BY HARRY DENNEY
The girls basketball team finished their challenging season with a record of 11-15. Despite the struggles of the season, the team managed significant highlights, including an upset win over rival East Brunswick in the GMC Tournament.
Coming off a five-game losing streak, the girls defeated Sayreville in the first round to reach a quarterfinal match-up with fifth-seeded East Brunswick, who previously beat them twice in the regular season. “We all realized that we were at the part of the season where our games aren’t guaranteed, and they are win or go home. The whole team’s mindset changed, and we decided we weren’t ready to stop playing just yet,” said Haylee Blackman, who scored 131 points this season.
The Knights defeated East Brunswick 47-45 after losing to them 66-43 and 52-31 earlier in the year. “Beating East Brunswick felt sensational. It brought the team together because we knew how much we gave to the game and how hard and well we played, after already playing them twice, losing both times,” said Aly Chan, who had 49 steals this season.
This season, the girls improved in all aspects on the court and their chemistry. “I think the team improved on our ability to identify each other’s strengths and weaknesses and work off of that, improving the overall play of our game,” said Payton Kmiec, who scored 104 points this season.
The team faced many challenging roadblocks, and although they did not win every time, they never gave up and always gave their best effort. “We were challenged by the loss of two starters, but our underclassmen stepped up to fill the void,” said senior Adriana Misciagna, who led the team with 295 points.
A key factor to the team’s success came from the contributions of freshman Amy Valazza, who scored 60 points this season, and Jessica Lane, who scored 97 points this season. “It felt great that the coach felt confident enough to use me that often,” said Lane, who had 82 rebounds.
One accomplishment this season came from Misciagna when she earned First Team All-Red Division accolades. “I am honored to have been named First Team All-Red,” said Misciagna. “The dedication and hard work I invested have truly paid off.”
The team will graduate a total of four seniors, including two-star seniors in Misciagna and Blackman, who together combined for 426 points, but now have a yong core of players ready to take the program over. “It’s a good feeling knowing I still have two more years to be able to improve and get better as a player,” said sophomore Marilyn Togun, who led the team with 193 rebounds and scored a total of 230 points in her breakout season.
Posted on 3/19/25
Photos by Analise Sainvil
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