SJ Group I boys: Rams finally get past Glassboro, earn a spot in semifinals; Penns Grove gets out to fast start, but falls to top-seeded KIPP; also includes TCC Diamond, Classic all-star teams
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
BOYS QUARTERFINALS
KIPP Cooper Norcross 64, Penns Grove 59
Wildwood 49, Audubon 38
Salem 62, Glassboro 55
Pittman 47, Paulsboro 37
THURSDAY’S SEMIFINALS
No. 4 Wildwood at No. 1 KIPP Cooper Norcross, 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 Salem at No. 2 Pitman, 5:30 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SALEM – Anthony Farmer and the Salem Rams have been trying to beat Glassboro for nearly a decade now. They finally got the Bulldogs on the biggest stage.
Salem ended a seven-game losing streak to the Bulldogs Tuesday night with a 62-55 victory in the quarterfinals of the South Jersey Group I boys tournament. The Rams’ last win in the series was in the 2014-15 season opener. All of the previous eight games were in the regular season. The majority of the losses were by double-digits.
“Those guys have been a tough out,” Farmer said. “They’ve had our number. It was good to get the most important one.”
The Rams (18-8) didn’t have history on their mind when they took the floor Tuesday as much as doing what it took to get where they want to go. They took control of the game early, weathered a storm in the third quarter and held on through the fourth.
“You can’t change the past, so, honestly, we’ve got a one-track mind,” Farmer said. “We know what we’re trying to get to. This is about us and how we continue to come together and make the right plays at the right moment and be one step ahead. We at this time it’s survive and advance, so we’re preparing like everything is our last.”
The difference in the game was the play of Jabez DeJesus and Anthony Farmer. DeJesus scored a team’ high 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked a couple shots. Farmer, the coach’s son, scored 17 points. Ramaji Bundy added 10 points.
Both DeJesus and Farmer were confirmed as Tri-County Conference Classic Division first-team all-stars earlier in the day.
“Those guys are no secret,” Farmer said. “I think we have one of the top backcourts is South Jersey, no doubt. They’ve been consistent all year long. They’re the reason we’re the third seed and in the position we’re in. Those guys are seniors and they’ve just been doing what they’ve been doing.”
The win sets up a showdown with second-seeded Pitman in the semifinals Thursday night. The Panthers have gotten them twice this year, none more painful than the one in late December in which the Rams jumped out to a big early lead only to lose by two at the end.
“This is what high school basketball is about,” Farmer said. “This is why you play the game, why I coach the game. I coach the game for the kids, for them to have experiences like this that they’ll talk about forever.
“I want them to go seize the moment. Once again, it’s more about us and where we’re trying to go. Obviously they got us twice and we understand that as well. Once again, this one means the most.”
SALEM 62, GLASSBORO 55
GLASSBORO (13-13) – Xavier Sabb 11 3-9 25, Charles Graves 5 4-5 17, Arnton Suggs 2 0-0 4, Michael Dougherty 1 1-2 4, Josh Buff 1 0-0 3, Tashean Thomas 0 0-0 0, Aden Harris 1 0-0 2, Jayce Guays 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 8-15 55.
SALEM (18-8) – Anthony Farmer 6 3-4 17, Ramaji Bundy 3 4-6 10, Jabez DeJesus 6 9-11 21, Paul Weathers 2 0-0 5, Tymear Lecator 2 0-2 5, Marshall Stephens 1 0-0 2, Donovan Weathers 0 0-0 0, Antwone Rodgers 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 16-23 62.
| Glassboro | 6 | 16 | 16 | 17 – | 55 |
| Salem | 12 | 22 | 9 | 19 – | 62 |
KIPP Academy 64, Penns Grove 59
CAMDEN – When Penns Grove coach Damian Ware saw Willie Slocum and Camren Thompson hit 3-pointers early in the game he had to think this just might just be the Red Devils’ night to pull an upset. But he also knew there was a lot of basketball to play.
Slocum and Thompson combined to hit just one 3-pointer this season – and Slocum hadn’t hit any – but there they were, playing in a game to extend their careers, each hitting one from beyond the arc to help the Red Devils forge an early 10-point lead.
The good fortune didn’t last, however. Karon Ceaser and Slocum both got in foul trouble that cost them valuable minutes in the first half and top-seeded KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy began its long march to the foul line that proved the difference in scuttling the Red Devils’ season.
“Going into the game I expected to win, so it was not a big surprise we were up,” Ware said. “We had an opportunity to win the game going into it, we had a chance and I felt good about it, but we just didn’t have enough to pull it out.”
The Titans (21-8) took 31 free throws in the game compared to only seven for a Red Devils team that likes to attack the basket. They made 16 with leading scorer Meleake Kelly (18 points) going 8-for-14 and Tahmir Dixton (15) going 5-for-10.
Slocum wound up hitting two 3s in the game and finished with 10 points. Roman Gipson was the Red Devils’ leading scorer with 16 points, while Giomar Conrad and Thompson had 13 apiece.
KIPP ACADEMY 64, PENNS GROVE 59
PENNS GROVE (11-15) – Brandon Roberts 1 0-0 2, Roman Gipson 7 0-1 16, Giomar Conrad 5 2-2 13, Karon Ceaser 0 0-0 0, Willie Slocum 4 0-0 10, Mekhi Ballard 1 3-3 5, Camren Thompson 6 0-1 13, Mr Peterson 0 0-0 0, Jameel Horace 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 5-7 59.
KIPP ACADEMY (21-8) – Tahmir Dixon 5 5-10 15, Jeremiah Shelton 7 1-2 16, Meleake Kelly 5 8-14 18, TaJohn Chamblis 1 0-0 2, Juan Arce 1 2-3 4, Nasir Rodriguez 3 0-0 7, Howard Maddison 1 0-2 2. Totals 23 16-32 64.
| Penns Grove | 19 | 12 | 8 | 20 – | 59 |
| KIPP Academy | 12 | 22 | 16 | 14 – | 64 |
All-Tri-County Conference
| DIAMOND DIVISION | |||
| FIRST TEAM | SCHOOL | SECOND TEAM | SCHOOL |
| Charles Graves | Glassboro | Clinton Suggs | Glassboro |
| Shaun Mills | Overbrook | Rocco String | Woodstown |
| Giomar Conrad | Penns Grove | Blake Bialecki | Woodstown |
| Luke Wood | Pennsville | Xavier Sabb | Glassboro |
| Nic Johnson | Overbrook | Reggie Allen | Schalick |
| CLASSIC DIVISION | |||
| FIRST TEAM | SCHOOL | SECOND TEAM | SCHOOL |
| Elijah Crispin | Pitman | Michael Fisicaro | Pitman |
| Jack Mustaro | Gloucester Cath. | Jordan Fusik | Wildwood |
| Anthony Farmer | Salem | Trey Battle | Gloucester Cath. |
| Junior Hans | Wildwood | Sonny Myers | Pitman |
| Jabez Dejesus | Salem | Stephen Devanney | Pitman |
Riverview Sports News 