Fine tuned

Penns Grove boys ready for opener after running past Gloucester Christian in final scrimmage; PG girls come close to shutting out Pleasantville

TUESDAY SCRIMMAGE SCORES
Girls
Burlington Tech at Salem
Penns Grove 72, Pleasantville 2
Woodstown 77, at Kingsway 43
Boys
Penns Grove 73, Gloucester Christian 49

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – It was their final scrimmage before a pretty good season opener. The hay is in the barn, so to speak, and Penns Grove coach Damian Ware said his team is ready to go.

The Red Devils went through their final tune-up of the preseason Tuesday and beat a Gloucester County Christian team with three regular-season games under its belt, 73-49. They open their season Friday against Pitman.

“It was the last dress rehearsal,” Ware said. “I saw what I needed to see. We’re tuned up.”

The scrimmage gave Ware one last chance to see a lot of combinations in game-like conditions without consequences to the record. There was a stretch when all the freshmen were on the floor. Another with all the seniors. The Red Devils gave the early minutes to the core group that will get the heaviest minutes during the season and won Monday’s scrimmage and it gave them a lead they never lost.

The Conquerors did pull within one late in the first quarter under a hail of 3-pointers, but then the Red Devils pulled back out and steadily pulled away. Shane Bradway did his best to keep the visitors in it – he led all scorers with 23 points – but Penns Grove was just too deep.

Giomar Conrad and Karon Ceaser led the Red Devils with 14 points apiece. Eleven of their 13 players who got in the game scored. 

Freshman point guard Brandon Robbins didn’t score, but he gave them something more valuable from the position – the ability to run the offense, distribute the ball and not turn it over.

Ceaser made an immediate impact on the Red Devils’ football team in the fall as a freshman and Ware is hoping he has the same impact on the basketball floor. He had six points, a couple rebounds and a steal in the first five and a half minutes of the game after forced the Conquerors to take second timeout in less than a minute after his back-to-back buckets put Penns Grove up 13-5.

“He definitely will,” Ware said. “Ever since we started camp he’s shown me his ability to play, and it’s not even his natural skill, it’s his raw talent and athleticism, his quickness, his aggressiveness.

“He’s going to get 10-12 points a game just off run-out layups and steals and transition. I do expect him to make an immediate impact just as he did in football.”

The Red Devils open their season Friday against Pitman. The Panthers return to Penns Grove Saturday to open the Red Devil Classic, a four-game showcase that benefits the high school PTO.

The first session starts at 11 a.m. and features Pitman-Burlington City and Salem-Woodbury boys games. The 4:30 p.m. second session is a Penns Grove doubleheader with the girls playing Bridgeton and the boys playing Lindenwold.

PENNS GROVE 73, GLOUCESTER CHRISTIAN 49
GLOUCESTER CHRISTIAN – Sam Bishop 0 0-0 0, Ben Small 3 0-0 6, Brady Gesuh 4 0-1 10, David Dellarova 1 2-4 4, Andrew Field 0 0-0 0, Mike Perentozi 0 0-0 0, Shane Bradway 8 5-9 23, Jay Craig 0 0-0 0, Matt Pilla 1 4-7 6. Totals 17 11-21 49.
PENNS GROVE – Mekhi Ballard 3 1-1 9, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Giomar Conrad 5 2-3 14, Luis Colon 2 0-0 4, Will Roy 1 0-0 2, Karon Ceaser 6 2-4 14, Camren Thompson 1 2-2 4, Jaden Sorrell 2 0-0 4, Brandon Robbins 0 0-0 0, Roman Gipson 4 1-1 9, Willie Sutton 2 0-2 4, Mr. Peterson 2 0-0 4, Naizan Spence 2 0-0 5. Totals 30 8-13 73.

Gloucester Christian	14	11	10	14 –	49
Penns Grove	17	17	17	22 –	73

GIRLS

PENNS GROVE 72, PLEASANTVILLE 2: A first-quarter basket was the only thing that stood between the Red Devils and a shutout.

Jameelyonna Horace led Penns Grove with 20 points distributed across the three quarters of the scrimmage. Ariana Dowe scored all 16 of her points in the first quarter and Raniyah Wilson scored all 13 of hers in the second quarter. It was 55-2 at halftime.

Cover photo: Penns Grove freshman Karon Ceaser (12) making as big an impression on the basketball floor as he did on the football field in the fall.