Colonia’s Nashaleah Hooker drives up the floor against Middlesex in a GMC Red American Division game on January 13, 2026. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
After a seven-win season a year ago with some key injuries, the Colonia girls’ basketball team has gone from the wounded hunter to the hunted. And so far this season, they’ve been able to avoid everyone’s best shot.
The sixth-ranked Patriots picked up a 46-37 win at Middlesex in GMC Red National Division action Tuesday evening, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, a game that was a little tougher this time around.
Back on December 20th, Colonia had jumped out to a 15-8 lead after one quarter, and led by eleven at the half. This time? They were up 14-8 after one, but Middlesex led 23-22 at the break.
That was thanks in large point to some good three-point shooting in the first half. Alyssa Young had a pair of treys and had eight points at halftime, while Avery Iskra and Bella Durkin each had a three as well. But in the second half, Colonia focused more on defending the perimeter, and the Blue Jays didn’t hit from downtown again.
Samantha Howell had a big second half – eight of her ten points coming after the break, and she had a big three in the fourth to help give Colonia some distance after they entered the fourth up just by one, 30-29.
Howell and senior Nashaleah Hooker each had ten while Ivana Gidado and Ariana Sosa each had nine, and Hailey Conklin had eight. That’s the kind of balanced scoring Colonia has had all season long.
Alyssa Young led Middlesex with 10, while Kaylee Devine – the sophomore and younger sister of all-time leading scorer Jess Devine, who graduated in June after scoring 2,135 points – added eight, including six in the second half.
Click below for postgame reaction from Colonia senior Nashaleah Hooker and head coach Jill Bachonski, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
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