Pennsville’s boys follow a plan to combat Clayton, Schalick wins first season opener since 2015, Penns Grove challenged by strong competition
FRIDAY BOYS SCORES
Pennsville 80, Clayton 66
Pitman 69, Penns Grove 41
Schalick 65, Salem Tech 43
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Clayton came into David Salberg Gym Friday night having scored 96 points the night before and the reputation for firing 3-pointers at will. That made the Clippers a dangerous opening-night opponent for anyone.
But Pennsville coach Joe Mecholsky had a plan – guard the 3, rebound and play tight man defense.
It proved to be the winning formula as the Eagles clipped their visitors 80-66, missing by just one point the score the coach had predicted before the game.
“We knew coming in that their game is to shoot the 3 and give us the 2,” Mecholsky said. “We tried to be very diligent guarding the 3-point shot. At one point to start the fourth quarter I told the boys let them drive, give up the 2. They want to shoot the 3 to get back in this game.
“That’s just their system. When it’s working that’s a much tighter game. When the system doesn’t work we ended up with a favorable outcome. They’ve got a South Jersey title with that system, his kids love playing that system, but I think tonight it just came down to we were the better team.”
Clayton came out firing – and missing. The Clippers missed their first 11 shots from the field – most of them 3s – and Pennsville ran out to a 12-2 lead despite not being very sharp themselves. The Clippers, 9-of-30 from behind the arc in their opener at Pennsauken Tech, were 1-for-10 from behind the arc in the first quarter against the Eagles, 4-for-18 in the half and 10-for-38 for the game..
Instead of going into the locker room at halftime to discuss strategy, the Clippers spent the entire halftime on the floor putting up shots. They shot a better percentage in the second half, but never got closer than eight points and that was early in the third quarter.
The more they missed, the more the Eagles rebounded. Danny Saulin, a 6-foot-7 senior starting in his final season opener, pulled down 14 rebounds to go with 17 points, many off putbacks.
“We have a saying – long shot, long rebound,” Saulin said. “When you’re jacking it up from 3 you just have to know you have to back up and get ready to box out and jump up for the ball. For them not playing so much in the paint it made it easier for us to score 2-pointers, made it easier for the whole team to score.”
Saulin wasn’t the only one clearing the boards. Peyton O’Brien, who spelled Saulin off the bench, grabbed 13 rebounds. The Eagles had 49 rebounds in the game.
“He was so noticeable out there,” Mecholsky said. “When Danny comes out and Peyton can control the boards like that, that’s a big relief as a coach. Not only can he grab the boards, he starts the transition. He can turn and go.”
“I just try to contribute the best I can,” O’Brien said. “It feels good just to know I contributed some way to the win.”
The Clippers hit their only 3 of the first quarter with 2:13 left and it touched off a flurry that got them to 12-11 with a chance to tie. They missed the free throw on a potential three-point play, Saulin made a bucket on the other end and that started a 14-0 Pennsville run across two quarters that put the Eagles safely back in front for good.
“It’s an old cliché,” Mecholsky said, “the better team should win the game and tonight we were the better team.”
In most areas they were. One that left Mecholsky wiping his brow was the 24 turnovers charged to his team.
“We were incredibly lucky tonight that they didn’t shoot well; let’s be honest,” he said. “I didn’t see what Clayton shot from the field but we had 20-plus turnovers. How many games do you win when you turn the ball over 20 times? To have 24 turnovers you just start shaking your head and say all right we got one tonight.”
PENNSVILLE 80, CLAYTON 66
CLAYTON (1-1) – Dillon Jones 3 1-2 8, Princeton Sackor 5 1-1 14, Nazir Davis 1 0-0 2, John Carter 1 0-0 3, Khamari Farley 7 0-0 17, Demetris Williams 4 0-0 8, Jon Cox 0 0-2 0, Cristan Scott 0 0-2 0, A’Shaud Hine-Pope 3 0-1 6, Nasir Carter 3 0-0 8, Jayden Prince 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 2-8 66.
PENNSVILLE (1-0) – Mason O’Brien 1 0-0 3, Luke Wood 10 2-4 24, Cohen Petrutz 5 0-0 11, Chase Burchfield 7 0-1 14, Peyton O’Brien 2 0-0 4, Jayden Thomas 3 0-2 7, Malik Rehmer 0 0-0 0, Daniel Saulin 8 1-1 17. Totals 36 3-8 80.
| Clayton | 11 | 18 | 15 | 22 – | 66 |
| Pennsville | 19 | 19 | 22 | 20 – | 80 |
SCHALICK 65, SALEM TECH 43: The Cougars won only three games a year ago, but got their new season off to a rousing start – 25-4 in the first quarter and 39-11 at halftime – and won their season opener for the first time since 2015.
Reggie Allen led the way with 17 points. Daniel Lis had 12 and Ryan Johnson had 10. Junior Nylan Sutton added five points for the Cougars, and had one of the night’s biggest highlights when he threw down the first dunk of his career in the fourth quarter.
