Four local teams continue in NJSIAA Tournament
The first week of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletics Association Tournament did not go so well for local girls’ basketball teams.
Only four of the 16 Trentonian-area teams which made the postseason advanced to this week’s second round.
Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy, Hightstown High, New Egypt High and Ewing High are the few local girls’ teams still alive in the state tournament. Head coach Sherika Salmon’s Mercer County Tournament runner-up Mikes (18-8) won their NonPublic B South opener versus Moorestown Friends, 86-13. Now fifth-seeded TCPA will head to fourthseeded Gloucester Catholic (22-6) to take on head coach Lisa Gedaka’s Rams at 4 p.m. Monday.
Head coach Jenna Marcus’ top-seeded Rams (22-5) survived a first-round scare from 16th-seeded Marlboro, 53-50, so they will get to host eighth-seeded
Old Bridge (11-14) at 6 p.m. Monday in Central Jersey Group IV.
First-year head coach Anthony Burr’s 12-12 Warriors had a busier week than most last week, playing three games (two regular season), but were able to defeat Keyport, 50-24, to move on. Seventh-seeded New Egypt will play at second-seeded Dunellen (188) at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Central Jersey Group I’s next round.
Head coach Dan Montferrat’s Mercer County Tournament champion Blue
Devils (23-5) will remain in Emil Wandishin Gymnasium this week after defeating Colonial Valley Conference foe Allentown, 88-42, in the first round. Next up for top-seeded and defending Group III state champion Ewing is eighth-seeded Colts Neck (11-14) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Most teams that win this week play every other day (except in Non-Public B South, which continues Thursday). From there, the Group IV sectional final will be played Friday, March 1 at the home site of the higher-seeded team, while the Group III and I sectional finals will be Saturday, March 2 at the home site of the higher-seeded teams.
Public school state semifinals will be held Tuesday, March 5 for Group IV; Wednesday, March 6 for Groups III and I. The games those days are listed on the NJSIAA’s website to be played at “pre-determined” sites, which have yet to be announced. NonPublic sectional finals will be held at an unannounced “pre-determined” site Monday,
March 4.
The state finals will take place at two different sites the weekend of March 8-10. The Non-Public championships will be played at Rutgers University Friday, March 8, then the girls’ Group IV title game will be there Saturday, March 9. The Groups III and I girls’ finals will be played at the RWJBarnabas Center on the campus of Toms River North Sunday, March 10. Official times for those contests will be decided once each matchup is set.