 4 2-3 12, Dakirah Gray 1 0-0 2, Amariah Frye 1 0-0 2. Totals 7 4-6 20.

Glassboro14181715-64
Salem3296-20
3-point goals: Glassboro 5 (Clark, Brackett 4); Salem 2 (Hickman 2). Rebounds: Glassboro 41 (Wedderburn 12, Miles 11). Only four Salem players reported.

Boys Games

WOODSTOWN 66, WILDWOOD 47: Rocco String came within two blocked shots of his elusive triple-double and led the Wolverines to their fourth straight victory. String had 18 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots in his fourth straight double-double and fifth of the season. The Wolverines had three other scorers in double figures — M.J. Hall (season-high 16), Alejandro Vazquez (10) and Blake Bialecki (12) — and Garrett Leyman grabbed 11 rebounds.

WOODSTOWN (4-2) — Elijah Caesar 4 1-2 9, John Hood-McGinley 1 0-0 3, Blake Bialecki 6 0-0 12, Alejandro Vazquez 4 0-0 10, M.J. Hall 6 0-0 16, Garrett Leyman 0 0-0 0, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0, Andrew White 0 0-0 0, Rocco String 9 0-0 18. Totals 30 1-2 66.
WILDWOOD (2-6) — Eric Jordan 1 0-0 2, Nolan Mawhinney 2 0-0 5, Trevor Troiano 3 0-0 9, R.J. Blanda 0 0-0 0, Vinny Sweeney 0 2-2 2, Jordan Dozier 0 0-0 0, Brian Cunniff 10 6-7 27, Sammy Santiago 1 0-0 2, Jack Fullertonn 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 8-9 47.

Woodstown18151419-66
Wildwood5121020-47
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Hood-McGinley, Vazquez 2); Wildwood 5 (Mawhinney, Troiano 3, Cunniff). Rebounds: Woodstown 47 (String 16, Leyman 11); Wildwood 21 (Dozier 5, Blands 5).

GLASSBORO 76, SALEM 62
SALEM (6-3) — Xavier McGriff 2 0-0 5, Tymear Lecator 7 4-5 15, Deshaan Williams 2 7-13 13, Darrelle Johnson 4 0-0 9, Joe Tunis 2 2-2 8, Ashore Burden 5 1-1 11, Donovan Weathers 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 14-21 62.
GLASSBORO (3-5) — Xavier Sabb 14, Kenny Smith 28, Davon Barr 6, Maurice Davis 10, Tashean Thomas 3, Alex Adeleye 2, Aiden Harris 11, Marley Crowl 2.

Salem15112016-62
Glassboro17221720-76
3-point goals: Salem 4 (McGriff, Lecator 3); Glassboro NA. Note: The Rams have lost two in a row.

SCHALICK 79, SALEM TECH 22: Reggie Allen scored 18 points, Nylan Sutton added 14 and Sherrod Jones 10 as the Cougars snapped a seven-game losing streak and kept the Chargers winless. Eleven players scored for Schalick.

SALEM TECH (0-9) — Joseph Hayes 2 1-3 6, Larry Pompper 0 1-3 1, Keidyn Robinson 1 0-0 2, Logan Pace 0 2-2 2, Krolle 1 0-0 2, Ayars 2 1-6 5, Ayden Myers 1 1-2 4. Totals 7 6-16 22.
SCHALICK (2-7) — Reggie Allen Jr. 8 1-2 18, Nylan Sutton 7 0-2 14, Jase Volovar 3 1-2 9, Sherrod Jones 5 0-0 10, Justin Iacona 1 0-0 3, Zaeshawn Mills 3 0-0 8, Jamari Whitley 1 2-4 4, Sean Kelly 2 0-0 4, Jacob Schalick 1 4-5 7, Ryan Horner 1 0-0 3, Gauge Craner 0 1-2 1. Totals 32 9-17 79.

Salem Tech5746-22
Schalick19272013-79
3-point goals: Salem Tech 2 (Hayes, Myers); Schalick 6 (Allen, Volovar 2, Iacona, Schalick, Horner).