“I think it is meaningful for our program overall,” Schalick coach James Turner said. “It’s nice to finally open up the season with a win and for these guys to carry that same winning mentality from one season to the next, which was what our goal was, and they did a good job today.”
The Cougars got off to what Turner called “a great start.” Their press forced several turnovers that led to some transition baskets and they held the Chargers without a field goal in the first quarter.
“The game plan going in was to put pressure on them and try to get up early,” Turner said. “We tried our best to keep them from getting set in their offense.”
The Cougars didn’t secure their first win last season until after the first of the year. It’s the earlier they’ve gotten a win since beating Collingswood at home on Dec. 15, 2018 – Turner’s second game as their coach.
The last time they opened a season with a win, they beat Clearview 57-42 in 2015 and went on to go 22-8. They’ve won 22 games the previous five seasons combined.
“I think it was just a little bit of a relief, to say OK we got that first win out of the way, we got that first game out of the way,” Turner said. “I’d just say it was a feeling of relief because of what we’ve gone through the last few years.”
Salem Tech’s Antoine Robinson led all scorers with 19 points.
SCHALICK 65, SALEM TECH 43
SALEM TECH (0-1) – Antoine Robinson 5 8-11 19, Chase Wills 3 2-4 9, Josh Muntz 1 0-0 3, Tyler Zampino 1 0-0 3, Haneef Frisby 3 0-0 6, Joseph Hayes 0 1-4 1, Gio Holmes 0 0-0 0, Daviontae Russell 1 0-0 2, Chase Ayers 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 11-19 43.
SCHALICK (1-0) – Reggie Allen 6 2-6 17, Daniel Lis 5 1-3 12, Sherrod Jones 1 0-0 2, Justin Iacona 0 0-0 0, Nylan Sutton 2 1-4 5, Nasir Sutton 3 2-9 8, Ryan Johnson 4 2-2 10, Jordan Johnson 2 1-2 5, Jake Siedlecki 2 0-0 4, Jase Volovar 1 0-1 2. Totals 26 9-27 65.
| Salem Tech | 4 | 7 | 20 | 12 – | 43 |
| Schalick | 25 | 14 | 8 | 18 – | 65 |
Fouled out: Frisby, J. Johnson, Siedlecki. Total fouls: Salem Tech 21, Schalick 21.
PITMAN 69, PENNS GROVE 41: Some days you play well and some days you learn well. Red Devils coach Damian Ware hopes his team is learning to see what takes to play at a high level because they’ve seen those teams that do twice since practice began.
The Red Devils got their second dose of it Friday and the Panthers put their skill and experience together to show them how the other half lives.
“For our guys the difference in the game was the intensity of the game,” Ware said. “It was actually a good learning lesson and that’s why I told the guys. I said now you see what it looks like to be a contender. If you want to be a contender this is the level you have to play to.”
They got a taste of it last week when they played Egg Harbor Twp., but that was a scrimmage so when they came up short in that one it was no harm, no foul. Friday night’s game counted in the standings.
Penns Grove was in it early and only trailed 15-12 after the first quarter, but then Pitman’s Elijah Crispin and Michael Fisicaro started hearing up and the Panthers started pulling away. Crispin hit three 3s from NBA range and the lead started to grow. It was 16 at halftime, 25 after three quarters.
Crispin led all scorers with 17 points. Fisicaro had 15. Crispin hit three 3s, Fisicaro hit four. Meanwhile, Penns Grove was 0-for-16 from behind the arc.
Roman Gipson led the Red Devils with 13 points off the bench and he may have earned himself a promotion.
“He’s the first sub off the bench, he’s our sixth man, which actually might change,” Ware said. “I might put him in the starting lineup, we’ll see.
“In two of the three scrimmages he came off the bench and did some work there. I’m trying to give guys a little bit of rope to see what they do, but when these young guys come up ,you can’t deny them. You’ve got to let them play.”
The first chance for that possibility is Saturday when they play Lindenwold in the nightcap of their own Red Devil Classic. Pitman opens the event against Burlington City at 11 a.m., followed by Salem and Woodbury. Both Penns Grove teams play in the evening session.
PITMAN 69, PENNS GROVE 41
PITMAN (1-0) – Porter Kostiuk 5-3-13, Stephen Devanney 4-1-10, Hudson Rue 4-0-8, Elijah Crispin 6-2-17, Chris Wyllie 2-0-4, Michael Fisicaro 6-1-15, Greg Petersen 1-0-2, Jake Epting 0-0-0, Trey Tinges 0-0-0. Totals 27-7-69.
PENNS GROVE (0-1) – Roman Gipson 5-3-13, Camren Thompson 0-1-0, Giomar Conrad 2-8-12, Mehki Ballard 1-0-2, Willie Slocum 1-2-4, Brandin Robbins 2-0-4, KaRon Ceaser 2-0-4, Luis Colon 0-1-1. Totals 13-15-41.
| Pitman | 15 | 18 | 21 | 13 – | 69 |
| Penns Grove | 12 | 5 | 12 | 12 – | 41 |
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