SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The winter season has been a strong one for the St. Joseph’s CYO basketball program, which includes players from St Joseph and Our Lady of Sorrows parishes who attend CCD. Highlights from recent games include:
The 4-3 sixth-grade boys team won the first game of 2024 against St. Joseph’s East Orange, with James Waller scoring 17 points, along with eight rebounds; Evan Fitzhugh contributing 14 points and four assists and Clay Irving adding 5 points and four steals.
That game was followed by a hard-fought loss against Aquinas, with Waller and Fitzhugh once again pacing the Celtics with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Peter Stein and Clay Irving each chipped in 6, with Xavier Connell adding 3 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Next, St. Joseph’s lost at home to St. Aloysius, with Peter Stein scoring 12 points and Xavier Connell adding 8. Teddy Chamberlin had 3 points and four assists, JJ Sterling had 2 points with six rebounds and James Saporito had 12 rebounds and 1 point.
The seventh grade girls improved their record to 6-1 with a 39-30 win over St. Cassian’s on Saturday, Jan. 20. Maeve Corr led the team in scoring, coming up with several key buckets as she has done all season. Alison Kelly, Ella Chappelear and Lila Clammer also had multiple baskets, while Aryana Lynch, Devina Lynch and Evelyn Ferguson played tremendous defense on St. Cassian’s dangerous scorers.
Gigi Jimenez, who starred in the prior victory over St. Cassian’s, scored again. Mary Browne, Maddie Adams and Madeline Ripatti not only had to guard two of the tallest players in the league, but they each scored as well. The red-hot team heads into the second half of the season having greatly improved their ball movement, screens,and defense, with every player having multiple buckets.
Led by Violet Kessler, Summer Connell and Sofia Peterson’s dominant scoring, the eighth-grade girls battled every minute to beat a spirited St. Thomas team on Saturday night, Jan. 20, in a thrilling 42-36 victory. Ava Hersh and Lauren Ryan supported the win with one basket each. Mary Kola and Kelsey Kouyoumdjian had three buckets each, while the entire team supported and rooted each other on, whether they were on the court or off, as usual with this tight-knit squad. The team has two road games this weekend.
Home games are played at the St Joseph’s Church gym, located at 240 Franklin St., in Maplewood. The games are open to the public and admission is free. Concessions are sold and each game offers a 50/50 raffle.
St. Joseph’s CYO hoops teams enjoy exciting action added by Editor on
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