Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Feb. 10-15; all events 5:30 p.m. unless noted, watch the weather
FEB. 10
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Schalick at Winslow, 3:45 p.m.
Penns Grove at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Salem at LEAP, 4 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Triton
Pitman at Penns Grove
Salem at Winslow, 5:15 p.m.
Schalick at Wildwood
Woodstown at Mastery Charter
BOYS BOWLING
South Jersey Group 2 Tournament
At Laurel Lanes
Salem Tech vs. Cinnaminson, 3:45 p.m.
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem at Ocean Breeze, Staten Island
SWIMMING
NJSIAA Sectionals
Woodstown vs. Seneca at Camden County Tech, 4:45 p.m.
WRESTLING
South Jersey Group I Tournament
Quarterfinals
At Audubon
Pitman at Audubon
Haddon Twp. vs. Schalick
At Paulsboro
Woodstown vs. Pennsville
Palmyra at Paulsboro, 6 p.m.
Semifinals
At Audubon, 7 p.m.
At Paulsboro, 7:30 p.m.
FEB. 11
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Salem, 4 p.m.
Pennsville vs. Clayton at Wells Fargo Center, 2:30 p.m.
Salem Tech at Pitman
Woodstown at Schalick
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Penns Grove
Salem Tech at Pitman, 7 p.m.
Salem at Gloucester Catholic, 7 p.m.
Schalick at Woodstown
GIRLS BOWLING
South Jersey Group I Tournament
At Thunderbowl, Wrightstown
Salem vs. New Egypt, 3 p.m.
At Wood Lanes, Woodstown
Salem Tech vs. Point Pleasant Boro, 3:45 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Mercer CC, 5 p.m.
FEB. 12
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Clearview at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
WRESTLING
Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 6 p.m.
Manchester Twp. at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m.
South Jersey Group I Team Finals
FEB. 13
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Pitman
Penns Grove at Salem, 4 p.m.
LEAP Academy at Schalick, 7 p.m.
Woodstown at Salem Tech
BOYS BASKETBALL
Salem at Penns Grove
Salem Tech at Woodstown
Schalick at Pennsauken Tech
GIRLS BOWLING
South Jersey Group I Tournament
Salem Tech-PP Boro winner vs. Salem-New Egypt winner
BOYS BOWLING
South Jersey Group I Tournament
At Ocean Lanes, Lakewood
Salem vs. Donovan Catholic, 3 p.m.
South Jersey Group 2 Tournament
Salem Tech-Cinnaminson winner vs. Gloucester
FEB. 14
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Triton at Schalick
BOYS BASKETBALL
Salem Tech at Camden Academy Charter
WRESTLING
Schalick, Burlington Twp., Maple Shade at Cherry Hill West, 4 p.m.
FEB. 15
WRESTLING
Pennsville, Barnegat, Cherokee at Notre Dame, 9 a.m.
Penns Grove, Rancocas Valley, Sterling at Highland, 9 a.m.
Central Regional, Delran, Haddon Heights at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
TRACK
NJSIAA Sectionals at Bennett Center, 9 a.m.
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Sussex County CC, 2 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Lackawanna, 1 p.m.
Category: SALEM CC
On the rebound
Salem CC’s Jyheim Spencer making most of his second chance at life, college basketball, putting a dark past in his rear view mirror
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Rebounding is a part of basketball that by its very nature is built on heart and hard work. Nobody just becomes a good rebounder; it’s something you have to want to do.
It’s the kind of skill, really, that rewards a player who doesn’t mind getting in the middle of it and mixing it up.
On the defensive end, it clears away any challenge an opponent throws at you. On the offensive end, it sets up you or your teammates for a second chance to succeed.
It’s the perfect metaphor for the saga of Jyheim Spencer and the second chance he has been given in the Salem Community College basketball program.
Spencer’s story goes beyond the basketball court and way beyond the cliché of a player making the most of a second chance. His is a story of redemption, not just in the game, but in the game of life.
His life has always had its challenges, but over the past six years he’s endured a succession of personal tragedies that goes beyond the unreasonable. He’s lived through the deaths of a child, a brother and a parent, the impact of COVID that derailed his college career and the prospect of doing some serious jail time, circumstances that all put together would have broken another man.
But he has come out on the other side of all that with a new perspective and appreciation of life on the outside.
Since becoming eligible to play, which was an ordeal in itself, and making his debut Jan. 7, Spencer has embraced that role as a rebounder. If he had enough games to qualify for the national statistics, his 14.5 per game average would be second nationally in the JUCO division the Mighty Oaks play. Just last week, in one of the team’s biggest games of the year, he cleared a whopping 20 boards at CC of Philadelphia.
And he couldn’t be more appreciative for it. After every rebound, blocked shot, fall to the floor that might make another player angry, Spencer lifts his 6-foot-8 frame off the deck and sprints to the other end with a big grin on his face that seems to say he’s truly glad for the shot he’s been given.
After all, he’s been knocked down a hell of a lot harder than that in his life.
“I feel like that’s why I’m so happy because I got a second chance to do it,” he said after a recent practice. “The first chance, I didn’t really see the potential I had until I got incarcerated and had a whole year to sit and think about what I wanted to do. Once I realized I had another chance, it was like excited, very excited.
“It basically feels like I was born again. Like I got another chance. And the way it’s going, it’s going like I expected to go. That’s why I’m so happy.”
Darkest of times
Jyheim Spencer was always a good basketball player, but he never played organized ball until he got to high school. And when he finally did, he didn’t last long. He got kicked off the team each of his first two years. And then he got kicked out of school.
“Now I’ve got no school, no nothing; I was really doing nothing,” he said.
Then he moved to Dover and met the coach who took an interest in him as a person as much as a player. Spencer recalls those first conversations with Stephen Wilson as being more about his quality of home life than about points and rebounds and basketball stuff, the kind of conversations he had with Salem CC coach Mike Green when he started on his road back.
“I don’t even think we spoke about basketball until a month after I was there,” he said. “At first he just talked about how he wanted me to get in school, how my family was, me and my dad’s relationship, me and my mom’s. We were kind of building a bond so once I actually played for him it felt like he was a father figure. He helped me through everything, like a dad, a big brother.”
And he was about to need one as the period from 1999 to 2022 when he should have been at the height of his athletic development turned into the darkest time anyone could imagine.
His two seasons at Dover were state contending ones, but it wasn’t without tragedy. During his junior year his two-month old daughter died of sudden infant death syndrome. (The day he spoke to Riverview Sports News was two days after what would have been his daughter’s sixth birthday).
The basketball season helped get him through it and that year his team played for a state championship. They were headed that way the next year, his senior year, too, but COVID gripped the world and shut it all down.
Through it all his game had come back around enough to land him a spot at North Jersey’s Caldwell University, but neither the classes nor the basketball worked out for him. He played three minutes with no stats in a six-point loss at Concordia (N.Y.) on Feb. 21, 2021, but that was his last game until last month.
The COVID pandemic was in full force. Classes were all online and basketball was over for him. Back home, his father, with whom he was just started to rebuild a relationship, was killed. The combination of both events sent him into a downward spiral that left him questioning everything.
“That kind of messed me up a little bit,” he said. “Forget basketball, forget college, just forget all of it.”
He thought a change of scenery would change the outlook and he moved to Jacksonville, Fla., but trouble followed. His brother was killed while he was there and he began being investigated by various state and federal authorities in connection with an illegal firearms trafficking scheme that would eventually land him in prison.
He moved back to Delaware and in January 2022 was indicted with eight others on a total of 76 felony charges. His mind was racing.
