Bergen County Quarterfinals Preview

<p>Get ready for a big Saturday of games in the Bergen County Girls Tournament. Demarest is not only the #2 seed, but the host site for the Quarterfinals. Let's take a look at all the matchups.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span style="text-decoration: underline">#1-IHA vs #8-Ridgewood</span></h2>   <p>Both teams won their opening round games in convincing fashion. </p>   <p>IHA took down #16-Rutherford in a 45-29 victory. IHA was methodical on offense and opportunistic on defense led by 15 points from junior [player_tooltip player_id='959125' first='Addi' last='Valdez'], who along with freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1303615' first='Giuliana' last='Huaranga'], have emerged as the go to scorers for IHA. This team lacked a true upper classmen leader coming into the season and has responed by maximizing their depth. They have 6 players averaging 5+ppg and nobody averaging more than 9+ppg. 8 different players have had a double digit scoring game. That makes it difficult for opposing defenses as you cannot focus on taking away 1 player. IHA plays a physical man to man defense and they have a lot of length. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='559818' first='Samantha' last='Grella'] is the team's most experienced player and leading rebounder. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1201469' first='Casey' last='McCauley'] leads the team with 19 3-pointers. Sophomore transfer [player_tooltip player_id='972035' first='Isla' last='Fry'] has added some interior presence on the glass and some post scoring after moving on from Ramapo. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1634845' first='Kaylie' last='Fitzpatrick'] has added some scoring and rebounding. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='959818' first='Stella' last='Broderick'] is a long athlete who can attack the rim and finish inside. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='677063' first='Lucie' last='Schell'] provides some PG ball handling skills in her spot duty. Best part of it all for Coach Silver is that, of their top 9 players, only 1 is a senior.<br><br>Ridgewood's 46-24 win over #9-Westwood may have been the most impressive win of the 1st round. They held junior [player_tooltip player_id='835225' first='Cameron' last='Roche'] to single digits for the 1st time this year and held Westwood to their lowest offensive output of the season. Coming off the high of that win, Ridgewood came back to earth losing to Paramus Catholic this week. They get a final tune-up against Hackensack before the showdown against IHA on Saturday. Ridgewood is led by senior Marist commit [player_tooltip player_id='871281' first='Catie' last='Klemm']. She's a flashy PG with a strong pull-up game and extreme athleticism. She put up 16 points in Ridgewood's 1st meeting with IHA including 4 3-pointers in a game that ended in a 54-37 defeat for Ridgewood on 1/3/26. Ridgewood will need a big game from her to pull off this upset. Ridgewood has an experienced roster with all 5 starters being seniors. Katie Adams is a 3-point threat with 26 on the season. Aarini Bhatia can shoot it as well netting 13 3-pointers. Lucy Bjerke goes inside and like to play a very physical style in the paint where she leads the team in rebounds. Kelsey Shafer provides length and athleticism. Senior Nina O'Reilly provides depth off the bench. Sophomore Delaney McCrone continues to make an impact off the bench for Ridgewood. She is the teams 2nd leading rebounder and 4th leading scorer and, not only did she tie a career high with 16 points against Westwood in Round 1, she was credited with locking down [player_tooltip player_id='835225' first='Cameron' last='Roche'] in her single digit scoring effort. Ridgewood plays a similar style to IHA in that they are very patient on offense and try to pressure the ball on D. They will mix between man and zone</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">THE VERDICT</span></strong></h2>   <p>If there was ever a game for Ridgewood to take advantage of what may be the last year without a shot clock, this is it. The first meeting was tied at 13 after 1 quarter but Ridgewood wants this game played at a 35 point pace, not 50+. If Ridgewood slows this game to a halt they will keep it close. They must protect the ball and limit IHA to one shot per possession. They have to take opportunities to get out in transition and get easy buckets when they can. They also need a 2nd scorer as their 2nd leading scorer only had 6 in the first meeteing. IHA was upset in the first round in 2024 and the 2nd round last year, but I think when all is said and done the depth of IHA will be too much. <strong>IHA will advance to their first semifinal since 2023.