Intriguing 1st Rd Playoff Games in Central Jersey

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The following four first round matchups stand out for different reasons; individual talent, close seedings, upset potential, etc. Let's dive in and explore why the lower seeds in these pairings have their sights set on causing an early upset:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Group 1: (6) Roselle Park vs (11) Florence</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6th seeded Panthers have the state's top scorer [for the second consecutive year] in [player_tooltip player_id='559077' first='Sidney' last='Smith'], averaging a wicked 30.3 PPG. While she has a solid supporting cast, if she gets into foul trouble or her shot goes cold, they could be in big trouble against a team like Florence. The Flashes are pretty young and boast a dynamic duo with [player_tooltip player_id='1202411' first='Jayla' last='Long'] (11.3 PPG) and [player_tooltip player_id='600883' first='Amanda' last='Cech'] (10.7 PPG), while [player_tooltip player_id='1764013' first='Ryann' last='Smith'] contributes a cool 5.5 PPG. Undersized at the 4, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1764021' first='Sophia' last='Arnold'] does a great job playing bigger than 5'7", averaging 6.7 RPG and just under 1.0 BPG. Sophomores Long and Smith lead this team defensively in steals at 3.6 SPG and 2.9 SPG, respectively. If they can do their usual pick-pocketing and quick defense-to-offense conversion, it could be a long day for Roselle Park.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Group 2: (3) Johnson vs (14) Holmdel</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson has plenty of weapons on the roster, but a Holmdel team that features [player_tooltip player_id='982731' first='Casey' last='Zammit'], [player_tooltip player_id='913962' first='Claire' last='Gillespie'] and [player_tooltip player_id='913947' first='Quinn' last='Smigelsky'] is one you can never count out! This "big 3" is averaging 13.2 PPG, 10.3 PPG &amp; 6.8 PPG, respectively. Zammit was one of the Shore's best scorers this season, while Gillespie saw a big jump in production from freshman to sophomore year and leads this team in rebounds, blocks and steals. She's their anchor defensively and has shifted the momentum in plenty of games, resulting in big [sometimes come-from-behind] wins. Smigs and Zammit have shown great consistency shooting the 3 ball, while freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1764025' first='Caitlin' last='Lavin'] has shown promise shooting from distance. With seven sophomores and two freshmen on the roster, the Hornets enter the postseason as one of the youngest teams in the state... but have confidence and chemistry beyond their years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Group 3: (8) Allentown vs (9) Westampton Tech</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Westampton's fearlessness and scoring balance could see them pull off the upset in this 8-9 matchup. Led by freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1764111' first='Harmoni' last='Cummings'] (11.5 PPG) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1764116' first='Bree' last='Sunkett'] (11.1 PPG), this group locked in during this rebuilding year after losing their entire starting lineup from last season. Lyric Steward is averaging just under double-digits (9.2 PPG), while freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='1764121' first='Autumn' last='Sidney'] paces them with 6.6 PPG and leads defensively with 1.6 SPG. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='600879' first='Ifebuche' last='Nnebe'] chips in 5.9 PPG and leads the Panthers in rebounding at 5.4 RPG. If this bunch gets it going and clicks early, it can spell trouble and confusion for Allentown in their defensive assignments (man, zone, etc).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Group 4: (7) Marlboro vs (10) Montgomery </em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marlboro has suffered some tough losses to end the regular season, which should boost Montgomery's confidence as the lower seed heading into this Rd 1 clash. Upperclassmen back court duo [player_tooltip player_id='865670' first='Alia' last='Johnson'] (9.3 PPG) and [player_tooltip player_id='1048684' first='Aliza' last='Schulberg'] (8.8 PPG) lead the Cougars on offense, both knockdown 3-point shooters with over seventy made triples between them this season. They get a boost in scoring from senior [player_tooltip player_id='1764178' first='Sophia' last='Lehmann'] who averages 6.9 PPG and sinks threes at a high clip also, with just over two per game. [player_tooltip player_id='1764174' first='Abby' last='Schwartz'] is an asset both on the glass and defensively, averaging 6.2 RPG &amp; 2.3 SPG. Competing in the ultra competitive Skyland conference, this team is fully prepped for battle with anyone!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->