Camden falters in 2d half of Group 2 title game

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Camden's quest for a 12th state boys' basketball title was stopped by a second-half fuel shortage. Leading by 33-17 at halftime, Camden ran out of gas during yesterday's 69-66 loss to Science Park in the Group 2 state championship at Rutgers.

Ranked No. 4 in South Jersey by The Inquirer, Camden finished its season 23-5. Science (28-1) advances to play in the Tournament of Champions.

With such a sizable halftime deficit, Science decided to apply relentless defensive pressure, and the strategy worked. Camden committed 16 of its 24 turnovers in the second half.

Science coach Milton Gaylord said he didn't press in the first half because he didn't have a deep enough bench. After intermission, he had no choice.

"If you are in trouble at halftime, then the second half is when you want to do it," Gaylord said. "I told the kids we had time and would have to press and generate some momentum to get back into the game."

The lead was whittled to four points by the end of the third quarter as Science had a succession of layups. And the Chargers finished matters during a 28-21 fourth quarter.

"They didn't sub much in the first half, and it was pretty much an up-and-down pace for them," Gaylord said. "I think it caught up to them, and it wore on them to the point where we got back in it and were able to take control of the game."

Camden coach Mike Stargell had a different viewpoint.

"I am very disappointed the way we came out in the second half," Stargell said. "There are no excuses for that."

Stargell said that Science came right at Camden and that the Panthers simply didn't respond.

"Science came nose-to-nose, and that is the way we like to play," Stargell said. "I don't think we wanted it [bad] enough the second half."

Camden standout Aaron Walton-Moss was named his team's game MVP, but it was a difficult ending for the 6-foot-2 senior. Walton-Moss scored six points, shooting 3 for 11 from the field. But he did have 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots.

What hurt was that he fouled out with 5 minutes, 17 seconds left and Camden trailing, 52-51.

"They played the same type of ball we do, and they came out with the win," Walton-Moss said.

Still, the Panthers didn't buckle when he left. In fact, Camden took a 63-62 lead on a layup by Khalil Mims with 2:26 left.

At that point, Science scored seven straight points to put the Panthers away.

Junior Vinny Walls led Camden with 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Sophomores Takwail Bailey and Hubert Simmons had 12 and nine points, respectively, while junior Devon Devin added 11 off the bench, all in the first half.

"We were too overwhelmed with how much we were up at halftime" Walls said. "We should have come out in the second half, the way we did in the first."

Camden 14 19 12 21 - 66

Science 6 11 24 28 - 69

C: Khalil Mims 8, Aaron Walton-Moss 6, Takwail Bailey 12. Vinny Walls 20, Hubert Simmons 9, Devon Devine 11.

S: Ramon Johnson 4, Rameel Johnson 25, Amir Gilliam 4, Tevin Barber 1, Kenneth Ortiz 26, Aaron Cobb 7, Ryan Lighten 2.