Finding themselves

Salem salvages first overnight tournament trip with consolation win, Woodstown wins New Egypt title, Pennsville bounces back and more

THURSDAY’S BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES
Marty Derer Showcase
Vineland 41, Penns Grove 27

Battle at Buena
Consolation: Pennsville 73, Buena 43
Championship: Camden Academy 76, LEAP 60

Warrior Classic, New Egypt
Consolation: Steinert 47, Pinelands 45
Championship: Woodstown 53, New Egypt 46

ACIT Holiday Showcase
Consolation: Atlantic Tech 67, Salem Tech 44
Championship: GCIT 42, Camden Tech 24

Bayonne Holiday Classic
Consolation: Salem 60, West Orange 56
Championship: Charlestown (Mass.) 74, Bayonne 50

By Riverview Sports News

BAYONNE – Salem basketball coach Anthony Farmer knew his team’s holiday tournament trip to North Jersey would be good for a lot of reasons.

It didn’t necessarily start out in the best of ways, but the Rams learned a lot about themselves and dealing with adversity. They even got a win out of it, holding off West Orange 60-56 in the consolation game of the Bayonne Holiday Tournament to snap a three-game losing streak.

“I thought this holiday tournament we grew up,” Farmer said. “My young guys stepped up and we are looking to make a run in January.”

As much as the Rams (2-3) were looking forward to the program’s first overnight tournament trip, things started stacking up against them quickly.

They were on the bus three hours getting there and caught a flat along the way. Then they had to play a strong team out of Boston in the opening round and lost by 20. And then their best player, senior guard Anthony Farmer, rolled an ankle in the game and didn’t play in Thursday’s consolation game.

But the Rams got through it. They put three scorers in double figures and held on down the stretch after the Mountaineers (1-6) had cut an 11-point Salem halftime lead to four going into the fourth quarter.

Seniors Paul Weathers and Jabez Dejesus led the Rams with 21 and 19 points, respectively. Freshman Tymear Lecator had 12. 

Dejesus went 4-for-4 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter and 9-of-10 for the game. Weathers had nine points in the fourth quarter.

“To win without one of your best players (is encouraging),” Farmer agreed. “The other guys had to step up and they did. That’s what we have been missing the last few games.”

Warriors Classic

WOODSTOWN 50, NEW EGYPT 46: The undefeated Wolverines got on top early, then spent the rest of the game trying to stay there before finally putting the hosts away in the Warriors Classic title game.

Garrett Leyman, who’s three-point play in the final 10 seconds gave the Wolverines the lead in the semifinals, hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final, scored 15 points and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Max Webb also made the all-tournament team.

Rocco String was Woodstown’s leading scorer with 17 points.

The Wolverines carried a three-point lead into the fourth quarter, then stretched their lead to eight with 1:26 to play.

WOODSTOWN 50, NEW EGYPT 46
WOODSTOWN (4-0) – Blake Bialecki 3-0-7, M.J. Hall 0-2-2, Garrett Leyman 5-3-15, Max Webb 3-1-7, Rocco String 8-1-17, Zyaire Caesar 0-2-2. Totals 19-9-50.
NEW EGYPT (2-4) – Nolan Arnold 8-3-20, Jack Burr 1-0-3, Connor Fischer 2-0-5, Tommy Merlucci 1-0-3, Clyde Ferris 5-0-11, Evan Goldberg 1-0-2, Ryan Reynolds 1-0-2. Totals 19-3-46.

Woodstown	13	13	11	16 –	53
New Egypt	8	11	15	12 –	46

Battle at Buena

PENNSVILLE 73, BUENA 43: The Eagles would like to have a little better record heading into the new year, but a 3-3 they’re really not complaining. They got back on the winning track after being routed in the tournament opener by taking control early, spreading the wealth and opening it up with a 27-point third quarter.

“As a program I’m just happy we can be disappointed at 3-3,” Eagles coach Joe Mecholsky said. “I wanted to be 5-1, 4-2, maybe yesterday’s game is one I’d liked back if we started a little bit fresher, but (we’re) 3-3 heading into the conference schedule, so … moving forward. Good win today. Three wins in another year may have been the whole season, so three before the new year is good.”

Eight players scored for the Eagles, three in double figures. Luke Wood led the Eagles with 24 points and is now 82 points shy of 1,000 for his career. He was 10-of-15 from the free throw line.

Daniel Saulin had his third double-double in six games — 16 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and 11 rebounds – and blocked five shots. Cohen Petrutz scored 10 points and Jayden Thomas had eight points and six assists.

“That’s what everything was today – balanced,” Mecholsky said. “We were just looking to execute on offense, we didn’t care who scored. We knew if we put the ball in the basket then the score would turn out the way it did. Everybody was looking for the extra pass and it worked today.”

