Boys basketball: North Jersey highlights from Day 4 of the state tournament
RIDGEWOOD – Jordan Rogers had three alley-oop dunks and could have had a couple more if the passes had been just a teeny bit more on the mark.
Rogers’ elevation and inside scoring and Johnny Jackson’s outside shooting carried Ridgewood to a 58-42 victory over Clifton in Thursday’s North 1, Group 4 boys’ basketball quarterfinal.
“I give all the credit to my teammates,” said Rogers, a 6-foot-6 senior. “They were finding me in spots tonight, they were great at working the zone, they were very unselfish, so I couldn’t have done that without them.”
Rogers had 19 points – he caught two alley-oops that were off the mark and still laid them in – and grabbed 15 rebounds for defending champion and third-seeded Ridgewood (14-12).
“The other day he played above the rim the entire game,” said Ridgewood coach Mike Troy, referring to a first-round win over Passaic. “He averages a double-double.”
Jackson, a sophomore whose catch-and-shoot is as fast as anyone in North Jersey, scored 23. Junior Evan O’Reilly added eight points, including a 3-pointer to close the third quarter and provide a 35-25 lead.
Ridgewood’s defense stayed active and held No. 6 Clifton (17-10) to its second-lowest point total of the season. The Maroons double-teamed the ball handler on the perimeter, contested shots, and Rogers was there to grab plenty of rebounds.
Senior Luis Vega scored 17 for Clifton, featuring buzzer beaters to end the first and second quarters. Junior center Saif Saleh worked his way inside and scored 15 for the Mustangs.
“I thought we played really well on the defensive side,” said Troy, whose Maroons will play Saturday's semifinal at No. 2 Passaic Tech. “We had two lapses in the first half, at the end of each quarter, which left a bad taste, but we addressed it at halftime and the kids came out and executed in the second half.”
Elsewhere in North 1, Group 4
Passaic Tech: Second-half comeback
Jordan Lugo led four players in double figures with 15 points and Passaic Tech erased a halftime deficit and defeated Hackensack, 64-59.
Jovan Tyrell scored 14 and Ayden Brown and Kyle Sunga 10 apiece for the No. 2 Bulldogs (19-9). Damir Shelley scored 16 and Mikey Saliba 15 for No. 7 Hackensack (12-16).
Passaic Tech hosts Ridgewood in Saturday's semifinal, and the Bulldogs defeated the Maroons in their season opener, 57-55.
Eastside: Dynamic D
Top-seeded Eastside’s defense was at its stingiest, allowing the fewest points of the season in a 47-19 victory over No. 9 Livingston.
Bryce Stokes had 13 points, six rebounds and three assists as Eastside (25-2) stretched its win streak to 13 games. Jaheim Best added 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Ghosts.
Eastside will host No. 4 North Bergen in Saturday’s semifinal.
North 1, Group 2
Glen Rock: Back-to-back
GLEN ROCK - Glen Rock is much better than a double-digit seed. The No. 11 Panthers have won back-to-back state tournament games for the first time in well over a dozen years thanks to a 48-45 victory over No. 14 Wallkill Valley.
Mason Mangione scored 13, including a free throw with 25 seconds left to give the Panthers (16-10) a 47-45 lead. In the final seconds, Noah Hu made the first of two foul shots for the 48-45 lead, and Wallkill Valley’s desperation 3-point attempt was short at the buzzer.
“We’ve been working hard all year, we’ve had a lot of close losses earlier in the year and late in the year, too,” Luke Famularo said after scoring 10 points. “And we just kept working. We just said, ‘If we keep working, we can do this,’ and we knew we could make a late run, and here we are.”
“For me personally, in 13 seasons it’s the first time I’ve been in this round, and we’ve had some talented teams in the past, so this is exciting,” said Glen Rock coach Jason Mittelman, referring to advancing to a sectional semifinal. “These boys work hard, they have grit, and I’m very proud of them.”
Elmwood Park: NJIC rivals
Elmwood Park, the No. 2 seed, will host NJIC rival Glen Rock in Saturday's semifinal after defeating No. 7 Pascack Hills, 61-56.
DeWayne Carter led five players in double figures scoring with 15 to lead Elmwood Park (21-5). David Forzani returned after missing the last game with the flu and scored 12, and Ivan Corcino Mejia also scored 12. Essam Assaf and Alex Picinich scored 10 apiece.
David Weidmuller scored 21 and Tyler Sanders 16 for Pascack Hills (13-12).
Ramsey: Under 40
Top-seeded and defensive-minded Ramsey continued its quest to repeat as sectional champ with a 48-38 victory over Jefferson.
Michael Stone scored 12, Max Nierenberg nine and Robert Fuerst and Michael Bernius eight apiece as the Rams (22-4) held an opponent to under 40 points for the 15th time this season.
Ramsey will host No. 5 Indian Hills in Saturday's semifinal, and these Big North Patriot Division rivals split two battles during the regular season.
Indian Hills: 8-game win streak
Indian Hills continues to enjoy its best season in many years and stretched its win streak to eight with a 48-29 victory over Westwood.
Anthony Puglisi scored 21 as the No. 5 Braves (19-6) allowed the fewest points of the season and beat their Big North Patriot Division rival for the third time this season. Robbie Carcich scored 11 for No. 13 Westwood (12-14).
Keep checking back tonight for more updates on North Jersey teams in the NJSIAA tournament.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Boys basketball: North Jersey highlights for Day 4 of state tournament
