WEST ORANGE (updated Tuesday Feb. 28, 11:18 a.m.) – Even though it was playing in its first Essex County Tournament championship in the 43-year history of the tournament, the West Orange High School girls’ varsity basketball team didn’t show any jitters.
After all, the third-seeded Mountaineers came into the game with just two losses all season, giving them the confidence that they could challenge one of the best teams in the state in top-seeded Newark Tech.
In a tight back-and-forth affair, the teams battled to overtime. In the extra session, Newark Tech beat the buzzer with a game-winning fastbreak layup for a 55-53 victory over the Mountaineers on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Essex County College in Newark, in arguably one of the most memorable ECT girls’ championship games.
For the Mountaineers, 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Mya Bemby was simply sensational with 21 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and three assists. Senior guard Dawn Flood had 11 points and seven rebounds; senior point guard Jewel Burnett had 10 points and seven assists; junior guard Nahtali Simpson had eight points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals; senior forward Deborah Alabi had two points and eight rebounds and sophomore Kaija Jones added a free throw with two rebounds for head coach Caniece Williams’ team, which moved to a 21-3 record.
With the Mountaineers trailing by one, Simpson hit a three-pointer with 1:31 left to give WOHS a 47-45 lead. Newark Tech tied the game with 19 seconds remaining as the game went into overtime with the score tied 47-all.
In their previous game two days earlier, the Mountaineers lost their second game of the season, falling to two-time Bergen County champion Saddle River Day, 54-44. Bemby had a strong game with 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and four steals.
Newark Tech, which lost to East Orange Campus High School in last year’s ECT final, won its first ECT title and improved to a 22-4 record. It is ranked No. 9 in the state by The Star-Ledger.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, coach Williams was proud of her team’s effort.
“We played a great game,” said Williams. “It just came down to free throws and decision-making and unfortunately they made the free throws and the better decisions. Now we need to bounce back quickly and start working towards a sectional championship.”
The second-seeded Mountaineers defeated 15th-seeded Bergen County Tech, 55-32, in the first round of the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 tournament on Feb. 27. Bembry had 16 points, nine rebounds, five steals and two assists and Flood had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
WOHS, which improved to a stellar 22-3 record, was scheduled to host seventh-seeded Ridgewood in the quarterfinals on March 1. The winner will face the winner between No. 11 East Orange Campus and No. 3 Bloomfield in the semfinals on March 3. The final is March 6.
West Orange HS girls’ basketball team suffers heartbreaking loss on buzzer-beating layup in OT in classic Essex County Tournament championship game added by Joe Ragozzino on
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