Columbia HS girls basketball team enjoys five-game winning streak

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School girls basketball team defeated West Orange, East Orange and Delaware Valley last week to extend its winning streak to five games and improve to a 6-3 overall record.

Sophomore Talia Baptiste had 17 points and junior Leah Connell had 11 points and five rebounds to lead CHS to a 57-43 win at West Orange on Tuesday, Jan. 18. Sophomore Summer Lonning had 9 points and 10 rebounds, junior Shana Desir had 7 points and four assists, junior Bella Galatt had 4 points and three assists, and sophomore Jaime Levi had 3 points and two rebounds.

The Cougars defeated East Orange Campus, 55-51, on Thursday, Jan. 20, in East Orange. Connell scored 13 points and added six rebounds and two assists; junior Allie Harris scored 11 points with four rebounds, three assists and three steals; Baptiste had 10 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals; Lonning posted 4 points, eight rebounds and three assists; Desir had 8 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals; Galatt had 4 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals; Levi had 3 points and two assists; and junior Samiya Hill added 2 points.

Baptiste scored 26 points to lead the Cougars to a 45-33 home win over Delaware Valley on Saturday, Jan. 22. Galatt had 6 points, Desir had 5 points, Lonning had 4 points, and seniors Kathleen Wack and Anaya Glaude each had 2 points.