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Traditional acupuncture is based on the belief that the body is controlled by a flow of energy, referred to as qi, and pronounced "chee." According to ancient texts, qi travels through pathways in your body called meridians. Acupuncturists believe that interruptions with energy flow in these meridians are responsible for modern ailments.
Acupuncture improves your body's functions and helps boost its self-healing processes through anatomic site stimulation - usually called acupuncture points. To stimulate acupuncture points, professionals typically insert fine, sterile needles you're your skin. Most patients feel little-to-no discomfort as the needles are applied. Typically, needles are left in the skin anywhere from five to 30 minutes. After their session, patients often report an incredible feeling of relaxation.
While some practitioners still adhere to traditional acupuncture philosophies, modern acupuncturists take an integrative approach. Today, professional acupuncturists use the therapy to stimulate the body's natural healing and pain-fighting processes. When coupled with personalized chiropractic care and physical therapy, patients can find real relief from painful physical conditions.
At Denville Medical, your licensed physical therapist's goal is to maximize your body's structure and increase its overall function for long-term health. To accomplish this, our physical therapists combine traditional and innovative techniques focused on increasing muscle strength and improving the body's range of motion. Our goal is to discover the root cause of your pain or mobility problems. That way, we can address the true reason why you need physical therapy, and work towards achieving long-lasting relief.
Of course, we understand that every patient is different. Your doctor can provide expert care in an encouraging environment by creating a customized treatment plan for you using modern, evidence-based research.
Professional acupuncture treatments can be incredibly helpful for patients suffering from a wide range of disorders. When paired with personalized chiropractic care and other medical treatments, acupuncture is even more effective.
With a systematic treatment plan, patients can find help for painful symptoms like:
Professionals practicing acupuncture in Jefferson Township, NJ, use several techniques to achieve overall patient wellbeing, from Cupping and Gua Sha to Needling and Facials.
Made popular by Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, most acupuncturists describe cupping as giving an inverse massage. Rather than using pressure to release tight muscles, acupuncture cups create a suction effect. The suction pulls on muscles and fascia to relieve tension and improve blood flow. Like a massage, cupping is very relaxing for patients. Most people describe it as enjoyable, although the suction cup markings may look painful to friends and family.
Acupuncture cups are made using various materials, including glass and plastic. Cupping applications also vary - some clinics go the traditional route with cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, and fire. Other applications include manual placement with silicone suction points. Usually, patients receive one of two cupping styles. The first uses stationary cups, which remain for about 10 minutes. The second uses moving cups, supplemented with massage oil to let the cups glide over painful areas.
Also called "dry needling," chiropractors and acupuncturists often use this technique to reduce trigger points within soft tissues and muscles. In this application, acupuncturists use a sterile needle and insert it into the trigger point, which fosters a feeling of "release" that helps reduce muscle tension and pain while boosting mobility.
Trigger points are hypersensitive, irritable skeletal muscle areas formed in rigid bands of muscle fiber. Trigger points lead to neuromuscular dysfunction and manifest in painful symptoms, increased stress, and lower overall functionality. During an acupuncture session, these needles are applied to trigger points, which cause a twitch, essentially releasing and restoring proper muscle function.
Gua Sha is the practice of using tools to scrape the skin and apply pressure to painful areas of the face and body. A Gua Sha is a flat, hard tool, usually made of stone. Recently, Gua Sha has taken the skincare world by storm, but the technique has been providing relief for centuries. It is one of the oldest forms of Chinese medicine used to boost blood circulation and energy flow.
In traditional Chinese, Gua means to press or stroke, while Sha refers to redness. Gua Sha usually causes small red spots or bruises to form, which are also called microtrauma spots. When using Gua Sha on microtrauma areas, your body elicits a response that can help break up tough scar tissue. When paired with professional chiropractic care, Gua Sha can be quite effective, even for moderate injuries.
At Denville Medical, we aim to serve you with long-lasting quality of life through personalized acupuncture treatments in New Jersey. The path to a pain-free life begins with a friendly, informative appointment, where one of our doctors develops a customized treatment plan tailored to your body's needs. It starts with your first evaluation, where our experts learn about your medical history, diagnostic tests, current condition, and overall health goals. From there, we'll create your plan and help you hit your milestones until your quality of life is improved.
