Irvington HS girls basketball team clinches second straight SEC divisional title

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IRVINGTON, NJ — For the second season in a row, the Irvington High School girls basketball team has clinched a Super Essex Conference divisional championship.

The Blue Knights won the SEC–Independence Division title after winning the SEC–Freedom Division last season.

The Blue Knights defeated Montclair High School 40-31 on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at home, in a divisional game. Janasia Wilson, a junior who scored her 1,000th point earlier this season, had 23 points with six assists, four rebounds and three steals; senior center Faith Phillips had 6 points with five rebounds; junior guard Serenity Rodriguez had 4 points with three rebounds; junior guard Yadira Marshall had 4 points with four steals; and junior forward Selena Fagan had 3 points with four rebounds; and Fayiona Riley had two steals for Irvington.

Phillips scored 16 points, Wilson scored 14 and Riley scored 10 to lead the Blue Knights to a 55-15 win at West Caldwell Tech on Thursday, Feb. 9, in a SEC crossover game. Junior guard Dynasia Williams had 8 points, Marshall had 4 points, Rodriguez had 2 points and senior guard Izhanay Taylor had 1 point.

Wilson had 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks; and senior guard Fayiona Riley had 12 points, four steals, two rebounds and two assists in the 54-19 divisional win at West Side High School of Newark on Saturday, Feb. 11. Phillips had 8 points and six rebounds, Marshall had 8 points and three assists, and Fagan had 6 points and five rebounds for the Blue Knights, who  improved to 18-3 overall and 12-2 in the division on the season.

The Blue Knights, seeded No. 3, will host No. 14 seed Linden High School in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 state tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 21. The winner will face the winner of No. 6 seed Watchung Hills High School and No. 11 seed Franklin High School in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the higher-seeded school. Bayonne High School is seeded No. 1 and Elizabeth HS is seeded No. 2.

Photo Courtesy of Felicia Laguerre Owens