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 61, PENNSVILLE 40
PENNSVILLE (1-6) — Jovanni Rios 6 1-3 13, Mason O’Brien 2 0-0 5, Shiloh Jefferson 1 0-0 2, Logan Hitt 1 0-0 3, Perry Meranti 1 0-0 2, Daniel Knight 1 0-0 2, C.J. McDevitt 3 1-2 8, Jacob Miller 1 0-0 2, Jacob Farina 1 0-0 3. Totals 17 2-5 40.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (4-5) — Carlos Mendez 6 2-5 15, Jack Mustaro 8 2-3 20, Jack Pund 2 0-0 4, Danny Zellner 1 2-2 4, Ben Cook 2 0-0 4, Kybron Ricks 1 0-0 3, Zack Payne 3 0-0 7, Gary Connelly 0 0-0 0, Jordan Mendez 0 0-0 0, Kimani Pyram 1 0-0 2, C.J. Mitchell 1 0-0 2, Anthony Polidoro 0 0-0 0, Andrew Ginipro 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 6-10 61.

Pennsville3131212-40
Gloucester Catholic9231415-61
3-point goals: Pennsville 4 (O’Brien, Hitt, McDevitt, Farina); GC 5 (C. Mendez, Mustaro 2, Ricks, Payne).


Active scorers watch

SALEM COUNTY SCORING LISTTODAYPOINTS
Talia Battavio, Woodstown121344
Megan Donelson, Woodstown131308
1000-POINT WATCH
Nora Ausland, Pennsville
(Salem 462/Pennsville 427)		DNP889
Marley Wood, Pennsville12811
RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove
(Kingsway 251/Penns Grove 552)		16803
Through games of Jan. 9

Salem County schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the rest of this week

JAN. 8
WRESTLING
Gloucester Catholic at Schalick
Pennsville at Penns Grove
Salem at Cumberland
Woodstown at Deptford
SWIMMING
Salem at Lower Cape May
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem, Schalick at Bennett Center, Toms River

JAN. 9
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Pitman, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Salem Tech
Triton at Pennsville
Wildwood at Woodstown
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Penns Grove
Salem at Glassboro
Salem Tech at Schalick
Woodstown at Wildwood
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Kingsway at Wood Lanes
SWIMMING
Schalick at Camden County Tech
Salem vs. Gloucester Catholic at GCIT, 8:30 p.m.
Woodstown vs. Highland at GCIT
TRACK
Penns Grove at Cherokee
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Cumberland at Salem CC, 5 p.m.

JAN. 10
BOYS BASKETBALL
LEAP at Salem
Pennsville at Clayton
WRESTLING
Collingswood at Schalick

JAN. 11
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Delsea at Woodstown, 11:30 a.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Woodstown at Camden Catholic, 11:30 a.m.
St. Joseph at Penns Grove, 1 p.m.
Schalick at Collingswood
WRESTLING
Pennsville, Oakcrest, Overbrook at Millville
Penns Grove at Deptford
Salem at Cherokee
Schalick, Cumberland, Timber Creek at Buena

Cinnaminson Duals
Round 1, 9:30 a.m.
M1: Seneca vs. Haddon Twp.
M2: Paulsboro vs. Cinnaminson
M3: Lower Cape May vs. Haddonfield
M4: Wall vs. Woodstown
Round 2, 11 a.m.
M5: Seneca-Haddon Twp winner vs. Wall-Woodstown winner
M6: Paulsboro-Cinnaminson winner vs. LCM-Haddonfield winner
M7:Seneca-Haddon Twp loser vs. Wall-Woodstown loser
M8: Paulsboro-Cinnaminson loser vs. LCM-Haddonfield loser
Round 3, 12:30 p.m.
M9: Match 5 winner vs. Match 6 winner
M10: Match 5 loser vs. Match 6 loser
M11: Match 7 winner vs. Match 8 winner
M12: Match 7 loser vs. Match 8 loser
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at RCSJ-Gloucester, noon
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Middlesex, noon

Tough Tuesday

Tuesday boys roundup: Salem, Pitman stage another epic battle; all four Salem County boys teams in action fall

BOYS GAMES
Clayton 102, Salem Tech 39
Glassboro 54, Schalick 31
Overbrook 66, Penns Grove 33
Pitman 83, Salem 77 (OT)

By Riverview Sports News

SALEM — Pitman and Salem have staged some epic battles the last two seasons and Tuesday night continued the trend.

