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Jessica Devine led the Middlesex High School girls basketball team in practically every statistical category -- points, assists, steals, free throws and 3-pointers -- while finishing second on the Blue Jays in rebounding.
Devine also led her squad in -- and perhaps set a program record for -- the greatest number of encouraging text messages sent by a teammate.
The senior finished her high school career with 574 assists, including 135 this season, but Devine notched countless more assists away from the court, delivered by a hand-held device, not a basketball.
“Jess definitely helped my confidence,” said Middlesex freshman Avery Iskra. “She’s always positive and encouraging to the other players on the team. She’s such a good leader, such a good teammate. She really does a lot to build us up. She sends a lot of text messages and I’m always excited to open it because I know she’s going to have something good to say, something intelligent – Jess has such a high basketball IQ – and even offer some constructive criticism that I know is going to help me and the team.”
Girls basketball index: Links to Courier News, Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
More: Middlesex girls basketball star Jessica Devine reaches rare 2,000-point mark
A coach on the floor and often away from the court, it’s not easy to quantify the total impact the fast-dribbling guard, -- master at changing the speed and direction of her dribble -- had on the Middlesex program.
Devine leaves as the Blue Jays’ all-time leading scorer (2,135 points) and the spark plug to Middlesex’s back-to-back GMC Tournament semifinals appearances. She also led her school to the GMC White Division championship.
For her efforts, Devine, who’ll continue her academic and athletic career at East Stroudsburg University, is the Home News Tribune Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
In addition to surpassing the 2,000-point plateau, Devine finished her scholastic career with 574 steals and 532 rebounds. She averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 steals, 4.5 assists and 4 rebounds per game this season.
“It’s tough to put into words what Jessica Devine meant to our team and program,” said second-year Middlesex coach Stew Lester. “While her scoring output and numbers went down a little bit from last season, what many people don’t understand is that it’s because of how unselfish she is as a player. She felt confident making the right decisions and sharing the ball with teammates, who she had the utmost confidence in.
“We’re not a 20-win team without Jess Devine. She demanded – and got – the most out of her teammates. Her work ethic was infectious to the other girls on the team. She demanded their very best without having to say it.”
Her teammates agree.
“In practice, Jess is pushing everyone to do their best,” said Iskra, who averaged six points and three rebounds per game as a ninth grader. “She pushes us in practice to work as hard as we can to get the most out of ourselves as individuals and as a team.”
Lester, the GMC White Division Coach of the Year, as selected by his peers, completed his second season at the helm of the Middlesex girls following four seasons as an assistant coach with Middlesex’s boys program.
“On either the boys side or the girls side, Jess is one of the most high IQ players I’ve coached,” said Lester, a 2015 Middlesex High School graduate. “She’s always willing and wanting to learn more. She is the ultimate competitor and hardest worker in the room – the first player in the gym and the last to leave.”
No matter how hard she worked and how many extra shots she got up in the summer, Devine would be the first to tell anybody listening that the Blue Jays were far from a one-player team.
In addition to Iskra, Middlesex received strong contributions from sophomore Taylor Lawrence, who pulled down a team-leading 231 rebounds, and Mallory Gianchiglia, a junior transfer from Union Catholic, averaged 10 points and 4 rebounds per game. Freshman Kaylee Devine, Jessica’s sister, saw action in 18 varsity games.
“At the end of the day no one person can win a basketball game,” said Devine.
One of Devine’s favorite triumphs this season was a game where she was the third-leading scorer on the team.
Iskra poured in a game-high 20 points, Gianchigla added 19 points and Devine contributed 15 points and Lawrence snatched 11 rebounds in a 64-52 Central Group I quarterfinals victory over Shore, the team that had Middlesex in the previous two state tournaments.
The Blue Jays’ season ended with a 64-58 loss to eventual Group I state champion New Providence.
“Even though it was a quarterfinal game, it felt bigger, almost like the final round,” said Devine, whose twin sisters, Mallory and Natalie (Middlesex Class of ‘18), used to bring her to middle school practices as an introduction to basketball. “I knew it was my last chance to beat Shore and revenge is sweet – and my little sister was on the court for most of the game. Playing with my younger sister, I won’t soon forget that experience.”
And neither will those who saw Jessica Devine play for Middlesex High School this season.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Girls basketball: Middlesex’s Jessica Devine HNT Player of the Year
Continue reading...
