EAST ORANGE – The second-seeded East Orange Campus High School girls’ varsity basketball team, under 13th-year head coach Derrick Johnson, will host fourth-seeded and nemesis Franklin in the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 tournament championship game on Tuesday, March 8 at EOCHS at 7 p.m.
It marks the fourth straight year that EOCHS and Franklin will meet in the postseason, with Franklin beating the Jaguars in each of the last two years to end the Jaguars’ season. EOCHS beat Franklin in the first round in 2012.
It also marks the Jaguars’ fourth straight appearance in a state sectional championship game. In 2013, the Jaguars defeated Phillipsburg to win the Section 2, Group 4 title. The following year, the Jaguars lost to Franklin in the Section 2, Group 4 final. Last season, the Jaguars defeated Paterson Eastside in the Section 1, Group 4 final before losing to Franklin – the Section 2, Group 4 champion – in the state Group 4 semifinals. EOCHS was re-classified back to Section 2, Group 4 this season.
EOCHS improved to a 22-3 record after beating third-seeded Piscataway, 41-35, in the semifinals on March 5 at home. Franklin defeated eighth-seeded North Hunterdon, 52-30, in the other semifinal to move to a 14-9 record.
The winner between EOCHS and Franklin will meet the winner between Paterson Eastside and Paterson Kennedy – which is the Section 1, Group 4 final – in the state Group 4 semifinals at Union High School on March 10 at 7 p.m. The state Group 4 championship game is Sunday, March 13, at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River.
Senior guard Marvellous Osagie-Erese had 19 points, five steals and three rebounds and sophomore center Moriyah Jordan had 11 points, seven blocks and four rebounds in the win over Piscataway. Senior forward Barbara Jackson had four points and five rebounds senior guard Sahara Crawford had three points, five rebounds and four assists and freshman guard Mills added four points and five rebounds.
EOCHS led 14-6 at the end of the first quarter and 24-17 at the half. The Jaguars extended the lead to 32-22 at the end of the third quarter.
The win was the Jaguars’ seventh straight and 11th in the past 12 games.
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