Category: BASKETBALL

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


Mixed test results

Salem CC men have chance to make a statement, but come up short at region-leading Union; women fought out a win over Delaware Tech

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CRANFORD – The Salem CC basketball team had a chance to make a real statement in Region XIX and beyond Tuesday night, but just dug too big a hole to escape.

Just hours after receiving some national notoriety, the Mighty Oaks faced the top team in the region. They fell behind by more than 25 points in the second half and although they rallied to close the gap they fell to No. 12 Union College 87-77.

“It was a test and we failed it – D-plus,” Salem coach Mike Green said as the team made its way back to Carneys Point. “I’m (not happy) because that, I believe, was our chance at the GSAC title. It’s pretty much out of reach now.”

The loss, which snapped a six-game winning streak, dropped the Mighty Oaks (15-5 overall, 12-3 in Region XIX and 9-3 in GSAC) two games behind the Owls (15-3/14-1/10-1) in the GSAC. It also dropped them into fourth place in the Region XIX Division III standings.

The Mighty Oaks already have clinched a spot in the region playoffs, and now are playing for the highest seed possible. They still have to play the two other teams directly ahead of them.

Earlier in the day, the Mighty Oaks were included in the JUCO Division III poll for the first time since they brought back the program. While they didn’t break into the top 15, they were listed among the other teams receiving votes. 

Using the way those teams were listed as a guide, the Mighty Oaks would have been No. 18.

“Good to see someone notice the work we have been putting in,” Green said shortly after the poll was released. “We just have to keep our heads down and continue to work. We have big goals.”

The Mighty Oaks were on the way to justifying that consideration, leading their nationally ranked hosts by five eight minutes into the game. But over the next four and a half minutes the Owls went on a 17-1 run to take control of the game. Jeremiah Saint Jean and Kanye Brown combined for 11 of the first 13 points in the run.

Saint James finished with 14 points (all in the first half) and 15 rebounds. Brown had 12 points. Joseph Gargiulo was the Owls’ leading scorer with 20 points, all in the second half.

All five Union starters scored in double figures and were a combined 28-for-41 shooting from the floor. The Owls shot 63 percent from the field as a team in their close-quarters gym.

“Our ballhandlers were really shaky tonight, which destroyed our offense and put too much pressure on our defense” Green said.

The Owls led by 16 at halftime and stretched the margin to 27 midway through the second half. But then it was Salem’s turn to make a run. The Mighty Oaks put together a 26-9 charge to get within 10, 78-68, with 2:07 to play.

But they could never get it closer.

“I had to coach as if it was PlayStation – burn timeouts, draw up counters and rotate players,” Green said. “Our ballhandlers didn’t show up.”

The Mighty Oaks’ offense was led Akeem Taylor (27 points) and Tamir Powell (20), but no one else scored in double figures. They combined for 31 points in the second half. Jyheim Spencer was held to eight points, but grabbed 17 rebounds.

UNION 87, SALEM CC 77
SALEM CC (15-5) – Akeem Taylor 11-21 3-5 27, Tamir Powell 6-15 5-6 20, Tyrese Fortune 4-6 0-1 9, Jyheim Spencer 3-12 2-5 8, A.J. Jones 3-8 1-3 7, Josh Ramos 2-5 0-0 6, Tajee Jordan 0-1 0-0 0, Tivon Woolford 0-4 0-0 0, Dontarius Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Xavier Brewington 0-2 0-0 0, Stefan Phillips 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 35-76 11-20 77.
UNION (15-3) – Jayden Bates 4-9 5-7 16, Nicolas Acosta 5-8 4-8 14, Joseph Gargiulo 8-10 2-2 20, Kanye Brown 4-5 2-2 12, Jeremiah Saint Jean 7-9 0-0 14, David McKnight 4-9 1-2 11, Craig West 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 32-51 14-21. 

Salem CC2948-77
Union4542-87
3-point goals: Salem CC 8-24 (Taylor 2-4, Powell 3-8, Fortune 1-1, A. Jones 0-2, Ramos 2-5, Woolford 0-2, D. Jones 0-1, Brewington 0-1); Union 9-20 (Bates 3-5, Gargiulo 2-5, Brown 2-5, McKnight 2-5). Rebounds: Salem CC 38 (Spencer 17); Union 47 (Acosta 13, Saint Jean 15). Fouled out: Brown. Total fouls: Salem CC 19, Union 21.

JUCO DIVISION III RANKINGS
(Week 8, Jan. 21)
1. Riverland CC (20-0) 105 (9 first-place votes); 2. Mohawk Valley (14-0) 98; 3. Duchess CC (14-0) 91; 4. Joliet JC (15-4) 84; 5. Montgomery County (Pa.) CC (10-2) 77; 6. Herkimer (11-3) 70; 7. Sandhills CC (13-6) 63; 8. Northern Essex CC (16-2) 56; 9. Quincy (13-2) 49; 10. Dallas-Richland (13-7) 42; 11. Minnesota State C&TC (16-2) 35; 12. Union (14-3) 28; 13. Minnesota West C&TC (16-4) 15; 14. Northampton CC (16-2) 14; 15. Hostos CC (16-4) 4.
Receiving votes: Dallas-North Lake, Genesee CC, Salem CC, CC of Philadelphia, SUNY Adirondack, Patrick & Henry CC, Virginia Peninsula CC.

Salem CC women ‘win ugly’

NEWARK, Del. – Salem CC women’s basketball coach Brian Marsh reached back to the wisdom of one his all-time favorite college coaches to describe his team’s 79-71 win at Delaware Tech.

“(Former Temple coach) John Chaney has a quote that says ‘I’d rather win ugly than lose pretty,’ so that’s how I take it,” Marsh said. “It was a game that tested us, for sure.”

No matter how it looked it was a win nonetheless and a mighty important one. It extended the Mighty Oaks’ winning streak to three as they continue their march to a Region XIX playoff berth, it put them over .500 for the season and it allowed them to match their win total of last year’s revival season with games remaining to play.

Teams .500 or better either in region or overall play make the region tournament. The Mighty Oaks (9-8) have seven games left, meaning they only have to win three of them to make the playoff field. Two of those remaining games are against the top two teams in the region, including the No. 4 team in the country.