Devine also led her squad in -- and perhaps set a program record for -- the greatest number of encouraging text messages sent by a teammate.
The senior finished her high school career with 574 assists, including 135 this season, but Devine notched countless more assists away from the court, delivered by a hand-held device, not a basketball.
“Jess definitely helped my confidence,” said Middlesex freshman Avery Iskra. “She’s always positive and encouraging to the other players on the team. She’s such a good leader, such a good teammate. She really does a lot to build us up. She sends a lot of text messages and I’m always excited to open it because I know she’s going to have something good to say, something intelligent – Jess has such a high basketball IQ – and even offer some constructive criticism that I know is going to help me and the team.”
Girls basketball index: Links to Courier News, Home News Tribune All-Area honors package
More: Middlesex girls basketball star Jessica Devine reaches rare 2,000-point mark
A coach on the floor and often away from the court, it’s not easy to quantify the total impact the fast-dribbling guard, -- master at changing the speed and direction of her dribble -- had on the Middlesex program.
Devine leaves as the Blue Jays’ all-time leading scorer (2,135 points) and the spark plug to Middlesex’s back-to-back GMC Tournament semifinals appearances. She also led her school to the GMC White Division championship.
For her efforts, Devine, who’ll continue her academic and athletic career at East Stroudsburg University, is the Home News Tribune Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
In addition to surpassing the 2,000-point plateau, Devine finished her scholastic career with 574 steals and 532 rebounds. She averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 steals, 4.5 assists and 4 rebounds per game this season.
“It’s tough to put into words what Jessica Devine meant to our team and program,” said second-year Middlesex coach Stew Lester. “While her scoring output and numbers went down a little bit from last season, what many people don’t understand is that it’s because of how unselfish she is as a player. She felt confident making the right decisions and sharing the ball with teammates, who she had the utmost confidence in.
“We’re not a 20-win team without Jess Devine. She demanded – and got – the most out of her teammates. Her work ethic was infectious to the other girls on the team. She demanded their very best without having to say it.”
Her teammates agree.
“In practice, Jess is pushing everyone to do their best,” said Iskra, who averaged six points and three rebounds per game as a ninth grader. “She pushes us in practice to work as hard as we can to get the most out of ourselves as individuals and as a team.”
Lester, the GMC White Division Coach of the Year, as selected by his peers, completed his second season at the helm of the Middlesex girls following four seasons as an assistant coach with Middlesex’s boys program.
“On either the boys side or the girls side, Jess is one of the most high IQ players I’ve coached,” said Lester, a 2015 Middlesex High School graduate. “She’s always willing and wanting to learn more. She is the ultimate competitor and hardest worker in the room – the first player in the gym and the last to leave.”
No matter how hard she worked and how many extra shots she got up in the summer, Devine would be the first to tell anybody listening that the Blue Jays were far from a one-player team.
In addition to Iskra, Middlesex received strong contributions from sophomore Taylor Lawrence, who pulled down a team-leading 231 rebounds, and Mallory Gianchiglia, a junior transfer from Union Catholic, averaged 10 points and 4 rebounds per game. Freshman Kaylee Devine, Jessica’s sister, saw action in 18 varsity games.
“At the end of the day no one person can win a basketball game,” said Devine.
One of Devine’s favorite triumphs this season was a game where she was the third-leading scorer on the team.
Iskra poured in a game-high 20 points, Gianchigla added 19 points and Devine contributed 15 points and Lawrence snatched 11 rebounds in a 64-52 Central Group I quarterfinals victory over Shore, the team that had Middlesex in the previous two state tournaments.
The Blue Jays’ season ended with a 64-58 loss to eventual Group I state champion New Providence.
“Even though it was a quarterfinal game, it felt bigger, almost like the final round,” said Devine, whose twin sisters, Mallory and Natalie (Middlesex Class of ‘18), used to bring her to middle school practices as an introduction to basketball. “I knew it was my last chance to beat Shore and revenge is sweet – and my little sister was on the court for most of the game. Playing with my younger sister, I won’t soon forget that experience.”
And neither will those who saw Jessica Devine play for Middlesex High School this season.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Girls basketball: Middlesex’s Jessica Devine HNT Player of the Year
Continue reading...
