Lenape girls’ basketball wraps up historic season
Lenape High School girls’ basketball head coach Rob Hummel knew he had a talented team entering the 2015–16 season. However, when he was reviewing his team’s schedule in the preseason, he didn’t envision the Indians being as good as they were.
“I didn’t see two losses for the season,” Hummel said. “I saw more.”
Once the season started, there was little doubt the 2015–16 edition of Lenape girls’ basketball would make its mark on history.
The Indians put together the greatest girls’ basketball season in the school’s history. Lenape won its first sectional title since 1983, its first ever state championship and set a new record for most wins in a single season by a Burlington County girls’ basketball team after finishing the year 31–3.
Lenape’s list of achievements is a long one. The Indians dominated the opposition from the get-go. They won the first 12 games they played, including winning 11 of those by at least 10 points.
Hummel said he realized how good his team was after the Indians handily defeated St. Rose High School, 61–47, in the Rose Classic Tournament in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Jan. 3. At the time, St. Rose was considered one of the five best teams in New Jersey.
“Our schedule was tough from the get-go,” Hummel said. “We had some teams ranked ahead of us like Sterling and we ended up winning those games.”
Lenape’s lone regular season defeats came against St. John Vianney, the eventual New Jersey Tournament of Champions winner, and district rival Cherokee.
After the 52–40 loss to the Chiefs on Feb. 4, Lenape went on another tear, winning its next 17 games. The win streak would take it all the way through the sectional and state tournaments, with win №17 coming in the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals.
Hummel spoke highly of seniors Maddie Sims and Amanda McGrogan. Sims was Lenape’s leading scorer during the season, while McGrogan conducted the Indians’ offense at point guard.
“I thought they stepped into their roles as senior leaders very well,” Hummel said.
“Amanda was really strong this year,” Hummel added about McGrogan. “I told her that and she really bought in and believed in that.”
There was a different feel with this year’s Indians compared to the last two seasons. In both 2014 and 2015, Lenape advanced to the South Jersey Group IV finals, but lost both times to Shawnee.
“This year, there was a lot of confidence,” Hummel said. “The fact that the seniors were so experienced helped us a lot.”
Lenape defeated Cherokee for the South Jersey Group IV championship on March 8, winning 37–29. The Indians then defeated Monroe, 47–31, and Paterson Kennedy, 50–35, to win the Group IV state championship.
Seeded №4 in the Tournament of Champions, Lenape won its record-setting 31st game over Group III champion Old Tappan, 50–39, in the quarterfinals.
“I didn’t even know about it,” Hummel said about the county wins record.
Lenape’s season ended with a second loss to St. John Vianney in the TOC semifinals on March 18. Hummel said the team was disappointed after the final buzzer sounded, but the loss doesn’t diminish all of the things the team accomplished this season. In five years as a head coach for the girls’ team and 10 years as an assistant coach for the Lenape boys’ basketball team, Hummel said the season the girls’ basketball team had ranks “right at the top right now.”
“It was a neat thing,” Hummel said of reaching the Tournament of Champions. “I don’t love the fact that five state champions have to end their season with a loss, but the Tournament of Champions was a neat thing to be a part of.”