Elijah Crispin scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Panthers over the Rams 83-77 in overtime. Crispin was 16-of-25 from the free throw line.

Salem’s Neziah Spence sent the game into overtime with one of his three 3-pointers, but Pitman outscored the Rams 10-4 in the extra period.

Tymear Lecator and Deshaan Williams led the Rams with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Lecator also had five rebounds and seven assists. Williams also had eight rebounds. Ashore Burden added 15 points.

PITMAN 83, SALEM 77
PITMAN (6-1): Hudson Rue 3 0-0 6, Elijah Crispin 11 16-25 38, Greg Petersen 3 0-0 9, Michael Fisicaro 5 2-2 16, Aidan Stranahan 5 1-2 14. Totals 27 19-29 83.
SALEM (6-2): Xavier McGriff 2 0-0 5, Neziah Spencer 3 0-0 9, Tymear Lecator 8 1-1 21, Deshaan Williams 9 2-2 20, Antwan Rogers 3 0-0 6, Joe Tunis 0 1-2 1, Azhone Burden 7 1-2 15. Totals 32 5-7 77.

Pitman1523181810-83
Salem251518154-77
3-point goals: Pitman; Salem 8 (McGriff, Spencer 3, Lecator 4). Rebounds: Pitman 31 (Rue 11, Crispin 10)

OVERBROOK 66 PENNS GROVE 33
PENNS GROVE (2-5): Brandin Robbins 1 0-0 3, Roman Gipson 0 3-4 3, Karon Ceaser 5 2-2 13, Antoine Robinson 1 1-2 3, Haneef Frisbee 1 1-2 3, Jameel Horace 1 1-2 3, Luis Colon 1 3-5 5. Totals 10 11-17 33.
OVERBROOK (7-2): Lamar Little 5 0-0 13, Xavier Wright 4 0-0 8, Elvin Santiago 0 1-2 1, Zair Green 7 1-2 17, Bilal Robinson 3 0-0 6, JR Stanley 2 0-0 6, Jaden St. John 1 0-0 2, Cody Harris 3 0-0 8, Jason Boyd 1 0-0 3, Shallom Teguia 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 2-4 66.

Penns Grove710313-33
Overbrook18161715-66
3-point goals: Penns Grove 2 (Robbins, Ceaser); Overbrook.10 (Little 3, Green 2, Stanley 2, Harris 2).

GLASSBORO 54, SCHALICK 31
GLASSBORO (2-5): Aiden Harris 2 0-0 4, Kenny Smith 7 4-4 18, Marley Crowl 2 0-0 5, Xavier Sabb 7 2-2 17, Alex Adeieye 1 0-0 2, Maurice Davis 3 2-3 8. Totals 22 8-9
SCHALICK (1-7): Reggie Allen 0 4-6 4, Nylan Sutton 5 2-6 12, Jase Volovar 0 1-4 1, Sherrod Jones 2 0-0 4, Zaeshawn Mills 1 0-0 2, Jamari Whatley 4 0-0 8Totals 12 7-16 31.

Glassboro1318914-54
Schalick6799-31
3-point goals: Glassboro 2 (Crowl, Sabb).

CLAYTON 102, SALEM TECH 39
SALEM TECH (0-8): Joseph Hayes 5 0-0 11, Larry Pompper 5 1-5 11, Charlie Brown 2 0-0 4, Alex Thomas 2 0-0 4, Krolle 2 0-0 4, Ayars 1 0-0 3. Totals 17 1-5 39-x
CLAYTON (3-3): Princeton Sackor 6 3-5 15, Nazir Davis 6 1-2 15, Demetris Williams 4 0-3 8, James Fritz 7 1-2 17, Jackson Venuto 5 3-3 13, Anthony Taylor 2 0-0 4, Nasir Carter3 0-0 7, Isaiah Aviles 1 0-0 2, Rodney Robinson 1 0-2 2, Deion Scott 1 0-0 2, Anthony Archer 1 1-2 3, Trevor Rehm 1 0-0 2, King Mosely 4 2-4 12.

