Girls' Basketball Team From Maplewood Helps Raise Money For Local Scholarships

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The girls' basketball team at Columbia High School in Maplewood was among several teams from the area that recently participated in Hoopfest, which raises money for the Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children.

The annual fundraiser that showcases some of New Jersey’s top athletes. This year’s event collected approximately $100,000 to support partial tuition assistance scholarships for

underprivileged students attending Archdiocese of Newark schools.

The 18th Annual High School Hoopfest was held in the Roselle Catholic High School gym on Jan. 8.

Roughly 300 spectators witnessed three exciting games featuring some of New Jersey’s most talented basketball players.

In the first game, sponsored by Investors Bank, the Columbia girls' team defeated Roselle Catholic 56-50 behind an explosive fourth quarter from Jaime Levi and Shana Desir, which included four threes. The Cougars also used a 15-0 run over the span of over four minutes between the first two quarters to create separation and never looked back.

Columbia sophomore Talia Baptiste finished the game with 16 points. After facing early foul trouble, the Lions fell short in their home gym despite 22 points from senior Amaris Jenkins.

In addition to the basketball games, SFIC recognized the academic achievements of a few student athletes. The players with the highest grades on all six teams — including the team from the non-archdiocesan Columbia High School — were awarded with a special plaque in acknowledgement of their classroom accomplishments.

“Everyone had a great time,” said Teresa Gilhooly, SFIC’s special events manager. “The kids had a lot of fun. It was a great way of celebrating the student athletes and showcasing the schools within the Archdiocese. And the money raised is going to make a difference in many children’s lives.”

SFIC was founded in 1983. To learn more about SFIC and its scholarships, visit https://www.sficnj.org/.

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