GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Third time’s the charm.
For the Glen Ridge High School girls basketball team, winning the state sectional championship was definitely sweet. Not only did the Ridgers win their first state sectional title in program history, but they defeated their nemesis to capture the crown.
Under first-year head coach Kristina Danella, the top-seeded Ridgers defeated second-seeded University (Newark), 50-44, to capture the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 state tournament championship in front of a capacity crowd at GRHS on Friday, March 7.
Glen Ridge led, 15-12, at the end of the first quarter and, 24-22, at halftime. The Ridgers increased their lead to 36-27 going into the fourth quarter and held on for the championship.
Senior Riley O’Sullivan scored 17 points, senior Katie Powers scored 11 points; senior Margorie Boyle, sophomore Cailtin Hood and junior Allison Snyder each had six points; and junior Annabel Koss-Defrank had four points for Glen Ridge, which improved to 22-8 on the season. University ended at 16-11.
The Ridgers beat University after losing to them in each of the past two North 2, Group 1 state sectional championship games, both played at University.
But Glen Ridge was able to solve University this year. They won all three meetings this season against University, with the other two coming in Super Essex Conference-American Division play. The SEC-American is the top division in the conference.
Danella was ecstatic for her team in winning the sectional championship.
“It’s an unbelievable accomplishment to win with this group,” Danella said.
“To be the first team in Glen Ridge history to win a sectional state championship and beat University for the third time this year in front of a phenomenal crowd, I am just so proud of this team and what they have put into this season.”
Danella also was happy for her seniors.
“This group of seniors has been very special. We have three phenomenal senior captains in Riley, Katie and Jorie. They all bring so much to our team, both on and off the court. After losing in the state sectional to University the last two years, these three have had a ‘refuse to lose’ mentality that has led this team all year.”
O’Sullivan, Boyle and Powers shared their thoughts about winning the sectional title.
O’Sullivan said, “I am so proud of this team. We have been working toward this goal all year and to finally achieve it is an amazing feeling. This is the first sectional title for the Glen Ridge girls basketball team and it is amazing to be a part of. Our team has grown so much over the last few years and we have learned to trust and rely on each other on the court.”
Boyle said, “Winning the sectional finals is kind of an unexplainable feeling. GRGB has worked so incredibly hard this year and, after two back-to-back sectional final losses, it finally paid off. For two years, our season ended at the same place, to the same team, in the same round. I remember the feeling of walking back down the steps into the University away locker room and hearing the pounding on the walls and the cheers from above. It was such a heartbreaking feeling to have played two hard seasons just to fall short again and again. This year, we really felt that chip on our shoulder. Getting the one seed was very crucial to our team, as it gave us the chance to finally play a sectional final at home. Having the stands packed with friends and family was such a thrilling feeling. The energy was just insane in the gym. It was so loud, I couldn’t even hear what play we were running.
“I owe so much thanks to coach Danella,” Boyle continued. “Coach became a part of our team this November and, ever since then, she has pushed us to improve and work hard. She shows up to practice every day with a detailed practice plan, and with her help, we became the team we are today. We have talked about this game since Day 1. Every game, every practice, has been for this moment. I’m so incredibly grateful to be a part of such an amazing team and to get the chance to play alongside some of my favorite people. We could not have achieved this level of success without our coach. She prepared us for this moment and gave us the confidence we needed to pull off this win. I do not know if we could have all the success we have had this year without her.”
Said Powers, “Losing to University in the sectional final the last two years made this moment even sweeter and to do it at home was awesome. The crowd really fueled us. Tonight, we flipped the script. Coach Danella has been building us up for this all season. She brings out the best in us.”
The Ridgers were scheduled to face Section 1 champion Mountain Lakes (22-5 record) in the NJSIAA’s Group 1 state semifinal at nearby Bloomfield High School on Tuesday, March 11. The other state semifinal pitted Central Jersey champion New Providence (28-2) against South Jersey champion Haddon Township (28-3). The NJSIAA’s Group 1 state championship game will be played at Rutgers University’s Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, on Sunday, March 16, at noon. It is the first of the four Group state public girls championship games that day at Rutgers.
The Ridgers defeated No. 4 seed Verona, 52-28, in the sectional semifinals on Tuesday, March 4, at GRHS. Glen Ridge outscored Verona, 20-2, in the second quarter for a 29-7 halftime lead.
O’Sullivan scored 23 points with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks; Koss-Defrank had nine points, six rebounds, five steals and two assists; Hood had eight points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist; Snyder had five points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists; Boyle hit a three-pointer and added two rebounds, one assist and one steal; Powers had two points, six assists, five steals, one rebound and one block; and junior Anabel Mira-McKenzie had two points. Seniors Maggie DeLaFuente and Camille Brown, and sophomores Lauren Cifelli and Grace Kennedy also saw playing time. Verona finished 19-7 on the season, going 10-0 to win the Super Essex Conference–Colonial Division title.
Photo Courtesy of Doug Snyder
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