Salem Tech961014-39
Clayton22361925-102
3-point goals: Salem Tech 2 (Hayes, Ayars); Clayton 7 (Davis 2, Fritz 2, Carter, Mosely 2). x-Box score doesn’t tabulate.

Less is more

Tuesday girls roundup: Penns Grove doing more with less, focusing on quality over quantity; Cummings has a career double-double

GIRLS GAMES
Clayton 72, Salem Tech 45
Glassboro 65, Schalick 15
Penns Grove 58, Overbrook 19
Pitman 48, Salem 33

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Look across the court to any bench at a high school basketball game. You’ll see a long row of chairs stretching from the scorer’s table to the end line. You won’t find an empty seat and both sides of the pre-game layup line stretches all the way to the mid-stripe.

And then you’ve got a team like the Penns Grove girls. The Red Devils have taken a minimalist approach to their game, where less is more. They played six players Tuesday and that was more than plenty to take down Overbrook 58-19.

“It tells me my kids have heart, fight and determination,” coach Jennifer Denby said. “It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality, and we have girls who can play the game.”

It’s a team that reminds many of the Penns Grove squad two years ago that went all the way to the South Jersey Group I semifinals with a seven-man roster, a Magnificent Seven.

“We have a handful (of players), but like I keep telling them we have the quality,” Denby continued. “We have 100 percent genuine, authentic players on our team. And that’s all we need, and we’re good with that. I just want them to compete on a higher level.”

“The numbers don’t matter,” sophomore center JaNiyah Cummings said. “You can have like 30 people and still be losing. If you have a good team, a good team where you have connection, and you can move the ball then you can do anything, honestly.”

One thing about a small roster, there’s a lot of opportunity for big games individually and the Red Devils had a lot of quality performances against the Lady Rams.

RaNiyah Wilson continued her march towards 1,000 points with a game-high 24. The senior guard now has 787 career points and is on pace to hit the milestone Feb. 8 against Glassboro. Perhaps sooner if she picks up one certain aspect of her game.

“She is a big scorer and I keep telling her play defense,” Denby said. “If you play defense, you get easy buckets. The teams we play who are not as fortunate like we are, she should get 30 and 40 points if she plays defense. Defense is the key for getting her 1,000 points.”

That was very much in evidence during one brief stretch in the second half. Wilson scored the last basket of the third quarter and the first basket of the fourth both after stealing inbounds passes and turning them into driving layups.

But the big games didn’t just stop with her.

Brianna Robbins had nine points and 10 rebounds. Mikayla Washington had four points and grabbed 13 boards.

But the biggest game belonged to Cummings. She had a career day, scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Her previous career high was 13 points last year against Pennsville. Her best game this year was 12 in a double-double against Pleasantville.

“I don’t know what it was, I got this spark of energy and I just wanted to play,” she said. “I just wanted to play and I wanted to win.”

“Cummings is a true student-athlete; she is my AP girl,” Denby said. “Regardless if she’s going through a lot of negative things, Cummings still comes to perform and she stands on her own. It takes a lot for an individual to stand on their own. Cummings does that day in and day out, and I take my hat off to her.”

Cover photo: RaNiyah Wilson (5) and JaNiyah Cummings (24) had two of Penns Grove’s biggest games against Overbrook Tuesday.

PENNS GROVE 58, OVERBROOK 19
OVERBROOK (1-7): Leslie Rosario 0 0-0 0, Gia Simon 6 0-1 13, Jayel Presley 0 2-4 2, Leiani Knight 1 1-2 5, Ahlani White 0 0-0 0, Kayla Reynolds 0 0-0 0, Bella Sepuleda 0 0-0 0, Lily Lafountain 0 0-0 0, Talia Wiggins 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 3-7 29.
PENNS GROVE (4-2): Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Brianna Robbins 4 0-0 9, RaNiyah Wilson 9 3-6 24, Keziah Patterson 1 0-0 3, Mikayla Washington 2 0-2 4, JaNiyah Cummings 9 0-0 18. Totals 25 3-8 58.

Overbrook2449-19
Penns Grove13121419-58
3-point goals: Overbrook 2 (Simon, Knight); Penns Grove 5 (B. Robbins, Wilson 3, Patterson). Total fouls: Overbrook 7, Penns Grove 5.

