Defense rules

Defense plays big role in Penns Grove win, Salem loss

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODBURY – One thing has been true about the Penns Grove basketball team no matter the year. If you’re going to play for Damien Ware, you’d better play defense.

The Red Devils have hung their hats on the way they get after the ball. And that’s what got them a 47-46 win over Burlington City in the MLK Day Showcase at Woodbury.

Will Roy got a deflection and then got it to Gianni Conrad for a layup that put the Red Devils (8-6) up 47-46 with 12 seconds to play. Then Roy made the stop they had to have, forcing the guard bringing the ball up the floor into a turnover with two seconds left, to seal the victory.

“There were 12 seconds left and we needed one stop; I’ll take that bet,” Ware said. “I think we can get one stop any time.

“We played full-court, man-to-man, they’ve got 12 seconds and we had a foul to give. We told them to play aggressive defense and make it hard for them to get the ball up the floor. Everybody plays defense for me. If you can’t play defense, you can’t play for me. Will was the one who came up with two big plays today.”

It didn’t have to be that close, but the Blue Devils (6-7) just wouldn’t go away. Penns Grove would go up by eight, Burlington City would come back. The Red Devils led by nine in the fourth quarter and hit a wall. BC outscored the Red Devils 13-5 in the fourth quarter.

“That’s part of my team because we’re young and kind of inexperienced in games like that so this is a big game for us to come out and win a game like that,” Ware said. “Two weeks ago we probalby would’ve lost that game.

“We’ve got a little more game experience, played more tougher opponents. We’re back to playing Group I teams, not that they’re any easier, but more on a par with where we’re at. We just found a way to win at the end.”

Conrad, a 6-foot junior guard, led all scorers with 16 points on the heels of a career-high 19-point game at Eastern. Roy and Roman Gipson each had eight.

BURLINGTON CITY (6-7) – Jamie Lambing 4-0-11, Rashad Newkirk 5-0-11, Jarrett James 2-0-4, Corey Degree 3-2-9, Theo Ellerbe 5-1-11. Totals 19-3-46.
PENNS GROVE (8-6) – Roman Gipson 3-1-8, Carson Pearsall 2-1-6, Will Roy 3-1-8, Mishawn Brantley 2-0-4, Geonni Conrad 5-5-16, Luis Colon 1-1-3, Ahkeen Edwards 1-0-2, Jeremy Costacamps 0-0-0. Totals 17-9-47.

Burlington City	10	12	11	13-	46
Penns Grove	13	16	13	5-	47

3-point goals: Burlington City 5 (Lambing 3, Newkirk, Degree); Penns Grove 4 (Gipson, Pearsall, Roy, Conrad).

ATLANTIC CITY 59, SALEM 53: Anthony Farmer spent the two-hour bus ride back from the boardwalk conflicted. Couldn’t really blame him.

His Group I Salem Rams played defense as well as it had all year, especially in the first half, and had their chances to make a statement against Group 4 Atlantic City, but in the end they just had too many turnovers to win.

Don-Taye Thompson scored seven of his game-high 23 points in overtime, including a thunderous dunk with 55 seconds left, and Salem committed seven of its 25 turnovers in the extra period to snap the Rams’ eight-game winning streak.

“It was a statement opportunity for South Jersey, for the state, for us as a program,” Farmer said. “I thought we matched up pretty well with them and I felt like even on the road this was one we possibly could get.

“I’m proud of what we did on the road. Being able to take the game into overtime with 25 turnovers at the end of night and you lose by five is amazing. How do you turn it over 25 times and lose by five? We competed like hell.”

Most of the turnovers came from moving too fast against the Vikings’ pressure instead of taking a beat and reading the floor. The turnovers never gave them a chance in overtime.

It was a defensive battle early, with the teams combining for 30 points in the first half. The Rams trailed by seven with two minutes left in the half, but Neziah Spence’s 3-pointer with 1:00 to go drew them to within 16-14 at halftime.

The Rams never could get the lead. Spence’s layup with 55 seconds left in regulation made it 47-45 and Deshaan Williams’ bucket with 33 seconds left tied it at 47.

The Vikings had the final possession in regulation. Tymear Lecator fouled Tamir Rex on consecutive inbounds plays and Thompson missed a runner in the lane at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

Williams led Salem with his fifth double-double of the season (17 points, 13 rebounds). Lecator had 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals before fouling out. Fatah Paige and Marshall Stephens both grabbed 10 rebounds, but they only combined for seven points. Stephens also had five blocked shots.

“We had opportunities,” Farmer said. “I thought we did a really good job with the game plan that we put together. We watched them, we had our eyes on them, we knew what they were and we knew what we knew what we were trying to do. We did that. We’ve just got take care of the ball and make a few shots.”

SALEM (10-2): Tymear Lecator 14, Deshaan Williams 17, Fatah Paige 3, Neziah Spence 7, Xavier McGriff 1, BJ Robbins 5, Marshall Stephens 4, Darrelle Johnson 2. Totals 18 14-23 53.
ATLANTIC CITY (8-5): DonTaye Thompson 23, Jacob Lane 5, Tamir Rex 11, Jalil Daniels 5, Exclusive Dublin 15, Hanif Rios 0.

Salem	5	9	15	18	6-	53
Atlantic City	10	6	16	15	12-	59

Wrestling

PAULSBORO GIRLS TOURNAMENT
138: Pennsville’s Summer Sassi lost a 20-8 major decision to Madisyn Paden of Clayton/Glassboro in the championship match. Sassi pinned the first two opponents she faced.

145: Pennsville’s Yerlian Charon pinned Grier Williams of North Star Academy in 36 seconds in the third-place match. Charon was pinned in the semifinals by weight class winner Deja Cofield of Gateway.