Paul VI Eagles vs. Red Bank Catholic Caseys **NJSIAA Non-Pulbic A Semifinals** Saturday, March 2, 2019 - 1:00 PM Paul VI Gymnasium 901 Hopkins Road Haddonfield, NJ 08033
Showing no signs of being disinterested, No. 9 Paul VI keeps its foot on the pedal
Jaylen Boyd-Savage and Tyshon Judge combined for 53 points, 11 rebounds and six assists Monday as No. 9 Paul VI defeated Pleasantville. (Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
By Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com on February 18, 2019 5:22 PM
It's that time of year Tony Devlin always talks about - after the cutoff and before the playoffs.
"We call it the second season," the Paul VI coach said. "It's the time where kids lose interest, teams lose interest. They're tired of hearing the same things from us as coaches."
Devlin said it's a time when a team can't lose its edge.
"But we haven't," he noted.
Paul VI, No. 9 in the statewide NJ.com Top 20, showed no signs of being disinterested Monday afternoon. The Eagles broke open a close game in the third quarter and pulled away for an 86-69 victory over Pleasantville in the Presidents Day Showcase at Paul VI.
The win was the fifth in a row and 14th in the last 15 games.
"It was physical and we haven't come up against a team like that," said PVI senior point guard Tyshon Judge. "We just had to adjust and work our way through it."
Judge finished with a game-high 28 points, raising his career total to 968. He also had four rebounds, an assist and three steals.
Jaylen Boyd-Savage was named game MVP. The sophomore guard collected 25 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.
"I just wanted to help my guys," he said.
Hartnel Haye scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, leaving the senior swingman 40 points from the 1,000-point milestone.
Paul VI (21-3) closed out the first half on an 11-2 run. Pleasantville (17-7) cut its deficit to 46-41 with 5:30 left in the third, but the Eagles scored the next 11 points and would eventually take a 60-49 lead into the fourth.
Pleasantville could no closer than 11 down the stretch.
"(In the third) We settled in as a team and got some transition buckets off steals," Devlin said. "Then we got things going.
"It was good test for us; that's a good Pleasantville team. It was a physical game and a really good game."
Sahmir Jones had 17 points for the Greyhounds, who will face No. 6 Wildwood Catholic in the semifinals of the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament on Wednesday at Absegami. Jacob Valeus added 16 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, while Alejandro Rosado chipped in with 11 points and seven boards.
Far from satisfied, Paul VI has regular-season games against Timber Creek and Cherry Hill East before the start of the South Jersey Non-Public A playoffs. The Eagles are the second seed and will host the winner of Bishop Eustace-Notre Dame in the quarterfinals on Feb. 28.
"We still have the hunger in us," Boyd-Savage said. "We're rising, but we're not at our peak yet.
"We just have to keep practicing and putting on performances like today."
Said Judge: "I'm happy but we have things to improve on. ... We'll get it done."
Paul VI senior Hartnel Haye had a team-high 24 points Saturday, but it was a defensive play in the closing seconds that proved most impactful. (Kevin Minnick | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
02/02 - 1:00 PM Boys Basketball
Final
Paul VI
81
Trenton Catholic
77
There's something about going up against a Division I player that motivates others.
While the Paul VI senior forward scored a team-high 24 points, it was his play at the defensive end against Butler-bound Khalif Battle that proved to be the biggest in Saturday's showdown.
With the final seconds ticking down, Haye came up with a huge block and Paul VIheld on for an 81-77 victory over Trenton Catholic in the Coaches vs. Cancer showcase at Holy Cross Prep.
"He had guys beat on the wing, so I just had to step up and make a play for our team," Haye said.
"It's motivation. He's a Butler commit and I don't even have any offers. It was a big boost for me."
Paul VI (15-2), No. 15 in the statewide NJ.com Top 20, extended its winning streak to eight in a row. Tyshon Judge, who finished with 19 points and four assists, sealed the outcome with eight seconds remaining with a pair of foul shots.
"We knew that was going to be a battle," Paul VI coach Tony Devlin said. "They are very athletic and have two or three Division I kids.
"Our pressure defense kept us in the game. I don't think they expected that, but we did a really good job of keeping them in check."
Jaylen Boyd-Savage added 14 points and four steals for Paul VI. Wisler Sanon had 11 points, three rebounds and three steals, while Jordan Pierre chipped in with six points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
"The first part of the season is over, the first 16 games for playoffs. Now it's the (Olympic National) at stake and to see where we stand with everyone else," Devlin added. "That was a big confidence builder."
The contest was close throughout, with Paul VI holding a 41-40 halftime lead. The Eagles went up by 11 before Trenton Catholic (9-8) cut its deficit to 61-55 heading into the fourth.
The Iron Mikes cut it to 75-74 with 41 seconds left and again at 78-77 on a 3-pointer by Battle with 24 seconds remaining.
Battle led all scorers with 31 points to go along with 14 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jamir Watkins added 21 points and six boards, while EJ Evans added 12 points. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak.
But in the end, it was a play at the defensive end that proved most impactful.
"They have a lot of D-I talent, so we just really tried to play our best and show everyone that we are one of the best teams in the state," Haye said. "There was a lot of scoring, a lot of ball movement. Everybody got involved that played.
"This shows we can compete with anyone, anywhere. It was a big win."
The Wildwood Catholic High School boys’ basketball team held onto its No. 2 rank in the South Jersey Mean 15 this week by the narrowest of margins.
The Crusaders produced a 15-point, fourth-quarter comeback Saturday to top No. 3 Cherokee in overtime, 65-58, at the Jeff Coney Classic at Rancocas Valley.
1. Camden (9-2; previous ranking 1) – The Panthers had a 10-day layoff between their last game – a 20-point victory over Washington Township on Jan. 17 – and Sunday’s matchup with powerhouse Roselle Catholic. Camden has some key clashes looming against Bishop Eustace on Tuesday and Camden Catholic on Thursday.
2. Wildwood Catholic (15-1; 2) – The Crusaders earned wins over Pleasantville and Middle Township early last week, but it was their rally against Cherokee that’ll be remembered as one of the best games of the season. Jacob Hopping was a hero for Wildwood Catholic, netting all of his 22 points in the second half and overtime. The Crusaders trailed 47-32 entering the final period, but outscored the Chiefs 22-7 in the fourth to get to OT. Taj Thweatt continued his incredible campaign with a 25-point, 8-rebound effort for the victors.
3. Cherokee (13-4; 3) – How close are the Chiefs to holding the No. 1 ranking? They have two losses in South Jersey this season, and both were in overtime to the two teams above them in the Mean 15. Gavin Gibson was outstanding against the Crusaders, netting a career-high 25 points in the setback. Cherokee also earned wins over Washington Township and Cherry Hill West last week. Damian Smith had a career-best 23 points in the win over the Minutemen.
4. Paul VI (12-2; 4) – The Eagles completed a season sweep of Camden Catholic to open last week, as sophomore Jaylen Boyd-Savage tallied a career-high 18 points in a 62-54 triumph on Monday. The offense was outstanding in the team’s other two wins, an 83-50 victory over Cherry Hill West on Friday and an 84-65 win over Bordentown on Saturday. Tyshon Judge scored a season-best 22 points in the triumph over the Scotties.
5. Haddonfield (15-1; 5) – The Haddons are back to crushing opponents, beating their three foes last week by an average margin of 38 points, and that number goes up to more than 44 during their five-game winning streak. Senior guard Mike DePersia put up a season-high 21 points in a 76-46 victory over Paulsboro on Tuesday. Dan Fleming had 15 and 14 points, respectively, to lead the offense in wins over Overbrook on Thursday and Atlantic City on Saturday.
6. Camden Catholic (12-3; 6) – The Irish responded to their loss to Paul VI with triumphs over Shawnee (54-41) and Moorestown (51-35) to close the week. Senior Baba Ajike was an all-around force in the victory over the Quakers at the Jeff Coney Classic, posting 17 points, 16 rebounds and a pair of steals.
7. Eastern (13-3; 7) – It was an incredible week for Ryan Ems. The senior was outstanding in the Vikings’ three wins, most notably the 61-51 triumph over Cherry Hill East on Tuesday, in which he posted a career-high 41 points. He backed that up with a 28-point performance two days later as Eastern snuck past Timber Creek 51-50, and he had 15 in a 58-48 win over Sterling Saturday. Noah Klinewski led the way against the Silver Knights with 19 points.
8. Moorestown (11-4; 8) – The Quakers had their toughest week of the season, dropping a pair of games to Trenton Catholic and Camden Catholic on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Nick Cartwright-Atkins, their top player, missed the setback against the Iron Mikes and was limited against the Irish due to a injury.
9. St. Augustine (12-2; 9) – The Hermits ran their winning streak to six games with a trio of victories last week. They bested Holy Spirit 73-39 on Monday, Egg Harbor Township 72-40 on Thursday and Burlington Township 64-54 on Saturday. Senior Charles Solomon was an animal against the Falcons, netting a career-high 33 points as well as 10 rebounds.
10. Millville (14-3; 10) – The Thunderbolts picked up a pair of victories last week, downing Egg Harbor Township (51-46) on Tuesday and Willingboro (64-60) on Saturday at the Jeff Coney Classic. Rynell Lawrence had 17 points and seven boards to lead the way against the Eagles and Eddie Jamison produced 20 points against the Chimeras.
11. Pleasantville (11-5; 12) – The Greyhounds responded to a loss to Wildwood Catholic to start the week by topping St. Joseph 80-73 on Wednesday. Jalen Freeman led the way with 24 points, Sahmir Jones added 20 and Noel Gonzalez and Jacob Valeus chipped in 14 apiece.
12. St. Joseph (11-3; 11) – The Wildcats split their two games last week, besting Buena 72-19 and falling to Pleasantville. Marcellus Ross led the team in scoring in both matchups with 26 and 21 points, respectively.
13. Penns Grove (12-1; 13) – The Red Devils were a perfect 4-0 last week, but that did include some drama. Jamar Johnson got Penns Grove started on the right foot with a career-best 25 points in a 66-55 triumph over Medford Tech on Monday. Kavon Lewis was the hero Tuesday as the Red Devils rallied from seven points down in the fourth quarter to upend Woodstown in overtime, 65-54. Lewis netted 16 of his game-high 21 points in the final period and OT. Lewis then scored a season-best 32 points in each of their next two games, victories over Schalick (65-38) and Palmyra (70-62).
14. Lenape (10-6; 14) – The Indians are riding a season-high four-game winning streak, including two last week by almost identical scores – 54-42 over Woodrow Wilson and 53-42 over Haddon Heights. Anthony Cortese matched a season-best with 16 points in the win over the Tigers. Steve Matlack also had 16. Matlack had a team-high 15 against the Garnets while Luke Spitznas chipped in 11.
15. Timber Creek (10-5; NR) – The Chargers have won four of their past five and are 9-3 since starting the season 1-2. Timber Creek split its two games last week, the loss a one-pointer to No. 7 Eastern. Its win was a 67-51 victory over Seneca on Tuesday. Junior Eric Benjamin had a season-best 22 points while Tim Schultice had a career-high 17.
