Epic comeback: Camden basketball overcomes horrid start, beats Don Bosco in Top 20 clash

UNION – It was one of the worst quarters the Camden High School boys’ basketball team has played the last four years.

The Panthers couldn’t make a bucket. They couldn’t stop Don Bosco. They looked overmatched.

The showdown of Top 20 nationally ranked programs looked like it’d be a rout.

Camden’s first-year head coach Maalik Wayns let his players have it following a first period they fell behind 14 points and trailed 21-9 when the buzzer sounded.

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He shouted at them to “wake up.” Then he turned to senior Cian Medley. The St. Louis recruit had been subbed out quickly for his poor play in the opening quarter.

Wayns told Medley he was point guard. He needed to bring the energy. He needed to reignite a Panther program that had returned from Miami a day earlier after falling to Columbus, Fla., 75-66, its first loss of the winter.

“He challenged me,” Medley said.

Medley rose to the challenge, posting nine second-quarter points to keep his team close. Then, Camden came alive with arguably its best half of the past four seasons, rallying from eight down to shock the Ironmen 83-68 at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic at Kean University on Friday night.

“The true test of a champion is how you respond,” Wayns said. “… I can’t be more happy with these guys right now.”

The comeback, broadcast live on the SHOWTIME YouTube channel, will go down as one of the great moments of Panthers’ magical run since 2019.

Don Bosco, which entered the week ranked 13th according to MaxPreps, had a 41-32 lead on No. 4 Camden after Dylan Harper drained a pair of free throws 24 seconds into the third quarter.

Then, the Panthers flipped the switch. They scored 13 unanswered points and never looked back, outscoring the Ironmen 52-29 over the final two periods.

“I feel like we all got to face some type of adversity to really bring your true character out,” said senior and Kentucky commit DJ Wagner, who finished with a team-best 20 points. “That just showed our true character.”

Maybe none more than Medley.

“He cussed me out and it was good for me,” Medley said of Wayns. “… Him being able to trust me and play me the whole second half after I had a horrible first quarter, that shows a lot of trust.”

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Wayns has the utmost trust in him.

“We’re going to go as he goes,” Wayns said. “I challenged him. Me being a point guard, I really coach him. I coach the hell out of him. I challenge him and he responds. Today was one of those days. I said you’re a senior guard, you’re a leader, you have to be better than that.”

Medley’s second quarter kept the Panthers in the game when Wagner struggled finding his shot and fellow Kentucky recruit Aaron Bradshaw sat with foul trouble. The Panthers only went into the half down eight after trailing by as many as 14 in the period.

“He’s a great leader,” Wagner said of Medley, who finished with 18 points and 5 assists. “In my eyes, he’s the best point guard in the world.”

That might be a little lofty, but Medley’s play didn’t just impress Wagner. Bobby Bates, co-founder of the Iverson Classic, extended Medley an invitation to the 24K All-Star Game, the MVP of which will get a spot in the All-American game, which Wagner and Bradshaw, Top 5 recruits in the country, were invited to.

The Panthers gave their leader a rousing ovation at the announcement.

“You got a whole lot of heart son,” Bates said to Medley.

No doubt.

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Game notes

∎ Wagner led the team in scoring, but it wasn’t easy. He was just 1-of-12 from the field in the opening half.

However, that only pushed him harder. He was more active on both ends of the floor after the break and showed why he’s one of the nation’s best recruits.

“Next play mentality,” said Wagner, who also had 8 rebounds and 6 assists. “… My teammates definitely helped me with that. Keep my head up, keep playing. My teammates definitely helped me come out in the second half. Just bring the intensity up a lot better.”

∎ Bradshaw’s development on the offensive end has been substantial the past 12 months.

The 7-footer did plenty of damage on the interior last season, but his game has become much more diverse. He can work the post. He can shoot from distance. He even made a beautiful turnaround jumper from the baseline in the fourth quarter.

“He’s amazing,” Wayns said. “He’s like a unicorn.”

Bradshaw’s foul trouble kept him off the floor for a good chunk of the game, but he still finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks.

∎ Billy Richmond was massive to Camden’s comeback, as he scored all 11 of his points in the second half, including nine in the third quarter.

∎ DaSear Haskins added 10 points while Cornelius Robinson chipped in 6 points and 11 rebounds for the victors.

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∎ One of the big keys for Camden in the second half was limiting Don Bosco’s “other” players.

Standout Dylan Harper was as advertised, scoring a game-high 36 points and looking like the best player on the court.

In the first half, sophomore Brady Loughlin took advantage of the Panthers’ focus on Harper, buried four triples and scored 14 points.

In the second half though, the “other” Ironmen only scored nine combined points while Harper had 20.

∎ Camden still struggles shooting the ball. It was just 3-of-14 from deep. However, the Panthers often make up for that with their ability to dominate the glass. They finished with 17 offensive rebounds.

∎ Former NBA star J.R. Smith spoke with the Panthers after the game and gave a special shoutout to Dajuan Wagner.

“He was my M.J.,” Smith said, calling Wagner his inspiration.

They said it

“I think we needed it. I think everybody just expected to run the table. We went to Miami, played a tough team, lost. Now these guys know they can lose. They know they can be coached. They know that they can get better. It was really a lesson for us. This game right here, winning this game how we started off, I think it’s a turning point. We know how we got to play now.”

– Camden head coach Mallik Wayns.

Josh Friedman has produced award-winning South Jersey sports coverage for the Courier Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times for more than a decade. If you have or know of an interesting story to tell, reach out on Twitter at @JFriedman57 or via email at jfriedman2@gannettnj.com. You can also contact him at 856-486-2431. Help support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Camden basketball rallies past Don Bosco at Allen Iverson Classic