Hudson County Playmakers Heading into Season

Bayonne took home the Hudson County Tournament title after defeating Hudson Catholic in last year’s final, 46-36. Some of the top players in the county return for the 2021 season, which will get going officially in two weeks. Let’s take a look at the top Hudson County playmakers heading into the new season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134618" first="Zanai" last="Jones"], Hudson Catholic, Sr.</strong> – [player_tooltip player_id="134618" first="Zanai" last="Jones"] led Hudson Catholic, the county runner-up, to a 24-5 season, reaching the NJSIAA Non-Public A sectional final a season ago before falling to Immaculate Heart. Jones, a Villanova commit, averaged 18.7 points per game. She did a little bit of everything on the court, as she averaged 5.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.7 steals a season ago. She hit 42 3-pointers and made 114 free throws as well. She had some incredible performances last season for Hudson Catholic, dropping 40 points to go with seven assists, six rebounds and five steals against Dickinson, and she had a triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 steals in a win over Kearny. <strong>Adiana Pacheco, Hudson Catholic, Sr.</strong> – Pacheco averaged just under 10 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game last season. She hit double figures 12 times and had eight double-doubles on the year, including 18 points and 18 rebounds against Kearny. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134634" first="Eniya" last="Scott"], Bayonne, Jr.</strong> – Scott averaged 14.5 points per game to go along with a strong all-around game. She facilitated well, dishing out 12 assists against North Bergen and 10 against Kearny. Scott averaged 6.5 assists per game and also had 5.8 rebounds per game. Defensively, the Bayonne junior averaged 3.7 steals per game, with an incredible 11 steals coming against Pingry. <strong>Jakira Coar, Lincoln, Sr.</strong> – Following the loss of many seniors, Coar becomes the go-to playmaker for Lincoln. She has the experience, as she poured in 23 points against Manasquan in the Group 2 championship game when she was a freshman. Coar came on in the middle of last season following an injury, and was an immediate contributor with 12.6 points per game, including 23 points off seven 3-pointers in a state tournament victory over Fort Lee. She totaled six triples in the Hudson County Tournament semifinals against Hudson Catholic. She stretches the floor and has great range on her shot. <strong>Lyndsey Ross, Secaucus, Sr.</strong> – Ross becomes the leader for Secaucus following a 23-3 season for the group. She drained 46 3-pointers last season and averaged 11.4 points per game. She had 47 steals and put in a season-high 24 points against Harrison. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155449" first="Maddie" last="Branigan"], St. Dominic, So.</strong> – Branigan averaged 14.2 points per game and finished with 22 double-figure performances, with a season-high of 27 points coming against Memorial. Branigan totaled nine double-doubles in a very productive freshman campaign for St. Dominic. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="134640" first="Erika" last="Mercedes"], Union City, Jr.</strong> – Mercedes had a great sophomore season for Union City with 17.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last season. She put in 40 points and 11 rebounds against Cliffside Park and totaled 31 points and 15 rebounds against Livingston. Mercedes finished with 11 double-doubles last season. <strong>Other Names: </strong>Kayla Beckford, Hudson Catholic, Jr.; Kyra Rose, Marist, Jr.; Esmeralda Ruiz, Kearny, Sr.; Samantha Fortune, St. Dominic, So.