UNION, NJ — The strides made during last year’s abbreviated season have manifested into the reward of qualifying for the North 2, Group 4, playoffs for the first time in five years for the improved Union girls basketball team.
With a record of 7-9 through the cutoff on Saturday, Feb. 12, Union was projected to get the 14th seed and will play at third-seeded Scotch Plains–Fanwood, 16-3, in first-round play on Monday, Feb. 28. The top 16 teams in each section, based on power points, qualify.
The last Union team that made the states was the 2016-2017 squad that finished 11-15 after falling at Edison 61-53 in first-round of North 2, Group 4, play on Feb. 27, 2017.
Union went 9-4 last year in its first season as a member of the Valley Division of the Union County Conference. The Farmers were 1-19 two years ago when they still resided in the Mountain Division.
“This is great for the program,” second-year head coach Omar Wright said on Sunday, Feb. 13, of Union qualifying once again for the states. “The girls now have something to play for at the end of the season.”
Union was scheduled to face top-seeded New Providence, 18-2 at the time, on Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the next round of the Union County Tournament. The 16th-seeded Farmers advanced by defeating 17th-seeded Rahway, 34-27, in a preliminary-round game played on Thursday, Feb. 10.
“At 7-9, it’s not where we would like to be, but it’s a stepping stone,” Wright said.
Playing formidable foes such as New Providence and Scotch Plains will be a real education for a Union team seeking to one day get back to being on equal footing with those schools.
“Now we have to prepare for those juggernauts,” Wright said. “That makes me a little nervous.”
Union fared well against one team from the UCC’s Watchung Division, Summit. On Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Farmers were respectable in a 57-44 setback.
“We’ve played teams from the Watchung and Mountain (divisions) fairly close,” Wright said.
Wright also pointed out a 43-30 loss to Mountain Division squad Arthur L. Johnson High School. Scotch Plains is also one of the top teams from the Mountain Division, along with Governor Livingston High School. New Providence won the Watchung Division title against defending UCT champion Westfield.
“Our issue is scoring,” Wright said. “We don’t have a strong bench. Our goal next year is to develop enough players so that we have relief coming off the bench.”
In the UCT triumph against Rahway, junior Karesha Joseph paced the Farmers offensively with a 10-point performance. Union turned a 12-9 halftime advantage into a 24-12 lead going into the fourth quarter, after winning the third period 12-3.
“Karesha is very skilled and is just getting her legs back,” Wright said.
Paris’Alana Jones and Siani Garcia, both seniors, along with junior Inayah Muhammad are Union’s leading scorers.
“Paris, our captain, is tough as nails, fighting every game,” Wright said. “Siani has upped her game this year by listening to everything. Inayah has knocked down some big shots for us when needed.”
The last time Union was a real player as a member of the UCC’s upper Watchung Division was eight years ago, during the 2013-2014 campaign. That Farmer squad, guided by longtime head coach Justin Meyer, finished 23-6 after reaching the UCT championship game and the North 2, Group 4, semifinals.
NOTES: Union is scheduled to play at Roselle Park on Saturday, Feb. 19, at 10 a.m. in a Valley Division contest and then has a game at Millburn scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m.
Union’s final scheduled regular-season and Valley Division contest will be at Roselle on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 4 p.m.
Dayton, which swept Union, captured the Valley Division championship.
Union’s Valley Division record stood at 6-3 at the start of the week.
Valley Division wins for the Farmers include two against Brearley, two vs. Linden, and one each against Rahway and Roselle Park.
Union’s lone victory outside of division play came against Rahway in the UCT.
Photos Courtesy of Kristin Nunes