“I think they’re starting to understand the magnitude of the games that we’re playing,” Marsh said. “I told them the expectations are higher, so I’m going to expect more out of you, and I think they’re starting to understand what they need to do every day at practice and in games.”

Del Tech didn’t play like a first-year team still looking for its first win. The Spirit were scoring and hitting shots at an unexpected clip in the first half and led the Mighty Oaks 45-40 at the break.

“I just talked to the team and said this is a game we have to win on the road,” Marsh said. “It was more an energy and effort thing again.
 
“They gave us a run for our money. It was a gut check or a pride check. How are we going to handle this one on the road? Are we going to step up? I thought we toughed it out in the second half and came out with the win.”

Nyaijah Jackson led the Mighty Oaks with 21 points and five assists. Maggie St. Clair had 14 points, Pennsville’s Caroline Zullo 12 and Kathryn Laurence 10. 

SALEM CC 79, DELAWARE TECH 71  

Salem CC (9-8)26142118-79
Delaware Tech (0-17)2124197-71

Tuesday basketball

Here are the results and details of Tuesday night’s high school basketball games involving Salem County teams

TUESDAY GIRLS GAMESTUESDAY BOYS GAMES
Pennsville 39, Glassboro 34Glassboro 87, Pennsville 30
Woodstown 68, Penns Grove 52Woodstown at Penns Grove (Wed.)
Salem Tech at SalemSalem 71, Salem Tech 10
Overbrook 34, Schalick 29Overbrook 80, Schalick 39

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — In the world of high school basketball, you either win big, lose or escape. The Pennsville girls “escaped” Tuesday night.

The Eagles and Glassboro battled through four quarters until Pennsville made the plays that put it over the top 39-34 to get back on the winning track after last week’s Diamond Division showdown loss at Woodstown.

“We escaped tonight,” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “If (Glassboro’s Kezia Brackett) had hit that 3 there at the end we’d have a tied ballgame. We were fortunate that didn’t happen.”

There were a number of factors that led to the game going the way it did. First of all, there was Glassboro’s defense, which may have been the most tenacious Pennsville has seen all season. And the shots that seemingly fell from everywhere at Woodstown didn’t fall at home against the Bulldogs and admittedly took the Eagles out of their rhythm.

But when one aspect of the game isn’t working you have make up for it in other ways.

The Eagles did it by getting on the boards. They collected 28 rebounds in the game, with freshman Jaida Burns getting eight and Marley Wood and Nora Ausland grabbing six apiece.

“I harped pre-game that it was absolutely critical that we get some rebounds,” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said. “I talked to my two girls in the middle and told them they need to stay in that middle and I spoke to the guards and let them know when you’re not shooting you need to get in there and get after a rebound.”

Ausland was held scoreless for the first time in her Pennsville career as she marches towards 1,000 career points, but she helped the Eagles in other ways, especially down the stretch. She had three rebounds in the fourth quarter, two steals in the final two minutes when it was still a two-point game and delivered a sharp assist to Burns for the win-sealing layup with 8.2 seconds left.

Marley Wood got the Eagles going with 12 points in the first quarter and she finished with a game-high 16. Taylor Bass had 10 points. Freshman Addie Johnston had seven, including a buzzer-beater in the third quarter that gave Pennsville a 31-28 lead.

The Bulldogs were playing without Tamia Smith. The senior was sidelined with a shoulder injury, one point shy of becoming the fifth-leading scorer in Glassboro history. 

PENNSVILLE 39, GLASSBORO 34
GLASSBORO (5-7): Sanaa Thomas 2 1-2 7, Kezia Brackett 4 2-4 11, Kimora Miles 2 0-0 4, Sianna Wedderburn 3 1-3 7, Lily Czubas 2 2-2 6, Grace Moore 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 6-11 34.
PENNSVILLE (8-3): Taylor Bass 3 3-4 10, Marley Wood 6 2-6 16, Izzy Saulin 1 0-0 2, Nora Ausland 0 0-0 0, Jaida Burns 2 1-2 5, Addie Johnston 3 0-0 7. Totals 15 6-12 39.

Glassboro143116-34
Pennsville14988-39
3-point goals: Glassboro 2 (Thomas 2); Pennsville 3 (Wood 2, Johnston). Rebounds: Pennsville 28 (Johnston 9, Ausland 6, Wood 6). Technical foul: Thomas. Total fouls: Glassboro 9, Pennsville 9.

WOODSTOWN 68, PENNS GROVE 52: The Wolverines extended a number of streaks in what coach Matt Smart called a game of “stepping up,” one in which several players stepped up to fill roles that evolved as the game wore on.

It was Woodstown’s seventh straight win. It also was their 38th in a row over TCC Diamond Division opponents and 34th straight against Salem County rivals.

“We went into the game with our third starting lineup of the year due to sickness,” Smart said. “Emma Perry, who has been a stalwart for our team this year, came into the starting lineup and played great defense with a couple steals and then knocked down some big shots for us in the second quarter.

“She’s always so stoic on the basketball court, just doing her job, but today she had a big smile on her face after making some big plays.” 

Megan Donelson hit five 3-pointers and led Woodstown with 24 points to become only the third player in program history with 1,400 points. Lauren Hengel had a career-high 17 points – nine in the second quarter – and Talia Battavio had 13 to remain ahead of her high-scoring teammate on the school’s all-time scoring list.

“Talia went down in the first quarter, which caused Donelson to pick up her game,” Smart said. “She was attacking the basket, knocking down big 3s and making incredible passes to teammates. Where she stepped up her game was on the defensive end and her leadership.

“She constantly puts her body on the line and today she took two big charges. She gave girls like Emma, Kendall Young and Bryn Ecret the confidence to enter the game in critical moments and make some big plays.”

Perry and Young each had a pair of buckets in the second quarter when the Wolverines started pulling away.

Penns Grove’s RaNiyah Wilson led all scorers with a career-high 35 points to move over 900 for her career. It was her fifth career 30-point game and second this year. She had six second-half 3-pointers, four in the fourth quarter to try to bring the Red Devils back.

Smart praised her as a “phenomenal player who can score the ball from anywhere over half court.”

