Girls' basketball

PJ 69, Hopatcong 36 Vanessa Moore excelled on opening night, posting a triple-double to propel Pope John to a 69-36 rout of Hopatcong in a SCIL girls’ basketball game contested on Friday. A sophomore center, Moore pumped a game-high 19 points through the twine, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 10 shots as the Lions, coming off a 9-15 record last year, surged to a 25-8 lead after eight minutes. Moore was chosen the SCIL Player of the Week by newjerseybasketball.org. Kate Hoch netted 11 points in her varsity debut while sophomore Gabby Madgdaleno also tallied 11 points. Pope John’s two seniors, Taylour Allen and Katy Mabunay, combined for 15 points. High Point 65, Lenape 32 High Point which went 18-8 last winter, romped to a 65-32 win over Lenape Valley as junior guard Jessica Lain popped 22 points into the bucket, dished off seven assists and picked off four steals. Sophomore center Nicole Armstrong scored a dozen points and hauled down seven boards while seniors Sasha Scott and Mikayla Wingle tallied eight points apiece. Jefferson 56, Newton 47 Jefferson surged to a 24-8 lead entering the second quarter and coasted to a 56-47 triumph over Newton. Brittany Beckmann, a junior guard, led all scorers with 21 points while senior forward Tracy Bartke chipped in with 14 points. Senior forward Alex Takacs scored 15 for the Braves with junior center Chelsea Snyder adding 10. Sparta 45, Vernnon 25 Sparta rolled to a 45-25 win over Vernon after finishing last season with a sparkling 25-1 record. The defending SCIL champions were led by junior guard Marcella Lusardi, who popped 13 points through the rim and dished off five assists. Senior center Megan Tittius registered a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Wallkill 65, Kittatinny 29 Wallkill Valley toppled Kittatinny 65-29 as senior guard Jamie Gagg led all scorers with 24 points, raising her career total to 977. Wallkill Valley finished 15-9 last winter.