Union County girls basketball season in review, 2010-11
Published: Sunday, April 03, 2011, 4:30 AM
Melissa Tobie of Roselle Catholic is The Star-Ledger's Union County Player of the Year for 2010-11.“I knew there would be pressure but I just had to embrace it,” said Tobie, a senior forward. “We had a lot of underclassmen who I knew were talented. I was really excited for this season to begin.”
And, as it turns out, for good reason.
Tobie, a three-year starter, concluded her senior season in style, averaging 19.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals, 2.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in leading Roselle Catholic to a 24-5 record and the school’s third straight Union County Tournament championship.
Tobie, who totaled 52 of her team’s 114 points in three UCT games, had a game-high 20 points in Roselle Catholic’s 33-26 victory over Gov. Livingston in the county final at Kean University in Union on Feb. 27.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” said Tobie, of the UCT three-peat. “And it’s all about teamwork. I’ve been lucky that I have teammates who always give me the ball in a good spot.”
Tobie averaged 9.5 points and 5.0 rebounds a year ago playing alongside Allison Skrec, who earned her second straight Union County Player of the Year award as a senior last winter. Allison Skrec, the daughter of head coach Joe Skrec, is currently a freshman at Manhattan College.
“Last year I was playing more along the perimeter,” said Tobie. “But I definitely had
more opportunities to go inside this year. I worked more on my moves in the post and felt very comfortable taking shots there.”
Tobie, who led the county with 552 points this year, surpassed the 1,000-point milestone on March 3 during a 19-point, 10-rebound effort in Roselle Catholic’s 51-40 victory over Paramus Catholic in the North Jersey, Non-Public A quarterfinals.
Tobie finished with 1,016 career points, and is the third leading girls scorer in school history behind Allison Skrec (1,338) and 1999 graduate Schrene Isadora (1,267).
Tobie, who will attend Montclair State next year, earned high praise from her coach.
“Melissa was the best basketball player in Union County this season,” said Skrec. “She was one of the most coachable players we’ve had at Roselle Catholic in my 15 years.
“She was already a pretty good basketball player when she walked through the doors, but Melissa was incredibly motivated and worked extremely hard every year, every off-season and every practice to become a better player.”
Coach of the year: In his 14th year at the helm, Dave Rennie guided Dayton to a 20-7 mark and a berth in the semifinals of the Union County Tournament.
Rennie, who now owns a record of 205-132 at the Springfield school, saw his team earn the 12th seed for the UCT. There, it defeated 13th-seeded Union Catholic, fifth-seeded Oak Knoll and fourth-seeded Cranford before bowing to top-seeded Roselle Catholic in the semifinals.
Leading the way for Rennie were juniors Jen Kuczynski (13.5 ppg., 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.6 assists, 1.6 blocks), Anna Lies (13.4 ppg., 6.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals) and Emily MacDonnell (13.3 ppg., 2.7 assists) and sophomores Heather Fritzen (4.6 ppg.), Lea Ginefra (4.0 ppg.) and Allie Weber (3.0 ppg.).
Dayton finished tied with Kent Place for the Union County Conference’s Valley Division championship with identical 13-1 marks.
In the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 quarterfinals, Dayton played one of its best games of the season taking the eventual Group 1 state champion, New Providence, to overtime before suffering a 44-36 defeat.
“We were able to achieve our goal of winning the conference title, reached the semifinals of the county tournament and played really well against New Providence,” said Rennie. “It was a satisfying season for us.”
Team of the year: After winning the Union County Tournament for the third straight season, Roselle Catholic earns this award once again.
Coach Joe Skrec, in his 15th season in charge, guided his team to a school-best 24-5 mark, besting last year’s 23-3 record.
Skrec, who owns a career record of 237-131, led top-seeded Roselle Catholic to a 33-26 victory over third-seeded Gov. Livingston, 33-26, in the UCT final to become the first school since Elizabeth in 1997 to win three
straight county crowns.
Skrec, who also led Roselle Catholic to its first county title in 2003, watched his team claim the Union County Conference’s Watchung Division title with a 13-1 mark.
In addition to the Union County Player of the Year, Melissa Tobie, Roselle Catholic received outstanding contributions from seniors Brittany Baker (9.2 ppg., 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals), Betina Petit (2.2 points, 1.0 steals) and sophomores Marcia Senatus (10.6 ppg., 2.4 assists, 1.9 steals) and Niavanni Grant (3.1 ppg.). Freshmen Tori Pozsonyi and Kate Tobie and sophomore Danielle Franklin also provided valuable minutes during the winter.
After suffering its first loss of the season to Morris Catholic, 49-48, on Dec. 31, Roselle Catholic won its next 15 straight games before going through a three-game losing streak. It then won its next five games before its season concluded with a loss to DePaul in the North Jersey, Non-Public A semifinals.
Reaching new heights: Gov. Livingston, led by junior guard Alyssa Polimeni (11.5 ppg., 5.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 steals, 99 free throws) forged a 19-6 mark and reached the UCT final for the first time since 1992.
