SJIBT Final 4 Review + Championship Sunday Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below is a recap of the SJIBT Final 4 games played at Eastern Regional High School on Friday, February 7, along with a preview of the upcoming <strong><em>SJIBT championship Sunday </em></strong>on February 9.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Results</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Eastern 59, Williamstown 23</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the lone showcase game of the evening, Eastern raced out to a 34-11 halftime lead en route to a 59-23 victory over visiting Williamstown. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='879631' first='Madison' last='Stuart'] scored a game-high 20 points for the Vikings. Seniors Kyah Wellington and Araba Abanyie combined for 21 points and six three-pointers in the win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>No. 3 Gloucester Catholic 49, No. 2 Lenape 48</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In one of the most entertaining games in SJIBT tournament history, [player_tooltip player_id='601413' first='Jahzara' last='Green']'s game-winning shot gave third-seeded Gloucester Catholic a thrilling 49-48 victory over second-seeded Lenape to advance to the championship game. It was the only lead of the game for Gloucester Catholic (17-3), who trailed by four points at halftime and by three headed into the fourth quarter. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='959812' first='Amanda' last='Eggers'], who missed the Elite 8 game against Moorestown last week with an injury, tallied a team-high 16 points and four threes in the victory. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>No. 1 Paul VI 51, No. 4 Cherry Hill West 34</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After trailing 19-16 at halftime, PVI proved why it's South Jersey's top squad as the top-seeded Eagles rallied in the second half to oust fourth-seeded Cherry Hill West. PVI (18-0) outscored the Lions 35-15 in the final 16 minutes to put the game away. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='583705' first='Kiyanna' last='Blacks-Stewart'] led both teams in scoring with 18 points while fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='414234' first='Azanah' last='Campbell'] added 12 points. [player_tooltip player_id='583703' first='Julia' last='Lewis'] (11) and [player_tooltip player_id='583706' first='Molly' last='Bovell'] (10) combined for 21 of the Lions' 34 points in the loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/thesjibt/status/1888098483074150717?s=46">https://twitter.com/thesjibt/status/1888098483074150717</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Milestone Hit</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williamstown senior [player_tooltip player_id='414394' first='Alivia' last='Mauz'] became the all-time leading scorer in SJIBT history with a 15-point performance in the Braves' loss to Eastern.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"There are a lot of really good players that play and have played in the SJIBT so to me this is a really big accomplishment and it is definitely something I will remember," Mauz said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mauz is cementing her legacy as one of the best players in South Jersey history. The senior stands at 1,730 career points playing in Group 4 competition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"It's so great that now her name can be up there with some of the best female athletes in South Jersey," said Williamstown coach Jamie Land. "[player_tooltip player_id='414394' first='Alivia' last='Mauz'] is one of the best players to ever put on the Blue and White. She has broken many records during her time at Williamstown and continues to never give up. She works so hard and is the most humble athlete who deserves the world. It's an honor to coach her."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Through 21 games so far this winter, she's averaged 21 points per game and is all but certain to break her single-season career high of 490 points set last year. She's 35 points away from passing the mark. On January 23, she hit her 200th career three-pointer in a win over Highland Regional. Mauz and the Braves still have one more SJIBT game left. Williamstown will host Collingswood in the first lineup of showcase games on championship Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/thesjibt/status/1887993633862992093">https://twitter.com/thesjibt/status/1887993633862992093</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">SJIBT Championship Sunday Full Schedule</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below is the schedule for the SJIBT showcase, third-place, and championship games on Sunday, February 8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong>TIME</strong></td><td><strong>HOME TEAM</strong></td><td><strong>AWAY TEAM</strong></td></tr><tr><td>8:30 am</td><td>Williamstown</td><td>Collingswood</td></tr><tr><td>10:00 am</td><td>Eastern</td><td>Timber Creek</td></tr><tr><td>11:30 am</td><td>Wildwood Catholic</td><td>Manasquan</td></tr><tr><td>1:00 pm <strong><em>(Third Place Game)</em></strong></td><td>No. 2 Lenape</td><td>No. 4 Cherry Hill West</td></tr><tr><td>3:00 pm <strong><em>(Championship Game)</em></strong></td><td>No. 1 Paul VI</td><td>No. 3 Gloucester Catholic</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Players to Watch (Championship)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='583705' first='Kiyanna' last='Blacks-Stewart'], Paul VI</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior is not only second on the team behind [player_tooltip player_id='414234' first='Azanah' last='Campbell'] with 236 points this season, but she is also a prolific rebounder, leading the team with 120 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='789189' first='Brooke' last='Stagliano'], Paul VI</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The sophomore sharp-shooter also has 236 points this season, knocking down a team-high 47 three-pointers in the process.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='601413' first='Jahzara' last='Green'], Gloucester Catholic</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The junior recently reached 1,200 career points and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. With a team-leading 343 points, she excels from mid-range and at the free-throw line and is also the team's leading rebounder.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='959812' first='Amanda' last='Eggers'], Gloucester Catholic</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After suffering a season-ending injury before playing a single game her freshman year, Eggers is enjoying an excellent rookie season as a sophomore for the Rams. A standout sharp-shooter, she has 51 three-pointers in 18 games this season. That's good for nearly three per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prediction</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Third Place Game: </em></strong><em>No. 2 Lenape 47, No. 4 Cherry Hill West 43</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Championship Game:</em></strong> <em>No. 1 Paul VI 57, No. 3 Gloucester Catholic 56</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->