Girls Basketball: Passaic County Tournament Final preview — Paterson Eastside vs. No. 19 DePaul

HOW THEY GOT HERE Second-seeded Paterson Eastside earned a bye into the quarterfinals where it defeated 10th-seeded Lakeland 60-14. In the semifinals the Ghosts defeated third-seeded Passaic Tech 56-48. Top-seeded DePaul, ranked No. 19 in the NJ.com Top 20, earned a bye into the quarterfinals where it defeated eighth-seeded Wayne Valley 67-35. In the semifinals the Spartans beat fourth-seeded Wayne Hills 70-33. DePaul and Paterson Eastside meet for the first time since last season when DePaul beat the Ghosts in the county tournament semifinals. DePaul also won in 2024, while Paterson Eastside picked up wins in 2023, 2016 and 2014. DePaul won its first county title since 2019 last season, and the Spartans did it was a very talented group of underclassmen that included four freshmen. This season, Giovanna Burress, Breye Le Tennier and Maya Morrison returned for DePaul and with the addition of freshman Angelyn Almonte, have once again been leading the charge. Despite its youth, this squad knows how to play - and win - in big games. If DePaul gets all four of its top players firing on all cylinders, it has a shot at another county title. Paterson Eastside is playing in its fourth final in five years and is looking for its first title since 2023. Alexis Chambers, who played in the final as a freshman, is the only player remaining from player from that team. While sophomore Jade Bethea and juniors Aubrey Newell, Keyrie Rodriguez and Genesis Santana haven’t played in a county final before, coach Brandon Pilgrim will have his team prepared for the spotlight. Both teams will look to shake off the nerves early and get out to a fast start in order to gain momentum, but it’s the team that can withstand the storm and continue to fight until the end that will be crowned champion. In its two losses to Immaculate Heart, DePaul started the first quarter strong but fell off in the second. The same thing happened to Paterson Eastside in its loss to IHA, scoring only six points in the second quarter after scoring 14 in the first. Both sides will need to keep their foot on the gas throughout all four quarters in order to win this game.