Girls Basketball: Somerset seeds should have
different look
By RYAN DUNLEAVYS
STAFF WRITER
This season was billed as the year to put aside
all preconceived notions about local high school
girls basketball and open your mind to the
possibility of fresh faces leading new teams to the
top.
The results thus far have not disappointed, but
if you are still one of the few yet to acknowledge
this changing of the guard, perhaps seeing Mount St.
Mary and Gill St. Bernard's seeded ahead of
Immaculata and Hillsborough in the Somerset County
Tournament will do the convincing.
With the start of one of the most wide-open SCTs
in recent memory scheduled for next weekend, here is
the Courier News' ballot in advance of Wednesday's
seeding meeting. The ballot is through Thursday's
games and includes each team's overall and
intra-county records:
1. Rutgers Prep (12-1, 2-0): After stumbling in
last season's SCT quarterfinals, Rutgers Prep has
the talent and the depth to reach the finals for the
fourth time in the past five years. Double-digit
wins against Hillsborough and Gill St. Bernard's are
nice, but that strong tradition is the main
bargaining chip at the seeding table.
2. Watchung Hills (9-2, 4-0): Arguably the class
of the Skyland Conference, Watchung Hills is in line
for its third straight No. 1 or 2 seed. The Warriors
and Argonauts are virtually interchangeable at the
top. It is a strange thought, but the first season
without star Megan Kopecki could be the first time
this program reaches the final. Five senior starters
are to thank if that happens.
3. Montgomery (9-3, 5-2): The Cougars have won
six straight and learned plenty about clicking at
the right time during last season's surprise runs to
the SCT final and an NJSIAA tournament berth.
Juniors Laura Coletti and Marcia Voigt give
Montgomery an inside-out tandem that is difficult to
defend.
4. Franklin (6-5, 3-2): Most of the team that
reached last season's semifinals remains intact, so
taking the next step seems logical. The Warriors are
getting good offensive balance — led by Alexis Scott
— and holding their opponents in the 30s or low 40s.
Only once have they allowed more than 50 points.
That is a winning combination.
5. Bridgewater-Raritan (4-8, 3-2): Is it unusual
to give a 4-8 team such a high seed? Yes, but this
is an unusual season. The Panthers traditionally
face one of the tougher schedules in the area, and
their youth and depth makes them exciting to watch.
First-year coach Dorcas Miller was a member of the
program's 1997 SCT championship team.
6. Gill St. Bernard's (7-3, 2-2): The Knights'
stock rose after beating Montgomery earlier this
season, then took a hit after three straight losses.
Leading rebounder Niiya Ruth missed two of those
games, but she is back with dynamic scorers Daisha
Simmons and Nicole Rizzo to form perhaps the
county's best Big Three.
7. Mount St. Mary (8-1, 5-0): The Mount Lions own
three wins over Bernards and Somerville by a
combined five points and blowouts of Manville and
Bound Brook. The impressive record against a soft
schedule makes this the most difficult team to seed.
8. Somerville (6-3, 3-1): At full strength, the
Pioneers might warrant a much better seed. Without
recent stock-improving wins against Ridge and
Bernards, the seed might have been much lower. The
middle of the pack seems just right.
9. North Plainfield (6-3, 2-1): A popular pick
before the season, the Canucks finally seem to be
gaining momentum behind four straight wins. This
senior-laden team went winless as the No. 8 seed in
last season's tourney after winning once as No. 16
the year before.
10. Hillsborough (2-10, 1-5): Rebuilding has hit
Hillsborough for the time in more than a decade. The
2005 and 2006 champions could salvage their season
with a good showing here, but a consistent
complement to center Caitlin Capriccio must develop
quickly for that to happen.
11. Ridge (3-8, 1-3): The improvement of junior
forward Shawna Guist and senior guard Leeanna
Burckley has not led to an increased win total. The
Red Devils have won their first-round game the past
two years. Reaching the quarterfinals would be a
major success.
12. Immaculata (1-9, 0-5): This season is
reminiscent of 2004-05 when a young Spartans team
exited early from the county and state tournaments.
But beware: Bridgewater-Raritan proved last season a
Skyland Conference Delaware East Division school
seeded this low can be misleading.
13. Bernards (5-7, 0-4): The Mountaineers twice
were one possession away from beating Mount St.
Mary. Winning one of those games probably sneaks
them into the Top 12. Imagine how how much damage
2,000-point scorer Catherine Carr could have done
against this field?
14. Pingry (6-3, 0-0): No county exposure and a
blowout first-round loss last season hurt Pingry's
resume, but explosive senior guard Katie Occhipinti
is one credential that makes the Big Blue a scary
opponent.
15. Bound Brook (2-7, 1-1): Two years ago, Bound
Brook lost three times in one season to Manville.
The Crusaders have won three of the past four three
meetings. It is time to start gaining ground on
other teams, too.
16. Manville (1-11, 0-4): Sussex Tech traveled
more than an hour to get Manville in the victory
column. The schools in the SCT are closer to
Manville in distance but not in prowess.
The seeds will be updated Tuesday on the Holding
Court blog, |
