Tag: tri-county-conference

Salem shot-blocker

What’s in a name: NaeNae means no, no to shooters who dare come into the paint against the Rams; updated with reports and boxscores from Friday’s games

FRIDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Salem 75, Camden Academy 14
Penns Grove at Deptford Twp.
Paulsboro 32, Schalick 21
Pennsville 60, Bridgeton 30
SATURDAY’S GAMES
SJIBT Tournament
Eastern at Woodstown, 11:30 a.m.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – NaeNae Logan may be the most appropriately named basketball player in Salem County for what she does best on the court.

Tall and long, she has become a machine when it comes to blocking shots.

LOGAN

Think of NBA great Dikembe Mutombo knocking back boxes of Cheerios in the cereal aisle of the grocery store or swatting away paper wads before they make it to the classroom trash can and then wagging a disapproving finger and saying, “NaeNae, nay, not in my house.”

Through the first eight games of the season, NaeNae has returned a whopping 53 shots to sender. That includes a jaw-dropping 15 rejections in her first career triple-double against Oakcrest (10/11/15) in the Boardwalk Classic and five other games of five or more. She had 17 blocks in 11 games last year.

(UPDATE: Logan had six points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in the Rams’ 75-14 rout of Camden Academy Charter Friday night.)

“I’ve always had a passion for basketball, but, I don’t know, once I see that ball in my face I just go for it,” the 5-11 senior said. “It’s just a reflex for me.”

Rams coach Tiasia Tatem can’t remember a player with so many blocks and the body control not to foul.

The next closest player in the county to Logan’s numbers is Schalick’s Ava Scurry with 38 in seven games. Within the Tri-County Conference Classic and Diamond Divisions, the two divisions that house the Salem County teams, no one else comes close among those keeping that statistic.

“It’s like a gift,” Tatem said. “She’s one of those players you never really have to worry about being in foul trouble because she’s so clean on defense. I tell the girls all the time don’t worry about the shot block, keep your hands straight up, but with her it’s like her natural ability. It’s just amazing to watch. Her timing is there. It’s perfect to watch sometimes.”

It really is all natural. Logan hasn’t been to any camps or worked with any special coaches to perfect the skill and, frankly, if she was a little better on her feet she may even have more. Most of her blocks have come without her feet leaving the floor.

It probably would help her offensively as well. She’s scored only 43 points this season, but only one in the last three games and that was Thursday night against Schalick. But if one projects points to her blocks, she saved the Rams 30 points in those three games. 

“Everybody’s been saying how I’m doing so good, but I’m feeling like I could do more,” she said. “When I’m in that (shot blocking) mode, I try to get as many as I can.”

She certainly was in the zone that night in Wildwood against Oakcrest. The Falcons kept trying to attack the basket and she kept turning them away. The more she denied them, the more they tried. When the coaches told her the final tally on her blocks she got “pretty excited.”

“I’ll be amazed at myself sometimes,” she said. “Sometimes in that moment I don’t think I can do it until it happens and afterwards I’ll be like, all right, the numbers are rolling in.”

Admittedly, there have been times when Logan’s confidence has been what she called “rocky,” and really was on the verge of taking off when she left the team last season for reasons unrelated to basketball. She credits Tatem with reigniting the fire and getting her excited about playing again and her support system is now really quite strong.

“It’s more than just basketball with her and I never heard that from my other coach, so when she said that, it made me focus more and gain my confidence back,” Logan said. “Having her as my coach has been really, really good for me.”

It was easy for Tatem to gravitate to Logan. The second-year coach was an “average defender” who could guard the post during her 1,000-point career at Salem, but she wasn’t nearly the shot blocker her best defender has become, but she recognized how special the developing post player could be.

“Nae had it,” Tatem said. “It was always there, it was just waiting for somebody to come pull it out of her.

“When I got here, she was one of the players I grappled to early on and I pushed her. Early on she kind of fought back with me because she didn’t understand why I cared so much or was on her so much and I think this year it finally clicked that my coach actually cares about me, she sees the potential and she wants me to reach it.”

The light bulb moment came early on. During the Rams’ last preseason scrimmage the team wasn’t playing together and Logan stepped up in the huddle and spoke up like a coach to get her teammates going. 

And now she carries herself on and off with court with a quiet confidence that has the potential to bring big returns.

“I don’t think she’s reached her peak yet,” Tatem said. “There’s better to come from her.”

The Logan File

GAMEPTSRBSBKS
Glassboro (44-29 L)766
Pitman (45-36 L)984
Millville (42-27 L)785
Oakcrest (52-25 W)101115
Salem Tech (45-19 W)9128
Gateway (48-34 L)086
Wildwood (84-33 L)0136
Schalick (27-26 L)1143
Camden Acad. (75-14 W)673
TOTALS498756

Friday’s Games

Salem 75, Camden Acad. Charter 14

SALEM – After being held to 26 points in a loss the night before, the Rams’ focus turned to offense and they enjoyed their highest-scoring game since before 2010-11, the last year records are available.

It was almost six years to the day they last scored 70 in a game – 72 against Camden Academy Charter in January 2018. All three times the Rams have put up 70 in the last 14 years it has come at the expense of the Cougars.

“It was one of those nights where all the girls had to prove that they could be involved and they all scored,” Rams coach Tiasia Tatem said. “This was a big game that we needed just to come back from a game where we only scored 26 points and then you come into a game like tonight where you score 27 in the second quarter.

“It was something we needed, the fire they needed.”

Eight players scored for the Rams, with four in double figures. Kaela Nichols is beginning to find her footing after academics and illness delayed her start and she led the offense with a career-high 17 points, three 3-pointers and eight assists. Ava Rodgers had a career-high 16 points (with 10 rebounds and five blocks), Ryann Foote had 14 and Ameriyona Hunter a career-tying 11.

“She is that kind of scorer,” Tatem said of Nichols. “She has some issues early on … but we’re hitting that point where things are starting to turn around and I feel like we should see a lot more of her.”

It also was their best defensive effort since holding Cherry Hill West to 14 points in December 2014. They held the Cougars (1-8) to one field goal in the second half, while coming up with 31 steals and 11 blocked shots.

SALEM 75, CAMDEN ACADEMY CHARTER 14 
CAMDEN ACADEMY CHARTER (1-8) – Angel Waysome 0 0-0 0, Nashalie Lugo 0 0-0 0, Yomeidy DeLaRosa 1 2-5 4, Angelise Rodriguez 1 0-0 2, Diomeiry DeLaRosa 2 0-0 5, Skylar Goods 0 0-0 0, Mariana Garriga 0 0-0 0, Malani Taplin 0 0-0 0, Mary Reyes 0 3-4 3, JoNiya Devine 0 0-2 0, Terrenona Hill 0 0-0 0, Leslie Ramirez 0 0-0 0. Totals 4 5-11 14.
SALEM (3-6) – Ryann Foote 5 3-4 14, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0, Marissa Bower 0 0-2 0, Kaela Nichols 6 2-3 17, Ava Rodgers 7 2-4 16, Carlysia Pierce 3 0-0 6, Ameriyona Hunter 5 0-2 11, Nevaeh Hickman 0 0-0 0, Zaniyah Fresion 0 0-0 0, Madison Dixon 0 0-0 0, Dankirah Grey 0 1-2 1, NaeNae Logan 3 0-0 6, Marjziah Bundy 2 0-0 4. Totals 31 8-17 75.

Camden Academy5432 –14
Salem19271811 –75
3-point goals: Camden Academy Charter 1 (D. DeLaRosa); Salem 5 (Foote, Nichols 3, Hunter). Technical fouls: Waysome 2. Fouled out: Waysome (eject.), Y. DeLaRosa. Total fouls: Camden Academy Charter 14, Salem 11.

Pennsville 60, Bridgeton 30

BRIDGETON – Pennsville coach Sam Trapp is convinced when Nora Ausland and Marley Wood get going in the same game they can be as impactful as the best two-man tandem in the county that currently resides in Woodstown.

Ausland and Wood had one of the nights Friday, going for 21 and 25, respectively, as the Eagles (5-6) doubled up the Bulldogs to snap a three-game losing streak. They do the bulk of the Eagles’ scoring as it is, but when they do it together, much like Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson do for Woodstown, they make Pennsville even harder to handle.

