Boys basketball: Thomas comes off bench to spark Plainfield in sectional semi
PLAINFIELD — When Wednesday’s frenetic NJSIAA North 2 Group 4 semifinal between Linden and Plainfield commenced, the Cardinals’ Devin Thomas found himself in an unfamiliar place -- the bench.
Plainfield coach Mike Gordon chose not to start the sophomore guard in favor of forward Randy Williams in an effort to install a bigger lineup, one that could match up better with the Tigers’ size and prowess on the boards.
And, while Thomas might have grown a little antsy while sitting out the entire first half, his confidence never wavered that his imprint would be a factor in the outcome, whenever it came.
Thomas finally got his opportunity in the second half and had an immediate impact, nailing a 3-pointer that created the final lead change in the contest late in the third quarter to spark Plainfield to its third triumph over Linden this month, 67-55, before a fervid packed house at Rico Parenti Gymnasium.
“When I came in, I knew it was my time to shine,” Thomas said. “I knew I was going to end up getting in the game. I was saying, 'I can’t wait to get in,’ because I knew I was going to do well.”
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Thomas scored all 15 of his points in the second half, following that 3 with a layup and, after a pair of heat-check misfires, three free-throws over the final 2:35 of the third quarter. He added another trey that broke the final deadlock of 44-44 two minutes into the final stanza.
“As you see, Devin Thomas can fill it up when he gets in the game,” said Gordon, who has enough confidence in his depth to use 12 different players in closely-contested sectional semifinal. “One thing I told our guys in the beginning of the season is on any given night anyone could be the star. Like I tell them every day, just be ready, and he was ready.”
For their efforts the youthful eighth-seeded Cardinals earned a date at third-seeded Elizabeth in Friday’s sectional final. The teams split two regular-season meetings.
Thomas wasn't the only youngster who performed admirably for Plainfield (19-7), nor was he the youngest. That would be precocious freshman Micah Gordon, who deposited 12 of his game-high 21 points in the second after Linden’s relentless defense limited him to a single field goal in the first half.
“He got himself open and the team got him open, they were setting screens for him,” Gordon said. “And I think his decision-making down the stretch is what helped us. He’s the catalyst for our team, he’s what makes us go.”
Thomas wasn’t the only former starter to make his presence felt. Hashim Nadir, a starter when Linden (16-10) won 10 of its first 13 outings, was a bundle of energy off the bench for the Tigers, scoring a team-leading 16 points and taking nine boards.
Plainfield controlled the boards by a 33-25 margin, 10-4 in the decisive final quarter (three by Thomas) as it limited the ferocious Tigers to just one second shot. Ala-Meen Watkins, a rare quarterback/power forward hybrid, spurred the effort on the boards with eight caroms, and eight of his teammates contributed multiple rebounds.
“We pride ourselves on the defensive side of the ball, and that’s what everybody brings,” Gordon said. “That changed the tide going into the fourth quarter. I think in the fourth quarter we just rebounded the ball a little bit better and it gave us extra possessions and we capitalized.”
The loss was especially difficult for Linden coach Anthony Drejaj, whose father, Martin, passed away Tuesday evening, suffering complications from a cardiac arrest suffered last summer. Drejaj never contemplated sitting out the contest and showed admirable resilience in his post-game comments.
“I think we should have been up at halftime,” Drejaj noted. “I told my staff, ‘I don’t think Micah’s doing too much and they’re up by one. That’s not a good sign.”
While Linden packs up its uniforms for the summer Plainfield washes theirs and gets ready for Friday.
“I just wanted this win,” Thomas stressed. “We want the sectional ‘chip.’”
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ Boys basketball: Plainfield gets help off the bench in semis win
