It’s his time

Sophomore point guard Robbins directs second-half comeback that lifts Penns Grove over Woodstown; roundup includes Wednesday’s wrestling and track results

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNS GROVE – Winning Time is B.J. Robbins’ time.

Whenever the Penns Grove basketball team gets to the point in a game when it’s time to seal the deal, the Red Devils usually put the ball in Robbins’ hands and let him do his thing. And that’s handle the ball, direct the offense and keep them sharp.

The sophomore did his thing flawlessly in the last quarter and a half Wednesday and helped the Red Devils rally to beat Woodstown 70-56.

It extended their season-best winning streak to three games and elevated them to a first-round host position in the current South Jersey Group I power points standings despite a 5-7 record.

“I told Brandin when it’s winning time you are the guy who is going to control the game and that’s kind of what he did at the end of the game,” Red Devils coach Damian Ware said. “He controlled the game, dribbled the ball out, made some great passes to his teammates for assists and we got the easy layups out of it.”

Winning time as defined by Ware is the fourth quarter when the Red Devils are ahead and looking to put the game away, but Robbins got a jump on it in the third quarter when the Red Devils needed somebody to lead the charge back.

Woodstown (7-4) opened the second half with a 12-3 run that threatened to break the game open. But the Red Devils weren’t worried because in the time out Ware called there to settle things down he reminded his players three of the baskets were run-out layups because they were over-pressuring the ball and it allowed the Wolverines to leak out.

The other two buckets in the run were 3-pointers by Alejandro Vasquez, who wrapped the Wolverines’ first eight points of the half around a 3 by Robbins.

If the Red Devils just tightened that up and cut out the offensive rebounds, Ware told them, those things wouldn’t happen and they would wind up winning by double digits. That’s exactly what happened.

The Red Devils (5-7) came out of the time out, did the things Ware reminded them of, and went on a 20-6 run to a feisty end of the quarter to take the lead. At least three times in the run Robbins dazzled the defenders trying to trap him at midcourt with a dazzling display of dribbling before zipping off a sharp pass down low to Jameel Horace who put them up and in.

“I just trusted my teammates,” Robbins said. “I knew they believed in me.”

“The main thing with Brandin is playing aggressive and getting him downhill,” Ware said. “We’ve been working with him all season to be more aggressive. I actually took him out the lineup a couple times, worked him in and out, because he wasn’t giving me what I needed. We had a couple conversation and I told him what we needed and he said ‘I’m ready coach. I got it.’ Ever since then he’s kind of taken the mantle of being more aggressive.”

Robbins finished with 13 points and six assists against the Wolverines. In his last two games he has scored 24 points and dished 14 assists. Roman Gipson led Penns Grove with 19, 13 in the second half. Karon Ceaser had 17. Ceaser is averaging 17.7 ppg during the winning streak and 17 in his last four games.

“He controlled it,” Woodstown coach Ramon Roots said of Robbins. “He just controlled it throughout the whole game and in the second half, like good coaches do, they put it in their point guard’s hands.

“He’s definitely a tough player. He’s a floor general. We tried to bother him the best way we could, but he didn’t really turn the ball over down the stretch. He did a very good job controlling the game and controlling the ball. That’s why I preach to my guys we just can’t turn over the ball (and) put ourselves in a hole.”

Rocco String led Woodstown with 18 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. Vasquez finished with a career-high 16. He’s averaging 12.5 ppg over his last four games.

“He’s been shooting it well, shooting it with confidence,” Roots said of Vasquez.

PENNS GROVE 70, WOODSTOWN 56
WOODSTOWN (7-4) – Eli Caesar 1 2-3 3, Blake Bialecki 2 3-4 8, Alejandro Vasquez 6 0-0 16, M.J. Hall 2 0-0 5, Garrett Leyman 2 0-0 4, Anthony Bokolas 0 0-0 0, Rocco String 9 0-2 18, Brayden Hall 0 1-2 1. Totals 22 6-11 56.
PENNS GROVE (5-7) – Karon Ceaser 7 1-1 17, B.J. Robbins 3 5-6 13, Will Roy 3 1-2 7, Jameel Horace 5 0-1 10, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0, Roman Gipson 7 3-7 19, Antoine Robinson 2 0-0 4. Totals 27 10-17 70.

Woodstown14111813-56
Penns Grove10182319-70

3-point goals: Woodstown 6 (Bialecki, Vasquez 4, M. Hall); Penns Grove 6 (Ceaser 2, Robbins 2, Gipson 2). Rebounds: Woodstown 33 (String 9, M. Hall 6, Caesar 6); Penns Grove 20 (Caeser 5, Robinson 5). Technical fouls: Horace, M. Hall. Fouled out: M. Hall, Garrett. Total fouls: Woodstown 16, Penns Grove 22.

