ROSELLE PARK, NJ — Through games played on Friday, Dec. 27, the New Providence, Roselle Catholic and Westfield high school girls basketball teams were still undefeated. No news there.
New Providence and Westfield were 4-0 and Roselle Catholic 3-0.
There was, however, one more girls basketball team in Union County that was undefeated through that date.
Roselle Park High School was even better at 5-0; plenty of news there.
Roselle Park, 5-0? The Panthers begin the January portion of their schedule undefeated?
Yes.
Is that rare?
Completely.
Does Roselle Park, which has not fashioned a winning season in more than 14 years, have a lot to be proud of so far in the early part of the 2024-2025 campaign?
Absolutely.
Leading scorer Sidney Smith, a talented 5-foot, 5-inch guard, erupted for a game-high 43 points in lifting Roselle Park to a come-from-behind 61-57 win against 3-0 Carteret High School in the championship game of the Roselle Park Tournament on Friday, Dec. 27. The Panthers outscored the Ramblers of Middlesex County 22-17 in the fourth quarter to move to 5-0 for the first time in quite a while.
It was reported that Smith was the first girl in New Jersey to score 43 points in one game so far this season. Smith has poured in at least 25 in every game so far this year for a total of 159 and an average of 32 points. She has scored at least 31 points in three of her team’s first five games.
Also scoring for Roselle Park in the holiday tournament championship win against visiting Carteret were Madison O’Connell with eight points, Madison Wilkes with five, Brooke Gallo with three and Emmy Gregoire with two. Hannah Djokic contributed four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Wilkes led in rebounds with 10 and Smith in steals with seven.
Carteret, which is 2-0 in the Red Division of the Greater Middlesex Conference, won its previous four games against Roselle Park, all by double-digit margins.
Guided by second-year head coach Staci Hartzler, the Panthers did not win their fifth game last year until Feb. 6. Roselle Park went 7-12 last season.
The only year Roselle Park won at least 10 games since 2011 was during the 2017-2018 season, when the Panthers closed at 10-14.
Roselle Park enters its next game at Newark Vocational on Monday, Jan. 6, at 4 p.m. with a 1-0 record for first-place standing with Linden High School in the Union County Conference’s Valley Division. Roselle Park’s next scheduled Valley Division contest is at David Brearley High School on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 5:30 p.m.
The seven schools in the Valley Division are Roselle Park, Linden, Union, Rahway, Kent Place, Hillside and David Brearley. Each school plays the other six once.
Roselle Park’s 5-0 start:
Saturday, Dec. 14: Roselle Park 56, Koinonia 20, at Koinonia
Monday, Dec. 16: Roselle Park 77, Dover 32, at Dover
Thursday, Dec. 19: Roselle Park 64, Union 38, at Roselle Park
Thursday, Dec. 26: Roselle Park 66, Keyport 14, at Roselle Park Tournament
Friday, Dec. 27: Roselle Park 61, Carteret 57, at Roselle Park Tournament
Four of Roselle Park’s first five wins have come by double-digits. The Panthers dominated Keyport High School, 66-14, in the first Roselle Park Tournament contest. Roselle Park opened with wins at Koinonia Academy of Plainfield and at Dover High School and a triumph in its home-opener against Valley Division rival Union High School.
Remainder of Roselle Park’s schedule:
Monday, Jan. 6, at Newark Vocational, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 9, David Brearley, 5:30 p.m. – Valley Division game
Thursday, Jan. 16, Rahway, 4 p.m. – Valley Division game
Friday, Jan. 17, Koinonia, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23, at Kent Place, 4 p.m. – Valley Division game
Saturday, Jan. 25, Whippany Park, 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Jan. 27, at Timothy Christian, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28, Bernards, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 30, at Hillside, 4 p.m. – Valley Division game
Tuesday, Feb. 4, Linden, 4 p.m. – Valley Division game
Thursday, Feb. 6, Manville, 4 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 10, at Henry Hudson, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Keyport, 4 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 15, Keyport, 11 a.m.
Thursday, Feb. 20, West Caldwell Tech, 4 p.m.