WEST ORANGE, NJ — The defending champion West Orange High School girls basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the Essex County Tournament with an emphatic 62-30 home win over West Essex in the quarterfinals on Feb. 7 at WOHS.
Junior guard Rhyan Watt had 25 points, six assists, six steals and three rebounds; and senior guard London Caldwell had 18 points, six assists, six steals and three rebounds to power the second-seeded Mountaineers.
Sophomore guard Taraji Muhammad had nine points and four steals; senior guard Jordyn Batts had two points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals; and senior forward Lynn Charles and senior guard Jasmine Prime each had two points for WOHS. West Essex was the No. 7 seed.
The Mountaineers, who won their ninth straight game to improve to 20-3 on the season, will face No. 3 seed Arts, of Newark, in the semifinals at WOHS on Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. The other semifinal pits No. 1 seed and undefeated Caldwell (18-0 record) against No. 4 seed University of West Orange, also at WOHS, on Feb. 14 at 11 a.m.
In earlier action, Watt had 20 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists; and Caldwell had 13 points, 14 steals and 12 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers to a 42-26 home win over Glen Ridge on Feb. 3 in a Super Essex Conference–American Division game.
Junior guard Elianna Dennis had four points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals; and senior guard Tyonnah Barnes and Muhammad each had two points for WOHS.
Caldwell had 18 points, six rebounds and four steals; Watt had 11 points and three assists; and Muhammad had nine points and four rebounds in the 45-40 win at University on Feb. 5 in Newark in a divisional game. Dennis added five points.
Photo Courtesy of West Orange High School Sports Media Association
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