“I don’t know what to do, I don’t want to go to jail, so I’m not turning myself in,” he said. “I was thinking about going on a run and I thought about it. I might as well get it over and done with because the longer I wait, the older I’m going to get, and you never know if I’m going to be able to play basketball again. I’m gonna go ahead and turn myself in.”
He wound serving time at SCI – the Sussex Correctional Institution – a 1,200-bed facility in Georgetown, Del., that houses minimum, medium and maximum security inmates as well as youthful offenders. While on the inside he tried to keep a low profile.
“Jail was like a big day care,” he said. “You’ve just got grown men watching you, CO’s watching you, telling you what do, what not to do, when to eat, when to sleep, how to sleep. I felt like they had control of us.
“While I was down there I was kind of walking on eggshells. I’m not going to be in their way.”
Through it all, he had basketball and a desire to play to keep him going, even though from the inside the chances of that happening seemed like a half-court shot at the buzzer. He tried to stay in playing shape in the event the chance ever came again by working out in the prison recreational facilities that are said to be better than some high school facilities.
“While I was in there I was thinking about what’s next, what I want to do,” he said. “When I’m in there I’m playing basketball. I need to go do something because the way I’m playing I’m really nice.
“When I came out here I had in the mind whenever I get the chance to play basketball again I’m going to go all out.”
While he was on the inside, authorities continued to work the case. He was later identified as one of the three leaders of the straw weapons purchasing operation and they faced a maximum cumulative sentence of 245 years in prison. That really threw him for a loop.
“I’m like what am I going to do,” he said. “In my mindset I’m going in there to do like 25 years or something. I’m like, forget it, I’m just going to go ahead and do my time, whatever I got to do, I’m going to go ahead and do it.
“Then I get in there and they’re talking like 100 and something years. Now I’m just going with the flow. They’re gonna give me whatever they give me, I’m going to go with the flow.”
As the case moved into discovery, Spencer’s team contended it didn’t look like authorities had any evidence physically tying him to anything that would put him away that long. He had high hopes.
He went to court again and this time was released from prison with time served, but he still had to serve six more months of house arrest and wear an ankle monitor the rest of his sentence.
The monitor was removed in November right before the basketball season started. That took a little to get used to.
“The first day I got off the ankle monitor I stayed in New Jersey, but when I woke up I panicked because I’m like, dang, I’m way out here in New Jersey and I didn’t tell my PO,” he said.
He doesn’t have to worry about that now.
New lease on life
Basketball was back on his radar. But where? And would his game hold up.
He came to Salem at the urging of Mighty Oaks players Tyrone Tolson and cousin Tyrese Fortune, who knew the kind of basketball player Spencer was convinced Green to give him a look.
“I’ve been going against him my whole life, so when we heard he could come, I said oh yeah you’ve got to come here with me, you’ve got to,” Fortune said. “It’s our last year here, so we just have to take advantage it and get a championship. We definitely want to get a championship with him.
“I used to talk to him a lot. I just said you’ve still got it in you, you’ve just got to keep going – for her (his daughter), your pop. I’ve got the same situation, my pops died, so we basically have the same type story. We’ve got to keep going to make them proud.”
They brought him for a tryout and Green liked enough of what he saw to know he could help the team he was building. And he was understanding enough of Spencer’s story to give him the shot at redemption here.
“It’s a tough situation,” Green said. “It never happened to me, but I come from that, that background, so I can relate. I’ve never done anything to that sort, but I know tons of guys, I’d seen it daily where I grew up (in North Philly).
“He made a mistake, man; people make mistakes all the time. I would never be the type of guy who’d like shun somebody who made a mistake. So, we wanted to be a helping hand to him and an extension of good. That’s how we looked at it.”
Spencer showed he was good enough to play on the college level. The question was could he get in to the program.
The Mighty Oaks didn’t necessarily have to jump through a lot of administrative hoops to get Spencer on campus but there were, Green said, “a lot of tough conversations” about his case to be had.
But once Green and then-Salem athletics director Bob Bunnell did their due diligence, school administrators “went to war” for the freshman. They went as far to request a hardship waiver for his eligibility, which the NJCAA denied reportedly due to his time enrolled at Caldwell and the elapsed time for his withdrawal.
Compliance director (and baseball coach) John Holt has a manila folder dedicated to Spencer’s case that he recently moved from the holder on top of his desk to a bottom desk drawer as a symbolic closing of the case.
“We stuck our neck out for him and thus far he’s given us a great compliment of doing what he’s supposed to have to do,” Green said.
And he doesn’t mean by delivering those double-doubles that seem to come every night. That, of course, is the bonus. What’s pleased them even more is Spencer pulled down a 3.0 GPA his first semester in the classroom.
He wasn’t eligible the first semester, but he was in school. He couldn’t participate in team activities until he got eligible so he stayed basketball ready playing in the open gym with his future teammates. It was there he hurt his ankle that set him back even more, but he was ready when it came to play his first game.
Back in the game
Finally, his opening night arrived, at home against Camden CC, a team the Mighty Oaks let get away earlier in the season. The night carried all the emotions you would have thought. The lights seemed just a little brighter. The sounds a little louder. Spencer was nervous, but excited to be back in the game.
He didn’t start and was the last uniformed player on the bench when the game began. He went in about five minutes into the first half with the Mighty Oaks down 15-4 and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact.
The first time he touched the ball he put back a missed shot for his first college bucket. Moments later he went hard to the basket, scored and hit the and one to get Salem’s comeback going.
He went for 22 points and 14 rebounds that night and along with Akeem Taylor, Tamir Powell and Tajee Jordan — all of whom also were playing their first games of the season — provided the boost to take the Mighty Oaks to the next level. Green talked throughout the early part of the season how the team would be better when those players got on the floor, and they didn’t didn’t disappoint.
“Three, four years of not playing, it was one of those great coming out parties,” Green said.
And it wasn’t just an opening night anomaly fueled by the adrenaline rush of being back on the floor. Since that night Spencer has averaged a double-double. He’s had 15 or more rebounds seven times in 10 games. He even hit his first 3-pointer since high school in last Saturday’s blowout of Luzerne.
“He’s playing w-a-a-a-y better,” Fortune said. “He’s way better than he was in high school.”
“Everything he does is like energy, effort, things that when I was playing were a prerequisite; now it’s a skill.” Green said. “It ain’t required for everybody, it’s just a skill. He’s cut from that cloth that I’m going to play hard through everything, through it all.
“He’s a lost art. He plays hard. That’s a skill now. Even the (Cal State) Bakersfield coach told him over the phone we don’t have guys who play like you.”
Bakersfield was the first Division I program to offer. Other four-year programs are said to be “very intrigued” with Spencer as a talent, just as they are with several players in the Mighty Oaks lineup. Not many are probably aware of his whole story; it’s not the type of thing you volunteer.
The Division III schools that come around reportedly really love him, but his skill level may put him out of their reach. Still, his future lies in his transcript being qualified to match whatever offers come his way.
“I feel like if a coach would sit down and listen to my story and see how I am now, I think they’ll be like, OK, he’s different, he’s not the same,” Spencer said. “That’s not him (anymore).”
And wherever he does land, it’ll be light years away from where he’s been.
Photos by John Holt
Mighty Oaks milestone
Salem CC pounds Harrisburg Area to earn 20th win, first 20-win season in 20 years; Fortune continues his hot streak
By Riverview Sports News
HARRISBURG, Pa. – There are just certain numbers in sports that exude excellence – 100 hits, 1,000 points, 20 wins.
The Salem CC basketball team hit one of those benchmarks Saturday, securing win No. 20 in a 95-78 pasting of Harrisburg Area CC.
It left the Mighty Oaks 20-7.
