Girls Basketball – Shore Sports Network’s 2023-24 All-Defensive Team and Most Improved Team

Shore Sports Network presents the Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive Team as well as Most Improved Player of the Year and Most Improved Team for the second straight season in girls basketball. Congrats to all the players on a great season.

Defensive Player of the Year

McKenna Karlson; Manasquan

For the second year in a row Karlson has made the All-Defensive Team. Every night she would be assigned to cover the opposing team's leading scorer and made it her mission to hold her opponents to single digits. In the Group II Final, Madison leading scorer Charlotte Tuhy only scored 9 points. Karlson was able to shut down Tuhy who averaged just under 25 points a game this season. Karlson is committed to the University of New Hampshire for next year.

All-Defensive Team

Nina Emnace - SR. - Trinity Hall

Emnace caused problems for opposing teams on top of the Trinity Hall zone. She finished with 126 steals this season and tipped countless other balls with her ability to get her hands in the passing lane. Emnace, who won Defensive Player of the Year last year, will be attending Harvard next year.

Ashley Smith - JR. - Howell

Smith would always be matched-up with the opposing team’s top playmaker in the backcourt. Smith’s ability to apply high pressure on the ball handlers was a big factor in Howell's success on the defensive end.

Cassidy Kruesi - JR. - St. Rose

Kruesi makes the SSN All-Defensive team for the second straight year. Being assigned to cover the opposing team’s ball handler, she would pressure the ball causing teams to turn the ball over. Kruesi, who is a junior, is committed to the University of Tampa.

Chelsea Lavezzo - SR. - Jackson Memorial

Lavezzo’s quickness and physical play made it hard for opposing players to get to the basket. She gets deflections and steals on top of the Jaguars zone or can lock down the opposing team's best player man to man.

Taylor Sofilkanich - SO. - -St. John Vianney

Only a sophomore, Sofilkanich emerged as a leader for the Lady Lancers on the defensive end of the floor this season. She finished the season with 59 blocks, but it was her vocal leadership that helped SJV win the Shore Conference Tournament this season. She had four games with five or more blocks this season.

Previous Winner:

2023 - Nina Emnace; Trinity Hall

Most Improved Player of the Year

Erin Reid - SO. - Rumson-Fair Haven

Reid was asked to play a bigger role by Coach Dave Callahan in her sophomore year and she responded. She averaged 10.25 PPG and 7.63 RPG as a starter in her second season. Reid posted her first career double-double in the second game of the season against state ranked Chatham. She scored a team-high 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the 59-44 victory for Rumson. She finished the season with four double-doubles. She scored a career-high 19 points against Freehold Township and had a career-high 12 rebounds against Wall in the Shore Conference Tournament victory. Reid ended the season with a team-high 16 points and went 8 out of 8 from the foul-line against Group II champions Manasquan.

SSN Most Improved Team

Mackenzie Teevan - JR. - Holmdel

Teevan averaged 15 PPG this season compared to 8.5 PPG last season. She caused match-up problems for opposing defenses with her ability to shoot from outside and her post play inside. She posted eight double-doubles and scored a career-high 27 points against Ocean Township.

Isabella Finer - SO. - Jackson Memorial

Finer is one of the “Baby Jags” who stepped into a bigger role this season. Coming off the bench as a freshman, Finer was a starter for sophomore season and averaged 7.12 PPG and 7.56 RPG for Jackson Memorial. Her career-high is 18 points against West Windsor-Plainsboro North in the Central Jersey Group IV tournament.

Cara Sarluca - SO. - Toms River North

Sarluca went from playing a minor role off the bench last year to a major factor this season for Toms River North. She averaged 8.85 PPG and led the team in scoring the three games Megan Sias missed at the beginning of the season. Her career-high was 21 points against Lacey.

Reece Paget - JR. - Lacey

Paget started the season slow but finished with 15 double-doubles on the season. She ended with double-doubles in 13 out of her last 16 games of the season. She averaged 10.5 PPG and 12.4 RPG this season. Paget posted 22 points and 31 rebounds against Manalapan which was both career-highs.

Madison Sciarrino - SO. - Freehold Township

Sciarrino is another player who stepped-up in a bigger role this season. She averaged 8.56 PPG and 5.56 RPG this season for Freehold Township. One of her biggest games she scored 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the Patriots upset win over East Brunswick in the Central Jersey Group IV tournament. Her career-high was 20 points against Monroe.

Previous Winners

2023 - Allison Cannon; Holmdel