Pennsville’s Ausland makes a smooth transition to new team after transferring from Salem, could be Eagles’ final piece
MONDAY’S SCRIMMAGES
Girls
Pennsville 63, Palmyra 40
Penns Grove 30, Kingsway 30 (3Q)
Boys
Penns Grove 49, Kingsway 46
Woodstown 58, Maple Shade 29
Pennsville 50, Palmyra 46 (3Q)
Bridgeton 68, Schalick 40
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Nora Ausland had a lot of time to think about her future after a broken foot prematurely ended her sophomore season last year.
She wanted a basketball team capable of winning that would appreciate the skills she would bring to the table. Pennsville coach Sam Trapp wanted that one piece that would complete her team and make it a contender.
The two wants merged at the intersection of William Penn Avenue and South Broadway, right up the road from where Ausland used to play.
Ausland has merged seamlessly into the Pennsville program after transferring from Salem. On Monday she scored 27 points with five 3-pointers to lead the Eagles past Palmyra 63-40 for their first preseason victory.
“I’m glad it wasn’t difficult (to transition) because I was really scared to come here,” Ausland said. “I didn’t think people were going to accept me having this new girl, she’s going to take over, whatever. I was really scared people weren’t going to like me because I’m just coming in, taking over their stuff, but that’s not the case at all.
“It was really easy coming in here. Everybody was really accepting. I feel like I’ve known them since I was little. They all care for me and want me to do good and succeed, which I’m very thankful for. The first day of school I was just everywhere by myself, but then people were coming up to talk to me. Now I have a bunch of friends.”
The 5-foot-10 junior forward has made an immediate impact on the Eagles, who have designs on challenging Woodstown for the Tri-County Diamond Division title this year. She scored 17 points in her scrimmage debut against Millville and had nine the next time out against West Deptford.
Had Monday been a regular-season game, the 27 she scored against Palmyra would have been the second-best game of her high school career.
In two seasons at Salem she had 462 points, 61 3-pointers, 305 rebounds and 101 blocked shots. She had 179 points, 76 rebounds and 33 blocked shots when she broke a bone in her left ankle in late January. The Rams already were in the midst of a losing streak when she got hurt and they lost seven of their next eight without her.
The time away allowed Ausland to think long and hard about what she wanted from the game.
“I didn’t really have a good year because I broke my foot and the team wasn’t the best; they didn’t really give enough effort to care to win,” she said. “I was tired of that because I wanted to play, I want to win.
“I was just looking around at other schools, like what’s close, what’s easy for me to go to and also a good team. Last year they (Pennsville) got fourth seed out of the 16 (in South Jersey Group I) so OK it’s pretty good, it’s pretty easy to come here, so that’s what I did. I came here.”
Her arrival certainly was welcomed by Trapp. Ausland brings a dynamic the Eagles haven’t had since Ryane Wood, their last 1,000-point scorer who graduated in 2022.
She completes a lineup that returned three starters – senior Bella Farina, Taylor Bass and point guard Marley Wood – and includes elevated reserve Isabelle Saulin. Wood had 12 points on four 3-pointers against Palmyra.
“She just really incorporates a lot more offensive threat for us,” Trapp said. “We needed to be able to balance that responsibility between all five players and it helps with another player who can score.
“I like that she brings that competitiveness to practice because now it’s somebody that’ll push other girls and she can get pushed by other people, so I think it’s a real key component that is helping all the way around.”
PENNSVILLE 63, PALMYRA 40
PALMYRA – Cadence Anderson 8 0-0 20, Kylie Hines 0 0-0 0, Angie Sauls 2 0-0 4, Amanda Gilburn 1 0-0 2, Clara Cannouli 1 0-0 2, Cam DiMeo 2 0-0 4, Jada Colsee-Eli 1 2-3 4, Ava Sims 0 0-0 0, Anna Paszkiewicz 1 2-2 4. Totals 16 4-5 40.
PENNSVILLE – Nora Ausland 9 4-4 27, Taylor Bass 4 4-4 12, Sofia Belitsas 1 0-0 3, Bella Farina 1 2-2 4, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Anikka Macalino 0 2-2 2, Isabelle Saulin 1 1-2 3, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 4 0-0 12. Totals 20 13-14 63.
| Palmyra | 13 | 10 | 7 | 10 – | 40 |
| Pennsville | 22 | 13 | 15 | 13 – | 63 |
PENNS GROVE 30, KINGSWAY 30: Penns Grove’s Raniyah Wilson, the other dynamic transfer in the county this year, returned to her old stomping grounds and although she wasn’t as sharp as she might have been for the occasion scored 11 points as the varsities played to a tie in three quarters of action.
Wilson is in her first year with Penns Grove after transferring from Kingsway, where she would have been the Dragons’ top returning scorer and rebounder this season. She had six points in the first half as the Red Devils grabbed an 18-16 lead.
“We started her against her old team and I don’t think she had her best game at all,” Penns Grove coach Jennifer Denby said. “She was a little nervous. I wanted as a player, even as a coach, for her to come in and let them know how much they miss her and tonight just wasn’t her night.”
Jameelyonna Horace led Penns Grove with 12 points, including two 3-pointers. She had half of the Red Devils’ points at halftime.
Kingsway hit a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter to force the tie.
“In the beginning of the game it was a struggle,” Denby said. “It’s hard to play with one person on the floor and everyone else’s mind is not there. Right now we’re still looking for chemistry.”
The Red Devils scrimmage again Tuesday and then open their season Friday against Clayton.
