EAST ORANGE, NJ — The East Orange Campus High School girls basketball program enjoyed tremendous success for the better part of the past decade, winning numerous Essex County and state sectional tournament titles.
Last season, however, was very rough for the Jaguars.
But with a strong returning nucleus, second-year head coach Robert Spence’s team is poised to get back to its winning ways.
“Coming off a difficult season, this offseason the main focus has been developing chemistry, working on basic basketball fundamentals and learning how to play as one,” Spence said.
The Jaguars are relatively young, but experienced, with two seniors, three juniors and four sophomores on the roster.
The returning players are senior starting point guard My’Janae Isaacs, senior captain Syriya Greenidge, junior starting shooting guard Tiyanna Collington, sophomore starting power forward Ariana McKinnon, junior starting small forward Ariana Anderson and sophomore starting center Kerla Mathurin.
McKinnon was last year’s leading scorer on the team.
The top newcomers are sophomores Khaliyah Jean-Pierre and Jamie Almonte and junior Le’Mone Mallette.
Notes – The Jaguars won back-to-back Essex County Tournament titles in 2015 and 2016, and appeared in a state sectional final in five straight seasons from 2013 to 2017, winning it in 2013, 2015 and 2016. The head coach was Derrick Johnson, who took over the helm in the 2003-04 season.
Here is the rest of the schedule:
- Dec. 16: vs. West Essex, 1 p.m.
- Dec. 21: vs. Cedar Grove, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 4: at Central, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 6: at Montclair Kimberley Academy, 11 a.m.
- Jan. 9: at Glen Ridge, 4 p.m.
- Jan. 11: vs. Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 13: at University, 1 p.m.
- Jan. 15: at Orange, 1 p.m.
- Jan. 16: at Nutley, 4 p.m.
- Jan. 18: at West Essex, 7 p.m.
- Jan. 30: at Cedar Grove, 4 p.m.
- Feb. 1: vs. Central, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 6: vs. Glen Ridge, 7 p.m.
- Feb. 8: at Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
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