PITMAN 48, SALEM 33
SALEM (0-6): Carlysia Pierce 3 0-2 6, Dakirah Gray 2 3-4 8, Marcela Vilalpando 1 1-2 3, Navaho Hickman 4 1-4 13. Only four players reported. Totals 10 5-15 30-x.
PITMAN (2-4): Colette Rollins 1 0-0 2, Jocelyn O’Brien 2 0-0 4, Audrey Duffield 10 3-4 24, Jess Bretz 8 2-8 18. Only four players reported. Totals 21 5-12 48.

Salem91356-33
Pitman11101215-48
3-point goals: Salem 5 (Gray, Hickman 4); Pitman 1 (Duffield). x-Box score doesn’t tabulate.

GLASSBORO 65, SCHALICK 15
SCHALICK (1-4): Cali Fisler 0 1-3 1, Naveah Robinson 1 2-4 5, Ava Scurry 2 0-0 4, Willow Davis 1 0-0 3, Olivia Lunemann 1 0-0 2. Totals 5 3-7 15.
GLASSBORO (3-4): Sanaa Thomas 3 0-3 7, Tamia Smith 8 0-0 19, Grace Moore 3 0-0 6, NiJha Norzon Clark 1 0-0 2, Kezia Brackett 10 0-1 21, Kimora Miles 2 0-1 4, Sianna Wedderburn 3 0-0 6, Lily Cubas 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 0-5 65.

Schalick7008-15
Glassboro14241710-65
3-point goals: Schalick 2(Robinson, Davis); Glassboro 5 (Thomas, Smith 3, Brackett). Rebounds: Glassboro 31 (Wedderburn 11). Note: Glassboro’s Thomas had 10 assists.

CLAYTON 72, SALEM TECH 49
CLAYTON (5-1): Rainelle Blocker 5 0-2 10, Janice Blair 1 0-0 2, India Bryant 4 0-0 9, Ava Delaney 10 0-3 23, Napria Loatman 1 0-0 2, Deondria Simon 11 0-2 24, Isabella Wiseburn 1 0-0 2. Totals 33 0-7 72.
SALEM TECH (2-4): Hannah Dewitt 3 0-0 6, Shelby Drummond 2 0-0 4, Kaylin Beardsley 1 1-4 3, Lavae Scott 1 0-0 2, Demajae White 3 0-0 2, Shelby Liber 7 2-3 20, Evening Amedee 1 0-0 2, Rylee Doerr 3 0-1 6. Totals 23 3-8 49.

Clayton20231217-72
Salem Tech7151116-49
3-point goals: Clayton 6 (Bryant, Delaney 3, Simon 2); Salem Tech 4 (Liber 4). Rebounds: Salem Tech 63 (White 22, Doerr 11).

Active scorers watch

SALEM COUNTY SCORING LISTTODAYPOINTS
Talia Battavio, WoodstownDNP1332
Megan Donelson, WoodstownDNP1295
1000-POINT WATCH
Nora Ausland, Pennsville
(Salem 462/Pennsville 427)		DNP889
Marley Wood, PennsvilleDNP799
RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove
(Kingsway 251/Penns Grove 536)		24787
Through games of Jan. 7

Record repeat

Woodstown’s boys 4×800 relay goes back to Ott Center and smashes the record it set last week

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PHILADELPHIA – They did it again.

The Ott Center at Penn is quickly becoming the Woodstown boys 4×800 relay team’s favorite place to run.

The Wolverines set the house record in the event when they ran there for the first time last week and Saturday they took the mark down five more seconds, winning the race in 8:27.19. Williamstown was a distant second, more than eight and a half seconds in the Wolverines’ dust.

The team of Jacob Marino, Karson Chew, Cole Lucas and Josh Crawford also ran the distance medley and finished third (11:03.03) in a race each of the first four teams ran faster than the house record. They edged fourth-place Highland by 11-hundreths of a second.

“Today was great just like last week,” Chew said.

Lucas led them out in the DMR, running a 3:20 in the 1200. Crawford followed with a 49.4 split in the 400. Chew delivered a 2:06 in the 800 and Marino finished it off with a 4:46.