“Twenty feels great,” coach Mike Green said. “It’s a number in college basketball that is considered a successful season everywhere I’ve been. It’s really hard to do. Not too many teams are winning 20 games in one year. Out of 360-some basketball teams, I’m sure there’s not half of them that’s getting to 20. It’s a big deal.”
“We’ve got to celebrate for coach,” sophomore Tyrese Fortune said. “It’s his second year here, so that’s a big accomplishment.”
It’s the Mighty Oaks’ first 20-win season in 20 years and second in 30. The 2004-05 team went 20-10. The 1994-95 team was 20-6.
“I feel like it’s a new day, it’s a new regime, we’re getting different type of players in,” Green said. “It’s a testament of the work that’s been put in before, but, more important, the work that we’ve been putting in.”
Fortune continued his hot streak. He led the Mighty Oaks’ offense with 22 points, his third 20-point effort in the last four games. In that stretch he is 18-for-18 from the free throw line.
Xavier Brewington had 20 points and Tamir Powell had 18. Guard A.J. Jones had 15 rebounds and Jyheim Spencer, one of the nation’s leading rebounders, pulled down 10 and also blocked four shots.
The Mighty Oaks played without leading scorer Akeem Taylor to rest him for the postseason. They wrap up the regular season Saturday at Sussex County CC and it’s doubtful he’ll play in that one, either.
When asked if it were likely the sophomore would play in that one, Green said, “I don’t think so.”
SALEM CC SCORING: Tyrese Fortune 22, Xavier Brewington 20, Tamir Powell 18, Josh Ramos 8, Jyheim Spencer 7, A.J. Jones 6, Stefan Phillips 4, Dontarius Jones 4, Tivon Woolford 3, Tajee Jordan 2, Rodney Shelton 1.
Region XIX standings
Here are the men’s Region XIX basketball standings; games through Feb. 8
| MEN’S DIVISION III (x-based on percentage) | REGION | ALL |
| Union | 15-0 (1.000) | 19-3 |
| Montgomery | 14-2 (.875) | 18-4 |
| Philadelphia | 14-3 (.824) | 18-7 |
| Camden | 13-4 (.765) | 16-10 |
| Northampton | 12-4 (.750) | 20-4 |
| Salem | 12-5 (.706) | 20-7 |
| Brookdale | 11-6 (.647) | 16-7 |
| Ocean | 9-6 (.600) | 14-7 |
| Atlantic Cape | 10-7 (.588) | 13-12 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 9-8 (.529) | 11-15 |
| Passaic | 7-9 (.438) | 11-13 |
| Lehigh Carbon | 6-11 (.353) | 7-16 |
| Sussex | 5-11 (.353) | 7-18 |
| Delaware County | 5-12 (.294) | 7-16 |
| Luzerne | 4-11 (.267) | 6-13 |
| Harrisburg Area | 4-12 (.250) | 5-18 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 3-14 (.176) | 4-17 |
| Bergen | 3-15 (.167) | 4-19 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 0-16 (.000) | 0-24 |
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Salem 95, Harrisburg Area 78
Bergen 81, Montgomery 80
Union 78, Camden 71
Harcum at CCBC Dundalk, cancelled
Lackawanna 69, Rockland CC 66
RCSJ-Gloucester 97, Passaic 64
Delaware County 91, Sussex 66
Orange County CC 87, Essex 73
Lehigh Carbon 92, Philadelphia 73
Ocean 90, RCSJ-Cumberland 67
Northampton 89, Atlantic Cape 88
Luzerne at Brookdale
Delaware Tech at Howard CC, cancelled
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Passaic at Luzerne
Harrisburg Area at Sussex
Misericordia JV at Thaddeus Stevens
Philadelphia at RCSJ-Cumberland
Northampton at Lehigh Carbon
Montgomery at Union
Rockland at Mercer
Delaware at Williamson Trades
Ocean at Camden
Morris at Lackawanna
One giant leap
Salem CC women reduce their magic number for making the Region XIX playoffs to one after upsetting RCSJ-Gloucester; Laurence hits 5 treys
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Salem CC women’s basketball coach Brian Marsh has preached to his team the way to work its way into the group of more established programs in the region is one small step at a time.
Well, the Mighty Oaks took a giant leap Thursday night, upsetting RCSJ-Gloucester 66-61 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Mighty Oaks (11-10) reduced their magic number to qualify for the Region XIX tournament to one after scoring one of the biggest wins since the rebirth of the program last year. They have to finish .500 or better to make the playoffs and have three games left to secure one more win.
The earliest they can clinch a spot is Tuesday at Mercer County CC, weather permitting. With heavy snow predicted for the region, officials from both schools will meet Monday to plot a course of action.
“They’re three good teams,” Marsh said. “We’ve got to go on the road to Mercer, at Lackawanna, which is never an easy trip, and then we’re home against Montco, which is Sophomore Day, so you never know how that’s going to play out because you’ve got emotions, a lot of family in town.
“That’s why today was huge. Because it gives us a chance.”
Guard Kathryn Laurence, for one, likes their chances.
“It’s not done yet, but the chances are really high of us making the playoffs, for sure,” she said.
Laurence was one of the ringleaders in an overall effort that got Thursday’s upset done. She and Nyaijah Jackson led the Mighty Oaks with 17 and 18 points, respectively.
Jackson hit several free throws down the stretch to keep the Roadrunners (19-4) at arm’s length. Laurence went 5-for-7 from behind the 3-point arc and is now has 95 treys for her SCC career.
“It was a good game for me,” Laurence said. “I’ve been on and off (with her shooting), but whenever I don’t think about the stats and I kind of put myself into the game I don’t worry about how many shots I make or miss and just play what the team needs me to do.
“I did feel good before (the game) and I was like I’m going to do whatever it takes for us to beat this team.”
The Mighty Oaks trailed by three at halftime, but outscored the Roadrunners, in the second half 34-26. They shot 57 percent from the floor in the third quarter.
Former Woodstown post Shannon Pierman was one of two Roadrunners with double-doubles. She had 17 points and 17 rebounds. Jermyra Bethea had a game-high 19 points and 11 boards.
“This was really big; it was just the girls fighting,” Marsh said. “They played hard. Their bigs were really hurting us down low and they’re making some shots, but we kept it in there. We were trading punches in the middle of the ring, throwing everything we can at them, but we got some timely turnovers and we pulled it out.
“This is a game last year we lost by 50; we played horrendous. That’s a big win because if you think about the three teams we kind of match up against in South Jersey, we beat Cumberland and lost to Camden and Gloucester. This year we beat all three of them. It’s little steps like that, taking steps up that mountain to get us where this program wants to be.
“Coming back from a bad loss last year and getting the win this year is just showing the growth of this team and this program. We want to be able to win these type games and that’s exactly what we’ve done this year and now we just have to get to the point where we can beat some of the upper echelon in our own division.”
One step at a time.
SALEM CC 66, RCSJ-GLOUCESTER 61
RCSJ-GLOUCESTER (19-4) – Atinuke Bamgbose 0-6 0-0 0, Anna DiPiero 2-16 0-0 5, Jenna Georgette 5-15 0-0 10, Jermyra Bethea 8-15 3-8 19, Shannon Pierman 6-8 5-5 17, Miya Villari 2-3 1-2 5, Emma Buttocovia 0-4 0-0 0, Alexis Carroway 2-2 0-0 5, Vienna Gantz 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-70 9-15 61.
