MONTCLAIR- When you return all the pieces from the previous season and even add a new player to the rotation there should be high hopes and that is exactly the case for the Montclair Kimberley Academy girls basketball team which looks to battle for both the prep B-Division Tournament title and a Super Essex Conference-Independence Division crown this season.
“I really think we have a solid group,” said fifth-year head coach Izzy Mendez who guided the Cougars to a 12-11 record including a 6-4 mark in the SEC-Independence. “We definitely want to try and impact in the prep tournament and the conference division title is always something we are striving for as well.”
MKA will start the new season on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 16, at Cedar Grove, but perhaps without two of its top players - sophomore standouts Sydney Kittles and Lily Herrigel – both still looking to return from injuries.
Kittles, who was an all-conference pick as a freshman when she led the Cougars in both scoring (10.5 points per game) and rebounding (10.2 rpg), was due back shortly, according to Mendez, while Herrigel (3.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) may not return until January.
A potential starting 5 entering the new season could include sophomore Elizabeth Wager and seniors Maudie Grace Lomuscio and Emery Walls from last season’s lineup, while a reserve last year, junior Iris Shen, and promising freshman center Keira Field figure to fill the other two spots.
Mendez will figure out the regular rotation as Kittles and Herrigel make their way back into game action.
Wager (5.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg), who had a fine all-round freshman season, looks to take a step up this winter, while Kittles can be a force in the conference and Field could prove to be a very strong addition up front.
“Elizabeth has demonstrated excellent growth as a player and leader,” said Mendez. “She continues to improve with her ball handling, scoring abilities and awareness on defense.
“Sydney joined two AAU programs this past off-season so she has been getting a lot of reps outside of MKA basketball.
“Keira has tremendous potential and will contribute a lot as our center. She is super explosive, relentless and driven to score.”
Lomuscio (3.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg) was a hustling contributor at both ends of the court last season, while Walls (2.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 steals per game), who was one of the Cougar girls soccer team captains, is an excellent all-around athlete and very good defensive player.
Another experienced senior to turn to is Lily Belle Critchley (5.8 ppg, 6 rpg), who was a solid inside presence last season.
Mendez said that depending on availability from the 14-player roster there could be a few JV games for the Cougars. Assisting her on the bench this winter is an experienced hoops honcho in former Montclair High head coach Eddie Connell, who had guided the Mounties the past five seasons and is a veteran assistant football coach at MKA.
Brianna Zichelli is MKA’s JV girls basketball coach.
MKA is scheduled to host Newark Lab in division action on Thursday, Dec. 18, and visit Bloomfield in a SEC crossover, 11:30 am., Saturday (Dec. 20) before traveling to meet private school rival Morristown-Beard in independent action, 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 22.
NOTES- Mendez, a 2016 MKA graduate and former 3-sport standout (field hockey, basketball and softball) for the Cougars, also had a fine college career at Providence where she played both field hockey and softball for the Friars, earning second-team All-Big East honors in field hockey…She is an assistant coach in both field hockey and softball at MKA and teaches Spanish at MKA’s Brookside School….MKA girls hoops has posted three winning seasons in Mendez’ first four seasons at the helm…Last winter ended with a loss at Mount St. Dominic in the Non-Public, North A state tournament first round, while the Cougars were ousted by Villa Walsh in the prep B tourney semifinals after defeating St. Elizabeth in the quarterfinals….Sydney Kittles is the daughter of former Villanova University and New Jersey Nets star guard Kerry Kittles.
SUPER ESSEX CONFERENCE GIRLS BASKETBALL 2025-2026 DIVISION ALIGNMENT:
American Division: Wests Orange, Glen Ridge, University, Mount St. Dominic, Caldwell, West Essex
Liberty Division: Newark Academy, Columbia, Payne Tech, Montclair, Verona, Central
Colonial Division: Nutley, East Orange Campus, Bloomfield, North Star Academy, Livingston, Millburn
Independence Division: MKA, Newark Tech, Cedar Grove, East Side, Arts, Newark Lab
Freedom Division: Newark Collegiate, Weequahic, Barringer, Belleville, Science Park, St. Benedict’s, West Caldwell Tech, Bard
National Division: Irvington, Orange, West Side, St. Vincent’s, Golda Och, Technology, Shabazz
