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Girls Basketball: Final Look at the 2011-2012 Season

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By JJ CONRAD
jconrad@njherald.com
Full Season Archive
Final Standings/Scoring Leaders

Season in Pictures

My apologies this took so long. By now, people have probably moved past looking back at the winter season and moved on to looking forward to and getting ready for their respective spring sports. But I’m gonna take one final look at the 2011-2012 basketball season. This took a loooong time to put together but it’s finally finished.

The Season Review that’s run in the Herald doesn’t give the deserving players enough credit. Here, everyone gets their due, and I included a Third Team All-Herald that didn’t run in the paper, as well as a dozen or so honorable mentions.

Also included are the Top 5 players at each position, from point guard to center, with breakdowns of each. There’s also an All-Senior, All-Junior, All-Sophomore, and Notable Freshmen sections. And some of the best games of the year that I saw in person as well as an early look at what to expect during the 2012-2013 season.

This will be the last girls basketball post of the year here at Varsity Central. It was a pleasure covering these teams, players and coaches this season and I hope everyone enjoyed the coverage. Congratulations to all who reached major accomplishments this year: Jefferson (winning 26 straight, capturing American Division title and MCT title), High Point (winning a share of its fifth straight league title), Kittatinny (winning its first-ever basketball title in the school’s 38-year history), Sparta’s Fred Geffken for wrapping up an illustrious career, Jefferson’s Jim O’Connor for reaching 450 career wins and High Point’s Chris Dexter for reaching 200+ career wins in his 10-year career, and to Sam Lapszynski and Kelsey Koch for reaching the 1,000-point milestone.

That said, here’s 5,000 more words to cap the 2011-2012 season…

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FIRST TEAM ALL-HERALD

 

Jefferson's Sam Lapszynski is this year's Herald Player of the Year.

Sam Lapszynski, Jefferson, Senior — What didn’t Lapszynski do for this year’s Jefferson team? The Niagara-bound senior and 2012 Herald Player of the Year capped off her career in style, leading the Falcons in scoring (16.3 ppg), to 26 straight wins after an opening night loss, she reached 1,000 points, she came up huge in the Morris County Tournament final vs. Chatham with 28 points and 17 rebounds, and she nearly led Jefferson to a sectional title. In that loss to Teaneck, Lapszynski scored 27 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. What a season. What a career.

Kelsey Koch, Kittatinny, Senior — After Lapszynski, Koch was the second easiest choice on this year’s First Team. Just a phenomenal senior season from Koch and a fitting end to a stellar career. It’s a shame Koch — the Cougars’ unquestioned leader and reason they’ve improved in the win column every season since she’s been there — didn’t get the chance to contend for a sectional title. Even without the state tournament, though, it was a season to remember for Kittatinny’s most-recent 1,000-point scorer. She was the Freedom Division’s leading scorer (by far), averaging 15.5 points per game, including an incredible 35-point, 21-rebounds performance in Hackettstown, and hit Kittatinny’s most important shot in Lenape Valley, all but sealing the crucial league win.

Lexi Breheny, Pope John, Senior — Her coach, Mike Altomare, nominated her for Player of the Year. Opposing coaches constantly worry about her. And I regret not going to see her play more often this year. It was an incredibly impressive season, capping off an incredibly impressive career, from Breheny, Pope John’s outstanding senior guard bound who finished with 1,398 career points and bound for Division II St. Thomas Aquinas College next season. She averaged a hair under 14 points per game and dished out seven assists this season. That’s 28 points accounted for every game, not even factoring in assists on three-pointers and/or passes to the post that lead to foul shots.

Nicole Calella, Kittatinny, Junior — Calella is putting together quite the resumé, already a two-time All-Herald selection as a junior and the only underclassman to make the list this season. She’ll in all likelihood reach 1,000 points next season and will be one of the top players to watch during the 2012-2013 season. Her coach Andy Meyers often described her as the complete package, a point guard who gives Kittatinny everything he could want on a nightly basis. I saw plenty of the Cougars games this season and Calella is the real deal. As good as she is offensively, she’s just as good on the other end, forcing turnovers and causing havoc for opposing guards.

