Cape-Atlantic League 2021 Season Recap Pt. 3
South Jersey might have had its strongest crop of talent and teams this season above any other. We saw some of the best competition and players come out of a region that’s been largely overlooked for women’s basketball talent. The…
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Continue ReadingSouth Jersey might have had its strongest crop of talent and teams this season above any other. We saw some of the best competition and players come out of a region that’s been largely overlooked for women’s basketball talent.
The Cape-Atlantic League in particular had some of the best teams in the region and the state, tucked away toward the bottom of the state down at the Jersey Shore.
Prep Girls Hoops has been looking at the CAL under a microscope to recap this season, and that continues in this article as PGH profiles the best players from this season in the West Division.
Jaiden Harris – F/C, Our Lady of Mercy
Harris posted double-double averages this season for Our Lady of Mercy, averaging 10.7 PPG and 11.1 RPG. She also recorded 1.8 BPG and 2.8 SPG as OLM went 13-2 and 11-1 in the division, just dominating conference and division play overall. Harris was one of five players who scored over 100 total points this season, as the entire starting lineup was clicking on all cylinders this season. However, the senior was the team leader in the end, absolutely dominating opponents on both sides of the floor in 2021.
Samantha Jones – G, Vineland
Jones had no sophomore slump in 2021 as she kept up her fantastic play at Vineland, averaging 14.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.6 APG and 5.5 SPG for a team that finished 12-2 in overall and 11-1 in divisional play. Jones was one of three players you could’ve picked from this team as Vineland was dominant from top-to-bottom in the lineup, just a fantastic watch. She was the team’s best outside shooter, knocking down nearly 1.4 made threes a game. The best part about her play this season, which especially on defense, jumped off the page, is that she’s just a sophomore and we get to watch two more years of her at Vineland.
Sha’naja Williams – G, Millville
Williams was the sparkplug for a senior-heavy Millville team, averaging 13.3 PPG and 1.5 made threes a game for the T-Bolts. She nearly accounted for 30 percent of Millville’s offense on the season, but for good reason as she was a scoring machine. Williams was impressive from beyond the arc, a volume shooter who was very efficient in her senior season. The T-Bolts have some good talent coming through the program right now, but Williams will be a tough player to replace, with her lethal combination of perimeter shooting and inside dominance.
Emma Peretti – F, Hammonton
Peretti posted double-double averages already in her sophomore season with Hammonton, averaging 22.3 PPG and 14.5 RPG. She was as good as anyone across the state on the inside, working the paint extremely well on the offensive end to create space for her to body defenders and score in bunches. She was also someone who boxed out opponents well for rebounds, crashing and dominating the glass with ease. Her two most impressive games of the season were a 20-point, 21-rebound performance in a 64-48 win over Bridgeton, and a 36-point, 12 rebound performance in a 45-22 win over St. Joseph’s (Hammonton). Watch out for her to continue to impress during the 2021-22 season.
Tatyana Chandler – G, Bridgeton
Chandler was the lone senior starter for Bridgeton this season, and she went out with a bang, averaging 18.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 2.5 SPG plus nearly one made three-pointer a game. She was someone you could rely upon to get a basket at any point in the game. She could start up a massive run for Bridgeton, crawl back from a massive deficit, or get a big bucket late in the game. She is the perfect combination you look for in a scorer as she can score in a multitude of ways: perimeter shooting, mid-range jumper, foul line jumper, free throws or a strong drive into the paint for a layup or runner in the lane. Bridgeton has the pieces to replace her for next season, but Chandler was a special player in 2021.
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