With treatments like needling, cupping, Gua Sha, and acupuncture in Jefferson Township, NJ, included in your scope of treatment, musculoskeletal relief is right around the corner.
If you're sick and tired of living with painful limitations, our doctors are here to help you live a normal life free of debilitating body issues. No surgery. No addictive medicine. Only comprehensive acupuncture treatments, crafted with health and happiness in mind.
973-627-7888
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Members of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office wanted to grab kids’ attention in an anti-bullying and cybercrime presentation Tuesday at Jefferson Township High School.It’s an age of oversaturation online, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said, and his office has been using face-to-face assemblies to connect with middle and high school students in an effort to “stress how important it is to exercise good judgement online and in school.”Across the U.S., 2...
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Members of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office wanted to grab kids’ attention in an anti-bullying and cybercrime presentation Tuesday at Jefferson Township High School.
It’s an age of oversaturation online, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said, and his office has been using face-to-face assemblies to connect with middle and high school students in an effort to “stress how important it is to exercise good judgement online and in school.”
Across the U.S., 22% of students ages 12 to 18 reported being bullied at school in 2019, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Now is a time unlike others, the presentation stressed. The stakes are higher, and there’s little room for errors in judgment for today’s students.
NJ:Anti-bullying advocate will shift tactics after another New Jersey girl’s bullying-triggered death
Jefferson Township High School is well below that mark, said Assistant Principal Michael Lonie, who is the school’s disciplinarian. Its 880 students typically see "a couple dozen" bullying instances in any given year, and that number hasn't varied much in spite of the challenges the pandemic brought.
“You have to recognize your life is being filmed,” Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri said. “You don’t have the luxury of making mistakes.”
Many in DeNegri’s generation would not have the jobs they have today if social media and cellphones existed when they were young. They were more likely to get away with making mistakes.
The time when kids could get away with doing foolish things that didn’t come back to harm them is over, she said: “Every school fight, there is a video. Someone is filming it."
The point wasn’t lost on senior Gabriella Meltzer, 17.
“The speakers definitely caught my attention," Meltzer said. “You have to be mindful of what you do, because it can ruin your reputation for the rest of your life."
Take the case of a high school girl who took a picture of herself and sent it to her boyfriend, DeNegri said. He “airdropped it to the whole school.”
New Jersey:Senators push bills to address bullying and a crisis of teen depression
“You think 'it’s my body and I can do what I want.' Wrong: You’re a child. You cannot legally take pictures of yourself,” DeNegri said. “I don’t mean a selfie. I mean intimate body parts. If you take a picture of yourself, your intimate body parts, you are creating child pornography, and the second you show or share you are distributing child pornography."
Don’t learn these lessons the hard way, DeNegri said, noting that the girl tried to kill herself. “If you take a picture it is going to be shared. Don’t find out the hard way. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, but it never stays with the intended recipient, never."
Presentations like these are effective, she said. Cases like this have decreased since the Prosecutor's Office put together the program. Students are getting the message.
Mistakes made online may come at a cost later. That was the point Sgt. Patrick LaGuerre of the Prosecutor's Office wanted to hammer home.
“Everybody, repeat after me: delete, delete, delete,” he said, and his audience repeated the mantra. Then he threw them yet another curveball.
“If we are doing an investigation, everything you have deleted on your social media or your cellphone will be retrieved,” he said. “We can retrieve everything: pictures, tweets, everything you’ve done on your computer. You cannot hide behind an IP address. From the IP address we get the location, and then there are video cameras everywhere."
Students are used to sitting in presentations like these, said senior Ashton Karim, 17, but this one did a good job of “illustrating how everything is tracked.”
“I found it surprising that they can get everything that was deleted from your snaps and messages,” he said.
Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: [email protected]
The NJSIAA bowling finals are bigger than before, with 44 teams qualifying from across four sections for both the boys and girls – including three wild cards per section, up from one last year.The state individual tournament will also include 100 individuals on both the boys and girls sides – 25 per section – keeping the same number for boys as last season and increasing the amount of girls qualifiers by 20.Here is a breakdown of the finals and the North Jersey bowlers who earned their way there...
The NJSIAA bowling finals are bigger than before, with 44 teams qualifying from across four sections for both the boys and girls – including three wild cards per section, up from one last year.
