CHS girls’ basketball team dethroned in sectional semis
The Columbia High School girls’ varsity basketball team’s bid to win a third consecutive New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 tournament title was denied.
The second-seeded Cougars fell to third-seeded North Hunterdon in heartbreaking fashion, 34-33, in the semifinals on March 6 at South Orange Middle School.
Head coach Johanna Wright’s team made a furious comeback. North Hunterdon scored just one basket in the fourth quarter, taking a 34-28 lead. The Cougars had a chance to tie game with 0.4 seconds, but made just one of two free throws.
Brianna Thomas had 12 points, and Gabrielle Jackson and Jade Johnson-Walker each had six points for the Cougars, who ended the season with a 24-4 mark. North Hunterdon, which lost to CHS in the semifinals in each of the past two seasons, improved to 22-3.
Johnson-Walker had 21 points and seven rebounds and Thomas had 12 points, seven assists and six steals to lead the Cougars to a 76-27 home win over No. 15 seed Hillsborough in the first round on March 2. Chi-Chi Ozuzu and Charity Scipio each had eight points, and Krysten Van Natta, Marcelyn Williams and Shaina Earle each had seven points for the Cougars.
In the quarterfinals, Johnson-Walker and Thomas each had 10 points in the 57-35 home win over 10th-seeded Westfield on March 4.
Box scores
Hillsborough 19 1 5 2 - 27
Columbia 21 20 22 13 - 76
CHS: Melissa Carelli 0-0-0-0, India Crawley 0-0-0-0, Shaina Earle 3-0-1-7, Stacey Green 1-0-0-2, Gabrielle Jackson 2-0-0-4, Whitney Jackson 0-0-0-0, Jade Johnson-Walker 9-0-3-21, Chi-Chi Ozuzu 4-0-0-8, Simone Rucker 0-0-0-0, Charity Scipio 3-0-0-8, Brianna Thomas 5-0-2-12, Kyrsten Van Natta 0-1-4-7, Marcelyn Williams 1-1-2-7.
Westfield 10 3 6 16 - 35
Columbia 21 15 14 7 - 57
CHS: India Crawley 1-0-0-2, Shaina Earle 2-0-3-7, Stacey Green 1-0-0-2, Gabrielle Jackson 1-1-0-5, Whitney Jackson 0-0-0-0, Jade Johnson-Walker 4-0-2-10, Chi-Chi Ozuzu 0-0-0-0, Simone Rucker 1-0-2-4, Charity Scipio 0-0-4-4, Brianna Thomas 5-0-0-10, Kyrsten Van Natta 2-0-2-6, Marcelyn Williams 2-0-0-4.
N. Hunterdon 16 4 12 2 - 34
Columbia 4 8 12 9 - 33
CHS: India Crawley 1-0-0-2, Shaina Earle 0-0-0-0, Gabrielle Jackson 1-0-4-6, Jade Johnson-Walker 3-0-0-6, Chi-Chi Ozuzu 1-0-0-2, Simone Rucker 0-0-0-0, Brianna Thomas 3-2-0-12, Kyrsten Van Natta 0-0-0-0, Marcelyn Williams 2-0-
1-5.
The second-seeded Cougars fell to third-seeded North Hunterdon in heartbreaking fashion, 34-33, in the semifinals on March 6 at South Orange Middle School.
Head coach Johanna Wright’s team made a furious comeback. North Hunterdon scored just one basket in the fourth quarter, taking a 34-28 lead. The Cougars had a chance to tie game with 0.4 seconds, but made just one of two free throws.
Brianna Thomas had 12 points, and Gabrielle Jackson and Jade Johnson-Walker each had six points for the Cougars, who ended the season with a 24-4 mark. North Hunterdon, which lost to CHS in the semifinals in each of the past two seasons, improved to 22-3.
Johnson-Walker had 21 points and seven rebounds and Thomas had 12 points, seven assists and six steals to lead the Cougars to a 76-27 home win over No. 15 seed Hillsborough in the first round on March 2. Chi-Chi Ozuzu and Charity Scipio each had eight points, and Krysten Van Natta, Marcelyn Williams and Shaina Earle each had seven points for the Cougars.
In the quarterfinals, Johnson-Walker and Thomas each had 10 points in the 57-35 home win over 10th-seeded Westfield on March 4.
Box scores
Hillsborough 19 1 5 2 - 27
Columbia 21 20 22 13 - 76
CHS: Melissa Carelli 0-0-0-0, India Crawley 0-0-0-0, Shaina Earle 3-0-1-7, Stacey Green 1-0-0-2, Gabrielle Jackson 2-0-0-4, Whitney Jackson 0-0-0-0, Jade Johnson-Walker 9-0-3-21, Chi-Chi Ozuzu 4-0-0-8, Simone Rucker 0-0-0-0, Charity Scipio 3-0-0-8, Brianna Thomas 5-0-2-12, Kyrsten Van Natta 0-1-4-7, Marcelyn Williams 1-1-2-7.
Westfield 10 3 6 16 - 35
Columbia 21 15 14 7 - 57
CHS: India Crawley 1-0-0-2, Shaina Earle 2-0-3-7, Stacey Green 1-0-0-2, Gabrielle Jackson 1-1-0-5, Whitney Jackson 0-0-0-0, Jade Johnson-Walker 4-0-2-10, Chi-Chi Ozuzu 0-0-0-0, Simone Rucker 1-0-2-4, Charity Scipio 0-0-4-4, Brianna Thomas 5-0-0-10, Kyrsten Van Natta 2-0-2-6, Marcelyn Williams 2-0-0-4.
N. Hunterdon 16 4 12 2 - 34
Columbia 4 8 12 9 - 33
CHS: India Crawley 1-0-0-2, Shaina Earle 0-0-0-0, Gabrielle Jackson 1-0-4-6, Jade Johnson-Walker 3-0-0-6, Chi-Chi Ozuzu 1-0-0-2, Simone Rucker 0-0-0-0, Brianna Thomas 3-2-0-12, Kyrsten Van Natta 0-0-0-0, Marcelyn Williams 2-0-
1-5.
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