MANVILLE: ABIS girls off and running

Basketball team wins 9 of 12

by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
   The Alexander Batcho Intermediate School girls’ basketball team is off to a flying start.
   Last Friday’s 30-19 victory over North Plainfield ran the team’s record to 9-3. It was also the team’s third consecutive win.
   The ABIS girls, coached by Dan Sferrazza, have 15 players on their roster. Eleven different girls have scored points on this very balanced team.
   Stephanie Santostefano leads the ABIS girls in scoring and rebounding, averaging nearly a double-double with 11.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Santostefano, a forward-center, has also blocked 16 shots. Santostefano reached double figures in eight straight games and was most dominant in the team’s 45-21 win over Valley View on Jan. 9 with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
   Rachel Janes (6.1) and Emily Velez (6.0) have also been big offensive contributors. Janes had a season-high 13 points in the team’s 45-12 romp over Bedminster on Jan. 21. Velez netted her season-best of 14 points in the team’s 32-10 blowout of Bound Brook in the season opener back in December. Velez also has a team-high 17 blocks.
   Kate Ulicny ranks second on the squad in rebounding with a 6.9 average. She has four rebounding games in double digits, including a season-high 14 twice. Ulicny is also scoring 3.3 points per game.
   Other players for the ABIS girls include Emily Barnes, Jackie Richter, Aereen Almonte, Kim George, Allie Puza, Wilmay Cayanong, Karen Dutan, Leslie Loiza, Alli Grimm, Alyssa Jankowski and Jessica Ramirez.
   ABIS has beaten Bound Brook (32-10), Hillsborough (29-16), Valley View (45-21), Somerville (42-36), Bound Brook (39-23), Bedminster (46-35), North Plainfield (41-16), Bedminster (45-12) and North Plainfield (30-19). The team’s losses have come vs. Middlesex, Hillsborough and Bridgewater.
   The ABIS girls have outscored their 12 foes by a combined margin of 401-277. The team, which is undefeated (6-0) at home, has games remaining at Valley View (Jan. 26), home vs. Middlesex (Jan. 30), at Somerville (Feb. 2) and home vs. Bridgewater (Feb. 5) before the playoffs begin Feb. 9.