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The Irish, who have lost only to suburban Philadelphia area powers Archbishop Carroll and Cheltenham in the Future Stars Christmas Tournament -- are No. 2 in the Area Top 20 and No. 5 in the State Top 20.
Regardless of this year's high rankings ND/THS girls are often the marquee matchup in CVC girls basketball every year.
Only this year there's a lot more at stake since both teams are in the CVC's Colonial Division and currently tied for first place at 6-0.
Trenton, with a towering front line of 6-foot-1 veterans Asia Dowling and Charnette and Charlene Phelps and it's super quick all-state senior guard Mykeema Ford, is averaging 73 points a game and has scored 70 or more seven times.
The Irish, powered by 6-foot-1 senior center Michelle Campbell, last year's Trentonian Player of the Year, is averaging 58 a game.
ND beat the Tornadoes twice last season -- 55-44 in their CVC meeting and 66-44 in the Mercer County Challenge at Sovereign Bank Arena -- and has won the last three games with Trenton.
ND takes a 42-game CVC win streak into tonight's game.
DeMille remembers what happened the last time the teams met at the ND -- in the first game of the '99-00 season. The Irish won that day, 50-48, surviving a last-second 3-point try by Ford who was whistled for a walk prior to her late shot.
Tonight the Tornadoes return to ND as a more seasoned squad, one that not only gets 22 points a game from Ford, but also eight assists a game from her.
"We have to execute offensively," DeMille says. "The key is to get good shots every time downcourt."
THS has a height advantage with its towering front-line, which will put added pressure on Campbell, ND's top rebounder and scorer (21.3).
"Their size is a concern to everybody," says DeMille. "We're going to have to rebound as a team, that's why we have worked on positioning as a team.
"We know they want to run, but we're not going to focus on trying to slow them down. If we get good shots on the run we'll take them, but if not we'll slow it down and work for a good shot."
When the Irish aren't pushing the ball inside to Campbell they are working to get open 3-point shots for seniors Jackie Reddy, point guard Danielle Wexler or sophomore Bridget Catanese.
Reddy leads the Irish with 13 'treys' and has had at least one in every game. Wexler had two games with three or more 'treys'.
"We'll play pressure defense, try to contain Campbell, and also concentrate on their perimeter shooters," Murray says.
"I don't want Wexler or Reddy to get going with 3-pointers," says Murray, who isn't expecting ND to try and slow down his team's running style.
Hunterdon Central attempted it last month, and it got Trenton off its game and forcing shots for a half. But THS recovered to win 45-36 -- the only time Trenton has been held under 60 this year.
"Teams will try to slow us down, but we've learned once they get caught in the racehore style we play, they start to run with us," said Murray. "As we pressure them the game gets faster."
If Trenton can dicate the tempo tonight this latest edition of the Trenton/ND girls basketball rivalry can evolve into a classic.
