PGH NJ 2021-22 Season Preview: Pascack Valley

Pascack Valley was able to get in a full 15 games in its Covid-shortened 2021 spring season and the Panthers got off to quite the hot start in the Big North Conference. The Indians were 7-2 through its first nine games, winning all but one by at least 10+ points. Both losses were within 10 points, but this team was on a roll and was one of the best in the conference. However, things took a turn in the final six games of the season as PV went 2-4 in those final six games, including a 63-46 home loss to Northern Highlands in its final game of the season. What started as such a promising and exciting season for the Indians ended poorly as the Pascack Valley finished the season with a 9-6 overall record. We’ll be seeing some relatively significant turnover for the upcoming season for the Panthers as the program basically had a seven-woman rotation last season. Prep Girls Hoops New Jersey continues its season preview series with a look at Pascack Valley, a team looking to replenish what it lost in the spring and shake off the demons from the end of last season. Three seniors graduated in the spring: Kelly Andreasen, Lexi Hort and Nicole Perrone, the first of which, Andreasen, led the Indians in scoring last season at 17.6 PPG. From the jump, that was going to be a big hole in this season’s lineup that players needed to step up and try to fill. Luckily, there were a number of important names who are going to make a difference this season, beginning with senior [player_tooltip player_id="319311" first="Jules" last="Vassallo"]. She was second in scoring and three-point shooting as a junior, averaging 12.6 PPG and 2.2 made three-pointers a game for the Indians. Vassallo will undoubtedly be the backbone of this team coming into the year and a piece that head coach Jeff Jasper will look to build around. We don’t know much about the freshman situation coming in, but we’ve heard good things about guards Celina Bussanich and Shana Weiss. They’ll hopefully get playing time and learn from Vassallo in the one season they’ll play on the same roster. Juniors Lindsay Jennings and Tori Criscuolo are returning and will both see the floor quite a lot this winter. Jennings was third on PV in scoring last season at 8.2 PPG and Criscuolo was fifth at 4.8 PPG. Both are expected to be starters coming in and were very effective in the spring at getting to the foul line. Jennings will get the ball quite often and was second in free throw shooting last season. She welcomes contact well and finishes strong at the rim, both great building blocks for this program to take advantage of. The bench is thin this year, but senior Gabby Rubin and junior Kiara Selby will see much more playing time as a result. The two combined to play in five games in the spring, so with more playing time should come more productivity. There are question marks that need to be answered, but if Vassallo and Jennings can really take over the reins of the program quickly, they’re a dark horse in the Big North.