JERSEY LIVE DAY TWO: Noise-Makers

The second and final day of Jersey Live brought all the smoke! A loaded lineup made for exciting basketball from early morning to late afternoon! For the second consecutive day, yours truly had a front row seat to all the action which saw the following players put on a show for college coaches and spectators alike:   [player_tooltip player_id='414402' first='Jessica' last='Devine'] | Middlesex   The first matchup of the day saw Jess explode for 32 points against Verona. The defense had no answer for her explosiveness off the dribble and lights-out deep-range shooting. Her 18-foot jumper was one of the smoothest shots I saw all day. As the primary ball-handler, she set up the half-court offense and executed play after play. She was a one-woman fast-break charge the way she converted defense to offense. She kept active hands and a blue-collar mentality on D which forced opponents over at a furious pace. Her two-way game was beyond stellar this morning!   [player_tooltip player_id='559081' first='Olivia' last='Moore'] | Trenton Catholic   Olivia's intensity and punishing dribble penetration contributed to her 13-point performance in a win against Pascack Valley. Nearly unstoppable off the bounce, she fought through contact and finished strong around the rim. She kept her foot on the gas and did all the little things to help TCA pull away late. She remained committed to the defensive assignment and was sharp on rotations to prevent opponents from getting free for good looks.   [player_tooltip player_id='559070' first='Jada' last='Lynch'] | St. Rose   Jada put on a show in the second half of a fiercely contested battle between St. Rose and Pope John en-route to a 12-point outing. With supreme athleticism and a sharp basketball acumen, she proved devastating off the bounce, was efficient from 3-point land and applied suffocating ball pressure on defense. One of the strongest guards in the state, she was tough finishing through contact and earning multiple trips to the stripe. She never took a play off and made hustle plays that sometimes saw her crashing out of bounds and into the coaches section! Undeniable grit and tenacity on both sides of the ball!   [player_tooltip player_id='651482' first='Callie' last='Decker'] | St. Rose   Super confident and fully-focused, Callie put in an extraordinary effort in a big win against Pope John. The rising sophomore ran the floor hard, shared the ball and played with a selfless team-first mentality. Her short jumper looked good and she let it fly from the perimeter with confidence. She gave it her all on defense and never once shied away from contact, no matter how much bigger or stronger the opponent. Absolutely fearless!   [player_tooltip player_id='981918' first='Hailey' last='Benbow'] | Rutgers Prep   I got my first look at this incoming freshman and all I can say is SHEESH! Saying she showed a lot of promise would be an understatement! Long and quick, she floated around the court and played with a fire in her eyes! Her pull-up mid-range jumper was fluid and efficient, extending her shot over the defender who had a hand pressed squarely in her face. She got ahead of the pack in transition and made it count at the hoop. She approached the game with a sense of urgency and while she played with pace, she never once got sloppy or sped up out of her comfort zone.   [player_tooltip player_id='559136' first='Camden' last='Epstein'] | Ramapo   Camden showed why she's the best player on her team... and that's saying something, considering Ramapo has some truly talented players! She had her way with Spotswood and Middlesex, combining for 48 points and drilling buckets from just about everywhere on the floor. She popped 3's from the wings and corners, pulled up from the elbow and attacked the basket with authority. Everything seemed to be clicking today and it was almost a shock when she actually missed a shot! Her effort and effectiveness was something to marvel at!   [player_tooltip player_id='583701' first='Francesca' last='Schiro'] | Hillsborough   In impressive outings against Middle Township and Paramus Catholic, Francesca was a handful to try and contain, tallying 14 points in a close three-point loss to Middle and exploding for 23 in a dominant win over PC. She was aggressive and physical, dashing to the hoop on sharp baseline rips and quick-hitting transition. She absorbed a ton of contact and still found a way to finish at the rim! Her left-handed scoop layups were smooth and graceful as she delivered blow after blow to Middle's defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='871258' first='Sarah' last='Farrow'] | Middle Township   Sarah dropped 14 on Hillsborough in a performance that had college coaches' interest piqued! Wildly athletic and super strong, she finished at the rim through contact a number of times. She crashed the glass fearlessly, skying in seemingly out of nowhere and pulling down rebounds over much taller players; she simply wanted it more than everyone else! She was a vocal leader who maintained high energy throughout the duration of the game.   [player_tooltip player_id='583758' first='Nila' last='Giraud'] | Montclair Immaculate   Nila's "big guard" style of play saw her drop 13 points on PA power Neumann Goretti and 19 on Cardinal O'Hara. She was rock solid on both sides of the ball, having her way around the rim on offense while protecting said rim on defense. She used every bit of her 6'0" frame to wreak havoc and make opponents feel her assertiveness. She fought out of the double-team and maintained a high level of physicality throughout the duration of both games.   [player_tooltip player_id='677601' first='Lola' last='McGonigle'] | Wildwood Catholic   Arguably the best 3-point shooter at this event, Lola was a flat-out SNIPER en-route to 19 points in the Crusaders' big win over Rumson-Fair Haven. She caught fire from long-range, knocking down SIX 3-point bombs and absolutely deflating the defense. There really was no answer for her scoring prowess this afternoon as she delivered off the catch-and-shoot just as effectively as she did spotting up and on the step-back. She moved well without the ball to get to her spots quickly around the perimeter and deliver blow after blow.   [player_tooltip player_id='601267' first='Mia' last='Washington'] | Pope John   A long, speedy guard, Mia showed off a deep bag equipped with fancy footwork, a crafty layup package and efficient shooting from the mid-range and beyond! Against Neumann Goretti, she dazzled and kept the ball on a string, getting to the rim on her own terms. She defended the perimeter very well and used her length to be disruptive and intercept passes for steals. Her phenomenal 19-point performance kept a short-handed Pope John close against the out-of-state powerhouse, falling only by two points.   [player_tooltip player_id='414399' first='Celina' last='Bussanich'] | Pascack Valley   A fiery guard who thrives in uptempo play, Celina was excellent in an 18-point outing against Verona. Equal parts facilitator and scorer, she made sure to create not only for herself, but for her teammates scattered about. Her points came hot and heavy at the rim as they did from 15-18 feet out and her defensive integrity forced a multitude of turnovers which ignited quick-hitting transition ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='559133' first='Erin' last='Reid'] | Rumson-Fair Haven   With 34 points scored on the day between match-ups against Roselle Catholic and Wildwood Catholic, Erin's offense was locked and loaded. When she puts the ball on the floor and penetrates from the high post, consider it a bucket! Her efficiency once she gets to the rim is supremely high, with impressive footwork to match! She does a fantastic job blitzing the floor on the fast break and leading with her body on the lay-in. Even while being the primary focus of the opponents' scouting report, she still finds a way to free herself from defensive traps and tally points at a furious pace!

The second and final day of Jersey Live brought all the smoke! A loaded lineup made for exciting basketball from early morning to late afternoon! For the second consecutive day, yours truly had a front row seat to all the action which saw the following players put on a show for college coaches and spectators alike: