STILL IN THE HUNT
• Ishuana’s big game lifts Trenton girls to first-round win • Top-seeded Tornado boys need OT to survive historic upset bid
TRENTON >> They weren’t throwing a costume party at Rivera Middle School Monday night, but that didn’t stop the Howell High School boys basketball team from coming disguised as a 16th seed.
“That team can play, no way that’s a 16th-seed, that team can beat some good teams,” said coach Darryl Young after his top-seeded Trenton High team needed double-overtime for a 64-63 first-round win over the squad the seedings say are Central Jersey Group IV’s biggest underdog.
The Rebels had a one-point lead with 0:40 remaining when guard Matt Ganter capped a 40-point night by draining three straight foul shots. Ganter then came up with a steal but, after making 16 straight free throws, he proved human by missing two, and Trenton countered when Jordan Williams scored on a running layup with 23 seconds left.
“I was gonna pass it out,” said Williams, who finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. “I just saw the other guy drop down and I just went for it.”
Howell (7-19) was then called for a charge and Williams missed two free throws, but the rebound went off a Rebels’ knee and out of bounds with four seconds left, and Trenton was able to run out the clock and finally subside, a gutsy, entertaining team.
Young had seen this show before with an unhappy ending. In 2010 when he was an assistant, Howell came to Tornado Alley as the 16th seed and claimed a 48-47 victory.
“You know that was going through my head,” Young said. “The first state game, since I’ve been coaching and as a player, is always the toughest game, the most nervous game.”
“It was pretty wild, we had just had to calm down during timeouts and listen to our coaches,” Williams said. “This game is definitely going to help us down the line.”
Trenton (22-5) will host West Windsor-Plainsboro North on Wednesday and will look to be able to close it out if it gets a lead, which it could not do against the Rebels.
Behind Ganter’s 13 points, Howell took a 25-22 lead as Trenton shot just 9-for-29. The defending CJ IV champs then scored 13 straight to open the third quarter and seemed to have shaken off whatever blahs were left from their loss to Trenton Catholic in the county finals. TCHS opened its biggest lead at 40-28 and appeared ready to blow it open, but the tenacious Rebels bridged the third and fourth quarters with a 14-2 run to tie at 42-42.
“We had a nervous first half,” Young said. “We came out the second half and got it going our way, and then had a meltdown. We’ve broken a lot of teams in the third quarter but we couldn’t break them.”
Three points would be the biggest lead from that point. Ganter’s two foul shots with 2:07 left in regulation tied it at 52. Trenton missed two shots, kept possession but executed poorly and did not get a good shot at the buzzer.
In the first overtime, Ganter’s three-point play put Howell up 58-55 and Jose Estevez responded with a 3-pointer to tie it. Ganter had a runner roll off the rim and Trenton missed a lay-up and jumper at the buzzer, forcing a second OT.
“Jose took us off life support,” Young said. “He resuscitated us.”
Estevez hit another three to start the second overtime but Howell clawed back and Ganter’s three straight foul shots made it 63-62 before the crazy final 40 seconds.
“We had a chance to open it up, but we made it a ballgame and we had to fight it out,” Young said. “Then that kid (Ganter) gets it going. With eight minutes left he could really show who he is. He’s a helluva player.”
But Trenton countered with clutch efforts from Williams, Estevez and Nassir Hodge (19 points) to survive.
“Our fans were starting to walk out and I never envisioned losing this game,” Young said. “I told the kids keep fighting. Big J gets the layup, came through in the clutch once again, doing what he’s been doing all year. Just an awesome win. We’ve been tested, I’m glad we got this out of our system.”
HOWELL (63)
Hornung 3-1-7, Ganter 10-17-40, Vogel 1-0-3, Vesce 1-2-4, Acampora 2-2-7, Talbot 0-0-0, Tango 0-0-0, Dupois 0-2-2. Totals: 17-24-63
TRENTON (64)
Williams 8-5-21, Garita 2-0-4, Estevez 2-0-6, Hodge 7-2-19, Kelly 0-1-1, Phillips 1-1-3, Davis 2-0-4, Molder 2-0-5, Turner 0-1-1. Totals: 24-10-64.
Howell (7-19) 131291865—63
Trenton (22-5) 12 10 20 10 6 6 — 64
OTHER CJ IV Scores
WW-PN 51, Brick Memorial 43 Middletown South 84, Hightstown 78 Montgomery 79, Marlboro 62 Freehold Twp. 60, Princeton 50
New Brunswick 68, Jackson Memorial 62 Monroe 57, South Brunswick 53
Old Bridge 79, East Brunswick 55