East Orange Campus HS girls’ basketball team seeks another fine state run

EOCHS’ Cinderella Hamilton goes up for a shot in the home loss to Immaculate Conception in the Essex County Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 17.
Photos by Steve Ellmore
EOCHS’ Brianna Turner drives around an Immaculate Conception player during the ECT quarterfinals. Photos by Steve Ellmore.

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.