“They just played really well, they just fed off each well tonight, just really looked for one another and were doing a great job just moving the ball around,” Trapp said. “Honestly, today was one of the better nights that they played really well off of each other.”

Wood got going right out of the gate, scoring seven points in the Eagles’ eight points in the first quarter. Ausland got going in the second quarter with seven as the Eagles pulled away. They were both on fire in the third quarter, evenly dividing Pennsville’s 18 points in the quarter.

Ausland also had eight rebounds and six assists. Wood had five rebounds.

It was the second time this year they both went for 20 in the same game and the Eagles won both games. They won another game when Wood went for 20 and Ausland 18. In fact, they’re 3-1 this year when Wood goes for 20 and 2-1 when Ausland does it.

In Ausland’s two years at Salem before joining the Eagles, the Rams were 3-0 when she went for 20, 6-1 when she scored at least 18.

“If they consistently play together, feeding off one another, working off one another’s strengths and weaknesses, those two could be just as powerful as a dynamic duo as Talia and Megan,” Trapp said. “I need them to consistently play off one another, continuously encourage one another and continuously support one another when one’s having a good game or vice versa.

“I felt like tonight was very unselfish in the shooting department and moving the ball well and that’s another thing I really need consistently coming out of the girls – an unselfish scoring effort and really just playing hard as a team as a whole.”

The Eagles are slowly getting back to full strength. Post Bella Farina returned from concussion protocol and played the entire game. Taylor Bass is the next one they’ll get back. She has her cast removed next Friday.

PENNSVILLE 60, BRIDGETON 30
PENNSVILLE (5-6) – Calli Ausland 3 1-2 7, Nora Ausland 8 4-5 21, Karsen Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Lilly Edwards 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 1 0-0 2, Izzy Saulin 2 0-0 4, Avery Watson 0 0-2 0, Marley Wood 10 4-7 25, Bella Farina 0 0-2 0. Total 24 10-18 60.
BRIDGETON (1-10) – Adelina Wilks 3 2-3 9, Aiyanna Ridgeway 1 0-0 2, Diara McGriff 0 2-2 2, Sharena Parker 1 2-4 5, Jayla Bowman 0 1-4 1, Imara James 4 1-2 9, Kahmya Johnson 0 0-0 0, Ciani Money 0 0-0 0, Karina Perez 0 0-0 0, Kimora Notice 0 0-0 0, TaMiyah Russell 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 8-15 30.

Pennsville8161818 –60
Bridgeton8868 –30
3-point goals: Pennsville 2 (N. Ausland, Wood); Bridgeton 2 (Wilks, Parker). Fouled out: Parker. Total fouls: Pennsville 15, Bridgeton 17.

Paulsboro 32, Schalick 21

PAULSBORO – The Cougars scored one point in the fourth quarter for the second game in a row, but this time it wasn’t helpful at all. Paulsboro outscored them 21-5 in the second half to pull out the victory.

The Cougars scored one point in the fourth quarter Thursday against Salem and it was the difference in their 27-26 win.

Brookelyn Graham led Paulsboro with 18 points. She also grabbed five rebounds and had five of the Red Raiders’ 20 steals. Dasoni Scott (10) and Ianna Veney (13) both had double figures in rebounds.

PAULSBORO 32, SCHALICK 21
SCHALICK (2-6) – Ava Scurry 3 0-2 6, Cali Fisler 2 0-0 4, Abby Willoughby 1 1-2 3, Carly Vicente 4 0-0 8, Cianna Gaines 0 0-2 0. Totals 10 1-6 21.
PAULSBORO (4-5) – Londyn Graham 2 0-2 4, Brookelyn Graham 8 0-0 18, Dasoni Scott 2 0-0 4, Ianna Veney 3 0-0 6, Kriasya Johns 0 0-2 0, Deamya Bagby 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 0-4 32.

Schalick10641 –21
Paulsboro74129 –32
3-point goals: Schalick 0; Paulsboro 2 (B. Graham 2).

Cougars close it out

Willoughby’s FT breaks tie, then Schalick’s defense holds firm in win over Salem; McCracken’s fourth straight double-double leads Wildwood over Penns Grove

THURSDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Wildwood 64, Penns Grove 53
Schalick 27, Salem 26

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Mother Nature knocked out the lights on the Schalick-Salem girls basketball game Wednesday night and the 24 hours later Schalick’s Abby Willoughby turned the lights out on the Rams.

Willoughby broke a tie with a free throw with about 90 seconds left and the Schalick defense made it stand to produce a 27-26 win Thursday that snapped a three-game losing streak.

Willoughby’s free throw was the only point the Cougars (2-5) scored in the fourth quarter, but it made all the difference in the game.

“We went into halftime with a small lead (17-16),” Schalick coach John Whelan said. “We talked about they’re an aggressive team that wants to create chaos so it’s all about controlling tempo of the game and keeping our composure. If we can do that offensively and rebound defensively, that was our second half goal, and I’d say we did that.

“After the game we talked about how difficult it is to close out a basketball game. As young as we are, that’s something you have to learn how to do. I’m very proud of the fact they were able to do that.”

Willoughby was playing in her second game back from an injury. The game was tied at 26 when she was fouled on the floor and since Salem was over the limit she went to the line for two shots.

The sophomore missed the first shot, but hit the second and Schalick had the lead – for good, as it turned out.

“She as always did a great job,” Whelan said. “She’s tough handling the ball and brings a lot of energy defensively, but if you want to say an ultimate team win, this was it. Everybody did their part. We had five girls score and they were all pretty even. Defensively everybody got hands on passes, were playing aggressive.”

The Rams had the ball with four seconds left for a last shot, but the Cougars got a hand on it to tip it away.

“We had plenty of opportunities to win the game, we couldn’t finish around the basket; shots weren’t falling for us,” Salem coach Tiasia Tatem said. “It was a back-and-forth low-scoring game and the odds fell in their favor.”

Defense was the key to the game. After Salem took a 10-5 lead, Whelan asked the players if they wanted to continue in the defense they were playing, go man-to-man or their 3-2 matchup. The Cougars went with a variation of their 3-2 and went that way the rest of the game.

“There was a timeout with about 52 seconds left and we just talked about at this point it’s a one-point game, 52 seconds (left), it’s who wants it more,” Whelan said. “Both teams battled, but we did what we had to do to make stops on defense and came out where we wanted.”

The game was a matchup between two of the best shot-blockers in Salem County. Schalick’s Ava Scurry had 14 blocks to lead the Cougars’ defense effort. Salem’s NaeNae Logan came into the game with 50 blocks, but was bothered by a nagging hip throughout the game and had only three.

SCHALICK 27, SALEM 26
SALEM (2-6) – Ameriyana Hunter 1 0-0 2, Ryann Foote 2 0-3 4, Kaela Nichols 1 1-2 4, Carlysia Pierce 2 0-0 4, Ava Rodgers 4 1-3 9, NaeNae Logan 0 1-4 1, Marissa Bower 0 0-0 0, Lyric Hayes 1 0-0 2, Nevaeh Hickman 0 0-0 0, Marjziah Bundy 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 3-12 26.
SCHALICK (2-5) – Ava Scurry 1 0-0 2, Cali Fisler 2 1-2 5, Abby Willoughby 2 1-2 5, Carly Vicente 3 1-4 8, Cianna Gaines 1 5-6 7, Katie Little 0 0-2 0. Totals 9 8-14 27.

Salem10664 –26
Schalick51291 –27
3-point goals: Salem 1 (Nichols), Schalick 1 (Vicente). Total fouls: Salem 16, Schalick 14.

Wildwood 64, Penns Grove 53

WILDWOOD – Meely Horace moved a step closer to becoming Penns Grove’s next 1,000-point scorer with 24 points, but Wildwood junior Macie McCracken continued her dominance and the Warriors turned back the visiting Red Devils’ threat.

McCracken led the Warriors with a career-high 36 points and 13 rebounds. It was her fourth straight double-double and eighth in 10 games this season. She’s averaging 31.8 points and 12 rebounds in the double-double streak.

The Red Devils got within eight late in the third quarter, but were denied a chance to get closer when they missed a 3-pointer and two free throws in the final three seconds of the quarter.