They switched up their usual order in the 4×8. Chew handed off to Marino in second place. Marino was still a little sore from an injury in the DMR, but fought through it to keep them in good position. Crawford ran the third leg in 1:59 and Lucas brought it home in 2:02.

“We all came to the meet feeling super confident and ready to race our race and everyone did their job and we came out with the victory again,” Chew said. “We’re definitely getting used to the Ott Center and its track and can’t wait to run at state relays.”

It was a big day for Salem’s Anthony Parker, too. He finished second in the 55 hurdles (7.81) and the long jump (20-10.75) – both to Mainland’s Josiah Williams. He also anchored the 4×200 relay team behind Kaden Robinson, Terrance Smith and Jelani Beverly that finished third in a school record 1:33.26.

“Ant’s progress has been amazing,” Salem coach David Hunt said. “He worked hard in the offseason and in the weight room and he’s seeing the benefits early in the season.”

Other noteworthy performances were turned in by Salem’s DaviYonn Jackson in the boys triple jump (seventh, 38-11.25. On the girls side, Salem’s MaKayla Smith was ninth in the long jump (15-01.50) and fifth in the triple jump (31-0); Salem’s Ava Rodgers was fifth in the shot (31-5); Woodstown’s Kami Casiano was ninth in the high jump (4-8) and Woodstown’s 4×800 relay finished ninth (11:19.69).

Saturday wrestling

Here are the results of Salem County wrestling teams in action on the mat Saturday

HAMMONTON DUALS
RANCOCAS VALLEY 64, PENNSVILLE 14
106: Ryan Hannigan (RV) pinned John Sassi, 0:46
113: Luca Russo (RV) pinned Brett Land, 5:42
120: Alex Kinney (RV) pinned Earl Wynn, 0:30
126: Louis Simone (RV) pinned Vincent Ciccantelli, 0:50
132: Zachary Kosowski (RV) tech fall Nathan Mason, 19-3 (4:16)
138: Gabe Supernavage (P) tech fall Brady Earlen, 16-0 (4:47)
144: Thiago Maldonado (RV) tech fall Travis Hagan, 17-1 (5:02)
150: Raymond Miller (RV) won by forfeit
157: Kristofer Oesterle Jr. (RV) won by forfeit
165: Carter Robles (RV) pinned Juan Velasquez, 1:18
175: Aiden Gaines (RV) won by forfeit
190: Jake Barletta (RV) won by forfeit
215: Connor Ayars (P) pinned Ethan Gomez, 1:39
285: Trevor Waddington (P) dec. Alberto Sandino, 5-0

PENNSVILLE 55, BUENA 24
113: Earl Wynn (P) won by forfeit
120: Brett Land (P) pinned Jack Mazzoni, 1:20
126: Donato Vai (B) pinned Mekhi Dicks, 1:30
132: Thomas Hann (B) pinned Nathan Mason, 5:15
138: Gabe Supernavage (P) tech fall Michael Pettit, 17-1 (5:55)
144: Travis Hagan (P) tech fall Gionni Sharkey, 15-0 (3:00)
150: Lucas Gellura (B) won by forfeit
157: Aden Vai (B) won by forfeit
165: Juan Velasquez (P) won by forfeit
175: Ian Peacock (P) won won by forfeit
190: Joseph Halstead (P) won by forfeit
215: Connor Ayars (P) dec. Brian Passamante, 4-1
285: Jacob Hand (P) won by forfeit
106: John Sassi (P) won by forfeit

PENNSVILLE 42, WINSLOW TWP. 39
120: Earl Wynn (P) pinned Sebastian Perry, 3:05
126: Jake Peters (WT) pinned Vincent Ciccantelli, 5:45
132: Noah Young (WT) dec. Nathan Mason, 9-6
138: Gabe Supernavage (P) pinned Chase Panarello, 3:13
144: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Nathan Smalls, 1:20
150: Marquis Bates (WT) won by forfeit
157: Luke Vigorito (WT) won by forfeit
165: London Brown (WT) pinned Juan Velasquez, 3:10
175: Ian Peacock (P) won by forfeit
190: Nakeem Powell (WT) pinned Joseph Halstead, 2:48
215: Connor Ayars (P) pinned Makye Coney, 0:19
285: Jacob Hand (P) pinned Izechukwu Ugwuzor, 4:10
106: Christopher Steed (WT) pinned John Sassi, 1:00
113: Brett Land (P) pinned Elijah Parham, 1:21


