Red Bank Catholic girls basketball wins section title; St. Rose falls to Rutgers Prep

JACKSON -- It was a big night for the bigs.

Red Bank Catholic's defense was lockdown in the second half and carried the Caseys to the South Non-Public A sectional championship over Paul VI of Haddonfield 44-26 on Monday night.

RBC (25-5) only allowed three total points after halftime with Tessa Carman (eight rebounds) and Addy Nyemchek (nine rebounds and a game-high 13 points) controlling the boards.

"We knew this was a good rebounding team especially for our bigs," Carman said. "We knew we had to box out, and we had to get the boards and that's how we pretty much won the game."

Now it's off to Rutgers University for the state Non-Public A championship game Friday tentatively at 1 p.m. against Pope John V. RBC hasn't played in the state championship game since they won the 2017 crown.

Daniela Maletsky came off the bench and scored nine points to go with six rebounds. She wasn't the most consistent throughout the season but she's come up big in this postseason.

"She's a lefty, it's hard to guard a lefty," said Carman. "Coming off the bench she really brings out the energy when we really need it."

"I've been after them to get defensive boards year long and they listened and they did a great job," said RBC head coach Joe Montano.

A big week for Red Bank Catholic

On Thursday, they ended a seven game losing streak to St. John Vianney in the semifinals, and now they're sectional champions - it's been a special and long run for the young group.

"It's surreal - we've been working for this for so long. That's what we're here for, RBC to win championships, to win titles," Nyemchek said.

RBC trailed at halftime but opened the fourth quarter up 33-26 after ramping up its defense in the third quarter while Nyemchek was scoring six of her points.

Paul VI (23-5) led 23-22 at halftime with nine lead changes through the first two quarters. Maletsky and Nyemchek each five points in the first half. Nyemchek wore a head band with bandages in the area where she was injured in the previous game. She and Carman each had five rebounds in the first half.

"Honestly our defense really led to our offense," said Nyemchek who had 13 points. "Especially in the second half only letting up three points, that just let us go... as long as we're getting stops Coach Montano always tells us that's what leads to our offense."

RBC led the game at the end of the first quarter 9-8. Caseys went on a 5-0 run to start the game, but Paul VI fought back with their full court pressure and deep shooting.

South Non-Public B final: Rutgers Prep 63, St. Rose 42

In the opening game of the doubleheader at Jackson Liberty High School, Rutgers Prep defeated St. Rose 63-42 in the South Non-Public B final. Despite the game being close and competitive in the first half, the Argonauts began to go on runs at the top of the third and fourth quarters.

Rutgers Prep, which won its 10th straight game, will play for the state Non-Public B title Friday tentatively at 3 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena - in a rematch with defending champion Morris Catholic.

"I'm thrilled for them and we're one more step in what we want to do this year," coach Mary Coyle Klinger said. "Our goal from the very beginning is to beat Morris Catholic in the state championship and everything we've done is to prepare for that. So I'm thrilled for the kids, we'll celebrate tonight, and get right back to work."

Rutgers Prep (24-4) went on a 14-2 run to start the fourth quarter, extending the lead to the point where St. Rose (19-10) couldn't come back. The Purple Roses will lose seniors in Maggie Kerr and Tanaiyah Decker, but the future of the program looks bright. And though their season ended at the hands to one of the top teams in the state, there's a silver lining in all of it.

"I think we tested ourselves against everybody in this state," said St. Rose head coach Christine Hatfield. "Some games didn't go the way we wanted them to and some games I'd like back in my pocket, but the experience and challenges these young girls had to face, there's just great learning experience from that."

"Definitely full of hard work," said sophomore Jada Lynch when asked to describe the season. "And we have two seniors that are leaving and, like Coach Crissy said, she couldn't ask for a team that feels more like a family."

Lynch poured in 14 points during a competitive first half but was held to three points in the second half. GiGi Battle (nine points) was switched on to defend Lynch in the second half, and it was clear her size and physicality was a difference-maker. Cassidy Kruesi scored 12 points for St. Rose.

"I thought we did a really good job on (Lynch)," said Klinger. "And the other things we talked about too - she's such a good player, she's gonna score, so you just want to limit it, but what we tried to do is make it more difficult for the other players."

Mikayla Blake finished the game with 14 points, but it was her disruption on defense and being the floor general that made her special in this game. The Vanderbilt commit received more praise from her coach after the game.

"People don't understand how good she is defensively," Klinger said. "The way she disrupts, the way she helps, helps her teammates is tremendous. That's why she is where she is, what she's accomplished, and what she'll continue to accomplish."

Out the gate of the second half Rutgers Prep began to take control with their sharp passing and finishing around the rim. A 14-5 run at the top of the third quarter helped them extend their lead over St. Rose. The lead once touched 18 points at one point in the quarter before two Kruesi buckets brought the lead down at the end of the third quarter, 47-33.

More: Manasquan girls basketball finds playoff hero from off the bench: 'Did everything we needed.'

Game preview: St. Rose (19-9) vs Rutgers Prep (23-4), 4 p.m.

The Purple Roses, coached by Christine Hatfield, have gone through the likes of St. Joseph, Holy Spirit, and Ranney to get to the final round. They hit a rough patch at the end of January where they lost four out of five games before entering the state playoffs. St. Rose is led by sophomore Jada Lynch, who's averaging 21 points and 10.6 rebounds in this tournament. She's had a season-high 30 points in a loss to St. John Vianney and has become a more consistent scorer as the season progressed. St. Rose's secret weapon may be their sixth-player in senior Tanaiyah Decker who can defend multiple positions and is top five on the team in made three-pointers. The Purple Roses also have dead-eye shooters Cassidy Kruesi and Brooke Missry on the wing.

The Argonauts are coached by Mary Coyle Klinger, who has over 700 career wins. Rutgers Prep has had nothing but a challenging schedule season - beating the likes of Red Bank Catholic but also losing to No. 2 nationally ranked Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.). They are on a nine-game win streak with most victories coming by blowouts. They are led by senior, top-ranked, and Vanderbilt commit Mikayla Blakes, who's averaging 23 points in the group tournament, and 20 points on the season.

Overview: The Purple Roses will have to play a near-perfect team game in order to beat this nataionally opponent with experienced seniors.

Preview: Red Bank Catholic (24-5) vs Paul VI (23-4), 6 p.m.

The Caseys are coached by Joe Montano, who's in his 34th year. The Caseys are coming off a semifinal in over St. John Vianney, ending a seven-game losing streak against the Lancers. The young RBC team has played the likes of nationally ranked Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) and Morris Catholic -- both were losses. Their leading scorer is sophomore Addy Nyemchek, who went out in the third quarter against SJV due to a collision while driving to the rim. She should be available for tonight's matchup. The Caseys also have the likes of young talent in Katie and Christina Liggio plus junior Tessa Carman among those who've stepped up throughout the season.

The Eagles have coach Orlando Hidalgo back - he sat out two games earlier in the season due to an alleged recruiting violation. They've won 15 straight games - a span that's seen them beat Shore teams Manasquan, Ocean Township, and Trinity Hall (quarterfinals win). Their leading scorer is junior Azanah Campbell, who's averaging nine points on the season.

Overview: Red Bank Catholic may have too much depth in their lineup for Paul VI to handle.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Girls basketball NJSIAA tournament: Red Bank Catholic wins, St. Rose falls to Rutgers Prep