Tuesday’s South Jersey Roundup: Palmyra wins Central Group 1 first-round game on OT buzzer-beater
The top games and highlights from South Jersey playoff action.
Malik Muriel’s three-pointer with less than one second left in overtime saved No. 6 Palmyra from an upset at the the hands of No. 11 Asbury Park, as the Panthers beat the Bishops, 67-65, in the first round of the Central Group 1 boys’ basketball playoffs on Tuesday.
Muriel scored a team-high 23 points and made five three-pointers. Faraji Robinson scored 17 points and recorded four steals for the Panthers. Palmyra advances to face the winner of No. 3 Bound Brook and No. 14 Highland Park on Thursday.
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Delsea outscored Lacey Township by 20 points in the first half of its 75-57 victory in a South Group 3 matchup. Javon Gordon scored 20 of his 26 points in the first half. He also had seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Kobey Evans scored 21 points, while Trey Simmons had 15 points and seven assists for the Crusaders. Lacey’s Carl Swensen scored 22 points and joined the 1,000-point club. Delsea advances to face the winner of No. 1 Moorestown and No. 16 Deptford.
No. 11 Toms River East upset No. 6 Westampton Tech, 53-46. The Raiders outscored the Panthers by 11 points in the second quarter. Four of Toms River East’s five scorers recorded double figures. Mikey and Ryan Goodall scored 15 and 14 points, respectively. The Raiders advance to face No. 3 Mainland.
Mainland beat Camden County Tech, 68-45, to advance to the next round. Jake Cook led all scorers with 24 points for the Mustangs.
Ocean City beat Cherry Hill West 62-50 behind 18 points from Joey Sacco. The Red Raiders will face No. 10 Seneca in the quarterfinals.
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Kwandel Tokley made five three-pointers and scored a game-high 23 points in Glassboro’s 80-36 win over Gateway in the South Group 1 bracket. Keon Sabb chipped in 16 points for the Bulldogs, who advance to face No. 7 Woodbury.
Clayton earned a battle with top-seeded Penns Grove on Thursday by beating Cape May Tech, 76-64. Dorien DePina led the Clippers with 24 points. Cape May Tech’s Josh Wright led all scorers with 27.
Pitman outscored Woodstown by 11 points in the fourth quarter of its 54-51 victory. Steve Petner led all scorers with 19 points. The Panthers advance to face No. 14 Wildwood, which upset No. 3 Salem, 60-55.
Overbrook’s Davon Thornton scored 14 points, including the 1,000th of his career, in the Rams’ 56-46 win over Gloucester. Overbrook outscored Gloucester 24-10 in the fourth quarter. Shamar Gantt finished with a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double for the Rams. Damian Rawls also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Overbrook will play No. 4 Haddon Township, which beat Schalick, 46-32.
Girls’ Basketball
No. 9 Middletown North earned a 40-23 road win over Burlington Township in the first round of the Central Group 3 playoffs. Hayley Stratton and Sophia Memon led Middletown North with 14 points apiece. The Lions will play on Thursday against No. 1 Colts Neck, which earned a 46-29 first-round victory over Nottingham.
In other Central Group 3 action, Westampton Tech defended its home court, beating Matawan, 62-42. Nisea Burrell led the Panthers with 24 points. She scored 14 points in the first half. The Panthers will face No. 6 Hopewell Valley, which earned a first-round win, 53-46, over Neptune.
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Highland’s Tara Dairo finished one block shy of a triple-double in the Tartans’ 43-33 win over Delsea in the first round of the South Group 3 playoffs. Dairo scored 12 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked nine shots. Highland will play the winner of No. 4 Winslow and No. 13 Central Regional.
No. 9 Absegami beat No. 8 Deptford, 50-41, to advance to the quarterfinal round. All five of Absegami’s scorers made at least one three-pointers. Haleigh Schafer led Absegami’s three double-figure scorers with 16 points. The Braves advance to face No. 1 Mainland.
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Wildwood, the top seed in the South Group 1 bracket, beat Buena, 64-24. Maddie McCracken led all scorers with 26 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds, dished five assists and recorded three steals. Wildwood will play No. 8 Gloucester.
Olivia Nolan led Pitman in scoring and finished with a double-double in the Panthers’ 45-34 win over Maple Shade. Nolan scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Delaney Drummey also finished with a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Pitman will play No. 2 Haddon Township, which beat Gateway, 45-21, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Four different players scored at least five points for Gloucester in its 39-28 win over LEAP Academy Charter. Ariana Davis was the Lions’ only double-figure scorer with 11 points. LEAP’s Brazil Harvey-Carr led all scorers with 14 points.
Ashanti Taylor had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in Palmyra’s 61-33 win over Clayton. Elizabeth Shover led the Panthers with 13 points and added four blocks and three steals. No. 3 Palmyra will play No. 6 Pennsville in the quarterfinal.
Pennsville won its first home playoff game in 15 years, beating No. 11 Woodstown, 39-29.
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Burlington City rode a strong start to a 73-22 win against Perth Amboy Tech in the first round of the Central Group 1 playoffs. The Blue Devils outscored Perth Amboy Tech 23-1 in the first quarter. Shermani Chapman led all scorers with 26 points. The Blue Devils advance to face No. 1 Bound Brook.
Florence lost to top-seeded Bound Brook, 63-27. Cameron Ward’s 19 points led all scorers. Bound Brook’s Arianna McCleod and Takara Pugh also scored in double figures, combining for 25 points. Olivia Smith led Florence with 13.
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No. 10 Camden Catholic fell, 62-47, to No. 7 Red Bank Catholic in the Non-Public A bracket. Annaliah Maldonado led Camden Catholic with 15 points. Eliana Santana scored 11 points, including the 1,000th of her career. Red Bank Catholic advances to face No. 2 St. John Vianney, which had a first-round bye.