DAN TRAINER DUALS, COLLINGSWOOD
WOODSTOWN 46, CHERRY HILL WEST 27
120: Carson Bradway (WO) pinned Mason Hare, 0:32
126: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Mason Mahan, 0:15
132: Barry Coverly (WO) dec. Brandon Farling, 8-4
138: Jakob Ubarry (CHW) maj. dec. Ryan Polk, 16-7
144: Harun Ambari (CHW) pinned Diego Mondragon, 0:24
150: Angel Mena-Martinez (CHW) pinned Angel Hernandez, 1:04
157: Brett Rowand (WO) pinned Danny Market, 0:32
165: Ari Tyson (CHW) tech fall Laitton Roberts, 20-4 (5:07)
175: Grayson Hyland (WO) maj. dec. Flynn Clements, 14-2
190: Paul Banff (WO) pinned Nick Fareas, 1:38
215: Walter Carter (WO) pinned Anthony Vanella, 0:23
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Mickey Smith, 1:00
106: Aiden Sanchez (CHW) pinned Hunter Allen, 5:45
113: Luke Woronicak (WO) dec. Caden Rossi, 10-3

COLTS NECK 45, WOODSTOWN 36
132: Nicholas Zecchino (CN) pinned Barry Coverly, 0:58
138: Michael Borao (CN) tech fall Ryan Polk, 15-0 (2:59)
144: Christian Cleary (CN) won by forfeit
150: Matthew Anderson (CN) pinned Thomas Lacy, 0:31
157: Brett Rowand (WO) pinned Brody Kaplan, 1:15
165: Dean Natale (CN) pinned Laitton Roberts, 0:31
175: Grayson Hyland (WO) pinned Nicholas Jannucci, 4:19
190: Paul Banff (WO) pinned Cooper Mah, 0:57
215: Walter Carter (WO) pinned Anthony Moriano, 4:24
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Logan Bavaro, 0:48
106: Julian Fortunato (CN) tech fall Hunter Allen, 21-5 (2:35)
113: Griffin Walsh (CN) pinned Luke Woronicak, 1:34
120: Ethan Michael (CN) tech fall Carson Bradway, 16-1 (5:36)
126: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Zachary Zaltsman, 1:43

HOPEWELL VALLEY 62, WOODSTOWN 15
126: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Dylan Hersh, 0:35
132: Sam Lowe (HV) pinned Barry Coverly, 4:52
138: Luke Caldwell (HV) pinned Ryan Polk, 0:50
144: Max Lawruszkiewicz (HV) won by forfeit
150: Max Pollara (HV) pinned Angel Hernandez, 0:54
157: Konrad Haugeto (HV) tech fall Brett Rowand, 17-1 (4:08)
165: Jett Branagh (HV) pinned Laitton Roberts, 0:51
175: Ethan Barker (HV) pinned Grayson Hyland, 5:06
190: Gavin Barker (HV) dec. Paul Banff, 9-2
215: Jon Trainor (HV) pinned Bradley Snitcher, 1:41
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) won by forfeit
106: Said Jan Rahmani (HV) pinned Hunter Allen, 1:48
113: Dean Meissner (HV) pinned Luke Woronicak, 0:28
120: Carson Bradway (WO) dec. Saif Ali Rahmani, 5-1


AUDUBON QUAD
PENNS GROVE vs. AUDUBON
PENNS GROVE vs. WILLINGBORO
PAUL VI 63, PENNS GROVE 18
132: Mason Yost (PVI) won by forfeit
138: Cameron Connelly (PVI dec. AbdulMutaAlie IbnAbdulHailm Tart, 7-1
144: Gabe O’Brien (PVI) pinned Angel Ocasio, 0:40
150: Jeff Dean (PVI) won by forfeit
157: Tre Brown (PG) pinned Ian Gardner, 2:30
165: Keith Clark (PVI) won by forfeit
175: Clinton Bobo (PG) pinned Ryan Hee, 0:30
190: Maxwell Shipp (PVI) pinned Sumir Brown, 1:40
215: Anthony Jackson (PVI) pinned Antonio Cooper, 1:20
285: Wayne Scott (PG) pinned Sean Henderson, 1:26
106: Cristian Perales (PVI) won by forfeit
113: Iyon Townsend (PVI) pinned Avery Curriden, 0:50
120: Wesley Sheets (PVI) won by forfeit
126: Owen Gardner (PVI) pinned Devine Arce, 2:50


