February
16, 2004
March 21,
PARAMUS - On Friday night, less than 24 hours before their quarterfinal game in the Jamboree, the Northern Highlands boys basketball team went en masse to see the movie "Miracle." The theme was simple - give 110 percent and believe in your teammates.
Whether it was the emotion of the movie or the idea that this senior class is in the waning weeks of its final season can be debated, but there was no doubt that the Highlanders played with a determination and a desire on Saturday afternoon at Paramus High School.
Few gave the Highlanders more than a puncher's chance against second-seeded Paramus Catholic, but the 10th-seeded underdogs took their best shot and put one square on the Paladins' chin, earning a 54-42 win and a date with St. Joseph in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m on Friday night at the Rothman Center.
Throughout the season, there has been little recognition of the two inside players for the Northern Highlands, as Brian Dench and Ken Fetzer have been overshadowed by the perimeter shooting and the turmoil surrounding the coaching situation.
With Dench and Fetzer controlling the inside and Highlands controlling the tempo, they reached the Final 4 for only the second time in school history and the first time since 1992, when they lost to Bergen Catholic in the finals.
The victory was triply sweet for NH head coach Mike Stone, who was able to beat the team he coached in the mid-1990's and did so on his birthday. More importantly, it showed that his team had rebounded from the struggles of a month ago, something his players referred to.
"We had to get used to a new coaching staff and a new way of playing," Greg Betancourt said of the month of January. "Our heads weren't right for those first few games. Now, we're comfortable with the way things are and our focus is back on the court."
The Paladins' heads may have taken a bit of a hit before the game as well. PC played without starter Chris Dupars (who fractured his thumb against Bergen Catholic last Thursday) and Gino Weaver (out of town), and head coach Tony Campbell said that, "our guys underestimated them.
"We did not play with the intensity that we should have. This is still a young team and I think we got a bit caught up in rankings (the second seed). They came out and played better than we did and they deserved to win the game."
Abib Gueye, getting the start in place of Dupars, gave the Paladins a strong effort, scoring the first eight PC points and helping them to a 12-9 lead after one period. The second period saw a change in the pace of the game.
Stone explained that, "after last week (the win over Ridgewood in the Round of 16), Greg came to me and he said, Coach, we can beat them if we just slow it down. I said, Greg, you know who has to do that, and he said, yeah, me."
Betancourt admitted that, "the first couple times down I was running with them, but then after that, we got into the offense and looked to get it inside."
Down 14-11 midway into the second stanza, NH scored three straight baskets to take the lead. The first was by Dench inside, then Frank Lynch drove for a layup and made a steal and another layup. Dench had a three-point play inside and Betancourt put down a jumper three seconds before the half that sent the Highlanders off with 22-19 lead.
PC grabbed a 23-22 lead on Luis Guzman's only bucket of the game, and just when it looked as though the Paladins would establish their game, Northern Highlands (17-3) regained the momentum with a 9-0 run.
Betancourt started it with a drive that turned into a three-point play with 5:02 left in the third to regain the lead, then Dench scored off a rebound and Derek Asplint drove for a basket and added two free throws.
"This was our chance to prove what kind of basketball team we are," Asplint, who missed Thursday's game with sore ribs and was playing at less than 100 percent health, said. "I'm sore, but right now, nothing hurts." The fourth quarter saw NH continue to work inside as Dench scored eight of his 19 points on four uncontested baskets and Fetzer hit four of five free throws.
"Teams have tried to take away the perimeter shot," Stone said, "and we've had to work on penetrating and getting the ball inside. Those two guys changed the game."
Betancourt added 6 of 8 free throws down the stretch to help Highlands pull away after Paramus Catholic (14-5) had closed to within 46-40 with 1:06 remaining on a Gueye three-point field goal.
Both Dench (19 points, 11 rebounds) and Fetzer (10 points, 11 rebounds) had double-doubles and Betancourt, despite an off-night shooting (3 of 15) added 14 points as NH shot 19 of 42 from the floor and 15 of 22 at the line.
Gueye led PC with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists ("he was the only one who really came to play," Campbell said) while Lawrence Williams had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. The Paladins were 18 of 54 shooting and 2 of 7 at the foul line.
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