The Montclair girls basketball team opened its 2023-24 season at home last Thursday with a thrilling 43-39 win over Newark East Side (NES). The momentum shifted multiple times throughout the game, leading the game to come down to the wire.
Montclair dominated in the first quarter, taking an early lead. NES fought back in the second, controlling the ball and battling back against the Mounties. By the end of the second quarter, the Red Raiders had reduced Montclair’s lead to seven.
NES continued its steady comeback in the third with senior Kahmiyah Napier (17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) controlling the ball and driving the Red Raiders offense. On the other side of the court, Montclair’s junior Savannah Seawell (22 points, eight rebounds) led all scorers, controlled the boards, and was physical in the paint.
NES mounted a late comeback in the fourth quarter, and it was a back-and-forth game for the last 5 minutes. With three minutes left, Montclair led 39-35 but NES scored right after, making it a two-point game. With just a few seconds left, Seawell topped off her night with a contested layup to secure the win.
Throughout the game, Montclair used its speed to get out on numerous fast breaks, and its size to dominate the boards as they out-rebounded NES 36-19. Taylor Yi led the Mounties with 10 rebounds, and she also notched eight points. Jazlyn Fabre-Hidalgo led the scoring for NES with 11 points.