</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">#2-Demarest vs #10-Saddle River Day</span></strong></h2>   <p>While Demarest cruised to a 1st round victory, 9-time defending champion Saddle River Day pulled off the only upset of the 1st round.</p>   <p>After a 2-2 start to the season, Demarest has rattled off 13 straight wins including a convincing 61-35 victory over #15-Ramsey. Their roster resides all around North Jersey, but when they unite in the the Demarest uniform they have been tough to stop. Junior Tenafly transfer [player_tooltip player_id='789186' first='Zoe' last='Wasserlauf'] has emerged as the team's top scorer. She is a shifty guard with a tight handle who is at her best attacking but is also tied for the team lead with 21 3-pointers. She also leads the team in assists and steals and is 2nd in rebounding. Though, senior 1,300 point scorer and Smith commit [player_tooltip player_id='600897' first='Gabriella' last='Mittelman']'s scoring is down a little this year she is still the team leader for Demarest and runs the show on the court. She is tied for the team lead with 21 3-pointers and 2nd on the team in scoring and steals. Junior IHA transfer [player_tooltip player_id='959847' first='Nassiah' last='Cole-Haricha'] has provided Demarest with the talented big they were missing last year. She can score inside and out and has 12 3-pointers on the season. She is also 3rd on the team in rebounding. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='651513' first='Deana' last='Finkelstein'] does a little bit of everything for Demarest. This 3-sport star leads the team in rebounding, is 4th in scoring, 2nd in assists and 3rd in steals. She also routinely matches up with the opponents best player and should find her way to [player_tooltip player_id='862966' first='Grace' last='Darling'] in this weekend's matchup. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='835246' first='Ella' last='Peck'] and sophomore is 3rd on the team with 18 3-pointers and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='964294' first='Ava' last='Francica'] is 4th with 13. Sophomore Caitlyn Fontana adds more versatility off the bench. With just 1 senior and a frequent influx of transfer talent, Demarest isn't going anywhere.</p>   <p>This is a much different group than the 9-time County Champs we have become used to seeing. However, two of these girls were major contributors to last year's team and junior Mahwah transfer [player_tooltip player_id='677735' first='Harper' last='Cohn'] is back from her ACL injury and making a difference. Saddle River Day has won 4 straight since being upset at home by Rutherford (seeded #16 in this tourney) including avenging an earlier loss to Glen Rock (seeded #6 in this tourney). For the first time in over a decade, SRDS is the underdog and they wore it like a badge of honor in the 1st round with a 55-52 upset over #7-River Dell. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='862966' first='Grace' last='Darling'] is averaging 17+ppg and has hit a team high 47 3-pointers. She also leads the team in steals and is 2nd in rebounding, assists and blocks. Junior Union Catholic transfer [player_tooltip player_id='816416' first='Emily' last='Mattson'] is 2nd on the team in scoring and 3-point shooting with 37 3-point makes. She is also 2nd in steals. [player_tooltip player_id='677735' first='Harper' last='Cohn'] is 3rd in scoring 3-point makes. She is 4th in assists and steals and has only played 13 of 21 games as she rounds into form. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='669307' first='Giada' last='Celetti'] is the longest tenured Rebel. She is a physical post presence who leads the team in rebounds and blocks and she is 4th in scoring. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='982745' first='Bianca' last='Kaiser'] leads the team in assists and is 3rd in steals. Freshman Jackie Sarkar is 4th on the team with 18 3-pointers and sophomore Jackie Stewart is coming off a career best 12 points and 4 3-pointers in the recent Glen Rock win. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">THE VERDICT</span></strong></h2>   <p>My concern here is that 1st year SRDS coach Corey Taite and his Rebels like to play at a pretty good pace. Unfortunately for them, Demarest wants to play the same way. Given the similar styles I think Demarest will just have too much for SRDS. SRDS needs to ratchet up their defensive effort and make Demarest work for everything in the halfcourt. They also need to control transition. Demarest likes to get the ball up the court quickly. [player_tooltip player_id='677735' first='Harper' last='Cohn'] will have to control the ball and the tempo for SRDS. They will have to find ways to get open looks for [player_tooltip player_id='862966' first='Grace' last='Darling'] and she will need to score efficiently. <strong>Demarest will go back to the semifinals for the 2nd straight year and Saddle River Day's historic 9-year run will end at the hands of the team they defeated in the title game last year.</strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">#3-Teaneck vs. #6-Glen Rock</span></strong></h2>   <p>Both teams handled their business in the 1st round as the higher seed, but did it in very different fashions. </p>   <p>Teaneck built an early lead en route to a 75-57 win over #14-Mahwah avenging a 1st round loss as a #3-seed to #19-Mahwah in 2023. Teaneck comes in at 11-6 and has a showdown with Demarest tonight. They have played one of the tougher schedules of any team in this tournament and, after a 2-5 start, they have won 9 of the last 10. On paper this game goes to Teaneck, but there are some questions entering this game. Senior Monmouth commit and leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='559047' first='Lexi' last='Carnegie'] and junior double digit scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1158019' first='Leayana' last='Dorville'] both missed Tuesday's game against Pascack Valley due to injury. Dorville has only played 7 of 17 games this season due to injury. Sources indicate that both could miss Saturday's showdown with Glen Rock. The feeling is that if only one plays it would be Carnegie over Dorville, but it remains to be seen how things will play out. Carnegie is a 1,200 point scorer despite missing half of her sophomore year with a torn ACL. She is a slasher and top tier defender who is currently leading the team in scoring, rebounding and steals and is 2nd in assists. Dorville is 3rd on the team in points per game and 3rd in rebounding. Junior big [player_tooltip player_id='1352567' first='Aniya' last='Celestin'] transferred to Teaneck last season and is 2nd on the team in scoring and rebounding. She also leads the team in blocks. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1202375' first='Sydney' last='Ayala'] is the team's top 3-point shooter. She is 4th on the team in scoring. Senior Pace commit [player_tooltip player_id='600896' first='Jillian' last='Carter'] leads the team in assists and is 3rd in steals. Sophomore Jordyn Taylor is 2nd on the team in steals and averages 7+ppg. </p>   <p>Glen Rock took a 9 point lead into the half of their 1st round matchup with #11-Pascack Valley and held onto that lead for a 32-23 victory. Glen Rock is led by recent 1,000 point scorer and senior Swarthmore commit [player_tooltip player_id='601348' first='Mia' last='Vergel De Dios']. She leads the team in scoring, assists and steals. She is 2nd in rebounding and 3rd in 3-pointers. Senior Emory commit [player_tooltip player_id='871420' first='Abby' last='Grove'] leads the team in rebounding and blocks, is 2nd in scoring and 3rd in assists while providing a strong post presence. Junior Isabella Flaccavento is 3rd on the team in scoring, 2nd in assists and steals and also 2nd with 21 3-pointers. Junior Ana Landreau is 4th in scoring, rebounding and steals. Senior Anna Heuss leads the team with 26 3-pointers and is 3rd in steals. Sophomore Madison Wise is 3rd on the team in rebounding.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">THE VERDICT</span></strong></h2>   <p>Talk about your contrast of styles. These teams are polar opposites. Glen Rock is very content playing nice and slow with tons of patience and Teaneck wants to play with tempo, create turnovers and score off those turnovers. So who's style wins? At full strength, Teaneck has a huge advantage in this game with their defensive pressure and speed. Glen Rock lacks a true PG and that is an issue against a team that is ready to guard from baseline to baseline for 32 minutes. If Teaneck is missing Carnegie and Dorville and Glen Rock can slow the pace this can get interesting. I'd expect to see Glen Rock play some zone and see if Teaneck can shoot their way to victory. Glen Rock has size inside with [player_tooltip player_id='871420' first='Abby' last='Grove'] to match with [player_tooltip player_id='1352567' first='Aniya' last='Celestin'] but will the rest of the team handle the pressure. <strong>I like Teaneck to find a way in this one and move onto the semifinals for the 2nd straight year to face the Demarest team that knocked them out last year. </strong></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">#4-Old Tappan vs. #5-Ramapo</span></strong></h2>   <p>One team cruised to 1st round victory and the other barely survived setting up a #4 vs. #5 rematch from last year.