PENNS GROVE (6-5): RaNiyah Wilson 13 3-10 35, Brianna Robbins 3 3-4 10, Syanna Robbins 0 0-0 0, JaNiyah Cummings 2 1-2 5, Mikayla Washington 1 0-0 2, Keziah Patterson 0 0-0 0, NyAsia Numan 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 7-16 52.
WOODSTOWN (11-2): Talia Battavio 6 0-0 13, Megan Donelson 8 3-3 24, Lauren Hengel 7 3-3 17, Kyia Leyman 0 2-6 2, Emma Perry 3 0-0 6, Ryann Foote 0 0-0 0, Kendall Young 2 0-0 4, Lizzy Daly 0 0-0 0, Jala Thomas 0 0-0 0, Brynley Ecret 0 2-2 2. Totals 26 8-12 68.

Penns Grove1081420-52
Woodstown1720238-68

3-point goals: Penns Grove 7 (Wilson 6, B. Robbins). Woodstown 6 (Battavio, Donelson 5). Fouled out: Cummings. Total fouls: Penns Grove 13, Woodstown 9. Officials: Cooper, Brown.

OVERBROOK 34, SCHALICK 29: Jael Pressley scored 15 points and Gianna Simon had 13 to lead Overbrook. Pressley attacked the basket and went 7-of-21 from the free throw line.

Schalick (2-7)87410-29
Overbrook (3-10)61279-34

Boys games

SALEM 71, SALEM TECH 10: Xavier McGriff led three players in double figures and 10 scorers with 13 points as the Rams swamped the Chargers. Tymear Lecator and Antwuan Rogers had 10 points apiece.

Salem Tech (0-13)2242-10
Salem (6-8)26181910-71

GLASSBORO 87, PENNSVILLE 30 Xavier Sabb scored 28 points, Kenny Smith scored 27 and the Bulldogs scored more than enough points in the first quarter to hand the Eagles their ninth straight loss.

Sabb and Smith both hit three 3-pointers in the game. They had four of the six the Bulldogs hit in the first quarter as they opened a 35-3 lead. Sabb scored 12 points in the quarter, while Smith and Aiden Harris each had eight.

Jovanni Rios led Pennsville with eight points. Arturus Franzy had four points, but had seven rebounds and four blocked shots.

PENNSVILLE (1-11): Artutus Franzy 2-6 0-0 4, Jovanni Rios 3-12 2-6 8, C.J. McDevitt 1-11 2-4 4, Logan Hitt 0-1 0-0 0, Cole Johnston 2-8 0-0 4, Perry Meranti 2-4 0-0 4, Danny Knight 1-2 0-0 3, Jacob Miller 1-1 0-0 3, Gavin Spears 0-0 0-0 0, Noah Owen 0-0 0-0 0, Griffin Hern 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-45 4-10 30.
GLASSBORO (6-7): Xavier Sabb 12 1-6 28, Kenny Smith 10 4-6 27, Tae Thomas 4 1-1 9, Alex Adeleye 6 0-0 14, Aiden Harris 4 0-0 8, Will Boggans 0 1-2 1, Jude Dempster 0 0-0 0. Totals: 36 7-15 87.

Pennsville39135-30
Glassboro35122317-87

3-point goals: Pennsville 2-9 (Rios 0-2, McDevitt 0-1, Hitt 0-1, Johnston 0-3, Knight 1-1, Miller 1-1); Glassboro 8 (Sabb 3, Smith 3, Adeleye 2). Rebounds: Pennsville 28 (Franzy 7, Meranti 6, Rios 5). Total fouls: Pennsville 11, Glassboro 10.

OVERBROOK 80, SCHALICK 39 
OVERBROOK (13-2): Lamar Little 12 0-0 29, Xavier Wright 5 3-3 14, Zair Green 7 2-6 17, Elvin Santiago 1 0-1 2, Bilal Robinson 1 0-0 3, Jayden Wilkerson 2 0-0 5, Jaden St. John 3 1-1 7, JR Stanley 1 0-0 3. Totals 32 6-11 80.
SCHALICK (4-10): Reggie Allen 3 2-5 11, Jase Volovar 1 0-0 3, Nylan Sutton 3 2-3 8, Sherrod Jones 3 2-2 10, Jamari Whitley 0 0-0 0, Justin Iacona 1 0-0 3, Zaeshawn Mills 1 0-0 2, Sean Kelly 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 6-10 39.

Overbrook22232510-80
Schalick851610-39

3-point goals: Overbrook 10 (Little 5, Wright, Green, Robinson, Wilkerson, Stanley); Schalick 5 (Allen, Volovar, Jones 2, Iacona).

SALEM COUNTY ALL-TIME GIRLS SCORING LISTTODAYPOINTS
Katie Kline, Pennsville (2004) 2110
Amanda Young, St. James (1995) 1762
Sharias Hill, Penns Grove (2009) 1661
Tia Furbush, Schalick (2021) 1574
Tori Smick, Woodstown (2013) 1566
Talia Battavio, Woodstown131423
Megan Donelson, Woodstown241411
Crystal Bailey, Schalick (1984) 1406
Stephanie Owen, Woodstown (1993) 1381
1000-POINT WATCH  
Nora Ausland, Pennsville (Salem 462/Pennsville 480)0942
RaNiyah Wilson, Penns Grove (Kingsway 251/PG 657)35908
Marley Wood, Pennsville16878

Through games of Jan. 21

Getting on a roll

Penns Grove puts three scorers in double figures, wins second game in a row for first time this season

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODBURY – The Penns Grove basketball team took a significant step towards their long-range season goal Monday when it beat Burlington City 69-45 in the MLK Showcase at Woodbury High School.

It was the Red Devils’ second straight win constituting their first winning streak of the season. It may not seem like much, but the fact wasn’t lost on coach Damian Ware.

“It’s funny; I told my coaches on the bus that’s our first two-game winning streak all season,” Ware said. “It means a lot because to string wins together is tough, especially with the competition level we play in the non-conference. Our non-conference schedule is always loaded up with biggest schools and prep schools, so it’s tough to string wins together.

“But the goal for me in the regular season is to prepare the team for the second half of the season. Some teams, you want to play and you want to rack up wins. You play lower competition you can rack up wins, but my goal is not to rack up wins, the goal is to prepare the kids for the tough stretch at the end of the season.

