Tag: tri-county-conference

1,000-Point Club

Here is a list of Salem County’s all-time leading scorers in basketball; documented additions/updates should be sent to al.muskewitz@gmail.com.

Boys

PLAYERSCHOOLTOTALYEAR
Paul GauseSchalick31442005
Keith JacksonSalem19401986
Richard BrokenbaughPenns Grove17301989
Marcus RobinsonSalem17261990
Joe HickmanWoodstown17261972
Zach ManorowitzPennsville16792020
Mike HollowaySchalick16342015
Rashan HollowaySchalick16222014
Kavon LewisPenns Grove16002020
Dominique RoyPenns Grove15742008
Mike WrightPenns Grove15511988
Greg FrithSchalick15321990
Fred DrainsWoodstown14441989
Jawan RoanePenns Grove14242018
Jerry DickersonSalem14161963
Sean CollinsSchalick13931996
Geshawn DavisPenns Grove13932013
Melvin AllenSchalick13552014
Bradley RowandWoodstown13462000
Tyler LunsfordSchalick13452016
Dan FeruckPennsville12841980
Lowell FortuneSalem12551989
Brian SyeSalem12271978
Ralph KowalkowskiSt. James12201955
Josh HedgemanSchalick12191989
Luke WoodPennsville11982025
Jamar D. JohnsonPenns Grove11892020
Anthony FarmerSalem11752024
Jim ShiversWoodstown11701973
George SeagerPennsville11581989
Michael MoorePenns Grove11471991
Gage AuslandSalem11442020
Butch KarrPennsville11432009
Scott PowersWoodstown11341993
Joe CassidySt. James11171983
Clifton ShawPenns Grove11111996
Billy McMackinWoodstown11052003
Joe MecholskyPennsville11031992
Mike DriscollWoodstown11001968
Brandon BermudezSalem Tech10972023
Tim BuzbyPennsville10931987
Jim BrownSalem10851985
Ramon RootsSalem10802016
Mike HarrellSchalick10751986
Brian BookerWoodstown10682002
Keith RobinsonPenns Grove10652019
Troy JohnsonSchalick10622017
Lew RidgewaySalem10581975
Eric SpencerSt. James10541990
Tom SummielSalem10501971
Clint HitchnerWoodstown10501996
Jamy ThomasPennsville10481994
DeAndre SolomonSchalick10442014
Charles McNeilPenns Grove10401956
Jim SmithWoodstown10381955
Charles HainesPenns Grove10301953
Bruce SpencerSt. James10231983
Colin RiegerPennsville10142015
Darryl GauseSchalick10072001
Dan YucisPennsville10031999
Matt KatesSchalick10022008
Terrence SorrellSalem1988
James RoweSalem1997
Ron MichaelSalem2002
William BarnesSalem2005
Derrick ParsleySalem2008
Woodrow FurbushSalem2011

Girls

PLAYERSCHOOLTOTALYEAR
Katie KlinePennsville21102004
Amanda YoungSt. James17621995
Sharias HillPenns Grove16612009
Brittany SmithSalem16232007
Talia BattavioWoodstown16202025
Megan DonelsonWoodstown15882025
Tia FurbushSchalick15742021
Tori SmickWoodstown15662013
Shayla LlanosSalem14362008
Crystal BaileySchalick14061984
Stephanie OwenWoodstown13811993
Dawn CurryPennsville12882008
Tamara WatkinsPenns Grove12762005
Charlie BaldwinWoodstown12752020
Shaqui CoppageSalem12652010
Vynette MillerSalem12551985
Kelli GriffithPennsville12481989
Paige CaldwellWoodstown12372017
Ryane WoodPennsville12242022
Carly LanePenns Grove12172001
Shaniece BanksPenns Grove12052008
Elizabeth HudockSalem12032019
Marie PatrickSalem11861995
Hannah CookseyPennsville11682019
Lindsey MinchPennsville11632010
Riley FulmerWoodstown11632022
RaNiyah WilsonPenns Grove11562025
Nora AuslandPennsville11442025
Tiasia TatemSalem11392015
Che’Na ThompsonSalem11302009
Ashley HansenSchalick11242008
Bethany HumenikWoodstown11202009
Kelly ThompsonWoodstown11151990
Latika RossSalem11022001
Lindsay RivellSalem10812001
Caitlin McCafferyPennsville10802003
Natrice ReedPenns Grove10652018
Meely HoracePenns Grove10632024
x-Marley WoodPennsville10622026
Kayla MayersWoodstown10412015
Shannon PollockSt. James10371993
Christy BrittonSt. James10371989
Ashley EngelWoodstown10122007
Susanne DalySt. James10021991
Sandy AlstonPenns Grove1983
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There are a lot of points in this picture of 1,000-point scorers (L-R) Woodstown’s Talia Battavio and Pennsville’s Marley Wood, Ryane Wood, Luke Wood, Nora Ausland and Jamy Thomas. There were more than 7,100 points represented here at the time this photo was taken.

Making memories

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

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Truly, a memorable night.

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

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

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

Numbers spell success

Woodstown girls putting together big streaks, big individual numbers; recognize three milestones, plus visiting 1,000-point scorer

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – They came to the Joseph P. Irvin Gym Wednesday to recognize some big numbers by some of the home team’s big players, but they aren’t the only numbers worthy of celebrating within the program.

For starters, the Woodstown girls basketball team added an exclamation point to the third straight Tri-County Diamond Division title they clinched the night before with a 60-33 rout of Glassboro.

It was the Wolverines’ 29th straight division win. Now, only Overbrook a week from Saturday stands between them an a third straight undefeated division season. They’ve also won 28 straight games against Salem County competition, although Glassboro doesn’t figure into this category.

Of course, those are all numbers record-keepers keep. On a more public stage, the program recognized juniors Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson for joining the 1,000-Point Club and senior Shannon Pierman for surpassing 500 career rebounds. All three reached their milestones last week, but Wednesday was the Wolverines’ first home game for them to be able to recognize them.

“It’s crazy to think it’s that many,” Woodstown coach Kara Straughn said of all the streaks and milestones working within the program. “A lot of the kids don’t think about the numbers, but the numbers are what leaves the lasting impression for the younger girls and it makes a name for the program and our school. They don’t realize they’re creating this legacy for Woodstown High School girls basketball with all of those little numbers and the numbers they don’t always think about.

“It just goes to show you when you put in all that work in the offseason and in-season it pays off.”

Battavio led the Wolverines Wednesday with 22 points and moved ahead of Donelson on the program’s active scoring list with 1,050 points. Donelson had 18 points and stands at 1,047. Pierman had 14 points and 15 rebounds for her sixth double-double in the last seven games, leaving her 20 points shy of joining the 500-500 Club (480-560). 

Both 1,000-point scorers had their commemorative banners displayed on the padding on the wall leading out of the gym.

After the game, the recognized the milestones with a brief video, then presented the players with flowers and balloons that spelled out “1-0-0-0” and “5-0-0” for their particular milestones.

“I thought it was really thoughtful of everybody to do that,” Donelson said. “It’s cool people are going to look back that 2022 and 2023 they were really good. It makes a huge impact on the girls basketball program here.”

“I think we’ve come a long way,” Battavio said. “Having two 1,000-point scorers is amazing and I’m grateful we got to do it together. It helps that we’re best friends. I’m very proud of her.”

“It means a lot,” added Pierman. “We work hard, we play hard and I’m just really proud of all of us.”

