By Matthew Rocco
The St. John Vianney High School girls’ basketball team, winners of last season’s NJSIAA Tournament of Champions (TOC), couldn’t have set the bar any higher for the 2016-17 campaign. With their leading scorer and four more seniors back in the mix, the Lancers figure to make another run at postseason glory.
Two Shore Conference powerhouses in St. John Vianney and Manasquan High School met in the TOC finals in March, and the Lancers emerged on top in a double-overtime thriller. The championship capped a 31-1 season in which the Lancers also won their first Shore Conference Tournament since 2005.
This season, the Lancers have a different look on the court. Kelly Campbell, Kellie Crouch, Tina Lebron, Vanessa Pinho, Gigi Caponegro, Zoe Pero, Megan Furch and Emily Uribe are gone, so St. John Vianney is counting on a few first-time starters to fill their shoes. Even with a lot of turnover, the Lancers have plenty of talent to offer.
The biggest threat on the court is senior Kim Evans, who led the team in scoring with close to 14 points per game last season. The Seton Hall University commit is a big post presence on both sides of the court. Evans is paired with senior forward and Hartford University-commit Courtney Dobrzynski, giving St. John Vianney a strong frontcourt. The Lancers also have depth there with the arrival of up-and-coming sophomores Brelynn Bellamy and Sajada Bonner.
Senior guards Julia Ramos, Riley Kehoe and Abby Anderko will be key contributors this season, along with juniors Madison Doring and Sarah Furch. Sophomore Sarah Karpell also brings experience from last season’s championship run.
St. John Vianney got the season started with an 82-16 rout over Raritan High School. The team then faced its first major test on the regular-season schedule against National Christian Academy (Fort Washington, Maryland) in the Festival of the Phoenix, a showcase hosted by Matawan Regional High School.
The Lancers lost a close matchup, 59-55, despite Evans recording a game-high 20 points. Doring added 15 points, while Bellamy had eight points.
St. John Vianney (1-1) will host Shore Conference Class A Central Division rival Holmdel High School Dec. 23 at 6 p.m. The Lancers return to the Mount St. Dominic Holiday Basketball Festival starting Dec. 26, when they are scheduled to play Franklin High School. A matchup with Rutgers Preparatory School is slated for the second day. The Lancers will face Hudson Catholic Regional High School Dec. 29.
