Toms River North’s Season Won’t Be Defined By Blowout Loss In Group Iv Final By Mike Ready

TOMS RIVER – Toms River North’s 70-30 loss to Franklin in the NJSIAA Group IV final is not a fair indicator of just how good this team was, nor should it put a damper on one of the best seasons in the history of the Mariners girls basketball program.  

The Mariners (28-4) just happened to run into a buzz saw. Since losing to Baldwin (NY) – ranked sixth in New York state – Franklin, currently ranked fourth in the most recent NJ.com Top 20, has reeled off 14 wins in a row advancing to the Tournament of Champions where they’ll be attempting to defend their title. 

They also had the impossible task of attempting to limit the damage done by New Jersey’s top 2019 recruit, Diamond Miller, who is the No. 17 overall national prospect and No. 5 guard, per ESPN HoopGurlz rankings.    

Miller, who recently committed to the University of Maryland, averages 23.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 3.9 blocks and 2.4 steals and proved to be unstoppable against the Mariners, scoring a game-high 27 points with eight rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. 

Franklin (23-7) blew the game wide open in the second quarter when they outscored the Toms River North, 25-4, to take a 44-14 lead at the intermission. 

Miller scored 20 of her 27 points in the first half and fueled a 21-0 run that pretty much sealed the fate of the Mariners. 

Toms River North – ranked No. 12 in the state – was still within striking distance after the first quarter down by nine, but Franklin used runs of 21-0 in the second quarter and 15-0  in the third quarter on their way to the 40-point win.  

This is a loss you put in your rear-view mirror and move past it as fast as possible and the Mariners should be able to do that knowing three of their top four scorers are back next season.

Brielle Bisogno (12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.6 assists), leading scorer Jenna Paul (17.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists) and Kristina Johnson (6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals) return next season with a chance to avenge their disheartening loss to Franklin. 

In Toms River North’s 45-33 win over Hunterdon Central in the NJSIAA Group IV semifinal, Paul poured in a career-high 32 points to lead the Mariners into the group final.  

After losing to Cherokee at the buzzer in last year’s South Jersey Group IV final, the Mariners got a taste of revenge when they eliminated Cherokee from the tournament beating them, 41-34, in this year’s SJG IV finals. This broke a string of three straight tournamnet losses to Cherokee, including double-digit quarterfinal setbacks in 2015 and 2016. 

Paul had a game-high 14 points in their win over Cherokee and Bisogno added 10 points helping the Mariners advance to their first Group IV tournament since 2004 when the Mariners lost to Marlboro in the group semifinals after winning the program’s first sectional championship since 2000. 

That 2000 team went on to win the program’s first-ever Group IV title before bowing to Red Bank Catholic in the Tournament of Champions final. 

So, with all things said and done, the Mariners have a lot to be proud of this season and on top of that – a lot to look forward to next season.