Mallory Costello, Vernon, Senior– Costello was the only returning starter, really one of the only returning players with major varsity experience this season for Vernon, and still put up monster numbers. She averaged an area-best 16.3 points per game and grabbed over 10 boards per game. She averaged a double-double for the second straight season, and there’s not too many players around here that can say that. Numerous coaches around the area have said Costello is one of the toughest players to gameplan for, due to her size and big-time athleticism.

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SECOND TEAM ALL-HERALD

 

High Point's Amber Reiley did a formidable job replacing the departed Leanna Tallamy this season.

Amber Reiley, High Point, Senior – Reiley was the toughest omission from the First Team this year. She was certainly deserving and if there could have been six players chosen, she’d be there. Reiley played a crucial role in High Point’s American Division title this season and did a great job replacing two-time Herald Player of the Year Leanna Tallamy. She said opening night that her goal wasn’t to fill the void left by Tallamy, but rather make a name for herself. And I think she did. The Wildcats’ senior forward scored 12 points per game and was extremely active on the offensive and defensive boards.

Kristen Flaherty, Jefferson, Senior – If it went strictly by position-by-position, Flaherty would have been a first-teamer. She was the area’s best shooting guard this year, knocking down 73 three-pointers and one of the major pieces to Jefferson’s incredible storybook season. Some nights teams would take away Jefferson’s pair of dominant forwards and the Falcons would rely on Flaherty’s outside shot. And many times, she made teams pay, including an incredible record-breaking performance in Jefferson’s second game of the year where she nailed 10 threes and dropped 36 points in a win over Mount Olive.

Steph Peterson, High Point, Senior – I don’t like the term “Most Improved Player” because it implies a certain level of play which the player was previously at. My point is, Steph Peterson has always been good. I saw enough games during High Point’s 27-1 season to know that Peterson was already a player. But this year? She was really good and as her coach Chris Dexter said in a postseason interview, she kind of emerged as that secondary scoring threat this season, averaging 8.1 ppg (11.0 ppg in the 2nd half of the year). She evolved into one  of the most versatile players in the area, capable of knocking down a three, driving to the hoop, getting to the line, taking on girls much taller than her on defense while always holding her own. Just a really, really nice player for the Wildcats and one that will be very tough to replace next season.

Jamie Greene, North Warren, Sophomore — The only sophomore to appear on the Second Team and one that appears to be destined for First Team honors in the future, especially with more exposure next season in the NJAC Freedom Divison. Greene is fun to watch and has such a nice handle of the North Warren offense not usually seen from a player her age. I’ve compared her to Pope John’s Lexi Breheny before, and I’ll do it one final time. She has that kind of potential. Aside from her scoring average, which ended up being fourth best in the entire area (14.2 ppg), her vision is great, she’s a tough defender, and smart with the ball. Coach Jill Masker said during the season that it’ll be nice to have her for the next two years… good news for her, bad news for the Freedom Division.

Kristen Swerzenski, Jefferson, Junior — She actually became somewhat underrated this season, with Lapszynski’s huge year, Flaherty’s emergence as a lethal three-point threat, and Imani Brown’s out-of-nowhere season. She’s quiet on and off the floor, but her game speaks volumes. She’s so smart with the ball, an outstanding passer in traffic, so nifty around the basket, always seeming to maneuver her way through defenses for easy layups. She was capable of knocking down those foul-line jumpers, she was a great foul shooter, an awesome defender, and just the perfect complement down low with Lapszynski on the other side. Jefferson does not do what it did this season without Kristen Swerzenski.

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THIRD TEAM ALL-HERALD

Jamie Melville, Sparta, Sophomore — All year long I was wondering just how good this Sparta sophomore was, seeing her drop game-highs in the box scores a lot. And finally, in Fred Geffken’s final game, I saw Melville play and she had her best game of the year, an impressive season-high 25-point performance. She finished the season averaging 13.5 points per game. The lightning-fast point guard ranks up there with some of the best guards in the area. Keep an eye on her the next two years.

Lindsay Sabo, Lenape Valley, Junior — Sabo has probably — no, definitely — the longest range in the area. I saw her hit some threes this year from 5, 8, even 10 feet beyond the arc. And once she hits one, watch out. She’s not all about the long ball, though, as she’s certainly capable of driving the lane and finishing at the hoop. She averaged 11.1 points per game and will be one of the go-to scorers again next season.

Jefferson's Imani Brown looks destined for a bright future in J-Town over the next two years.

