CHS girls hoops gives good effort in state tournament

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The 12th-seeded Columbia High School girls basketball team lost a heartbreaking 48-44 overtime decision at fourth-seeded Kearny High School in the quarterfinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Junior Talia Baptiste had 11 points, senior Bella Galatt had 9 points, junior Summer Lonning had 8 points, junior Jaime Levi and senior Shana Desir each had 6 points, and senior Allie Harris had 4 points for CHS. The Cougars, under head coach Chuck Keegan, finished with an 11-15 overall record this season.

In the first round, the Cougars upset No. 5 seed Montclair High School 46-21 on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Montclair. Baptiste had 14 points, five assists, four rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots; Levi had 9 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals; Desir had 7 points, five rebounds and three steals; Lonning had 6 points, three steals, two rebounds and two blocked shots; Galatt had 4 points, five steals and two rebounds; Harris had 2 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots; senior Leah Connell had 2 points and three rebounds; senior Samiya Hill had 2 points and two rebounds; sophomore Campbell Connell had 4 rebounds; and senior Georgie Gassaro had two rebounds for Columbia.