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These 34 women ballers from NJ are headed to March Madness with their college teams

melanie anzidei, northjersey.com
·3 min read

March Madness is here, and some of New Jersey’s very own are about to go dancing.

The women’s Division I tournament will feature dozens of basketball players who hail from the Garden State — even more if you consider the three teams with New Jersey talent who are playing in the First Four on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

With the spotlight too often shining only on the men’s tournament, we decided to flip the scrip and highlight the many women who worked their way to the biggest stage in collegiate women’s basketball.

Some of the 34 athletes hail from North Jersey communities including Bayonne, Newark and Jersey City, Upper Saddle River and Towaco. There will also be 14 former Shore Conference athletes in the tournament, as Asbury Park Press’ Stephen Edelson reported earlier this week.

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Michelle Sidor of Upper Saddle River is on the Michigan basketball team headed to March Madness. While playing for Saddle River Day, she became the fourth girl in New Jersey high school basketball history to score 3,000 points.
Michelle Sidor of Upper Saddle River is on the Michigan basketball team headed to March Madness. While playing for Saddle River Day, she became the fourth girl in New Jersey high school basketball history to score 3,000 points.

There are 16 schools in this year’s tournament with at least one player with ties to New Jersey — including Norfolk State, Notre Dame, University of Maryland, Holy Cross, Villanova, University of Michigan, Princeton, Duke, Iona University, University of Tennessee, University of North Carolina, Baylor and University of Vermont. Three of those 16 teams — Monmouth University, Southern University and Sacred Heart — will be vying for the four final slots in the First Round, which begins Friday.

Princeton is the only New Jersey-based university with a secured slot in the tournament’s first round. If Monmouth wins its game on Thursday night, they will join Princeton as the only two Garden State women's teams to punch their tickets to March Madness.

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Here is a quick look at the 34 athletes with New Jersey ties in this year’s tournament:

Norfolk State

  • Makoye Diawara, Bayonne, Bayonne High School

  • Danielle Robinson, Newark, University High School

Notre Dame

  • Dara Mabrey, Belmar, Manasquan High School

  • Olivia Miles, Phillipsburg, Blair Academy

  • Kylee Watson, Linwood, Mainland Regional High School

Maryland

  • Diamond Miller, Somerset, Franklin High School

  • Faith Masonius, Belmar, Manasquan High School

Holy Cross

  • Meg Cahalan, Middletown, Saint John Vianney

  • Grace Munt, Fair Haven, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional

  • Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly, Manasquan, Manasquan High School

Villanova

  • Zanai Jones, Jersey City, Hudson Catholic

  • Christine Dalce, Edison, Rutgers Prep

  • Bella Runyan, Moorestown, Moorestown Friends School

Michigan

  • Michelle Sidor, Upper Saddle River, Saddle River Day

Princeton

  • Paige Morton, Summit, Oak Knoll

  • Tabitha Amanze, Ogun, Nigeria, Blaire Academy

  • Madison St. Rose, Old Bridge, St. John Vianney

  • Julia Cunningham, Watchung, Watching Hills

Duke University

  • Iman Lewis, Willingboro, Life Center Academy

Iona

  • Amaya B. Evans, Neptune

Tennessee

  • Justine Pissott, Toms River, Red Bank Catholic High School

North Carolina

  • Destiny Adams, Manchester, Manchester Township High School

Baylor

  • Erika Porter, West Windsor, Notre Dame High School

Vermont

  • Bella Vito, Towaco, Montville Township High School

Monmouth University

  • Antonia Panayides, Tinton Falls, Red Bank Catholic

  • Lovin Marsciano, Manasquan, St. Rose High School

  • Jen Louro, Wall, St. Rose High School

  • Lucy Thomas, Wall, St. Rose High School

  • Kayla Richardson, Red Bank, Middletown High School South

Southern University

  • Taylor Williams, Rahway, Immaculate Conception High School

Sacred Heart

  • Wil’Lisha Jackson, Rahway, Rahway High School

  • Carley Stroemel, Voorhees, Paul VI High School

  • Ciara Brannion, Westampton, Westampton Tech

  • Sajada Bonner, Cliffwood, St. John Vianney

Women & Sport is a NorthJersey.com column devoted to female athletes from the rec league level to those in college and the pros. If you've got a tip on an athlete from North Jersey who should be noted in the column, no matter how young they are or how old, please drop me a line at anzidei@northjersey.com.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: These 34 NJ women ballers are headed to March Madness