</p>   <p>Old Tappan got on #13-Northern Highlands early and never let up on their way to a 55-34 1st round victory. This team is led by a physical and aggressive defense and two bigs who do the bulk of the scoring. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='789549' first='Sienna' last='Drullinsky'] is the team's top scorer and top defender. In addition to leading the team in points most nights, she is one of the top defenders in North Jersey and routinely guards the opposing team's best player. Her length and athleticism is a disruptive force at both ends. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='981847' first='Alexa' last='Caunedo'] is a strong post presence who scores easily with both hands when she gets deep post position. She also sets fierce screens in the Old Tappan offense. Senior Nina Caunedo is the teams top 3-point threat and also a high level defender. Junior Alivia Badurina is the 2nd leading 3-point shooter. Senior Sadie Murphy is a scrappy PG and opportunistic shooter. Juniors Joley Giordano and Mauimi Quiros and sophomore Christina D'Andrea all contribute toughness and athleticism off the bench and blend right into the Old Tappan style of play. </p>   <p>Ramapo barely survived a battle with #12-Fair Lawn in the 1st round. They took their 1st lead of the game with less than 4 minutes to play and held on for a 49-44 victory to avoid a 2nd 1st round upset in the last 4 years. Senior Holy Cross commit and 1,300 point scorer [player_tooltip player_id='559136' first='Camden' last='Epstein'] leads Ramapo in scoring and 3-point shooting, is 2nd in assists and steals and 3rd in rebounds. Senior Washington and Lee commit, [player_tooltip player_id='564268' first='Toni' last='Pernetti'] is 2nd on the team in scoring, 3-pointers, and rebounds. She leads the team in blocks and is the team's top defender who is regularly assigned opposing team's top player. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='600887' first='Grace' last='Saxton'] leads the team in rebounding and assists and is 3rd in scoring. She provides Ramapo with a post presence defensively and helps facilitate the offense with her passing an put up a double double in the 1st round. Junior Trinity Horn is 3rd on the team in 3 point shooting. Freshmen Sofia Cosimano has 12 3-pointers and fellow freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1245588' first='Olivia' last='Lunsmann'] provides defensive spark and an additional ball handler. Junior Amelia Rubenacker was a defensive presence in the Fair Lawn.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">THE VERDICT</span></strong></h2>   <p>This is a rematch of last year's #4 vs. #5 game which Old Tappan won 48-44 before almost knocking off then 8-time champ Saddle River Day in the semifinals in a game they led going into the 4th quarter before falling 54-53 to the eventual champs. You would like to call this a rivalry since the games in recent years have been very entertaining, but Ramapo's current senior class is 0-4 against Old Tappan. That doesn't create a rivalry as much as it does a dominance. Saxton and Pernetti against Drullinsky and [player_tooltip player_id='981847' first='Alexa' last='Caunedo'] will be entertaining, but which group of guards will win this battle? Which team will have a 3rd scorer step up? Until Ramapo proves they are tough enough to play 32 minutes with Old Tappan, it's safe to assume that, despite the talent Ramapo has, Old Tappan is still going to bully them out of the gym. I'll take the team that plays with an edge to pull this one out. <strong>Old Tappan goes back to the semifinals for the 4th straight year.</strong></p>

Get ready for a big Saturday of games in the Bergen County Girls Tournament. Demarest is not only the #2 seed, but the host site for the Quarterfinals. Let's take a look at all the matchups.