SALEM CC (11-10) – Nyaijah Jackson 6-14 6-11 18, Caroline Zullo 4-11 0-0 9, Maggie St. Clair 1-4 0-0 2, Kathryn Laurence 6-10 0-0 17, Jakayla Jenkins 4-9 2-2 11, RayNescia King 0-2 0-0 0, Dani Gustin 1-1 0-0 2, Akira Chambers 2-7 1-2 5, Alex Hopkins 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 25-60 9-15 66
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 18 | 17 | 13 | 13- | 61 |
| Salem CC | 19 | 13 | 16 | 18- | 66 |
Region XIX standings
| DIVISION II WOMEN | REG | ALL |
| Union | 14-0 | 23-0 |
| Harcum | 11-3 | 19-5 |
| Lackawanna | 10-4 | 15-6 |
| Raritan Valley | 8-4 | 14-9 |
| Mercer | 8-6 | 14-6 |
| Middlesex | 4-8 | 9-12 |
| Salem CC | 4-10 | 11-10 |
| Essex | 2-12 | 4-13 |
| Morris | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Delaware Tech | 0-14 | 0-20 |
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Salem 66, RCSJ-Gloucester 61
Northampton at Passaic, ppd.
Harcum 109, Baltimore City CC 19
Lehigh Carbon at Manor
Sussex at Montgomery, cancelled
Raritan Valley at Essex
Camden 76, RCSJ-Cumberland 28
Bucks at Mercer
Atlantic Cape 65, Ocean 42
Brookdale 58, Philadelphia 55
Montgomery (Md.) at Middlesex, cancelled
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Passaic at RCSJ-Gloucester
Montgomery at Bergen
Philadelphia at Lehigh Carbon
Orange County at Essex
Ocean at RCSJ-Cumberland
Middlesex at Brookdale
Atlantic Cape at Northampton
Delaware Tech at Howard CC
.
Another milestone
Mighty Oaks set modern-era program record for most wins in a season after thrashing RCSJ-Gloucester for No. 19
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – The Salem CC basketball team checked off another box in their historic first full season under coach Mike Green Thursday night when it throttled RCSJ-Gloucester 94-65 for its 19th win of the season.
The win total eclipsed the 18-win benchmark established by the 2021-22 team for most wins since the school brought back the program in 2019.
The playoff-bound Mighty Oaks (19-7) will go after win No. 20 at Harrisburg Area, a team they beaten each of the last two years and put 110 on last season.
“I think we should have been at 19 a couple weeks ago; we gave a couple away,” Green said. “We’ve got more work to do, man. I think we’ve got three more games guaranteed, trying to pick up another game.
“That’s where we’re supposed to be, around that 20, 23, 24, 25. The league is tough this year, man. The region is tough this year. We’re right there with the top guys.”
As their last scheduled regular-season home game, it was Sophomore Night and the seven sophs who played combined for 60 points, 24 rebounds, 11 assists and five blocked shots.
“I’m going to have to get out on the recruiting trail,” Green said. “I didn’t realize we were losing eight people. there were eight of them. I’ve got to go out and get some players. I’ve got to get on it.”
Sophomores Akeem Taylor and Tyrese Fortune, both first-year SCC players, led the charge against the Roadrunners with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Fortune, who has been on a tear of late, also had nine rebounds. Taylor had five rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Eleven of 12 Mighty Oaks who got in the game scored.
Freshman Xavier Brewington had nine assists and freshman Jyheim Spencer had another double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds).
The Mighty Oaks scored the last eight points of the first half to take control, then buried the Roadrunners in the second half 56-33. Their bench outscored the Roadrunners 52-18, 30-4 in the second half.
“We just tried to give everybody a chance in the first half,” Green said. “To see what you got because somedays you got it and somedays you don’t. We feel our way out in the first half and see what’s going then we do the second half and give the guys another chance.
“Our bench played better (in the second half). We had five bench points against Montco, so our bench was a lot better. That was good.”
Something else that’s good has been the way Fortune has turned it up. He’s in the midst of his best run of the season, a response to Green telling him to “let it fly.” Over the last three games the Wilmington University transfer is averaging 22 points. He was averaging 9.5 in the 20 previous games.
“I’m telling you, coach just has so much confidence, I just had to get it out of me,” Fortune said. “I struggled in the first half of the season, but it’s coming to an end. It’s all about how you finish.”
“He’s who I thought he was going to be,” Green said. “He’s come along from where I thought he was supposed to be at the beginning of the year and I’m happy for him. He’s putting it together now.”
SALEM CC 94, RCSJ-GLOUCESTER 65
GLOUCESTER (11-14) – Kassius Willis 7-17 4-6 19, Hajir Davis 1-7 2-4 4, Fred Orock 5-7 2-7 12, Chris Racobaldo 2-8 4-6 8, Denial Mendez 1-7 1-2 4, Ace Lassiter 5-12 0-0 13, Aiden Cranmer 1-4 0-0 3, Amara Sacko 1-2 0-0 2, Alan Corporan 0-0 0-0 0, Jonathan Guzman 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 23-64 13-27 65.
SALEM CC (19-7) – A.J. Jones 3-7 2-4 8, Tyrese Fortune 6-13 3-3 17, Tivon Woolford 1-7 0-0 3, Josh Ramos 4-8 0-0 11, Tajee Jordan 1-2 1-2 3, Dontarius Jones 1-1 1-1 3, Tamir Powell 6-10 0-1 14, Xavier Brewington 2-8 0-0 4, Rodney Shelton 0-0 0-0 0, Akeem Taylor 7-15 3-3 18, Stefan Phillips 1-2 0-0 2, Jyheim Spencer 5-8 1-1 11. Totals 37-81 11-15 94.
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 32 | 33- | 65 |
| Salem CC | 38 | 56- | 94 |
Region XIX standings
Here are the men’s and women’s Region XIX basketball standings; games through Feb. 6
| MEN’S DIVISION III (x-based on percentage) | REGION | ALL |
| Union | 14-0 (1.000) | 18-3 |
| Montgomery | 14-1 (.933) | 18-3 |
| Philadelphia | 14-3 (.824) | 18-6 |
| Camden | 13-3 (.813) | 16-9 |
| Northampton | 11-4 (.733) | 19-4 |
| Salem | 11-5 (.688) | 19-7 |
| Brookdale | 11-6 (.647) | 16-7 |
| Atlantic Cape | 10-6 (.625) | 13-11 |
| Ocean | 8-6 (.571) | 13-7 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 8-8 (.500) | 10-15 |
| Passaic | 7-8 (.467) | 11-12 |
| Lehigh Carbon | 6-11 (.353) | 6-16 |
| Sussex | 5-10 (.333) | 7-17 |
| Luzerne | 4-11 (.267) | 6-13 |
| Harrisburg Area | 4-11 (.267) | 5-17 |
| Delaware County | 4-12 (.250) | 6-16 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 3-14 (.176) | 4-17 |
| Bergen | 2-15 (.118) | 3-19 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 0-15 (.000) | 0-23 |
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Salem 94, RCSJ-Gloucester 65
Sussex at Union, ppd.
Frederick 90, Delaware Tech 78
Harrisburg Area at Luzerne, ppd.
Passaic 84, Thaddeus Stevens 79
Harcum 114, Baltimore City CC 66
Lehigh Carbon at Manor College
Raritan Valley at Essex
Northampton 69, Montgomery 54
Ocean 99, Atlantic Cape 88
Prestige Prep at Morris
Camden 91, RCSJ-Cumberland 49
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Salem at Harrisburg Area
Camden at Union
Harcum at CCBC Dundalk
Lackawanna at Rockland CC
Passaic at RCSJ-Gloucester
Sussex at Delaware County
Orange County CC at Essex
Philadelphia at Lehigh Carbon
Ocean at RCSJ-Cumberland
Atlantic Cape at Northampton
Luzerne at Brookdale
Delaware Tech at Howard CC
Un-fortune-ate
Salem CC falls to No. 5 Montco as potential game-winning 3 is blocked in closing seconds
By Riverview Sports News
BLUE BELL, Pa. – The Salem CC basketball team came within a whisker of upsetting a nationally ranked region team for the second time this season, but in the end had its potential game-winning shot batted away.