Actually, there were three 1,000-point scorers on the floor in the game. Glassboro junior Tamia Smith reached the milestone on a layup with 1:37 left in the third quarter. When the historic moment game, they stopped the game and family and friends poured onto the floor to celebrate the feat.

Smith was fouled on the historic layup and after the celebration subsided she returned to the free throw line to promptly deposited point No. 1,002

“It’s nice to see it from a different perspective,” said Straughn, who presented Smith a bouquet and a ball after the game. “It’s just cool to see somebody else who we play every year and she’s only a junior. It’s nice to see there are up and coming and successful programs nearby and players who are successful nearby.”

WOODSTOWN 60, GLASSBORO 33
GLASSBORO (12-7) – Sanaa Thomas 0 1-2 1, Tamia Smith 8 3-3 19, Kezia Brackett 3 0-2 6, Kimora Miles 3 0-0 6, Anye Davis 0 1-2 1, Nevaeh Cox-Clement 0 0-0 0, Ni Jha Norzan-Clark 0 0-0 0, Grace Moore 0 0-0 0, Briana Fernandez 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 5-9 33.
WOODSTOWN (16-4) – Talia Battavio 10 1-1 22, Megan Donelson 7 2-2 18, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Baber 1 0-1 2, Shannon Pierman 7 0-0 14, Lauren Hengel 1 0-0 2, Emma Perry 1 0-0 2, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 3-4 60.

Glassboro49128 –33
Woodstown14201214 –60
3-point goals: Glassboro 0; Woodstown 3 (Battavio, Donelson 2). Rebounds: Woodstown 38 (Pierman 15, Baber 7). Assists: Woodstown 20 (Donelson 6, Baber 6). Total fouls: Glassboro 8, Woodstown 13. Officials: Killian, Kahbaum.
Woodstown 1,000-point scorers Talia Battavio (L) and Megan Donelson (R) flank the newest member of the club, Glassboro’s Tamia Smith. There are 3,101 career points in this group of juniors.


Ain’t life grand

Donelson reaches 1,000-point milestone as Woodstown overcomes slow start to beat Pennsville; includes other Salem County games and box scores

THURSDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Woodstown 66, Pennsville 57
Penns Grove 81, Overbrook 24
Glassboro 67, Schalick 14
Wildwood 67, Salem 22
Clayton 51, Salem Tech 30

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — Megan Donelson might have had prettier baskets in her career, but not many were more memorable than the one she dropped in the fourth quarter Thursday night.

The Woodstown junior became the 10th player in her school’s girls basketball history to score 1,000 career points — and the third player in Salem County to reach the milestone this season – in the Wolverines’ 66-57 win over Pennsville.

She needed 29 points to reach the milestone entering the game and hit it on the number. She hit the milestone on a layup with 1:57 left in the game.

“I was really determined to get my thousandth point and it put me to drive to get that goal,” she said. “I set that goal for myself as soon as I walked in my freshman year and I just wanted to complete my goal.”

Donelson was four points short of the milestone entering the fourth quarter, but given the weight of the situation they were as hard to get as the final three outs of a no-hitter and made harder by picking up her fourth foul with five minutes left in the game. She didn’t peel away the first two points until 2:41 remained – and they were on free throws. The milestone came about a minute later.

It wasn’t artistic, but it was effective. She took the outlet pass from one of Shannon Pierman’s defensive rebounds, drove the length of the floor and tossed an off-balanced shot towards the basket in traffic from the right side of the lane. It went through just as she was falling out of bounds.

“I thought it was a really good way to score the thousandth,” she said. “I had the defender on me and I got the thousandth point off the defender.”

She is the first Woodstown girls player to reach the milestone since Riley Fulmer in 2022. Junior teammate Talia Battavio could join her in the club as early as Saturday when the Wolverines play Cherokee in the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament at Eastern. The girls school record for points is 1,566 by Tori Smick (2013).

Boys players Luke Wood (Pennsville) and Anthony Farmer (Salem) joined the club earlier this year and Penns Grove girls guard Meely Horace, who needs just two points after putting 38 on Overbrook Thursday, is a lock to get it in her next game against Schalick.

“There was anxiousness all day of is she going to get it, when is she going to get it, how is she going to get it, is she going to have to get Saturday,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “Once she got it, it was just like this overwhelming sense of relief, like, all the hard work she put in came to fruition.

“She’ll say she wasn’t counting, but I know inside she probably was.”

Woodstown’s Megan Donelson (24) drives on Pennsville’s Marley Wood (4) in the fourth quarter on the way to the basket for her 1,000th career point.

The final score may have looked like another routine win for the Wolverines (14-3), but it was anything but that. Pennsville (7-11), playing the best it has all season, jumped out to leads of 13-0, 15-2 and 26-15 before Donelson and Pierman brought their team back.

Donelson scored the last nine points in an 11-0 run that drew the Wolverines even at 26 with 1:27 left in the half. She made two free throws with 10 seconds left to give them a 32-30 halftime lead.

They never trailed again. They scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and by the end of it led by 15.

“I’m really proud of the way we didn’t give up,” Pierman said. “We obviously did not give up. We pushed back, we fought harder and it showed. We knew we could play better. We knew we were better than that. Eventually something has to change, especially when we know how we can win.”
Pennsville built its early lead by making layups inside Woodstown’s 2-3 zone and caught the Wolverines on a cold start.

Taylor Bass got it started with a 3 and two free throws. Marley Wood made three buckets and Bella Farina hit two free throws. Suddenly it was 13-0 and the Wolverines called time looking for energy. It was 17-8 at quarter’s end.

“We talked about what the best way to open up the court to get open looks, we talked about where the cuts need to be,” Eagles coach Sam Trapp said. “As long as that kept happening we kept scoring.”

The quick start wasn’t without a hitch, however. Post Bella Farina picked up three fouls in the first six and a half minutes and sat the rest of the half.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines were just stuck in the mud. They missed their first 11 shots and had five turnovers before Donelson finally broke the ice off an inbounds play with 2:34 left in the first quarter. They shot 2-for-14 from the floor in the quarter.

The Eagles’ inspired play continued through the first half of the second quarter, extending the lead to 26-15. The Wolverines were 7-of-25 from the field before Donelson and Co. started the charge to get back in the game.

“Their two leading scorers were creeping into their 1,000, that always makes a kid nervous, that kind of got in their head a little bit and this is the first time they’ve seen us at full strength and now they’re being able to see what the girls Pennsville basketball team can really bring,” Trapp said. “I think that was what executed that great 13-0 stretch at the beginning.

“I’ve been putting a big emphasis on playing together, looking ahead, focusing on using each other’s strength and I think that’s a big component. I keep telling the girls when we play together, when we’re sharing the ball, distributing the ball, making everybody work to help us get to a good place we play our best basketball.”

Nora Ausland led the Eagles with 21 points. Wood had 15.

Donelson’s 29 points matched her season-high. Pierman had 12 points and 15 rebounds for her fourth straight double-double. Battavio had 21 points and needs 19 to become the next member of Woodstown’s 1,000-Point Club.

WOODSTOWN 66, PENNSVILLE 57
WOODSTOWN (14-3) — Talia Battavio 7 4-4 21, Megan Donelson 9 7-8 29, Gianna Mairoini 1 0-2 2, Alyssa Baber 0 1-2 1, Shannon Pierman 4 4-4 12, Lauren Hengel 0 1-2 1, Emma Perry 0 0-0 0, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 17-22 66.
PENNSVILLE (7-11) — Celli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Nora Ausland 9 1-1 21, Taylor Bass 3 2-2 9, Karsen Cooksey 0 2-2 2, Bella Farina 1 2-2 4, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Izzy Saulin 2 2-2 6, Marley Wood 7 0-2 15. Totals 22 9-11 57.

