FHS Sports: Lady Warriors Basketball Team Takes 4th Straight State Sectional Title

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To hear Kennady Schenck tell it, she and her Lady Warrior teammates had their NJSIAA state sectional championship game won days ago.

That would have been March 7, when the Lady Warriors basketball team blew past Bayonne in what was seen as an upset to get into teh championship game against Ridge, also teh beneficiary of an upset win.

“That Bayonne game gave us a lot of energy,” the senior guard said. “We just knew that Monday was our game.”

And they proved to be correct, putting away the Ridge Red Devils 57-39 to win their fourth consecutive Group 4 Section 2 title on March 9.

Schenck talks al lot about energy, and the energy was certainly high during that March 9 game.

The geginning of teh first quarter was somewhat back and forth, but the Lady WSarriors were starting to show their dominance by the buzzer, leaving the court with a 15-8 lead.

The second quarter was more of the same, with Franklin maintaining its seven-point lead for much of the frame, but extending it to 10 with some key foul shooting by senior forward Onoseta Ufuah.

The Lady Warriors walked into the locker room at the half leading by 13, 29-16.

Franklin scored 14 points in each of the last two quarters, and Ridge was able to score in the double-digits in both of those frames.

Kennady Schenck said the secret to the team’s win was that they played as a unit.

“We just went out there and played together, and played as a team, which we should,” she said. “We brought the energy in the beginning, and we just kept the energy and the intensity. In the second half, we came out strong and we didn’t let up.”

Schenck ended the evening with nine points – all of them coming from beyond the arc – three rebounds, two assists and a block.

Junior center Kyierah Dempsey-Toney led all scorers with 17 points, also recording eight rebounds and four blocks.

Ufuah scored 13 points with six rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Senior guard Keona Schenck scored 11 points, and recorded three rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.

Keona Schenck also hit a three-pointer during the game. “Don’t leave us open, that’s what it is,” Kennady Schenck said of the twins’ propensity to score the treys.

Freshman guard Gissell Gamble scored seven points with four rebounds and a block.

With the March 9 win, the Lady Warriors outscored their sectional tournament opponents 229-121, a 108-point difference.

Next up for the team is the start of the NJSIAA state Group 4 tournament, which gets underway at 5 p.m. March 11 at Union High School, where the Lady Warriors will face off against Randolph.

Here are some scenes from the game:

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