The Mighty Oaks lost to No. 5 Montgomery County CC 74-72 Tuesday night and had the potential game-winning shot in their hands. The Mustangs (18-2) blocked Tyrese Fortune’s potential game-winner with 1.4 seconds left to deny Salem’s upset bid and extend their own winning streak to 12 games.
“We fought,” Salem coach Mike Green said. “The Montco coach celebrated as if they won the championship; that doesn’t sit right with me. I guess he forgot they’re the defending champs and ranked No. 5. We will see them again.”
The Mighty Oaks (18-7) played catch-up most of the game. They were down seven with 1:51 to play, but Akeem Taylor dropped in three straight layups between a couple Montco free throws to bring them within 73-70 with 31.9 seconds to left.
Xavier Brewington’s layup of a Taylor pass with 8.8 seconds left made it a one-point game. Salem fouled on the inbounds play and Montco’s Baasil Saunders hit the second of two free throws to set up the final play.
Taylor brought the ball up the floor for the Mighty Oaks and got it to Fortune on the right side of the arc with time running out. Emfinger slipped between Taylor and Saunders to block Fortune’s shot.
With a little better spacing, it might have been different.
Fortune raised his hands after falling to the floor seeking a foul, but there was no call and the clock ran out.
The Mighty Oaks, who received votes in the national JUCO Division III poll for the second time in three weeks, played the top four D-3 teams in Region 19 over their last six games. Green was hoping to gain a split of the gauntlet, but instead went 1-3 while winning the two easier games in between.
Region XIX standings
Here are the men’s and women’s Region XIX basketball standings; games through Feb. 4
| MEN’S DIVISION III (x-based on percentage) | REGION | ALL |
| Union | 13-0 (1.000) | 17-3 |
| Montgomery | 14-1 (.933) | 18-2 |
| Philadelphia | 14-2 (.875) | 18-5 |
| Camden | 13-3 (.813) | 15-9 |
| Northampton | 11-4 (.733) | 18-4 |
| Salem | 11-5 (.688) | 18-7 |
| Brookdale | 11-6 (.647) | 16-7 |
| Atlantic Cape | 10-6 (.625) | 13-10 |
| Ocean | 8-6 (.571) | 12-7 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 8-8 (.500) | 10-14 |
| Passaic | 6-8 (.429) | 10-12 |
| Lehigh Carbon | 6-11 (.353) | 6-16 |
| Sussex | 5-10 (.333) | 7-17 |
| Delaware County | 5-11 (.313) | 7-15 |
| Harrisburg Area | 4-11 (.267) | 5-17 |
| Luzerne | 3-12 (.200) | 5-14 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 3-13 (.188) | 4-16 |
| Bergen | 2-15 (.118) | 3-19 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 0-15 (.000) | 0-22 |
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Montgomery 74, Salem 72
Union at Philadelphia
Brooksdale 75, Passaic 64
Ocean 95, Bergen 89
Camden 81, Luzerne 63
Northampton 80, RCSJ-Gloucester 68
Lehigh Carbon 71, Thaddeus Stevens 70
Raritan Valley 87, Middlesex 70
Atlantic Cape 71, Delaware County 70
Lackawanna 102, Mercer 97
THURSDAY’S GAMES
RCSJ-Gloucester at Salem
Sussex at Union
Frederick at Delaware Tech
Harrisburg Area at Luzerne
Thaddeus Stevens at Passaic
Baltimore City CC at Harcum
Lehigh Carbon at Manor College
Raritan Valley at Essex
Montgomery at Northampton
Atlantic Cape at Ocean
Prestige Prep at Morris
Camden at RCSJ-Cumberland
| DIVISION II WOMEN | REG | ALL |
| Union | 13-0 | 22-0 |
| Harcum | 11-3 | 18-5 |
| Lackawanna | 10-4 | 15-6 |
| Raritan Valley | 8-4 | 14-9 |
| Mercer | 7-6 | 14-6 |
| Middlesex | 4-8 | 9-12 |
| Salem CC | 4-10 | 10-10 |
| Essex | 2-11 | 4-13 |
| Morris | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Delaware Tech | 0-13 | 0-19 |
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Raritan Valley at Middlesex, ppd.
Montgomery 65, Camden 47
Ocean 62, Bergen 50
Sussex 76, Lehigh Carbon 66
Harcum 84, Essex 56
Brookdale 75, Passaic 51
RCSJ-Gloucester 88, Northampton 49
Bucks 60, RCSJ-Cumberland 25
Lackawanna 73, Mercer 66
Delaware Tech at Union
THURSDAY’S GAMES
RCSJ-Gloucester at Salem
Northampton at Passaic
Baltimore City CC at Harcum
Lehigh Carbon at Manor
Sussex at Montgomery
Raritan Valley at Essex
Camden at RCSJ-Cumberland
Bucks at Mercer
Atlantic Cape at Ocean
Philadelphia at Brookdale
Montgomery (Md.) at Middlesex
This week’s schedule
Here is this week’s Salem County sports schedule for the week of Feb. 3-8
FEB. 3
GIRLS BASKETBALL
GCIT at Salem Tech
Pennsville at West Deptford
Penns Grove at Haddon Twp., 4:15 p.m.
Schalick at Buena
BOYS BASKETBALL
Buena at Pennsville
Riverside at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m.
TRACK
Pennsville, Salem at Ocean Breeze Complex, Staten Island
BOWLING
Salem vs. Hammonton at DiDonato Bowling Center
FEB. 4
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Schalick
Woodstown at Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Penns Grove at Overbrook
Pitman at Salem
Salem Tech at Clayton
BOYS BASKETBALL
Clayton at Salem Tech
Overbrook at Penns Grove
Salem at Pitman
Schalick at Glassboro
Woodstown at Pennsville
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Montgomery County (Pa.) CC, 7 p.m.
FEB. 5
WRESTLING
Pennsville at Gateway
Penns Grove at Clearview
Salem at Gloucester Catholic
BOWLING
Salem, Salem Tech in TCC Showcase at 30 Strikes
FEB. 6
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Salem at Clayton
Schalick at Pennsville
Wildwood at Salem Tech
Woodstown at Overbrook
BOYS BASKETBALL
Clayton at Salem
Overbrook at Woodstown
Pennsville at Schalick
Glassboro at Penns Grove
Salem Tech at Wildwood
BOWLING
Salem vs. Salem Tech at Wood Lanes
SWIMMING
NJSIAA Sectionals at GCIT
WRESTLING
Woodstown, Williamstown at Hammonton
Pennsauken at Schalick
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Gloucester at Salem CC, 7 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RCSJ-Gloucester at Salem CC, 5 p.m.
FEB. 7
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Buena at Salem
Pennsville at Millville
WRESTLING
Gloucester Catholic at Penns Grove
Salem at Winslow
BOWLING
NJSIAA Playoffs
FEB. 8
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cumberland at Schalick, 11:30 a.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at West Deptford, 11:30 a.m.
Woodstown at Cherokee, 11:30 p.m.
