Players to Watch in Greater Middlesex Conference

There will be many returning players who made an impact last season in the Greater Middlesex Conference. St. Thomas Aquinas repeated as the Greater Middlesex Conference tournament champions as the top seed, taking down third-seeded Monroe in the championship game, 64-41. Let’s take a look at some of the top returning players in the GMC. <strong>Akyia Baker, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sr.</strong> – Baker will take on a much larger role for St. Thomas Aquinas this after the loss of some productive seniors. She averaged nearly 10 points on the year, finishing with double figures in 15 games. Her season-best was 18 points against Sayreville on two different occasions. Baker has the ability to hit shots from the perimeter, defend and get her teammates involved. She will look to lead a St. Thomas Aquinas team coming off 25 wins a season ago. <strong>Nina Branchizio, Monroe, Sr.</strong> – Branchizio is another player who could take a major leap as a senior. She finished with 262 points on the season in 28 games, scoring in double figures in 12 of them. She is active on the glass and defensive end, and she is capable of hitting 4-5 3-pointers in a game. <strong>Brianna Montajes, Middlesex, Sr.</strong> – Middlesex is a Group 1 school capable of going on a run in any year. There will be a ton of talent returning for Middlesex this year. Montajes averaged nearly 14 points per game last year. She will have a lot of help around her with teammates Neysa Aguilar, Jessica Forte, Kaylin Nepton, Madison Robel and Kristen Yonker. <strong>Kristen Yonker, Middlesex, Sr.</strong> – Like Montajes, Yonker was extremely efficient last season. She totaled 21 double-figure games, with her season-best of 24 points coming against Point Pleasant Beach in the state sectional semifinals. She also had a seven-steal performance against Metuchen, and six steals apiece against Highland Park, Woodbridge and Willingboro. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155466" first="Tiffany" last="Fischer"], South River, Jr.</strong> – Fischer was a prolific scorer for South River. She finished with 393 points on the season in 27 games, an average of nearly 15 points per game. Fischer totaled 22 double-figure performances. Her season-best was a 23-point outing against Dunellen in the season opener. Fischer should be in for a strong junior season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="159099" first="Tori" last="Fisher"], Piscataway, Sr.</strong> – Fisher put in 385 points in 25 games last year for Piscataway. She was efficient all across the board with 83 assists, 57 steals, 71 rebounds and 41 made threes. She reached double figures in 21 games. Her season-best came against Edison when she dropped 30 points. <strong>Stephanie Van Note, Sayreville, Sr.</strong> – Along with Brooke Holland, Van Note should be a leader for Sayreville this season. Van Note averaged nearly 17 points per game last season for Sayreville. She effectively got to the foul line (121 free throws), and she was also extremely efficient at rebounding, assists and steals. She had 10 steals in a game last season against Iselin Kennedy, eventually finishing with a triple-double of 20 points, 11 assists and 10 steals. She had a season-high of 28 points against J.P. Stevens. Expect major things from Van Note this year. <strong>Payton Alcorn, Old Bridge, Jr.</strong> – Alcorn showcased her ability to score from the perimeter last year for Old Bridge. She totaled 45 triples on the season, including six threes against Matawan. She will be a team leader going into her junior season.