PENNSVILLE 73, BUENA 43
PENNSVILLE (3-3) – Luke Wood 6 10-15 24, Peyton O’Brien 3 2-2 8, Daniel Saulin 8 0-116, Jayden Thomas 3 2-4 8, Malik Rehmer 0 0-0 0, Cohen Petrutz 3 3-4 10, Mason O’Brien 1 1-2 3, Connor Starn 0 0-0 0, Logan Hitt 1 1-2 3, Carlos Merendino 0 0-0 0, Cole Johnston 0 1-4 1. Totals 25 20-34 73.
BUENA (0-6) – Vincent Dalponte 3 0-2 7, Josue Cuadrado 3 1-1 8, Avery Benjamin 1 0-2 3, Troy Gregory 0 2-4 2, Kaden Bryant 1 2-4 4, Ethan Wiker 3 0-0 9, Carlo Spreng 0 0-0 0, Michael Ketushko 0 0-0 0, Jaevon Alexander 1 0-0 2, Richie Wilson 3 0-0 7. Totals 15 5-13 43.

Pennsville	17	13	27	16 –	73
Buena	8	10	9	16 –	43

Marty Derer Showcase

VINELAND 41, PENNS GROVE 27: When the horn sounded to end the third quarter it was like a switch that flipped the script.

The Red Devils carried a three-point lead into the fourth quarter of their Marty Derer Showcase at Delsea and held their opponent to less than 20 percent shooting from the floor.

But in the fourth quarter everything that could go wrong for the young Red Devils did. They hit only one of 10 shots from the floor, committed seven turnovers and were outscored 19-2.

It was more a change in chemistry than strategy that did in the Red Devils. They played mostly freshmen Karon Ceaser, Neziah Spence and Will Roy in the third quarter with Luis Colon and Mr Peterson alongside senior Willie Slocum and the group got them the lead.

They reinserted veterans Giomar Conrad and Mekhi Ballard in the fourth quarter and it fell apart.

“I should have kept the young guys in because they were making it happen,” coach Damian Ware said.

Karon Ceaser scored the Red Devils’ only basket of the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Jack Baruffi and Ernie Bernhardt teamed up for 11 of their combined 16 points in the fourth quarter for Vineland.

It was Bernhardt’s bucket three minutes into the fourth quarter that gave Vineland the lead for good.

VINELAND 41, PENNS GROVE 27
PENNS GROVE (2-4) – Giomar Conrad 4 0-0 8, KaRon Ceaser 3 1-8 7, Willie Slocum 1 0-0 2, Neziah Spence 1 0-0 3, Mr Peterson 1 0-0 2, Will Roy 1 0-0 3, Brandin Robbins 0 0-0 0, Mehki Ballard 1 0-1 2, Camren Thompson 0 0-0 0, Jaden Sorrell 0 0-0 0, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0, Khiry Higgs 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 1-9 27.
VINELAND (5-2) – Chris Gainey 2 2-2 6, Alex Reyes 2 0-0 4, Chris Thomas 2 3-4 7, Sencere Chandler 3 2-2 8, Jack Baruffi 2 5-10 9, Ernie Bernhardt 3 1-2 7, Noah Sarnoff 0 0-0 0, Alex Domboski 0 0-0 0, James Lawson 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 13-20 41.

Penns Grove	9	5	11	2 –	27
Vineland	12	4	6	19 –	41

ACIT Holiday Showcase

ATLANTIC TECH 67, SALEM TECH 44: The every-other-game pattern of Haneef Frisby and Antoine Robinson leading the Chargers in scoring was back in Frisby’s court Thursday.

Frisby scored 18 points in the consolation game of the tournament to led the Chargers in scoring. Curiously, he has been leading them in scoring in all the even-numbered games, while Antoine Robinson has led them in the odd-numbered games. When they come through together consistently, coach Bryan Riley knows he’ll have something special.

“They’re sophomores,” he said. “They’ll figure it out.”

The Chargers were in the game in the first half, trailing by only three at the break with Frisby scoring 14 points. But ACIT outscored them 20-7 in the third quarter and continued to pull away in the fourth.

Tyler Zampino scored nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter for Salem Tech.

ATLANTIC TECH 67, SALEM TECH 44
ATLANTIC TECH (2-5) – Abdul Hawkins 4 0-0 9, Lamaj Owens 3 1-2 8, Giancarlo Canayunan 9 0-0 20, Yamdry Hernandez 3 1-6 7, WayneMiller 2 0-0 4, Daniel Abea 1 0-0 3, John Carr 2 0-0 4, Bartholemew 0 0-0 0, Jaron Douglas 2 0-0 4, Logan Ruga 1 0-2 3, Kyrie Rose 0 1-2 1, Javon Lane 2 0-0 4. Totals 29 3-12 67.
SALEM TECH (0-6) – Antoine Robinson 2 1-2 5, Chase Wills 1 0-0 2, Josh Muntz 1 0-0 3, Tyler Zmpino 4 6-8 14, Haneef Frisby 8 2-2 18, Gio Holmes 0 2-2 2. Totals 16 11-13 44.

Atlantic Tech	16	10	20	21 –	67
Salem Tech	9	14	7	14 –	44