Essex County’s Top Players
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Essex County featured a number of quality teams and players last season. University High School won the Essex County Tournament as the top seed. Let’s take a look at some of the top Essex County players heading into the 2021…
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Continue ReadingEssex County featured a number of quality teams and players last season. University High School won the Essex County Tournament as the top seed. Let’s take a look at some of the top Essex County players heading into the 2021 season later this month.
Tara Johnson Tara Johnson 5'9" | SG University | 2021 State NJ , University, Sr. – Johnson led University in scoring with 15.6 points per game. She was aggressive on both ends with 182 rebounds and 78 steals, also finishing with 81 made free throws and 69 assists. She had nine double-doubles on the year.
Bukky Akinsola, Montclair Immaculate, Sr. – Akinsola led Montclair Immaculate in two-point field goals, and she was second on the team in steals a season ago. She finished third in points. Her season-high of 21 points came against Morris Catholic in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Non-Public B semifinals.
Triniti Haskins Triniti Haskins 5'10" | SG East Orange | 2022 State NJ , East Orange, Jr. – Haskins simply knows how to score the ball. In her sophomore year at East Orange, where the Jaguars finished with 21 wins, Haskins took over in plenty of games. She led the team in scoring with 462 points in 27 games, good for an average of 17.1 per game. She finished with five double-doubles on the season, also averaging 6.8 rebounds per game. She was an all-around threat for East Orange. Defensively, Haskins had 95 steals, and she finished with five or more steals 10 times. Some memorable performances came against Johnson (31 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals), Paterson Eastside (21 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals), Promise Academy 1 Charter of New York (26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists, 2 blocks), Verona (24 points), Arts (17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 steals), Marist (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Bergen Tech (26 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 steals).
Destiny Battle, East Orange, Sr. – Battle was a two-way specialist for East Orange last season in her junior year. She averaged 12.3 points per game and was incredibly efficient defensively with 5.2 steals per game. She finished with 10 steals in four different games. Offensively, she was strong at getting to the foul line and she finished with 107 two-point field goals. Battle also had 106 rebounds and 92 assists on the season.
Kiley Capstraw Kiley Capstraw 5'10" | SG West Orange | 2022 State NJ , West Orange, Jr. – Capstraw is entering her junior season already verbally committed to Yale. She was an exciting player to watch last year with 21.4 points per game despite missing six games. Capstraw finished with 111 made free throws, 186 rebounds and 54 steals. The West Orange junior had nine double-doubles on the year, attacking the glass and finishing with some eye-opening numbers. Capstraw totaled 36 points against Newark Tech, 33 points against Arts, 30 points and 11 rebounds against Montclair Immaculate, 22 points and 17 rebounds against Teaneck and 33 points and 15 rebounds against Verona.
Brielle Guarente, Caldwell, Sr. – Guarente, a Moravian commit, was the scoring leader for a Caldwell team that finished 17-9. She essentially hit double figures in every game a season ago, and she averaged 16.8 points per game.
Arianna Hill, Payne Tech, Sr. – Hill was tremendous with her ability to score, rebound, get to the foul line and block shots a season ago. She finished with 15 double-doubles on the season and averaged 17.4 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game to go along with 103 free throws and 74 blocks, including nine in a game against Glen Ridge.
Other Names: Sidney Williams, University, Sr.; Mackenzie Albert, Nutley, Jr.; Lauren Sanderson, Caldwell, So.; Olivia Weiss, West Essex, So.; Ava Intile, Livingston, Sr.; Destiny Hines, Newark Central, Jr.;