NJ Girls Basketball: Must See Games of the Week for Feb. 18-23
Photo by Pete Ackerman This is the most exciting time in New Jersey around high school basketball. Tournaments are beginning to get into full swing and some will even be ending this weekend. There is plenty of action left and…
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This is the most exciting time in New Jersey around high school basketball. Tournaments are beginning to get into full swing and some will even be ending this weekend. There is plenty of action left and it is the best kind. Here are the top games to look forward to this week.
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Rutgers Prep at Trenton Catholic, 6:30 PM
This is one of the games of the year in girls basketball. Rutgers Prep is ranked third in the state and they will hit the road to take on the No. 2 team in Trenton Catholic. Rutgers Prep has been one of the best teams all season long. Trenton Catholic is coming off a huge win when they handed Immaculate Heart their first loss of the season. This game will have some personal history attached to it. Trenton Catholic head coach Bob Fusik spent time under Mark Klinger at Rutgers Prep before departing. This game will be fun on many levels.
Kingsway at Williamstown, 7:00 PM
Two of the top teams in the Tri-County Conference will do battle in regular season action. Kingsway already has a head-to-head victory over Williamstown. They will go for the sweep in this one while Williamstown will look to even the series at one a piece. We could get a third matchup sometime in the postseason.
Wednesday, Feb. 19
St. Elizabeth at Stuart Day, Prep B Final
Stuart Day will look to complete the three-peat in this game. Two years ago was when they won their first-ever Prep B title and now they are one of the best dynasties in the state. Laila Fair and Ariel Jenkins have turned into one of the best forward combinations in the state. And they will be back next season. This will be no easy matchup for St. Elizabeth as they will also have to deal with Nia Melvin and Jasmine Hansford. Hannah Kelly will once again be a very important player for St. Elizabeth if they want to win this championship.
Thursday, Feb. 20
Saddle Day River at Sparta, 4:00 PM
Sparta has a very unique freshman class this season. Brynn McCurry is averaging 16.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game to lead the team. She is joined by fellow freshman sensations Bailey Chapman, Mason Munier, and Ally Sweeney. This means that Sparta is set up to become one of the best teams in the state over the next few years. In this one, they will go up against the No. 8 team in New Jersey. Saddle River has a busy week as they prepare for the Bergen County Final on Sunday.
Cherokee at Paul VI, 7:00 PM
Cherokee has been a team of destiny this season. They have some impressive wins including a blowout win over Wildwood Catholic over the weekend. This will be no easy game as they prepare to take on Lisa Steele’s Paul VI. They are a talented team that is capable of an upset victory.
Saturday, Feb. 22
Saturday will be full of semi-final and quarterfinal action around county and conference tournaments. The Essex County, Hunterdon?Warren?Sussex, Morris County, and Passaic County Tournaments will be down to their final four. The GMC and Shore Conference will have their quarterfinals games on Saturday. The matchups have not been set.
Sunday, Feb. 23
Saddle Day River vs. Immaculate Heart at Ramapo College, 2:00 PM
This will be the Bergen County championship game. Immaculate Heart entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed. This will be the second straight season where these teams will meet in the finals. Saddle Day River will look for their fifth straight title. Saniah Caldwell and Jordan Janowski will look to continue their dominance of the county. Anna Morris is the top player for Immaculate Heart and can add some hardware for her team who has been one of the five best all season long.