Paterson, N.J……..The Jingle Bell Jubilee Holiday Tournament got underway with four games that concluded with a tough overtime finish between Hackensack and Kennedy!Newark Tech, St. Peters Prep and Teaneck all won their games but the final contest proved to be the most exciting! Kennedy’s Senior guard Sammy Singletary hit a “triple” at the end of regulation to send their game against the Comets into overtime 66 all! But Sophomore Rashard Figures(pictured right) and Junior Chris Myers(left) helped Hackensack shake off the shock and pull the game off 82-74 in the extra session! Figures scored 27 points and grabbed 6 rebounds and Myers scored 14 points and dished out 10 dimes to offset the 27 point performance of Singletary! The contest was close, but Hackensack seemed to have the game in hand late in the 4th quarter! Kennedy crept back in it behind the play of Singletary, Senior Syquese Clyburn, Senior Kazmeek Mack, Junior Hassan Townes and Senior Jamarr Ellerbee! Ellerbee hit 3″triples” in the comeback! After Figures hit two free throws with 11 seconds left to put the Comets up 66-63 it set the stage for Singletary’s at the moment heroics! Junior Jaimek Moore added 12 points and Senior Mershan Monroe had 10 before fouling out! Ellerbee came off the bench to score 11 points, while Mack and Clyburn finished with 8 points and Townes added 5 dimes! Special mention must go to Kennedy freshman Donte Wise! Wise was a bundle of energy and contributed 8 blocked shots!Hackensack will play Newark Tech in the Semifinals as the Terriors beat Passaic Valley 49-39! Senior Abel Yekeh scored 16 points and dominated the boards with 16! Senior Desmond Cotton added 14 points for Newark Tech! Sophomore Stefan Minic led Passaic Valley with 14 points and 5 rebounds while Senior Jamir Lennon scored all 13 of his points in the 1st half! Senior Olumide Onajide grabbed 12 boards for the Hornets! Teaneck, behind the Senior Chris Jones and Juniors Joel Hernandez, Neville Fincher and Shakir Lindsey took a close contest at intermisssion and ran away 74-50 over Passaic! Jones scored 17 points while Hernandez(pictured right) scored 15 points and snatched 9 boards, Fincher scored 11 points and grabbed 9 rebounds and Lindsey scored 11 points and 6 steals! Junior Rashaan Johnson led Passaic with 17 points and Senior Michael Brown added 13 as the Indians only trailed 36-31 at the end of the half! Teaneck will face St.Peters Prep as they beat Christian Brothers Academy 58-53 in a tough game throughout! Senior Tyrone O’Garro scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Sophomore Austin White went 10 for 10 from the free throw line and scored 15  and Junior Tre Bell had 12 points and 5 assists for St. Peters Prep! Senior Kieran Hughes led C.B.A. with 15 points and Junior Tom Aldridge finished with 13! 

Hoop Journal Wishes a Very Merry Christmas To All!!!

       Oradell, N.J………..Just like on the football field, Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic have a real rivalry on the bassketball court! And even though it was a game of missed shots, particularly at the foul line the intensity was high and the effort was there in Don Bosco Prep’s 67-54 win over Bergen! Prep could never shake the Crusaders as the game was close throughout! B.C. actually took the lead with 1:29 in the 3rd on a layup by Sophomore Nadi Beciri which put them ahead 45-44 but with 6.9 seconds left in the quarter Sophomore Paul Jorgenson(7pts,4asts pictured) made a three point play to give Prep the lead back 47-45 then Jack Ely stole the in bounds pass to score again before the buzzer to make it a 49-45 game! They slowly pulled away late! Senior Leonte Caroo, the Rutgers football recruit led Prep with a double-double in the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds while Senior Jemal Mosley led the scoring with 14 points,grabbed 5 rebounds and 3 steals! Senior Dajon Toddman finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds and two tremendous alley oop dunks! Bergen Catholic was led by Junior Rich DeLuca with 17 points, including 4″triples”! Junior P.J. Reed had 8 points and 7 boards and Junior Kyle Quiero played a strong all around game with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals! Bergen Catholic missed 18 free throws in the contest and Don Bosco Prep missed 11 from the charity stripe!