Tag: Morris Catholic

March 5, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

Post-halftime Morris Catholic surge dooms Rutgers Prep as frenetic comeback falls short in Non-Public B Final

“They punched us in the mouth,” said Rutgers Prep coach Mary Klinger, in the season’s post-mortem.

It didn’t look like it would be that way, though, especially with a much better start this time around than an early season loss to Morris Catholic in December.

Prep got the start it wanted, leading by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, and ending it with a 21-11 lead. Morris Catholic chipped away and got it to five by halftime, but it was after that when the Crusaders played their best basketball.

A 29-13 run through the next eight minutes gave the Crusaders a 55-45 lead at the end of three. While Rutgers Prep would eventually tie the game at 63 on a drive to the basket by Mikayla Blakes, the junior missed the and-one free throw, then got called for a reach-around foul at the other end of the floor, her fifth.

And from that point on, the Crusaders pulled away with Mya Pauldo hitting all her free throws down the stretch, sending the Lady Argonauts to a 71-63 defeat in the Non-Public Group B Final at RWJBarnabas Health Arena in Toms River, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Blakes finished with 24, while senior Katie Ledden – in her last high school game before heading up to Kingstown to play for Rhode Island – finished with 17, including a pair of first-quarter treys during Prep’s early run.

Rutgers Prep finishes its season as the Non-Public South B Champions – their second straight sectional title – with a record of 25-6, while Morris Catholic finishes at 26-3, the Group B state champs.

The win also makes a strong case for state-ranked No. 4 Morris Catholic to finish as the No. 1 team in the state, with top-ranked St. John Vianney losing in the Non-Public A final Saturday to Immaculate Heart, No. 2 Paul VI out of the tournament, and Morris Catholic beating No. 3 Rutgers Prep

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March 5, 2023March 4, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

Experience of regular and postseason has Rutgers Prep ready for another state championship

When Mary Klinger’s team takes the floor for the opening tip-off Sunday afternoon against Morris Catholic in the quest for a second straight state title – and her program’s fourth overall – it will be much improved from the last time the Argonauts faced the Crusaders.

That was December 17th – Game Two of the season for both squads – in the She Got Game Classic down at St. John Vianney in Holmdel. Klinger will tell you it was not one of Prep’s best.

And the numbers bear it out, too. The Argonauts like to start hot, hitting baskets, then falling back into that full-court press, creating turnovers, and do it all over again. But they trailed after the first quarter.

And while they came back to go ahead by 13 with just three minutes to go in the third quarter, the next eleven minutes saw the Crusaders rally for a three-point win, 72-69.

Klinger doesn’t think it will happen again, and she’s got good reason to feel that way. It was only the second game with last year’s seniors gone, with this year’s senior Katie Ledden and junior Mikayla Blakes taking on additional roles. It was only the second start for GiGi Battle, a freshman who – along with fellow rookie Ava LaMonica – has been a key contributor this year.

Now with a full season behind them, a Somerset County Tournament title and a Non-Public South B trophy on their resume, they are a much different team.

And so it will be when Rutgers Prep (25-4) takes on Morris Catholic (26-3, North B Champ) Sunday at Toms River North’s RWJBarnabas Arena for the Girls’ Non-Public Group B title. Tip-off time is 2 pm, and you can hear all the live play-by-play on Central Jersey Sports Radio beginning at 1:45 with the pregame show. Justin Sontupe and Raj Shah will bring you all the action. Click here to listen.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Rutgers Prep head coach Mary Klinger:

How They Got Here:

Rutgers Prep: #3 seed, beat #14 Moorestown Friends 76-25 in first round, beat #6 Trenton Catholic 91-43 in the quarterfinals, beat #3 St. Rose 70-47 in the semifinals, beat #1 Wildwood Catholic 70-40 in the sectional final

Morris Catholic: #2 seed, first round bye, beat #7 Wardlaw-Hartridge 89-16 in the quarterfinals, beat #5 Lodi Immaculate 88-57 in the semifinals, beat #4 Montclair-Immaculate 55-49 in the sectional final

State Championship History:

Rutgers Prep is seeking its second straight state title, and fourth overall, though unlike the other three, this is the end of the line. All three times, the Argonauts went on to the Tournament of Champions, but that was eliminated this year by the NJSIAA across all sports.

2016: Non-Public Group B Champion over Saddle River Day
2017: Non-Public Group B Champion over Queen of Peace
2018: Non-Public Group B runner-up to Saddle River Day)
2022: Non-Public Group B Champion over Saddle River Day

Morris Catholic has won the group title twice, and been to this game eight times, but is making its first appearance since 2014.

2004: Non-Public Group B Champion over St. Rose
2005: Non-Public Group B runner-up to Sacred Heart
2006: Non-Public Group B Champion over Trenton Catholic
2007: Non-Public Group A runner-up to Red Bank Catholic
2008: Non-Public Group A runner-up to St. John Vianney
2012: Non-Public Group B runner-up to Gill St. Bernard’s
2013: Non-Public Group B runner-up to Paramus Catholic
2014: Non-Public Group B runner-up to St. Rose

March 4, 2023March 4, 2023 by Mike Pavlichko

Morris Catholic brings two highly-touted sophomores, win over Rutgers Prep into rematch with Argonauts for state title

Head coach Billy Lovett sees a lot of parallels and similarities in his life right now.

Having played for the legendary Bob Hurley at St. Anthony’s in the 1990s, he has given his team the same experiences, playing in national showcases far from New Jersey that create great moments for his players, and top-notch exposure – like the John Wall Holiday Invitational.

He played in that tournament before it was even called that, back when it was the Raleigh Times Holiday Festival, which celebrated its 50th year this past December.

Other similarities are less intentional, like the fact this his team is very much like the Rutgers Prep team they will meet Sunday in Toms River for the Non-Public Group B state title.

Both focus on defense, which fuels their offense, which wins them championships.

Sunday’s game between Non-Public South B winner Rutgers Prep (25-4) and North B Champ Morris Catholic (26-3) tips off at 2 pm at Toms River North’s RWJBarnabas Health Arena, and you can hear it live on Central Jersey Sports Radio, with Justin Sontupe calling all the play-by-play, and Raj Shah providing the color. Click here to listen to the live broadcast.

The Crusaders began the season in the national rankings, and though they’ve since dropped out, they and Rutgers Prep are both Top 5 teams, with Morris Catholic No. 4, and Rutgers Prep No. 3. Only Paul VI (which both lost to this season) and St. John Vianney (which neither has played) are ahead of them.

Sophomore twins Mia and Mya Pauldo lead the way – two of the top point guards in the sophomore class – with Mia averaging a team-leading 17.3 points and 5.7 assists per game, while grabbing a team-best 91 steals. Mya is averaging 10.9 points a game, but just behind her sister in assists, with six fewer on the year.

And they can shoot the three. Surely, everyone knows Rutgers Prep can, and they have hit on 192 this season, but Morris Catholic has hit on a whopping 275, and average just a shade under 10 per game.

And then there’s the fact these two played each other in Game 2 of their respective seasons. The Crusaders won 72-69 in the She Got Game Classic on December 17th, wiping out a 13-point deficit with three minutes to go in the third quarter.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Morris Catholic head coach Billy Lovett: