Saint John Vianney Girls Basketball: High School Team Of The Year

St John Vianney (photo Eric Braun – Shore Sports Network)

Winning a state championship is the ultimate goal of any high school sports team. For Saint John Vianney Girls Basketball team, a state title was not enough. The Lady Lancers wanted to win the Tournament of Champions, a true barometer of the best of the best in New Jersey basketball. On March 22, the Lancers ousted Shore Conference rival Manasquan 65-58 in overtime to win the Tournament of Champions. With a 31-1 record, SJV finished #9 in the USA Today Top 25 national rankings. Their lone loss came in a Florida tournament against another Top 10 USA Today team in triple overtime without their leader, Kelly Campbell who had an injury. The Shore Conference is truly one of the best girls basketball conferences in the country and head coach Dawn Karpell and her team proved it during a special season.

The Lancers only lost one game all last season, and while it may be hard to replicate that kind of success this season, St. John Vianney is still expected to be the top team in Non-Public A at the end of the season. With their leading scorer and four more seniors back in the mix, the Lancers figure to make another run at postseason glory.