Cougar Surge: Boys and Girls Hoops Roll. Bitterman Leads Swim in Tough Meet

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Montgomery High School’s winter slate delivered a little bit of everything this week: two decisive varsity basketball wins and a girls swim meet that featured multiple top finishes against a strong Rancocas Valley squad.

Girls Basketball: Montgomery 53, North Plainfield 19

Montgomery (10-9) set the tone immediately and never let up in a convincing 53-19 victory over North Plainfield (4-15), jumping out to a 19-3 first-quarter lead and controlling the game the rest of the way.

The Cougars won every quarter and used balanced scoring to keep the pressure on: Anya Saini and Abby Schwartz led the way with 15 points apiece. Saini did her damage from the perimeter (three 3-pointers) and added four rebounds, while Schwartz powered the interior and finished with a double-double—15 points and 13 rebounds—along with four assists and a block.

Alia Johnson filled the box score with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, a block and four steals, and Montgomery’s defense turned offense throughout, as the Cougars piled up 11 steals. Sophia Lehmann knocked down two threes for six points, while Virginia Herring added four points and four assists.

Montgomery’s start was the separator, but its depth and defensive activity kept the margin growing.

Boys Basketball: Montgomery 53, Hillsborough 38

Montgomery (19-3) used a strong second half—especially a closing burst—to pull away from Hillsborough (15-6) for a 53-38 win.

After trailing 12-9 at the end of the first quarter, the Cougars settled in and took a 21-19 halftime lead. The third quarter stayed competitive (14-12 Montgomery), but the game swung decisively in the fourth when Montgomery outscored Hillsborough 18-7 to turn a tight contest into a comfortable finish.

Ethan Lin led the Cougars with 21 points, while Mike Simborski added 14 with a mix of inside scoring and perimeter looks. James Kamara chipped in 7, and Connor Benedict hit two 3-pointers on the way to 6. Montgomery also got a 3-pointer from Xavier Harrigan.

Hillsborough was paced by Jack Toth (11) and Layne Pawlowski (11), but Montgomery’s defensive effort late limited clean looks down the stretch as the Cougars closed the door.

Girls Swimming: Montgomery 70, Rancocas Valley 100

Montgomery’s girls swim team took second in a competitive meet with Rancocas Valley, falling 100-70, but the Cougars delivered several standout performances across the event slate.

Junior Zoe Bitterman anchored Montgomery’s top finishes, winning the 200 freestyle (2:09.46) and the 100 butterfly (1:02.27), helping the Cougars score critical points in the middle events. Bitterman also swam on Montgomery’s second-place 400 freestyle relay team that finished in 4:02.22, alongside Juliet Boulos, Eden Ristuccia, and Nina Tadych.

Boulos added strong sprint results, taking second in the 50 freestyle (25.76) and winning the 100 freestyle (57.16). Ristuccia placed second in the 500 freestyle (5:45.46) and second in the 100 backstroke (1:06.79), while Tadych delivered a third-place finish in the 200 IM (2:30.33) and took second in the 100 breaststroke (1:14.28).

Montgomery also placed second in the 200 medley relay (Ristuccia, Tadych, Bitterman, Boulos) with a time of 2:01.40, giving the Cougars another high-point relay finish.

While Rancocas Valley’s depth ultimately decided the team score, Montgomery’s combination of event wins, relay points, and top-two finishes showed the Cougars remain competitive as the season continues.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com