The state individual tournament will also include 100 individuals on both the boys and girls sides – 25 per section – keeping the same number for boys as last season and increasing the amount of girls qualifiers by 20.
Here is a breakdown of the finals and the North Jersey bowlers who earned their way there.
Monday, Feb. 20, at Bowlero North Brunswick
Fans flocking to Carolier Lane can only hope that the competition is as close as it was in Group 2 at the Feb. 11 North 1 tournament.
Glen Rock rallied from behind in the final frame to win the sectional title by two pins. No. 4 bowler Tim Ryan struck out for a 233, and anchor Andrew Lee converted a 3-10 baby split and struck on his fill ball, allowing the Panthers to nose past Jefferson Township, 2,844-2,842.
“I knew I needed that,” Lee said. “I had my line, but I was so nervous. So I was taking deep breaths, kind of said a little prayer and just hit my mark perfectly.”
Although Indian Hills finished 10 points behind Jefferson, the Braves earned a wild card to secure their fourth straight trip to the NJSIAA finals and 10th in the last 11 state tournaments contested.
? Bergen Catholic was a regular at the state finals in the 1990s and early 2000s. A year after advancing as a wild card, the Oradell squad got there by winning its first sectional title in 13 years, overtaking Bergen Tech to win Group 4, 2,942-2,915.
Andy Lee (216) and Liam Chin (213) were two of the four Crusaders to mark twice (strike or spare) in the last frame.
? The other North 1 champs continued strong runs: Wallkill Valley (Group 1) garnered its third title since 2019, and Montville (Group 3) won its third in a row following two years in the now-defunct North 1B section.
? Group 3 runner-up River Dell, the Bergen County champ, booked its first trip to the state finals since 1995, while in Group 1, Eastern Christian qualified for the first time ever.
? The only Bergen County team headed to North Brunswick from the North 2 sectional is Wallington, which also completed a three-peat.
Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Bowlero North Brunswick
Schools from the North section of the state have won seven group titles at the NJSIAA finals since 2015 – after not winning any since 1979. Among this year’s contenders are North Jersey’s premier dynasty and a first-time sectional champ.
Holy Angels earned its 15th consecutive bid to the state finals by winning Group 2 at the Feb. 18 North 1 tournament, 2,698-2,396, over Fort Lee. The Angels have 11 section titles during that span, and the winning score was their best since 2017 – when they went on to win the NJSIAA Group 2 crown.
“I feel like our team has developed a great deal over the past few years,” Holy Angels anchor Breanna Hetzer said.
“When I first came in as a freshman, I looked up to Amelia Brunda,” Hetzer added, referring to the 2020 grad who started for the 2017 state titlist. “As we’ve gone on, I’ve tried to incorporate what she did for the program for us.”
A month after winning its first Bergen County crown, Fort Lee will make its inaugural trip to the finals.
? Indian Hills ventured to North Brunswick as a wild card last season and got big final frames from Allison Babino (three strikes) and Natalie Christopher (two strikes, 7) at the North 1 tournament to claim its first Group 1 title, 2,455-2,428, over Mahwah.
“We’ve been down there quite a few times with the girls, but to go down there as the champion is just everything to us,” Braves coach Mike Michels said.
? North 1, Group 4 champ Bergen Tech goes to states for the eighth straight time after securing a three-peat, while Wayne Hills won its second Group 3 sectional trophy since 2020.
Friday, Feb. 24, at Bowlero North Brunswick
The boys and girls sectional champions from North 1 both scored breakthrough victories for their respective Morris County schools.
? Junior Scott Sanczyk fired a 707 series bring home a trophy for the Kinnelon boys program, which is in its second season after having been dormant since the 1970s.
“We have banners in the gym from back then,” said Sanczyk, whose victory came just five days after he rolled a perfect game in league play. “It feels really cool to be a part of the team that brought [bowling] back.”
? Senior Amanda Granata is the first girl from co-ed Morris Tech to claim a sectional crown, and she did so with a remarkably consistent 733 series at the North 1 tournament (243-245-245). The Florham Park resident placed fourth in the NJSIAA stepladder finals last winter.
