NJSIAA Tournament quarterfinal picks for North 1 Group 3

Photo Credits: Brandon Giordano

NORTH 1, GROUP 3

10-West Essex at 2-Old Tappan

West Essex pulled off a minor upset when it defeated seventh-seeded and Passaic County Tournament Wayne Hills in the first round. Old Tappan advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over fellow division opponent and 15th-seeded Tenafly. West Essex seems to have found its footing right as the state tournament got underway. Old Tappan has been playing well over the last month. They hope to continue to see outstanding performances from the Giordano Twins. The pick: Old Tappan

8-Morris Knolls at 1-Teaneck

Morris Knolls came away with a hard-fought win over ninth-seeded Pascack Valley in the first round, while Teaneck, the No. 20 team in the NJ.com Top 20 and defending sectional champions, defeated 16th-seeded Roxbury. Morris Knolls will have to find a way to control the glass against a Teaneck team that is among the best rounding teams in the state. The pick: Teaneck

5-Demarest at 4-River Dell

Two Big North Conference teams will meet for the first time this season when River Dell hosts Demarest. Demarest is coming off a first-round win over 12th-seeded Morris Hills, while River Dell beat 13th-seeded Montville in a high scoring game. Expect defense to be the key for the winner in this contest. The pick: Demarest

6-Northern Highlands at 3-Ramapo

Northern Highlands and Ramapo will be meeting for the third time this season after Northern Highlands defeated 11th-seeded Sparta and Ramapo beat 14th-seeded Wayne Valley. Ramapo won the first two meetings this season, but the old saying is it’s hard to beat a good team three times. The team that probably puts in the most wrinkles from their first two matchups has a good chance at advancing to the semifinals. The pick: Ramapo

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Athlete's Latest Article

Old Tappan takes down another undefeated team.

Jan 24, 2026

Old Tappan defeated previously undefeated New Providence 45 to 40 on Saturday, January 24, 2026. The win handed New Providence its first loss of the season. Defense drove the result. Old Tappan held New Providence to one of its lowest point totals of the season and forced tough shots throughout the game. Old Tappan led 12 to 9 after the first quarter and took a 23 to 12 lead into halftime. New Providence rallied in the fourth quarter, but Old Tappan stayed composed and finished the game at the line and with stops on defense. Sienna Drullinsky led Old Tappan with 19 points, including 11 made free throws. Alexa Caunedo scored 12 points. Alivia Badurina added six points. Sadie Murphy finished with five points. Nina Caunedo hit a three pointer for three points. Mauimi Quiros, Christina D’Andrea, Katie Degennaro, and Joley Giordano all played and helped on the defensive end as Old Tappan protected the lead late. Old Tappan improved to 10 and 3. New Providence dropped to 15 and 1 after its first loss of the season.

Old Tappan too much for Eastside

Jan 10, 2026

Old Tappan beat Paterson Eastside 58 to 48 on Saturday at the Showdown in the 6ix Showcase at Teaneck High School. Old Tappan set the tone with rebounding and steady free throw shooting. The Golden Knights finished with 25 rebounds and made 23 of 28 foul shots. Old Tappan led 33 to 22 at halftime and widened the gap in the third quarter. Paterson Eastside made a late push behind Alexis Chambers and cut the margin to 11 points. Old Tappan stayed composed at the line and closed out the win.Alexa Caunedo led Old Tappan with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Drullinsky finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds and went 13 for 16 from the free throw line. Alivia Badurina scored 9 points and added 2 rebounds. Quiros finished with 7 points. Nina Caunedo added 5 points and 3 rebounds. Sadie Murphy grabbed 3 rebounds. Joley Giordano pulled down 1 rebound and had a bunch of steals. Christina D’Andrea finished with 2 rebounds.For Paterson Eastside, Chambers scored 17 points with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 steals. Jade Bethea had 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Keyrie Rodriguez scored 8 points with 1 assist and 1 block. Khori Muckle added 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal. Aubrey Newell finished with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals. Emely Jimenez Abreu scored 3 points with 2 rebounds and 1 block.

Big win at home for Old Tappan Girls Basketball

Jan 06, 2026

Old Tappan dominated from the opening tip and rolled past Tenafly 57 to 18 on Tuesday afternoon at home. Old Tappan jumped out to a 23 to 2 first quarter lead and controlled the pace for all four quarters to move to 6 and 1 on the season. Sienna Drullinsky led all scorers with 16 points and set the tone early with strong finishes inside and trips to the free throw line. Christina D’Andrea added 9 points with three made threes, while Alexa Caunedo scored 8 points and consistently pressured the defense. Sadie Murphy contributed 6 points and brought steady energy on both ends. Lea Savino and Alivia Badurina each scored 6 points, both knocking down multiple threes. Nina Caunedo and Olivia Richards chipped in 3 points apiece with timely perimeter shots. Joley Giordano coming off the bench, anchored the lineup with strong defensive focus, ball movement, and physical presence throughout her minutes. Giuliana Foschino, Mauimi Quiros, Madison Plescia, Farrah Ibrahim, Katie Degennaro, Sophia Kang, and Alivia Badurina all saw action and helped maintain intensity, spacing, and communication as Old Tappan rotated through the bench. Old Tappan outscored Tenafly in every quarter and showed depth, balance, and discipline on both ends of the floor.