“It’s hard to get wins early in the season for us because we’re playing tougher teams, but as we move into our conference and our schedule now, you want to start trying to put wins together. That builds that confidence. The thing about our team now is we’re playing with a lot of camaraderie. We’re really starting to play together now. We’re really starting to understand it.”

Despite having the weakest overall record among the top 12 teams, the Red Devils (4-7) currently sit ninth in the South Jersey Group I power points standings. They play current No. 5 Woodstown in their next game Wednesday night.

The Red Devils placed three scorers in double figures – Karon Ceaser (17), Roman Gipson (16) and Brandin Robbins (13). Ceaser is averaging 18 points a game in the winning streak, 17.0 over the last three games.

They took control of this one with a big start and closed it out with a big finish. They opened a 17-6 lead in the first quarter and finished with a 17-7 fourth. They could have had a similar run in the second had they protected the ball better, but they got moving too fast for their own good and had several turnovers that Burlington City turned into runout layups to play them even.

“The first quarter I always stress to the kids coming out with energy,” Ware said. “There were times in other games where we came out slow and let teams jump on us. I always stress we want to be a team that jumps out on them. That’s part of understanding it and they’re starting to really understand the concepts we teach daily and it’s starting to show on the court now.

“In the fourth quarter we just controlled the game. We ran the clock a little bit and made some really good plays and our defense caused some turnovers as well because they were trying to rush (to get back in it) and we got run-out layups. We learned how to break their press in the fourth quarter.”

MLK SHOWCASE
PENNS GROVE 69, BURLINGTON CITY 45
PENNS GROVE (4-7) – Brandin Robbins 6-1-13, Roman Gipson 7-0-16, Karon Ceaser 6-3-17, Antoine Robinson 2-0-4, Jameel Horace 3-0-6, William Roy 4-0-8, Caleb Fowler 1-0-2, Mishawn Brantley 1-1-3. Totals 30-5-65.
BURLINGTON CITY (7-6) – Chase Downs 4 1-2 10, Jason Brown 7 0-0 14, Jamie Lambing 1 1-2 4, Giper Cosmio 1 2-2 5, Rashard Newkirk 3 0-0 6, Jarrett James 1 4-4 6. Totals 17 8-10 45.

Penns Grove 17211417-69
Burlington City620127-45
3-point goals: Penns Grove 4 (Gipson 2, Ceaser 2); Burlington City 3 (Downs, Lambing, Cosmio).

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Jan. 19-25

JAN. 20
BOYS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove vs. Burlington City at Woodbury, 11 a.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bridgeton at Pennsville, 11 a.m.
BOWLING
Salem vs. Cinnaminson at Laurel Lanes

JAN. 21
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Woodstown
Salem Tech at Salem
Schalick at Overbrook
BOYS BASKETBALL
Overbrook at Schalick, 7 p.m.
Pennsville at Glassboro
Salem at Salem Tech
BOWLING
Salem vs. ACIT at Wood Lanes
Salem Tech vs. Collingswood at Wood Lanes
SWIMMING
Woodstown vs. Pitman at GCIT, 3 p.m.
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Union College, 7 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Delaware Tech, 6 p.m.

JAN. 22
BOYS BASKETBALL
Woodstown at Penns Grove
WRESTLING
Schalick at Clayton
Gloucester Catholic at Salem
Timber Creek at Pennsville
Woodstown at Overbrook
TRACK
Pennsville, Penns Grove, Woodstown at Bennett Center, Toms River
Salem, Schalick at Ott Center, Philadelphia
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Clayton

JAN. 23
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Clayton at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Pitman at Schalick
Salem at Pennsville
Salem Tech at Overbrook
BOYS BASKETBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Woodstown, 4:30 p.m.
Pennsville at Salem
Penns Grove at Clayton
Schalick at Pitman
SWIMMING
Salem vs. Schalick at GCIT, 6 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem vs. Lindenwold at Wood Lanes
Salem Tech in NJTAC
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Williamson Trades at Salem CC, 4 p.m.

JAN. 24
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Buena at Salem, 4 p.m.
GCIT at Salem Tech
Pennsville at Delsea, 7 p.m.
SJIBT Tournament
Shawnee at Woodstown
BOYS BASKETBALL
Salem Tech at Buena
WRESTLING
Woodstown at Pennsville

JAN. 25
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Penns Grove at OLMA, 11 a.m.
Schalick at Camden County Tech, 11:30 a.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Camden County Tech at Schalick, 11:30 a.m.
Pennsville at Clearview, 11:30 a.m.
West Deptford at Woodstown, 11:30 a.m.
WRESTLING
Salem, Timber Creek, Lower Cape May at Haddon Heights
Schalick, Holy Spirit, Toms River North at Vineland
Clayton, Millville at Penns Grove
Woodstown, Hillsborough, West Essex at Watchung Hills
SWIMMING
SJISA Championships at GCIT, 4 p.m.
TRACK
Schalick at Bennett Center, Toms River
BOWLING
Salem vs. Eastern at 30 Strikes
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Northampton CC at Salem CC, 2 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Middlesex at Salem CC, noon

Time on their side

St. Clair’s layup gives Salem CC women the lead, then they hold on as Essex had two chances to win but couldn’t beat the clock for the game-winner.

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News 

NEWARK – The Salem CC women’s basketball team kept its drive for a playoff berth on track Saturday thanks in part to one of the basic rules of the game. Good thing for the Mighty Oaks college games are 40 minutes long, not 40 minutes and one second.

ST. CLAIR

The Mighty Oaks got back to .500 for the fourth time this season Saturday with a 76-75 win over Essex CC. The Wolverines played beat the clock and the Mighty Oaks won.

Sophomore guard Maggie St. Clair got a steal and layup with 30 seconds left to give Salem the lead and the Mighty Oaks held their collective breath as the Wolverines had an open look for the win but couldn’t get it off before the horn.

“Another second we would’ve lost,” Salem coach Brian Marsh said. “We’ve had some of those games where they went the other way, so it’s really nice to be on this end of it.”

The Mighty Oaks could never shake their hosts. They led by four at halftime and would go up eight to 10 points and the 3-9 Wolverines would keep coming back. 

There was relatively speaking a lot of time left after St. Clair put the Mighty Oaks ahead. Essex brought it back down and missed a shot. The Mighty Oaks rebounded with five seconds left and called time to get the ball to midcourt. It looked like it was over there.

