New Jersey girls basketball game ends in a 95-3 rout

A recent New Jersey girls basketball game was more of a demolition than a contest. When the final buzzer sounded, Paul VI defeated Camden East 95-3, and that’s not a misprint. That one-sided match occurred during the first round of the inaugural Camden County Tournament on February 17.

It was a mismatch, as the top-seeded Eagles entered the game with a 20-1 record. Their lone defeat was in a road game against Red Bank Catholic, New Jersey’s No. 2 team based on the Massey Ratings, at the Coaches Choice Shore Challenge. While Paul VI is No. 5 in the state, they fell short to the Caseys 64-56.

Conversely, their opponents were the 17^th seed and haven’t won any of their first six games. Worse yet, they have only scored 59 points while allowing 248 entering their match against the Eagles. After Paul VI established a 50-0 halftime lead, the game turned into a running clock, per the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s new rule.

However, it did not slow down the offensive onslaught of coach Orlando Hidalgo’s crew. The Eagles had 75 points after three quarters and added 20 in the final frame. Meanwhile, Camden East scored its only points in the third quarter.

Brooke Stagliano led all scorers with 27 points, while Kennedy Broughton added 15. Alaysia Jeune (13) and Jordyn Patrick (12) also finished in double figures. Paul VI tallied 22 rebounds, 23 assists, two blocks, and a whopping 22 steals in this convincing victory.

Despite this lopsided defeat, NJ.com’s Chris Nalwasky wrote that Camden coach Omar Holden felt that Paul VI did not disrespect his team. He also mentioned that their basketball program only started six years ago.

After this victory, Paul VI added another win against Cherry Hill East, 67-30, to advance to the tournament’s semifinal round. On February 26, the 22-1 Eagles will face Mount St. Mary in the first round of the New Jersey girls basketball South Jersey Non-Public A tournament.