The Westwood Cardinals Varsity Girls Basketball Team (19-8), seeded second, used a second-half surge to defeat seventh-seeded Leonia Lady Lions (16-11) 65-42 in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 2 Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals at Westwood Regional High School.

Westwood featured a balanced and efficient offense with Bria Charles amassing a game-high 16 points, followed by Cameron Roche totaling 14 points, Leah Olives accounting for 11 points, and Hannah Tuttle finishing with 10 points. For Leonia Angelica Do poured in a team high 22 points.

Head Coach Charlie Collis on the victory: “We had some early jitters and Leonia hit tough shots. What stood out today was our solid team effort on both offense and defense. Other players stepped up on offense, and our defensive workhorses gave their all every game.”

“On offense, Bria Charles and Hannah Tuttle made big contributions in the first half and throughout the game. There are going to be nights when Cameron is not at her best, and you want to see other players pick it up and score.”

Leonia jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, but the Cardinals responded in emphatic fashion with an 8-1 run to take the lead 10-7 with less than three minutes remaining. Westwood demonstrates the ability and aggressiveness to drive to the rim consistently for layups and to establish an inside post presence.

Bria Charles, the primary focus on offense for the Cardinals, tallied eight points as Westwood held a 10-9 advantage at the end of the quarter.

After the Lady Lions trimmed the deficit to 13-12 in the second quarter, the Cardinals answered with a 5-0 spurt on back-to-back trifectas from Leah Olives and Sophia Collis. Westwood then padded their lead to 22-12 behind second-chance opportunities in the fast break and transition, which led to putback shots, and proficiency from the perimeter on jump shots.

The Cardinals, scorching from downtown, buried three more triples during a 15-0 run that pushed them to a decisive 31-17 halftime lead. In the second quarter, Westwood answered by canning five three-pointers, keeping the game within reach.

"We always remind the team there’s plenty of game left. But we reviewed ball movement, ball fakes, and crisp passing," Head Coach Charlie Collis explained. "We wanted to keep pushing the ball up court and look for three-point shots, which can be deflating."

In the third quarter, the Cardinals followed their blueprint to perfection, pushing the pace with up-tempo play: standout outlet passes led to fast-break layups that dictated the game's tone. With five minutes left, Westwood seized control with a significant scoring run and led 38-20, marking a decisive turning point in the quarter.

Bria Charles picked up from a sharp first half offensively, netting eight points, and four additional players supplied points that enabled the Cardinals to widen the margin to 54-28 at the end of the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, players off the bench got valuable court time and scored several points. 

“That’s the nice part—it’s not just the kids on the court. The bench kids are excited for every bucket,” Head Coach Charlie Collis noted. “That energy and vibe feed everyone. It gives our players on the court more intensity to keep pushing.”

Westwood remains at home, hosting the third-seeded Jefferson Falcons (18-7) in the Semifinals on Tuesday night, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. Jefferson edged past Lakeland 32-24 in the quarterfinals.

“We’ve had that imbalance because we are so young, but it’s great to see the maturity from our freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors,” Head Coach Carlie Collis stated. “They’ve been steady and consistent all year. Seeing the younger kids play big games as if it’s another day, showing no signs of nerves and acting like they’ve been there before, is great.”