Tuesday, February 26, 2008

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

LODI – Back to the Future was the top grossing movie. Artists like Huey Lewis & the News, Wham!, and Lionel Richie topped the music charts. The Lakers and Celtics were fighting for the NBA championship. Nintendo was invented and brought to the masses in America. Seems like a long time ago, right? It was.

It was 1985and it was also the year when Lodi last won a state tournament boys basketball game. After suffering through a 3-22 season one year ago and making it back to the state tournament for the first time since 2000, the Rams could have been happy just to have qualified for the postseason.

But seniors Tim Delgado and Jerome Daniels were satisfied. Both were motivated to win the final home game of their careers and each had a hand in making that a reality. Daniels scored a game-high 22 points and Delgado hit two big free-throws in the final minute as sixth-seeded Lodi held on for a 77-74 win over Hanover Park, the No. 11 seed, in a North 2, Group 2 first-round matchup on Monday night in Lodi.

“We wanted this win so bad and it’s a great feeling that we did it,” said Daniels. “I’m one of the seniors and I know I have to be a leader. I knew I had to play big inside. I tried to help us get off to a good start and I was just glad I could help out the team in any way.”

Hanover Park hit eight of its 13 shots in the opening stanza to grab the lead and it held a three-point lead early in the second quarter before the Rams responded with a crucial run that gave them the lead for good. Sophomore Ersi Bice started the spurt with a three-pointer and Chris Phipps had a monster dunk in the midst of an 18-3 run to turn the three-point deficit into a 12-point lead, 36-24.

Daniels scored six points during the run and had 18 of his 22 in the first half as Lodi took an eight-point lead into the locker room at halftime, 40-32.

The Rams led by as many as 15 in the third quarter and still held a double-digit lead in the fourth, but the Hornets refused to go away and kept chipping away at the Rams’ lead. Chris Seery scored five straight points and Pete Nagy followed with a jumper to trim the lead all the way down to one, 71-70 with 1:25 to play.

The Rams were in need of some leadership and Delgado took that role head on. He was fouled with just under a minute to play and went to the foul line. Normally, it would be the ultimate pressure situation for a player who has never been in that scenario, but for a senior that played on a team that has endured three straight dismal seasons, Delgado felt there pressure was off of him.

“After where we came from last year, we didn’t feel any pressure coming into this game,” said Delgado. “I was a little nervous at the line, but it went away quickly. I knew I had to focus. You have to have confidence to make those shots and I wanted the ball in my hands.”

The southpaw calmly stepped up and nailed both free-throws to make it a three-point game. Geri Gjika sealed the win with two more foul shots with five seconds left, breaking Lodi’s 23-year drought without a state tournament win.

“I’m proud of these kids and how hard they worked to get to this point,” said Lodi head coach Rob Terhune. “To go from three wins in 25 games last year to winning a state tournament game at home is really something. We were expected to finish at the bottom of our league and not even come close to making the states. I’m glad we got out of here with a ‘W’ and everything else is gravy from here on out.”

Daniels’ 22 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks were game-highs for Lodi (15-10). Delgado and Gjika added 17 and 12 points, respectively.

Phil Gatti, the lone senior on Hanover Park (11-14) closed out his career tying for the team lead with 19 points and five assists for Hanover Park. Seery also had 19 points and Greg Baruka finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Nagy chipped in with eight points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Lodi will travel to play third-seeded Lincoln (Jersey City) on Wednesday for a berth in the North 2, Group 2 semifinals, but the Rams are not thinking about Lincoln just yet. They are basking in the glow of an important victory in state tournament play, something the program has been lacking for far too long.

“It’s awesome to be part of this knowing Lodi has gone a long time without winning a game in the states,” added Delgado. “Coach (Rob) Terhune and the coaching staff has really been great for us. It’s tough to lose and we all went through it together, but they believed in us even when we were losing. It really helped us because now we’re winning and we believe in each other.”

TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS GAME STORY, PLEASE VISIT 4FeetGrafix.com.