Imani Brown, Jefferson, SophomoreIn my team of the year story, I coined Brown the no-doubt-about-it breakout player of the year. And that was in a landslide. I wrote a ton about Brown this year, mainly because I did a lot of Jefferson’s big games and that’s often when Brown, only a sophomore, was at her best. She can certainly put on a show and excels on defensive anticipation and finishing at the rim. She’s another talented guard to watch out for over the next two years.

Marissa Quaglia, Lenape Valley, Sophomore — One of Lenape Valley’s most complete players and only a sophomore. Quaglia can knock down the three, was one of the Patriots’ best drivers, smart with the ball, a solid defender, and just an all-around nice player for 16-win Lenape Valley.

Julianna Vitolo, Sparta, Senior — Like Melville, I didn’t see Vitolo play until the season finale. But anytime her coach Fred Geffken called in a game, I always heard from him, “Vitolo had a nice game.” And that was no different when I caught Sparta in action, as Vitolo displayed a long-range shot and the ability to get to the hoop. She was in a tough situation this year being the lone senior on an extremely young team, but she still put up solid numbers. She finished just behind Melville at 13.3 ppg.

HONORABLE MENTION QUICK HITS

  • North Warren’s senior guard Kim Olah, just missed the cut for Third Team. Outstanding long-range shooter and had, perhaps, her best game of the year in the first round of the state playoffs.
  • Pope John junior swing player Megan Baird finished the season strong and averaged 13.5 ppg over the final eight games. She’ll be a focal point of the offense next year.
  • High Point junior guard Kirsty Gartner was one of the best three-point shooters I saw all year. Very nice weapon off the bench for the Wildcats and will assume a starting role next year.
  • Lenape Valley senior guard Meagan Price recovered quicker than expected from an ACL injury and missed just a few games. She ran the 16-win Patriots’ offense very nicely, and was among the best in the area at driving to the hoop.
  • High Point senior guard Nikki Hull made my All-Defense team, and for good reason. She always drew the other team’s top perimeter player and usually shut them down. Awesome athlete.
  • Newton’s senior guard Lexie Homa injured her ankle one game before I saw Newton play, but in the 15 games before what turned out to be a season-ending injury, she drilled 36 three-pointers.
  • North Warren junior forward Brittany Lee will be a major scoring threat and rebounding presence next year in the Freedom Division.
  • Hopatcong guard/forward Heather Yaros finished as the Freedom Division’s second-leading scorer at 13.0 ppg. She’ll be one of the top players in that division next year.
  • Sussex Tech senior Soleil Schatteman was the catalyst behind turning the Mustangs around from one win a year ago into a .500 team this season at 13-13. She averaged 12.6 ppg.
  • Wallkill Valley senior Brittany Harlos endured a tough final season with two-win Wallkill Valley, but managed to  have a nice statistical year averaging 11.6 points per game.
  • Vernon junior forward Marissa DeCaro was a big part of the Vikings’ success this year and the team seemed to suffer when DeCaro, who battled injuries all year, was not on the floor.
  • High Point senior center Emily Umbach gave the Wildcats a little bit of everything on a nightly basis. Just a very strong all-around player on both ends of the floor.
  • Jefferson senior guard Lauren Ferguson was fun to watch. One of the quickest players in the area, smart with the ball, always hustling, and ran a fast break as good as anyone — even after a tough early-season ankle injury.
  • Kittatinny junior forward Alyse DePaola was vital to Kittatinny’s success this year down low, living up to that nickname of hers. She was strong on the boards and will be a bigger offensive factor next year.
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Top Five Point Guards

Pope John's Lexi Breheny was the top point guard in the area this season.

