Rutgers Prep sophomore Mikayla Blakes tries to make a move in the 2022 TOC semifinals against Manasquan on March 18, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
The Lady Argonauts went as far as you could go in New Jersey high school basketball last winter: reaching the last-ever Tournament of Champions Final, where they lost for a second time that season to powerhouse St. John Vianney.
Along the way, they won the Somerset County Tournament (again), Non-Public South B, and Non-Public Group B, en route to a 29-3 record, with two of those losses coming to SJV – at Kean in the regular season, and at Rutgers in the TOC title game.
The TOC may be gone, and the Lady Lancers aren’t on the schedule – yet – but Rutgers Prep very well could reach the end of the playoffs this year as well, and win another Somerset County Tournament title as well, en route.
Antonia Bates – who spent just a year at the Easton Avenue school and now is at Rutgers – has graduated, along with heady Leyla Castro and the scrappy Morgan Ryan, but plenty of talent returns, and there are some newcomers, too.
Junior Mikayla Blakes led last year’s team in scoring (18.2 ppg), assists (118) and steals (109), while Katie Ledden was second on the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) with a team-leading 6.25 rebounds per contest.
Those veterans will welcome first-year players into the fold like freshman six-footer Gigi Battle – who head coach Mary Klinger says is “impressive” – and 5-8 point guard Ava LaMonica.
As you could expect, since head coach Mary Klinger believes defense wins championships – and has only proven it time and time again – that will be another outstanding point for this team.
They will be well-tested, playing a tough non-conference schedule both in and out of New Jersey, but all it does is get Rutgers Prep ready for the real season: the Somerset County and NJSIAA state tournaments.
The Lady Argos tip off their season on Opening Night, Thursday at 7 pm against Franklin in a game you can hear on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Click here to listen live as Mike Pavlichko brings you all the live play-by-play.
CJSR also will broadcast a girls/boys doubleheader with Gill St. Bernard’s on January 24th.
Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Rutgers Prep girls’ basketball coach Mary Klinger about the upcoming season:
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