Tuesday night was the first round of the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 basketball playoffs and both the Verona High School girls and boys teams advanced decisively to the next round.
The boys, who went into the playoffs as the number 4 seed, dispatched 13th-seeded Saddle Brook, 58-40. Frank Ferrari led Verona’s offense with 12 points and junior Dave Gautieri put up another 10. Will Mulderry had nine points and a matching nine free throws, while senior Charlie Matta dominated both teams on rebounds with six. The VHS boys host fifth-seeded Paterson Charter on Thursday with a 5 p.m. tipoff.
The Lady Hillbillies meanwhile went into their playoffs as the number 6 seed, and they scored a 39-27 win over 11th-seeded Pompton Lakes. Senior Sarah O’Neill almost scored more points by herself than the entire Pompton Lakes team, putting up a stunning 21 points. Claire Fitzpatrick added eight points to Verona’s tally, as the Hillbillies blew out the fourth quarter 20 points to just nine for Pompton Lakes. The girls will travel to Bergen County to face number 3 seed Cresskill High School on Thursday. Start time is also 5 p.m.
Photos copyright Bob Misuro. Used by permission.