Cinnaminson boys shade Pleasantville in OT

Cinnaminson is returning to an NJSIAA sectional boys' basketball final for the first time since 1983.

T.J. DiLeo netted 38 points and Mark Tumas added 23 - 15 above his average - as the Pirates scored a 90-88 overtime win over visiting Pleasantville last night in a riveting South Jersey Group 2 semifinal.

In an intensely played game in which six players fouled out - four from Pleasantville - DiLeo scored eight of his points in overtime to send top-seeded Cinnaminson into Monday's 7 p.m. sectional final against second-seeded Collingswood at Washington Township.

"One of our goals was to reach the South Jersey finals, and it feels good to accomplish that," said DiLeo, a springy 6-foot-3 senior who has drawn interest from Monmouth, Temple, La Salle, Columbia and Philadelphia University.

"This win was for all the little schools out there," Cinnaminson coach Mike Fries said. "We're like the Hoosiers of South Jersey."

During the regular season, Cinnaminson showed it could play with the bigger schools, such as Rancocas Valley and Holy Spirit. Last night, it outlasted a more athletic Pleasantville team that was relentless on the offensive glass.

"They wore us down on the boards," DiLeo said.

But Cinnaminson (25-3) benefited from one of Tumas' best games of the season. The slender 6-3 junior took advantage whenever Pleasantville double-teamed DiLeo.

"Every time I drove, they crashed on me and [Tumas] was in the right spot and he finished," DiLeo said.

Cinnaminson was also aided by reserves Chuck Casey and Amir Goher, who made some important plays down the stretch. Both were in the game because starters Dan Gilbert (15 points) and Dan Korenyi had fouled out.

"Our bench stepped up," Tumas said after his grandfather interrupted an interview to plant a kiss on his grandson's cheek.

Nate Evans (24 points), Keith Gerald (21) and Klev Exanthus (20) led the way for fifth-seeded Pleasantville (16-10), which committed 22 turnovers - but only eight in the second half.

The Greyhounds were outscored, 30-15, on points after turnovers.

With the score tied at 81-81 late in overtime, DiLeo hit six straight foul shots in a 36-second span to give Cinnaminson an 87-81 lead with 1 minute, 1 second to go. Pleasantville later got to within 90-88 on a three-pointer by Leandre Nixon with 24 seconds left.

DiLeo, who was 13 for 23 from the floor and 11 for 16 from the foul line, missed two free with 11 seconds left, giving Pleasantville life.

Pleasantville's Tariq Taliferro missed a 14-foot baseline jumper with two seconds remaining. Cinnaminson (17 turnovers) controlled the rebound and the clock ran out.

"Down the stretch, they made the plays, and we didn't," Pleasantville coach Ken Johnson said.

Pleasantville 13 20 20 22 13 - 88

Cinnaminson 18 17 25 15 15 - 90

P: Naim Lyons 6, Leandre Nixon 10, Keith Gerald 21, Klev Exanthus 20, Nate Evans 24, Barry Spiller 7.

C: Dan Ennis 5, Mike Gallo 3, Dan Gilbert 15, Dan Korenyi 4, Chuck Casey 2, T.J. DiLeo 38, Mark Tumas 23.