But Caroline Zullo got into the backcourt on the inbounds play giving Essex the ball at midcourt with one last chance. The Mighty Oaks trapped the shooter in the corner and forced her to take an off-balance 3-pointer that went long. 

The Wolverines caught the rebound wide open on the other side, but horn went off before they could get off the putback.

LAURENCE

St. Clair finished with 20 points. Kathryn Laurence erupted for a career-high 26 on the strength of dix 3-pointers, tying her career high a career-high. She had been 1-for-7 behind the arc in each of her previous two games.

“Kathryn was lights out,” Marsh said. “The last couple games she’s really struggled shooting. I told her before, you’re a shooter, you’re going to make it; you’re going to get hot. 

“It’s just a confidence thing with her. We’ve been working with her. She hit the first one and it kind of got her going. She was just really looking for her shot. And the couple 2s she hit I think her foot was on the line. She was really going.”

The win brought the Mighty Oaks to 8-8 with eight games to play so they’ll have to go at least 4-4 down the stretch to make the playoffs. Teams either .500 overall or .500 in Region XIX make it to the postseason.

“We know what’s at stake here, but I am trying to take it one game at a time,” Marsh said. “You can’t make the playoffs all in one game. We’re just trying to take it one game at a time and this isa huge one on the road.

“As I told them, they came to our place and got a win, so now it’s our turn to go to their place and get a win, and that’s exactly what we did.”

Just in the nick of time.

SALEM CC 76, ESSEX CC 75
SALEM CC (8-8) – Kathryn Laurence 10 0-0 26, Jakayla Jenkins 1 5-7 7, Maggie St. Clair 9 0-0 20, Caroline Zullo 3 0-0 7, Nyaijah Jackson 4 1-2 9, Dani Gustin 1 0-0 2, Akira Chambers 2 1-4 5, RayNescia King 0 0-0 0, Alexa Hopkins 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 7-13 76.
ESSEX CC (3-9) – Natalie Fonseca 0 3-3 3, Kaheema McDonald 0 2-2 2, MiaMarie Thomas 1 0-0 2, Jakira Coar 11 0-0 26, Katherinne Avecillas 4 0-0 10, Basirat Animashaun 3 1-1 7, Michelle Hernandez 4 0-0 8, Mya Jackson 0 0-0 0, Kayley Lynch 4 9-9 17. Totals 27 15-15 75.

Salem CC27171517-76
Essex CC23181819-75
3-point goals: Salem CC 9 (Laurence 6, St. Clair 2, Zullo); Essex CC 6 (Coar 4, Avecillas 2). Fouled out: Chambers, Lynch. Total fouls: Salem CC 18, Essex CC 15.

Winning the end game

Mighty Oaks pull away from tight game in final two minutes, working through a needed challenge for the gauntlet that lies ahead

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – The game was a lot closer than anybody wearing green and grey would have liked, but considering what the Salem CC basketball team is about to run into it was probably the best thing that could happen to it.

The Mighty Oaks head into the most demanding stretch of the season, one that will determine their starting point in the Region XIX playoffs, when they play the other four top five teams in their next six games, starting with region-leading Union Tuesday night. 

Some might say that stretch started Saturday with an 88-81 win over Passaic, which played said Union to a two-point game its last time out.

After Saturday’s games around the league, they remain third in the Region XIX standings by winning percentage, but second behind Union based on games behind the leader. (See the updated standings elsewhere on the website)

Over the next 17 days the Mighty Oaks (15-4) play at Union (1), Northampton (4), at CC of Philadelphia (5) and at Montgomery (2) with a couple trap games with Williamson Trades (12-7) and Luzerne (4-9) in between. They won the first five games of their current season-best six-game winning streak by an average of 33.4 points with a couple 60-point blowouts and might have started getting comfortable with their position so a game like Saturday provided a reminder of what it’s like to be challenged.

“We’ve never been in a position like that,” freshman double-double machine Jyheim Spencer said. “It’s always we’re blowing teams out, we’re blowing teams out. We needed that type of challenge to where the game is close so we could see how we reacted. I feel we reacted well.”

“We needed this,” added sophomore Akeem Taylor. “The best teams always put on the toughest game. Some games aren’t going to be that pretty. A lot of games are ugly that you win, but the good teams always pull them out.”

The Panthers (9-9) matched Salem’s athleticism and gave the Mighty Oaks all they could handle. Before the start of the second half, Panthers coach Anthony Virgil reminded his team of the importance of the first five minutes, but they lost it in the final two minutes.

Salem CC’s Akeem Taylor (24) drives to the basket during his big second half Saturday against Passaic County CC. Taylor had his first double-double with the Mighty Oaks and second 30-point game. (Photo by John Holt)

It was tight throughout the second half with neither team holding what would be a comfortable lead. The Mighty Oaks took the lead for good 76-75 on a Tyrese Fortune free throw with 2:31 to play, then outscored the Panthers 12-6 over the final 1:51 to nail it down.

“They challenged us big time, maybe moreso than anybody in a long while,” Mighty Oaks coach Mike Green said. “We responded. In those last two minutes our guys buckled down and they executed.”

The separation started with a three-point play by Taylor and included a thunderous dunk by the sophomore with 24 seconds left that provided a watershed moment for the player. After the three-point play, he blocked a shot on the other end that sent Tamir Powell off on a breakaway layup. Taylor hit another free throw to make it 82-75, the delivered the death blow.

“I hadn’t dunked in a long time because of my ankle, so when I saw I was open I was like this is the one,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to dunk like that next game but I needed that one. I was like this is the one. My eyes lit up.”

Taylor and Spencer both had double-doubles. It was Taylor’s first and Spencer’s fourth. They both joined the team off the injured list Jan. 7, five games ago.

Taylor had 32 points – 22 in the second half – and 11 rebounds. He hit 13 of 22 shots from the floor (8-of-10 in the second half) and also had six assists and three blocked shots.
 
Spencer grabbed almost every rebound in the first five minutes of the game and despite playing on a balky ankle that had him noticeably limping by the end of the game finished with 10 points without missing a shot, 18 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He’s had three straight double-doubles.

“That’s my role on the team, to run the floor, block shots and get the rebounds for my teammates; that’s really my role on the court,” Spencer said. “My ankle was so messed up so I’m trying to focus on something other than trying to score the ball, something that’s going to help my team out.”

