By: Kyle Moylan Sports Editor
In the simplest terms, it was three games in the middle of the season. However, that’s probably not the way this past week is going to be remembered by the members of the Florence High School girls’ basketball team.
“That was a week that can decide which way the season will go,” noted Florence Coach Vince Cipriano. “Three games. Three wins. Here we are on Sunday morning feeling pretty happy.”
The week took Florence from a 3-3 team to one with a 6-3 mark.
The most comfortable win of the week was 38-26 over Medford Tech on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
“Medford Tech was a good win to get over that hump (.500 mark),” Cipriano noted.
Sarah Muchowski scored 18 points in the game for Florence. Stephanie Ogbonnya-Allison scored six points, and Tori Povia and Molly Fitzpatrick added five points each.
“Right now, she’s (Muchowski) leading us in scoring,” Cipriano noted. “She’s scored 114 points in nine games. She’s had a lot of double-digit scoring games.”
Muchowski scored 12 points and Ogbonnya-Allison added 11 points in a 38-37 win over Pemberton on Thursday, but this game will be remembered for three of the nine points scored by Fitzpatrick.
Down by two points late in the game, Povia was inbounding the ball.
“Molly was actually the last option on that play, but we had to get the ball inbounds,” Cirpriano noted. “You can’t lose the ball there. Molly got the right pick, turned and threw the ball up . . . Nothing but net. Just like I drew it up.”
Suddenly, after being down 30-16 after three quarters, Florence was leading the game.
“Pemberton still had a chance to come back and win that game,” Cipriano noted. “They had four chances to get a shot off, but we were defending pretty well. They kept getting the ball out of bounds. We couldn’t get the steal, but we were making the deflections. Being able to get that deflection is the difference between winning and losing a game. On the last one they got a shot, but it was short. It was pretty exciting.”
The excitement continued in a 36-33 win over Riverside on Saturday. Florence jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but was down 14-11 at the half.
When Florence faces adversity, it relies on its defense. According to Cipriano, it’s what makes or breaks his team. Fortunately, Dezaree Fillmyer came up with several big defensive plays. Fortunately, Ogbonnya-Allison “is so long, she’s a nightmare on defense.” Fortunately, no one is ever going to win a game against Florence because the Flashes didn’t hustle.
“We worked a little harder,” Cipriano noted. “The kids have to keep working on defense and then they can steal some games on offense.”
Florence took the lead with an 18-13 third quarter. Florence then ground out the win with a 7-6 advantage over the final eight minutes.
Muchowski was again in double figures, scoring 10 points.
Florence was scheduled to play New Egypt this past Tuesday. Florence will host Palmyra at 6:15 p.m. on Friday. It will be at Maple Shade for a game on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.
FHS BOYS
The Florence High School boys’ basketball team only played one game this past week, but at least it was a good one.
Florence edged Riverside, 41-39, this past Saturday.
Florence trailed 8-5 after a quarter, but fought back to take a 20-15 halftime lead. Most of that advantage was gone after three quarters (31-30), but Florence held on over the final eight minutes to win the game.
Steve Muni (14 points) and Manan Desai (10 points) both scored in double figures for Florence. Adam Schmidt added eight points.
Florence was scheduled to face New Egypt this past Tuesday. Florence will be at Palmyra for a 6:30 start on Friday night. It will host Senaca on Saturday at 2 p.m. It will also be home on Tuesday to host Maple Shade in a 6:15 p.m. start.
NBC GIRLS
The Northern Burlington High School girls’ basketball team went into last Thursday night’s game against Burlington Township with just one win.
By the time Northern Burlington finished action on Saturday at Princeton High, it had tripled its win total.
“We are truly a work in progress and I am thrilled for the kids every time they get rewarded for their hard work,” noted Northern Burlington Coach Brad Campbell. “The kids are really pulling together and trying to become a solid team.”
On Thursday night, Brittany Young scored 29 points as Northern Burlington defeated Burlington Township, 46-39. Ashanti Vaughn scored nine points. Shannon Dolan and Danielle Funk scored three points each for Northern Burlington. Rachel Dortch added two points.
“Brittany is experiencing all the growing pains of moving out of the shadows and into the spot light,” Campbell noted. “Teams are really focusing on her and Ashanti Vaughn.”
Fortunately, that didn’t stop Young from scoring all 10 of Northern Burlington’s points in the fourth quarter as the Greyhounds hung on for the win over Burlington Township.
Young had the hot hand again on Saturday, scoring 19 points in a 39-30 win at Princeton.
Funk added eight points, Vaughn five points, Dolan three points, Dortch two points and Jess Kotelnicki two points for Northern Burlington.
“I loved the fact that everyone contributed to it (the wins),” Campbell said.
And it does take everyone chipping in to get a high school basketball win. Even when Young is scoring a lot, her teammates have to get her the ball and put her in position to get a good look at the basket.
Young had been held to just two points in a 52-21 loss to Rancocas Valley on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Vaughn scored eight points in the loss and Danielle Funk added seven points.
Fortunately, Northern Burlington and Young showed how productive they can be when things are going well, such as was the case against Burlington Township and Princeton.
“Brittany and that entire junior class are a huge part of what we are doing this year,” Campbell noted. “She has worked hard on her game and will be a force for the next two years.”
Northern Burlington (3-6) was scheduled to play Timber Creek on Tuesday. It will host Cinnaminson on tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. Northern Burlington will be away for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday at Trenton Catholic and 6:30 p.m. on Monday at BCIT Westampton.
NBC BOYS
The Northern Burlington boys’ basketball team was defeated by Burlington Township, 57-29, on Thursday.
Boomer Walton scored eight points for the winners. Jabari Bradley and Jeremy Shulkin added six points each.
Northern Burlington was defeated by Princeton, 66-52, this past Saturday.
Walton scored 15 points, Ryan Walsh 12 points and Shulkin eight points for Northern Burlington.
Northern Burlington was scheduled to face Pemberton on Tuesday. It will play at Rancocas Valley at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Northern Burlington will host Trenton Catholic on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and BCIT Westampton on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
BRHS BOYS
The Bordentown High School boys’ basketball team lost all three of its games last week.
Joe Ricks scored 17 points and Kartavian Youngblood 12 points in a 53-43 loss to Delran.
Casey Nunez scored 20 points, George Williams 17 points, Ricks 14 points and Gary Carthan 12 points in a 75-67 loss to Palmyra.
Bordentown was also defeated by Cinnaminson.
BRHS GIRLS
The Bordentown High School girls’ basketball team was defeated by Cinnaminson, 43-21, on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Alicia Carthan scored seven points and Alicia Pickett scored six points for Bordentown in the loss.
Bordentown was defeated by Palmyra, 40-37, this past Thursday.
Carthan scored 15 points and Pickett added nine points for Bordentown in the game.
Bordentown was defeated by Delran, 43-35, this past Friday.
Pickett scored 13 points in the loss for Bordentown. Carthan and Emily Lawson each added six points.
Bordentown is scheduled at BCIT Medford tonight (Thursday) at 5:15 p.m. Bordentown will play at Burlington Township on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Bordentown will also be away for a game on Monday at Moorestown in a 5:30 p.m. start. Bordentown will host BCIT Medford on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

