Rutgers Prep with its third straight Non-Public South B trophy, after beating St. Rose at Jackson Liberty HS on March 4, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
Full disclosure: St. Rose star Jada Lynch was on her way to a monster game, with 14 first half points. And yet, the game was still tight with Rutgers Prep, which led by six at halftime.
The third quarter is when the Non-Public South B title game turned. GiGi Battle put on a masterclass in defense, and helped the Argonauts held Lynch scoreless for at least a 14-minute stretch of the entire third period and well into the fourth.
And that’s the story of how top-seed Rutgers Prep won its third straight state sectional title – and sixth overall – a 63-42 decision over third-seed St. Rose of Belmar.
The win puts the Argonauts in Friday’s 3 pm state Group B title game at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers University in Piscataway against the North B winner, either top-seed Morris Catholic or second-seed Montclair-Immaculate, who play each other at 7:00 tonight at Paterson-Kennedy.
Prep trailed 5-0 early, but went on a 13-5 run the rest of the quarter to take a 13-10 lead after one. They went on another run to start the third – 12-5 – and all of a sudden – fueled by their trademark defense, as usual – Rutgers Prep was fully in control.
Mikayla Blakes – who will get one more game – will have three sectional titles to her credit, the most she could win, with no state tournament in 2021, her freshman years. She finished with a team-high 17. Fellow senior Chloe Escanillas followed with 13, while senior Leah Crosby and sophomore Ava LaMonica had ten apiece.
Click below for postgame reaction presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!