Who were the shining stars in South Jersey girls' basketball for first week of Feb.?

Tom McGurk, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·4 min read
Paul VI's Hannah Hidalgo, center, stands with her coaches and teammates as Hidalgo is honored for scoring her 2,000th career point during the girls basketball game between Paul VI and Camden Catholic, played at Camden Catholic High School on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
Paul VI's Hannah Hidalgo, center, stands with her coaches and teammates as Hidalgo is honored for scoring her 2,000th career point during the girls basketball game between Paul VI and Camden Catholic, played at Camden Catholic High School on Thursday, February 2, 2023.

Here are our picks for the top performances in South Jersey girls' basketball last week.

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More:Who were the shining stars in South Jersey girls' basketball from Jan. 23-29?

Burlington County League

Star No. 3: Akeelah LaFleur, Willingboro. The sophomore grabbed 61 rebounds in three games last week, raising her season total to 302 in just 19 contests (15.9 rpg). LaFleur had 14 points and 27 rebounds in a win over Burlington City on Jan. 31 before she had 20 rebounds to close out the week in a win over Doane Academy on Feb. 3.

Star No. 2: Caitlyn Ortiz, Maple Shade. The Wildcats rattled off four wins last week and the junior guard played a pivotal role in each contest. She closed out the week by tying a season-high 14 points as Maple Shade earned a 54-30 victory over Pitman.

Star No. 1: Katie Ambos, Cinnaminson. The senior delivered a team-high 11 points, including five free throws, as the Pirates knocked off Lenape, 43-40, and earned the program’s first-ever appearance in the SJIBT’s Final Four.

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Colonial Conference

Star No. 3: Emma Speyerer, Audubon. The freshman poured in a season-high 27 points as the Green Wave stormed to a 63-45 win over Paulsboro on Thursday. Speyerer had 19 points in a victory over Camden County Tech on Jan. 27.

Star No. 2: Riley Mulligan, Haddonfield. The senior was one of the team’s top scorers last week, helping to pave the way for victory over Haddon Township, West Deptford and Seneca, stretching the Haddons’ win streak to six. She netted 24 points combined in the three games.

Star No. 1: Alexis Davis, Woodbury. The St. Bonaventure-bound senior enjoyed one of the best weeks of her career. On Tuesday, Davis became the 31st girl in South Jersey history to eclipse the 2,000-career point mark. Two days later, she registered a monster 32-point, 20-rebound game in a win over Sterling, wrapping up the Colonial Conference Liberty Division crown for the Thundering Herd. Heading into the weekend, Davis owns 2,036 points and 1,233 rebounds in 82 career games.

Olympic Conference

Star No. 3: Molly Bovell, Cherry Hill West. The sophomore hit double-figures in points in all three games last week, including 14 apiece in wins over Seneca and Washington Township. Bovell is averaging just over 10 points per game through 21 contests this season.

Star No. 2: Courtney Furman, Cherokee. The senior established a SJIBT record with 18 points in the opening round of the 3-point shot contest on Saturday. Furman has hit 23 long-distance shots this season, including four in each of her last two contests.

Star No. 1: Hannah Hidalgo, Paul VI. The Notre Dame-bound senior became the 32nd player in South Jersey history to reach the 2,000-career point mark. She earned the milestone in a win over rival Camden Catholic on Thursday.

Tri-County Conference

Star No. 3: Ana Pellecchina, Clearview. The junior guard contributed 10 points, six rebounds and seven steals the Pioneers polished off Gloucester County Tech on Jan. 31. Two nights later, Pellecchina scored 12 points in a victory over Washington Township.

Star No. 2: Megan Donelson, Woodstown. The sophomore led the Wolverines with 17 points during a key 50-33 win over Penns Grove as the team remained unbeaten in the Diamond Division. She followed up that performance with 20 in a victory Pennsville and 12 in a triumph against Delran. Woodstown has won 11 of its last 12 games.

Star No. 1: Iriona Gravley, Williamstown. The junior knocked down a team-high 19 points as Williamstown checked into the SJIBT’s Final Four with a 41-36 upset of second-seeded Shawnee. Gravley helped seal the game with a 7-of-8 effort from the foul line. She also contributed 16 and 15 points in wins over Washington Township and Hammonton, respectively.

Milestone: Gloucester Catholic’s Lisa Gedaka became South Jersey’s all-time girls’ basketball leader in coaching wins on Tuesday with No. 683, surpassing Wildwood’s Dave Troiano. Gedaka, a Gloucester Catholic alum and star at Villanova during her playing days, has led the Rams’ program for 34 years.

Cape-Atlantic League

Star No. 3: Zashirah Jackson, Atlantic City. The senior established a career-high 15 points in a victory over Atlantic County Tech on Feb. 2 before grabbing a career-best 10 rebounds in a triumph against Red Bank Regional the next day. Since a 1-4 start, the Vikings have rattled off 14 straight wins.

Star No. 2: Jamya Mosley, Bridgeton. The senior has produced double-digit points five of her last six games as the Bulldogs have earned 11 straight wins.

Star No. 1: Ava Mazur, Mainland. The junior hit the century mark for career 3-pointers during a win over Vineland on Jan. 31. She sank four triples during the game, one shy of her season high.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey high school girls' basketball players of the week