Absegami at Salem, noon
WRESTLING
Burlington City, Egg Harbor Twp., St. Joe (Hamm.) at Pennsville
Salem, Woodstown, Williamstown at Hammonton
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Harrisburg Area CC, noon
Getting the message
Mighty Oaks respond to coach’s time out to run away from Luzerne, match 2020-21 team for most wins in a season since program return; third quarter dooms Salem CC women on the road
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Mike Green had seen enough to know he had seen too much. Luzerne had just taken the early lead, the Salem CC basketball team had just committed back-to-back turnovers and Green knew if something didn’t change soon his Mighty Oaks would fall into a trap they might not be able to escape from.
He did what any coach seeing his team on the edge would do. He called a time out to propagate a change.
Message received. The Mighty Oaks scored the next 10 straight points as part of a bigger 24-4 run that sent them off and running to a 112-67 win.
“It looked like weren’t ready to play, man,” Green said. “It was like they stayed up all night and I just let them know they (Luzerne) traveled about two and half, three hours; we’re at home. You guys act like you don’t want to play.
“This is an opportunity. Some guys aren’t going to have that opportunity on Tuesday. Take advantage of all the opportunities you get. I just let them know this ain’t no sleep game. You’ve got to come out and play, they’re basketball players. The guys picked up on that and we got rolling.”
The Mighty Oaks (18-6) broke 100 for the fourth time this season despite missing three starters to illness and injury, including leading scorer Akeem Taylor (ankle), whose status is uncertain for Tuesday’s important region game at Montgomery CC. With the win, they now have matched the 2020-21 team (18-10) for the winningest season since bringing back the program.
The Mighty Oaks got points from everywhere, with five players scoring in double figures. Josh Ramos and Tyrese Fortune led the way with 24 points apiece. A.J. Jones had 20, Jyheim Spencer had 18 and another double-double, and Stefan Phillips, pressed into his second career start in Taylor’s absence, had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
“Everybody getting involved is always good,” Phillips said. “That’s what you want. You don’t want one person to shine. You want the whole team to shine.”
It didn’t start easy. Luzerne’s Sedrick Beasley picked Fortune’s pocket and turned it into a layup with 12:55 left in the first half to give the Trailblazers (5-13) a 10-9 lead. Jones got called for an offensive foul on the next possession and that was enough for Green to call his fateful pause.
When the Mighty Oaks returned to the floor they ripped off the next 10 points to take the lead for good. The Trailblazers tried to stop the surge with a time out, but it only delayed the inevitable. Salem returned to the floor and ran off another eight in a row. They scored on eight straight possessions in the three-minute spree.
“Coach said get it together, they shouldn’t be in the game with us,” said Fortune, who hit a 2 and 3 in the middle of the first flurry. “I started off talking on defense and we started getting turnovers and advancing the ball up and scoring the ball every time we got downcourt.”
The points flowed so freely even Spencer hit a 3-pointer. It was his first in a scholastic or collegiate game since his senior year in high school – in 2020. He did hit one, he said, in the Philly Brotherly Love Pro-Am Summer League this past summer, but he was 0-for-3 from behind the arc in non-scrimmages for the Mighty Oaks before hitting early in the second half..
“All season I said I was going to take one, but I hadn’t hit one yet,” he said. “We were warming up and I was making the shot, so they basically told me if you’re making the shot you might as well shoot it in the game. I shot it in the game and I made it.”
“I don’t think it’s like a Bigfoot sighting,” Green said. “The kid has skills. He’s just unlocking a lot of different things. That’s one of the things we work on, getting him to unlock it and getting more confident. He’s got that shot and he’s gonna take it. He’s encouraged to take it.”
No one has to encourage Ramos to take the 3, but it’s encouraging when he hits them. He hit six 3s against the Trailblazers, three in each half. It was the most he’s had in a game since pumping in nine against RCSJ-Cumberland in mid-January and had hit only 16 in the nine games since before Saturday.
“It’s just getting back in my rhythm,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing, just being confident in my shot. I feel like I wasn’t too confident in my shot but I feel like now, today, I was beginning to get my shot up and get a feel for it.”
Everybody who had a big game was breaking out of something.
Jones had four 20-point games last year, but had scored only 25 points in his previous six games since his last double-figure outing. He was 7-for-9 from the field against the Trailblazers and 6-of-9 from the line. He also had five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
“We’re trying to get a championship, so I’m just here to give what the team needs,” he said. “Whether it’s defense, scoring, rebounding or assists, it doesn’t matter. Whatever the coach asks, that’s what you do. We’ve got plenty of guys who can do scoring and other things. I just do what the team needs.”
Phillips didn’t learn he was starting until right before the team came out for the opening tip. His only other start came in the second game with Williamson Trades Jan. 23, but he’s played in 19 games. He hardly missed a shot around the basket early in the season and he didn’t miss Saturday, going 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line.
“I was excited,” he said. “It took me back to how it felt back in high school. I just wanted to get back in the win column, that’s what charged me up. Coming back from a loss to be able to dominate the way we did was enough for me to be charged up.”
“He’s gonna be a rally good player next year,” Green predicted. “He’s good now, he’s going to be really good next year when he’s featured.”
Fortune had his career high. He had an eight-game stretch in the middle of the season in which he was averaging 12.8 a game, but he had only 37 points in the five games before Saturday.
“It all started off with practice, coach said just let it fly,” Fortune said. “He’s been telling me this all season, but I just had to get it out because the first part of the season I was in a struggle. I think it was just me rushing lot. Today I was patient, I got my team involved and everything just came to me, so I took advantage of it.”
SALEM CC 112, LUZERNE COUNTY 67
LUZERNE COUNTY CC (5-13) – Vagiba Donzo 0-1 1-2 1, Sedrick Beasley 6-11 2-4 15, Mackeenan Morgan 2-9 0-2 6, Vincent Garrett 3-20 2-4 8, Kaprie Cottle 2-6 2-2 8, Melvin Egbeto 2-4 2-3 7, William Preston 0-2 0-0 0, Al-Quron Michel 1-5 0-0 2, Tyler Collins 4-8 5-5 14, Ryan Probeyahn 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 23-70 14-22 67.
SALEM CC (18-6) – Dontarius Jones 0-9 2-2 2, Tyrese Fortune 7-13 6-6 24, Josh Ramos 9-19 0-0 24, Stefan Phillips 4-4 3-3 11, Jyheim Spencer 7-11 3-5 18, A.J. Jones 7-9 6-9 20, Rodney Shelton 3-7 0-0 6, Tajee Jordan 2-3 3-4 7. Totals 39-75 23-29 112.
| Luzerne | 30 | 37- | 67 |
| Salem CC | 49 | 63- | 112 |
Women’s game
BRANCHBURG – The Salem CC women held their own with Raritan Valley in the first half, but danger signs were looming.
Sophia Larsen made a steal and layup right before the buzzer to give the Lions a seven-point halftime lead, then they pulled away in the third quarter to hand the Mighty Oaks a 75-54 setback that increases the pressure on Salem’s hopes for a Region XIX playoff berth.
The Mighty Oaks fell to 10-10 and must win two of their remaining four games to extend their season.
