WEST ORANGE, NJ – Junior guard Mya Bembry had 18 points, including the 1,000th point of her career, and added 10 rebounds and five steals to lead the West Orange High School girls’ varsity basketball team to a 61-36 home win over Teaneck on Jan. 30.
Senior guard Nahtali Simpson had 12 points, four rebounds and four steals; senior forward Aliyah Perkins had 10 points and five rebounds; junior guard Kaija Jones posted five points and five assists and freshman guard Kaya Schultz had five points and three assists.
Bembry had 13 points, 11 rebounds, seven steals, three blocks and two assists in the 40-29 home win over Bloomfield on Feb. 1. Simpson had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists; Jones had eight points and four assists, and junior guard Bianca Fede added six points. Schultz also chipped in three points.
The Mountaineers defeated Bayonne, 67-31, Feb. 3, at home for their third straight win to improve to an 11-6 record. Bembry scored 21 points and added 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists. Simpson had 13 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists; Perkins had eight points and six rebounds; Fede also had eight points and four assists; senior guard Shayna Fortfoskey had five points; senior forward Cassidy Ferrell had three points and six rebounds; Jones added three points and three assists; and sophomore guards Natalie Nevins and Davionna Phillps and senior forward Sarah Thomas each had two points.
The Mountaineers are the No. 3 seed in the Essex County Tournament and will host a round of 16 game on Feb. 10 against the winner between No. 14 seed Caldwell and No. 19 seed Cedar Grove. The top seed is University and the No. 2 seed is Newark Tech. Last year, the Mountaineers reached the ECT championship for the first time i program history, but lost to Newark Tech, 55-53, in overtime.
Head coach Caniece Williams’ team is determined to win the county title.
“In the upcoming county tournament, we are looking to get back to the championship and bring it home this year,” Williams said. “I am hoping from the experiences we had last year that will help us entering the tournament this year “
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