Photo of Salem CC’s Akeem Taylor (24) and Jyheim Spencer (32) at the basket Saturday by John Holt.

SALEM CC 88, PASSAIC 81
PASSAIC COUNTY CC (9-9) – Keymani Nevers 5-12 1-2 11, Ladorien Ladson 4-8 1-4 9, Shindon Thompson 5-12 1-1 12, Jayquan Briggs 7-19 5-6 19, Steven Rodriguez 5-13 2-4 14, Anthony Valdez 1-3 0-0 2, Josh Renta 0-1 0-0 0, A’Juwan Tiggs 4-8 1-2 9, Leonardo Torres 0-1 0-0 0, Josiah Etienne 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 33-81 11-19 81.
SALEM CC (15-4) – Tamir Powell 5-12 1-2 12, Tyrese Fortune 2-5 3-7 7, Xavier Brewington 1-10 2-4 4, Akeen Taylor 13-22 6-8 32, Jyheim Spencer 4-4 2-2 10, Dontavius Jones 3-4 2-2 9, A.J. Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Tivon Woolford 2-2 0-0 4, Josh Ramos 2-5 0-0 5, Taje’e Jordan 1-2 0-0 2, Stefan Phillips 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 34-68 17-27 88.

Passaic 3249-81
Salem CC3850-88
3-point goals: Passaic 4-10 (Thompson 1-3, Rodriguez 2-5, Valdez 0-1, Etienne 1-1); Salem 3-13 (Powell 1-3, Fortune 0-2, Brewington 0-3, Taylor 0-1, D. Jones 1-1, Ramos 1-3) Rebounds: Passaic 37 (Briggs 12, Nevers 8, Rodriguez 8); Salem 48 (Taylor 11, Spencer 18). Total fouls: Passaic 22, Salem 20.

Salem County Saturday

Here are the results of Saturday’s high school action involving Salem County teams

Boys basketball

LENAPE 65, SALEM 42: The Indians (9-3) locked down on Salem with depth and tough defense over the first three quarters to score a matinee win.

SALEM (5-8) – Donnie Weathers 2 0-0 4, Xavier McGriff 1 2-2 5, Neziah Spence 3 1-1 8, Tymear Lecator 3 2-4 10, DeShaan Williams 3 3-8 9, Antwuan Rogers 2 1-2 5, Joe Tunis 0 1-2 1. Totals 14 10-19 42.
LENAPE (9-3) – Nolan Barnes 5 1-1 13, Frank Berny 1 0-0 2, Jaidyn Boyd 3 0-2 6, Mehki Carter 7 0-1 14, Xayvion Chapman 3 0-2 7, Brett Halfpenny 1 0-0 2, Henry Laskowski 1 0-0 3, Nate Myer 2 0-0 4, Colin Myers 1 0-0 3, Tyree Thorp 2 0-0 4, Amire Wheeler 1 1-2 4, Keegan Weipz 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 2-8 65.

Salem77919-42
Lenape12151721-65
3-point goals: Salem 4 (McGriff, Spence, Lecator 2); Lenape 7 (Barnes 2, Chapman, Halfpenny, Laskowski, Myers, Wheeler).

Wrestling
Woodstown Quad

WOODSTOWN 65, BUENA 15
132: Thomas Hann (B) tech fall over Louie Scholl, 15-0 (4:00)
138: Gionni Sharkey (B) pinned Ryan Polk, 0:51
144: Sincere Cook-Reese (WO) tech fall over Gage Forvour, 21-6 (2:32)
150: Thomas Lacy (WO) won by forfeit
157: Lucas Gellura (B) pinned Brett Rowand, 4:22
165: Laitton Roberts (WO) won by forfeit
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) won by forfeit
190: Paul Banff (WO) won by forfeit
215: Walter Carter (WO) pinned Brian Passamante, 4:16
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned David Cordero, 0:45
106: Hunter Allen (WO) pinned Gianna Edwards, 2:13
113: Chase Blandino (WO) pinned Aubrey Raum, 0:48
120: Carson Bradway (WO) won by forfeit
126: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Donato Vai, 1:28

WOODSTOWN 55, HADDON HEIGHTS 18
120: Cole Denning (H) dec. Carson Bradway, 8-3
126: Walker Battavio (WO) maj. dec. over Brennan Albright, 12-2
132: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Liam Loftus, 0:52
138: Ryan Polk (WO) pinned Leo Falco, 3:33
144: Ryan Bailey (H) pinned Sincere Cook-Reese, 1:38
150: Thomas Lacy (WO) tech fall over Michael Fitter, 21-5 (5:50)
157: Brett Rowand (WO) pinned Jayden Bonilla, 2:34
165: Andrew Gutkin (H) dec. Laitton Roberts, 9-8
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) pinned Jacob Gutkin, 2:49
190: Paul Banff (WO) pinned Joel Martinez, 3:03
215: Walter Carter (WO) won by forfeit
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) pinned Matthew Kusamotu, 1:16
106: Hunter Allen (WO) maj. dec. over Aniello Napolitano, 13-3
113: Michael Ferraro (H) pinned Chase Blandino, 4:00

WOODSTOWN 57, PENNSAUKEN 15
126: Travis Balback (WO) pinned Brandon Thach, 1:06
132: Louie Scholl (WO) maj. dec. over Gabriel Algaba, 10-0
138: Amari Martinez (P) pinned Ryan Polk, 1:25
144: Travis Ngeth (P) pinned Sincere Cook-Reese, 3:41
150: Chrisopher Allen (P) dec. Thomas Lacy, 10-4
157: Brett Rowand (WO) pinned Cyrus Davis, 0:57
165: Laitton Roberts (WO) pinned Carlos Andujar, 1:07
175: Greyson Hyland (WO) tech fall over Mikhi Johnson, 16-0 (3:18)
190: Paul Banff (WO) dec. Kameron Hoskins, 8-7
215: Walter Carter (WO) pinned Alex Zayas, 1:06
285: Mateo Vinciguerra (WO) won by forfeit
106: Chase Blandino (WO) won by forfeit
113: Hunter Allen (WO) pinned Jovanni Hernandez, 3:53
120: Carson Bradway (WO) dec. Zachary Slimm, 7-1

