SJ Sports: Shootout at the Shore!

Each year Mainland girls’ basketball coach Karl Geisinger attempts to bring together some of the top basketball talent in the tri-state area, to his Shootout at the Shore.

This year Geisinger has assembled another impressive field for the two-day event that will take place at Mainland on Saturday and Sunday, February 8th and 9th.

There will be six games each day and many of the teams are perennial playoff contenders. Here is the two-day schedule.

Saturday, Feb. 8:
Wildwood Catholic vs. Lower Cape May, 11am; Clearview vs. Mainland, 12:45pm; Nazareth (PA) vs. Egg Harbor Township, 2:30pm; Bishop Eustace vs. Absegami, 4:15pm; Gloucester Catholic vs. Toms River South, 6pm; Peddie School vs. Holy Spirit, 7:45pm.

Sunday, Feb. 9:
Wildwood vs. Mainland, 11am; Camden Catholic vs. Ocean City, 12:45pm; Trenton Central vs. Our Lady of Lourdes (NY), 2:30pm; Notre Dame vs. Absegami, 4:15pm; Highland vs. Sacred Heart, 6pm; Archbishop Carroll vs. Willingboro, 7:45pm.

"The lineup we put together seems to keep getting better and Better," Geisinger, who is the director of the tournament. "We really try to combine the best of New Jersey talent along with a lot of quality out of state teams."

The biggest example of that is the final game of the two-day affair between Willingboro and Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Archbishop Carroll.

Both began the week ranked as the No. 1 teams in their respective areas. Willingboro is also nationally ranked and has won each of its first 13 games. Carroll began the week 14-3, but had played a difficult schedule.

If that is the best game, then the one before, Highland vs. Sacred Heart, isn’t far behind. Highland is the No. 2 team in South Jersey, while Sacred Heart is No. 5. The two teams feature four of the best players in South Jersey, with Highland 5-11 juniors Lisa Steele and Danielle Hemerka and Sacred Heart point guard Adrienne Rochetti and center Ikea Witt.

What’s best about this showcase is that it will really help teams prepare for the state tournament which begins the first week of March. For instance on Sunday, Absegami, a contender in Group 4, will meet Notre Dame of Lawrenceville, a team that is expected to be a factor in Parochial A. The day before Absegami will meet Bishop Eustace, the defending state Parochial B champion and a team that is beginning to play its best basketball of the season.

Gloucester Catholic, another contender in Parochial B, wil have a challenging game against Toms River South.

Last year, Toms River South lost by just five points to Willingboro in a South Jersey Group 3 semifinal. While South may not be as strong, the Indians are still formidable. Despite having a young team, Toms River South gave Sacred Heart a competitive game during the first week of the season before losing, 49-42.

The host Mainland Mustangs will have two interesting games, Saturday against Clearview, a potential Group 3 participant, and Sunday against Wildwood, the three-time defending Group 1 state champion and a contender again this year.

That game will feature two of the top frontcourt players in the Cape Atlantic League, 6-foot-3 Emily Wolfe of Mainland and 6-0 Lana Harshaw of Wildwood.

Holy Spirit, ranked No. 4 in South Jersey, will receive a serious test when it meets the Peddie School, which has been ranked No. 4 nationally by Prep schools.

In each of the 12 games, fans will see either a great player and/or a highly regarded team. That’s why this is annually considered to be among the best events in the state.

For more Local Sports features, visit our Sports page.

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Author: Marc Narducci