Former Colonia standout Mattison Chiera – now a freshman at William Paterson – has been a starter since Day One for the Pioneers. (Photo credit: Larry Levanti Photography)
Mattison Chiera was one of the top players in the Greater Middlesex Conference in her time at Colonia, not coincidentally coinciding with the girls’ basketball program’s best years ever.
Two years ago, Chiera, her partner in crime Taylor Derkack, and the rest of the Patriots won the GMC White, the program’s first division title of any kind. Last year, they went to their first-ever GMC Tournament final.
Chiera graduated as the third leading scorer in school history – boys’ or girls’ – and as the all-time leading scorer in Colonia girls’ hoops history, with 1,514 points. She may not hold that record for long, with Derkack less than 140 points behind and Colonia off to a solid 3-0 start. But either way, she’s carving a new path for herself at William Paterson University.
From a Patriot to a Pioneer, she’s picked up right where she left off, in the starting five from Day One. The team is 4-7, but on a two-game winning streak heading into their holiday break. They’re next in action New Year’s Eve at Springfield College.
And Chiera is contributing significantly, scoring 8 points a game and grabbing 4.5 rebounds. She has 21 assists and 18 steals in 11 games played, all starts.
We got a chance to talk with her this week, where she’ll be back in “C-Town” Thursday to watch Derkack and her former teammates take on South Brunswick in a GMC Red Division game that can be heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio. Click here to listen.
Click below to hear former Colonia standout Mattison Chiera talk about her experiences as a freshman in the starting lineup at William Paterson:
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