Union County Girls Tourney
Set To Seed Field Wednesday
Set To Seed Field Wednesday
THIS IS UNION COUNTY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL-WEEK FEB. 7
By JR Parachini
For sidelinechatter.com
New Providence won a state championship for the first time last year, capturing Group 1 honors after a thrilling home win over University of Newark in the North 2, Group 1 final. For sidelinechatter.com
After a week they just put together, could this be the year the Pioneers challenge for the Union County Tournament title?
The 36th annual Frank J. Cicarell girls’ basketball Union County Tournament will be seeded Wednesday. Eight first round games will be scheduled for Feb. 15, with the final set to take place Feb. 26 at Kean University’s Harwood Arena in Union.
Details of every round and a new format that will see the top four seeds receive double byes right into the quarterfinal round will be disclosed at the seeding meeting Wednesday.
New Providence went 4-0 with four Union County Conference-Mountain Division wins this past week. The Pioneers begin this week 13-3 overall and lead the Mountain Division at 10-2. New Providence won the UCC’s Valley Division title last season.
“We love playing in the county tournament, although – traditionally – we have not done that well in it,” New Providence head coach Cap Pazdera said.
To be more specific, the Pioneers have gotten on the bus the last three second Mondays in February, ventured to a Union County gymnasium, and were defeated in first round play, all by lower seeded teams.
On Feb. 15, 2010, a 15-2 New Providence team – seeded sixth – was defeated by 11 th-seeded Johnson 35-34 in a first round game at Rahway. The Pioneers went on to finish 22-5 and, obviously, rebounded to thrill their fans with a fifth sectional title, followed by the state championship they won in Toms River.
On Feb. 16, 2009, a 19-0 New Providence squad – seeded sixth – was downed by 11 th-seeded Roselle 46-38 in a first round game at Roselle Catholic. The Pioneers went on to finish 21-4.
Laura Gregory, one of the top senior forwards in Union County this season, paced New Providence in both of those first round games with 13 points.
On Feb. 11, 2008, a 17-2 New Providence team – seeded seventh – was defeated by 10 th-seeded Cranford 46-42 in a first round game at Roselle Park. The Pioneers rebounded by capturing Central Jersey, Group 1 and finished 21-5.
You have to go back to Feb. 12, 2007 for the last time New Providence won a UCT contest. The Pioneers, seeded sixth, defeated 11 th-seeded Plainfield 53-46 in a first round game at Cranford. Standout sophomore point guard Shelly Montagna paced all scorers with 29 points.
New Providence was then defeated by third-seeded and eventual champion Scotch Plains 49-30 in a quarterfinal at Rahway. The Pioneers went on to finish 17-7.
Sparked by Gregory, fellow senior and four-year varsity performer Kaitlyn Cresencia, junior Emma Cullenton, sophomore Cassandra Squeri, seniors Sara Lowenstein and Jess Pacheco and freshman Jill Balog, perhaps New Providence is due to break out in this month’s UCT.
“We’re looking forward to the tournament, we always do,” Pazdera said.
The seeding committee includes head coaches Brian Erickson of Summit, Mauri Horton of Plainfield, Jackie Dyer of Cranford and Deb Malmgren of Kent Place. Erickson and Horton represent Watchung Division teams, Dyer the Mountain Division and Malmgren the Valley Division.
It’s a brand new committee after two-year stints from Governor Livingston, Oak Knoll, Elizabeth and Union coaches.
With plenty of games scheduled to be played Monday and Tuesday, there are still passes to be dished out, baskets to be made and rebounds to be grabbed before the UCT gets put together Wednesday.
My top four seeds – right now – would be:
1-Roselle Catholic (16-1).
2-New Providence (13-3).
3-Cranford (14-4).
4-Gov. Livingston (13-3).
In a nobody’s perfect world and as of Feb. 7, they have been the most consistent winners against the toughest competition in the county so far this season – in my opinion.
Some may agree. Most may argue against.
Here’s the reasoning for my Top 10 below:
Roselle Catholic No. 1 – no arguments there. The Lions lead the county in wins with 16, have now tied Governor Livingston for the county’s longest winning streak at 12 and lead the Watchung Division with a perfect 10-0 record, with one more win clinching the division title.
Roselle Catholic is also the only team in the county not to have lost to a county opponent – so far. The only Lion loss was a 49-48 setback at home to Morris Catholic Dec. 31 in the RC Holiday Tournament final.
I bumped up New Providence to No. 2 because the Pioneers went 4-0 this past week - all Mountain Division wins - including three straight on the road.
Their week – following a somewhat surprising 53-49 home Mountain Division setback to Oak Knoll Jan. 29 – included a 45-42 home win over Governor Livingston Monday, a 45-39 victory at Cranford Tuesday, a 53-45 triumph at Johnson Thursday in Clark and a 50-35 win at Union Catholic Friday in Scotch Plains.
New Providence now also leads the Mountain Division at 10-2.
The Pioneers have also swept Cranford and split with GL in Mountain Division play, although they also lost to GL in the Millburn Tournament final – by two points.
When New Providence defeated GL last Monday for the first time in three tries, the Pioneers snapped GL’s 12-game winning streak.
I have Cranford No. 3 ahead of GL at No. 4 because Cranford came back to split with GL – beating the Highlanders this past week – and swept Johnson, which I have at No. 5.
I narrowly have Johnson over Watchung Division school Scotch Plains at No. 5 because of the up-and-down season the Raiders have had so far. However, a 26-2 game-ending run against Summit Thursday night at home was followed up by a big home win over Union Saturday afternoon, so Scotch Plains may have turned its season around.
