Boys basketball: North Jersey highlights from Thursday's sectional semifinals
ALLENDALE – No North Jersey boys basketball team has come farther since its season opener than Northern Highlands.
The proof is the Highlanders’ 53-51 victory over Wayne Valley in Thursday night’s North 1, Group 3 semifinal, the same opponent that beat them on opening night by 18 points.
“It was a fresh lineup and we built that chemistry up and we flipped that around, literally the second game, and we came back and we are the team we are today,” junior Lucas Dipasupil said.
Northern Highlands is a team that rode a stellar defensive performance to knock off Wayne Valley, which arrived carrying a 14-game winning streak that included the program’s first Passaic County championship.
“We executed defensively and scored enough points to overcome it and I think that was the difference,” said Northern Highlands coach Jonathan Schmitt, whose team plays Saturday's sectional final at top-seeded and defending state champion Ramapo.
Dipasupil led second-seeded Northern Highlands (21-7) with 24 points. In the final 30 seconds, he twice stepped to the foul line and made one out of two free throws to provide a 53-48 lead. Senior Sawyer Chapler added 16 points, including a drive for a 43-40 lead with 5:20 left in the game.
Senior Caden Flower was magnificent for No. 3 Wayne Valley, hitting six of his eight 3-pointers in the second half to help cut a 36-24 deficit to 41-40. Senior Anthony Apicella scored 10 of his 17 after intermission for the Indians (22-6).
Northern Highlands’ zone defense, especially in the first half, was the difference. The Highlanders held a 24-18 lead at intermission by contesting shots and holding Wayne Valley to 27 percent shooting (6-for-22).
“I thought Highlands’ defense kind of disrupted us for the most part, so we didn’t make the shots that we normally make, and we even missed some open shots,” Wayne Valley coach Joe Leicht said. “We finally got ourselves going the way that we normally play, but you have to credit Highlands’ defense.”
When Northern Highlands lost to Wayne Valley on opening night, 67-49, the team had a new coach in Schmitt and an inexperienced lineup. Since then, the Highlanders reached the Bergen Jamboree semifinals and have won 15 of their last 18 games.
“As we’ve progressed through the year, we’ve gotten so much better each game,” Schmitt said. “We’ve been in a lot of games like this. We were in a game like this on Tuesday [a three-point quarterfinal win over Morris Knolls]. We played in the Jamboree, we’ve had a lot of tight games, we played a tough schedule, and I think it prepared us for this moment.”
Elsewhere in North 1, Group 3
Ramapo seeks three-peat
Top-seeded and defending state Group 3 champion Ramapo took care of business with an 82-44 semifinal victory over No. 5 Teaneck.
Senior Chris Cervino scored 22, senior Wyatt Eglinton Manner 19 and junior Ryan Goldman 14 for Ramapo (22-8). Junior Jarrell Harmitt scored 14 and sophomore Mickell Taylor 11 for Teaneck (19-9).
Ramapo hosts Northern Highlands in Saturday’s sectional final and twice beat its Big North Freedom Division rival during the regular season. The Green Raiders won by scores of 66-62 and 64-44, and this veteran group seeks a third consecutive sectional title.
North Non-Public A
Don Bosco owns second half
Senior Dylan Harper scored 26 and top-seeded Don Bosco dominated the second half to rally and defeat No. 5 Hudson Catholic, 67-44, in a North Non-Public A semifinal.
Sophomore Keiner Asprilla scored 12, senior Isaiah Brown 10, junior Jordan Ghee nine and junior Brady Loughlin eight as Don Bosco (27-3) extended its winning streak to 17 games.
Don Bosco will face defending champion and No. 2 St. Peter’s in Monday’s sectional final at Franklin. St. Peter’s advanced with Thursday’s 53-51 semifinal win over No. 6 Bergen Catholic.
North 1, Group 1
Paterson Charter cruises
Top-seeded Paterson Charter earned a return trip to the North 1, Group 1 final with a 67-49 semifinal victory over No. 5 West Caldwell Tech.
Junior Giovanny Figueroa scored 25 to lead Paterson Charter (23-3). The Lions host defending champion Cresskill in Saturday’s final after losing to them in last year’s final, 48-44.
Cresskill win streak hits 6
Junior Omer Tal scored 26 to pace defending champion and No. 2 Cresskill to a 70-58 semifinal victory over No. 3 New Milford.
Senior Marko Radovich scored 18 and sophomore Luke Kopczynski 12 as Cresskill (17-12) beat New Milford by double digits for the second time this season. Senior Jaiden Ortiz scored 17 for New Milford (20-8).
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Boys basketball: North Jersey highlights from Day 7 sectional semis