“There are a lot of good seniors this year, and I know we’re all going for that No. 1 place,” Granata said. “As long as I can stay cool and just do what I do, I’ll be OK.”
? Hackensack and Wallington each had two bowlers advance out of the North 2 sectional: Joey Parrilli (7th, 664) and Matt Lugo (10th, 638) for the Comets and Tyler Kruk (3rd, 703) and Daniel Jeetan (17th, 625) for the Panthers.
? Fort Lee senior Michelle Kim followed up her 2022 North 1 individual title by placing fourth in the same section this season.
BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Elise Harvey, a sophomore from Bridgewater attending both Hillsborough High School and the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School Theatre Arts Program, captured first prize in The Theater Project’s prestigious 21st Annual Young Playwrights Competition.TheTheaterProject.org...
BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Elise Harvey, a sophomore from Bridgewater attending both Hillsborough High School and the Somerset County Vocational and Technical High School Theatre Arts Program, captured first prize in The Theater Project’s prestigious 21st Annual Young Playwrights Competition.
TheTheaterProject.org held the state-wide competition featuring high school students from throughout New Jersey, which is made possible in part by a grant from Investors Bank Foundation, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance States Festival and The New Jersey Arts and Culture Renewal Fund.
Harvey captured first place with her "Alistair’s Garden" — a drama/mystery about concerned parents dealing with the persistence of their daughter’s imaginary friend long after they had expected her to outgrow such things.
"I am excited to win first prize in this competition," said Harvey, who showed an early interest in the theater, performing in local shows from the time she was eight years old. "I began writing my own scripts in eighth grade and have been writing scripts ever since. I am very excited to see my work performed at the awards ceremony."
Since its inception, students from 77 New Jersey high schools have been honored in the popular Young Playwrights Competition.
"The goal of the competition is to encourage the next generation of theater writers by honoring their work and bringing it to life," said The Theater Project’s Board of Directors President Kevin Carver. "We invited 800 public and private high schools in New Jersey to participate and we got terrific, qualified entries."
Delia Mullen a senior at Communications High School, Wall Township, took second prize while Nicole Beltre a junior at Teaneck High school and Henry Frieman a senior at Communications High School, tied for third. The top four playwrights share the prestigious Joseph Curka Award for Young Playwrights.
Honorable mentions in this year’s competition went to MJ King (Morristown High School), Kristen Gallagher (Communications High School), Leila Kramer/Trevor Preece (Cherry Hill High School East), Mia Longenecker (Madison High School), Lucas Luchsinger (Union County Vocational Technical School, Scotch Plains), Charlie Patton (High Technology High School, Lincroft) and Jonathan Tejada (Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy, Elizabeth).
In addition to cash awards, certificates and recognition, the four playwrights will get the opportunity to see their one-act plays recorded and performed virtually by professional actors on March 27 at 7:30 p.m.
The performance will include a live award presentation, the opportunity to meet the 12 honorees and interaction with the winners.
Registration for the free Zoom performance/ceremony is open to the public by clicking here. For further information on The Theater Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit, professional theater producing off-Broadway quality shows for New Jersey audiences, visit TheTheaterProject.org.
The public sectional quarterfinals of the NJSIAA girls basketball tournament take place Wednesday and Thursday, setting up the semifinals for Friday (odd-numbered groups) and Saturday (even-numbered groups).The North Non-Public A/B tournament quarterfinals are slated for Friday.Here are the highlights and takeaways from quarterfinal action, as well as a look ahead to select semifinal match-ups.BRACKETS:...
The public sectional quarterfinals of the NJSIAA girls basketball tournament take place Wednesday and Thursday, setting up the semifinals for Friday (odd-numbered groups) and Saturday (even-numbered groups).
The North Non-Public A/B tournament quarterfinals are slated for Friday.
Here are the highlights and takeaways from quarterfinal action, as well as a look ahead to select semifinal match-ups.
BRACKETS:Live NJSIAA girls basketball results from every section in North Jersey
The Rams had been to the sectional quarterfinals just once in the last six years, and that ended with a 2020 loss to division rival Westwood.
Thanks to Thursday’s 35-31 win over the fifth-seeded Cardinals, No. 4 Ramsey (18-11) is a step away from its first North 1, Group 2 final since 2015. Coach Dan Royce and company will visit defending champ and top seed Jefferson Township (20-7) in the semifinals Saturday.
Sophomore guard Hannah McGurr drove for the go-ahead layup with 4:24 remaining against Westwood (17-11), and senior Julia Taylor iced it by going 3-for-4 at the line in the final 12 seconds. The Cardinals missed the front end of three 1-and-1 foul shots over the last five minutes.
Senior Amanda Rosen again paced the Rams with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Wednesday’s North 2, Group 1 quarterfinal win ensured North Arlington’s best season in 20 years, regardless of what happens next.
When the No. 4 seed Vikings (18-9) visit No. 1 University of Newark (23-6) on Friday, it will mark their first sectional-semifinal appearance since 2003. That year was their last in North 1 before the NJSIAA realigned its sections.
Junior Lia Cruz (15 points) keyed a 48-37 victory over Whippany Park in the quarters. She hit a pair of three-pointers in the final two minutes of the first quarter to give North Arlington a 16-6 lead, and the home team held the Wildcats at arm’s length the rest of the way.
Looking ahead to the next round...
No. 5 Boonton (21-5) at No. 1 Cresskill (23-7), Friday, 5 p.m.: Since a 49-41 loss to Glen Rock on Valentine’s Day, the Cougars have clamped down on defense, allowing just 24.8 points per game to their last four opponents. Junior forward Erin Fahy (4 blocks, 4 steals) once again led the way in Wednesday’s 33-23 quarterfinal win over Mountain Lakes, while Julia Hasenstab, Joslyn Lewin and Sophia Doto combined for 9 steals.
No. 3 Park Ridge (16-13) at No. 2 Passaic Charter (20-5), Friday, 5 p.m.: Another round, another milestone for the Panthers, who reached 20 wins for the first time by warding off Wallkill Valley on Wednesday, 52-40, behind 32 points from senior Na’Tori Postell. This will be the teams’ second meeting all-time: Park Ridge won the first, 66-39 in the 2019 Garfield Holiday Tournament, and the Owls will counter with their own scoring sensation, Allie Shenloogian (20.9 ppg).
No. 4 Teaneck (18-7) at No. 1 Montville (24-4), Friday, 5:30 p.m.: The key matchup here will be in the frontcourt, as the Mustangs’ height will provide a strong challenge for Teaneck. Junior 6-footer Demi Simpson was up to the task in Wednesday’s victory over Ramapo, collecting 14 rebounds to help the Highwaywomen hold a 32-26 edge off the glass. Montville won the teams’ previous playoff meeting, 64-47, in the 2020 quarterfinals.
No. 6 Sparta (21-7) at No. 2 Old Tappan (22-4), Friday, 4:30 p.m.: The Golden Knights hosting Sparta on Jan. 7 provided a sneak preview of what coach Brian Dunn’s team is up against. The Spartans winning that game, 43-31, gives the defending champs confidence that they can go toe-to-toe with one of North Jersey’s most relentless teams. Old Tappan guards Natalie Carril (career-high 12 points) and Melissa Brennan (11) stepped up in a 49-45 quarterfinal win versus River Dell.
No. 7 Pequannock (18-6) at No. 3 Glen Rock (19-7), Saturday: The Bergen County Panthers will have another home playoff game after their Morris counterparts knocked off No. 2 seed Morris Tech on Thursday, 59-39. Pequannock has won 11-of-13 (with both losses in that span to Morris Catholic) with junior Chloe Vasquez as the driving force, averaging 20.7 points. Glen Rock got 11 points from frosh Mia Vergel de Dios in a 38-25 quarterfinal win over High Point.
No. 4 Jonathan Dayton (19-7) at No. 1 Secaucus (26-3), Saturday, noon: The Patriots are up against the same foe they defeated in the 2013 and 2018 semis, with the latter game being the closer of the two (59-55). They had little trouble completing a season sweep of Rutherford on Thursday, racing out to a 20-2 lead and getting a stellar performance from junior Alyssa Craigwell (28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals).
No. 3 Eastside (23-5) at No. 2 Morristown (16-9), Saturday, 4 p.m.: The Ghosts allowed 27 points in each of their first two postseason games, including Thursday’s victory over Fair Lawn. Sophomore guard Nevaeh Banks has scored double digits in each of her past five games, hitting 15 three-pointers during that stretch.
The Colonials beat Eastside’s crosstown rival, Kennedy, in the opening round and ran past North Star Academy in the quarterfinals, 73-32.
The opening rounds of the NJSIAA girls basketball tournament took place Monday and Tuesday, setting up the public sectional quarterfinals for Wednesday (odd-numbered groups) and Thursday (even-numbered groups).The North Non-Public A/B tournaments begin Wednesday, with the quarterfinals on Friday.Here are the highlights and takeaways from first-round action, as well as a look ahead to select quarterfinal match-ups. This file will be updated throughout the opening round.BRACKETS:...
The opening rounds of the NJSIAA girls basketball tournament took place Monday and Tuesday, setting up the public sectional quarterfinals for Wednesday (odd-numbered groups) and Thursday (even-numbered groups).
The North Non-Public A/B tournaments begin Wednesday, with the quarterfinals on Friday.
Here are the highlights and takeaways from first-round action, as well as a look ahead to select quarterfinal match-ups. This file will be updated throughout the opening round.
BRACKETS:Live NJSIAA girls basketball results from every section in North Jersey
The lowest-seeded North Jersey team to win in the opening round was No. 10 Lyndhurst in North 2, Group 2. The Golden Bears faced a rematch with No. 7 Becton, which eked out a 40-39 victory when the teams met last month in the Bergen Invitational Tournament.
Freshman forward Brooke Harper helped reverse the result on Tuesday with 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. A 40-26 win sent Lyndhurst (16-10) to Thursday’s quarterfinals at No. 2 Madison.
The biggest scare for a high seed came in North 1, Group 2. No. 14 Lakeland held a 38-33 edge at No. 3 Glen Rock with 29 seconds to play.
The Panthers (18-7) then ended regulation on a 6-1 run and went on to win in double overtime, 53-48. Coach Steve Grenz’s team will host No. 6 High Point on Thursday.
Senior Harper Goshin started the comeback by going 3-for-3 at the line after being fouled behind the arc. The Lancers got the lead back to three before Emma Mittelman hit a corner 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left in the fourth to pull Glen Rock even.
Goshin made 6-of-10 free throws to finish with 18 points.
The history-making season of Passaic Charter featured another milestone on Monday. The Panthers defeated North Warren in their North 1, Group 1 opener, 56-36, for the first NJSIAA tournament win in the program’s seven-year history.
The senior trio of Na’Tori Postell (20 points), Kamora Holmes (13 rebounds) and Lienesy Hernandez-Garcia (8 assists) combined to score 47.
“The ‘buy-in’, the ability to follow game plans and the personalities have made it a special year,” Panthers coach Mike Mongelli said. “They are a special team, as they don’t seem satisfied even with all they have accomplished.”
As the No. 2 seed, Passaic Charter (19-5) will host No. 7 Wallkill Valley on Wednesday in pursuit of its first 20-win season.
Something about facing Kinnelon brings out the best in Hailey Zirpoli. The Waldwick sophomore canned 5 three-pointers to lead the No. 6 seed Warriors past the No. 11 Colts, 47-40, in North 1, Group 1 on Monday.
Zirpoli’s 19 points in the game were two shy of her career high – which she set in a Jan. 14 nonconference meeting with Kinnelon. In two meetings this year, she made 9 threes.
Waldwick (17-8) will visit NJIC Patriot rival an No. 3 seed Park Ridge (15-13) in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The Owls swept their regular-season series to finish second in the division at 8-2, two games ahead of the third-place Warriors.
For the second year in a row, North Arlington reached the North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals. The No. 4 Vikings will host No. 12 Whippany Park after handling Newark Tech in Monday’s opener, 51-28.
Sophomore Kyra Garcia (13) and juniors Skyla Acosta (11) and Lia Cruz (10) all scored in double figures, while Garcia, Acosta and Sophia Veloso grabbed 10 rebounds apiece.
At 17-9, North Arlington has its highest win total since 2009-10.
Behind Jah’nel Lewis’ seventh 30-point game of the season, Fort Lee equaled its best scoring output this winter in Monday’s 73-60 win over North Hunterdon to begin the North 2, Group 3 tournament.