1. Lexi Breheny, Pope John, Senior

2. Nicole Calella, Kittatinny, Junior

3. Jamie Greene, North Warren, Sophomore

4. Jamie Melville, Sparta, Sophomore

5. Meagan Price, Lenape Valley, Senior

Breakdown: The point guard position was loaded this year, and looks to be in good hands for the next few years. This top five list doesn't even include High Point's Nikki Hull and Jefferson's Lauren Ferguson, two seniors who ran their respective offenses phenomenally all year long for the area's top two teams. Departing from this year's Top 5: Pope John's outstanding senior and three-time All-Herald selection Lexi Breheny and Lenape Valley's Meagan Price. Breheny will be continuing her career at St. Thomas Aquinas next season after accounting for over 28 points per game through a combination of points and assists. ... Kittatinny junior Nicole Calella will enter next season as the top point guard in the area and will be looking to defend the Cougars'  Freedom Division title. But North Warren's super sophomore and third-ranked point guard in the area this year Jamie Greene will be looking to make some noise in that Freedom Division next year, too. She's a player with limitless potential. ... Another super sophomore, Sparta's Jamie Melville, might be the fastest player in the area. She's capable of blowing past defenders, getting into the lane, and finishing tough, athletic layups around the hoop. ... All this without even mentioning two other sophomores, Jefferson's Imani Brown and Newton's Hannah Buckley. Brown will be taking over the full-time point guard position next year for the Falcons after an unbelievable breakout year this season. Point guard was by far the deepest position in the area this season.

* * * * *

Top Five Shooting Guards

Jefferson's Kristen Flaherty was the top shooting guard in the area this year.

1. Kristen Flaherty, Jefferson, Senior

2. Lindsay Sabo, Lenape Valley, Junior

3. Kirsty Gartner, High Point, Senior

4. Lexie Homa, Newton, Senior

5. Kim Olah, North Warren, Senior

Breakdown: Another loaded position this year with Jefferson's Kristen Flaherty solidifying herself as the top shooting guard in the area this season after drilling an area-best 73 three-pointers. And it wasn't just the number of shots she hit, it was when they came. She hit some of the biggest, timeliest shots of the year for the 26-2 Falcons and forced defenses to have to account for her at all times. ... Lenape Valley's Lindsay Sabo was right behind Flaherty is number of threes hit, with 72, and actually had a higher threes-per-game average than Flaherty. Seemed like Sabo was within her range anytime she crossed half-court. She was a major weapon for the Patriots and will continue to be next year. ... High Point's Kirsty Gartner comes in as the number three shooting guard in the area after not even starting for High Point this year. She provided instant offense for the 22-win Wildcats and was the best at-the-buzzer shooter I saw all year. She'll slide into the starting lineup nicely next season. ... Newton's Lexie Homa, the area's No. 4 ranked shooting guard, was on pace to challenge Flaherty and Sabo for the area's top three-point shooter before a midseason ankle injury derailed her senior season. In 15 games played, Homa nailed 36 trifectas. ... And North Warren's Kim Olah rounds out the area's Top 5 after a strong senior season. She drilled 31 threes, and had the ability to drive the lane and get to the hoop. She put the team on her back in the Patriots' first-round state win vs. Hawthorne. ... Keep an eye on a pair of junior next season to crack the Top 5: Kittatinny's Kelsey Osborne and Hackettstown's Sally Sturm.

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Top Five Small Forwards

Kittatinny's Kelsey Koch was the area's best small forward this year.

1. Kelsey Koch, Kittatinny, Senior

2. Steph Peterson, High Point, Senior

3. Julianna Vitolo, Sparta, Senior

4. Marissa Quaglia, Lenape Valley, Sophomore

5. Megan Baird, Pope John, Junior

Breakdown: Kittatinny's Kelsey Koch was the best at this position from start to finish this year and if it wasn't for Jefferson's Sam Lapszynski, she'd probably have been named the Herald Player of the Year. She averaged a Freedom Division-best 15.5 points per game, reached the 1,000-point milestone, led the Cougars to a perfect 10-0 division record for the school's first basketball title, dropped 35 points in Hackettstown to clinch the Freedom, and hit perhaps the biggest shot of the year in Lenape Valley (a go-ahead three-pointer with 20 seconds left). Just a phenomenal senior season for Kelsey Koch. ... Second on the list is High Point's Steph Peterson, who I wrote a little bit about above, who did just about everything for the Wildcats this season and did it all well. She evolved into the team's second scoring threat, was a lockdown defender (as all High Point players are), and was one of the best drivers to the hoop all year. ... Sparta's Julianna Vitolo comes in as the area's third best small forward, the well-spoken senior Scholar Athlete was capable of knocking down the long ball for the Spartans this year. ... Lenape Valley's super sophomore Marissa Quaglia followed up her impressive freshman season with an even better sophomore year. Probably was the Patriots' best all-around player this season and is a player to keep an eye on in the future. ... And Pope John's Megan Baird rounds out the Top 5, and could probably be considered a shooting guard, but I opted to list her a small forward. The junior will be a major part of the Lions' offense next season and started becoming a major scoring threat late last year. She's also one of the area's best free throw shooters.