Woodstown8242311 —66
Pennsville17131017 —57
3-point goals: Woodstown 7 (Battavio 3, Donelson 4); Pennsville 4 (N. Ausland 2, Bass, Wood). Fouled out: Farina. Total fouls: Woodstown 16, Pennsville 18.

WILDWOOD 67, SALEM 22
WILDWOOD (14-4) — Sophia Wilber 4 3-4 12, Angela Wilber 2 0-0 5, Macie McCracken 9 0-0 25, Saliah Sumlin 2 0-0 4, Rebecca Benichou 8 1-2 20, Cydnee Kilian 0 0-0 0, Mia Cripps 0 1-4 1, Ashley Nagle 0 0-0 0, Janet Gonzalez 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 5-10 67.
SALEM (7-10) — Ryann Foote 1 1-6 3, Ava Rodgers 3 1-2 7, Ameriyona Hunter 1 0-0 3, Kaela Nichols 1 0-0 3, Carlysia Pierce 1 0-0 2, NaeNae Logan 1 0-0 2, Marjziah Bundy 1 0-0 2, Zaniyah Freison 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Hickman 0 0-0 0, Marissa Bower 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 2-8 22.

Wildwood19191613 —67
Salem7645 —22
3-point goals: Wildwood 12 (S. Wilber, A. Wilber, McCracken 7, Benichou 3); Salem 2 (Hunter, Nichols). Rebounds: Wildwood 29 (McCracken 9, Sumlin 9); Salem 57 (Rodgers 13, Logan 10).

CLAYTON 51, SALEM TECH 30
SALEM TECH (1-13) — Morgan VanDover 5 3-4 15, Kaylin Beardsley 2 0-0 5, Hanna DeWitt 1 0-2 2, Rylee Doerr 2 0-0 4, Shelby Drummond 2 0-0 4. Totals 12 3-6 30.
CLAYTON (8-9) — Jordyn Jones 9 6-8 24, Deondria Simon 4 1-2 9, Ava Delaney 4 0-0 8, India Williams 1 0-0 3, Janice Blair 0 2-4 2, Kaya Gunther 1 1-4 3, Sophia Petsch 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 10-18 51.
Salem Tech65127 —30
Clayton9121516 —51
3-point goals: Salem Tech 3 (VanDover 2, Beardsley); Clayton 1 (Williams).

GLASSBORO 67, SCHALICK 14
SCHALICK (5-10) — Ava Scurry 1 0-2 2, Gianna Gaines 0 3-4 3, Taylor Sparks 1 0-0 3, Abby Willoughby 0 0-2 0, Cali Fisler 3 0-0 6, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-2 0, Carly Vicente 0 0-0 0. Totals 5 3-10 14.
GLASSBORO (11-5) — Sanaa Thomas 5 0-0 13, Tamia Smith 8 3-8 21, Kezia Bracektt 9 6-8 28, Sianna Wedderburn 2 0-2 4, Kimora Miles 0 1-2 1, Ante Davis 0 0-0 0, Jayde Darling 0 0-0 0, Nevaeh Cox-Clement 0 0-0 0, Samyra Lane 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 10-20 67.
Schalick2354 —14
Glassboro 1592518 —67
3-point goals: Schalick 1 (Sparks); Glassboro 9 (Thomas 3, Smith 2, Brackett 4). Fouled out: Davis. Total fouls: Schalick 16, Glassboro 13.

Farmer hits 1,000

Salem senior puts up 36 for second straight game, reaches milestone at home in fourth quarter; Pennsville’s Brooklyn-born bomber has breakout game in Eagles win

MONDAY’S BOYS SCORES
Pennsville 68, Gateway 46
Salem 96, Penns Grove 52

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM — Anthony Farmer wanted to get his 1,000th career point Monday night in the worst of ways — and for a lot of reasons.

The game against Penns Grove was at home in front of all his friends, fans and family. And it was against a respected county rival. If he could pull it off, chances are it would have come in another victory to move his Salem basketball team forward and, after weeks of it dangling out there, the chase would finally be over and they all could starting thinking of bigger things.

There are a lot of points in this picture. Salem coach Anthony Farmer (L) has 1700 in high school, 1000 in college. His son, Salem guard Anthony Farmer, got his 1000th point Monday.

But 35 points is a big ask, especially in a rivalry. That’s what he needed coming into the game. Yet he was confident.

The senior guard got his 35 Monday and then some. He maxed out at 36 — for the second game in a row — in the Rams’ 96-52 win.

“I wanted to get it tonight bad,” he said, while his teammates hovered around chanting 1K, 1K as he spoke. “This is a rivalry game. Since my sophomore year these games are big. We always look forward to playing Penns Grove and I really wanted it here at home against them.

“(The milestone) has been on my mind for weeks now, so I’m excited to get it over with and move on with the season. We’ve got a whole lot of season left. I know my dad’s (Rams coach Anthony Farmer) happy to get it out the way. I’m done talking about it. We can move on now.”

Anticipation for the milestone built throughout the second half, especially after Farmer scored 17 in the first half to cut his target in half. It was absolutely tingling after he scored eight straight points for his team across the third and fourth quarters to get the target within single digits.

About the only disappointing part of it all was he got the historic point on a mundane free throw with 7:09 left in the fourth quarter when he was fouled driving to the basket after missing two 3-pointers.

Both teams retreated to mid-court when Farmer went to the line standing at 999, partly out of respect for the player and the moment and partly because there was a technical foul called right after the original foul.

When he drained the first of the free throws — there were four altogether — for points 35 and 1,000, he raised his arms in relief and triumph and the crowd rushed the floor. The mass of humanity eventually carried him into a dogpile in the corner of the gym near the DJ stand. There were T’s for that, too.

“It was just a great moment; one he’ll remember forever,” Coach Farmer said. “And it wasn’t scripted.”

“It happened all so fast,” young Anthony said. “Like snapping your finger, I’m crowded.”

Farmer’s heart still was racing when order was restored and he returned to the line with free throws to take. He’s a good free throw shooter as it is — 78 percent this year — and was working on 11 in a row and 24 of his last 25 at the time of his 1,000th point, but understandably he was short on the second free throw and the first tech. 

But he added point 1,001 to complete the sequence and retired for the evening cheering enthusiastically from the bench while the rest of his teammates attempted to break the scoreboard. The Rams had 90 points with three minutes left in the game.

“I’m really happy about it; he deserved it,” said teammate Jabez DeJesus, one of the first to mob him after the milestone point. “I was really excited because I assisted a lot of those points of his. It means a lot. Now his name is going to be on the banner up there so it means a lot to the city, the school. I’m happy for him.”

The milestone might have been on everyone’s mind, but so was the game. The Rams were looking to extend their season winning streak to three games and winning streak against county competition to 12 straight. (Penns Grove was the last county team to beat them, Feb. 16, 2021). Farmer the player admitted he wanted to be “a little more aggressive than usual” because of the circumstances, but everything he did in the high-scoring night was done within the context of the game.

He wasn’t forcing shots. If he were all about getting the points he needed for the milestone he would’ve taken it to the hole both times he made steals at midcourt on the back of that eight-point second-half run. Instead, he fed Xavier McGriff and Tymear Lecator for fast-break layups that extended the Rams’ lead. 

“I wasn’t concerned about that,” his father said. “I’ve been telling him if you go out there and you don’t play the right kind of basketball you’re going to sit next to me. The 1,000 will come. We’re trying to string together wins, we’re trying to play the right way of basketball to get ready for next month, to try to make a run in Group I; that’s our goal.

“I didn’t think he’d actually do it tonight, but we realized at halftime he was halfway there, so he went for it.”

Farmer is the 27th player in Salem history to reach the milestone, 17th boy, and first since Gage Ausland in 2020.

And he’s the second player in his house with 1,000. His father and coach, Anthony Farmer, scored more than 1,700 points at St. Augustine as a high schooler and 1,000 at Rutgers.Little Anthony was at the game dad scored his 1000th for Rutgers (against DePaul), so it was only fitting his dad was there when he made it.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” the elder Farmer said. “I don’t know how many duos in South Jersey, father-son, (have done it), let alone I had a chance to coach the kid to his 1,000; it’s really special. It’s a great honor. He gets to go down with some of the greats in the state. I’m proud of the kid.”

SALEM 96, PENNS GROVE 52
PENNS GROVE (5-11) – Brandon Robbins 2 0-0 5, Roman Gipson 1 1-4 3, Giomar Conrad 2 2-6 6, KaRon Ceaser 2 3-6 7, Willie Slocum 2 4-6 8, Mekhi Ballard 4 1-2 12, Camron Thompson 0 0-2 0, Luis Colon 1 0-0 2, Mr Peterson 0 0-0 0, Neziah Spence 1 2-4 5, Will Roe 2 0-0 4. Totals 17 13-30 52.
SALEM (10-6) – Anthony Farmer 11 12-14 36, Ramaji Bundy 1 0-0 2, Jabez DeJesus 5 1-2 14, Paul Weathers 3 0-2 6, Tymear Lecator 7 3-3 20, Xavier McGriff 2 0-0 4, Donovan Weathers 1 0-0 2, Antwone Rogers 0 0-0 0, Marshall Stephens 0 0-0 0, Cole Sayers 2 2-2 6, Davonte Jackson 2 0-0 6. Totals 34 18-23 96.

Penns Grove14101216 –52
Salem22242525 –96
3-point goals: Penns Grove 5 (Robbins, Ballard 3, Spence); Salem 10 (Farmer 2, DeJesus 3, Lecator 3, Johnson 2). Technical fouls: Penns Grove 2, P. Weathers, Lecator, Salem (admin). Total fouls: Penns Grove 17, Salem 20.

PENNSVILLE 68, GATEWAY 46: The Eagles have been waiting for Jayden Thomas, their Brooklyn-born bomber, to have a game like this. The senior put 25 points on the hapless Gators (1-16) to help his team snap a four-game road losing streak.

Thomas had put together three straight double-figure games last week, but his big night Monday beat his previous Pennsville best by eight points. It was a painful night in some respects, however, as he rolled an ankle late in the game and left on crutches.

Pennsville junior Luke Wood, the first Salem County player to reach the 1,000-point mark this season, added to his total with 18 points.

PENNSVILLE 68, GATEWAY 46
PENNSVILLE (7-10) – Luke Wood 7 2-3 18, Jayden Thomas 9 5-7 25, Peyton O’Brien 2 3-7 7, Mason O’Brien 4 1-3 9, Cohen Petrutz 3 0-0 6, Connor Starn 1 0-0 3. Totals 26 11-20 68.
GATEWAY (1-16) – A’Key Talley 2 1-4 5, Peter Frombach 2 1-4 5, Benji Bontarino 2 0-0 4, Steven Moriachetta 4 0-0 8, Sean Simmons 8 3-5 22, Sean Cawley 1 0-1 2. Totals 19 5-14 46.

Pennsville10132520 –68
Gateway12111020 –46
3-point goals: Pennsville 5 (Wood 2, Thomas 2, Starn); Gateway 3 (Simmons 3).


Bringing the 3

Girls basketball: Woodstown buried under barrage of Wildwood 3s; fourth quarter goes in opposite directions for Salem, Pennsville; Schalick rolls over Salem Tech

THURSDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Clayton 67, Pennsville 50
Salem 62, Overbrook 44
Schalick 44, Salem Tech 8
Wildwood 84, Woodstown 57

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WILDWOOD – The Woodstown girls made the two-hour trip to the shore Thursday for one of their biggest basketball games of the season and when they got there a four-alarm fire broke out.

Now before anyone gets concerned, it wasn’t a physical fire. The venerable old school on Pacific Avenue is still standing. It’s just that the Wildwood team Woodstown played was on fire from behind the 3-point arc the likes of which the Wolverines had never seen before.

The Warriors, the No. 1 team in South Jersey Group I power points, busted 21 3-pointers in the first three quarters and ran past the Wolverines 84-57.

“Cudos to them, but, geez, they even had some of their fans saying we never shoot like that,” Woodstown coach Kara Straughn said. “They were like, yeah, we’re good shooters, but what the heck. I was like, what the heck.”

The Warriors (12-3) hit 13 of the deep balls in the first half – and their first eight buckets of the third quarter were 3s. At one point 16 straight of their baskets were 3s. They came from four players – Macie McCracken, Sophia Wilber, Angela Wilber and Rebecca Benichou.

Angela Wilber and McCracken each had seven and finished with 25 and 31 points, respectively. Benichou had six for all 18 of her points. Sophia Wilber hit the first one of the game and it was on. Woodstown hit two 3s in the game.

The Warriors took 42 3-pointers in the game and were hitting from everywhere. When Benichou banked one in from the top of the key early in the third quarter, if you didn’t know it then, you just felt they couldn’t miss. When they shot one and didn’t make, the crowd was disappointed. 

And it wasn’t like the Wolverines were just letting them shoot. They actually played good defense denying anything inside, the Warriors just worked it around until they got that outside shot.

“We went through five different defenses and nothing seemed to be it,” Straughn said. “If we guarded them up top, they would hit them on the baseline. If we guarded the baseline, they would hit them at the top of the key. They were just on fire.”

And the Wolverines got enough offense that would have won most of their games, they just couldn’t keep pace with the 3s. Talia Battavio led Woodstown with 18 points and made it a doiuble-double with 10 assists. Megan Donelson had 17 points and Shannon Pierman had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

It was the fifth time this year the Warriors had 10 or more 3s in a game. Their previous single-game high this season was 16 against Clayton. They topped that Thursday midway through the third quarter and showed no signs of stopping. They made it 20 when McCracken hit one from the top of the key with 1:12 left in the third.

The loss snapped Woodstown’s six-game winning streak. The Wolverines (11-3) were third in SJ-I power points entering the game. Curiously, by the end of the game, despite the loss, they had moved up to No. 2 in the power points, but after the results of some other games slipped back to No. 3 behind Woodbury. 

“I think they’re pretty accurate right now,” Straughn said. “We’ve beaten some really good teams and they continue to win, so I think that bumped us up. Pennsville and Clayton played tonight; if either one of those teams win we get points because we beat them.

“I would love the No. 1 seed. It would be possible, Wildwood has some tough games and we’ve got some big games coming up. It’s not out of the question, but it’s going to be tough. Either way, I think on February 10 I think it’s going to be Wildwood and us 1 and 2, whichever way it goes. That’s my 99.9 percent promise.”