WILDWOOD 64, PENNS GROVE 53
PENNS GROVE (5-4) – RaNiyah Wilson 2 0-0 4, Meely Horace 9 4-6 24, Brianna Robbins 4 1-2 9, Amani Taylor 2 2-2 6, Arianna Dowe 1 0-0 2, JaNiyah Cummings 3 0-2 6, Syanna Robbins 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 7-12 53.
WILDWOOD (7-3) – Macie McCracken 12 9-11 36, Sophia Wilber 4 3-3 11, Angela Wilber 1 2-2 5, Kaliah Sumlin 0 0-0 0, Rebecca Benichou 4 1-1 12. Totals 21 15-17 64.

Penns Grove2429 –53
Wildwood3727 –64
3-point goals: Penns Grove 2 (Horace 2); Wildwood 7 (McCracken 3, A. Wilber, Benichou 3).

Changing places

Pennsville, Pitman boys soccer changing divisions in a move expected to benefit both programs; this story will be updated

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

The boys soccer teams at Pennsville and Pitman are changing places in the Tri-County Conference in a move that will benefit both programs.

FOGLEIN

When the season opens next fall, Pennsville will play in the Tri-County Classic Division, while Pitman will move into the demanding Diamond Division. The change, approved in Tuesday’s conference athletics directors meeting at Kingsway, does not affect the girls alignment.

“Right now, for the next two years, it made sense for our program, it made sense for the Pitman program and it also made sense for the sub-varsity programs within the Diamond Division,” Pennsville AD Jamy Thomas said. “From a conference perspective we’re trying to benefit kids as much as possible and that’s not just from a competitive standpoint it’s from an opportunity to compete standpoint.”

The Diamond Division will now comprise Pittman, Glassboro, Overbrook and Salem County schools Schalick, Woodstown and Penns Grove. The Classic Division is now Pennsville, Clayton, Wildwood, Gloucester Catholic, Salem and Salem Tech.

Five of the six teams in the new Diamond Division lineup won at least 11 games last season. Only one of the teams in the new Classic Division lineup had a winning overall record and won more than seven games.

The move fits Pennsville from a competitive balance and scheduling standpoint. The Eagles finished last in the Diamond Division last season (6-13, 1-9) with a young squad, but the move will allow them to challenge for a division title as they get older and in turn increase interest and participation within the program with growing success.

“I think that gives us a chance to be very successful in our division record,” Pennsville coach Derek Foglein said. “It seemed weird to only go up or down a division and have it swing that much and I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch but with the right work ethic and the right attitude I think a division title is very much a possibility for this team.

“Our team is only going to get better as we get more experience and as the team gets better we’ll find more division success in a division that’s better paired for us and as the program gets more successful it only gets more enticing for us to get more numbers. That chain of events is what I’m most excited about.  and that chain of events is what I’m most excited about. I would love to see a division title go up. Putting up a division banner only drums up interest for boys soccer, and that to me is the most exciting part about all of this.”

Pennsville also was the only team in the Diamond without a junior varsity program. None of the Classic Division programs have JV squads. Pitman, even as one of the smallest Group I schools in South Jersey, has huge soccer participation throughout its community and was the only Classic Division team with a JV.

Actually, the Eagles volunteered to move when Pitman requested the change, but they likely would’ve have gone anyway since the conference sets divisions by the size of schools and Pennsville was the smallest in the division.

Foglein already is working on the schedule for the coming season. In addition to the home-and-home series with their division opponents, the Eagles are expecting to play Woodstown and Penns Grove and have crossover commitments from Gloucester City, Collingswood and the always-anticipated matchup against brother Doug’s Paulsboro team. This year’s Foglein Bowl is Sept. 23 in Pennsville.

.500 and motivated

Schalick plays one of its most solid games of the year, beats Pennsauken Tech to reach .500 for the third time this season

SATURDAY BOYS BASKETBALL
Schalick 39, Pennsauken Tech 26

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – There’s a different vibe buzzing around the Schalick boys basketball team these days.

Call it a carryover from a very successful football season, one in which many of the players on the basketball team participated in, but there’s regular talk within a program that struggled to win games in the past of .500 records and winning seasons.

“We talk about it all the time in practice,” sophomore guard Jase Volovar said. “This year just felt a lot different. I felt like we were going to do way better.”

The Cougars were better Saturday. They played one of their most solid games of the year on both ends of the floor and beat Pennsauken Tech 39-26.

It was their third win of the season, matching their win total for all of last season (3-20), and more importantly got them back to .500 for the third time this year. The 3-3 record is their best this early in the season since 2015-16 when they were 4-2 on Jan. 5 and 6-2 on Jan. 6 on the way to a 22-8 campaign.

And maybe it’s too early to think about, but they are now No. 18 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings.

“It just keeps them more motivated,” Cougars coach James Turner said. “Not winning or you win one game and you lose eight then get one and (lose) another five, it’s hard to keep the kids motivated, hard to keep them locked in.

“I don’t think it’s so much as we already won three games, I think it’s also the idea that we’re a .500 team. They just want to constantly keep that. You want to get that next one. We lost to Pennsville, it was all right, we’ve got to get that back.”

The Cougars didn’t win their third game last year until the 20th game of the year. It took them two years to get that many before that. The last time they won more than three games was 2019-20 when they were 9-17 and that third win didn’t come until Game 12.

“I think this is really good for us,” Volovar said. “It’s going to get us moving a lot and we’re going to want to chase for more.”

Reggie Allen bounced back from a tough game against Pennsville and led the Cougars with a game-high 15 points, including a clutch three-point play in the fourth quarter that ramped up the bench and got the crowd into it. It was his best game since the season opener. 

Dan Lis added 12 points and Volovar hit three 3-pointers at key junctures in the game to keep the momentum on the Cougars’ side. One of the treys gave the Cougars a four-point lead and kept the energy up, one beat the buzzer to give them a nine-point halftime lead and the last one sealed the deal.

Nylan Sutton scored only three points after back-to-back games in double figures, but he led the defensive effort with quick hands and deflections.

“Usually we’re our own worst enemy, but overall they played a great offensive and defensive game,” Turner said. “It was a good offensive game because we didn’t force any shots or any passes, we controlled the ball and took care of the ball. Going into today we really wanted to emphasize being patient on offense and not rush passes and wait for the right shot to come.

“And defensively we were able to put pressure on them and get turnovers, which slowed their team down.”

They’re all the things teams that put together winning seasons do.

SCHALICK 39, PENNSAUKEN TECH 26
PENNSAUKEN TECH (3-6) – Naeem Dale 1 0-0 2, Tyrone Baker 2 0-1 6, Omari Spencer 4 2-3 10, Carlos Cruz 0 2-3 2, Xavier Melendez 1 3-5 6, Jahseem Branch 0 0-0 0, Chris Graham 0 0-0 0, James Stout 0 0-2 0. Totals 8 7-14 26.
SCHALICK (3-3) – Reggie Allen 5 3-7 15, Nylan Sutton 1 1-2 3, Dan Lis 3 4-7 12, Jordan Johnson 0 0-0 0, Jake Siedlecki 0 0-0 0, Ryan Johnson 0 0-0 0, Jase Volovar 3 0-0 9. Totals 12 8-16 39.

Pennsauken Tech7874 –26
Schalick101478 –39
3-point goals: Tech 3 (Baker 2, Melendez); Schalick 7 (Allen 2, Lis 2, Volovar 3). Fouled out: Baker. Total fouls: Tech 16, Schalick 13.

Challenge met

Woodstown passes its first major test of the season, Pennsville overwhelms Schalick in a battle of teams fighting the injury bug, Salem gets second straight win

THURSDAY GIRLS SCORES
Woodstown 61, Penns Grove 53
Pennsville 52, Schalick 14
Salem 45, Salem Tech 19

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – As almost everybody’s favorite to win the Tri-County Diamond Division and then some in South Jersey, the Woodstown girls basketball team knows it’s going to get everybody’s best shot every night.

The Wolverines faced their biggest test of the young season Thursday night and answered the bell like the favorites they are.

In a battle between the two best teams in the division, Woodstown grabbed the lead late in the first quarter, endured some anxious moments near the end of the first half and then finally pulled away in the second half for a 61-53 victory over Penns Grove.

