Burlington County Tournament BREAKDOWN

The BCT kicks off on Monday with eight teams from the BCSL and Olympic Conferences clashing for the Chip. Lenape is the two-time defending champ, having conquered Moorestown both times. Let's dive in and break down the top contenders, as well as potential darkhorse teams and x-factors lookings to make a big impact as they chase Burlington County glory!   BCT SEEDS   (1) Lenape vs (8) Burlington Twp, (2) Northern Burlington vs (7) Pemberton, (3) Westampton Tech vs (6) Willingboro, (4) Delran vs (5) Seneca   Lenape has steamrolled through teams this season en-route to a 16-3 record, including a perfect 7-0 in the Olympic-American. With one of the best sophomores in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='835906' first='El-Anita' last='Joe-Samuel'] leading the way, the Indians will be hard to beat. Joe-Samuel is averaging 16.1 ppg and scoring the ball efficiently in a number of ways. Her versatility on offense sees her sink 3's and muscle her way inside through traffic game after game. Her physicality sets her apart from a lot of players because she's fearless and downright strong! But this team is much more than just the sophomore star. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='414232' first='Alexa' last='Henry'] isn't far behind at 12.3 ppg and is this team's leader in 3-point baskets. She's also quite shifty and explosive off the bounce, carving paths to the rim when it doesn't even look possible. Two-way guard [player_tooltip player_id='671949' first='Olivia' last='Watkins'] leads the Indians in steals at nearly 4 per game while chipping in just under 7 points. Secret weapon Lauren Caulden is having a career year in her final season and gives this team added depth, averaging 7.1 ppg and ranking third in 3-point baskets. They may be hard to beat, but surely not impossible. So, who could possibly ruin their chances of a repeat? 3-seed Westampton Tech has put together a remarkable 18-4 season (4-1 in the BCSL-Liberty) behind superstar [player_tooltip player_id='878692' first='Akeelah' last='Lafleur'], one of the top seniors in the state. Averaging a monster double-double at 19.2 ppg & 12.2 rpg, nobody has figured out how to successfully contain her. Fighting through double and triple-teams, she's managed to record eleven double-doubles and four triple-doubles against stiff competition. Oh yeah, and did I mention she's the state leader in blocks per game! She's swatting away nearly 7 per contest (6.5)! Just flat-out impressive. If the opponent can figure out how to slow her down, senior [player_tooltip player_id='333352' first='Mikayla' last='Taylor'] can surely step up and go to work. She's the Panthers' leader in 3-point baskets, knocking down nearly 2 per game, while averaging 12.6 ppg. Mik also wreaks havoc on the ball, leading the way with 2.9 spg. A pair of freshman twins, [player_tooltip player_id='982716' first='Violet' last='Azcona'] and [player_tooltip player_id='982717' first='Emeryl' last='Azcona'], have been impactful in Year 1, averaging 6.9 ppg and 6.7, respectively. If (1) Lenape and (3) Westampton Tech do, in fact, meet in the Chip, it could make for some spicy basketball!   TOSS-UP 4-5 MATCHUP   In a rematch from January 13th, Delran and Seneca are set to clash in Round 1. The Golden Eagles surely have revenge on their mind after dropping their first meeting to Delran by only 3 points. Led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='1191906' first='Kamryn' last='Wozniak'] averaging 9.2 ppg, they'll look to slow down Delran leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='871529' first='Ashley' last='Doyle'] this time around, who dropped 19 points last time, half of her team's total! She'll need help from sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1191909' first='Fiona' last='Sokorai'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1191910' first='Dani' last='Winters'] who are second and third on the team in scoring at 5.7 ppg and 5.1 ppg, respectively. If either can come alive and have a breakout game, Seneca's chances of pulling off the upset and advancing seem likely. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1191907' first='Maddy' last='Schwartz'] will have to put her best foot forward defensively. The team leader in steals (5.8 spg) does a great job causing chaos for the primary ball-handler. If she can force rapid turnovers and push the ball the other way, momentum will be on their side. However, slowing down Delran's well-balanced offense will be easier said than done. It starts with Doyle, averaging 13.0 ppg and continues with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='865922' first='Abby' last='Shaeffer'] and freshie [player_tooltip player_id='1191911' first='Lila' last='Jaussi'] at 6.2 ppg, respectively, with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1191912' first='Lily' last='Theis'] trailing close at 6.1 ppg. Theis is an integral part of this team's success because does much more than contribute to the points column. She's their rebounding leader at nearly 8.0 rpg and is also swatting away a team-best 1.2 bpg. At 5'11", she protects the rim and does a great job imposing her will in the post. This one could truly go either way; one-possession game. Grab your popcorn folks!   CAN THE 2 SEED GO ALL THE WAY?   