WILDWOOD 84, WOODSTOWN 57
WOODSTOWN (11-3) – Talia Battavio 7 3-4 18, Megan Donelson 8 0-0 17, Alyssa Baber 2 2-2 6, Shannon Pierman 6 0-0 12, Lauren HEngel 2 0-0 4. Totals 25 5-6 57.
WILDWOOD (12-3) – Sophia Wilber 1 5-6 8, Angela Wilber 9 0-0 25, Macie McCracken 10 4-8 31, Kaliah Sumlin 1 0-0 2, Cydnee Kilian 0 0-0 0, Rebecca Benichou 6 0-0 18, Ashley Nagle 0 0-0 0, Mia Cripps 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 9-14 84.

Woodstown15121515 –57
Wildwood1934265 –84
3-point goals: Woodstown 2 (Battavio, Donelson); Wildwood 21 (S. Wilber, A. Wilber 7, McCracken 7, Benichou 6). Total fouls: Woodstown 13, Wildwood 8.

SALEM 62, OVERBROOK 44: The Rams erupted for an 18-4 fourth quarter to pull away from a game that was tight for three quarters.

They got six points each from Ryann Foote and Ava Rodgers in the quarter to fuel the flurry. Rogers had 14 points in the second half and led all scorers with 23. Foote finished with 19.

“It was an intense game, back and forth, and they took all the fire and put their foot on their necks and never let go,” Salem coach Tiasia Tatem said. “We had a conversation at halftime and let them know it was going to be an intense game and it was going to come down to who wants it more. The third quarter I could see the fire coming.”

It was the second game in a row the Rams used a big fourth quarter to pull away. They outscored Pitman 17-6 in the fourth quarter of their last game – and 31-14 in the second half – to stretch a slim halftime lead.

“The last two games it’s been the team I’ve been waiting for and what we had,” Tatem said. “There’s been a lot of communication, a lot of holding each other accountable, a lot of coaching on the floor. They’re pushing each other. It’s beautiful to see we’re hitting that stride as a team.”

OVERBROOK (3-9) – Jael Presley 4 2-5 10, Sarah Evans 2 0-0 6, Lelani Knight 0 0-0 0, Ahlani White 0 0-0 0, Zahaisha Nevius 6 5-16 20, Gianna Simon 3 0-0 6, Nahia Smith 0 0-0 0, Taija Wiggins 0 0-0 0, Kaylee Burkhardt 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 7-21 44.
SALEM (6-8) – Ryann Foote 6 6-7 19, Ava Rodgers 8 7-10 23, Ameriyona Hunter 0 0-2 0, Carlysia Pierce 5 0-0 10, Dahkirah Grey 0 0-0 0, Kaela Nichols 0 0-0 0, Naveah Hickman 1 0-0 2, Marjziah Bundy 0 0-0 0, Madison Dixon 3 0-2 8. Totals 23 13-21 62.

Overbrook1512134 –44
Salem12181418 –62
3-point goals: Overbrook 5 (Evans 2, Nevius 3); Salem 3 (Foote, Dixon 2). Fouled out: Presley. Total fouls: Overbook 20, Salem 18.

SCHALICK 44, SALEM TECH 8: Carly Vicente scored a career-high 14 points and Schalick held the Chargers scoreless in two quarters on the way to their third win in the last four games. Vicente’s previous career high was 13 against LEAP Academy earlier this season.

“She was hitting shots all night,” Cougars coach John Whelan said. “It was really good to see her shoot the ball with confidence. She is growing towards her potential of being the scorer we know she can be and showing she can be a major piece of the team. I’m excited to watch her continue to grow.”

SCHALICK (5-7) – Cianna Gaines 2 0-2 4, Taylor Sparks 2 1-2 5, Carly Vicente 6 0-0 14, Abby Willoughby 2 0-0 6, Cali Fisler 4 1-2 9, Kyleigh Cutler 1 0-0 2, Olivia Lunemann 2 0-0 4, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 2-6 44.
SALEM TECH (1-11) – Drummond 1 0-0 2, Hanna DeWitt 1 1-4 3, Kaylin Beardsley 1 0-0 3. Totals 3 1-4 8.

Schalick814814 –44
Salem Tech0206 –8
3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Vicente 2, Willoughby 2); Salem Tech 1 (Beardsley).

CLAYTON 67, PENNSVILLE 50: The Eagles went shot for shot with the Clippers for three quarters, but ran out of gas in the fourth, had two key players foul out and were outscored 20-4. Taylor Bass had her best game since returning from an injury, leading the Eagles with a season-high 20 points.

Clayton’s Rainelle Blocker led all scorers with 32 points.

PENNSVILLE (6-8) – Taylor Bass 9 2-5 20, Karsen Cooksey 1 0-0 2, Bella Farina 3 0-2 6, Kylie Harris 1 0-0 2, Izzy Saulin 1 1-5 3, Marley Wood 7 2-2 17, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Calli Ausland 0 0-0 0, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 5-14 50.
CLAYTON (7-8) – Jordyn Jones 5 0-1 10, Rainelle Blocker 12 7-12 32, Rosalina Pereira 1 0-0 2, Deondria Simon 2 4-4 8, Ava Delaney 4 1-5 11, India Williams 0 0-0 0, Janice Blair 1 0-0 2, K. Guntner 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 12-22 67.
Pennsville1021154 –50
Clayton15171320 –67
3-point goals: Pennsville 1 (Wood); Clayton 2 (Blocker, Delaney). Technical fouls: Bass. Fouled out: Farina, Wood, Jones. Total fouls: Pennsville 17, Clayton 17.


Setting the stage

Woodstown, Pennsville pick up wins over larger schools to set the stage for their big match Friday

WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
Clayton at Salem
Schalick/Cumberland 63, Penns Grove 18
Woodstown 64, Overbrook 15
Pennsville 35, at Timber Creek 27

By Riverview Sports News

Woodstown and Pennsville are big rivals on the wrestling mat and both picked up big wins Wednesday in the run up to their big match on Friday that carries South Jersey Group I playoff seeding implications.

PEREZ

The two teams went into the day Nos. 4 and 5 in the sectional power points standings, separated by only six-tenth of a point at the end of the night. Woodstown beat Group II Overbrook 64-15 and Pennsville beat Group III Timber Creek 35-27.

“The way we kind of see how things are unfolding it could put us in a couple different positions, for sure,” Pennsville coach John Starcevich said Friday’s match. “But it always ends up being a big match.”

The Eagles wrestled what Starcevich called “a complete match” against the Chargers, winning the first seven bouts they wrestled and eight of the first nine. 

“This was our best performance of the season across the board,” Starcevich said.

Chris Daniels and Ayden Perez got the ball rolling with two of the Eagles’ most noteworthy wins of the match. Daniels bumped up in weight and took a 6-1 decision at 126 and Perez stepped in at 132 and earned a dominating 10-0 major decision.

“That was very big,” Perez said of his fourth varsity win this season. “I haven’t been wrestling for very long, so going to the varsity level is difficult to me, but I’ve been trying to work as hard as I could. This was one of the best (matches) I’ve wrestled.”

Woodstown built a 28-15 lead through the middle of the match, then won the last six bouts – five by pin – to lock up their third straight win. Willem Groom (138), Angel Hernandez (144), Zayden Donahue (157), Zach Bevis (165) and Greyson Hyland (175) had the pins in the run.

“The kids are trying their best and improving,” Woodstown coach Adam Hyland said. “We’ve lost a lot of close matches, but they’ve stayed the course.”

