Hackensack, N.J….. Junior Rashard Figures scored 39 points and dished out 5 assists as Hackensack won a close contest against Teaneck 88-84! Hackensack needed them all as Teaneck, despite playing without star player Joel Hernandez(ankle sprain) was in it the entire way! Figures(pictured) scored in a variety of ways as he hit 6″triples” made mid-range jumpers and got to the cup off the dribble! The Comets seemed to get a little cushion as they led 45-35 at the half, but Teaneck came out in the 3rd quarter and behind the play of their other star player Shakir Lindsey who finished with 33 points,6 assists and 6 rebounds valiantly came back taking a three point lead with 2:38 left in the quarter! Hackensack took the hit though and took the lead back, leading by two 64-62 at the end of the third! The 4th was just as exciting as the other three quarters as the game went back and forth until the end! The role players were key in the game for both teams as Senior Jamiek Moore(14 pts,9rebs), Senior Keon Lewis(10pts,3stls) and Senior Jason Smith(4pts,7rebs) came off the bench and gave a big effort on the glass as Moore and Senior Eugene Marshall were in foul trouble and keeping the ball alive on loose balls for Hackensack, while Teaneck got strong games from Senior Marcus Fulmore(15pts,7rebs), Junior Lavrone Green-Reels( 11pts) and Sophomore Cesar DeJesus(10pts)! The win sets the stage for some real fun if each team can make the Bergen County Jamboree finals! Hackensack got a win which was good for their psyche, while Teaneck will counter with” we played tough without our best player”! All this does is make the third game a charm!!

Hoop Journal went to two of the four Passaic County Tournament games and saw Passaic and Kennedy move into the semi-finals!

                                                                    PASSAIC  54          PASSAIC COUNTY TECH  51

                      Senior Matt Cancel(pictured) hit a three point shot with no time remaining to lift Passaic to a 54-51 win over Passaic County Tech! It was the third”triple of the game for the reserve player as he scored 11 points! Three other Indians scored in double figures as Senior Rashaan Johnson led the scoring with 13 points while Senior’s Gervon Williams and Azziah Miller each scored 11 points! Williams also had 6 steals, including a key one late in the game that resulted in Passaic taking a three point lead on a layup by Senior Marquis Stephens! Senior Isaac Williams drained a “triple with 1:24 left in the game to tie the score at 51! Passaic held the ball and called time with 19 seconds left! Tech made a defensive play that seemed to thwart the play, but a hustle play in the backcourt by Stephens made the shot possible as he grabbed it and threw it to Cancel deep on the wing for the game winner! Tech was led by Junior Brevon Brevard with 16 points and Junior Zaheem Beal with 13 points! They will face Eastside in the semi finals!

                                                                KENNEDY  72       WAYNE VALLEY  59

Freshman Alphonso Gee(pictured) scored 23 points, going 11-15 from the free throw line with 5 steals and Senior Hassan Townes scored 13 points and 7 steals as Kennedy forced turnover after turnover in the 1st half to beat Wayne Valley 72-59! Kennedy had 15 steals in the 1st half but only had a 34-26 lead because they struggled converting the steals to buckets! Their pressure continued in the 2nd half and evetually wore Valley down! Senior Justin Kinchen had a big game on the boards with 15 rebounds to go with his 8 points! Sophomore Jalani Morris added 12 points for Kennedy! Wayne Valley was led by Junior Jordan Walode with 12 points on four”triples”, Senior Josh Rigoglioso with 11 points and Senior Andrew Keane with 10 points and 8 rebounds! Kennedy will face DePaul in the Semifinals!

OTHER RESULTS:         

 EASTSIDE  48     HAWTHORNE CHRISTIAN  43——-  Leading 30-28 going into the 4th quarter Senior Jetor Brown scored 12 of Eastside’s 18 points in the quarter on the way to a tough 48-43 win over Hawthorne Christian! Senior Quatt’ier Jackson added 8 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Ghosts! Junior Alex Thomas led Hawthorne Christian with 24 points and Junior Jake Hart added 11!

DEPAUL  58      PASSAIC VALLEY  48———– Senior Sanders Green scored 20 points and Senior Josh Marquez added 15 points in DePaul’s 58-48 victory over Passaic Valley! P.V. cut the lead to 3 in the 4th but DePaul went 10-13 from the foul line down the stretch!

Roselle Catholic, Roselle,NJ……The Primetime Shootout at Roselle Catholic featured five top notch games and in the end The Patrick School, Roselle Catholic, Hudson Catholic, Gill St. Bernard and St. Benedicts all prevailed!

                                                                      PATRICK SCHOOL    84      POPE JOHN SPARTA    76

St. Joseph commit DeAndre Bembry scored 27 points and Senior Chris Regus added 21 as The Patrick School beat Pope John of Sparta 84-76! Bembry was the most sctive in the game as he matched up with Cincinnati commit Jermaine Lawrence of Pope John! Lawrence played well scoring 17 points, but Freshman point guard Bryce Aiken was Pat’s main problem as he scored 27 points in the contest! Bembry(right) was the player of the game for the winners, while Aikens(left) was player of game for Pope John!

                                                                                      GILL ST. BERNARD  56      LAKEWOOD  36

         Florida International commit Chris Jenkins hit five “triples” and finished with 22 points as Gill St. Bernard coasted past Lakewood 56-36! Gill hit on 13″triples” as a team and took a 20-6 1st quarter lead and never looked back! Northwestern commit Jaren Sina finished with 11 points in the game! Jenkins(left) was player of game while Lakewood’s Malik Mendez(right)  was the player of game on the losing side! He finished with 12 points!

                                                     HUDSON CATHOLIC  77      PAULSBORO  47

Georgetown commit Reggie Cameron hit 7″triples” on his way to 31 points with 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots and Robert Morris commit  Kavon Stewart had a double-double with 11 points and 11 assists as Hudson Catholic shocked an undefeated Paulsboro team 77-47! Sophomore Nassir Barrino added 12 points and Senior Jared Hall chipped in with 9 points as the Hawks took a 64-33 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter! Senior Xavier Lundy led Paulsboro with 17 points! Cameron(left) was player of the game for the Hawks , while Lundy(right) got the award for Paulsboro!

                                                                                  ROSELLE CATHOLIC  60   EAST BRUNSWICK  49

Syracuse commit Tyler Roberson had a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds to go with 4 blocked shots and Senior Hakim Santil scored 12 and dished out 5 assists as Roselle Catholic pulled away from East Brunswick in a 60-49 win! Roselle Catholic kept a narrow lead most of the game and made plays late! Senior Jake Krantz scored 14 points, while NJIT recruit Robert Ukawuba added 12 points and 8 rebounds! Roberson(left) was player of game for Roselle Catholic while Ukawuba(right) was East Bruswick ‘s recipient!

                                                                                  ST. BENEDICT’S  73       ST. PETERS PREP  58

Syracuse commit Tyler Ennis scored 23 points, Sophomore Isaiah Briscoe scored 21 points with 5 assists and  4 steals and Pittsburgh commit Mike Young scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds as St. Benedict’s beat a game St. Peters Prep 73-58! Benedict’s was never in trouble ,taking as much as a 234 point lead but Junior Austin White scored 19 points in the 4th quarter on his way t0 a 25 point game! Ennis(right) was player of the game for Benedict’s while White(left) got the awrd for St. Peters Prep!