New Providence Girls Basketball Rallies to Beat Plainfield in Union County Tournament Semifinals

Top-seeded New Providence overcomes early deficit to defeat fourth-seeded Plainfield 58-55 and advance to the Union County Tournament championship game.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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The top-seeded New Providence girls basketball team rallied from an early 15-7 deficit to defeat fourth-seeded Plainfield 58-55 in the semifinals of the Union County Tournament. New Providence, which has not lost to a Union County opponent in over two years, will now face second-seeded Westfield in the championship game, a matchup that has occurred in four of the last five years.

Why it matters

This victory extends New Providence's impressive run of success against Union County opponents, as they look to capture their fifth Union County Tournament title in six years. The game also featured the return of Jah'nae Lembrick, who previously played for the team that last defeated New Providence in the tournament in 2024 before transferring to Plainfield.

The details

Plainfield jumped out to a 15-7 lead after the first quarter, but New Providence fought back to take a 50-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Sophomore Addy Fitzgerald scored 20 points for New Providence, while senior Annie Conover added 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Megan Henn and Haley Kessler also hit key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory for the Pioneers.

  • New Providence has not lost to a Union County opponent in over two years.
  • The last time New Providence lost to a Union County team was in the 2024 Union County Tournament semifinals.

The players

Addy Fitzgerald

Sophomore guard who scored 20 points for New Providence.

Annie Conover

Senior guard who scored 19 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 6 assists and had 2 steals for New Providence.

Jah'nae Lembrick

Plainfield player who previously played for the team that last defeated New Providence in the Union County Tournament in 2024.

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What they’re saying

“Plainfield came out and punched us in the mouth early. They got some transition layups in the first quarter that we shouldn't have given up, and they had a lot of momentum.”

— Cap Pazdera, New Providence head coach (TAPinto.net)

“Plainfield is a super-physical team, and they tried to keep Annie from doing her thing early in the game. As the game went on and they switched some things around defensively after the officials started making some calls they weren't making earlier in the game, things changed. You can contain Annie for a quarter or two, but she'll eventually figure it out.”

— Cap Pazdera, New Providence head coach (TAPinto.net)

What’s next

New Providence will face second-seeded Westfield in the Union County Tournament championship game, which is currently scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday at Kean University but may be moved up to Saturday depending on the weekend's weather forecast.

The takeaway

New Providence's victory extends their impressive run of success against Union County opponents, as they look to capture their fifth Union County Tournament title in six years. The game also featured the return of a player who previously played for the team that last defeated New Providence in the tournament, adding an intriguing storyline to the matchup.