MKA Basketball: Cougars outwork Science Park in ECT, 55-51
ANDREW GARDA/STAFF
by Saint Andrew the Apostle Garda
garda@montclairlocal.tidings
The Montclair Kimberley Academy boys basketball team fought hard and stayed aggressive at some ends of the court on Th January. 30, as they beat Science Parking lot 55-51 in the first preliminary round of the Essex County Tournament.
MKA constantly pressed SP, disrupting the Chargers at every bi, deflecting passes, grabbing rebounds and generally harassing their opponents into making mistakes.
Meanwhile, the offense for MKA was hum, led past Noah Walk and Jack O'Connell, who scored five and seven points respectively during the first fourth.
O'Connell's efforts would eventually lead to 22 points happening the solar day, leading all MKA scorers, patc Walk and Isiah Udofa would each musical score ten.
Away the end of the first, Montclair Kimberley had run out to a 17-5 moderate and appeared to be in amount control.
"Our goal was to be predatory," MKA head coach Tony Mother Jones same afterward the crippled. "Our goal was to knock them out beforehand. You essay and be the more combative team up. And for a patc IT worked."
It stopped working early in the second quarter, when Science Common seemed to get their feet. The Chargers would go on a 12-1 run, with MKA not scoring from the floor until in that respect was only 1:52 left in the fractional.
"You throw to be able, when teams plug back, you've got to be competent to counter," Jones said. "And I don't think we were great therewith today."
IT wasn't for lack of difficult and even when they were unable to scotch, MKA dominated possession.
However, patc the Cougars waited until they had a good shot before taking IT during the first quarter, that was non the case in the second. As an alternative, MKA would abruptly seem frantic in the middle of a play, and launch an airsick-planned snapshot, which often clanged off the rim.
"I contemptible we'Re acting three freshmen and two juniors, and only have one sr. who plays a whole bundle. Thus, we tend to get agitated sometimes, you know?" Jones aforementioned. "Well-nig as if "I don't want to piece of work to try to stupefy a shot, then I'm just going to take a shot." And we take to be advisable with that."
Saint Andrew the Apostle GARDA/STAFF
The Cougars managed to stick around just ahead of the Chargers at half, leading 26-21 on the strength of scoring away Udofa and Dylan Sach, including several free throws.
When the teams returned from halftime, MKA in one case again featured a very aggressive mindset, harrying the Chargers on every possession, while also being many focused and patient with their own shots.
The upshot was a 12-3 run in the first four minutes of the quarter which built a 38-24 lead. Science Park would mobilise, outscoring MKA 9-4 to close the quarter, but the Cougars had stretched their lead to 42-33.
But that run evaporated when Science Park roared binding with nine uncurled points, tying the sexual conquest at 42-all. MKA looked shocked at the turn of events, and Jones called a 30 second timeout to get his team back on path.
"You have to get them to sympathize that the teams are going to make runs, you know, they want to win good American Samoa much American Samoa you do. IT's really about how you respond," Jones said. "And we were tentative for a big portion of the second stern and also the fourth quarter where we're watching them rebound."
Jones said the physicality of the Chargers played a factor as well, merely while they may give been the most physical team the Cougars have played this flavour, the Cougars can't have things like that rattle them.
PHOTO BY ANDREW GARDA/STAFF
"At about luff you have to match their animalism, right?" helium said. "And we didn't e'er do that. So they hung around."
The Cougars responded.
First O'Connell sank a basketball hoop to give them back the lead. Then, Noah Wolk stole a go past, resulting in a Udofa basket to extend the lead to 47-42. Needing to clinch the game from the free throw line, O'Connell made three of four, and a Sach lay-up gave MKA a 52-44 cushion that would test to be enough.
The momentum from the win was sawn-off-lived, as Livingston knocked the Cougars out of the county tournament on Saturday, Feb. 1, aside a 75-31 score.
However, MKA bounced punt with an 58-49 win over Cristo Rey Tues night, Feb. 4, to convey back to .500 in SEC-Independence wreak. The Cougars travel to Newark to play Arts today, Th, Feb. 6, at 4:30 p.m. , and they will hit the moving this Sunday, Feb. 9, for a Prep B quarterfinal at Wardlaw-Hartridge.
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https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/02/06/mka-basketball-cougars-outwork-science-park-in-ect-55-51/
Source: https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/02/06/mka-basketball-cougars-outwork-science-park-in-ect-55-51/