Essex County Tournament: Preliminary Round Preview
The Essex County Tournament is a huge tournament full of teams competing to hoist the trophy at the end. The play-in round has already begun ad will finish up on Saturday. In the first games, Shabazz took down Orange and…
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Continue ReadingThe Essex County Tournament is a huge tournament full of teams competing to hoist the trophy at the end. The play-in round has already begun ad will finish up on Saturday. In the first games, Shabazz took down Orange and Mount St. Dominic handled Science Park. The preliminary round will also begin on Saturday and continue throughout the week. We will be here to give you all updates and previews on the tournament throughout. Here is what to expect on Saturday and for the rest of the week from the Essex County Tournament.
21- Newark Collegiate vs. 28- West Side: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2:30 PM
Newark Collegiate will enter this game looking to snap a mini two-game losing streak. They have a good mix of young players with the veterans. Freshman Syann Hightower is leading the team in scoring and rebounding. She has been a force on both sides of the ball averaging over two steals per game. Senior Aliyah Braswell has had a solid season as well. It has been a rough season for West Side but they have a chance to make it all worth it with a tournament win. Sophomore Anna Santos will matchup with Hightower in this one for an intriguing matchup of underclassmen.
20- Millburn vs. 29- North Star Academy: Saturday, Feb. 1, 9:00 AM
Millburn will enter the tournament off a win over Irvington. This was their second win in four games. Sophomore Rachel Lutsky is leading the team in scoring with just under 10 points per game. Fellow Class of 2022 member Sofia Momoli has been a monster on the boards this season. North Star Academy went through a streak during the season where they won four of five. They will need their freshman sensation Alma Abubakari to have a strong game in this one if they want to pick up an upset victory.
22- Montclair Kimberley vs. 27- Montclair: Saturday, Feb. 1, 11:00 AM
Montclair Kimberley will enter the tournament having won six of their last seven games. Most recently, it was a blowout victory over Cristo Rey. Junior Vanessa Amsinger has been the leader all season long. She is averaging 16.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. She is one of three players to average double-digit points along with Sophomores Ayantu Flowers and Patricia Columbia-Walsh. Montclair will have their hands full with the offensive ability of Montclair Kimberley.
23- Belleville vs. 26- Weequahic: Saturday, Feb. 1, 3:00 PM
One of the final play-in games will take place at Belleville. The home team will come into the tournament having won five of their last six games. Belleville has been led by Junior April Lopez and Senior Jazalis Gual. Weequahic will need a big performance from Sophomore Aaliyah Harris who is scoring 17 points per game. Junior Tylera McBribe is right behind her with 14.8 points per game.
18- Verona vs. 31- Technology: Saturday, Feb. 1, 11:30 AM
It has been a tough season for both sides of this one. For Verona, they have played a hard schedule and their record shows it. Junior Melanie Naeris has emerged as an elite scorer with 15 points per game. She will have to lead her team through this tournament if they want to win some games.
16- Cedar Grove vs. 17- Newark Academy: Saturday, Feb. 1, 11:30 AM
Both sides avoided the play-in round and will play the first game of the prelims. Cedar Grove will enter having won three of four. They have 10 wins on the season and will look to win another at home. Ryan Cannataro leads the team in scoring and rebounding. She will be the main x-factor for Cedar Grove. She will have to deal with sophomore Kate Fishbone for Newark Academy. This will be an intriguing matchup to keep an eye on throughout the game.
9- Livingston vs. 25- Shabazz: Monday, Feb. 3, 6:00 PM
Livingston has lost three of four but they have 11 wins on the season. They are a tough team and one that has the ability to make some noise and win some upset games. Ava Intile has been a force during her junior season. She is scoring 11 points per game and has played elite defense. Shabazz is another team that features some stars. Seniors Taniya McLaurin and Eshanti Scott have been strong. McLaurin is averaging 11.6 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. Scott is scoring 16.1 points per contest to lead the team.
14- Newark Tech vs. 19- Mount St. Dominic: Thursday, Feb. 6
Mount St. Dominic is coming off a dominating 54-8 win over Science Park in the play-in round. They will be playing their second game of the tournament and have to deal with Newark Tech. Juliet Howell led the way with 16 points in the play-in round followed by Alexa Murphy with 15. They will have a great chance to take down a higher seed who has played a tough schedule in Newark Tech.