By BRIAN TORTELLA

Correspondent

TOMS RIVER — Kasey Bretones and twins Ava and Bella Mazur have accomplished a lot together throughout their respective prep careers.

The Mainland Regional High seniors captured the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament title all three full seasons, (the tournament was not held during the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic) along with winning the South Jersey Group 3 title in 2022. In total, they had been victorious together 96 times during the past four years heading into Sunday’s NJSIAA Group 3 state championship game against Chatham at RWJBarnabas Arena at Toms River North High.

They finish with 97 career wins — the last one undoubtedly the sweetest of them all.

The trio combined for 44 points as No. 7 Mainland defeated No. 12 Chatham, 59-51, in the NJSIAA Group 3 girls basketball final.

“Winning this state title means everything in the world to all of my teammates and I,” Bretones said. “We have worked so hard for this moment ever since we lost in the final our sophomore year.

“Ava, Bella, and I have played together since third grade and grew up with each other our whole lives. The relationship and bond we have built has 100 percent helped our teams be as successful as they have been. We all just want what’s best for one another and we are willing to do whatever it takes to win. It’s really sad that this game was our last together after playing with them my whole life, but I wouldn’t want to end it any other way. We all deserved this so much and have dreamed of this since we first started playing basketball. It’s just really awesome and a great way to go out with a win and a state championship to end our high school careers.”

The University of Massachusetts commit scored her 1,000th point in a win over Absegami in the CAL quarterfinals on Feb. 9. She finished this season with 508 points, averaging nearly 16 per contest.

The Mazur twins also have been a force for the Mustangs. Ava scored her 1,000th career point in a 58-37 win over Absegami back on Feb. 6, while Bella joined her sister in the impressive feat in the CAL championship win over Wildwood Catholic on Feb. 17.

“We worked hard every single day to get here, and I’m just so proud of this team,” said Bella, who scored a game-high 20 points in Sunday’s state championship. “We knew we could do this. We have each other’s backs every single game, and I’m just speechless.”

Knowing Sunday’s state championship would be the last time they took the court together at the high school level, the feeling was bittersweet. 

“It really means the world to me to have my sister by my side through it all,” Ava said. “I’m going to get emotional because it’s really the best thing ever. Not a lot of people get to experience winning and going to a state championship by itself, and to have my sister by my side, it’s surreal. It’s amazing.” 

However, the twins are nothing but excited for the opportunity to compete at the next level, both set to continue their careers at West Chester University.

“The main question was, ‘are you guys going to college together or are you going to split up?’” Bella said. “It wasn’t really a question in our family. All we’ve ever known is each other, and we never wanted to split up. It was never a doubt for us. To go on to college and play college basketball is hard in itself, and to go and play with my sister, it’s amazing.”

Mustangs’ coach Scott Betson had to wrestle with the reality that this game was his last time coaching this excellent senior class. 

“I’m having a hard time with the emotions right now. Coming in with the grasp of reality that that is going to be my last time with that particular group.

“The easy thing to write is going to be about how talented they are, which they obviously are,” he added. “The next level to that is just how hard they worked for that. Every single one of them. You couldn’t have asked for a better ending to it.”

After falling just short in the postseason the last two seasons, Betson and his squad finally reached the ultimate goal — Mainland is your 2024 state champions. 

Not without the contributions from Ava, Bella, and Kasey. A historic senior trio.

Mainland (31-1/12-0 Cape-Atlantic American) finished this season as arguably the best public school team in the state, with a state-best and program-record 31 wins. 

Brian Tortella is a correspondent for South Jersey Glory Days. Follow him on Twitter @tortreports.