Motivated Salem was the only Salem County boys team to emerge victorious from Tuesday’s opening round of the Tri-County Conference Tournament
TRI COUNTY BOYS TOURNAMENT
Flight A
Overbrook 59, Deptford Twp. 49
Pitman 52, Delsea 41
Timber Creek 58, Woodstown 49
Kingsway 73, Penns Grove 43
Flight B
Salem 57, Clearview 44
Gloucester Catholic 50, Triton 48
Glassboro 54, Williamstown 41
Highland 42, Washington Twp. 37
Flight C
Cumberland 67, Schalick 45
Wildwood 86, Pennsville 35
GCIT 86, Salem Tech 18
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Flight A
(4) Pitman at at (1) Overbrook
(3) Timber Creek at (2) Kingsway
Flight B
(8) Salem at (5) Gloucester Catholic
(7) Highland at (6) Glassboro
Flight C
(5) Cumberland at (1) Clayton
(3) Wildwood at (2) GCIT
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
MULLICA HILL – The last kind of team anybody wants to play in a tournament setting is one with nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Salem has been playing with an us-against-the-world mindset for the last month or so and Tuesday added another notch in its belt, knocking off adjusted top-seed Clearview 57-44 in the opening round of B Flight play in the Tri-County Conference Tournament.
The Rams (12-12) have been facing an uphill climb since mid-January when the NJSIAA ruled they had played an ineligible player and stripped them of four victories. That created a cascade of challenges that left a 15-win team on the floor to be seeded eighth in the second tier bracket of their conference tournament and No. 11 in the upcoming South Jersey Group I tournament.
In addition, they had to play Tuesday without leading scorer Tymear Lecator, serving the first of a two-game suspension for his ejection in the Penns Grove game, which would have been coach Anthony Farmer’s 100th career coaching win without the NJSIAA ruling.
“We’re keeping receipts,” Farmer said. “We’re definitely playing it to the tee, playing it up. It’s us against everyone, no one’s going to give us anything, everyone’s against us, we’ve got to go take it.
“We’re embracing it. Nothing has gone our way this year, but that’s life. That’s adversity. Life is adversity. Basketball teaches you how to deal with that. We’ve been facing adversity all year, but it’s how you respond to it.”
The Rams showed they meant business right from the start Tuesday night, holding their hosts to two points in the first quarter and opening an 11-2 lead.
Neziah Spence led the Rams’ offense with 17 points. Deshaan Williams had 13 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. Darrelle Johnson grabbed 10 rebounds and dished five assists. Xavier McGriff had eight points, eight boards and three steals. Joe Tunis brought energy for 11 points, five rebounds and three steals.
“When one guy guys goes, I know it’s a cliché, but it gives other guys opportunity to step up,” Farmer said. “That’s what this is about. We’ve been preaching the brotherhood all year, picking each other up.”
This year’s TCC B Flight has become a flight of fancy with all four lower seeds pulling off road “upsets” in the opening round. The Rams now travel to fifth-seeded Gloucester Catholic, one of those teams seeded ahead of them they have already beaten twice this season.
“We’re just trying to get better and hit our stride at the right time and win three, four in a row next week when it really matters,” Farmer said.
SALEM 57, CLEARVIEW 44
SALEM (12-12): Donovan Weathers 2 0-0 4, Xavier McGriff 4 0-0 8, Neziah Spence 6 2-2 17, Deshaan Williams 6 1-1 13, Darrelle Johnson 2 0-0 4, Antwuan Rogers 0 0-0 0, Joe Tunis 4 3-3 11. Totals 24 6-6 57.
CLEARVIEW (9-16): Luke Andres 7 2-2 19, J.D. Steidle 0 0-0 0, Jake Flotter 2 1-2 5, Jonah Turner 2 4-4 8, Georgie Kritikson 1 1-2 3, Luke Zuba 3 2-2 9, Brady Medel 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 10-12 44.
| Salem | 11 | 14 | 15 | 17- | 57 |
| Clearview | 2 | 14 | 10 | 18- | 44 |
KINGSWAY 73, PENNS GROVE 43
PENNS GROVE (11-12): Karon Ceaser 1 1-2 4, Luis Colon 1 2-4 4, Jeremy Costacamps 1 2-2 4, Roman Gipson 0 1-2 1, Carson Pearsall 2 4-4 9, Antoine Robinson 1 0-0 2, B.J. Robbins 2 2-2 6, Will Roy 6 0-0 13, Totals 14 12-16 43.