PENNSVILLE 35, TIMBER CREEK 27
126: Christopher Daniels (P) dec. Naim Mosley, 6-1
132: Ayden Perez (P) maj. dec. over Dominick Wolfenden, 10-0
138: Travis Hagan (P) pinned Joey Walker, 3:46
144: Maddox Efelis (P) dec. Eric Rambaran, 6-1
150: Sky Eppes (P) won by forfeit
157: Gavin Bates (T) won by forfeit
165: Robbie McDade (P) dec. Zyeir Green, 5-4
175: Connor Ayars (P) maj. dec. over Elijah Green, 9-1
190: Elias Lussi (P) dec. Amir Reason-Dallas, 9-4
215: Josh Bartell (T) dec. Daniel Emmons, 5-0
285: Trevor Waddington (P) pinned Jayson Ross, 0:31
106: Lucas Thomas (P) dec. Dominic Speakman, 5-3
113: Matthew Steele (T) pinned Ciccantelli, 0:58
120: Devin Karge (T) won by forfeit
Records: Pennsville 13-4, Timber Creek 7-6

WOODSTOWN 64, OVERBROOK 15
190: Karsten Hantho (Wo) pinned Daniel Keyes, 2:47
215: Mateo Vinciguerra (Wo) pinned Augustus Guzman, 0:29
285: Tomas Sanchez (O) pinned Braiden Gould, 5:56
106: Chase Blandino (Wo) won by forfeit
113: Zoe Torraya (O) won by forfeit
120: Travis Balback (Wo) pinned Michael Walls, 5:07
126: Carson Bradway (Wo) maj. dec. over Francis McLaughlin, 8-0
132: Michael Rosano (O) dec. Alex Torres, 7-1
138: Willem Groom (Wo) pinned Domiano Redrow, 2:25
144: Angel Hernandez (Wo) pinned Tymere Christmas, 3:52
150: Brett Rowand (Wo) won by forfeit
157: Zayden Donahue (Wo) pinned Randall Ringstaff, 1:09
165: Zach Bevis (Wo) pinned Ben Matos, 1:52
175: Greyson Hyland (Wo) pinned Vance Elder, 1:08
Records: Woodstown 6-10, Overbrook 4-11

SCHALICK/CUMBERLAND 63, PENNS GROVE 18
106: Caleb Jenkins (SC) won by forfeit
113: DeAnthony Harden (SC) won by forfeit
120: Gabrielle Rodriguez (SC) pinned Sultan Harris, 1:29
126: Chase Wiliams (SC) pinned Devin Arce, 0:55
132: Ryan Miller (SC) pinned Raeed Clark, 3:10
138: Daniel Lloyd (SC) pinned Adam Gonzales, 0:38
144: Ayden Jenkins (SC) maj. dec. over Nasir Garris, 18-5
150: Anthony Brown (PG) pinned Riley Papiano, 0:45
157: Michael Carastro (SC) pinned Jayden Owens, 3:07
165: Jake Magonagle (SC) pinned Antonio Garris, 3:13
175: Hebron Hall-Jones (SC) over Clinton Bobo, DQ
190: Isaiah Upshur (PG) pinned Gabriel Rodriguez, 1:06
215: Isaiah Underwood (PG) pinned Evan Elliott, 5:54
285: Noval Jenkins (SC) pinned Antonio Cooper, 1:59
Note: SC 1.0 team deduction (157 unsportsmanlike conduct)
Records: Schalick/Cumberland 11-4, Penns Grove 3-6

South Jersey Power Points

GROUP IRECPTSGROUP IVRECPTS
Paulsboro10-230.3N. Burlington10-129.2
Audubon10-527.4Hammonton11-527.8
Gloucester8-627.4Cherry Hill-West9-627.2
Woodstown6-1027.2Shawnee8-427.1
Pennsville13-426.6Moorestown9-727.1
Palmyra12-626Schalick10-425.9
Haddon Twp.6-924.6Millville8-725.3
Pitman6-623.1Central Reg.8-1125.2
Buena3-721Pennsauken7-924.1
Maple Shade4-820.8Toms River East3-824.1
Penns Grove3-520.29Clearview5-723.6
Burlington City4-715.4Toms River South5-522.4
Riverside1-1215West Tech5-1121.8
Salem0-49.75Winslow4-1320.6
Through matches of Jan. 24. Eight teams qualify for sectional tournament.

First-time winners

Both Salem Tech teams charge into the win column with their first victories of the season; includes other county boys and girls games

MONDAY’S BOYS SCORES
Schalick 42, Clayton 35
Glassboro 74, Pennsville 54
Salem Tech 55, Camden Tech 45
Gloucester Catholic 53, Salem 50
Clearview 58, Penns Grove 56

By Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – The third time, they say, is the charm and it was for the Salem Tech basketball team Monday night.

Playing Camden Tech for the third time this season, the Chargers had a pretty good idea of what their opponent was all about. They used those experiences to good form, especially in the fourth quarter, and pulled out a 55-45 victory for their first win of the season.

“We’ve still got work to do, but I’m very proud of them,” Chargers coach Bryan Riley said. “They showed me grit tonight.”

It was a good night all around for the Chargers. Their girls team also picked up their first win of the season, beating Camden Academy Charter 41-28.

The boys teams played in a pre-season scrimmage and a game in the ACIT Holiday Tournament.

On this night, the Chargers used a balanced scoring attack and a big fourth quarter on both ends of the floor to snap their 10-game season-opening losing streak. 

“We knew what they had and they knew what we had,” Riley said. “The big message was lock in on defense and capitalize at the rim when we took it. Defensively, they locked in in the first quarter and the fourth quarter.”

The Chargers grabbed a 10-4 lead in the first quarter, but Camden Tech battled back and carried the lead into the fourth. But the Chargers bowed up again and outscored their visitors 24-6 in the final eight minutes.

They were down five with three minutes to play and dug deeper to close it out.

Four Chargers scored in double figures with Antoine Robinson and Wills scoring 14 apiece. Robinson had eight in the fourth quarter and Wills had six. Haneef Frisby had six of his 11 in the fourth quarter.

CAMDEN TECH (5-8) – Frankie Clas 0 0-0 0, Sal Algeri 3 0-0 6, Isaiah Haynes 0 0-2 0, Alex Ojeda 1 0-0 2, Evan Brummel 5 0-1 11, Jamal Sosa 0 0-0 0, Xavier Figueroa 4 0-0 9, Mekhi Harper 4 1-3 9, Elijah Franks 1 0-0 2, Charles Barbour 0 0-0 0, Shareef Cox 3 0-0 6. Totals 21 1-6 45.
SALEM TECH (1-10) – Chase Wills 7 0-3 14, Haneef Frisby 4 3-4 11, Josh Muntz 3 3-6 10, Tyler Zampino 3 0-1 6, Antoine Robinson 6 2-4 14. Totals 23 8-18 55.

Camden Tech416196 –45
Salem Tech1014724 –55
3-point goals: Camden Tech 2 (Brummel, Figueroa); Salem Tech 1 (Muntz). Fouled out: Cox. Total fouls: Camden Tech 23, Salem Tech 16.

CLEARVIEW 58, PENNS GROVE 56: Daulton Phalines’ layup with 12 seconds left broke a 56-56 tie and the Pioneers held their breath down the stretch.

The Red Devils had two shots in the closing seconds to either take the lead or tie it. Mekhi Ballard, who had the hot hand all night, missed an open 3 and Willie Slocum’s tip at the buzzer didn’t fall. 

Ballard hit a career-high six 3-pointers in the game and led all scorers with a career-high 22 points, his third career 20-point game and first since February 2022.  Kaprice Stewart led Clearview with 18. Phalines finished with 16.

