MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Sophomore JoJo Yarde scored 18 points and pulled down 20 rebounds to power the Columbia High School girls basketball team to a 44-40 home win over Bloomfield on Friday, Jan. 17.
Junior Sara Marey had nine points, and sophomore Gabriella Ervin had seven points and four rebounds for the Cougars, who snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 5-8 on the season.
In earlier action, the Cougars defeated Union, 37-34, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at Union. Ervin had 11 points, four assists and four steals; sophomore Myla Defreitas had eight points and four steals; Yarde had seven points, 13 rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots; senior Campbell Connell had six points and six rebounds; and junior Annabelle Nelson had five points and three rebounds.
Columbia lost at North Plainfield, 47-45, Tuesday, Jan. 14. Ervin scored 20 points with nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocked shots; Yarde had 13 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and six steals; Defreitas had six points; and junior Anabel MacGuire had four points, five rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals.
Ervin scored 18 points with nine rebounds, six steals, four assists and two blocked shots in the 83-54 loss at Wes Essex on Thursday, Jan. 16, in North Caldwell.
Yarde had nine points, 14 rebounds and six steals; Marley had nine points, four steals and three rebounds; and junior Chioma Okafor had six points and four rebounds.
The Cougars were scheduled to host Nutley on Tuesday, Jan. 21, after press time. Columbia will visit Caldwell on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 4 p.m.; host Newark Academy on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 11:30 a.m.; and host Payne Tech on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m.