“This is probably the biggest challenge we’ll have in all of our division games,” Wolverines coach Kara Straughn said. “They’re athletic, they’re quick, they’re the second-best team in our division, but I’ve got 10 girls who play together. There’s nobody in my opinion in our division who has as much of a team as I do.”

While Megan Donelson (25 points) and Talia Battavio (20) did most of their scoring as usual, the Wolverines (5-1) got contributions from throughout the lineup. Shannon Pieman grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked three shots. Alyssa Baber had 10 boards.

And they needed every bit of it. They took the lead midway through the first quarter, but Penns Grove never let them get comfortable. 

The Red Devils were out of sorts during their two games in Wildwood after Christmas, but they were determined to play their game and not get caught up in the early-season enormity of the game. They pressed from the jump and made the Wolverines work for everything they got.

Donelson and Battavio combined for all of Woodstown’s points in the first quarter and 28 of their 30 in the first half.

Penns Grove is a team that likes to drive and attack the basket. But as the first half worn on, the Wolverines’ defense kept forcing the Red Devils farther out for shots and it produced the predictable results.

Woodstown led by 12 with less than two minutes left in the first half, but Penns Grove rallied and things got real intense in the final minute of the half. With 25.8 seconds to go in an eight-point game, Penns Grove’s RiNiyah Wilson was fouled by Battavio driving to the basket and the reaction led to a technical foul on the Wolverines guard.

Wilson hit three of the four free throws to make it a five-point game and the Red Devils had the ball with a chance to cut it to two or three. But Gianna Maiorini thwarted those plans when she stole the possession and fed Donelson who banked in a short jumper in the lane with six seconds to go. Donelson then stole the next inbounds pass and the Wolverines ran out the clock to take a seven-point halftime lead.

“If they would’ve gotten the lead I think it would’ve been a different game,” Straughn said.

The Red Devils got to within four several times early in the second half, but the Wolverines pushed it back out to 10 . They kept the Red Devils at arm’s length the rest of the game to win their fifth in a row while sending their hosts to their third straight loss.

“I think we could’ve done a little bit better than what we actually did, but we ended up pulling out the win and that’s just all that matters,” Donelson said.

While Donelson and Battavio were the big producers for Woodstown, Wilson did all she could to keep Penns Grove in it. The transfer from Kingsway led all scorers with a career-high 33 points and she grabbed nine rebounds.

“My coach talks about mental toughness, fight through the game, if we’re down pick my teammates up, keep going, keep fighting,” Wilson said. “I like playing in big games. I like competition.”

WOODSTOWN (5-1, 2-0) – Talia Battavio 6 6-8 20, Megan Donelson 11 2-2 25, Alyssa Baber 3 2-5 8, Gianna Maiorini 0 0-0 0, Shannon Pieman 2 2-2 6, Lauren Hengle 0 0-0 0, Emma Perry 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 12-17 61.
PENNS GROVE (4-3, 1-1) – Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, Brianna Robbins 0 1-2 1, RaNiyah Wilson 14 3-7 33, Arianna Dowe 1 0-2 3, Amani Taylor 0 0-0 0, Meely Horace 6 2-4 14, Rolande Delva 1 0-0 2, Zoey Caesar 0 0-0 0, JaNiyah Cummings 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 6-15 53.

Woodstown18121714 –61
Penns Grove12111416 –53
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Battavio 2, Donelson); Penns Grove 3 (Wilson 2, Dowe). Technical fouls: Battavio. Fouled out: Taylor. Total fouls: Woodstown 16, Penns Grove 19.

Pennsville 52, Schalick 14

PENNSVILLE – The Eagles had the best of it in this battle of teams fighting through injuries. They opened a 24-7 halftime lead, then erupted for 21 points in the third quarter and shut out the Cougars in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles were down to four core players because of the injuries and brought up several players from the junior varsity to replenish the ranks. Veterans and newcomers alike got together for a film session before the start of the night’s JV game to hammer out a game plan for the main event.

They got the bulk of their scoring from Marley Wood (20 points) and Nora Ausland (18) while the others help keep it in the road. Wood and Ausland combined for all of Pennsville’s points in the first half.

“The girls who got pulled up stepped up and played the role we needed them to play,” Pennsville coach Sam Trapp said. “Izzie Saulin really stepped up on the defensive end. She had some great blocks and solid rebounding.”

SCHALICK (1-4, 0-2) – Cali Fisler 2 1-1 6, Ava Scurry 2 0-0 4, Gianna Gaines 1 0-4 2, Carly Vicente 1 0-0 2, Katie Little 0 0-0 0, Madison Brown 0 0-0 0, Virginia Basich 0 0-0 0, Olivia Lunemann 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 1-5 14.
PENNSVILLE (4-3, 2-0) – Calli Ausland 1 0-0 2, Nora Ausland 8 0-2 18, Sophia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Karsen Cooksey 0 0-0 0, Kylie Harris 0 0-0 0, Malani McGee 2 0-0 6, Izzy Saulin 3 0-0 6, Avery Watson 0 0-0 0, Marley Wood 8 3-3 20, Fredo 0 0-0 0, Lily Edwards 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 3-5 52.

Schalick4370 –14
Pennsville1212217 –52
3-point goals: Schalick 1 (Fisler); Pennsville 5 (N. Ausland 2, McGee 2, Wood). Total fouls: Schalick 8, Pennsville 12.

Salem 45, Salem Tech 19

SALEM – The Rams put together another strong defensive effort to grab their second straight win. They collected 30 steals and blocked 20 shots against the Chargers.

Ava Rogers had 10 points, nine rebounds and blocked seven shots. QwenNazha Johnson-Logan had nine points, 12 rebounds, eight blocks and had five steals. Ryann Foote had seven steals.

The Rams have recorded 59 steals and 40 blocked shots in their two-game winning streak. Johnson-Logan has had 23 blocks in the two games and is averaging 7.6 per game this season.

SALEM TECH (0-6, 0-2) – Kaylin Beardsley 2 2-2 7, Rylee Doerr 1 1-2 3, Morgan VanDover 2 1-2 6, Demajae White 0 1-2 1, Drummond 1 0-0 2. Totals 6 5-8 19.
SALEM (2-3, 1-1) – QwenNazha Johnson-Logan 4 1-1 9, Ameriyona Hunter 2 0-0 6, Ryann Foote 1 1-4 3, Ava Rodgers 5 0-1 10, Marissa Bower 3 0-0 8, Kashira Patterson 1 0-0 2, Carlysia Pierce 2 1-6 5, Zaniyah Fresno 1 0-0 2, Madison Dixon 0 0-0 0, Kaela Nichols 0 0-0 0, Lyric Hayes 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 3-12 45.

Salem Tech8236 –19
Salem10101114 –45
3-point goals: Salem Tech 2 (Beardsley, VanDover); Salem 4 (Hunter 2, Bower 2).

Tri-County Conference

CLASSICOVDIVDIAMONDOVDIV
Gloucester Cath.7-12-0Woodstown5-12-0
Wildwood5-22-0Pennsville4-32-0
Pitman4-21-1Glassboro4-31-1
Salem2-31-1Penns Grove4-31-1
Clayton2-50-2Schalick1-30-1
Salem Tech0-60-2Overbrook1-40-2

‘Gio-cashing’

Penns Grove uses 20 seconds of chaos from Giomar Conrad at the end of the first half to take the momentum from Woodstown, Salem uses a big second half to beat Salem Tech, Pennsville’s balanced attack takes down Schalick

THURSDAY BOYS SCORES
Penns Grove 64, Woodstown 54
Pennsville 57, Schalick 37
Salem 84, Salem Tech 52

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Think of all the things you can do in 20 seconds. Maybe sprint from the easy chair to the mailbox and back on a cold winter’s day. How about a quick run to the fridge during a TV timeout of the big game. 

Some teams take longer than that to attack the basket, a situation that could be remedied with the introduction of a shot clock, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Penns Grove boys basketball coach Damian Ware isn’t sure he can do anything in 20 seconds, but he’s glad his team can.

That’s all the time Giomar Conrad and the Red Devils needed to flip the script on Woodstown Thursday night and turn a double-digit deficit into a halftime lead and an eventual 64-54 win to spoil the previously unbeaten Wolverines’ long awaited home opener.

Woodstown (4-1) led by double digits most of the first half, but Conrad scored eight straight points over the final 20 seconds to give his team a 32-30 halftime lead they never lost.

