Entering the week, numerous North Jersey girls basketball teams were enjoying improved records from a year ago – and, in some cases, after long droughts of success.
St. Mary enters the week at 13-4 and has surpassed its win total from the past two seasons combined. Seniors Janea Kelty (15.9 points per game) and Jessica Guinto have led the way in the backcourt, and junior F Emma Diaz averages 10 rebounds per game.
Another team that has equaled its win total from the last two years combined is Leonia (7-9), which went into Monday occupying the No. 16 spot in the North 2, Group 2 playoff bracket. The Lions’ senior trio of Leonora Lita (11.9 ppg, 13 rebounds per game), Loryn Williams (4.5 assists per game) and Noelia Sanchez have had four coaches in four years, and new coach Joe Prenenski said, “it’s nice to see success for those kids.”
Despite a Passaic County tournament loss to rival Eastern Christian, Manchester (11-7) remains on pace for its first winning season since the 1980s. A search of old yearbooks showed that the Falcons’ best single-season win total was 17 in 1982-83 and 1983-84, with the former being the last time they won a league title. Jasmine McDuffie averaged 22 points and seven rebounds in last week’s NJIC Colonial wins against Eastern Christian (Manchester’s first since 2015) and Glen Rock (first since before Y2K).
Thanks to a 12-7 start, Wood-Ridge is in position for a first-round home game in the North 1, Group 1 state tournament. The Blue Devils are aiming for their first winning season since 2015 with a pair of sophomores, Natalie Cala (11.0) and Amanda DiMase (8.9) pacing the scoring.
-By: Greg Tartaglia – Record Sports Department
Top 25 rankings
- Saddle River Day (17-2)
- Immaculate Heart (18-1)
- Secaucus (15-1)
- NV/Old Tappan (17-2)
- Paramus Catholic (14-2)
- Immaculate Concception (11-7)
- Pascack Valley (13-5)
- Ridgewood (10-6)
- NV/Demarest (13-5)
- River Dell (11-5)
- Westwood (13-5)
- Cresskill (15-3)
- Northern Highlands (11-8)
- Ramapo (10-7)
- Wayne Valley (13-3)
- Ridgefield Park (13-4)
- Park Ridge (14-3)
- Lakeland (12-5)
- Kennedy (10-6)
- Weehawken (15-1)
- Rutherford (15-2)
- Indian Hills (9-8)
- Fair Lawn (9-6)
- Hawthorne (13-4)
- DePaul (7-7)
(Records through Sunday’s games)