KINGSWAY (21-4): Dasir Williams-Ray 5 0-0 10, Brady Shelton 1 0-0 2, Mike Hart 5 4-4 15, Abdulai Bayraytay 1 0-2 3, Maurice Tavares 4 0-0 9, Luca Kuzmick 1 0-0 3, Terrence Collier 1 0-0 2, J.D. Johnson 1 0-0 2, Owen Ellison 1 2-2 5, Dylan Lewis 1 0-0 3, Czar Witherspoon 4 1-2 9, Richmond 2 0-0 4, Kai Tolley 3 0-0 6. Totals 30 7-10 73.
| Penns Grove | 4 | 6 | 10 | 23- | 43 |
| Kingsway | 16 | 23 | 18 | 16- | 73 |
TIMBER CREEK 58, WOODSTOWN 49
WOODSTOWN (14-9): Elijah Caesar 1 0-0 2, Blake Bialecki 4 2-2 12, Alejandro Vazquez 3 1-1 9, M.J. Hall 4 0-1 8, Garrett Leyman 2 4-7 8, Rocco String 4 2-3 10, Jalen Markward 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 9-14 49.
TIMBER CREEK (16-7): Asa Wharton 4 2-4 10, C.J. Atkins 4 0-2 9, Jerome Ford 6 2-2 14, Jaidyn Bolds 6 1-2 17, Noah Witzel-Smith 2 1-1 5, Ronald Johnston 0 1-2 1, Justice Avery 1 0-0 3, Roseby Lubintis 0 0-0 0, Julius Lee 0 0-0 0, Kenny Buchanan 0 0-0 0, Sencere Spriddle 0 0-0 0, Cody Murphy 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 7-13 58.
| Woodstown | 9 | 9 | 14 | 17- | 49 |
| Timber Creek | 14 | 6 | 19 | 19- | 58 |
CUMBERLAND 67, SCHALICK 45
CUMBERLAND (6-19): Kaleb Green 12, Josh Davis 9, Michael Hollis 8, Major Martin-Dunn 12, Pat Crawford 6, Kamal Branch 8, Dumajze Cartwright 2, Jaden Brown 4, Sincere Sadler 1, Khalif Dawkins 5.
SCHALICK (7-18): Reggie Allen 1 5-9 7, Nylan Sutton 8 1-6 17, Jamari Whitley 2 0-0 4, Sherrod Jones 2 3-4 8, Kenneth Bartee 1 0-0 2, Sean Kelly 2 3-6 7. Totals 16 12-25 45.
| Cumberland | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17- | 67 |
| Schalick | 4 | 6 | 17 | 18- | 45 |
WILDWOOD 86, PENNSVILLE 35
PENNSVILLE (2-22): Daniel Knight 2 1-2 6, Mason O’Brien 3 0-0 8, Cole Johnston 0 0-0 0, Adrian Alleyne 2 0-0 5, Jacob Miller 2 0-0 6, Gavin Spears 2 0-0 5, Logan Hill 1 1-2 4, C.J. McDevitt 0 1-2 1, Noah Owen 0 0-0 0, J.P. Laughrey 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 3-6 35.
WILDWOOD (8-15): Eric Jordan 5 0-0 10, Nolan Mawhinney 8 1-1 20, Trevor Troiano 2 0-0 6, Vinny Sweeney 3 0-0 7, Jordan Dozier 0 0-0 0, Daniel Benichou 3 0-0 7, Gianni Troiano 4 0-0 9, Justice Santiago 1 0-0 2, Brian Cunniff 6 2-2 14, Sammy Santiago 1 0-0 2, Jeff Knight 1 1-2 3, Jack Fullerton 3 0-0 6. Totals 37 4-5 86.
| Pennsville | 5 | 7 | 16 | 7- | 35 |
| Wildwood | 21 | 22 | 26 | 17- | 86 |
GCIT 86, SALEM TECH 18
| Salem Tech (0-21) | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3- | 18 |
| GCIT (11-14) | 16 | 25 | 23 | 22- | 86 |
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