Northern Burlington comes in already having beaten some of the teams in this field, including 4th seeded Delran and 7th seeded (and First Round opponent) Pemberton twice. They lost a close one to 3rd seeded Westampton Tech way back in early January but proved that they could hang tough. In that game, they shut everyone else down except [player_tooltip player_id='878692' first='Akeelah' last='Lafleur'], who dropped a ferocious 33 & 16 double-double. It's likely they'll have a chance at revenge in the semis and another shot at trying to contain Lafleur. 6'1" [player_tooltip player_id='1134542' first='Maleeya' last='Brammer'] has been exceptional in her first season with the Greyhounds (transfer), averaging a near double-double at 15.3 ppg & 9.1 rpg. Twin sister [player_tooltip player_id='1191913' first='Makayla' last='Brammer'] is contributing 5.5 ppg & 7.2 rpg. At 5'10", she brings solid size and versatility, playing both inside and out very well as she alternates between the guard and forward positions. This team's leading scorer and fearless leader, senior [player_tooltip player_id='414316' first='Jillian' last='Watson'], is putting up 15.4 ppg and is poised for a run to the Chip. Defense will be absolutely crucial and these ladies are very solid in that aspect. Watson leads the team in steals at 2.3 spg, followed closely by senior [player_tooltip player_id='414315' first='Karina' last='Harrison'] at 2.2 spg. Maleeya's 1.1 bpg average has been a significant part of their rim protection, something they'll need to flawlessly execute if the meeting with Tech does, in fact, happen. A run to the Final would likely see Lenape and [player_tooltip player_id='835906' first='El-Anita' last='Joe-Samuel'] await. It won't be an easy path, by any means, but the Greyhounds sure have the talent to go all the way.   X-FACTORS   [player_tooltip player_id='600879' first='Ifebuche' last='Nnebe'] | Westampton Tech   If either Akeelah or Mikayla get into foul trouble early or have trouble getting going, look for Ifebuche to step up when it matters most. She's been tough on the glass and on defense all season long. With averages of 3.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 apg & 1.7 spg, it's obvious to see that she puts in work across the board. Nnebe brings a lot of toughness to this squad and plays quality minutes when her number is called.   [player_tooltip player_id='600875' first='Kiara' last='McCollum'] | Willingboro   The Chimeras have put together a solid 14-4 record, including 9-0 in the BCSL-Independence. Kiara has been a steady force on offense, averaging 10.8 ppg thus far. If this team wants to make waves early on and upset Tech in the First Round, she'll have to be on-point from start to finish. She'll have to lock in on both sides of the ball. If she can knock down a few 3's and get a few stops, combined with production from leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1191936' first='Shakaiya' last='Dutton'] and junior Chinasa Ejingiri, it could get interesting.   [player_tooltip player_id='1191937' first='Taniya' last='Graham'] | Pemberton   It'll be a tall task to try and upset the 2 seed Northern Burlington, a team who the Hornets lost to twice in the regular season quite handily. What stands out in both of those games is that senior [player_tooltip player_id='1191937' first='Taniya' last='Graham'] wasn't much of a factor. She was impactful on the glass in the first meeting, but struggled on offense. In the second meeting, more of the same. If she can deliver when her number is called, Pemberton has a chance. She's producing 2.7 ppg & 6.1 rpg while making notable efforts on defense. She's capable of much more, however! Four times this season alone she's recorded double-figure rebounds! If she can tally a career-first double-double and her teammates continue to do their thing, anything's possible!   SUPERSTARS IN THE FIELD   [player_tooltip player_id='835906' first='El-Anita' last='Joe-Samuel'] | Lenape   Averaging 16.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.9 apg & 1.2 spg.   [player_tooltip player_id='414232' first='Alexa' last='Henry'] | Lenape   Averaging 12.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg & 1.5 spg.   [player_tooltip player_id='871529' first='Ashley' last='Doyle'] | Delran   Averaging 13.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 3.3 spg for the 4 seed.   [player_tooltip player_id='878692' first='Akeelah' last='Lafleur'] | Westampton Tech   Averaging 19.2 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 6.6 bpg & 1.6 spg.   [player_tooltip player_id='333352' first='Mikayla' last='Taylor'] | Westampton Tech   Averaging 12.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg & 2.8 spg.   [player_tooltip player_id='414316' first='Jillian' last='Watson'] | Northern Burlington   Averaging 15.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.4 apg & 2.3 spg for the 2nd seed.   [player_tooltip player_id='1134542' first='Maleeya' last='Brammer'] | Northern Burlington   Averaging 15.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg & 1.1 bpg.

The BCT kicks off on Monday with eight teams from the BCSL and Olympic Conferences clashing for the Chip. Lenape is the two-time defending champ, having conquered Moorestown both times. Let's dive in and break down the top contenders, as well as potential darkhorse teams and x-factors lookings to make a big impact as they chase Burlington County glory!