Rutgers Prep freshman Gigi Battle (#24) watches her shot go up in the third quarter of an 86-44 home win over Franklin on Opening Night, December 15, 2022. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Mary Klinger says the regular season is the pre-season. It’s the tune-up for the games that count. It’s where you find your strengths and weaknesses, and work on them before the county and state tournaments.
Well, now the games count. The top-seeded Rutgers Prep girls basketball team has already won its first Somerset County Tournament game, a quarterfinal victory over 8th-seed Ridge, 82-33. Now, it’s the semifinals Thursday night against a familiar foe in big games: Franklin.
Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast both games of a girls’/boys’ doubleheader involving the Rutgers Prep teams, both seeded No. 1 in their respective SCT brackets. The Rutgers Prep girls (18-4) take on fifth-seed Franklin (12-11) at 5 pm. Then it’s the boys’ turn at 7:00, with the same matchup: the Argonauts (18-7) versus the fifth-seeded Warriors (16-9).
Mike Pavlichko and Dom Savino will call all the action, with pregame for the first contest beginning at 4:45. Click here to listen.
Klinger’s squad is led by junior sensation Mikayla Blakes, with her 22.5 points a game, with significant contributions from veterans like Katie Ledden, Chloe Escanillas, Zahra Alexander and more. That includes freshman GiGi Battle, averaging 9.3 points a game in her rookie campaign.
Franklin isn’t the same team they were pre-COVID, when head coach Audrey Taylor’s team was a pretty regular fixture in the Tournament of Champions, winning it in 2017 and 2019. But they’re still a talented bunch, and can give teams fits.
Click below to hear Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger talk about her team’s season, and the matchup with Franklin: