WILDWOOD CREST – The 24th annual Scoop Taylor Tip-Off Classic grammar school basketball tournament concluded Sunday at the Crest Pier Recreation Center.
The 10-day tournament finished with four teams winning championships – North Wildwood Sharks claimed the junior varsity girls title, Middle Township Recreation was victorious in the junior varsity boys division, Margaret Mace locked up its third straight varsity girls championship and Wildwood Junior High School grabbed glory in the varsity boys division.
The following are the results from the tournament’s four championship games:
Junior Varsity Girls – North Wildwood Sharks 28, Upper Township 18: Macie McCracken scored 10 of her game-high 12 points in the first half and Ava Vogdes chipped in eight points for the winners. Ashley Rhodes scored seven points and Hannah Cappelletti and McKenna Chisholm added four appoints apiece for Upper.
Junior Varsity Boys – Middle Township Recreation 34, Wildwood Islanders 28: Michael Zarfati dropped 14 points and Jermaine McNeal registered nine points for Middle, which led by 13 points at the half before holding off an Islanders rally in the second half. Luke Basile netted 13 points and Ryan Troiano added four points in the loss.
Varsity Girls – Margaret Mace 24, Bishop McHugh 20: Macie McCracken canned nine points and Imene Fathi contributed eight points as Margaret Mace won the varsity girls division for the third straight year. Xiomara Walker scored six points and Sam Marks, Adrianna Gray-Rivera and Rosaria Walker each added four points for McHugh.
Varsity Boys – Wildwood Junior High 47, Wildwood Islanders 43 (OT): Ernie Troiano IV and Dominick Troiano each collected 15 points and Jayden Young scored all eight of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lead Wildwood Junior High. Young’s basket in the lane with less than 10 seconds to go in regulation forced overtime. Michael McGee (17) and Kevin Castro (13) each scored in double figures for the Islanders.
— Brian Cunniff