The 2002 Northern Burlington Instructional Basketball League, comprised of 91 teams divided into seven divisions, completed it’s 4th Annual single-elimination tournament this weekend past at the Northern Burlington Regional Middle School and Senior High gymnasiums.

Mansfield Township teams won three of the six division championships, beginning with the 3rd and 4th grade Rookie Boys championship as Boyd’s Pharmacy of Mansfield Red Dogs 48 defeated McGuire Air Force Base 49, 33-18. For the winners, Ryan Richardson scored 16, including two 3-pointers in the first half that gave Mansfield the early lead. Anthony Gaffney contributed 8 points, and James Joseph pitched in with six. TJ Mouse scored twelve for the runners-up.

In 5th and 6th grade Minor Girls play, Mansfield Liberty II Diner 64 defeated Springfield Blue Angels 71, 10-8, in a thrilling, hard fought game. After trailing 4-2 at the half, Mansfield was led by Victoria Casten’s 4 fourth quarter points to seal the victory. Katie Carty also had four points for the winners, while Sarah Lester scored all four of Springfield’s points in the first half.

In the Minor Boys division, the top-seeded Blue Chargers of Mansfield 87 completed an undefeated 15 win season, defeating second-seeded Springfield 95, 31-22. Mansfield employed a diverse offense as seven players contributed points to the championship effort. David Hardy and Russell Stupienski led Mansfield with 9 and 7 points, respectively, while centers Ben Levanduski and Billy Wojciechowski each had 4. Chris Sipos led all scorers with eleven, and Kevin Sobotka added nine for the runners-up.

Mansfield also recorded a second-place finish in 3rd and 4th grade Rookie Girls action, when McGuire Air Force Base 27 defeated Mansfield 23 Huber-Moore Funeral Home by the score of 22-16. Ashley Ballegner was strong inside leading the winners and all scorers with 14 points, while Demi Gibson contributed four. Jessica Kotelnicki led Mansfield’s run at the upset with 8 points, and Nicole Jackson added four from long range.

At the Majors level—in the first year that players from the five sending Northern Burlington communities were pooled and selected to play on different teams—in the Girls division, Northern Burlington 103 defeated NB 102, 32-25 in overtime. Natalie Conger made three of four foul shots in overtime to seal the victory, while Lauren D’Amato, Jill McLaughlin and Brooke Price each recorded baskets in the extra period. Price and D’Amato led all scorers with 14 and 9 points, respectively. The runners-up were led by Kara Kilmer’s 8 points and Angela Muscianese’s 5.

In the Major Boys championship game, Fort Dix 111 was led by Mervin Lowe’s 18 points, and Aaron Williams hit three 3-pointers—including one with 25 seconds remaining in the game—to defeat the Northern 117 Big Dogs, 41-39. Keith Jones scored 15 for the runners-up, while Zach Richardson hit for 7 and centers Andrew Noel and Ryan Wolcott each added six.

The NBIBL is comprised of teams from the Northern Burlington Regional sending communities—Chesterfield, Mansfield, North Hanover, Springfield, and McGuire Air Force Base—as well as Fort Dix. Practices began in early December, and over 800 youths from the member communities participated in over 600 regular season games that began on January 3 and finished it’s seventh regular season schedule on March 2. All teams from the six aforementioned divisions are invited to play in the two-week, single-elimination tournament. The league also features a co-ed Mini-Ball division for 1st and 2nd grade girls and boys.