SCHALICK QUAD
SCHALICK 65, OVERBROOK 12
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Amber Freiling, 0:43
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) tech fall Kayden Branco, 17-1 (3:36)
126: Luke Silva (S) pinned Kevyn Reed, 0:19
132: Ryan Miller (S) pinned Damiano Redrow, 3:09
138: Gabriel McFeeley (S) won by forfeit
144: Ayden Jenkins (S) won by forfeit
150: Koen Martin (S) pinned Karter Reed, 0:27
157: Riley Papiano (S) won by forfeit
165: Eric Sulik (S) pinned Randall Ringstaff, 0:09
175: Ricky Watt (S) tech fall Oscar Calderon, 22-6 (5:02)
190: Xyon Marshall (O) pinned Evan Elliott, 1:08
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) dec. Augustus Guzman, 7-5
285: Juan Sanchez (O) pinned Julian Reid, 1:19
106: Emma Cain (S) maj. dec. Jackob Sole, 15-4

SCHALICK 57, HADDON HEIGHTS 18
120: Cole Denning (H) pinned E’Shion Underwood, 0:27
126: Luke Silva (S) pinned Brennan Albright, 0:33
132: Ryan Miller (S) maj. dec. Liam Loftus, 16-7
138: Michael Baisch (S) pinned Leo Falco, 5:00
144: Ayden Jenkins (S) maj. dec. Ryan Bailey, 16-7
150: Koen Martin (S) pinned Michael Fitter, 0:58
157: Riley Papiano (S) pinned Matthew Brown, 1:14
165: Eric Sulik (S) maj. dec. Andrew Gutkin, 10-0
175: Ricky Watt (S) tech fall Jacob Gutkin, 19-3 (3:59)
190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Jack Bailey, 0:30
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) won by forfeit
285: Nathan Lelionis (H) pinned Julian Reid, 1:14
106: Emma Cain (S) maj. dec. Aniello Napolitano, 14-5
113: Michael Ferraro (H) won by forfeit

SCHALICK 60, MAINLAND 18
106: Emma Cain (S) pinned Eric Garcia, 2:44
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Xander White, 1:06
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) won by forfeit
126: Luke Silva (S) pinned Justin Mazur, 4:20
132: Ryan Miller (S) pinned Mason McDevitt, 2:37
138: Chris Mazur (M) pinned Michael Baisch, 5:15
144: Ayden Jenkins (S) dec. James Morley, 8-3
150: Carson Endicott (M) pinned Koen Martin, 2:21
157: Riley Papiano (S) over Ryder Slaughter-Brodton, TB-1 2-1
165: Eric Sulik (S) pinned Miguel Melo, 1:02
175: Ricky Watt (S) pinned James Barrett, 2:34
190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Elijah Endicott, 0:40
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) pinned Emilio Morales, 0:37
285: Oswaldo Mendoza (M) pinned Julian Reid, 1:14

PITMAN QUAD
SALEM vs. ST. JOE
SALEM vs. BURLINGTON CITY
PITMAN 66, SALEM 6
106: Gianna Goto (P) won by forfeit
113: Grady Diaz (P) won by forfeit
120: John Wisniewski (P) won by forfeit
126: Isaac Gaspariano-Robbins (P) pinned Guylherme Quintanilha, 1:30
132: Nick Wenzke (P) won by forfeit
138: Jared Luu (P) won by forfeit
144: Jacob Lawrence (P) won by forfeit
150: Chris McIntyre (P) pinned Ziyon Moore, 1:35
157: Aidan Upham (P) won by forfeit
165: Double forfeit
175: Anthony Cappello (P) dec. Jordan Brown, 5-3
190: Andrew Hurst (P) won by forfeit
215: Aiden Milward (P) dec. Abdullah Jenkins, 5-0
285: Abdullah Jenkins (S) pinned Nicolas Horner, 2:26