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Top Five Power Forwards

Jefferson's Kristen Swerzenski was the area's second best power forward this season.

1. Amber Reiley, High Point, Senior

2. Kristen Swerzenski, Jefferson, Junior

3. Brittany Lee, North Warren, Junior

4. Alyse DePaola, Kittatinny, Junior

5. Marissa DeCaro, Vernon, Junior

Breakdown: Much like Flaherty at shooting guard, High Point's Amber Reiley would have been a first-teamer if it went position-by-position. Reiley was as solid and reliable of a player as there was in the area. She was always good for that 12 points, 8-10 rebounds per game, all while playing tough defense in the post. As stated above, leaving Reiley off the First Team All-Herald was the toughest omission I had. Regardless of where she was slotted, though, it doesn't diminish what she did on the court this year. Amber Reiley had a great season for High Point and the Wildcats don't earn a share of the American Division without her in the post. ... Jefferson's Kristen Swerzenski comes in at the No. 2 spot on the list, always quietly going about her business, but always having a major impact on the game. She'll be one of the best players in the Freedom Division (yes, Freedom.. Jefferson is moving there next year) next season, but will have a lot more responsibility with Sam Lapszynski graduating. ... A pair of juniors rank third and fourth, North Warren's Brittany Lee and Kittatinny's Alyse DePaola. These two players are very similar in their styles of play, though Lee is a bit more aggressive on the offensive end, taking it to the hoop more often than DePaola. But DePaola was the Cougars' probably fourth scoring option, behind Koch, Calella, and Kelsey Osborne, where as Lee was arguably the team's second scoring option behind only Jamie Greene. The battles between DePaola and Lee next year in the Freedom Division will be fun to watch. ... And rounding out the Top 5 is Vernon's Marissa DeCaro, a junior whose season was interrupted by a series of injuries forcing her to miss games on two separate occasions. When DeCaro was in the lineup though, the Vikings were a more dangerous team. ... Two players that just missed the Top 5 list at power forward: Pope John's Toni Santonastasso, a capable scorer, strong rebounder, and has a nice lefty outside shot from the foul line and Newton's Nadearah Scott, a strong player in the post for the Braves.

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Top Five Centers

Vernon's Mallory Costello was the area's second best center this season.

1. Sam Lapszynski, Jefferson, Senior

2. Mallory Costello, Vernon, Senior

3. Emily Umbach, High Point, Senior

4. Melissa Rabe, Lenape Valley, Junior

5. Jenn Casterline, Kittatinny, Senior

Breakdown: After this story and this story and an earlier breakdown at the top of this page, I've run out of things to say about Jefferson's Sam Lapszynski. She was the clear-cut top center in the area and the team leader involved in all aspects of the game for 26-win Jefferson. ... Next on the list at the No. 2 spot is Vernon's Mallory Costello, a first team All-Herald selection. She was tied for the area lead in scoring at 16.3 points per game, despite receiving heavy attention from opposing defenders. She battled double, even triple-teams, at times and still managed to post a double-double for the second straight year. She was one of the most athletic players in the area this year. ... At No. 3 is High Point's Emily Umbach, a much different player than the first two above her, but certainly worthy of this placement. She was a vital piece to the Wildcats' success this year, vastly underrated, but always came to play on both ends of the floor. Her size and presence on the floor will be missed next year. ... At No. 4 is Lenape Valley's Melissa Rabe, a solid player for the Patriots, capable of knocking down those baseline jumpers. I even saw her drill a three-pointer this year in High Point. ... And rounding out the Top 5 is Kittatinny's Jenn Casterline, one of just two senior starters for the Freedom Division champions. She was aggressive on the boards and gave the Cougars a nice inside presence, especially when paired with Alyse DePaola.

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High Point's Steph Peterson is one of 14 All-Senior selections.

