Growing pains

After a slow start, young Chargers, Hayes come to life in third quarter to get close, then Buena pulls away

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – When you’re a young team learning the ways of varsity basketball, there are going to be good times and bad times. Consistency is the key.

Salem Tech, with only one senior with varsity experience, struggled out of the gate Monday night against Buena. The Chargers came to life in the third quarter to get back in the game, but then fell back on hard times in the fourth and the Chiefs pulled away to hand them a 45-24 defeat.

“The turnovers, the fundamentals, boxing out, the little things, stuff that you think they learn in like fourth, fifth grade is not translating into high school,” Salem Tech coach Bryan Riley said. “I think these young guys got used to that youth league and think they can get away with it in high school and it’s never going to work.”

The Chargers (0-2) scored only six points in the first half and trailed by 11 early in the third quarter. But they switched to a man defense and Joseph Hayes got hot and they climbed back into it.

Hayes, the team’s lone senior, scored 11 of his team-high 14 points in the third quarter. Ayden Myers’ layup with 5:41 left in the quarter got them within four and forced the Chiefs to call time. Hayes’ third 3-pointer of the quarter got them within five with 25 second left.

“They were finding the open man,” Riley said. “They played a 3-2 zone and the play that we ran worked when we ran it.”

The Chiefs (1-1) got back on track in the fourth. They forced the Chargers into more turnovers and regained control of the boards and pulled away. Hayes’ fourth 3 of the half was Tech’s only points of the quarter.

Josue Cuadrado and Jaevon Alexander scored 14 points apiece for Buena.

BUENA 45, SALEM TECH 24
BUENA (1-1) – Josue Cuadrado 7 0-0 14, Carlo Spreng 1 0-0 2, Nate Nieves 1 0-0 3, Troy Gregory 2 1-2 5, Jaevon Alexander 6 0-0 14, Jayden Rivera 1 0-0 2, Shamel Rivera 2 1-4 5, Ricky Bessix 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 2-6 45.
SALEM TECH (0-2) – Connor Dougan 0 0-0 0, Ayden Myers 1 0-0 2, Joseph Hayes 4 2-4 14, Aiden Bobo 1 0-2 2, Larry Pompper 0 0-0 0, Alex Thomas 2 0-0 4, Raphael Busch 0 0-0 0, Logan Pace 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 2-5 24.

Buena	9	6	12	18-	45
Salem Tech	4	2	15	3-	24

3-point goals: 3 Buena (Nieves, Alexander 2); Salem Tech 4 (Hayes 4). Total fouls: Buena 10, Salem Tech 6. Officials: Kutza, Saintlus.