“That was crazy,” Conrad said, “but at the same time it felt good. I’d never done anything like that before.”

It started with a 3-pointer from the right side to cut the deficit to 30-27. Then in rapid-fire succession, Mekhi Ballard got a steal and fed him for a layup to make it 30-29, he put back a missed shot after another steal to put the Red Devils ahead, and then Willie Slocum picked off another rushed pass in the backcourt and fed Conrad for one final strike.

With time running out, Conrad drove wildly and appeared to lose his footing. His throw at the basket didn’t go in, but he was fouled right before the horn sounded. With no one else on the floor, he made the first of his two free throws and Penns Grove led by two at the break. If you want to extend the run even farther back, he hit two free throws inside 40 seconds that made it 30-24.

“I’m thinking, ‘finally,’” Ware said. “That’s what we did, honestly, in our heyday. Back when we won the South Jersey championship in 2020, that’s what we did all game long. We were known for that type of play, just tempo, tempo, turning teams up. And we didn’t have to come back, we just blew teams out.

“We’re trying to get this team to that same level to where they understand how they have to play, how hard we have to play and the energy we have to play with. We’re starting to get there. I’ve seen it in spurts for the last three games. Today I think was the culmination of everything and we kind of made a great run.”

The Red Devils (3-5) carried the momentum of those 20 seconds of chaos into the second half. Slocum scored the first three buckets of the third quarter to fuel a 14-3 run that gave them a 13-point lead with just over three minutes to go in the quarter. 

The Wolverines tried to come back, but never got closer than six the rest of the game. They were 8-of-27 from the field with nine turnovers in the second half.

Understandably, Woodstown coach Phil Campbell was in no mood to talk about it and declined a post-game interview request.

Conrad finished as the game’s leading scorer with 21 points. Slocum had 11 and Ballard added 10. Rocco String led Woodstown with 17 points.

PENNS GROVE (3-5, 1-1) – Brandon Robbins 0 0-0 0, Roman Gipson 1 2-2 4, Giomar Conrad 8 1-2 21, Karon Ceaser 3 1-2 8, Willie Slocum 4 3-4 11, Mehki Ballard 4 1-3 10, Camron Thompson 1 0-0 2, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Mr Peterson 3 0-1 6, Jaden Sorrell 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 8-13 64.
WOODSTOWN (4-1, 1-1) – Manny Ortega 2 1-2 7, Blake Bialecki 2 2-3 7, Alejandro Vazquez 0 0-0 0, M.J. Hall 4 2-2 11, Garrett Leyman 2 2-2 6, Anthony Bokolas 1 0-0 3, Max Webb 1 0-0 3, Rocco String 8 1-4 17. Totals 20 8-13 54.

Penns Grove9231715 –64
Woodstown1515915 –54
3-point goals: Penns Grove 6 (Conrad 4, Ceaser, Ballard); Woodstown 6 (Ortega 2, Bialecki, Hall, Bokolas, Webb). Total fouls: Penns Grove 13, Woodstown 14. Officials: Lawler, Montacalva.

Pennsville 57, Schalick 37

PITTSGROVE – Luke Wood led three Pennsville scorers in double figures with 16 points as the Eagles started the new year with a win for the second year in a row. Cohen Petrutz and Jayden Thomas both hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points apiece.

The Eagles trailed after the first quarter, then took the lead for good in the second quarter and steadily pulled away.

Wood is now 66 points away from 1,000 for his career. He has scored in double figures in his last 14 straight games. 

PENNSVILLE (4-3, 1-1) – Luke Wood 6 4-4 14, Malik Rehmer 1 0-1 2, Cohen Petrutz 4 0-0 11, Peyton O’Brien 2 1-2 5, Daniel Saulin 1 2-3 4, Jayden Thomas 4 0-0 11, Mason O’Brien 3 0-0 6, Logan Hitt 0 2-4 2. Totals 21 9-14 57.
SCHALICK (2-3, 0-2) – Reggie Allen 3 0-2 7, Nylan Sutton 5 0-2 10, Jordan Johnson 3 0-0 8, Dan Lis 3 1-2 9, Jake Siedlecki 0 0-0 0, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3, Sherrod Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 1-6 37.

Pennsville12131616 –57
Schalick13789 –37
3-point goals: Pennsville 6 (Petrutz 3, Thomas 3); Schalick 6 (Allen, Johnson 2, Lis 2, Volovar). Total fouls: Pennsville 6, Schalick 14.

Salem 84, Salem Tech 52

WOODSTOWN – The homestanding Chargers gave the Rams all they could handle for a half, but they changed defenses at halftime and Salem erupted for 58 points in the second half to win going away.

“Momentum killed us,” Tech coach Bryan Riley said. “(Antoine) Robinson got his third foul as soon as the third quarter started and we switched from man to zone (defense) at half.”

Jabez DeJesus and Anthony Farmer took advantage of the switch. DeJesus scored 18 of his game-high 26 points in the second half while Farmer had 10 of his 12.

Salem, meanwhile, held Tech’s two main scorers, Robinson and Haneef Frisby, to eight points apiece, but the Chargers got 13 from Tyler Zampino and 12 from Chase Wills.

Zampino had eight in the first quarter. Robinson scored six of his points in the second quarter as the Chargers took a 31-26 halftime lead, but he picking up his third foul early in the second half limited his effectiveness the rest of the game.

SALEM (3-3, 1-1) – Anthony Farmer 4 4-8 12, Ramaji Bundy 3 3-4 9, Jabez DeJesus 11 2-2 26, Paul Weathers 6 0-0 13, Tymear Lecater 4 0-0 9, Xavier McGriff 3 0-0 7, Antwan Rodgers 3 0-0 6, Donaven Weathers 0 0-0 0, Davonte Jackson 1 0-0 2, Joey Tunis 0 0-0 0. Totals 35 9-14 84.
SALEM TECH (0-7, 0-2) – Antoine Robinson 4 0-4 8, Chase Wills 5 2-5 12, Tyler Zampino 6 0-3 13, Josh Muntz 0 0-2 0, Haneef Frisby 3 2-5 8, Joseph Hayes 1 0-0 2, Gio Holmes 2 0-0 4, Charlie Brown 0 0-0 0, Chase Ayers 0 0-0 0, Daviontae Russell 2 1-1 5. Totals 23 5-20 52.

Salem1882830 –84
Salem Tech1714912 –52
3-point goals: Salem 5 (DeJesus 2, P. Weathers, Lecater, McGriff); Salem Tech 1 (Zampino). Total fouls: Salem 15, Salem Tech 12.

Tri-County Conference

CLASSICOVDIVDIAMONDOVDIV
Pitman7-12-0Overbrook5-12-0
Gloucester Cath.6-12-0Woodstown4-11-1
Wildwood5-32-1Pennsville4-31-1
Salem3-31-1Glassboro3-31-1
Clayton1-70-3Penns Grove3-51-1
Salem Tech 0-70-2Schalick2-30-2

Seeing some signs

Schalick girls draw some positives from their loss to Gloucester, boys get first road win since February 2021

TUESDAY BASKETBALL
Girls
Gloucester 33, Schalick 24
Boys
Schalick 47, Cape May Tech 35

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – The Schalick girls basketball team’s approach hasn’t changed even if the calendar has turned the page to a new year. Their goal remains to continue to improve every game.

A nine-point loss in their first game of the new year – 33-24 to Gloucester Tuesday – may not appear to have done anything to further that agenda, but there were several positive takeaways hidden within the setback.

“I told them this isn’t a game to hang your head,” Cougars coach John Whelan said. “It’s a tough loss, but we played astronomically better on defense today. We played with energy. 

“Even before I said anything Cianna (Gaines), one of our team captains, stepped in and said even though it’s a loss it’s a confidence booster because we showed flashes of the way we played. It definitely feels good as a coach to have players step up and speak, especially in that regard. I think they’re coming to the realization of what they’re capable of doing if we can put together four full quarters of basketball.”

Among the positives, the Cougars (1-3) scored 20 points in the second half and were outscored by only two. They cut a nine-point halftime deficit to four with 1:25 left in the third quarter and had a chance to make it a one-point game going into the fourth when Cali Fisler was fouled on a 3-point shot right before the horn, but she made only one of the three free throws.