PENNS GROVE (5-8) – Roman Gipson 4 0-0 8, Giomar Conrad 5 0-0 10, Karon Ceaser 2 1-2 6, Willie Slocum 3 2-2 8, Mekhi Ballard 7 2-2 22, Mr Peterson 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 5-6 56.
CLEARVIEW (7-6) – Kaprice Stewart 6 4-6 18, Daulton Phalines 8 0-1 16, Michael Guy 1 1-2 3, Jake Slotter 2 0-0 5, Russ Manel 4 0-0 9, Jonah Turner 3 1-3 7. Totals 24 6-12 58.

Penns Grove11151416 –56
Clearview1813423 –58
3-point goals: Penns Grove 7 (Ceaser, Ballard 6); Clearview 4 (Stewart 2, Slotter, Manel).

GLASSBORO 74, PENNSVILLE 54: Charles Graves and Clinton Suggs each scored 22 points and Xavier Sabb had a double-double to lead the Bulldogs. Jayden Thomas and Luke Wood had 12 points apiece for Pennsville.

PENNSVILLE (5-8) – Luke Wood 4 2-2 12, Peyton O’Brien 3 3-4 9, Malik Rehmer 1 1-1 3, Daniel Saulin 3 1-3 7, Cohen Petrutz 2 0-1 4, Jayden Thomas 5 2-2 12, Mason O’Brien 1 2-4 4, Cole Johnston 1 0-0 2, Connor Starn 0 1-2 0. Totals 20 12-19 54.
GLASSBORO (6-7) – Xavier Sabb 5 5-11 15, Charles Graves 6 8-8 22, Clinton Suggs 8 5-6 22, Michael Dougherty 2 1-2 7, Josh Buff 1 0-0 3, William Boggans 1 0-0 3, Jayce Grays 1 0-0 2, Aiden Harris 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 19-27 74.

Pennsville141112 17 –54
Glassboro15182219 –74
3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (Wood 2); Glassboro 7 (Graves 2, Suggs, Dougherty 2, Buff, Boggans). Technical fouls: Saulin. Total fouls: Pennsville 16, Glassboro 14. 

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 53, SALEM 50: The Rams tied the game at 50, but the Lions made three free throws down the stretch to win it.

The Rams hit a pair of free throws to tie the game. The Lions made the first of two to retake the lead, Salem rebounded the missed second shot but turned it over and to foul again for the final margin.

GC’s Jack Mustaro led all scorers with 25 points, Carlos Mendez had 13 points and Kyle Guldin grabbed 12 rebounds. Jabez DeJesus led the Rams with 19 points. Anthony Farmer had 15 and is now 112 points shy of joining his father and coach as career 1,000-point scorers.

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC (7-5) – Carlos Mendez 4 4-6 13, Jack Mustaro 7 8-10 25, Trey Battle 4 1-1 9, Kyle Guldin 3 0-0 6, Ehthan Dugue 0 0-0 0, Billy Ginipro 0 0-0 0, Nick Calzonetti 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 13-17 53.
SALEM (7-5) – Anthony Farmer 5 2-3 15, Jabez DeJesus 6 4-7 19, Paul Weathers 4 1-2 9, Tymear Lecator 2 0-1 4, Donovan Weathers 1 0-0 3. Totals 18 7-13 50.

Gloucester Catholic1361420 –53
Salem11111315 –50
3-point goals: Gloucester Catholic 4 (Mendez, Mustaro 3); Salem 7 (Farmer 3, DeJesus 3, D. Weathers).

Girls Games

MONDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Schalick 46, Pennsauken Tech 32
Paulsboro 68, Salem 65 (2 OT)
Salem Tech 41, Camden Academy Charter 28

SCHALICK 46, PENNSAUKEN TECH 32: Ava Scurry scored a career-high 16 points and the Cougars got good play from a different pair of players each half to score their second straight victory.

Scurry and Cianna Gaines were strong on the interior in the first half, combining for 15 points as the Cougars opened a 21-17 halftime lead. Guards Taylor Sparks and Abby Willoughby combined for 17 points in the second half and both of their 3-pointers to help them pull away.

Willoughby had six of her eight points in the third quarter and Sparks had 11 of her 13 in the second half.

“Taylor hit a lot of big shots for us in critical moments through the game,” Schalick coach John Whelan said. “The team moved the ball and put forth a really good defensive effort, especially in the second half.”

SCHALICK (4-6) – Ava Scurry 6 4-9 16, Cianna Gaines 3 1-4 7, Taylor Sparks 6 0-0 13, Abby Willoughby 2 3-6 8, Katie Little 1 0-0 2, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-0 0, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Kyleigh Cutler 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 8-19 46.
PENNSAUKEN TECH (3-5) – Loreny Medina 7 0-0 16, Jannah Jalosjos 1 0-0 2, Xyaliyah Somers 5 0-2 10, Elizabeth Fernandez 0 0-0 0, Sarah Garner 2 0-2 4, Kayla Klotz 0 0-0 0, NaBry Jenkins 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 0-4 32.

Schalick1110169 – 46
Pennsauken Tech611411 –32
3-point goals: Schalick 2 (Sparks, Willoughby); Pennsauken Tech 2 (Medine 2). Total fouls: Schalick 8, Pennsauken Tech 12.

PAULSBORO 68, SALEM 65 (2 OTs): In the end of the longest game of Salem coach Tiasia Tatem’s tenure, her Rams simply ran out of players with varsity experience and time on the clock.

It was a game of runs and attrition. Three players on each side fouled out. The Rams made a big run in the fourth quarter behind some unsung reserves to rally from a 43-36 third-quarter deficit, but it was Paulsboro that sent the game into overtime. 

The Red Raiders tied it at 53 with 16 seconds left in regulation. Salem had a chance to win it, but threw a bad inbounds pass and Paulsboro couldn’t get a shot before the clock ran out. A free throw by Ryann Foote sent the game into a second overtime and the Red Raiders went on a four-point run at the end to win it.

“It went back and forth pretty much the entire game,” Tatem said. “It came down to the wire. They had three girls foul out, we had three girls foul out. It came down to experience and they had more varsity experience. It was not enough varsity experience, not enough time.”

Paulsboro’s Brookelyn Graham led all scorers with 38 points. She had 18 in the fourth quarter and overtimes, including 8-of-11 from the free throw line. Foote scored a career-high 27 for Salem and grabbed 11 rebounds. 

SALEM (4-8) – Ryann Foote 8 10-20 27, Ava Rodgers 3 2-8 8, Marissa Bower 4 1-8 10, Ameriyona Hunter 2 0-0 5, Zaniyah Freison 3 0-0 6, Madison Dixon 3 2-6 9, Marjziah Bundy 0-0-0, Kaela Nichols 0-0-0. Totals 23 15-42 65.
PAULSBORO (5-6) – Londyn Graham 3 0-0 6, Brookelyn Graham 13 12-19 38, Dasoni Scott 6 2-4 14, Ianna Veney 1 0-2 2, Deamya Bagby 3 0-4 7, Alaysia Bumpers 0 1-3 1, Kemea Tate 0 0-0 0, Briasya Johns 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 15-32 68.

Salem1211131739 –65
Paulsboro131218103 12 –68
3-point goals: Salem 4 (Foote, Bower, Hunter, Dixon); Paulsboro 1 (Bagby). Fouled out: Rodgers, Hunter, Fresion, Graham, Veney, Johns. Total fouls: Salem 27, Paulsboro 30.

