WEST ORANGE/PISCATAWAY -- The West Orange High School girls basketball team enjoyed its best season ever.
The Mountaineers won the Essex County Tournament and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament championships, both for the second time ever, and reached the NJSIAA's Group 4 state championship game for the first time ever, as they met Hillsborough.
The Mountaineers were quite familiar with Hillsborough. A few weeks ago, West Orange dropped a tough 58-54 home decision to Hillsborough.
The Mountaineers got another shot against Hillsborough, this time in the ultimate game - the NJSIAA's Group 4 state final at Rutgers University's Jersey Mike's Arena.
Unfortunately, just like in the first meeting, the Mountaineers dropped a heartbreaking 55-52 decision in front of a capacity crowd on Sunday afternoon, March 16.
The Mountaineers, under 12th-year head coach Caniece Williams, finished the program's best season with a 26-8 record.
Senior center Anaya Karriem ended her illustrious career with a dominant performance. In fact, she achieved double milestones in the game - 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for her career.
Karriem, who will continue her career at Division 1 North Carolina A&T State University, had game-highs of 23 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.
With Hillsborough leading 55-52 in the waning seconds, Karriem took a three-pointer at the top of the key, but her shot was blocked, as Hillsborough regained possession and ran out the clock to end the game.
The Mountaineers led 29-25 at the half. Early in the third quarter, Karriem got her 1,000th career point on the free throw line, as she hit two-of-two attempts to put West Orange up, 33-27. Karriem scored two more baskets, as the Mountaineers led, 35-27. But Karriem picked up her fourth foul and went to the bench with WOHS leading, 37-31, with 3:31 left in the quarter. Hillsborough took advantage of Karriem's absence and ended the quarter on a 16-2 run to take a 43-37 lead.
WOHS stormed back. Karriem came back into the game, made a basket and hit a three-pointer, before senior guard Kyley Gary-Grayson hit a jumper and was fouled, to put the Mountaineers up 44-43. Gary-Grayson, though, missed the ensuing free throw. Reghan Bice made a three-pointer to give Hillsborough a 46-44 lead.
Karriem scored on a putback, with the rebound marking the 1,000th of her career, to later cut Hillsborough's lead to 53-52. But Hillsborough's Mya Loniewski made a layup that proved decisive. Hillsborogh finished 26-6.
Sophomore guard Rhyan Watt finished with 15 points, five steals, three assists and four rebounds; Gary-Grayson finished with nine points, four assists and two rebounds; freshman guard Taraji Muhammad had five points and three rebounds; sophomore Kennedy Curry had three rebounds; and junior guard Jordyn Batts had one assist and one rebound. Sophomore guard Elianna Dennis and junior forward Lynn Charles also saw playing time for WOHS.
Gary-Grayson, who finished her amazing career with 1,359 points, will continue her career at Division 1 Coppin State University. Karriem finished with 1,010 points and 1,001 rebounds.
After losing to Hillsborough on Feb. 20, the Mountaineers ran the table, including winning the ECT title by beating eventual Non-Public B state champion Montclair Immaculate Conception, 43-41, on Feb. 22 at Essex County College. The top-seeded Mountaineers then crushed defending champion Morristown, 61-39, to win the NJSIAA's North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state championship at home on March 1.
In the Group 4 state semifinal, the Mountaineers defeated Westfield, the Section 2 champion, 59-47, on Wednesday, March 12, at the Dunn Center in Elizabeth, to reach the Group 4 state championship for the first time in program history. Gary-Grayson had 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals; Watt had 16 points, 10 steals, three rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot; Karriem had 13 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocked shots, five steals and three assists; Curry had three points, three blocked shots, two rebounds and one steal; Muhammad had two points, one rebound and one assist; Batts added two points and two rebounds; Charles had three rebounds; and Dennis added one rebound and one assist.