Girls Rec Basketball Tournament: Fort Lee’s Own ‘March Madness’

The Fort Lee Girls Recreation Basketball League continues its own version of “March Madness” Friday and Saturday (March 16 and 17) at the gym, with a slate of games scheduled in the end-of-the-season tournament.

The annual tournament kicked off Wednesday at the middle school, where both of the league’s travel teams won their semifinal matchups in the Tenafly Travel League to advance to championship games this weekend in Mahwah.

Fort Lee’s sixth grade travel team defeated Tenafly, 27-24, and will go head-to-head against number one seed Washington Township for the Navy Division championship on Saturday morning. The seventh grade travel team then dispatched Oradell, 45-43, in an overtime thriller to advance to a championship meeting with top-seeded Tenafly on Sunday.

Both of those games will be played at Down Town Sports at 7 Leighton Place in Mahwah. The sixth-grade championship game is Saturday, March 17, at 9:30 a.m., and the seventh-grade final is Sunday at 12 p.m.

Meanwhile, back at the middle school in Fort Lee, the excitement of the in-town tournament starts at 7 p.m. Friday.

“Once the playoffs start, the gym is packed with families and friends showing support for their favorite teams,” said league president Michael Klein. “The girls really put on their game faces and bring the competition to the next level. The energy is high, and the middle school gym is definitely an exciting place to be for the next 10 days.”

Klein encouraged everyone in the community to come out, take in a game or two, support the league and enjoy the competition.

“The playoffs are a single elimination tournament, which makes for tense moments down the stretch in a close game,” Klein said. "[It's] win and advance, or one and done.”

Teams making it as far as the semifinal round but losing are also rewarded with a consolation game before the championship game is played, Klein said.

The league president gave special congratulations to each division’s regular season champions: Undefeated Norm’s Ice Cream (third and fourth grade), Pomodoro Pizza (fifth and sixth grade) and Silly Rabbits (seventh and eight grade).

Regular Season Records, Tournament Seeds & Playoff Schedules

3rd / 4th Grade Division:

• #1 Seed – Norm’s Ice Cream (10-0) – Regular Season Champs
• #2 Seed - Fairway Market (8-2)
• #3 Seed - Starr, Darcy & Starr (3-7)
• #4 Seed - Brescia Medical (3-7) 
• #5 Seed - Craig Weinstein Esq. (3-7)
• #6 Seed - Aversa Dental (3-7)

QUARTERFINALS, Friday, March 16, at the middle school
7 p.m. - #3 Starr Darcy & Star vs. #6 Aversa Dental
7:30 p.m. - #4 Brescia Medical vs. #5 Craig Weinstein Esq.
#1 and #2 seeds get first round byes

SEMIFINALS, Monday, March 19 (Matchups TBD)

5th / 6th Grade Division

• #1 Seed - Pomodoro Pizza (9-1) - Regular Season Champs
• #2 Seed - Step Mar (9-1)
• #3 Seed - Seed Tutor Doctor (5-5)
• #4 Seed - Frank Patti (5-5)
• #5 Seed - Mariners Bank (5-5)
• #6 Seed - Mangia Trattoria (3-7)
• #7 Seed - MichaelTrasso.com (2-8)
• #8 Seed - Twin Towers Exxon (2-8)

QUARTERFINALS, Friday, March 16, at the middle school
8:10 p.m. - #1 Pomodoro Pizza vs. #8 Twin Towers Exxon
8:50 p.m. - #2 Step Mar vs. #7 MichaelTrasso.com

QUARTERFINALS, Monday, March 19, at the middle school
8:10 p.m. - #3 Tutor Doctor vs. #6 Mangia Trattoria
8:50 p.m. - #4 Frank Patti vs. #5 Mariners Bank

SEMIFINALS, Tuesday, March 20 (Matchups TBD)

7th / 8th Grade Division

• #1 Seed - Silly Rabbits (9-1) Regular Season Champs
• #2 Seed - Allied Metal.com (9-1)
• #3 Seed - Porter & Yee Ins (7-3)
• #4 Seed - Aversa Dental (5-5)
• #5 Seed - Luppino Homes (5-5)
• #6 Seed - Pizza King (3-7)
• #7 Seed - R Luppino Dev (2-8)
• #8 Seed - Sokolich & Macri (0-10)

QUARTERFINALS, Saturday, March 17, at the middle school
Noon - #1 Silly Rabbits vs. #8 Sokolich & Macri
1 p.m. - #2 Allied Metal vs. #7 R Luppino Dev
2 p.m. - #3 Porter & Yee vs. #6 Pizza King
3 p.m. - #4 Aversa Dental vs. #5 Luppino Homes

The four winners advance to the SEMIFINALS on Wednesday, March 21

For more information and updates, visit the Fort Lee Girls Recreation Basketball League’s website.