Wrestling

WEDNESDAY’S MATCHES
Gloucester Catholic at Salem

SCHALICK 65, CLAYTON/GLASSBORO 5
126: Luke Silva (S) won by forfeit
132: Ryan Miller (S) tech fall over Antonio Mendez, 19-0 (3:47)
138: William Camp (CG) maj. dec. over Michael Baisch, 17-3
144: Colin Bittle (S) pinned Matthew Kamara, 1:35
150: Koen Martin (S) over Steven Benkert, SV-1 6-3
157: Riley Papiano (S) dec. Brodie Carey, 4-1
165: Eric Sulik (S) pinned Kenneth Johnson, 4:36
175: Ricky Watt (S) won by forfeit
190: Evan Elliott (S) pinned Jeffrey Smith, 3:28
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) pinned Michael Nichols, 2:43
285: Kasalon Carr (CG) dec. Julian Reid, 5-0
106: Emma Cain (S) won by forfeit
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Joshua Wentz, 1:29
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) pinned Cayden Wentz, 1:18
NOTE: Clayton/Glassboro penalized 2 team points (misconduct)

TIMBER CREEK 46, PENNSVILLE 27
157: Mason Dickerson (TC) won by forfeit
165: Ryan Kuriger (TC) won by forfeit
175: Zyeir Green (TC) pinned Joseph Halstead, 2:19
190: Amir Reason-Dallas (TC) tech fall over Connor Ayars, 19-4
215: Elijah Green (TC) won by forfeit
285: Trevor Waddington (P) dec. Roland Green, 3-1
106: Jariel Colon (P) won by forfeit
113: Brett Land (P) pinned Dylan Bass, 1:52
120: Matthew Steele (TC) tech fall over Mekhi Dicks, 19-4
126: Christopher Daniels (P) dec. Ayden Zarnosky, 9-4
132: Nathaniel Mason (P) pinned Dylan Kennison
138: Gave Supernavage (P) dec. Matt Cordova, 11-4
144: Eric Rambaran (TC) won by forfeit
150: Joey Walker (TC) won by forfeit

WOODSTOWN 72, OVERBROOK 9
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) pinned Angel Martinez, 0:58
190: Paul Banff (WO) pinned Davian Santiago, 2:46
215: Walter Carter (WO) pinned Cooper Himes, 5:53
285: Tomas Sanchez (O) dec. Bradley Snitcher, 10-3
106: Hunter Allen (WO) pinned Jacob Sole, 0:14
113: Kayden Branco (O) pinned Jadon Middlemiss
120: Carson Bradway (WO) pinned Michael Mahon, 2:18
126: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Kevyn Reed, 0:34
132: Alex Torres (WO) pinned Alan Marcos, 1:02
138: Louie Scholl (WO) won by forfeit
144: Angel Hernandez (WO) won by forfeit
150: Thomas Lacy (WO) pinned Karter Reed, 2:20
157: Brett Rowand (WO) won by forfeit
165: Laitton Roberts (WO) pinned Oscar Calderon, 1:39

Track

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
SJTCA Meet No. 13
at Ott Center, Philadelphia

Salem’s Anthony Parker posted qualifying marks for the New Balance Nationals later this year in Boston when he won the long jump (22-0.5) and finished second in the 55 hurdles (7.64). Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield won the girls 3200.

(Salem County Top 6 finishers)
GIRLS
3200: 1. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 10:56.66
Pole vault: T-3. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 9-6
BOYS
400: 3. David Stewart, Schalick, 50.30
55 hurdles: 2. Anthony Parker, Salem, 7.64
Long jump: 1. Anthony Parker, Salem, 22-0.5
Triple jump: 5. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 42-11.25

SJTCA Meet No. 14
at Bennett Center, Toms River

Woodstown’s Josh Crawford had a big day. He won the boys 800, finished second in the 400 and helped the Wolverines’ 4×400 relay team finish second. Woodstown’s Kami Casiano won the girls high jump and Pennsville’s Molly Gratz won the girls pole vault.

(Salem County Top 6 finishers)
GIRLS
400: 3. Jaime Deal, Woodstown, 1:02.11
1600: 6. Samantha Sterner, Woodstown, 5:55.01
4×400: 4. Woodstown (Sarah Seiden, Lia Coverly, Kayla Ayars, Jaime Deal), 4:32.23
High jump: 1. Kami Casiano, Woodstown, 5-0
Pole vault: 1. Molly Gratz, Pennsville, 7-6
BOYS
400: 2. Josh Crawford, Woodstown, 52.04
800: 1. Josh Crawford, Woodstown, 2:03.97
4×400: 2. Woodstown (Cole Lucas, Karson Chew, Anthony Costello, Josh Crawford), 3:41.15


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