Getting it done

Penns Grove scores its first victory of the season with Conrad taking over in the final 40.6 seconds

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson used to call it 40 minutes of hell when teams came to play his Razorbacks. Giomar Conrad reduced it to 40 seconds of hell unleashed on Lindenwold Saturday night.

The final game of the Red Devil Classic was a 32-minute battle of wills, for sure, but it was what happened in the final 40.6 seconds that made all the difference.

Conrad grabbed two big rebounds and calmly sank four straight free throws – all in the final 40.6 seconds – to help Penns Grove pull out its first victory of the season, 60-54.

The teams had been punching and counterpunching all game. The Red Devils (1-1) had an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but not even that was safe. With less than a minute to go Lindenwold’s Tajamir Brown hit a 3 and it was a tied game.

Karon Ceaser broke the tie with 40.6 seconds left when he hit a layup from the underside of the basket and was fouled. The Lions falled time before the free throw to ice the freshman and make plans.

The Red Devils made plans as well.

“I told all my guards we had big Willie (Slocum) down there working his behind off but at the same time I need all the guards to crash and help out,” PG coach Damian Ware said. “We stressed that during that final time out that we need everybody to crash the boards. Crash, crash, crash.

“Everybody crashed the boards in that final 30 seconds because we knew if we just get one rebound we can finish the game out from the free throw line. That’s what we were really looking for at that point.”

No one took that message to heart more than Conrad. Ceaser missed the free throw, but Conrad raced in to get the rebound. He was fouled and with 29 seconds left made both free throws to extend the lead to 58-54.

The Lions (1-1) needed to make something happen quickly and Brown missed a 3-pointer. Conrad was there again to corral the rebounds and was fouled again with less than four seconds left. He made those two free throws to complete a 27-point night and the final margin.

“I just had to catch the ball, make sure I hold it, waste some time and when they fouled me make sure I made two free throws and the game was over after that,” Conrad said. “At the end of the game when it’s close like that I always go get the ball. I had to make sure we got it.”

PENNS GROVE 60, LINDENWOLD 54
LINDENWOLD (1-1) – Jaden Farmer 4 2-3 10, Becaye Drame 2 0-0 4, Jabril Simmons 3 2-2 8, C.J. Matthews 5 1-2 12, Tajamir Brown 5 0-0 12, Jermaine Hughes 1 0-0 3, Wes Cholopy 0 0-0 0, E. Hernandez 2 1-2 5. Totals 22 6-9 54.
PENNS GROVE (1-1) – Willie Slocum 1 0-0 2, Mekhi Ballard 0 0-0 0, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0, Jaden Sorrell 1 0-0 2, Mr. Peterson 1 0-2 2, Roman Gipson 3 1-2 7, Karon Ceaser 6 2-7 14, Brandon Robbins 2 0-0 6, Giomar Conrad 9 6-6 27. Totals 23 9-15 60.

Lindenwold	16	16	10	12 –	54
Penns Grove	14	17	13	16 –	60