February
6, 2005
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ALLENDALE - Westwood made a statement in last year's Jamboree, knocking off Ramapo and coming within an eyelash of knocking off eventual champion Don Bosco in the quarterfinals. The Cardinals came into Saturday afternoon's opener of the Jamboree Round of 16 looking to add to their growing reputation.
Despite losing four starters, they had sophomore center Corey Raji back, and a great unknown in Anthony Brown, another sophomore who missed the first four games of the season due to illness and family situations.
The duo was the difference for the Cardinals, who ran out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back in taking out seventh-seeded Teaneck by a 70-58 margin, earning a repeat engagement with Don Bosco next weekend.
"I thought we put ourselves on the map last year," Westwood head coach Kevin Brentnall said of this team, "and we needed to prove it again with this group. I believe we are now a consistent top 10 team in Bergen County."
The win moved Westwood to 12-3 on the season, while Teaneck dropped to 9-7 with its fourth straight loss.
"I've never experienced four straight losses as a Teaneck basketball coach," a disconsolate Curtis March said, including his tenure as the girls coach. "This is four games in a row where we got off to a bad start and couldn't come back."
This time around, it was a 10-0 Cardinal run over the first four minutes of the game, highlighted by three inside baskets by Raji and one each by Mike Grud and Brown. All but one came off of set plays in the half court offense.
"We ran a number of sets that we had planned for the game," Brentnall explained, "to get him the ball, and I credit the other guys on the floor. They did what they had to do to get him the ball, set solid screens, and we got some layups."
The lead built up to 19-5 at the end of the first quarter with Raji netting 10 of his game-high 28 points. He was 10 of 15 from the floor and hit all 8 of his free throws while grabbing 17 rebounds and blocking three shots.
"Coach told me that I had to step it up," Raji related, "and when I was coming off the screens, I just knew the passes would be there."
Led by a pair of three-pointers from Eric Weikert, Teaneck got back within 32-25 at halftime, using an 11-3 run over the final 3:15 of the second quarter. Steve Chapman also had six points in the period.
That is when Brown started to assert himself on the game. He opened the second half with a basket off a rebound, igniting a 13-4 streak that opened the Cardinal lead to 45-29, and he dropped in 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. He also grabbed 9 rebounds and blocked two shots.
"He was the difference in this game and has been the difference in this team," Brentnall said of Brown. "I think he was a little bit too excited in the beginning, but he's like a race horse who hasn't been tamed yet. You just have to let him play."
Westwood took a 51-36 lead into the final period, and the Highwaymen would get no closer than 63-50 with 2:49 to go. Brown hit two free throws and drove the hoop for a layup off a turnover to shut off any thought of a comeback for Teaneck.
Grud added 10 points for the Cards, and drew the praises of both Raji and Brown, who said that, "he works so hard on defense, and he's not seen as a scorer. We get him the ball down low and he gets the baskets."
"He a lunch-pail guy," Brentnall said of Grud. "We like to say we love that guy, because he gives you everything he has."
Westwood was 25 of 48 from the floor and 18 of 21 at the free throw line, with unsung guards Sam Hayes and Anthony Gioffre each dishing off six assists.
Teaneck was paced by Weikert with 18 points, including a trio of three-point field goals. Charles Prince added 13 points and Michael Hanson contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Highwaymen shot 23 of 59 from the field and 7 of 13 at the line.
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