Battavio passes 1,000 points for her career, but Woodstown falls to Cherokee in close game in SJIBT Elite 8, will be updated; includes other county games of the day

SJIBT ELITE EIGHT
Saturday’s Games
Paul VI 77, Timber Creek 33
Cherokee 55, Woodstown 49
Sunday’s Games
Moorestown vs. Gloucester Catholic, 4:45 p.m.
Cinnaminson vs. Williamstown, 6 p.m.

OTHER GAMES
Girls
Pennsville 47, West Deptford 41
Boys
Gloucester Catholic 59, Woodstown 57
Salem 61, Paulsboro 60

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

VOORHEES – She really wasn’t feeling it right after the game, but in a day or so, once the sting of a hard-fought loss melts into the preparation of the next game, Talia Battavio will feel the rush accomplishment wash over her like it never has before in her career.

Battavio became the second Woodstown player to score her 1,000th career point this week when she reached the milestone in the third quarter of Saturday night’s Elite 8 game of the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament at Eastern Regional High School.

The only thing that kept it from being a perfect night was her Wolverines lost to second-seeded Cherokee 55-49.

“It’s a good accomplishment, but it’s not the biggest thing to me,” the junior guard said. “I’m more proud of the South Jersey championship banner that we have and being undefeated in the division, and I think that’s more important than any individual accomplishment.

“It really does not mean anything; we didn’t get the win as a team.”

Battavio became the 11th player in the Woodstown girls program to score 1,000 points. She pumped in 28 in the game – matching her career high set earlier this year against Bridgeton – and now has 1,009 for her career, with the rest of this year and all next season to go. Teammate Megan Donelson, also a junior, reached the milestone Thursday night at Pennsville.

Woodstown plans a special ceremony to recognize the feats Wednesday night.

“I think they’re both relieved,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “I feel like I’ve lost 10 pounds (during the pursuit) because two girls in a week with 1,000 points. Two juniors.

“She honestly had no clue how many more she needed, which I was worried coming into the game that she was going to get in her head because she’s the queen of doing too much, but she was just enough. She was perfect. She was great.” 

Battavio is the fourth Salem County player to notch their 1,000th point this season, joining Donelson and boys players Luke Wood (Pennsville) and Anthony Farmer (Salem). Penns Grove’s Meely Horace (998) can join the club as early as Tuesday.

She needed 19 entering the game and set her sights on it after collecting 11 in the first half. She added nine more in the fourth quarter, including a rare four-point play with 20 seconds left that got her team to 52-48.

“I came in here and I said I’m going to get it,” Battavio said. “I do the best against good teams like this. I come in clutch when it comes to things like this and I love that.”

A free throw by Donelson after the four-point play made it 52-49, but the Wolverines had to foul to give themselves a chance and the Chiefs made three free throws in the final 15 seconds to close it out.

Battavio had envisioned reaching the milestone on one of her signature high-arching 3-pointers in a game the Wolverines would win. Instead, it came on a free throw with 5.5 seconds left in the third quarter.

In a sense, the free throw was an even better scenario because everyone in the gym knew what it was worth and it gave the player a chance to settle and savor the moment without the worry of having to immediately get back on defense. She actually made two free throws in the situation to draw the Wolverines within 36-30 at the end of the quarter.

There weren’t many who gave Woodstown much of a chance. The Chiefs (15-5) have won the tournament five of the last six years and are now in the Final Four for the eighth year in a row, but the Wolverines (14-4) were never out of the game, even when Donelson went out in foul trouble and post Shannon Pierman fouled out.

Three times they had fallen behind by 10 in the second half – as late as with 4:59 to play – and each time they climbed back into the game.

“I think a lot of people take us for granted because we’re a small school, but we wanted that more,” Battavio said. “We have a lot of more heart and it felt like it, too. We all work together, we all want it, it’s a great team.”

“For us to come in and lose by a handful, I can’t ask them for anything else,” Straughn said. “If we play like that against anybody in Group I, we’re beating them by 20 or 30. If we play like that against Wildwood, there’s no way it’s going to be the same outcome (as their 27-point loss 10 days ago). They played their butts off.”