Vineland Quad

PENNSVILLE vs. COLLINGSWOOD
PENNSVILLE vs. STERLING
PENNSVILLE vs. VINELAND

Pitman Quad

PITMAN 56, PENNS GROVE 24
113: Grady Datz (P) pinned Avery Curriden, 3:39
120: King Iglesia (P) won by forfeit
126: Isaac Gaspariano-Robbins (P) tech fall over Adan Gonzales, 17-0 (3:46)
132: Devine Arce (PG) won by forfeit
138: Nate Wenzke (P) won by forfeit
144: Jacob Lawrence (P) pinned Abdul Tart, 1:40
150: Aidan Upham (P) won by forfeit
157: Tre Brown (PG) won by forfeit
165: Chris McIntyre (P) won by forfeit
175: Clinton Bobo (P) won by forfeit
190: Anthony Cappello (P) dec. Julian Espino, 3-1
215: Aiden Milward (P) pinned Antonio Cooper, 1:40
285: Maliq Reddick (PG) pinned Elijah Lowe, 1:19
106: Skylar Lawrence (P) pinned Jose Santiago, 1:50

PITMAN 57, SALEM 18
106: Grady Datz (P) won by forfeit
113: King Iglesia (P) won by forfeit
120: Jordan Pham (P) won by forfeit
126: Isaac Gaspariano-Robbins (P) pinned Guylherme Quintanilha, 2:45
132: Nate Wenzke (P) won by forfeit
138: Cassidy Werkheiser (S) won by forfeit
144: Jacob Lawrence (P) won by forfeit
150: Aidan Upham (P) won by forfeit
157: Chris McIntyre (P) won by forfeit
165: Tytiana Miller (S) won by forfeit
175: Anthony Cappello (P) won by forfeit
190: Double forfeit
215: Aiden Milward (P) dec. Abdur Jenkins, 7-0
285: Abdullah Jenkins (S) pinned Nicolas Horner, 0:21

Schalick Quad

SCHALICK 50, HADDON TWP. 19
106: Emma Cain (S) won by forfeit
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Sok Hoy, 0:57
120: Andrew Marshall (H) pinned E’Shion Underwood, 1:00
126: Luke Silva (S) maj. dec. over Owen Ziegler, 15-4
132: Gabe Slafman (H) maj. dec. over Ryan Miller, 14-3
138: Thomas Andrews (H) tech fall over Michael Baisch, 19-0 (3:59)
144: Ayden Jenkins (S) dec. Brady Mokiod, 8-5
150: Koen Martin (S) pinned Justin Capri, 3:10
157: Riley Papiano (S) dec. Ryan Henry, 7-3
165: Eric Sulik (S) tech fall over Damian Shepherd, 18-2 (4:38)
175: Ricky Watt (S) tech fall over Antonio Reyes, 23-5 (5:30)
190: Dezyon Purnell (S) won by forfeit
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) pinned Elijah Borowicz, 3:59
285: Sean Weikel (H) maj. dec. over Aiden Torres, 13-0

SCHALICK 60. PEMBERTON 12
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Kayden Valasquez, 4:33
120: E’Shion Underwood (S) won by forfeit
126: Luke Silva (S) maj. dec. over Carlos Hilton, 10-0
132: Ryan Miller (S) pinned Jariel Daiz, 0:22
138: Michael Baisch (S) pinned Amari Lewis, 0:57
144: Ayden Jenkins (S) tech fall over Ali Rehman, 20-2 (3:47)
150: Koen Martin (S) pinned Aiden McCleaf, 0:26
157: Riley Papiano (S) pinned Keshawn Richardson, 0:42
165: Eric Sulik (S) pinned Mavrick Willits, 3:40
175: Ricky Watt (S) over Jaden Edwards, SV-1 11-8
190: Yuhann Linares (P) pinned Dezyon Purnell, 0:27
215: Gerardo Felipe (S) pinned Brendan Arnwine, 3:24
285: Jahad Goffeny (P) dec. Julian Reid, 13-11
106: Harley Donald (P) dec. Emma Cain, 14-13

SCHALICK 41, DEPTFORD 31
120: Daniel Jimenez (D) pinned E’Shion Underwood, 5:45
126: Luke Silva (S) dec. Amir Barnes, 10-3
132: Ethan Christmas (D) maj. dec. over Ryan Miller, 19-9
138: Jayden Lawrence (D) pinned Michael Baisch, 1:35
144: Ayden Jenkins (S) pinned Amir Barnes, 2:24
150: Koen Martin (S) pinned Odess Myers, 5:34
157: Riley Papiano (S) tech fall over Devin Trotter, 15-0 (3:55)
165: Eric Sulik (S) maj. dec. over Mel Maguire, 11-0
175: Ricky Watt (S) won by forfeit
190: Joseph Crowley (D) over Evan Elliott, def.
215: John Griffith (D) over Gerardo Felipe, TB-1 3-2
285: Julian Reid (S) pinned Daniel Maguire, 3:32
106: Corey Hoffman (D) pinned Emma Cain, 5:41
113: Caleb Jenkins (S) pinned Braeden Hutchins, 0:37
NOTE: Schalick deducted one team point for taunting.

TCC Standings

Here are the Tri-County Conference boys and girls basketball standings in the Classic and Diamond Divisions; games at 5:30 p.m. unless noted; standings through Jan. 18

Girls standings

CLASSIC DIVISIONOVDIVGCWWCLPISTSA
Gloucester Catholic 9-15-0—WWWWW
Wildwood8-24-1L—WWWW
Clayton8-23-2LL—WWW
Pitman4-72-3LLL—WW
Salem Tech2-71-4LLLL—W
Salem0-100-5LLLLL—
DIAMOND DIVISIONOVDIVWOPVPGGLSCOB
Woodstown10-25-0—WWWWW
Pennsville7-34-1L—WWWW
Penns Grove6-43-2LL—WWW
Glassboro5-62-3LLL—WW
Schalick2-61-4LLLL—W
Overbrook2-100-5LLLLL—

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Clearview 48, Glassboro 28
Kingsway 60, Pitman 18
Gloucester 53, Salem 21
Camden Tech at Salem Tech
Clayton 49, Lindenwold 34
Woodstown 65, Pennsville 56

MONDAY’S GAME
Bridgeton at Pennsville, 11 a.m.