Gov. Livingston, guided by fourth-year head coach Andy Silvagni, earned three victories in four chances against rival New Providence, including a 47-37 decision in the UCT semifinals.
Other key players for the Berkeley Heights school were junior guard Sam Dowling (8.1 ppg., 60 3-pointers), sophomore forwards Mallory George (7.7 ppg., 6.8 rebounds) and Erin Ferguson (6.9 ppg., 7.5 rebounds), junior forward Becca Johnson (5.0 ppg.) and senior guards Deb Kapilow (4.0 ppg.) and Kim Osieja (4.0 ppg.).
New Providence redux: It’s rare when a sequel surpasses the original, but this year’s postseason run was twice as sweet for New Providence, which won its second straight Group 1 state championship.
New Providence, under sixth-year head coach Cap Pazdera, went 24-6, won the Union County Conference’s Mountain Division title with an 11-2 record and earned its third sectional title in four years with a 48-46 victory over then-No. 7 ranked University.
New Providence, which also defeated University for the sectional title last year, then went on to defeat Emerson Boro and Haddon Township to earn its second straight Group 1 title.
Pazdera, the 2008 Star-Ledger Girls Basketball Coach of the Year, now owns a career record of 121-37. New Providence’s run ended for the second straight year in the first round of the Tournament of Champions with a loss to St. John Vianney.
Catalysts for New Providence this winter were senior forwards and All-Union County First Team selections Kaitlyn Cresencia (7.5 ppg., 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 steals) and Laura Gregory (14.0 ppg., 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.2 steals), sophomore guard Cassandra Squeri (12.8 ppg.), junior forward Emma Culleton (5.1 ppg.) and junior guard Sara Lowenstein (4.0 ppg.).
Individual performance of the year: Kerri Moran scored 10 of her season-high 23 points in the final 2:20 of the fourth quarter, including eight straight free throws in the final 1:50, to rally Oak Knoll to a 53-49 victory at New Providence on Jan. 29. Moran, a 5-8 sophomore guard, finished the season averaging 13.8 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals and will enter her junior season just 344 points shy of 1,000 for her career.
Reaching the Summit: Junior guard Kelly Osmulski of Summit scored a school-record 41 points in a 66-45 victory over Linden. Osmulski, who was 17-of-24 from the field, surpassed Wellington Smith, who totaled 39 points in a boys game during the 2004-05 season. The previous girls record was held by Renee Green, who had 34 points in a 1995 contest.
Osmulski averaged 15.0 points for Summit, which finished 14-11. Osmulski’s backcourt partner, junior guard Kate Martino, also had a great season, averaging 16.2 points, 4.6 assists and 2.9 steals for Summit, which won eight of its last 11 games.
Scoring leaders: Harvard-bound Emily McDonnell of Kent Place earned the scoring title with an average of 21.4 points per game. McDonnell, a senior forward, totaled 471 points in 22 games in helping Kent Place to a 15-7 mark, which included a share of the Union County Conference Valley Division title with a 13-1 mark. McDonnell finished her career with 1,529 points. ... Melissa Tobie of Roselle Catholic had a county-high 552 points in 29 games for an average of 19.0 points. ... Senior forward Haneah Jackson of Benedictine totaled 502 points in 28 games, good for a 20.1 average. Jackson, who went over 1,000 points with a 35-point effort in a loss to
Dayton on Jan. 21, struck for a career-high 38 points in a victory over St. Mary’s on Jan. 28. ... Senior guard Dynesha Frazier Champagne of St. Patrick (6-16) also averaged over 20 points per game, scoring 455 points in 22 games (20.7 ppg.).
Game of the year: Danielle Miller connected on a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give Westfield a 41-39 victory over Scotch Plains on Jan. 29 in Westfield. Miller finished with a game and season-high 14 points along with six rebounds, two steals and an assist. Martina Landeka added 10 points and Charlotte Lorentzen added eight points and six rebounds for Westfield, which snapped a seven-game losing streak. Scotch Plains, which defeated Westfield, 41-28, on Dec. 23, was paced by Rebecca Kreyer's nine points.
Around the county: In addition to those mentioned, here are the other standout players from this season: Samantha Hoag (11.7 ppg.) keyed Brearley (5-15). ... Morgan Miller (10.7 ppg., 5.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.8 steals), Jessica McCoy (11.5 ppg., 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.8 blocks), Kaitlyn McGovern (4.0 ppg.,) and Jenna Goeller (4.6 ppg., 3.8 assists) led Cranford to a 22-6 mark and a berth in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final where it lost to West Morris, 53-42. ... Elizabeth (3-18) was steered by Jatirah Diggs (15.2 ppg.). ... Hillside (3-17) was paced by Shanique Owens (12.6 ppg.) and Jasmine Lombard (9.1 ppg.). ... Johnson (15-9) was spearheaded by Kristy Pflug (15.0 ppg.), Kate Matthews (13.7 ppg.), Cyndi Wilson (8.3 ppg.) and Michelle Smorol (5.7 ppg.). ... Shannon Wheeler (16.5 ppg., 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals), who surpassed the 1,000-point milestone this year, Tamara Todd (11.4 ppg., 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists) and Jada Lewis (10.3 ppg., 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals) were standouts for Linden (13-12) and first-year coach Paul Gorski. ... Catie Mota, another 1,000-point scorer this year, averaged 11.8 points for Oak Knoll (18-7). Other contributors for head coach Tony Cafone were Gabriella Pallicer (5.5 ppg.), Kelly McAloon (4.0 ppg.), Amanda Fritz (3.5 ppg.) and Molly Moran (5.5 ppg.). ... Guard Drew Winter (15.0 ppg.) had an amazing freshman campaign for Plainfield (2-22).
