Salem takes an intense win from Penns Grove; Hall, Leevy have career nights for Woodstown; Jones’ last-second FTs lifts Schalick to victory
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Salem 68, Penns Grove 50
Woodstown 78, Salem Tech 27
Schalick 46, Pennsauken Tech 45
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNS GROVE – Under a different set of circumstances and math, this would have been a milestone night for Anthony Farmer. Instead, the Salem High basketball coach would have to be content to take the win and keep marching towards a good draw in the South Jersey playoffs.
Farmer’s Rams took down Penns Grove Thursday night 68-50 in an intense game that reminded the sellout crowd of the Salem-Penns Grove battles of old. There were five technical fouls called.
It would have been Farmer’s 100th career coaching win “on the floor,” but an NJSIAA ruling on an ineligible player in January stripped the team and him of four early-season victories leaving the coach at 96.
“That would have been special,” Farmer said. “That would have been nice.”
Once he reaches the milestone, he’ll join a unique club of basketball luminaries with 100 coaching wins, 1,000 career points in high school (St. Augustine) and 1,000 career points in college (Rutgers).
Salem sophomore guard Neziah Spence returned to his old school and torched his former team for a game-high 18 points with three assists, three steals and a blocked shot. He scored 28 points with eight 3-pointers for the Red Devils all last year as a freshman.
“That usually goes two ways,” Farmer said. “Young kid. Sophomore. Left there and went back and had a big night. Normally (they don’t), trying too hard, trying to press, trying to do too much. He really let the game come to him and had a big night. You could see how hard he was playing it really meant something to him.”
Two other times this year it went the other way for Rams players facing their former schools. Darrelle Johnson went scoreless in six minutes against Millville at the Boardwalk Classic and Tymear Lecator was under the weather when the Rams played Winslow earlier this week and had just four points.
Spence wasn’t the only Ram to have a big game against the Red Devils. Antwuan Rogers had 14 points and 15 rebounds; Johnson had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists; and Deshaan Williams had six points and 10 boards.
“We played really well; I thought it was an overall team effort,” Farmer said. “Everybody just maximized their potential and played their role to the best of their ability and when we do that we’re tough. We got a little something from everybody. It was fun to watch and good to see.”
Karon Ceaser and Jameel Horace led Penns Grove with 14 points apiece.
SALEM 68, PENNS GROVE 50
SALEM (11-12): Donovan Weathers 1 0-0 2, Xavier McGriff 2 0-0 4, Neziah Spence 6 3-6 18, Tymear Lecator 1 0-2 3, Deshaan Williams 3 0-2 6, Darrelle Johnson 5 2-2 12, Antwaun Rogets 7 1-1 15, Joe Tunis 3 0-0 6, Azhone Burden 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 6-13 68.
PENNS GROVE (11-11): B.J. Robbins 1 4-6 7, Roman Gipson 2 1-2 6, Karon Ceaser 6 0-0 14, Antoine Robinson 1 2-2 4, Jameel Horace 6 2-2 14, Haneef Frisby 1 0-0 2, Luis Colon 0 0-0 0, Will Roy 1 1-1 3, Carson Pearsall 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-13 50.
| Salem | 7 | 17 | 19 | 25- | 68 |
| Penns Grove | 11 | 9 | 12 | 18- | 50 |
WOODSTOWN 78, SALEM TECH 27: M.J. Hall and Sid Leevy both had career nights as the Wolverines won their second straight and kept the Chargers winless. Hall hit career-high numbers for the second game in a row, this time going for 31 points. Leevy doubled his season production with a career-high 12 points.
“M.J. played great, Sid played great, too; I gave him the (MVP) chain,” Wolverines coach Ramon Roots said. “Sid has been a senior who didn’t play that much this year, but helped his teammates get better every day and never complained about minutes or hard work.
“He’s a great team-first guy. He doesn’t say too much but comes to partake ready to work every day. I rewarded him tonight. He played the whole game.”
The Wolverines’ 14 wins for first-year coach Roots this season are the most in a Woodstown boys season since a 23-5 year in 2019-20.
SALEM TECH (0-20): Larry Pompper 4 0-0 9, Chase Pompper 3 0-0 6, Ayden Myers 1 1-2 3, Joseph Hayes 1 4-6 7, Logan Pace 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 5-8 27.
WOODSTOWN (14-8): Trey Markward 1 0-0 2, John Hood-McGinley 2 0-0 4, Garrett Leyman 1 1-1 3, Sid Leevi 5 1-4 12, Rocco String 7 0-0 15, Andrew White 1 0-0 2, Josh King 1 0-0 2, M.J. Hall 11 6-7 31, Jalen Markward 2 3-3 7. Totals 31 11-14 78.
| Salem Tech | 2 | 4 | 11 | 10- | 27 |
| Woodstown | 23 | 19 | 17 | 19- | 78 |
SCHALICK 46, PENNSAUKEN TECH 45: Sherrod Jones was fouled on a putback as time expired and made both free throws to give the Cougars the victory.
Jones picked up his fourth foul in the first half and sat until Jamari Whitley fouled out in the fourth quarter. The Cougars drew up a play to get Reggie Allen the last shot. The senior got a good look at it, but missed, but Jones followed it and was fouled.
The free throws he made to win it were his only points of the game. Allen led all scorers with 18 points. Nylan Sutton had 17.
SCHALICK (7-17): Reggie Allen 6 6-7 18, Nylan Sutton 7 3-6 17, Jamari Whitley 1 0-0 2, Sherrod Jones 0 2-3 2, Jase Volovar 0 0-0 0, Kenneth Bartee 2 1-1 5, Zaeshawn Mills 0 0-0 0, Justin Iacona 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 12-17 46.
PENNSAUKEN TECH (12-12): Tyrone Baker 2 3-4 9, Omar Spencer 6 5-7 17, Chris Graham 1 2-2 4, Xavier Melendez 0 0-0 0, James Stout 3 0-0 8, N. Zayas 3 1-2 7, Malachi Kiyaga 0 0-0 0, Felix Santos 0 0-0 0, Alex Davis-Reyes 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 11-15 45.
| Schalick | 17 | 13 | 9 | 7- | 46 |
| Pennsauken Tech | 6 | 14 | 16 | 9- | 45 |
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