Tri-County Conference 2021 Season Recap Pt. 2
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Prep Girls Hoops has begun its closer look at the Tri-County Conference as part of its season recap series for the 2021 New Jersey high school girls basketball season. With the Classic and Diamond divisions down, PGH moves onto the…
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Continue ReadingPrep Girls Hoops has begun its closer look at the Tri-County Conference as part of its season recap series for the 2021 New Jersey high school girls basketball season.
With the Classic and Diamond divisions down, PGH moves onto the Liberty and Royal divisions, where four teams finished this season with double-digit wins.
The Royal division featured four teams deadlocked at the top with 11 wins each, but Clearview and Kingsway separated themselves, each going 10-2 in the conference and 7-2 in the division. A perfect 7-0 home record was the difference for Clearview.
In the Liberty division, Delsea and Highland, the talk of the state this season, shared a divisional crown after both went 7-1 in divisional play. Delsea had the better record overall, finishing 10-5 compared to Highland’s 9-6 record this season, but both were impressive throughout.
Here are some of the best players from the two divisions this season.
Peyton Gilmore – G, Delsea
Gilmore was one of the most dominant players in the conference in her senior season, acting as the driving force behind a senior-heavy Delsea team. She averaged 20.5 PPG, doubling her previous best single-season scoring average, and came up clutch often for the Crusaders this season. Gilmore scored a career-high 29 points in a win over Cumberland and scored 28 points or more four times. She was more confident than ever with the ball in her hands, dominating inside the perimeter and scoring with ease. Her effortless ability to put points on the board is what separated this season for her, finishing her high school career in a dominant fashion.
Amaya Burch – G/F, Timber Creek
Burch took a big step forward this season as the junior evolved into a purebred scorer, averaging 18.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 1.85 SPG for Timber Creek. As she went, the Chargers went, turning an 11-15 season last year around to an 11-3 campaign in 2021. Burch stepped into a leadership role on the team and it paid dividends as she expanded her range outside the perimeter more, knocking down nearly 1.3 made threes a game. As she’s continued to work that more into her game, it’s opened up the floor more for her and her teammates for more scoring opportunities. That’s going to be huge for next season as Timber Creek looks to replicate this season’s success.
Hope Goodwine – G/F, Highland
Goodwine proved that her freshman year success was no fluke in her sophomore season, leading the surprise team of the conference to a shared divisional title. She averaged 15.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG and nearly 5.5 SPG for the Tartans in 2021, putting on a defensive clinic with her ability to create turnovers at ease and flip the court for a quick score. Goodwine is only going to improve over time, and she’s already made massive strives from her freshman to sophomore season. If she’s able to possess that high of a level of poise and maturity as a guard in a tough conference, finding just about any way to score on the court, she’s going to continue to be a nightmare for teams over the next two seasons.
Ana Pellecchia – G, Clearview
Question marks surrounded Clearview after arguably its best two players, Aaryn Battle Aaryn Battle 5'8" | SF Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ and Kassidy Thompson Kassidy Thompson 5'9" | SG Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ , transferred to Camden Catholic this season. However, they got a boost from Pellecchia, a freshman guard who lit up the three-point arc this season, making nearly 2.3 a game. She averaged 14.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.9 APG and 3.5 SPG in 2021 for the Pioneers, scoring a season-high 23 points, 8 rebounds and 8 steals in a 56-22 win over Deptford on Feb. 5. Clearview has a young roster and Pellecchia helped the Pioneers not skip a beat in the division. Watch out because her three-point shooting has the ability to be one of the best, if not the best in the state come her junior and senior year.
Haley Phalines – F/C, Kingsway
Phalines was the backbone in the middle for a solid Kingsway team that took home co-division champion honors this season, averaging 11.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.8 SPG. She was one of two players on the Dragons to put up double-digit scoring averages in 2021, leading the team in scoring and rebounding in the process. Phalines’ best game this season was a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in a 59-29 win over Gloucester Tech on Feb. 22. Everything came together for her this season as she ended her career on a high note.
Stay tuned as Prep Girls Hoops continues its season recap series of the 2021 New Jersey high school girls basketball season.