The Lady Lions (4-3) opened the fourth quarter with a 7-2 run to retake the momentum.

“The second half, you can’t complain about putting 20 points on the board in a half,” Whelan said. “There are a lot of good things to come out of this loss and that’s with missing two key pieces to our team. We just want to continue to grow.”

Of course, they still have things to clean up. The Cougars lost under the weight of 52 turnovers, off which Gloucester scored 29 of its points. They scored only four points in the first half.

Part of their troubles can be attributed to their inexperience. It didn’t help they were missing two key players. Taylor Sparks has been out all season after hurting her knee in the final scrimmage; the Cougars are hopeful she’ll return Friday. Point guard Abby Willoughby also missed the game, having sprained an ankle in a basketball-related activity over the holidays.

With Willoughby on the mend, it felt to Fisler to handle the point and Whelan said the sophomore did a “fantastic” job. Fisler led the Cougars with 11 points, all of them coming in the second half. Ava Scurry had six points and nine rebounds.

GLOUCESTER 33, SCHALICK 24
GLOUCESTER (4-3) – Bailey Schoenfieldt 5 0-0 11, Valerie Hatterer 2 1-2 5, Maya Beringer 2 0-0 4, Elizabeth Shultes 0 2-4 2, Victorina Serrano 0 0-0 0, Logan Thomson 2 3-4 7, Kierstynn O’Donnell 1 2-6 4. Totals 12 8-15 33.
SCHALICK (1-3) – Carly Vicente 2 1-6 5, Cali Fisler 4 3-5 11, Madison Brown 0 0-0 0, Katie Little 0 0-0 0, Ava Scurry 2 2-2 6, Victoria Basich 0 0-0 0, Cianna Gaines 1 0-2 2. Totals 9 6-15 24.

Gloucester67614 –33
Schalick2212 8 –24
3-point goals: Gloucester 1 (Schoenfieldt); Schalick 0. Total fouls: Gloucester 13, Schalick 14.

Boys Game

SCHALICK 47, CAPE MAY TECH 35: Daniel Lis scored 14 points and Nylan Sutton had 11 as the Cougars evened their record to 2-2 with their first road win since Feb. 5, 2021 (Woodstown).

It’s the last time they had two wins after four games and marks the earliest they’ve gotten their second win since 2018-19 (Dec. 20). They didn’t get their second win last year until their 14th game, Jan. 24 (Woodstown).

“It’s always nice getting a win in front of your home crowd, but good teams need to find a way to win on the road,” Cougars coach James Turner said.

Lis and Sutton combined for 11 points in the first quarter as the Cougars opened a 13-8 lead. The Cougars were 8-for-14 from the free throw in the fourth quarter to close it out.

SCHALICK 47, CAPE MAY TECH 35
SCHALICK (2-2) – Reggie Allen 3 0-2 7, Nylan Sutton 3 5-8 11, Nasir Sutton 3 2-5 9, Jordan Johnson 1 1-4 3, Dan Lis 4 4-4 14, Jase Volovar 0 0-0 0, Jake Siedlecki 1 1-1 3. Totals 15 13-24 47
CAPE MAY TECH (0-7) – Paul Simmerman 0 0-0 0, Ronnie Neenhola 4 0-0 8, Colin Gery 1 4-6 6, Chance Ginyard 1 0-0 2, Ben Lynch 5 2-3 14, Alec Dooley 0 1-2 1, Tyler Dille 0 2-3 2, Henry O’Brien 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 9-14 35.

Schalick1310Cape May Tech12 –47
Cape May Tech812105 – 35
3-point goals: Schalick 4 (Allen, Na. Sutton, Lis 2); Cape May Tech 2 (Lynch 2). Fouled out: Johnson. Total fouls: Schalick 14, Cape May Tech 17.


It takes a team

Pierman plays through illness, plays big role in supporting cast lifting Woodstown past Highland to win tournament title

WOLVERINE HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
Bridgeton 41, Paulsboro 35
Woodstown 51, Highland 32

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN — Whenever teams play the Woodstown girls the focus always has to be slowing down Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson and making the other three players on the floor beat you.

The Wolverines know that going in and it’s their job to get the other three involved.

They did that Friday and it paid off in a 51-32 win over Group III Highland Regional to win the Wolverine Holiday Tournament title.

The Tartans did a nice job in their triangle-and-two on Battavio and Donelson, who went for 28 and 29 Thursday. And while they both ended up scoring in double figures — 15 and 13, respectively — it was the supporting cast that made all the difference.

“That’s how we won the game,” Woodstown coach Kara Straughn said. “I mean, Shannon Pierman stepped up. Alyssa Baber stepped up on offense. Gianna Maiorini was phenomenal on defense.

‘That’s what I tell them — it’s five of you; it’s not one or two. If they’re going to take one or two of them out of the game, OK, that’s why we have five on the floor. That’s why it’s so important that they’re all involved in the offense because in games like this I’m going to need two or three of the other ones to step up, and that’s exactly what they did today.”

Pierman had the biggest impact. The senior post kept the ball moving through the paint, she rebounded and she made almost every layup she took. She finished with 11 points, eight in the first quarter as the Wolverines (4-1) were trying to get the upper hand.

She scored Woodstown’s first and last baskets of the first quarter and battled Highland bigs London Sutton and Alonsa Thomas in the paint all day.

“She is such a fantastic person on their team,” Highland coach J.W. Senft said. “She’s willing to do all the hard stuff. She rebounds. She sets screens. She makes just about every layup. You’ve got to love a kid like that on your team.

“She doesn’t get as much of the press as Battavio and Donelson, and they deserve it, but I’ll tell you what, that team isn’t as good without (Pierman). She does a fantastic job.

“The other two kids do a nice job, too. They know their role and they’re fine with their role. As a basketball coach you love when you see kids who are willing to play their role and take the team glory instead of my own, so good for her.”

Shannon Pierman (32) pushed herself through illness to play a big role in Woodstown’s win over Highland Regional.

Actually, the Wolverines almost didn’t have her Friday.

Pierman called Straughn earlier in the morning complaining of a sore throat and just not feeling good. It wasn’t altogether certain if she was going to make it. She took some medicine and about 90 minutes before the noon tip she decided to give it a shot and wound up giving an MVP type performance.

She said she would have regretted not playing if she had stayed home.

“It feels so much better,” she said. “I felt like I had it in my mind like I don’t feel good; I’m just going to relax at home. But then around 10:30 I was like I can do this, I feel like I have it in me. I’m glad I was able to push myself and was able to come out.”

Battavio and Donelson both went for 20 in each of the Wolverines’ previous two games, but the Tartans locked onto them with Katie Punch on Battavio and Dacia Mack on Donelson and they just made it difficult for the two Woodstown aces to get comfortable. While they were doing other things to stay engaged, they only had one basket each in the first quarter and had 11 combined points at halftime.

“I thought they played really good defense, but I played tough and I think I did everything I could have done,” Battavio said. “When other teams face guard us we have three other players who can put the ball in the basket, so it’s pretty hard to defend us.”

It was a close game early with six ties and three lead changes, but things changed about two minutes into the second quarter when Battavio and Donelson started to recognize what had to happen as they were being covered up by the Tartans.

The Wolverines went on a 12-4 run the rest of the quarter to take a 26-18 halftime lead they never relinquished. They held the Tartans scoreless on 10 of their last 12 possessions of the half, forcing it into 2-of-7 shooting from the floor and four turnovers.

“I think we just figured out a more effective way to beat that triangle-and-two,” Straughn said. “That’s when I think Megan and Talia kind of clicked, like, OK, we’re not getting everything we’re used to getting, so let’s just hammer it home underneath. Those blocks were wide open and I think it finally started to settle with them.

“They were forcing it a little bit in the beginning and I told them be OK with the assist, be OK with the rebound, you don’t have to go, go, go all the time, and I think once they kind of settled into that it made a big difference. They like to just go. You don’t need to go all the time. Trust the other three and they did and we won the game.”

