Sunday, February 5, 2012

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Mike Allford. one of three transfers in the starting lineup, scored a game-high 22 points in Paramus Catholic's 56-51 win over Old Tappan in the Round of 16 of the Bergen County Jamboree.

ALLENDALE – Ideally, by this late date in the season, the players on any given team would be fully comfortable with their roles and with whatever team concept its coach was trying to instill. But at Paramus Catholic, the Paladins are barely finished with their initial introductions. Sixty percent of the Paramus Catholic starting lineup on Saturday in the Round of 16 of the Bergen County Jamboree was made up of transfers, all of whom only recently became eligible after sitting out the mandatory 30 days and none of whom had ever played a game in the county tournament.
 
Anthony Rafes left Fort Lee just four days before the season started and he was a part of a Bridgemen team that did not make the Jambo last year. Mike Allford played in the Hudson County Tournament for Hudson Catholic last season and Kyle Menard came in from North Rockland. But while cohesion might be a nice asset to have in early February, sheer talent ain’t so bad either.
 
With a pressure defense that forced Old Tappan into 26 turnovers, Paramus Catholic took advantage of the extra possessions it gained to take control. Allford scored seven points during a 9-2 run that lasted 3:08 of the third quarter that broke a 30-all tie and put the Paladins in front for good.
 
“As a team we have a new bunch of players and we are still trying to get used to each other and used to the coaches. It’s going to take a little time for us to totally gel together, but we got through this game together and we still have time,” said Allford, the Paladins’ new point guard. “I feel like with the talent we have, we can go on to be a championship team, but we have to do it together not as individuals.”

Old Tappan's Troy McLaughlin scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the first half.

Team cohesion may not be there just yet, but Paramus Catholic knows how to pressure the ball defensively. The Paladins made getting the ball over half court a nightmare for the Old Tappan guards, but on the occasions when the Golden Knights were able to get into their halfcourt offense, they were able to pick the Paladins apart.
 
PC kept dropping off of Old Tappan’s Troy McLaughlin to help in other areas and the sophomore made it pay throughout the first half. McLaughlin scored 11 of his 14 first half points in the second quarter, his three-pointer with 1:01 left in the half gave Old Tappan a 26-20 lead and the Knights went into the locker room with a 28-24 advantage.
 
“We started doubling and we were leaving their shooters with wide open shots. The plan was not to leave McLaughlin, but we kept leaving him and giving him wide open looks. That was one of the adjustments we made at the half and we decided to go man-on-man with no help,” said Paramus Catholic head coach Greg Barnes, who led PC to the Jambo title in 2010. “The second half, there was no help and we wanted to keep pressuring them so that we could tire them out. We know they don’t go very deep in their bench and we wanted to make sure their fourth quarter jumpshots were taken with tired legs.”
 
McLaughlin’s final field goal was a three-pointer from the wing that got Old Tappan to within 46-43 heading into the fourth quarter and the Knights never fell behind by more than six points in the fourth, but every time OT got to within one possession, Paramus Catholic had an answer.

Jalen Henriquez finished with 15 points for Paramus Catholic.

When Dan Brogan made a jumper from the foul line to make it 46-44 with 4:47 to go and Old Tappan forced PC into a turnover on the ensuing possession, Vaughn Dudley came up with a steal and a layup to push the Paladins lead back to four points. When Brogan scored inside to made it 48-46, Allford made both ends of a 1-and-1 to double the PC advantage again and it made 8 of its 10 free throws inside the final 1:14 to keep Old Tappan at arms length down the stretch.
 
“We have a lot of new guys that have never played in the Jamboree and we were a little shaky in the first half. But I thought we settled down in the second half and our defense is what gave us the win,” said Dudley. “It wasn’t easy to close this game out, but once we come together we will be a smarter team, a better team, and we’ll be more comfortable in close games like this. But the important thing today was that we found a way to win and we are moving on to next week.”
 
Paramus Catholic, the No. 11 seed, will play he winner of Sunday’s game between No, 3 Hackensack and No. 14 Garfield, while Old Tappan, the No. 6 seed, fell to  13-2 on the season.

Khalil Whitney scored 10 points for Old Tappan, which fell to 13-2.

McLaughlin finished with a team-high 19, Brogan scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and Khalil Whitney (10 points) made it three Golden Knights in double figures. Dan Jablonski (5 points) and Mason Vialonga (3 points) each made three-pointers and combined for the rest of Old Tappan’s point total. 

Allford finished with a game-high 22 points and was a blistering 14 of 16 from the free throw line as a part of PC’s 22 of 26 performance from the line. Jalen Henriquez scored all 15 of his points after the first quarter, Dudley and Menard each finished with 6 points, Rafes and Lionel Gaines made a field goal apiece.
 
While there is still work to do, Paramus Catholic will be able to do it while still alive in the county tournament.
 
“I have told the guys that right now we are winning on talent and we are not doing the smart things that help you win games,” said Barnes. “We have a lot of work to do in game situations and that is our weakness right now, but we will continue to work on it.”

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