PENNS GROVE 30, KINGSWAY 30
PENNS GROVE – Raniyah Wilson 4 3-4 11, Jameelyonna Horace 5 0-1 12, Brianna Robbins 1 1-3 3, Zoey Caesar 2 0-0 4, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Jamira Lewis 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 4-8 30.
KINGSWAY – Ava Valente 2 2-2 7, Emily Leshik 0 0-0 0, Bella Archer 3 0-0 7, Olivia Myers 1 3-4 5, Paige Horton 1 0-0 2, Gabbi Bruno 4 1-2 9. Totals 11 6-8 30.
| Penns Grove | 7 | 11 | 12 – | 30 |
| Kingsway | 13 | 3 | 14 – | 30 |
Boys
PENNS GROVE 49, KINGSWAY 46: After running through numerous combinations in the first three quarters, Penns Grove coach Damian Ware stuck with his Super Six in the fourth and they went on a 20-2 tear that carried the Red Devils to a come-from-behind victory.
The Red Devils jumped out 19-7 in the first quarter, but were outscored 37-10 over the next two quarters to fall behind 15. Ware got on his team before the fourth quarter began, subbed in his better athletes and off they went.
They started Mehki Ballard, Willie Slocum, Roman Gipson and freshmen KaRon Ceaser and Brandon Robbins and scored the first 10 points of the quarter. Giomar Conrad entered three minutes into the quarter and help the Red Devils close it out.
“We had a lot of good possessions in the third quarter, but a couple guys missed some layups; we make those layups it changes the third quarter,” Ware said. “In the fourth quarter I went with my main six guys. We just played our pressure defense and turned them over a lot with the main guys I feel are going to be the guys going forward.”
Conrad and Ballard led the Red Devils with 15 points apiece and combined for 13 points in the fourth quarter. Ballard, their best 3-point shooter a year ago (59 made), hit two of his three 3-pointers in the rally.
“I got on them in the third quarter and lit a little bit of a fire under them,” Ware said. “The fourth quarter they turned it up and played the type of defense I want to play. If we can bottle up what we did in the fourth quarter today, we’re going to be really good. It’s going to be tough to score on.”
PENNS GROVE 49, KINGSWAY 46
KINGSWAY – Dylan Lewis 1 0-2 2, Dasir Williams-Bey 3 0-0 6, Jaden Martin Cooper 2 0-0 4, Mikah Hart 4 2-3 11, Gregg Campbell 0 0-0 0, Maurice Tavares 3 2-2 10, Luca Kuzmick 2 0-0 6, Kai Tolley 0 0-0 0, Brady Shelton 0 0-0 0, Sean Steckler 0 0-0 0, Christian Conklin 1 2-2 4, Terrence Collier 2 0-0 4, Peter Frey 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-9 46.
PENNS GROVE – Roman Gipson 3 0-4 6, Camren Thompson 0 1-2 1, Giomar Conrad 6 1-2 15, Mekhi Ballard 6 0-0 15, Nizah Spence 0 0-0 0, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Willie Slocum 0 0-0 0, Brandon Robbins 0 0-0 0, Will Roy 0 0-0 0, Karon Ceaser 4 1-2 10, Luis Colon 1 0-0 2, Mr Peterson 0 0-2 0. Totals 20 3-12 49.
| Kingsway | 7 | 20 | 17 | 2 – | 46 |
| Penns Grove | 19 | 4 | 6 | 20 – | 49 |
BRIDGETON 68, SCHALICK 40: Jameel Purnell led three Bridgeton scorers in double figures with 29 points and the Bulldogs were just too much for the Cougars on the glass.
Zikown Anderson (14) and Zamir Chance (10) also scored in double figures for the Bulldogs. Purnell and Anderson combined for 18 points in the first quarter. Nasir Sutton led Schalick with 10 points.
BRIDGETON 68, SCHALICK 40
SCHALICK – Nylan Sutton 3 0-2 6, Reggie Allen 2 1-2 7, Jake Siedlecki 1 0-0 2, Jordan Johnson 1 0-0 2, Dan Lis 1 4-5 6, Ryan Johnson 2 0-0 4, Nasir Sutton 4 0-2 10, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3, Sharod Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-11 40.
BRIDGETON – Kyion Gray 3 0-0 7, Zikwon Anderson 6 1-3 14, Zamir Chance 5 0-2 10, Azhone Burden 3 0-0 6, Jameel Purnell 12 4-6 29, Richard Mills 1 0-0 2, Martavian Brown 0 0-0 0, Raheem Jacobs 0 0-4 0. Totals 30 5-15 68.
| Schalick | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 – | 40 |
| Bridgeton | 20 | 17 | 16 | 15 – | 68 |
PENNSVILLE 50, PALMYRA 46: Luke Wood poured in 17 points and drew several charges and the Eagles moved a step closer to their Opening Night lineup, beating flu-ridden Palmyra in a scrimmage reduced to three quarters.
With a limited time to get something accomplished, the Eagles got off to a slow start, but they picked up the pace in their final two quarters to squeeze out the win. Wood and Cohen Petrutz both hit 3-pointers in the third quarter when Pennsville finally took the lead.
“Everything is coming together,” Eagles coach Joe Mecholsky said. “We’re starting to get the hang of it. I think last week I said defense is always ahead of the offense and now, T-minus four days (to the opener), we’re rounding into form.”
PENNSVILLE 50, PALMYRA 46
| Pennsville | 12 | 21 | 17 – | 50 |
| Palmyra | 19 | 15 | 12 – | 46 |
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