Boys standings

CLASSIC DIVISIONOVDIVPISAGCWWCLST
Pitman8-25-0—WWWWW
Salem5-84-1L—WWWW
Gloucester Catholic5-82-3LL—LWW
Clayton6-52-3LLLW—W
Wildwood4-72-3LLW—LW
Salem Tech0-120-5LLLLL—
DIAMOND DIVISIONOVDIVOBGLPGWOSCPV
Overbrook 12-25-0—WWWWW
Glassboro5-73-2L—WLWW
Penns Grove3-73-2LL—WWW
Woodstown7-33-2LWL—WW
Schalick4-81-4LLLL—W
Pennsville1-100-5LLLLL—

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Clayton 87, Lindenwold 82
GCIT 65, Salem Tech 22
Woodstown 92, Pennsville 47

SATURDAY’S GAMES
Cinnaminson 57, Pitman 49
Overbrook 62, Washington Twp. 44
Glassboro 56, Gloucester 46
Lenape 65, Salem 42

SUNDAY’S GAME
Newark vs. Everybody Showcase
at Weequahic HS
Penns Grove vs. Shabazz, 2:30 p.m.

MONDAY’S GAME
Penns Grove vs. Burlington City at Woodbury, 5:15 p.m.

Winning the end game

Both Salem CC teams earn important victories Saturday, each pulling them out late in the game

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – The game was a lot closer than anybody wearing green and grey would have liked, but considering what the Salem CC basketball team is about to run into it was probably the best thing that could happen to it.

The Mighty Oaks head into the most demanding stretch of the season, a stretch that will determine their starting point in the Region XIX playoffs, when they play four of the other top five teams in their next six games, including region-leading Union Tuesday night. Some might say that stretch started Saturday with an 88-81 win over Passaic, which played said Union to a two-point game its last time out.

The Panthers matched Salem’s athleticism and gave the Mighty Oaks all they could handle. Before the start of the second half, Panthers coach Anthony Virgil reminded his team of the importance of the first five minutes of the half, but they lost it in the final two minutes.

The Mighty Oaks (15-4) took a 76-75 lead on a Tyrese Fortune free throw with 2:31 to play, then outscored the Panthers 12-6 over the final 1:51 to snag the victory extend their longest winning streak of the season to six games.

The separation started with a three-point play by Taylor and included a thunderous dunk by the sophomore with 24 seconds left that put it away and provided a watershed moment for the player.

Taylor and Jyheim Spencer both had double-doubles. Taylor had 32 points – 22 in the second half – and 11 rebounds. He hit 13 of 22 shots from the floor and also had six assists and three blocked shots. Spencer grabbed almost every rebound in the first five minutes of the game and despite playing on a balky ankle finished with 10 points, 18 rebounds five assists and three blocks.

This story will be updated.

Photo of Salem CC’s Akeem Taylor (24) and Jyheim Spencer (32) at the basket Saturday by John Holt.

PASSAIC COUNTY CC (9-9) – Keymani Nevers 5-12 1-2 11, Ladorien Ladson 4-8 1-4 9, Shindon Thompson 5-12 1-1 12, Jayquan Briggs 7-19 5-6 19, Steven Rodriguez 5-13 2-4 14, Anthony Valdez 1-3 0-0 2, Josh Renta 0-1 0-0 0, A’Juwan Tiggs 4-8 1-2 9, Leonardo Torres 0-1 0-0 0, Josiah Etienne 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 33-81 11-19 81.
SALEM CC (15-4) – Tamir Powell 5-12 1-2 12, Tyrese Fortune 2-5 3-7 7, Xavier Brewington 1-10 2-4 4, Akeen Taylor 13-22 6-8 32, Jyheim Spencer 4-4 2-2 10, Dontavius Jones 3-4 2-2 9, A.J. Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Tivon Woolford 2-2 0-0 4, Josh Ramos 2-5 0-0 5, Taje’e Jordan 1-2 0-0 2, Stefan Phillips 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 34-68 17-27 88.

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Salem CC3850-88
3-point goals: Passaic 4-10 (Thompson 1-3, Rodriguez 2-5, Valdez 0-1, Etienne 1-1); Salem 3-13 (Powell 1-3, Fortune 0-2, Brewington 0-3, Taylor 0-1, D. Jones 1-1, Ramos 1-3) Rebounds: Passaic 37 (Briggs 12, Nevers 8, Rodriguez 8); Salem 48 (Taylor 11, Spencer 18). Total fouls: Passaic 22, Salem 20.

St. Clair hits game-winner

NEWARK – Maggie St. Clair hit a layup with 30 seconds left and the Salem CC women played tight defense to force Essex into a bad shot at the end to pull out a 76-75 win and keep their region playoff hopes alive.

St. Clair finished with 20 points. Kathryn Laurence erupted for a career-high 26 on the strength of a career-high tying six 3-pointers

The win brought the Mighty Oaks to 8-8 on the season with eight games to play. Teams either .500 overall or .500 in Region XIX make it to the postseason.

This story will be updated.

SALEM CC 76, ESSEX CC 75
SALEM CC (8-8) – Kathryn Laurence 10 0-0 26, Jakayla Jenkins 1 5-7 7, Maggie St. Clair 9 0-0 20, Caroline Zullo 3 0-0 7, Nyaijah Jackson 4 1-2 9, Dani Gustin 1 0-0 2, Akira Chambers 2 1-4 5, RayNescia King 0 0-0 0, Alexa Hopkins 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 7-13 76.
ESSEX CC (3-9) – Natalie Fonseca 0 3-3 3, Kaheema McDonald 0 2-2 2, MiaMarie Thomas 1 0-0 2, Jakira Coar 11 0-0 26, Katherinne Avecillas 4 0-0 10, Basirat Animashaun 3 1-1 7, Michelle Hernandez 4 0-0 8, Mya Jackson 0 0-0 0, Kayley Lynch 4 9-9 17. Totals 27 15-15 75.

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3-point goals: Salem CC 9 (Laurence 6, St. Clair 2, Zullo); Essex CC 6 (Coar 4, Avecillas 2). Fouled out: Chambers, Lynch. Total fouls: Salem CC 18, Essex CC 15.