Rutgers Prep falls to Gloucester Catholic in South Jersey Non-Public B championship for second straight season

Make it back-to-back wins for Gloucester Catholic in South Jersey Non-Public B, as the Rams beat Rutgers Prep Monday night – also for the second straight year – in the sectional final at Lenape High School in Medford Lakes, 44-31. win over Rutgers Prep.

The first half was tight all the way.  Each team continuously traded buckets underneath the basket.

Early on, it was Ava La Monica of Rutgers Prep and Jahzara Green of Gloucester Catholic doing the damage to each other’s squads. It was a classic back-and-forth game, consisting of transition buckets and highly contested defensive stops.

At the end of the first quarter, Rutgers Prep had the lead at 12-11, thanks to a six-point effort from La Monica. Gloucester Catholic came alive in the second quarter and had the lead going into halftime at 21-20.

Through the first half of play, it was apparent both teams wanted to establish an inside game — only three three-pointers were made in the game, all coming from Gloucester Catholic.

The second half is where the game started to slip away from Rutgers Prep, and Gloucester Catholic took full advantage. The Argonauts were outscored 23-11, mainly because of too many missed shots in the paint from several Argonauts and because of the Lady Rams’ stout defense.

Monet High – a name that may not stand out in the box score due to only scoring one point – certainly showed off her defensive prowess. Leading to numerous steals in the half-court that led to transition buckets for Green and Talia Shumate, who finished with six points.

Combine Green’s 14-point effort with relentless dribble drives from Jalyn Moore and outside shots from Amanda Eggers, who both finished with eleven points, and it was enough for the Lady Rams to put the game out of reach late in the fourth.

The offensive stars from Rutgers Prep simply went cold, scoring just five points in the fourth. La Monica finished with ten points, Georgiades with seven points, and no one else eclipsed more than four.

It’s the end of an era for seniors Ava La Monica, Sophia Georgiades, Ava Frith, and Cali McCoy. La Monica and McCoy are the only two of the four to win a South Jersey Non-Public B final in their time at Rutgers Prep, with Georgiades and Frith both transferring in after the 2024 season.

Gloucester Catholic will advance to the Non-Public B title game, where it will face North Jersey Non-Public B champion Gill St. Bernard’s, which beat Saddle River Day 57-40 Monday night. This will be the second time the two teams face off this year, with the Rams winning 60-45 at the Shore Games in December.

Click below to hear postgame reactions with Rutgers Prep’s head coach Mary Klinger presented by the Sportsplex at Metuchen: