By: Bob Nuse
The West Windsor-Plainsboro High North boys’ basketball team isn’t the only Packet-area team that entered the end of the week needing one more win to secure a berth in the state tournament. At WW-P South, both the girls’ and boys’ teams needed one win to ensure they would be in the post-season as well.
The WW-P South boys were 6-6 heading into Thursday’s scheduled game at Rutgers Prep. The Pirates needed a win Thursday or one tonight at Hightstown in order to secure their first state tournament berth since 2000.
After a 2-5 start, the Pirates have rebounded to win four of their last five games to get back to .500. The latest win came on Tuesday when Kevin Turner’s 20 points paced South to a 53-39 win over Lawrence.
The WW-P South girls are also 6-6 and need a win tonight at home against Hightstown to qualify for the state tournament. Unlike the boys, who needed to win four of five to get back to .500, the Pirate girls have never been more than two games above or below .500 all season.
South improved to 6-6 with a 47-32 win over Lawrence on Tuesday. Kelly Kasper scored 14 points, while Lindsey Williams had 12 and Keri Denaro added 11 in the win.
Three other Packet-area teams are already safely above .500 by Saturday’s qualifying deadline and will play in state tournament play. The WW-P North girls will be making a second straight trip to the Central Jersey Group III tournament this year.
The Knights improved to 9-6 with a 53-35 win over Princeton on Tuesday. Flynn Eisenman led North with 14 points, while Brooke Wiener scored 12 and Sam Yang added 10 in the win. The Knights have one more game tonight at Hopewell Valley before the cutoff date.
Both teams at Montgomery have qualified for state tournament play, where they will participate in North Jersey, Section 2 Group III for the first time. The Montgomery boys will take an 11-4 record into tonight’s game at home against Voorhees. After a 10-0 start, Montgomery has lost four of its last five games and will be looking to get back on track with the state tournament, as well as the Somerset County Tournament, about to start.
The Montgomery girls are 12-3 heading into tonight’s game at Voorhees, where they will be looking to avenge one of their three losses this season. Like the boys, the Montgomery girls are seeded fourth in the upcoming SCT.
The state tournament is scheduled to begin on March 1. Teams need to be at least .500 by the close of play on Saturday.
