LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ – The Linden High School Boys and Girls varsity basketball teams are off to an exciting start in the 2025 NJSIAA Boys and Girls Basketball North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Tournament, with both teams securing hard-fought victories in their opening double-header matchups on February 27 in the Den.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠 𝟔𝟓-𝟓𝟎, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐥-𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟑𝟕-𝟑𝟒 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥.
Both teams take on the Plainfield Cardinals in Plainfield on Monday in quarterfinal matchups, as they continue their quests for a state title.
𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥: 𝐀 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤
The Lady Tigers overcame a rocky start against Union, struggling with turnovers and missed opportunities. At halftime, they had managed only 14 points, and their offensive rhythm was off.
“The first half was kind of sloppy for us,” said Regine Winston, the team’s point guard. “We had 14 points, a lot of turnovers, and missed layups. It wasn’t the start we wanted.”
But the second half brought a different energy. “In the second half, we came together as a team, moved the ball around, and communicated better,” Winston said. “We changed our tempo, picked up our intensity, and stepped up when it counted.” Despite a challenging first half, the Lady Tigers’ defensive strength and teamwork led them to the win.
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
-- 𝐈𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐜𝐃𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬, contributing 12 points, including 1 three-pointer, and hitting 5 free throws out of 5 attempts. McDuffie’s ability to drive to the basket and convert from the free-throw line was key in the team’s second-half surge.
-- 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟏 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟐 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟐 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, showing her sharp shooting and leadership on the floor.
-- 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝟒 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟒 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬,, playing a steady role in organizing the offense.
-- 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐝, while limited to 6 points, continued to play a critical role in defense and team dynamics throughout the game.
𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥: 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧
The boys’ basketball team, 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀 to dominate Phillipsburg 65-50 in the second half. The Tigers initially struggled to find their rhythm, but standout performances from Jakai Burnham and Jada Holman led the charge after halftime.
“We didn’t settle for perimeter shots in the second half,” Coach Rice said. “We played with more grit, finished strong in the paint, and protected our home court. Linden is known for being one of the toughest gyms to play in, and we finally made it that way in the second half.”
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:
-- 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗶 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟮𝟰 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀, hitting 7 two-pointers, 3 three-pointers, and 1 free throw. His all-around performance was crucial to Linden’s resurgence in the second half.
--𝗝𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝟮𝟭 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀, including 7 two-pointers and 2 three-pointers. His scoring and leadership helped steady the team and push them toward victory.
Other contributors included 𝗞𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, who each scored 5 points, with Jones adding a three-pointer in the second half to keep the offensive flow going.
“We just trusted each other and played our brand of basketball,” Burnham said, reflecting on the team’s ability to bounce back and find their rhythm after a tough first half.
Holman added, “We stayed focused on our game plan and didn’t let them speed us up or force us into bad shots.”
Like the girls, the boys will face Plainfield on Monday. After a tough loss earlier in the season, Coach Rice and his players are confident. “We’ve matured, and we’re ready for the challenge,” Rice said.
𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝
With both teams advancing in the tournament, excitement is building as they prepare for their upcoming games against Plainfield on Monday. After strong performances and valuable lessons learned, the Tigers are more determined than ever to continue their postseason runs.
Go Lady Tigers! Go Tigers!