WOLVERINE HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
WOODSTOWN 51, HIGHLAND 32
WOODSTOWN (4-1) – Talia Battavio 5 2-4 15, Alyssa Baber 2 1-2 5, Emma Perry 1 0-0 2, Talia Guardascione 0 1-2 1, Lauren Hengel 1 0-0 2, Gianna Maiorini 1 0-0 2, Brae DiGregorio 0 0-0 0, Shannon Pierman 4 3-4 11, Megan Donelson 6 1-2 13, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 8-14 51.
HIGHLAND (4-3) – Katie Punch 0 2-2 2, Sejeida Jordan 0 1-2 1, Tajai Webb 0 0-0 0, Breelynn Leary 4 0-0 9, Jalena Lee 0 0-2 0, Dacia Mack 4 0-0 8, Yoselin Basantes 0 0-0 0, Hanilyah Williams 1 0-0 2, London Sutton 2 0-2 4, Alonsa Thomas 3 0-2 6. Totals 14 3-8 32.

Woodstown14121510 –51
Highland10895 –32
3-point goals: Woodstown 3 (Battavio 3); Highland 1 (Leary). Total fouls: Woodstown 12, Highland 12. Officials: Kahlbom, Rosenberger, Johnson.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Brookelyn Graham (Paulsboro), Jayla Bowman (Bridgeton), Adelina Wilks (Bridgeton), Breelynn Leary (Highland), London Sutton (Highland), Talia Battavio (Woodstown), Megan Donelson (Woodstown), Shannon Pierman (Woodstown).

Salem loses heartbreaker

Salem opens big lead in first quarter, but Pitman rallies to claim a two-point win on a pair of Fisicaro free throws with 7.3 seconds left

WEDNESDAY’S BOYS SCORE
Pitman 64, Salem 62

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM – It was an early regular-season game on the eve of the winter solstice. A month from now as teams are jockeying for playoff positions people probably won’t even remember it.

But you can bet the Salem Rams won’t forget.

The Rams opened their Tri-County Classic Division schedule Wednesday night in a game as intense as any you’ll find in February and lost to Pitman 64-62 in a game that went down to the wire. Call it a Classic classic.

“As a team we’re obviously disappointed,” Rams senior Jabez DeJesus said. “We knew they were going to come in and punch us right back; they weren’t going to go without a fight.”

It was a game that had everything for the Rams (1-2) and had to have the Panthers (3-0) hurrying to the bus thinking they got away with one.

The Rams had control of the game early, were tied at halftime, rallied from nine down at the start of the fourth to tie the game after Pitman’s star player fouled out, and then lost it at the end.

Pitman’s Michael Fisicaro hit two free throws with 7.3 seconds left to break a 62-all tie. The Rams had two shots at the end to win it or tie it, but Xavier McGriff missed from the right side and Paul Weathers’ turnaround jumper from the foul line with the rebound and Pitman’s Sonny Myers in his face hit off the backboard as the buzzer sounded.

“I was just thinking I’ll make this shot for my team,” Weathers said. “It was really quick.”

Salem’s Paul Weathers (5) launches a last-second shot hoping to force overtime at the end of Wednesday night’s game with Pitman. The shot missed the mark and the Rams fell 64-62.

The Rams looked like they were going to run the Panthers out of the gym. They jumped out to a 17-2 lead in the first five and a half minutes and led 19-4 with sharp shooting and smothering defense, but then the game started to change.

Salem’s top players started getting in foul trouble, Pitman star Elijah Crispin, Steohen Devanney and Fisicaro started getting involved in the scoring and the Panthers outscored the Rams 46-25 on either side of halftime to take a 53-44 lead into the fourth quarter.

“We started off strong and once the second quarter came we kind of took our foot off the gas, we got too comfortable,” DeJesus said. “We knew they were coming for a run, but still we didn’t do anything defensively to stop it.”

The Rams have won the first quarter in all three of their games this season and the fourth quarter twice, including Wednesday, but it’s been a different story in the second and third. They’ve won only one of the six middle quarters they’ve played – the second quarter against Woodbury – and only that by two points.

“We just have to get better with the middle quarters,” Salem coach Anthony Farmer said. “We start off pretty hot and then we finish strong. We’ve just got to get the middle quarters. We’ve got to be able to fight through adversity whatever that may be out there.”

It was a 57-51 game with four minutes left when senior guard Anthony Farmer went on a personal tear and outscored the Panthers 11-5, tying the game three times in the final three minutes. Farmer scored 16 of his team-high 25 points in the fourth quarter. DeJesus had 14 (seven in the first quarter) and Weathers had 10 points and 12 boards.

Crispin led four Pitman scorers in double figures with 16 points. He also had eight rebounds and eight assists, but fouled out on an offensive foul at midcourt with 37 seconds left and the Panthers leading by 62-60. Devanney (13 points, 8 rebounds) followed him to the bench 12 seconds later.

So with two of the Panthers’ big weapons now out, the game seemed right for the Rams to get. Farmer tied it on two free throws with 25.4 to play. Fisicaro was fouled by McGriff with 7.3 seconds left and sank what proved to be the winning free throws. 

“This game right here is going to stay in my head because I’m disappointed we didn’t get the outcome we wanted,” DeJesus said. “But I’m happy that we have a chance to learn from our mistakes. We’ll see them again in the season. 

“We’re not going to let this hang into our heads. We’ve got a whole season left – all the way to the beginning of March.”

PITMAN 64, SALEM 62
PITMAN (3-0) – Peter Kostiuk 2 0-1 4, Stephen Devanney 6 0-0 13, Hudson Rue 0 0-0 0, Elijah Crispin 3 9-14 16, Trey Tinges 0 0-0 0, Chris Wylie 0 0-0 0, Michael Fisicaro 4 4-4 15, Sonny Myers 2 2-3 6, Greg Petersen 3 2-4 10. Totals 20 17-24 64.
SALEM (1-2) – Ramaji Bundy 2 1-2 6, Anthony Farmer 8 8-12 25, Jabez DeJesus 5 2-2 14, Paul Weathers 5 0-1 10, Xavier McGriff 0 0-0 0, Ty Lecator 2 3-5 7, Joe Tunis 0 0-0 0, Davontae Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 14-22 62.

Pitman7232311 – 64
Salem19111418 –62
TRI-COUNTY CLASSICOVERALLDIVISION
Gloucester Cath.3-01-0
Pitman3-01-0
Wildwood2-11-0
Salem1-20-1
Clayton1-30-1
Salem Tech0-30-1

Cover photo: Two of the premier guards in South Jersey, Salem’s Anthony Farmer (R) and Pitman’s Elijah Crispin, went head-to-head for the first time this season Wednesday night. Farmer brought his team back in the fourth quarter after it lost an early lead, but Crispin got the win.


Man with a plan

Pennsville’s boys follow a plan to combat Clayton, Schalick wins first season opener since 2015, Penns Grove challenged by strong competition

FRIDAY BOYS SCORES
Pennsville 80, Clayton 66
Pitman 69, Penns Grove 41
Schalick 65, Salem Tech 43

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Clayton came into David Salberg Gym Friday night having scored 96 points the night before and the reputation for firing 3-pointers at will. That made the Clippers a dangerous opening-night opponent for anyone.

But Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky had a plan – guard the 3, rebound and play tight man defense.

It proved to be the winning formula as the Eagles clipped their visitors 80-66, missing by just one point the score the coach had predicted before the game.

“We knew coming in that their game is to shoot the 3 and give us the 2,” Mecholsky said. “We tried to be very diligent guarding the 3-point shot. At one point to start the fourth quarter I told the boys let them drive, give up the 2. They want to shoot the 3 to get back in this game.

“That’s just their system. When it’s working that’s a much tighter game. When the system doesn’t work we ended up with a favorable outcome. They’ve got a South Jersey title with that system, his kids love playing that system, but I think tonight it just came down to we were the better team.”

Clayton came out firing – and missing. The Clippers missed their first 11 shots from the field – most of them 3s – and Pennsville ran out to a 12-2 lead despite not being very sharp themselves. The Clippers, 9-of-30 from behind the arc in their opener at Pennsauken Tech, were 1-for-10 from behind the arc in the first quarter against the Eagles, 4-for-18 in the half and 10-for-38 for the game..

Instead of going into the locker room at halftime to discuss strategy, the Clippers spent the entire halftime on the floor putting up shots. They shot a better percentage in the second half, but never got closer than eight points and that was early in the third quarter.

The more they missed, the more the Eagles rebounded. Danny Saulin, a 6-foot-7 senior starting in his final season opener, pulled down 14 rebounds to go with 17 points, many off putbacks. 