ALL-SENIOR TEAM (14)

Guards: Lexi Breheny (Pope John), Kristen Flaherty (Jefferson), Meagan Price (Lenape Valley), Lexie Homa (Newton), Kim Olah (North Warren), Nikki Hull (High Point), Lauren Ferguson (Jefferson)

Forwards: Sam Lapszynski (Jefferson), Kelsey Koch (Kittatinny), Amber Reiley (High Point), Steph Peterson (High Point), Mallory Costello (Vernon), Julianna Vitolo (Sparta), Emily Umbach (High Point)

* * *

ALL-JUNIOR TEAM (14)

Kittatinny's Nicole Calella highlights the All-Junior Team.

Guards: Nicole Calella (Kittatinny), Lindsay Sabo (Lenape Valley), Kelsey Osborne (Kittatinny), Kirsty Gartner (High Point), Darby Smith (High Point), Megan Baird (Pope John), Sally Sturm (Hackettstown)

Forwards: Kristen Swerzenski (Jefferson), Marissa DeCaro (Vernon), Brittany Lee (North Warren), Alyse DePaola (Kittatinny), Melissa Rabe (Lenape Valley), Heather Yaros (Hopatcong), Nadearah Scott (Newton)

* * *

ALL-SOPHOMORE TEAM (9)

Guards: Jamie Greene (North Warren), Jamie Melville (Sparta), Imani Brown (Jefferson), Kristyn DeLorenzo (Hackettstown), Hannah Buckley (Newton), Pamela Hon (Hopatcong)

Forwards: Marissa Quaglia (Lenape Valley), Toni Santonastasso (Pope John), Nicole Farrell (North Warren)

NOTABLE FRESHMEN (4)

Guard Mackenzie Maguire (Pope John), Forward Tara Lynch (Newton), Forward Maggie Boryeskne (Sparta), Forward Maggie Jent (Sparta)

* * * * * * * * *

TOP 5 GAMES
(that I saw)

5. Jefferson-Randolph (both meetings) - I'm mixing both games into the No.5 slot because both were equally as entertaining. The first meeting between these two Morris County powers came back in late-December in the Mountain Lakes Holiday Tournament and became known as Imani Brown's coming out party. In just her second career start, she dropped 16 points and earned Tourney MVP honors after the 59-53 win. The rematch came a few months later, in the Morris County Tournament semifinal. Kristen Flaherty and Brandy Corsaro hit huge three-pointers in the third quarter to kill any momentum Randolph was building. The Falcons earned a trip to the MCT final with a 47-39 win. These were two great games between two great teams.

4. Teaneck 63, Jefferson 50 - No, the Falcons didn't win this one. But anyone who was there was entertained from start to finish. Sam Lapszynski finished her outstanding career in style with 27 points and 19 rebounds and the Falcons got some huge second half buckets from Kristen Flaherty and Imani Brown. It was a five-point game late in the third against the fourth-ranked team in the state in one of the best atmospheres I've ever seen for a high school game. (In case you missed it, this Timestamping of the Sectional Final was, by far, the most popular story from the season with over 325 hits)

3. Kittatinny 46, Lenape Valley 43 - It was a showdown between two unbeatens in the Freedom Division and the game lived up to the hype. Lenape Valley started hot, but Kittatinny battled back and built a sizable second-half lead. The Patriots rallied back late and tied the game in the final minute before Kelsey Koch drilled a go-ahead three from the corner with 20 seconds left to all but seal the win. The play was set up beautifully by Nicole Calella. And Alyse DePaola had a monster game in this one as well.

2. High Point 44, Jefferson 40 - The much-anticipated opening night showdown between the two American Division favorites lived up to the hype, as High Point overcame a seven-point second-half deficit to earn its biggest league win of the year. When High Point's Darby Smith stepped in front of and intercepted a Jefferson pass and went coast-to-coast and converted a three-point play it completely swung the momentum and gave High Point a lead it would not relinquish. The win in Jefferson was crucial for the Wildcats' quest to earn a share of their fifth straight league title.

1. Jefferson 49, High Point 41 - Many of the Jefferson players agree that even though they entered this game  on a nine-game winning streak, that this was one of the major turning points of the season. This win, thanks to Imani Brown's 12 fourth-quarter points, assured the Falcons that they were for real. I saw plenty of Jefferson games this year and judging by their reactions after this one went final, this one meant a lot to them. Even though the league year was a little more than half way finished, this just about sealed at least a share of the American Division title and propelled them to a season for the ages. I remember the team walking out of the gym to a standing ovation from the Jefferson crowd, filled with proud parents and friends, after the win.