Friendly rivalry

For the two coaches in the Pennsville-Penns Grove basketball game, tomorrow they can be friends, today they fight

THURSDAY’S BOYS GAMES
Glassboro 55, Woodstown 47
Overbrook 58, Schalick 31
Penns Grove 75, Pennsville 65
Pitman def. Salem Tech
Salem 90, Clayton 52

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – For everybody else at the Paul W. Carleton School it was just another day at school, but for two of the teachers there it was a day a little different than all others.

For 363 days of the year, Damian Ware and Joe Mecholsky are teachers in the same school. One, Ware, teaches the fifth graders in an upstairs classroom. The other, Mecholsky, has the fourth graders downstairs.

They wave familiarly when they pass in the halls. They have the same planning period and often sit together talking basketball, comparing notes on common opponents.

But Thursday, while the conversation may be cordial and more poor mouth than trash talk, this day is different.

Every other day of the year they’re Carleton School teachers through and through, but when this school day ended Thursday they were trying to beat each other’s brains in as the coaches of the Penns Grove and Pennsville basketball teams that also, by the way, happen to be their high school alma maters.

“Oh, we’ll talk,” Ware said. “We don’t trade secrets or anything, but we’ll have general conversations about hoops and stuff like that.

“It’s actually a lot of fun. We have fun with each other. Neither one of us take anything personally. It’s all fun. It’s all about the kids. It’s a competitive, fun thing, basically.”

Everybody in the school gets caught up in it. Teachers and students are always asking when they’re going to play. The students get a kick out of watching their Mr. M coach the opposition.

Their teams have met nine times in the previous six years they’ve been head coaches at their alma maters and Ware has had the best of it, winning eight of them. Mecholsky finally broke through in the first meeting last season – in the Hyper-Baric Chamber that is Penns Grove’s gym – but the Red Devils got them back in Pennsville in the rematch.

(UPDATE: Ware made it nine out of 10 against his buddy Thursday night as the Red Devils won 75-65.)

There have been some memorable games though.

“We aren’t friendly while coaching against each other because every chance that son of a gun has had a chance to put 100 on my head he does it,” Mecholsky said. “He doesn’t try to hold back his team. He doesn’t try to be nice. No-o-o-o.

“One year (2018), they scored 100 on us and had a foul called so they took the 100 off the board. The next possession instead of just dribbling out the clock, with the crowd going ‘one hundred, one hundred,’ he scored again, so the crowd got to celebrate twice.

“And then the next morning we had breakfast together at the Deepwater Diner as if nothing happened.”

The game has no name, like the Wildman Willey Boot the teams play for in football, and strangely there have been no special wagers between the coaches like mayors and governors sometime do during football bowl games. Those things aren’t needed here. They’re playing for something more. Much more.

“We bet the one thing that can’t be bought with money – pride,” Mecholsky said. “When I see him in the hall the next day and I look at him, yea-h-h-h, I’m able to say I got you. And if he gets me, he’ll give me the same thing. We get on each other, but it’s brotherly love.”

When Friday morning comes things will return to normal for everyone at the Carleton School, unless, of course, school gets canceled or delayed by the impending snowstorm. Ware will make his way upstairs to teach his fifth graders and Mecholsky will head to downstairs to be with his fourth graders.

They’ll pass each other in the halls and get together during their planning period and talk ball as if nothing had happened. Only this time one will have a little extra pep in their step that’s not likely to subside until they play again the last day of the regular season.

“During the game we’re rivals and want to beat each other, Pennsville-Penns Grove,” Mecholsky said, “but right after the game it’s a handshake, it’s a hug and we’re back to work tomorrow.”

Who knows, they might even have breakfast at the Deepwater Diner together again.

Battavio breaks out

Woodstown junior hits a 3 to spark run that lifts Wolverines in SJIBT, hit her 100th 3-pointer earlier in game

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Talia Battavio and her Woodstown girls basketball teammates needed a spark. The junior guard was fighting through another Saturday shooting slump and the Wolverines were locked in a tight game that early on didn’t look like it would be. They both needed something to happen and they needed it quickly.

That’s when Battavio, as she’s done throughout her career, got the ball at the top of the key and smoothly drained another 3-pointer to break a tie that in the first quarter didn’t seem likely.

It touched off an 8-0 run that put Woodstown back on top and propelled it to a 46-33 victory over Eastern in the South Region of the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament. The fourth-seeded Wolverines (8-2) now play at Camden Catholic (4-7) in the second round, likely Friday depending on next week’s weather. They have to get it done by January 27.

Woodstown’s Talia Battavio displays that banner that will hang in the gym commemorating her 100 career 3-pointers. She reached the milestone in the first quarter Saturday.

“Usually I don’t remember (particular shots), but that one I do,” Battavio said. “It got me really fired up and I was like, ‘We’re in this. I know what I have to do,’ and we put it away.” 

Woodstown coach Kara Straughn knew what Battavio’s go-ahead 3-pointer meant as soon as it slipped past the rim. When it went down, she turned to her dad and assistant coach Dave Wildermuth in the seat next to her and said, “That’s the game-winner; it’s done.”

It meant a lot more than that.

It got Battavio back on track as a shooter. She followed the tie-breaking 3 with a three-point play that extended the lead to six, then threw a sharp pass to running mate Megan Donelson for a layup that made it 32-24 and forced the Vikings to call time.

And she kept going. Battavio scored 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the second half and finished with 23 points. It was her third straight 20-point game of the week after a dreadful shooting Saturday against Our Lady of Mercy. In the second half alone against the Villagers she was 0-for-16, and that’s when she usually does her best work.

“After that OLMA game I got in the gym because that was worst shooting I’ve had in years,” she said. “I knew what I had to do and I got in the gym and I shot and I shot and I shot.”

It didn’t surprise Straughn, nor did the results.

“She works her butt off,” the coach said. “She’s the first one in the gym, she stays an hour after practice, so when you see her play like this in the second half and she does all those things you need her do against a great team, that’s why she’s as good as she is, because she’s the one who puts in all those extra hours and all that extra work.”

It look like she was headed for another bout of the Saturday blues in the first half against the Vikings. She was 2-for-12, missing her last eight shots, but the first basket she did make was the 100th 3-pointer of her career. It came with 5:14 left in the first quarter.

Donelson hit her 100th 3-pointer Thursday against Pennsville. She had 11 points against the Vikings, but was active all game, diving on the floor at least eight times for loose balls.

Of course, both are on track for an even bigger milestones. After Saturday’s win, Battavio now has 853 career points and Donelson is at 860.

“There’s nobody like the two of them, but there’s nobody like them individually either,” Straughn said. “She (Battavio) needed that. We’ve played some really good teams and the last time we played a great team (OLMA) she was a little hurt, upset with herself, so she needed this. She said it was her comeback.”

SOUTH JERSEY INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
WOODSTOWN 46, EASTERN 33
EASTERN (4-7) – Leah Schuenemann 1 0-0 2, Marlee Praesel 0 0-0 0, Araba Abanyie 0 4-4 4, Madison Stuart 10 0-2 20, Remi Cherkas 2 3-5 7, Aubrey Benfield 0 0-0 0, Ashley Stanz 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 7-11 33.
WOODSTOWN (8-2) – Talia Battavio 8 5-5 23, Megan Donelson 5 0-0 11, Gianna Mairoini 2 0-0 4, Alyssa Baber 0 0-0 0, Shannon Pierman 3 1-2 7, Lauren Hengel 0 1-2 1. Totals 18 7-9 46.

Eastern81087 –33
Woodstown1661113 –46
3-point goals: Eastern 0; Woodstown 3 (Battavio 2, Donelson). Total fouls: Eastern 16, Woodstown 10. Officials: Johnson, Reiners, Merritt.