Lewis, a senior, tallied 34 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals to propel the No. 4 Lady Bridgemen (21-6) to a quarterfinal match-up with No. 5 Colonia.
Also on the horizon...
No. 6 Fair Lawn (13-12) at No. 3 Eastside (22-5), Thursday: Fresh off their second straight Passaic County title, the Ghosts handled Bloomfield in the first round to ensure they’ll face Fair Lawn in the postseason for the second year in a row. Guards Symiaha Brown-Cobb and Nyasia Pauldo led a 47-36 victory against the Cutters in 2022. The Fair Lawn backcourt played well Tuesday, with Faith Erasmo scoring 19 and Melanie Malkasyan 12 to help defeat Hackensack, 59-45.
No. 5 Westwood (17-10) at No. 4 Ramsey (17-11), Thursday: The Rams took both Big North Patriot clashes, though the total margin was 13 points. Recent 1,000-point scorer Amanda Rosen posted double-doubles in points and rebounds both times and led all scorers with 21 in a first-round win over West Milford. Senior Victoria Eichler was solid all-around (12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) in Tuesday’s defeat of Newton.
No. 8 Mahwah (14-13) at No. 1 Jefferson Township (19-7), Thursday: The Thunderbirds head to Morris County to face the reigning sectional champs having endured a gauntlet of a schedule. Tuesday’s 36-20 first-round victory over Vernon was their fourth in five games, and frosh Ava Comer led the way with 11 points.
No. 8 Rutherford (14-9) at No. 1 Secaucus (25-3), Thursday: Although they finished 1-2 in the NJIC National, the regular-season meetings between these two ended with a Secaucus sweep (average score: 55-21). Senior point guard Daniela Peschetti played well for the Patriots in both, averaging 8 points and 7 assists. The Bulldogs can take heart knowing that they won the last tournament meeting, 47-41, in the 2022 NJIC semifinals.
No. 7 River Dell (20-5) at No. 2 Old Tappan (21-4), Wednesday, 4 p.m.: The champions of the Big North Patriot and National divisions, respectively, get a rematch after the Golden Knights won their Joe Poli Holiday Tournament semifinal. Sofia Sanchez scored 17 in the Hawks’ Monday victory over Wayne Hills, while twins Layla and Maya Giordano teamed up for 36 to lead the Golden Knights past Roxbury.
No. 6 Sparta (20-7) at No. 3 Northern Highlands (21-5), Wednesday, 4:15 p.m.: These teams clashed in the same round last winter – Sparta won at home, 61-44, behind guard Ally Sweeney, who leads in scoring this year (22.1 ppg). The Highlanders will counter with the perimeter prowess of seniors Emma Starr (64 threes) and Lauren Flatt (41).
No. 5 Ramapo (18-8) at No. 4 Teaneck (17-7), Wednesday, 5 p.m.: The Highwaywomen prevailed 54-49 when these teams met on Dec. 20. Both have gotten big contributions from freshmen, with Lexi Carnegie leading Teaneck in scoring (14.7 ppg) and steals (98 total) and Camden Epstein tying for the Raiders’ three-point lead with 28.
No. 8 Pascack Valley (19-8) at No. 1 Montville (23-4), Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.: These teams square off for the first time since 2014, when the Panthers scored a 48-36 first-round win. Lindsay Jennings and Celina Bussanich (13.5 ppg each) are helping the Pascack Valley offense get hot at the right time. Senior 1,000-point scorer Grace Kowalski and the Mustangs defeated a Big North National team (Demarest) in their playoff opener.
No. 8 Mountain Lakes (12-11) at No. 1 Cresskill (22-7), Wednesday, 5 p.m.: The Cougars aim to go back to the top in the section they won each year from 2018-20, and their next hurdle is an unfamiliar foe. While junior forward Erin Fahy (15.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg) has been dominant, Maddie Morgan (74 assists) and the guards have helped spread the ball around well.
No. 7 Wood-Ridge (13-12) at No. 2 Glen Ridge (22-4), Wednesday, 7 p.m.: Once, these schools were rivals in the North Jersey Conference – which dissolved shortly before Title IX was enacted, so their girls hoop teams are in for a rare meeting. Eleven different Blue Devils scored in a first-round win over American History (Newark), led by junior Ava Rizos (14 points).