Woodstown returns to the tournament Saturday at 8 p.m. against the loser of Sunday’s Moorestown-Gloucester Catholic game. If that happens to be Gloucester Catholic there already has been discussion of a shifting loser bracket opponents to avoid a Tri-County Conference matchup.

SJIBT ELITE EIGHT
CHEROKEE 55, WOODSTOWN 49
WOODSTOWN (14-4) – Talia Battavio 10 4-5 28, Megan Donelson 4 6-10 15, Gianna Mairoini 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Baber 0 1-2 1, Shannon Pierman 1 3-6 5, Lauren Hengle 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 14-23 49.
CHEROKEE (15-5) – Brielle Alaba 4 6-8 16, Olivia Salverian 2 1-2 7, Sofia Recinto 2 0-0 4, Leila McNair 2 0-0 6, Jada Branford 6 4-6 16, Abby Ball 1 2-2 4, Jordan Arnold 1 0-2 2. Totals 18 13-20 55.

Woodstown	5	14	11	19 –	49
Cherokee	11	13	12	19 –	55

PENNSVILLE 47, WEST DEPTFORD 41: The Eagles trailed by eight entering the fourth quarter, but Nora Ausland and Taylor Bass combined for 13 points to fuel their comeback. Ausland finished with 18 points and Bass had 10.

PENNSVILLE (8-11) – Calli Ausland 1 0-0 2, Nora Ausland 7 3-3 18, Taylor Bass 5 0-1 10, Karsen Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Bella Farina 3 0-2 6, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 1 0-2 2, Marley Wood 4 1-1 9. Totals 21 4-9 47.
WEST DEPTFORD (8-11) – Janie Cross 2 1-2 7, Alivia Arrera 2 0-0 4, Jescenia Diaz 1 0-0 2, DaeOnna Lawrence 3 2-3 8, Reyanna Jamison 4 2-2 10, Alyssa Taylor 0 0-0 0, Olivia Smith 0 0-0 0, Carleen Connelly 2 0-0 4, Addison Fronza 1 0-0 3, Jumanna Abdelhamid 1 1-2 3, Micahya Devose 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 6-9 41.

Pennsville	12	6	9	20 –	47
West Deptford	5	16	14	6 –	41

Boys Games

BATTLE BY THE BAY
SALEM 61, PAULSBORO 60
PAULSBORO (8-10) – Malakhai McKenzie 6 1-2 14, Ty Hodges 5 3-7 13, Antonio Pandolfo 2 5-6 11, Ryann Briscoe 2 3-5 7, Aiden Milligan 2 0-0 6, Eric Scott 1 3-4 5, Jamal Robinson 2 0-0 4, Stephen Lane 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 15-28 60.
SALEM (13-6) – Paul Weathers 8 0-0 16, Ramaji Bundy 2 0-0 5, Jabez DeJesus 2 102 7, Tymear Lecator 5 5-6 18, Anthony Farmer 2 11-13 15. Totals 19 17-21 61.

Paulsboro	17	10	12	21 –	60
Salem	15	16	17	13 –	61

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 59, WOODSTOWN 57 (OT)
WOODSTOWN (9-7) – Blake Bialecki 6 0-0 16, M.J. Hall 2 0-2 4, Garrett Leyman 2 0-0 4, Max Webb 7 0-0 18, Rocco String 4 0-0 8, Elijah Caesar 2 0-0 5. Totals 23 0-2 57.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (12-7) – Carlos Mendez 4 3-4 13, Jack Mustaro 8 3-5 22, Trey Battle 4 0-0 9, Billy Ginipro 1 0-0 3, Kyle Guldin 5 0-3 10, Ehthan Dugue 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 6-12 59.

Woodstown	12	13	17	10	5 –	57
Gloucester Cath.	14	17	11	10	7 –	55

Cover photo: Woodstown’s Talia Battavio focuses on the rim as she prepares to score the 1,000th point of her high school career in the SJIBT Elite Eight against Cherokee Saturday night.