BOYS' BASKETBALL: Paulsboro follows its King
WOODBURY - Winning ugly has become its trademark.
“Yeah, we’re never the prettiest of teams,” Paulsboro High School boys’ basketball coach Sean Collins said.
What the Red Raiders do best is play pressure defense and hit the glass. They attack the basket and take advantage of their opportunities.
Sounds a lot like what Tyrique King did Thursday night against Woodbury.
A 6-foot-2 senior forward, King collected a game-high 21 points and 20 rebounds as Paulsboro pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 66-55 victory in a Colonial Conference clash.
“That kid plays so hard,” Collins said. “He just causes so much havoc. The biggest thing is that his motor is always on go.”
“He’s scrappy. We knew we had to put a body on him,” Woodbury coach Justin Barringer said. “We lost sight of him and he just gets offensive rebound after offensive rebound.”
King had 10 points, nine rebounds and a block in the fourth. The Thundering Herd closed within six points with just under two minutes left, but the Red Raiders responded with six unanswered of their own to put the contest out of reach.
“The team does a good job of finding me and I just try my best to finish,” King said.
“Every time a shot goes up, I go up at its highest point. My role is to get rebounds for the team.”
Paulsboro (16-4), No. 11 in the Courier-Post Mean 15, has won 13 of its last 14 and completed the two-game sweep of the Thundering Herd. The Red Raiders had their 12-game winning streak snapped last Saturday by Albany Academy (NY) in the Tri-State Showcase at Bishop Eustace.
Woodbury (14-6) suffered just its second loss in its last nine games. Leading scorer Ja’Zere Noel was held to just one basket – a 3-pointer in the third quarter – before fouling out with 4:03 left in the quarter.
He spent most of the game on the bench in foul trouble.
“That was the game-changer right there,” Barringer said. “Your best player needs to be in the game.”
Paulsboro pulled out the win by dominating the glass and capitalizing on second chances. King had nine offensive rebounds, while John Pellegrini added seven points, nine boards and three blocks. Kyle Jones chipped in 10 points and five boards, with Cherron Quarles contributing seven points and six rebounds.
“You can’t give a team like Paulsboro, that’s scrappy on the boards, second opportunities,” Barringer said.
Aaron Estrada led the Herd with 15 points. Jaythen Vareen had 14 and five steals, while Darius Triplett added 13 points and six rebounds.
“Of all the teams I’ve had, this is one of the more stressful with everything off the court,” Collins laughed. “But every time we play, they’ll run through the wall for you. At the beginning of the year, I thought we could be that kind of team. I didn’t know we’d be 16-4.
“I’m very happy for them and it kind of puts us in the driver’s seat to win the Colonial for the seventh time in a row. These seniors have shown up every time (against Woodbury) and pulled out a victory. It’s always a challenge.”
Kevin Minnick; (856) 486-2424; kminnick@gannettnj.com
PAULSBORO 66
WOODBURY 55
Player of the game: Tyrique King had 21 points and 20 rebounds for Paulsboro.
Play of the game: Ja’Zere Noel, Woodbury’s leading scorer, picked up his fourth and fifth fouls with 4:03 left in third quarter.
Well said: “When I hustle, I get points. When I get points, it leads to a win.” – Tyrique King