Asyra Murchison (12.1 ppg.), JoJo Patterson (7.3 ppg.), Emily Nicole (8.4 ppg.) and Nahquasia Robinson lifted Rahway (12-9). ... In addition to First Team All-Union selection Bianca Partlow, who reached the 1,000-point plateau on Feb. 5, Roselle (18-9) boasted Nyasia Davis (9.9 ppg.), Johanna Jaramillo (7.9 ppg.), Njera Hunter (9.6 ppg.,) and Sabry White (4.7 ppg.). ... Lauren Corigliano (13.8 ppg.) led Roselle Park (7-14). ... Shaniece Bannister (8.5 ppg.) led St. Mary (7-13). ... Scotch Plains-Fanwood, under second-year coach Jen Ryan, went 15-12. Ryan's charges included Aysia Peterson (11.6 ppg., 12.9 rebounds), Evie Klotz (8.9 ppg., 2.3 assists, 41 3-pointers), Taylor Sebolao (9.8 ppg., 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 40 3-pointers). ... Nicole Johnson (11.1 ppg.) was another top performer for Summit. ... Jamiyah Bethune (12.4 ppg., 6.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists), 3.1 steals) and Chioma Moneme (13.3 ppg., 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks) and Wendy Berry (7.4 ppg.) steered Union (11-14). ... Jasmine Serano (11.5 ppg.), Emily Done (7.0 ppg.) and Shana LaRocca (6.7 ppg.) were catalysts for Union Catholic (9-13). ... Martina Landeka (9.7 ppg.) was a top performer for Westfield (3-18). ... Maya Lobban (7.5 ppg.) also added to the success of Kent Place, which went 15-7 under Deb Malmgren, who resigned at the season's end to take a coaching job in Manhattan.
All-Conference honors: Here are the coach’s selections for the Union County Conference:
All-Watchung Division: Shannon Wheeler, Linden; Drew Winter, Plainfield; Bianca Partlow and Nyasia Davis, Roselle; Melissa Tobie, Roselle Catholic; Aysia Peterson, Scotch Plains; Kate Martino, Kelly Osmulski, Summit; Jamiyah Bethune, Union; Martina Landeka, Westfield.
All-Mountain Division: Morgan Miller and Jessica McCoy, Cranford; Jatirah Diggs, Elizabeth; Alyssa Polimeni and Sam Dowling, Gov. Livingston; Shanique Owens, Hillside; Kristy Pflug, Johnson; Kaitlyn Cresencia and Laura Gregory, New Providence; Kerri Moran and Catie Mota, Oak Knoll.
All-Valley Division: Haneah Jackson, Benedictine; Samantha Hoag, Brearley; Anna Lies, Jen Kuczynski and Emily MacDonnell of Dayton; Erin McDonnell and Maya Lobban, Kent Place; Asyra Murchison and Nahquasia Robinson of Rahway and Lauren Corigliano of Roselle Park.
ALL-UNION COUNTY
FIRST TEAM
Melissa Tobie, Roselle Catholic, 6-0, Senior
The county Player of the Year averaged 19.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals, 2.7 assists and 1.2 blocks to pace team, which won its third straight UCT title.
Bianca Partlow, Roselle, 5-4, Senior
Explosive guard keyed team to an 18-9 mark by averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.0 steals.
Alyssa Polimeni, Gov. Livingston, 5-7, Junior
An invaluable part of the UCT runner-up, she scored at an 11.5 clip. The guard also averaged 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 steals.
Kaitlyn Cresencia, New Providence, 5-7, Senior
One of the most versatile forwards around averaged 7.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals that helped team win second straight Group 1 state title.
Laura Gregory, New Providence, 5-11, Senior
Sturdy forward was key offensively, striking for 14 points per game. Added 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 2.0 steals for 24-6 squad.
SECOND TEAM
Kate Martino, Summit
Morgan Miller, Cranford
Aysia Peterson, Scotch Plains
Kerri Moran, Oak Knoll
Shannon Wheeler, Linden
THIRD TEAM
Anna Lies, Dayton
Kristy Pflug, Johnson
Erin McDonnell, Kent Place
Jamiyah Bethune, Union
Drew Winter, Plainfield
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