The Lions (14-9) outscored Salem 23-8 in the third quarter. Ona Riopedre led four Raritan Valley scorers in double figures with 27 points. Larsen finished with 11.
| Salem CC (10-10) | 17 | 14 | 6 | 17- | 54 |
| Raritan Valley (14-9) | 19 | 19 | 23 | 14- | 75 |
Region XIX standings
Here are the men’s and women’s Region XIX basketball standings; games through Jan. 23
| MEN’S DIVISION III (x-based on percentage) | REGION | ALL |
| Union | 13-0 (1.000) | 17-3 |
| Montgomery | 12-1 (.923) | 16-2 |
| Philadelphia | 14-2 (.875) | 18-5 |
| Camden | 12-3 (.800) | 14-9 |
| Salem CC | 11-4 (.733) | 18-6 |
| Northampton | 10-4 (.714) | 17-4 |
| Brookdale | 11-6 (.647) | 15-7 |
| Atlantic Cape | 9-6 (.600) | 12-10 |
| Ocean | 7-6 (.538) | 11-7 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 8-7 (.533) | 10-13 |
| Passaic | 6-8 (.429) | 10-11 |
| Delaware County | 6-10 (.375) | 7-14 |
| Sussex | 5-10 (.333) | 7-17 |
| Lehigh Carbon | 5-11 (.313) | 5-16 |
| Harrisburg Area | 4-11 (.267) | 5-17 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 3-11 (.214) | 4-14 |
| Luzerne | 3-12 (.200) | 5-13 |
| Bergen | 2-14 (.125) | 3-18 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 0-15 (.000) | 0-22 |
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Salem 112, Luzerne 67
Harrisburg Area 83, Passaic 71
Camden 89, Bergen 56
Ocean 93, Sussex 83
Essex 102, Mercer 92
Thaddeus Stevens at Montgomery
Delaware Tech at Harcum
Delaware County 85, Lehigh Carbon 80
Philadelphia 102, RCSJ-Cumberland 52
Chesapeake 83, Morris 73
Winchester 104, Raritan Valley 93
Lackawanna 88, Middlesex 65
Atlantic Cape 66, RCSJ-Gloucester 62
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Salem at Montgomery
Union at Philadelphia
Brooksdale at Passaic
Bergen at Ocean
Camden at Luzerne
Northampton at RCSJ-Gloucester
Lehigh Carbon at Thaddeus Stevens
Raritan Valley at Middlesex
Atlantic Cape at Delaware County
Mercer at Lackawanna
| DIVISION II WOMEN | REG | ALL |
| Union | 13-0 | 22-0 |
| Harcum | 9-3 | 16-5 |
| Lackawanna | 9-4 | 14-6 |
| Raritan Valley | 8-4 | 14-9 |
| Mercer | 7-5 | 14-5 |
| Middlesex | 4-8 | 9-12 |
| Salem CC | 4-10 | 10-10 |
| Essex | 2-10 | 4-12 |
| Morris | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Delaware Tech | 0-12 | 0-18 |
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Raritan Valley 75, Salem CC 54
Sussex 70, Ocean 44
Montgomery 74, Northampton 67
Camden 61, Bergen 40
Lehigh Carbon at Delaware County, canceled
Delaware Tech at Harcum
Montgomery 76, RCSJ-Cumberland 37
Mercer 79, Essex 65
RCSJ-Cumberland at Philadelphia
Middlesex at Lackawanna, ppd
Union 89, CCBC Essex 70
RCSJ-Gloucester 66, Atlantic Cape 45
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Raritan Valley at Middlesex
Camden at Montgomery
Bergen at Ocean
Essex at Harcum
Brookdale at Passaic
Northampton at RCSJ-Gloucester
RCSJ-Cumberland at Bucks
Mercer at Lackawanna
Delaware Tech at Union
Needing clarity
Confusing call in final minute impacts Salem CC’s loss at Philadelphia; women get left behind by Union; includes region standings
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PHILADELPHIA – For the second Tuesday in a row the Salem CC basketball team went on the road to face a team it was chasing in the Region XIX standings and had trouble handling the ball.
That was frustrating enough given the tightness of the standings, but there was something that didn’t sit right with coach Mike Green’s even more in the 62-59 loss to CC of Philadelphia.
The Mighty Oaks were trailing by two with a minute to play when CCP’s Tahjir Davis was fouled under the basket. The contact was hard enough that Davis was forced to leave the game.
The Mighty Oaks believed they would be able to choose Davis’ replacement shooter from the players remaining on the floor. Instead, the Lions sent Kristion Tiller into the game off the bench to take the shots.
Tiller, a 76-percent free throw shooter, hit both shots and the Lions (17-5) stayed ahead the rest of the game. The freshman made three more free throws in the final 30 seconds to keep the Mighty Oaks (17-6) at bay and was 8-for-9 from the line for the game.
“If you watched the live stream you see me arguing with the referees,” Green said. “The kid got hurt and we were supposed to pick a kid who was already in the game. Instead, they let them bring an 80-percent free throw shooter off the bench.
“He wasn’t in the game. We were supposed to be allowed to pick a guy who was already in the game. Of course, if they get to pick they’re going to bring the best shooter they’ve got in to the game.
“I don’t think they understand the rule. I was trying to go back and forth with them about that. They just didn’t understand the rules clearly. It’s a big deal to me. I know the rules. I played for a long time.”
Salem CC athletics director Bob Hughes, who was in attendance at the game, said he would seek clarification from the region office Wednesday.
“I was there and confused as to what happened,” said Hughes, a former college basketball coach. “I will be following up tomorrow.
“I want to get clarity because the rule has changed at least twice in the last 20 years, but my understanding is that as long as the foul is ruled a common foul the opposing coach can select between the four remaining players.”
The Mighty Oaks trailed by nine early in the second half, but rallied to tie it at 46 and held a 51-50 lead with 5:04 to go. But the Lions buried back-to-back 3s and Salem never led again.
Akeem Taylor’s bucket with 5.5 left got Salem to 62-59. Josh Ramos gave the Mighty Oaks a chance to force overtime when he stole the inbounds pass and got it to Taylor for what Green called a “good look” from the left side of the arc, but his 3 missed the mark.
Jyheim Spencer ran down the rebound in the right corner, but he could only redirect an off-balanced 3 towards the basket as time expired.
The Mighty Oaks were only 4-of-29 from 3-point range in the game. Green also lamented their number of turnovers, which he correctly surmised were more than their field goals (22-21).
Taylor led the Mighty Oaks with 14 points. Spencer cleared a career-high 20 rebounds, extending his season average to 15.8 per game. CCP’s Malachi Montgomery led all scorers with 19 points.
PHILADELPHIA 62, SALEM CC 59
SALEM CC (17-6): Dontarius Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Tamir Powell 1-12 2-2 4, A.J. Jones 3-6 0-2 7, Tyrese Fortune 1-7 1-2 3, Josh Ramos 2-7 0-0 6, Xavier Brewington 3-12 1-2 8, Tajee Jordan 0-0 0-0 0, Akeem Taylor 6-17 2-3 14, Jyheim Spencer 3-9 3-4 9, Stefan Phillips 2-6 3-4 7. Totals 21 13-22 59.
PHILADELPHIA (17-5): Regjon Knight 5-18 3-6 15, Malachi Montgomery 8-17 0-3 19, Kristion Tiller 1-2 8-9 11, Maki Pettigrew 0-7 0-1 0, Brince Shelton 2-7 0-0 4, Tahjir Davis 1-3 0-0 2, Jaques Aurel Silue 0-0 0-0 0, Kaleem Henderson 0-0 2-2 2, Devon Stanley 0-2 5-6 5, Dontae Bacon 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 19-59 18-27 62.
| Salem CC | 28 | 31- | 59 |
| Philadelphia | 30 | 32- | 62 |
Women’s game
PHILADELPHIA – The Salem CC women gave one of the best teams in the country a battle for two quarters, but Union showed in the second half why it is the undefeated fourth-ranked team in the country.
The Owls outscored the Mighty Oaks 56-27 in the second half on the strength of 10 3-pointers and pulled away to a 95-54 victory.
The Mighty Oaks had it to 19-15 early in the second quarter, then Union started pulling away. The Owls (21-0) led 39-27 at halftime, then put 34 on Salem in the third quarter. They hit seven of their 12 3-pointers in the quarter with Destiny Bynum Johnson hitting four.