Scotch Plains supporters will argue that the competition is more demanding in the Watchung Division compared to the Mountain Division.
I then have Watchung Division schools Linden No. 7, Roselle, No. 8 and Union No. 9. Linden has swept Roselle, while Roselle has swept Union.
The only Valley Division team I have in my Top 10 is leader Dayton. The Bulldogs begin the week with a 10-game winning streak and are 12-3 overall and 9-1 in the Valley.
Dayton ’s margin of victory in its 10-game winning streak is seems something like 300. All 10 victories have come by double digits, with the biggest win by 57 and the smallest by 20.
The Bulldogs have split with Kent Place in the Valley, while their other two losses were at home to Pope John in their own holiday tournament and to Roselle Catholic by 12.
Kent Place is 9-2, has won five straight since falling at Dayton 58-32 on Jan. 13 and is 8-1 in the Valley. Kent Place defeated Dayton 39-33 at home back on Dec. 20. The other Dragon loss is a 46-42 setback to Somerville Dec. 28 in the Hornet Tournament at Passaic Valley in Little Falls.
Rahway is 7-2 in the Valley Division and 10-4 overall and riding a four-game winning streak. Rahway is 0-1 against Dayton and Kent Place so far in Valley Division play.
Oak Knoll is 9-5 overall, 6-4 in the Mountain Division and has won two straight. The Royals have split with Cranford, New Providence and Johnson in Mountain Division play and own wins over Group 4 schools Columbia and Hunterdon Central in the late December Cougar Classic in Chatham.
GAMES OF NOTE THIS WEEK:
MONDAY, FEB. 7
Westfield at Linden, 4 p.m.
Iselin Kennedy at Mother Seton, 4 p.m.
Union at Roselle Catholic, 7 p.m.
Brearley at Manville, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY, FEB. 8
Linden at Union, 4 p.m.
Cranford at Elizabeth, 4 p.m.
Union Catholic at Johnson, 4 p.m.
Benedictine at Dayton, 4 p.m.
Brearley at Rahway, 4 p.m.
Scotch Plains at Roselle Catholic, 7 p.m.
Westfield at Summit, 7 p.m.
Oak Knoll at Gov. Livingston, 7 p.m.
Hillside at New Providence, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9
UCT Seeding Meeting
THURSDAY, FEB. 10
Union at Westfield, 4 p.m.
Scotch Plains at Linden, 4 p.m.
Johnson at Rahway, 4 p.m.
Cranford at Benedictine Academy, 4 p.m.
St. Mary’s at Gov. Livingston, 5:30 p.m.
Roselle Catholic at Plainfield, 7 p.m.
Roselle at Summit, 7 p.m.
Dayton at New Providence, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, FEB. 11
Cranford at Scotch Plains, 4 or 7 p.m.
Cranford schedule lists at 4 p.m. and Scotch Plains at 7 p.m.
St. Mary’s at Rahway, 4 p.m.
Union at Johnson, 7 p.m.
Linden at Oak Knoll, 7 p.m.
Westfield at Gov. Livingston, 7 p.m.
Union Catholic at Summit, 7 p.m.
New Providence at Roselle Catholic, 7 p.m.
Dayton at Roselle Park, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, FEB. 12
Union County Tournament
Preliminary Round, TBA
UNION COUNTY CONFERENCE
STANDINGS INCLUDING GAMES
PLAYED THROUGH SUNDAY, FEB. 6
WATCHUNG DIVISION (8 teams):
1-Roselle Catholic (10-0)
2-Scotch Plains (8-4)
3-Linden (6-4)
4-Roselle (6-5)
5-Summit (5-5)
Union (5-5)
7-Westfield (2-8)
8-Plainfield (0-11)
MOUNTAIN DIVISION (8 teams):
1-New Providence (10-2)
2-Gov. Livingston (9-3)
3-Cranford (8-4)
4-Johnson (7-5)
5-Oak Knoll (6-4)
6-Union Catholic (4-7)
7-Hillside (1-10)
8-Elizabeth (0-11)
* Does not include Hillside at Elizabeth, Feb. 4.
VALLEY DIVISION (8 teams):
1-Dayton (9-1)
2-Kent Place (8-1)
3-Rahway (7-2)
4-Brearley (5-4)
5-Roselle Park (3-8)
6-St. Patrick (2-7)
7-St. Mary’s, Elizabeth (2-8)
Benedictine Academy (2-8)
* Does not include Brearley at St. Patrick, Feb. 3.
JR’S UNION COUNTY TOP 10
(records through Sunday, Feb. 6):
1-Roselle Catholic (16-1, 12 in a row)
2-New Providence (13-3, 4 in a row)
3-Cranford (14-4, 2 in a row)
4-Gov. Livingston (13-3)
5-Johnson (9-6)
6-Scotch Plains (11-7, 2 in a row)
7-Linden (10-5)
8-Roselle (10-6)
9-Union (6-8)
10-Dayton (12-3, 10 in a row)
The other 15:
Rahway (10-4, 4 in a row)
Kent Place (9-2, 5 in a row)
Oak Knoll (9-5, 2 in a row)
Union Catholic (7-7)
Summit (7-8)
Benedictine Academy (7-9)
Brearley (6-7)
Roselle Park (6-9)
St. Mary’s, Elizabeth (4-10)
Westfield (3-12)
St. Patrick (2-12)
Hillside (2-13)
Elizabeth (1-14)
Plainfield (0-17)
Mother Seton (5-7),
member of Greater
Middlesex Conference
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