Danielle Padovano leaves South Brunswick High School after four varsity seasons that helped turn a trip to Ridge Road into an unpleasant experience for many opponents.
In the process, the Lady Vikings’ girls basketball team became a perennial Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Red Division contender and winner of the GMC Tournament in 2012. Padovano was a scoring threat that opponents ignored at their peril, and a force under the basket. She leaves South Brunswick as the team’s career scoring and rebounding leader with 1,340 points and 900 rebounds.
“Danielle has a physical presence that stands out against every team we play and she is one of our emotional leaders as well,” coach Beth Barrio said. “She has elevated our team to new heights since she arrived at the school and she has truly stepped up her play in the last two years.”
Padovano’s scholastic career ended on March 2 when South Brunswick fell, 82-65, to top seed Rancocas Valley Regional High School in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV tournament. The Lady Vikings’ standout may have saved her best for last, pumping in a career-high 35 points in a valiant effort that helped her team to a 40-39 halftime lead.
“It still hasn’t really set in that it’s all over,” Padovano said. “We knew going in that they were a great team and it was a tough game.”
Like the Rancocas Valley game, Padovano helped carry her team all year. She scored 20 or more points eight times and posted double-doubles in 16 games, ending the campaign averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds. The opposition found out that fouling the forward does not help either; Padovano excels from the free throw line, too.
Although she is well known for her offense, Padovano takes great pride in her defensive skills, noting that blocking a shot or grabbing a key rebound “sparks [her].”
The senior also acknowledged that she consciously tried to do more because point guard Danielle Roberts missed much of the season with an injury. Padovano, Roberts and guard Ashley DeGroff have played together since their elementary-school days.
“We tried to pick up the slack and do more, especially vocally because Danielle did a lot of that,” Padovano said. “I think we have created a legacy, especially [within] the last two years. And by winning the county, that helped put South Brunswick basketball on the map.”
It also got Padovano noticed by college recruiters. She weighed several opportunities last year before settling on Fordham University. She plans to study communications when she attends the New York City-based school, which is in the process of trying to turn around its women’s basketball team — something Padovano knows about.
“They want to build a winning tradition, and I want to be part of that,” she said. “It’s an exciting opportunity to play for a great coach, and it’s an excellent academic school. That was the most important thing for me. I’m excited to be going there.”