Teamwork fuels Kittatinny girls’ basketball to 15-win season

Hard work and team work are two of the main factors that paced the Kittatinny High School girls’ basketball team toward a winning season despite an increasingly difficult 2025-26 schedule.

“After reflecting, undoubtedly beating Vernon in the first round of our Holiday Tournament is a victory that stands out,’’ Kittatinny coach Joshua Reed said. “It ended with a 3-pointer by Katie Sajdak and then a buzzer beater by Lina Hull. It was a very exciting victory.

“Also, our first round Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament victory against Warren Hills really demonstrated the resilience and character of our team. Lastly, our OT victory over Lenape Valley stood out as well. It took career high performances from Reese Redden and Grace Nelson to help put us over the top.’’

The Cougars posted 15 hard-fought wins with a mark of 8-2 in the challenging Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Colonial Division.

“The future is very exciting as our younger players gained an incredible amount of experience and all really shined and had big moments on the basketball court this year,’’ Reed said. “I know that these players are truly passionate about basketball, will play in the off-season, and are ready to step up and take on even more tremendous roles next season.’’

Kittatinny advanced to the NJSIAA North 1 Group 1 Sectional Tournament as the No. 13 seed and were defeated by No. 4 seed Pequannock in February.

“I just would like to add that the adversity we faced throughout the year and the response and improvement we showed throughout was a true testament to the attitudes and fight of our players,’’ Reed said. “They never gave up, always played hard and undoubtedly stuck together. I am very proud to coach such an incredible group.’’