ROSELLE, NJ — Three wins in their first three games. All on the road. All against division opponents. All by double digits.
Is the Roselle Catholic High School girls basketball team back to being the dominant force the Lions, who won the Union County Tournament six times, once were?
Roselle Catholic, still guided by longtime mentor and 1984 Roselle Catholic grad and head coach Joe Skrec and his fellow Roselle Catholic graduates as assistant coaches, is making a statement as the 2022-2023 season has commenced.
The Lions, who last year improved with a 13-12 finish that included making the states after the previous two seasons saw Roselle Catholic finish 8-17 and 4-11, have begun with Union County Conference–Watchung Division wins at Cranford High School 63-49 on Saturday, Dec. 17; at defending first-time Group 4 state champion Westfield High School 52-42 on Tuesday, Dec. 20; and then at Summit High School 58-36 on Thursday, Dec. 22.
Roselle Catholic was scheduled to play Holmdel High School away on Tuesday, Dec. 27, after the press deadline, in its first holiday tournament contest this week.
Roselle Catholic’s first game scheduled to be played in January is Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 7 p.m. at Watchung Division foe Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School. The Raiders won the Mountain Division title last year and moved up to the Watchung Division, replacing Union Catholic, which dropped down to the Mountain Division.
Roselle Catholic’s first home game is Saturday, Jan. 7, vs. Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child at 10 a.m., in the first of four Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children 40th annual High School Hoopfest games set to be played in the Lions Den at Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle.
In the season opener at Cranford, coached by Skrec’s daughter, Allison, a 2010 Roselle Catholic graduate, Roselle Catholic sophomore guard Jasmin McKay poured in 14 points in the second stanza to spark a 21-12 surge that helped give Roselle Catholic a 39-26 advantage at the break. McKay finished with four 3-point field goals, including three trifectas in the second quarter. She also added five rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Freshman guard Sidney Smith scored 13 points and added six assists and three steals, while freshman forward Jordyn Batts contributed 11 points and six rebounds.
Kristina Lowe, a returning junior for Cranford, paced the Cougars with 11 points. She was one of 10 players to score for Cranford.
In the 10-point win at Westfield, Smith scored 10 points in the third quarter to lead a 16-11 Roselle Catholic surge. Westfield came in ranked as the No. 19 team in the state.
Smith also produced four rebounds and two steals, while McKay had 6 points in the fourth quarter, four assists, three blocks and six steals. McKay was four-for-four from the free throw line in the final minute.
Zahniya Castillo grabbed 10 rebounds, and Gabby Brown had three steals and three rebounds.
Paige Gorczyca paced Westfield with 15 points, while teammate Catie Carayannopoulos added 13.
Roselle Catholic’s defense stepped it up even more against Summit High School, not allowing a single Hilltopper player to score more than 8 points.
Meanwhile for the Lions, McKay and Smith scored 7 points apiece in the second stanza to spark a 21-5 advantage that helped give Roselle Catholic a 24-12 lead at the half. Summit led 7-3 after the first quarter.
McKay finished with 19 points, five steals, three assists and three rebounds. Smith overcame early foul trouble to post 18 points, three rebounds and two steals.
Brown, a sophomore, sank 5 of her 7 points in the third quarter and added four rebounds and two assists.
Emily Demm paced Summit with 8 points.
Holmdel Holiday Tournament
Tuesday, Dec. 27 (after press time)
• Roselle Catholic High School vs. Holmdel High School
• South Brunswick High School vs. Ranney School
• Middletown North High School vs. Mount Saint Mary Academy
• East Brunswick High School vs. Colts Neck High School
Wednesday, Dec. 28 (after press time)
Four games: 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 30
Four games: 1 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children High School Hoopfest
Saturday, Jan. 7, at Roselle Catholic High School
• Girls: Roselle Catholic High School vs. Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, 10 a.m.
• Boys: Seton Hall Preparatory School vs. Hudson Catholic Regional High School, noon.
• Boys: Union Catholic High School vs. St. Peter’s Preparatory School, 2 p.m.
• Boys: Roselle Catholic High School vs. Immaculate Conception High School, 4 p.m.
Roselle Catholic High School results/remaining schedule
• Saturday, Dec. 17: Roselle Catholic High School 63, Cranford High School 49, at Cranford.
• Tuesday, Dec. 20: Roselle Catholic High School 52, Westfield High School 42, at Westfield.
• Thursday, Dec. 22: Roselle Catholic High School 58, Summit High School 36, at Summit.
• Tuesday, Dec. 27: Holmdel Holiday Tournament at Holmdel High School, 11 a.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 28, and Friday, Dec. 30: Holmdel Holiday Tournament.
• Tuesday, Jan. 3: at Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 7: vs. Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in SFIC, 10 a.m.
• Monday, Jan. 9: at Union Catholic High School, 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 10: at Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, 4:30 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 12: vs. Cranford High School, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 14: vs. Immaculate Conception High School, time to be announced.
• Tuesday, Jan. 17: vs. Westfield High School, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 19: vs. Summit High School, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 21: vs. West Orange High School at Union City, 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 24: vs. Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, 7 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 26: at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, 4 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 28: vs. New Providence High School, 11 a.m.
• Monday, Jan. 30: at Abraham Clark High School, 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 1: at New Providence High School, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 4: at Secaucus High School, 11 a.m.
UCC Watchung Division
Cranford High School
New Providence High School
Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child
Roselle Catholic High School
Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School
Summit High School
Westfield High School
Defending champion: New Providence High School