SEEING RED: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Taylor States looks to put up a shot last Wednesday against two Pennington defenders as the foes met in the Prep B state semis. Senior forward States posted a double-double in the contest with 12 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the fifth-seeded Tartans fell 60-47 to the eighth-seeded Red Hawks. Last Monday, States produced another double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to help Stuart defeat St. Dominic 64-41. The Tartans, now 13-6, host Nottingham on February 13. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

By Bill Alden

Taylor States hit a bump in the road this winter in her senior season for the Stuart Country Day School basketball team.

Standout forward States suffered a sprained ankle in early January and was sidelined for nearly three weeks.

Since returning to action on January 24 in a 41-33 win over Bridgewater-Raritan, States has been working to get up to speed.

“I am still trying to get my groove back,” said Stares. “I lost my touch a little bit with being out. Trying to get myself back into it has been a process.”

As Stuart began action in the Prep B state tournament, States started to find a groove, posting a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds as fifth-seeded Stuart topped fourth-seeded Montclair Kimberly Academy 54-44 on February 1 in the quarterfinal round.

Last Wednesday against visiting Pennington in the Prep B semis, States produced another double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds but it wasn’t enough as the fifth-seeded Tartans fell 60-47 to the eighth-seeded Red Hawks.

“I feel initially that we did have a lot of confidence today,” said States after the loss to Pennington. “Everyone was trying to wake up and get back into it.”

States battled hard in the paint against Pennington forward Eden Ashiavor. “I was doing my best, it is not usual that I see someone my height or taller,” said States. “It is definitely a change for me. It is something I still need to adjust to but I did my best.”

In the view of States, the Tartans can learn some lessons from the setback.

“This is definitely a wakeup call for us to see what we can work on and to see what we can improve on so that we can face tougher teams,” said States.

States is savoring her final weeks with the Stuart program. “I am trying to make the most of it,” said States, who has scored 910 points and grabbed 558 rebounds in her career. “I have been doing pretty well this year being the last year. With my injury, I feel that has let me down a little bit. Even though the season is starting to end, I feel like I need to show up some more.”

Playing with her younger sister, sophomore star guard Lia, has been uplifting for States.

“It has been true blessing, I have been playing with her since we were babies,” said States. “Being able to watch her grow and see her play has been fun. I am going to miss playing with her, but I will still come here to watch. She has really grown in her game — she has done AAU and all of that.”

Stuart head coach Tony Bowman didn’t like what he saw from his players in the loss to Pennington.

“The last three games we played very, very well,” said Bowman.

“In the game today, we weren’t ready. We practiced like we were ready yesterday but today we didn’t show it. I think they wanted it more than us, plain and simple. We didn’t put forth enough effort to win this basketball game. We have played a lot better brand of basketball today. We didn’t play Stuart basketball.”

Bowman likes the brand of basketball he has been getting from Taylor States.

“I think as a senior, she gives a post presence,” said Bowman. “She helps big-time on defense, she is very communicative. She pushes the other kids to want to play better.”

Sophomore transfer guard Carmela Arana, who scored 12 points and had six rebounds and three assists against Pennington, has emerged as presence all over the court for the Tartans.

“Carmela is the engine of the team, she does everything,” said Bowman. “She pushes the ball, she shoots the three, she drives, and she looks for other people. She tries to make the team better. She wants to be here and she wants to play hard. Every day she plays hard in practice. She plays hard in games. She doesn’t miss practice. She is on time, and she leaves late. That is Stuart basketball right there.”

With the Tartans hosting Nottingham on February 13 as they tune up for upcoming New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) tournament, Bowman is planning to tweak some things.

“I am going to make the adjustments with a different type of offense,” said Bowman, whose team defeated St. Dominic 64-41 last Monday to improve to 13-6. “We are going to have to move the ball a little differently. At the end of the day, we can’t depend on one or two people. The offense has to flow smoother, and it did not today. It was one and done.”

States is hoping to go out with a bang, heartened by the progress the Tartans have made this winter as they have bounced back from a 6-15 season in 2024-25.

“I am just hoping for a good rest of our season, honestly this is a big change from previous seasons,” said States. “I would say Carmela has been a true help. We are beginning to know what it means to really move the ball around. I think she has been a good addition to the team, helping everyone play their part.”