North Jersey Section 1, Group 1 Final: Midland Park vs. Cresskill Preview
Both Cresskill and Midland Park have cruised their way to the championship game with three straight double-digit victories. For one side, it could have been expected. Cresskill entered the bracket as the No. 2 seed and playing extremely well. For…
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Continue ReadingBoth Cresskill and Midland Park have cruised their way to the championship game with three straight double-digit victories. For one side, it could have been expected. Cresskill entered the bracket as the No. 2 seed and playing extremely well. For the other side, this might be a surprise. Midland Park entered as No. 8 and took down No. 1 North Warren and No. 4 Park Ridge in their path. Here is a preview of each team entering the final matchup of the bracket.
Cresskill
When talking about Cresskill, the conversation begins with Colleen McQuillen Colleen McQuillen 5'10" | SG Cresskill | 2021 State NJ . The junior has led her team to a 21-6 record with 25.7 points per game. She is one of the top scorers in the state and her dynamic ability to put the ball in the basket has been on full display during their state final run.
McQuillen began with 35 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and six steals in round one against New Milford. She followed that up with 21 points in the quarterfinal and another monstrous 35-point game against Cedar Grove. Cresskill has won their games by an average of 33 points in the state tournament because of the prowess of McQuillen.
Outside of their junior star, Cresskill has a strong supporting cast. Niamh Tobin has had an exceptional sophomore season and will continue to get better over time. Seniors Annie Mioli and Lauren Coffey have been leaders on and off the court for Cresskill. They have won 11 of their last 12 games and would love to get one more to secure that state title.
Midland Park
Midland Park is one win away from accomplishing something outstanding. As the No. 8 seed, they have made an improbable run to the championship.
A main reason for their run is that senior Gillian Luberoff has been a menace on both sides of the floor. She began with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks in round one. Luberoff notched a triple-double in the quarterfinal against North Warren with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks. In the semis, it was more of the same. Luberoff had 16 points, 14 rebounds, and seven blocks. Could she have one more dominant performance in her tomorrow night?
Midland Park has been extremely balanced all season. Olivia Calderone and Tess Olson have been effective scorers for Midland Park while Alyssa Genoa has been a pest on defense. This run by Midland Park should come as no surprise to anyone despite their seed. This is a talented team capable of winning it all.