FLYING HIGH
With improved play and the addition of a transfer, Trenton looks like a postseason contender
TRENTON » During a week in which Trenton took impressive wins over two of Mercer County’s top-echelon teams, Reggie James showed just how big of an addition he is for the Tornadoes’ boys basketball team.
In just his third game since transferring from Perkiomen, the senior forward collected 15 points and 14 rebounds in a 57-31 win Friday over Hopewell Valley on Senior Night at Rivera Middle School. On Monday, James had 19 points and four rebounds in a 14-point win over Hightstown as Trenton likely improved its Mercer County Tournament seeding this week.
“I knew they just needed a piece, and I could be that piece for them at the next level and help them go farther in states this year,” James said. “I see a Group IV title in us. It might not be that right now, but we’re gonna work harder in practice and get better every day.”
James grew up in Trenton and is familiar with his new teammates, but it’s still a tough adjustment to fit into a high school team that has been playing together all year.
“He’s back home,” coach Darryl Young said. “He’s blending in well with the guys. They’re all friends since little league, Pop Warner football. They love each other, they respect each other.
“That’s one thing we’ve talked about, how he’s gonna fit in. Where he came from they played a slow-paced game. We play 94 feet up and down. He’s fitting in with the pace, that doesn’t surprise me. But he’s fitting in well overall. The kid’s a player, all he’s gotta do is do his job and be coachable and everything’s gonna be positive.”
It’s all been positive lately as Trenton (16-5) has won seven straight and snapped a five-game winning streak by the Bulldogs (17-4).
The Tornadoes’ aggressive, intense defense took Hopewell out of its offensive game, limiting the Bulldogs to two 3-pointers. Trenton played tenacious manto-man and, outside of a few layups, Hopewell had trouble getting open looks. Spearheading the effort was Jaquae Alfred, who had four first-half steals that led to transition buckets.
“Jaquae had his best game of the year, he played great,” Young said. “He set the tone with his defensive pressure. That was our mission tonight, to come out and set a tone on defense. I really didn’t get a chance to see Hopewell in person this year, but a lot of people have said if those guys can get it going from the outside it can be a long night for you. So the main thing we told them was stay with your man. We did a great job denying the wings, which caused a lot of pressure and got a lot of steals.”
Despite its rocky start, Hopewell rallied from a 6-0 deficit to a 10-8 lead, but a three-point play by Elijah Kelly and a James bucket made it 13-10 by quarter’s end, and Trenton would never relinquish the lead.
It was 31-21 at halftime, as Trenton held a 20-14 rebounding advantage en route to a 3825 edge overall. Ji’Ayir Brown grabbed 10 boards.
“The biggest thing is that we’re rebounding better,” said Young, who got 12 points from Alfred and 11 from Nasiir McMillan. “That’s something we’ve been concentrating on heavy in practice.”
Hopewell committed eight third-quarter turnovers as Trenton put the game away. Alfred scored the final six points of the quarter to push a 38-29 lead to 44-29. Hopewell went over 12 minutes without a basket in the half, collecting just three free throws during that span. Alfred’s binge started TCHS on a 17-0 run as the Tornadoes look like an entirely different team than they were in December and January.
“Hey, yo, championships aren’t won in December or early January,” Young said. “It’s about being better come February and March and that was our goal. Play hard, defend better, be more focused. If you defend, rebound, make your foul shots, nine times out of 10 you’re winning.”