Colonia girls still a work in progress heading into final clash with No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas Thursday night

Everyone knows who the two biggest stars are on the Colonia High School Girls’ basketball team.

The trick this year has been figuring out who’s next.

Junior Taylor Derkack leads the team with 21.9 points per game and 12.3 rebounds, has made more free throws (109) and taken more (127) than anyone else, and also is tops in assists (65), blocks (38) and steals (89).

Right behind here is the coach’s daughter Mattison Chiera: 14.5 points per game, 6.3 boards, 43 steals (second on the team) and 32 steals, tops on the Patriots.

After that is where the Patriots are still working it out. The third leading scorer on the team is Isabel Gidado, averaging just 4.6, then senior Amani Moore, averaging 2.7.

Naturally, with two major standouts – and when they are players fully confident in their abilities to sometimes will their team to a victory when it counts – a team may defer and look to them.

Whether that’s been the case or not, head coach Sandi Chiera is looking for more when Colonia (11-9, 8-5) will face No. 2-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (15-5, 12-0) in GMC Red Division action Thursday night, in a game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Mike Pavlichko will have pregame at 5:15 pm, and all the action starting at 5:30. Click here to listen.

The Trojans are the Red Division champions, while the Patriots are playing their first season in the Red. That explains some of their won-loss record; the Red is a different beast than the White, night after night.

To wit, save for a 58-29 loss to Aquinas at home back on January 12th, their other four division losses – to South Brunswick, Old Bridge, East Brunswick and Monroe – have come by a combined 22 points, none by more than a touchdown.