EAST ORANGE, NJ – The East Orange Campus High School girls’ varsity basketball team hopes to make another strong run in the postseason.
The Jaguars, seeded 11th, will visit No. 6 seed and defending champion Franklin in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 state tournament on Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m.
The winner will face the winner of No. 3 seed Piscataway and No. 11 seed Linden in the quarterfinals on March 1.
The semifinals are March 3 and the final is March 6.
Watchung Hills is the No. 1 seed.
East Orange Campus has a history with Franklin. The teams met in the postseason for three straight seasons from 2014 to 2016. In 2014, Franklin beat the Jaguars in the North 2, Group 4 final. The next season, Franklin won again, this time in the NJSIAA Group 4 state semifinals. In 2016, the Jaguars topped Franklin in the North 2, Group 4 final.
Last season, East Orange Campus lost in the North 1, Group 4 final to Morristown.
The Jaguars dropped a tough 53-52 home decision to Immaculate Conception of Montclair in the quarterfinals of the Essex County Tournament on Feb. 17. Brianna Mills had a game-high 23 points; Lakel Willis had 16 points; Brianna Turner had five; Cinderella Hamilton had four and Destiny Battle and Jessenia Nevius each had two for the fourth-seeded Jaguars, who moved to an 11-10 record. Immaculate Conception is the No. 5 seed in the ECT.
In previous action, East Orange Campus lost to Watchung Hills, 44-40, Feb. 12, and lost to Newark University, 71-34, Feb. 13.
The Jaguars won the North 1, Group 4 titles in 2013 and 2015.