Ocean City Girls Basketball Team Wins 3rd Straight SJ Title

OCEAN CITY, NJ — For the Ocean City High School girls basketball team, the fourth time was the charm. The Red Raiders overcame the odds Monday night when it handed Mainland its first loss of the season and won its third straight sectional title.

Third-seeded Ocean City defeated No. 1 Mainland, 36-32, to win the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 title on Monday, according to nj.com. Emma Finnegan lead the way with nine points, seven rebounds and one steal, but points were evenly distributed throughout the lineup.

Danielle Donoghue, Delaney Lappin and Tori Rolls each had seven points in the win. Donoghue had three assists and one block; Lappin had three assists and two steals; and Rolls had two assists and three steals. Kylee Watson lead Mainland with 14 points, two steals and two blocked shots.

It was the fourth time Ocean City played Mainland this season. Each game went into overtime, but Mainland managed to pull out the win each time, including in the Cape-Atlantic League Championship Game, according to nj.com.

Ocean City beat Mainland by virtually the same score it beat second-seeded Winslow by in the semifinals. Ocean City defeated Winslow, 35-32, to advance to the final. Finnegan and Donoghue each had nine points in that win.

The Red Raiders won each of their first two games handily. In the first round, Ocean City defeated No. 14 Toms River South, 55-31, behind an 18-point effort by Donoghue. In the quarterfinals, Ocean City downed No. 11 Gloucester Tech, 57-22. Savannah Holt and Donoghue each had 17 points to lead the way in that win.

To view the full bracket, visit nj.com.

Ocean City (22-8) will face Central Jersey Champion Ewing (25-5) in the State Group 3 semifinals on Wednesday night, March 7, 7 p.m. at Deptford. The winner faces the winner of the game between North 1 Champion Old Tappan (26-4) and North 2 Champion Somerville (22-6) in the state championship game on Sunday, March 11.

Patch file photo