“We have a saying – long shot, long rebound,” Saulin said. “When you’re jacking it up from 3 you just have to know you have to back up and get ready to box out and jump up for the ball. For them not playing so much in the paint it made it easier for us to score 2-pointers, made it easier for the whole team to score.”

Saulin wasn’t the only one clearing the boards. Peyton O’Brien, who spelled Saulin off the bench, grabbed 13 rebounds. The Eagles had 49 rebounds in the game. 

“He was so noticeable out there,” Mecholsky said. “When Danny comes out and Peyton can control the boards like that, that’s a big relief as a coach. Not only can he grab the boards, he starts the transition. He can turn and go.”

“I just try to contribute the best I can,” O’Brien said. “It feels good just to know I contributed some way to the win.”

The Clippers hit their only 3 of the first quarter with 2:13 left and it touched off a flurry that got them to 12-11 with a chance to tie. They missed the free throw on a potential three-point play, Saulin made a bucket on the other end and that started a 14-0 Pennsville run across two quarters that put the Eagles safely back in front for good.

“It’s an old cliché,” Mecholsky said, “the better team should win the game and tonight we were the better team.”

In most areas they were. One that left Mecholsky wiping his brow was the 24 turnovers charged to his team.

“We were incredibly lucky tonight that they didn’t shoot well; let’s be honest,” he said. “I didn’t see what Clayton shot from the field but we had 20-plus turnovers. How many games do you win when you turn the ball over 20 times? To have 24 turnovers you just start shaking your head and say all right we got one tonight.”

PENNSVILLE 80, CLAYTON 66
CLAYTON (1-1) – Dillon Jones 3 1-2 8, Princeton Sackor 5 1-1 14, Nazir Davis  1 0-0 2, John Carter 1 0-0 3, Khamari Farley 7 0-0 17, Demetris Williams 4 0-0 8, Jon Cox 0 0-2 0, Cristan Scott 0 0-2 0, A’Shaud Hine-Pope  3 0-1 6, Nasir Carter 3 0-0 8, Jayden Prince 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 2-8 66.
PENNSVILLE (1-0) – Mason O’Brien 1 0-0 3, Luke Wood 10 2-4 24, Cohen Petrutz 5 0-0 11, Chase Burchfield 7 0-1 14, Peyton O’Brien 2 0-0 4, Jayden Thomas 3 0-2 7, Malik Rehmer 0 0-0 0, Daniel Saulin 8 1-1 17. Totals 36 3-8 80.

Clayton 11181522 –66
Pennsville19192220 –80
3-point goals: Clayton 10 (Jones, Sackor 3, J. Carter, Farley 3, N. Carter 2); Pennsville 5 (Wood 2, M. O’Brien, Petrutz, Thomas). Total fouls: Clayton 10, Pennsville 16.

SCHALICK 65, SALEM TECH 43: The Cougars won only three games a year ago, but got their new season off to a rousing start – 25-4 in the first quarter and 39-11 at halftime – and won their season opener for the first time since 2015.

Reggie Allen led the way with 17 points. Daniel Lis had 12 and Ryan Johnson had 10. Junior Nylan Sutton added five points for the Cougars, and had one of the night’s biggest highlights when he threw down the first dunk of his career in the fourth quarter. 

“I think it is meaningful for our program overall,” Schalick coach James Turner said. “It’s nice to finally open up the season with a win and for these guys to carry that same winning mentality from one season to the next, which was what our goal was, and they did a good job today.”

The Cougars got off to what Turner called “a great start.” Their press forced several turnovers that led to some transition baskets and they held the Chargers without a field goal in the first quarter.

“The game plan going in was to put pressure on them and try to get up early,” Turner said. “We tried our best to keep them from getting set in their offense.”

The Cougars didn’t secure their first win last season until after the first of the year. It’s the earlier they’ve gotten a win since beating Collingswood at home on Dec. 15, 2018 – Turner’s second game as their coach. 

The last time they opened a season with a win, they beat Clearview 57-42 in 2015 and went on to go 22-8. They’ve won 22 games the previous five seasons combined.

“I think it was just a little bit of a relief, to say OK we got that first win out of the way, we got that first game out of the way,” Turner said. “I’d just say it was a feeling of relief because of what we’ve gone through the last few years.”

Salem Tech’s Antoine Robinson led all scorers with 19 points.

SCHALICK 65, SALEM TECH 43
SALEM TECH (0-1) – Antoine Robinson 5 8-11 19, Chase Wills 3 2-4 9, Josh Muntz 1 0-0 3, Tyler Zampino 1 0-0 3, Haneef Frisby 3 0-0 6, Joseph Hayes 0 1-4 1, Gio Holmes 0 0-0 0, Daviontae Russell 1 0-0 2, Chase Ayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 11-19 43.
SCHALICK (1-0) – Reggie Allen 6 2-6 17, Daniel Lis 5 1-3 12, Sherrod Jones 1 0-0 2, Justin Iacona 0 0-0 0, Nylan Sutton 2 1-4 5, Nasir Sutton 3 2-9 8, Ryan Johnson 4 2-2 10, Jordan Johnson 2 1-2 5, Jake Siedlecki 2 0-0 4, Jase Volovar 1 0-1 2. Totals 26 9-27 65.

Salem Tech472012 –43
Schalick2514818 –65
3-point goals: Salem Tech 4 (Robinson, Wills, Muntz, Zampino); Schalick 4 (Alllen 3, Lis).
Fouled out: Frisby, J. Johnson, Siedlecki. Total fouls: Salem Tech 21, Schalick 21.

PITMAN 69, PENNS GROVE 41: Some days you play well and some days you learn well. Red Devils coach Damian Ware hopes his team is learning to see what takes to play at a high level because they’ve seen those teams that do twice since practice began.

The Red Devils got their second dose of it Friday and the Panthers put their skill and experience together to show them how the other half lives.

“For our guys the difference in the game was the intensity of the game,” Ware said. “It was actually a good learning lesson and that’s why I told the guys. I said now you see what it looks like to be a contender. If you want to be a contender this is the level you have to play to.”

They got a taste of it last week when they played Egg Harbor Twp., but that was a scrimmage so when they came up short in that one it was no harm, no foul. Friday night’s game counted in the standings.

Penns Grove was in it early and only trailed 15-12 after the first quarter, but then Pitman’s Elijah Crispin and Michael Fisicaro started hearing up and the Panthers started pulling away. Crispin hit three 3s from NBA range and the lead started to grow. It was 16 at halftime, 25 after three quarters.

Crispin led all scorers with 17 points. Fisicaro had 15. Crispin hit three 3s, Fisicaro hit four. Meanwhile, Penns Grove was 0-for-16 from behind the arc.

Roman Gipson led the Red Devils with 13 points off the bench and he may have earned himself a promotion.

“He’s the first sub off the bench, he’s our sixth man, which actually might change,” Ware said. “I might put him in the starting lineup, we’ll see.

“In two of the three scrimmages he came off the bench and did some work there. I’m trying to give guys a little bit of rope to see what they do, but when these young guys come up ,you can’t deny them. You’ve got to let them play.”

The first chance for that possibility is Saturday when they play Lindenwold in the nightcap of their own Red Devil Classic. Pitman opens the event against Burlington City at 11 a.m., followed by Salem and Woodbury. Both Penns Grove teams play in the evening session.

PITMAN 69, PENNS GROVE 41
PITMAN (1-0) – Porter Kostiuk 5-3-13, Stephen Devanney 4-1-10, Hudson Rue 4-0-8, Elijah Crispin 6-2-17, Chris Wyllie 2-0-4, Michael Fisicaro 6-1-15, Greg Petersen 1-0-2, Jake Epting 0-0-0, Trey Tinges 0-0-0. Totals 27-7-69. 
PENNS GROVE (0-1) – Roman Gipson 5-3-13, Camren Thompson 0-1-0, Giomar Conrad 2-8-12, Mehki Ballard 1-0-2, Willie Slocum 1-2-4, Brandin Robbins 2-0-4, KaRon Ceaser 2-0-4, Luis Colon 0-1-1. Totals 13-15-41.

Pitman15182113 –69
Penns Grove1251212 –41
3-point goals: Pitman 8 (Devanney, Crispin 3, Fisicaro 4); Penns Grove 0.