Maggie St. Clair led Salem with 18 points. Union had four scorers in double figures.
The loss didn’t really impact Salem’s road to the playoffs. The Mighty Oaks still need to find two wins among their final five games to earn a post-season berth.
UNION (21-0): Ore Ogunmolere 5-9 0-0 11, Yasmeen Brightwell 3-10 0-0 7, Destiny Bynum Johnson 9-18 2-4 26, Jalaiyah Smith 0-4 2-2 2, Hillary DeLosSantos 6-9 2-2 15, Nyla Williams 2-3 2-2 7, Amiyah Fulton 0-1 0-0 0, Saran Camara 0-1 1-2 1, Cynic Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Sumaya Judd 1-3 0-0 2, Maria Paula Urena Rojas 0-0 0-0 0, Isabellą Edwards 0-2 0-0 0, Ayva Tillmon 1-7 0-0 2, Jaslin Walker 5-7 0-0 14, Gianna Meclis 0-0 0-0 0, Aniya Brown 1-2 1-2 3, Harita Mehmedovic 2-8 1-2 5. Totals 35-86 11-16 95.
SALEM CC (10-9): Nyaijah Jackson 3-9 3-6 9, Caroline Zullo 3-8 0-0 7, Maggie St. Clair 6-14 4-5 18, Kathryn Laurence 2-11 1-2 5, Jakayla Jenkins 0-7 0-0 0, RayNescia King 0-6 1-2 1, Dani Gustin 2-4 0-0 4, Akira Chambers 2-5 0-0 4, Alexa Hopkins 2-2 0-0 6. Totals 20-66 9-15 54.
| Union | 19 | 20 | 34 | 22- | 95 |
| Salem CC | 13 | 14 | 12 | 15- | 54 |
Region XIX standings
| MEN DIVISION III | REGION | ALL |
| Union | 13-0 | 17-3 |
| Montgomery | 12-1 | 15-2 |
| Philadelphia | 12-2 | 17-5 |
| Camden | 11-3 | 13-9 |
| Salem | 10-4 | 17-6 |
| Northampton | 10-4 | 17-4 |
| Brookdale | 11-5 | 15-6 |
| Atlantic Cape | 8-6 | 11-9 |
| RCSJ-Gloucester | 8-6 | 10-12 |
| Passaic | 6-7 | 10-10 |
| Ocean | 5-6 | 9-7 |
| Sussex | 5-9 | 6-16 |
| Lehigh Carbon | 5-9 | 5-14 |
| Delaware County | 5-10 | 6-14 |
| Harrisburg Area | 3-11 | 4-17 |
| Luzerne | 3-11 | 4-12 |
| Thaddeus Stevens | 3-11 | 4-14 |
| Bergen | 2-13 | 3-17 |
| RCSJ-Cumberland | 0-14 | 0-20 |
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Philadelphia 62, Salem 59
Union 110, Lehigh Carbon 65
Brookdale 79, Northampton 73
Montgomery 74, Delaware County 73
Thaddeus Stevens 78, Harrisburg Area 65
RCSJ-Gloucester 94, RCSJ-Cumberland 44
Middlesex 76, Essex 74
Delaware Tech at Mercer
Raritan Valley 95, Lackawanna 90
Orange County 97, Sussex 38
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Brookdale at Ocean
Cecil at Delaware Tech
Essex at RCSJ-Cumberland
Williamson Trades at Harrisburg Area
Raritan Valley at Rockland
Luzerne at Miseracordia JV
Atlantic Cape at Mercer
Montgomery at Lehigh Carbon
Morris at Westchester CC
| WOMEN’S DIVISION II | REGION | ALL |
| Union | 13-0 | 21-0 |
| Harcum | 8-3 | 15-5 |
| Lackawanna | 9-4 | 14-6 |
| Raritan Valley | 7-4 | 13-8 |
| Mercer | 6-5 | 12-5 |
| Middlesex | 4-7 | 9-11 |
| Salem | 4-9 | 10-9 |
| Essex | 2-10 | 4-11 |
| Delaware Tech | 0-11 | 0-17 |
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Union 95, Salem 54
Middlesex 73, Essex 69 (OT)
Lackawanna 80, Raritan Valley 70
Delaware Tech at Mercer
RCSJ-Gloucester 67, RCSJ-Cumberland 27
Sussex 57, Orange County 46
Atlantic Cape 69, Bergen 50
Brookdale 65, Northampton 58
Philadelphia at Passaic
THURSDAY’S GAMES
Harcum at Middlesex
Brookdale at Ocean
Montgomery at Lehigh Carbon
Philadelphia at Bergen
Cecil at Delaware Tech
Raritan Valley at Monroe
Atlantic Cape at Mercer
RCSJ-Cumberland at Northampton
Sussex at Dutchess
RCSJ-Gloucester at Passaic
This week’s schedule
Here is this week’s Salem County sports schedule for the week of Jan. 26-Feb. 2; all games 5:30 p.m. unless noted
JAN. 27
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Haddon Heights at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Gloucester City at Schalick
Palmyra at Salem, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Gateway
Woodstown at Cinnaminson, 4 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Schalick at Bordentown, 6:30 p.m.
SWIMMING
Salem vs. Woodstown at GCIT, 7 p.m.
BOWLING
Salem vs. Clayton at Bolero Lanes
JAN. 28
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
Overbrook at Pennsville
Salem at Wildwood
Schalick at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Glassboro, 4 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Glassboro at Woodstown
Pennsville at Overbrook
Penns Grove at Schalick
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic
Wildwood at Salem
BOWLING
Salem vs. Salem Tech at Wood Lanes
WRESTLING
Penns Grove at Riverside, 5 p.m.
Salem, Holy Spirit at Oakcrest, 5 p.m.
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at CC of Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Union at Salem CC, 5 p.m.
JAN. 29
WRESTLING
Clayton at Salem, 5 p.m.
Cumberland at Woodstown, 6 p.m.
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic, 6 p.m.
Pitman at Schalick
BOWLING
Salem Tech vs. Lindenwold at Wood Lanes
SWIMMING
Tri-County Conference Showcase at GCIT, 3:30 p.m.
JAN. 30
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Schalick at Paulsboro
Wildwood at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Camden Tech at Salem
Overbrook at Salem Tech
Woodstown at Clayton, 7 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
Clayton at Woodstown
Penns Grove at Wildwood
BOWLING
Salem vs. Clayton at Wood Lanes, 4 p.m.
JAN. 31
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville at Haddon Twp.
Salem Tech at Camden Tech
Winslow at Salem
BOYS BASKETBALL
Gateway at Salem Tech
Salem vs. Medford Tech at Holy Cross, 7 p.m.
WRESTLING
Clayton at Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic, 7 p.m.
TRACK
Tri-County & Olympic Conference at Bennett Center, Toms River
FEB. 1
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Camden Catholic at Pennsville, 1 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Oakcrest at Pennsville, 11:30 p.m.
Schalick at Buena, 11:30 a.m.
Woodstown at Bridgeton, 11:30 a.m.
Deptford at Penns Grove, 1 p.m.
WRESTLING
Pennsville, Clearview, Hammonton at Central Regional, 10 a.m.
Pennsville girls at Eastern, 9 a.m.
Penns Grove vs. Bordentown, Vineland, Winslow
Salem, Schalick, Palmyra at Lindenwold, 9 a.m.
MENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Luzerne County CC at Salem CC, noon
WOMENS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Salem CC at Raritan Valley CC, noon
FEB. 2
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Woodstown at Eastern, 10 a.m.
Riverview Sports News 