HIGHTSTOWN — While Hightstown High sophomore Hayley DeKok could be frustrated with her team’s struggles this season, that does not seem to be in her nature as a person or a basketball player.
Instead, the 5-foot-10 guard has plowed ahead – even as opposing defenses have caught on to her offensive threat – and has kept trying to get her shot to fall, which it often does in a big way.
That was the case Thursday when the Rams hosted Montgomery in a state tournament tuneup, and DeKok poured in 22 points as her team fell to the Cougars, 39-30.
Hightstown dropped to 10-16 on the season, while Montgomery improved to 13-12.
There were times when the game seemed very winnable, like when DeKok hit a pair of free throws with 4:47 left in the fourth quarter to trim the Cougars’ lead to 31-28. Then there were stretches, like the 30 seconds that followed, where the Rams gave up consecutive baskets to see that lead grow to eight points on a drive by the Cougars’ Alia Johnson (11 points) and a 3-point field goal off a turnover by Aliza Schulberg (10 points).
“We lost a lot of girls from last year, so we knew we’d have to rebuild this year,” DeKok said. “Sometimes my teammates do rely on me for things. I’m used to it at this point. It happens a lot. As soon as my shot begins to fall, I start to click.”
Anyone who has tried to cover DeKok knows that can come at any time from any distance as her nine 3-pointers at Hamilton West Feb. 4 and seven at home last game against South Brunswick attest. It is also part of the reason that DeKok, who now has 884 career points in just two years of high school, will most likely get her 1,000th point early next season. But right now, she is just looking toward Hightstown’s next game – a 7 p.m. state tournament game at East Brunswick next Tuesday.
“My hope for the next game is that we pass well and play well as a team,” DeKok said.
After seeing her teams reach at least the sectional semifinals each of the last four seasons, 2025-26 has also been tough on head coach Jenna Marcus, who reached 100 wins this year.
“We’ve had bad turnovers,” Marcus said. “We work on moving without the ball in practice. Then we see the other team get a big rebound or a big steal. We’re working on building confidence because we’re capable.”
A year from now, things may look different, especially with Hayley DeKok’s younger sister, Jordyn, and a highly regarded group of eighth graders (coached by Jenna Marcus’ younger sister, Jessica) rising to the high school level.
For now, the Rams will keep working with what they’ve got to keep hope alive.
MONTGOMERY (39)
Schulberg 4-0-10, AJohnson 5-0-11, Lehmann 0-0-0, Herring 0-0-0, Schwartz 5-1-11, Saini 1-2-4, Riddell 1-1-3.
Totals — 16-4-39.
HIGHTSTOWN (30)
Mascoll 2-0-4, Gulli 1-0-2, Khosa 0-0-0, DeKok 6-7-22, Sweeney 1-0-2, Towle 0-0-0.
Totals — 10-7-30.
Montgomery (13-12) 6 7 13 13 — 39
Hightstown (10-16) 5 3 11 11 — 30
3-point goals — Schulberg 2, AJohnson (M), DeKok 3 (H).
ROBBINSVILLE 46, OCEAN TWP. 29
ROBBINSVILLE — Mahek Singh’s 13 points and Emma Napierkowski’s 11 points carried the Ravens past the Spartans.
OCEAN TWP. (29)
Chebookjian 6-1-13, Willis 0-0-0, Decker 1-2-4, Salvatore 1-0-2, Youssef 0-0-0, EBurke 3-3-10, Duraj 0-0-0, Ocean 0-0-0.
Totals — 11-6-29.
ROBBINSVILLE (46)
Singh 5-3-13, Leeds 0-0-0, Pierini 1-0-3, JBoss 0-0-0, Godwin 1-0-2, Griffin 3-0-9, Bunnell 1-0-2, Napierkowski 4-0-11, Schwarz 0-0-0, ABoss 3-0-6, Rohin 0-0-0.
Totals — 18-3-46.
Ocean Twp. (8-17) 2 9 6 12 — 29
Robbinsville (11-13) 7 13 20 6 — 46
3-point goals — EBurke (OT), Pierini, Griffin 3, Napierkowski 3 (R).
PDS 54, PEDDIE 18
HIGHTSTOWN — Strong first and third quarters lifted the Panthers over the Falcons at the Erik B. Hanson Field House in the Ian H. Graham Athletic Center.
Samantha Forte’s five points were the most for Peddie.
PDS (54)
N/A
PEDDIE (18)
Gudapati 2-0-4, Forte 2-1-5, LIngram 2-0-4, Borde 0-0-0, Le 0-0-0, Yuan 1-0-2, Harrison 1-0-3.
Totals — 8-1-18.
PDS (16-8) 17 11 17 9 — 54
Peddie (1-18) 4 7 2 5 — 18
3-point goal — Harrison (Pe).
LAWRENCE 47, DELAWARE VALLEY 46
LAWRENCE TWP. — Amber Wooding had 15 points, Claire Gorczynski had 12 points and K.J. Williams had 10 points to help the Cardinals hold on to defeat the Terriers.
DELAWARE VALLEY (46)
KBurke 1-0-2, Moschberger 2-1-5, Dierker 2-0-5, Walker 3-0-6, Hintenach 7-0-18, Simpson 4-2-10.
Totals — 19-3-46.
LAWRENCE (47)
Wooding 6-3-15, Orashen 0-0-0, Carter 2-0-4, Cohen 0-0-0, KWilliams 4-2-10, Boucicaut 0-2-2, Straczynski 1-2-4, Gorczynski 4-2-12.
Totals — 17-11-47.
DelawareVal(12-14) 9 15 7 15 — 46
Lawrence (15-11) 12 8 17 10 — 47
3-point goals — Dierker, Hintenach 4 (DV), Gorczynski 2 (L).
GLOUCESTER TECH 43, TRENTON 29
GLOUCESTER — The Tornadoes’ Saniya Presha scored 10 points as Trenton fell on the road to the Cheetahs, who received 26 points from Averie Clement.
TRENTON (29)
Pacheco 3-1-7, Phelps 0-0-0, Brown-Johnson 3-1-9, AJackson 0-0-0, ASingletary 0-0-0, Presha 3-3-10, Herbert Wheeler 0-0-0, Pomales 1-0-3, Weldon 0-0-0.
Totals — 10-5-29.
GLOUCESTER TECH (43)
Clement 6-11-26, Duer 1-1-4, Giannone 2-1-5, Pagan 0-3-3, McShane 0-1-1, Hernandez 0-1-1, Tinges 1-0-3.
Totals — 10-18-43.
Trenton (10-15) 7 6 6 10 — 29
GloucesterTech(6-19) 7 5 16 15 — 43
3-point goals — Brown-Johnson 2, Presha, Pomales (T), Clement 3, Duer, Tinges (GT).
LAWRENCEVILLE 50, PAYNE SR. TECH 33
LAWRENCEVILLE — The Big Red captured their 12th win by topping the Lions at the Tsai Field House.
Payne Tech (4-19) 8 8 8 9 — 33
Lawrenceville(12-16) 1 6 12 14 8 — 50
