Jersey City………..DePaul came out and showed a determination that Hudson Catholic could not match in their 53-42 dismantling in the Dan Finn Classic at The Armory in Jersey City! Junior forward Davon Jacobs was the best player on the floor this day as his relentless hustle and offensive rebounding was more than the Hawks could handle! Jacobs(right)  20 points and 9 rebounds were a result of never giving up on a play and sheer will! The Spartans took a 29-19 halftime lead and controlled the game in the 2nd half by pulling the ball out and making the right pass at the right moment, primarily by Sophomore guard Joshua Marquez! DePaul did a great job of limiting Sophomore forward Reggie Cameron, who came in averaging 18.5 a game to 11 points! That and the ineffectiveness of his other teammates, besides point guard Kavon Stewart proved to be the difference! Marquez finished with 10 points and 6 assists! Stewart finished with 11 points and Junior Jesse Jones came off the bench to add 8 for Hudson Catholic!

                                          St. Benedicts 66                Next Level( Canada) 39

 Jersey City………. North Carolina State bound Tyler Harris had 12 points and George Mason commit Vaughn Gray(right) added 11 as St. Benedicts did not show Next Level from Canada a lot of hospitality,taking it to them 66-39 in another Dan Finn Classic game! Benedicts dominated the boards and forced an abundant amount of turnovers which resulted in numerous fast break opportunities!

                                                  Passaic Valley 50                  Dickinson 44

Jersey City………. Tom Gaccione and Olumide Onajide combined for 29 of Passaic Valley’s 50 points as the Hornets held off Dickinson to get the 50-44 victory in The Dan Finn Classic!

Old Tappan…… Senior Jason Horowitz(right) hit two “triples” in the 4th quarter to open up a tight game and lead Pascack Hills to a 52-41 win over Old Tappan! Senior Steve Zurich(bottom) also played a strong game with 13 points and 9 rebounds! The game pitted the undefeated Hills against an Old Tappan team that entered the game with one loss, and each team played tight early and no squad got a rhythm as the defenses controlled the tempo! Hills led 23-20 at the end of the 1st half, but O.T. finally got a groove late in the 3rd quarter when Senior Tim Brophy’s free throws gave them their first lead of the game and Freshman Troy McLaughlin layup put them up 31-28 to end the 3rd! After back to back three point plays by Zurich and Old Tappan’s Senior star Shane McLaughlin, Hills opened up the game with Horowitz’s threes and a big “triple” by Junior Jared Shill, Pascack Hills outscored Old Tappan 24 to 10 in the 4th quarter to pull away! Point guard Cole Dorfman finished the game hitting 6 of his 10 free throws for the Cowboys! He ended with 12 points and forward Chet Palumbo added 6 points and 6 rebounds! Pascack Hills is now 9 and 0! Shane McLaughlin finished with 18 points to lead Old Tappan and Senior Tim Brophy added 9 points!

In a series of player profiles, Hoop Journal sat down with Senior Xavier Nieves who plays the off guard and swingman position, but usually has the ball in his hands when the Bulldogs need a big play! Nieves is a strong penetrator who can score or create for others! Also can knock down the midrange jumper! He is getting strong looks from D1 schools!

FUN FACTS:          Hgt: 6’2           Wgt:  190

Nickname :      Yelo

Age: 17                                 D.O.B.  January 27, 1993

Parents:   Alonya Robinson  and   Ismael Nieves

Siblings:   Javohn Nieves,  Railen Henderson, Shareef Henderson

Who Inspires You(Non Basketball): Johnathan Lopez

Favorite Basketball Team:  Miami Heat

Favorite Basketball Player:  Dwyane Wade

Favorite Alltime Sneaker:  Jordans

Favorite Artist:  Big Sean

Hottest song On Ipod:    Roman’s Revenge By Nikki Minaj Ft. Eminem

Highschool Goals:  Win Counties, States And T.O.C.

Future Goals: Play Professional Ball

Something People Would Be Surprised To Know About You:  I’m a Game Freak! Best Player In 2K11

Favorite College Team: North Carolina

Schools Interested In You:  North Carolina State, St. Francis, Seton Hall