WEST ORANGE, NJ (updated Saturday Dec. 30, 10:23 a.m.) – The West Orange High School girls’ varsity basketball team is coming off arguably its best season in program history. The Mountaineers, under head coach Caniece Morgan Williams, won the Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division title, reached the Essex County Tournament final for the first time – losing on a buzzer-beating fast-break layup in overtime to Newark Tech – and advanced to the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 state tournament semifinals, losing on last-second shot to East Orange Campus, to finish with a 23-4 record.
This season, the Mountaineers return a strong core, led by one of the most dazzling players in the area in junior guard Mya Bembry, who is being recruited by several Division 1 colleges.
West Orange started this season against host East Orange, the same team that ended its season last year. Again, East Orange prevailed, 46-40, Dec. 15. Bembry led the Mountaineers with 18 points.
The Mountaineers lost in their next game against visiting University, 51-40, Dec. 19. Bembry had 20 points and 12 rebounds in that losing effort.
WOHS beat visiting Montclair, 58-37, Dec. 21 for its first win. Bembry had 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and six steals. Senior forward Aliya Perkins, a returnee,had seven points and junior guard Bianca Fede, a transfer, had nine points and five steals.
WOHS defeated host Mendham, 44-39, Dec. 23. Bembry had 11 points and 15 rebounds and Fede had 12 points and five assists.
West Orange participated in the Roselle Catholic Holiday Tournament, beating Rahway and losing to host Roselle Catholic.
Bembry had 26 points, 14 rebounds and six steals in the 54-22 win over Rahway on Dec. 27. Senior returning forward Madison Mitchell had seven points and five rebounds; senior returning guard Nahtali Simpson had six points; Fede had five and freshman guard Mackenzie Dover added four points and five rebounds.
Bembry had 16 points in the 46-40 loss to Roselle Catholic on Dec. 29. Dover, Fede and Simpson each had six points for West Orange, which moved to a 3-3 record.
The Mountaineers remain optimistic in having another successful season. WOHS has moved up to the top division of the SEC, the American Division.
The other returning players are senior forwards Cassidy Ferrell and Sarah Thomas; senior guard Shayna Fort-Foskey; junior guards Kaija Jones and Ebony Odom-Barnes; and sophomore guards Davionna Phillips and Natalie Nevins. The other newcomers are junior guard Faith Lewis; and freshman Kaya Schultz.
Coach Williams likes the experience from her returning seniors.
In addition, the team boasts quickness and athleticism, but can be a force in the paint with 6-foot-1 Mitchell and 5-10 Perkins.
Winning the conference, county, section and Group state titles are the goals. Indeed, the Mountaineers have reason to feel motivated. Even though the team had a great season last year, no one from the program was satisfied with the way it ended, noted Williams.
“We need consistent play from our guard spot,” said the coach. “We have to learn how to play composed. We also need to improve our free-throw shooting so we can take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.”
The assistant coaches are Meghan Colabella, Jacqueline Cruz, Doug Nevins, and Michael Debarbieri. Cruz and Nevins are head varsity coaches in the fall for WOHS for the girls’ volleyball and boys’ soccer teams, respectively. Natalie Nevins, who is Doug Nevins’ daughter, was one of the top soccer players this past fall, helping the WOHS girls’ soccer team to a 13-0-5 record.
In addition to East Orange and University, the other teams in the SEC-American are Newark Tech, Montclair, Bloomfield and Millburn.
West Orange HS girls’ basketball team boasts strong returning core this season added by Joe Ragozzino on
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