A Look at the SJV Girls’ Basketball
Team's Undefeated Season
There was no Tournament of Champions coronation for the Saint John Vianney girls’ basketball
team in 2021. However, that didn’t stop this year’s Lancers from taking their place among the
program’s greatest teams. The Lancers forged through the challenging ’21 campaign undefeated,
leaving no doubt who was the best team in the state.
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16 APRIL 2021 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY TIM MORRIS
“Rarely does this 14-0 season happen,” said Lancer Head Coach Dawn
Karpell. “They did the best they could this year.”
Karpell knows a little something about SJV’s best-ever, having
either played on or coached some of SJV’s great teams, and she has no
doubt that this year’s squad is among the top. Everyone was back from
the 2020 season when they went 28-1 and were NJSIAA sectional champions.
These Lancers, she said, had something going for them beyond the
obvious talent and experience.
“They love playing with each other. That’s what separates the good
teams from the great teams,” Karpell explained. “They had a strong bond.”
SJV earned the No. 1 state ranking this winter by taking on the state’s
best, including No. 2 Trenton Catholic, No. 3 Saddle River and No. 5 Red
Bank Catholic, twice.
Saint John Vianney’s last game was its 61-34 victory over Red
served as this year’s Shore Conference championship.
Relentless pressure defense has always been the Lancer trademark,
and this year’s edition was extra special, according to Karpell.
“The unique part of this group is that each player could win their
match-up defensively each game,” she said.
Senior guard Emma Bruen was the team’s defensive stopper. She
and junior Ashley O’Connor had the versatility to guard multiple posi-
Defense was the difference in the Lancers’ big wins over Trenton
Central, 62-55, and Saddle River, 63-53. In both games, SJV’s constant
pressure wore their opponents down in the fourth quarter, and the
Lancers won going away.
The victory over Trenton Catholic was the Game of the Year in New
Jersey. The two teams were expected to play for the championship
crown last year before the season was canceled due to the pandemic.
Both teams looked forward to their meeting this year with a chance to
This year’s Saint John Vianney team certainly had talent led by
one of the best all-around players in the state in junior guard Madison
luxury for any team to have. St. Rose, who has made a verbal commitment
to Princeton University, can score in any number of ways: in the
point arc. She averaged 20 points a game while surpassing 1,000 for
her career. She was at her best when it matter most, scoring 28 against
Trenton and 22 against Saddle River. Besides being the team’s top scorer,
she led the team in steals.
Senior Katie Hill averaged more than 12 points a game, but her
real contribution was her competitiveness. She is headed to the University
of Richmond.
Forward Megan Cahalan, a junior who has made a verbal commitment
to the College of Holy Cross, gave the Lancers an offensive and
defensive presence in the paint.
O’Connor and Bruen could chip in offensively and fueled the defense.
Sophomores Janie Buchman, Ciera Cevallos, Mikaela Hubbard
the season and showed a glimpse of the Lancers’ future.
“We have a strong sophomore class,” noted Karpell.
With those sophomores and some talented freshmen joining St.
Rose, O’Connor and Cahalan next year, greatness could be calling.
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