Monday,
March 12, 2012
By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director
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Dontae Jones scored 13 points to help Ewing win its first state title in 20 years with a 59-50 victory over Pascack Hills at Rutgers University. |
PISCATAWAY – For most of the first quarter of the Group 2 state final, Pascack Hills looked like it was going to give Ewing all it could handle. At times in the second quarter the Cowboys looked like they might get run right out of the Rutgers Athletic Center. And for a couple of minutes there in the second half, it looked like they might be poised to make a legitimate run to the Tournament of Champions.
Pascack Hills got to within a single point late in the third quarter and to within six points early and late in the fourth, hanging on the periphery of making it a game. But Central Jersey champion Ewing used its strength on the backboards and a 16 of 20 performance from the free throw line in the second half to end the best season in Pascack Hills boys basketball history, 59-50, on Sunday afternoon in Piscataway.
“Our kids never let up and they played right down to the final buzzer and that is all that I could ask for. They played so hard all year and for all of the seniors, juniors and sophomores we have here, I am proud of every single one of them,” said Pascack Hills head coach Kevin Kirkby. “We knew coming into the game that Ewing was a good basketball team. We knew they were going to try to beat us up inside and we did the best we could. We boxed out and the refs let it be a little physical out there and they beat us up.”
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Jared Shill scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half as Pascack Hills hung around for the full 32 minutes. |
Ewing looked to press the issue early, extending its defense the full length of the floor. Pascack Hills, with its three capable ball-handlers in Jared Shill, Cole Dorfman and Brian Horn, welcomed the challenge and the Cowboys took their only lead of the game when Shill broke down his defender and set up Steve Thorwarth for a layup and an 11 10 advantage 5:53 into the game.
Ewing closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run and then scored the first six points of the second quarter to push Pascack Hills to the brink. When Dontae Jones stepped through two defenders to cap the 12-0 run, Ewing had doubled up the Cowboys, 22-11, and it looked like the only Bergen County team to make Group final round of the state tournament was just about out of answers.
“I would say that, with a combination of everything, they are the best team that we have seen. Because of their size, their athleticism and the fact that No. 31 [6-foot-5 center David Azoroh] could handle the ball a little better than we thought he could, they threw a little wrinkle into our game plan,” said Kirkby. “They don't shoot the ball that well, they crashed the glass, they were able to pound the ball inside as well as anyone we faced all year.”
While Ewing had some obvious advantages, Pascack Hills found one of the Blue Devils' weaknesses, which was depth. Ewing used up a lot of energy by trying to press early on the collegiate floor and got little production from its bench, which provided only two points in the game. As the Blue Devils' legs might have grown weary late in the second quarter, Pascack Hills drew to within 29-23 by halftime and then to within four points when Jared Shill scored the first two points of the third quarter. Andy Kovner scored on back to drives to the basket and then grabbed an offensive rebound and set up Shill for a foul line jumper that had the Cowboys down just 32-31 with 2:47 left in the period.
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Ewing center David Azoroh was a haldful in the post. |
“It meant a lot to come down here and play for the state title for the first time in school history. It was definitely fun coming down here, but we wanted to come out hard and win this game,” said Shill. “We cut it to one in the third quarter, but then we had a lapse that really hurt us.”
That lapse came on an extended possession the next time Ewing had the ball. The Cowboys were late on a double team against Azoroh in the blocks and he scored and was fouled. Azoroh missed the free throw, but Tyquan Crews grabbed the offensive rebound, was fouled and made both free throws for a 36-21 lead. Ron Valentine's three-point play put Ewing up 41-33 heading into the fourth quarter.
Pascack cut it to six twice in the final eight minutes, the first time on Dorfman's fastbreak bucket set up by Thorwarth's rebound and half-court outlet pass to open the fourth quarter and the second time on Kovner's second chance three-pointer that made it 50-44 with 1:56 to play. But Ewing made 7 of its 8 free throw attempts in the final two minutes to keep the Cowboys at arm's length. Ewing was a combined 21 of 28 from the line in the game, while Pascack Hills was just 4 of 5 in the game and did not shoot a free throw in the second half.
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Cole Dorfman scored 11 points for Pascack Hills, which finished the season at 25-5. |
Ewing, which won its first state championship since 1992, was balanced on the offensive end. Isaiah york finished with a team-high 15 points while Azoroh (13 points), Jones (13 points) and Crews (10 points) made it four of the Blue Devils' five starters in double figures. Valentine finished with 6 points and freshman Trey Lowe's two second quarter free throws represented the only two points scored by a non-starter for either team in the game.
Shill scored 14 of his team-high 18 points after halftime and Dorfman (11 points) made two first half three-pointers to finish with 11 as the pair of seniors and 1,000-point scorers each ended their final high school game in double figures. Kovner scored all 9 of his points in the second half, Horn added 8 points and Thorwarth's two first half field goals rounded out the scoring for Pascack Hills, which finished its stellar season that included league and state sectional titles with a 25-5 record.
“We all thought it was a great opportunity to come down here and play today, but we did not want to be satisfied just being here, we wanted to make it a game and all of us played our hearts out,” said Dorfman. “It's just sad that the season is over now.”
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