* * * * *

A Look Ahead to 2012-2013

Both division races will be wide open next year, especially with Jefferson and North Warren moving to the Freedom Division. Here's a quick look at some of the teams that should be contending for league titles in no particular order...

FREEDOM

JEFFERSON: The 2011-2012 co-champions of the American Division will have a revamped look next season after losing four key starters in Sam Lapszynski, Kristen Flaherty, Lauren Ferguson and Amanda Gerritsen, but they'll be returning Imani Brown at point, Kristen Swerzenski at forward and Brandy Corsaro at guard. They'll be good again, though they'll need someone to emerge in the front court to pair with Swerzenski. Kait Ventrice may be the frontrunner to try and fill the void left by Lapszynski.

KITTATINNY: The defending Freedom champs will return starters Nicole Calella, Kelsey Osborne and Alyse DePaola and a quality sixth man in Ally Nowatnick. Losing Kelsey Koch will be tough to replace, but the Cougars will have enough returning experience to have a shot to defend their title. Jenna Toye, Amanda Schoen and Brooke Coltelli will have larger roles for Kittatinny next year as well.

LENAPE VALLEY: The Patriots might be the favorite for the league title next year, though this Freedom Division will be super-competitive almost every night. Lindsay Sabo and Marissa Quaglia will be returning and were the team's leading scorers last year. Molly Byrne and Melissa Rabe are two other returning starters, as Lenape Valley will enter next season with the most experience of any other Freedom Division competitor.

NORTH WARREN: Don't dismiss the Patriots as a contender for a league title next year just because it's their first year in the league. They're coming from a quality Skyline Conference that plays at a much faster pace than what's played in the Freedom and have a surplus of returning talent. Expect a huge year from guard Jamie Greene and forward Brittany Lee. And look out for players like Kelsey Perst and Nicole Farrell, both quality bench players for North Warren this season who could crack the starting lineup next season.

NEWTON: The Braves will be returning practically their entire squad aside from Lexie Homa next year. Lightning-quick point guard Hannah Buckley will be in her junior year, Nadearah Scott will be a senior and Tara Lynch, someone coach Whitney Dugan could be a 1,000-point scorer, will be a sophomore. Don't discount Newton next year as a contender.

HOPATCONG: The Chiefs went from a two-win team to a six-win team this year and will have the pieces in place to improve on that number once again next season. Heather Yaros averaged 13.0 ppg (second-best in the Freedom), but Hopatcong will also bring back Pamela Hon (best three-point threat), Hannah Bibeault (good size) and Gina Costanza. The Freedom Division will be a fun division to watch next year, as there will be plenty of good games that could go either way every night.

AMERICAN

HIGH POINT: I'll start with the now five-time defending league champs and three-time American Division winners (in its three-year existence). They'll be losing a lot, actually their entire starting five -- Amber Reiley, Steph Peterson, Nikki Hull, Emily Umbach and Brianne Woop -- but you should never count out High Point. The Wildcats will return a pair of guards in Kirsty Gartner and Darby Smith, forward Meghan O'Leary, forward Lanae Tallamy and have a pair of up-and-coming players from a two-year undefeated run at the JV level, Erin Woop and Karin DeStilo, both who should be making the jump next year. Janine Hlavaty could have an impact next year as well. High Point doesn't rebuild, it reloads.

POPE JOHN: Replacing Lexi Breheny won't be easy, but the Lions will be one of the more experienced teams coming back next year. Megan Baird and Toni Santonastasso will give Pope John a nice 1-2 punch, Melissa Scarpone and Stephanie Warsh will give the Lions some nice size in the post and Mackenzie Maguire should be assuming the starting point guard role after learning from one of the school's best in Breheny. Erin Tormey will be returning as well.

SPARTA: Bigtime sleeper pick next year with Jamie Melville running the show. The Spartans were super young this year and will return every player aside from Julianna Vitolo. Sparta had a pair of freshman starters this year down low in Maggie Boryeskne and Maggie Jent, sophomores Bella Lusardi and Rachel Moore and juniors Maggie Corcoran and Jacki Foley. Experience won't be a problem next year for the Spartans, who could be a surprise team in the American.


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