Saturday, March 1, 2008

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

EAST ORANGE – Down by 11 points to East Orange Campus with less than four minutes to play, most teams would pack it in and accept their fate. Not the Hackensack boys basketball team, however. The Comets never lost faith because of their success in such instances. They were down by 13 to Queen of Peace with five minutes to go in the Bergen County Jamboree semifinals before winning on a late three-pointer from Alex George.

The Comets fought back once again on Friday night and had the ball twice inside the final minute with a chance to take the lead.

Unfortunately, the storybook ending that the Comets experienced two weeks ago came just a second too late.

Hackensack had three shots in the final 15 seconds to take the lead. The fourth attempt went in, but was waved off a second after the buzzer sounded as third-seeded Hackensack’s season came to a heartbreaking end with a 54-53 loss at East Orange Campus, the No. 2 seed, in the North 1, Group 4 semifinals.

“We knew this was going to be a battle and we needed to get some big stops in the last minute,” said East Orange senior David Laury. “Hackensack is a very good team. Keon Williams is big and strong inside; and (Ricky) Carroll can shoot the lights out. We made some dumb mistakes, myself included, in the fourth quarter. To their credit, they took advantage and got back in the game. They never gave up, we just couldn’t let this game and our season slip away.”

Ali Mix got off to a torrid start off the opening tip. He hit five of his first six shots and scored 12 of his 15 points in the first four minutes of the game. Shali Canzator finished off a fast break and an 11-2 run with a thunderous one-handed jam as East Orange took a 16-8 lead.

The Jaguars led by eight to 10 points for most of the second quarter. Baskets by Carroll and Williams helped the Comets cut into that lead by halftime, 36-32. Hackensack took its first lead since the opening moments with two minutes to play in the third quarter. Carroll grabbed an offensive rebound and fed Williams for a layup to make the score 40-39.

But the Jags answered back with authority over the next six-plus minutes. The 6-7 Laury scored six points during a 13-2 run with East Orange taking a commanding 53-42 lead with 3:38 to play.

“I thought we were in good shape at that point, but that was clearly not the case,” said Laury, who is being recruited by several Division 1 schools in both basketball and football. “They we made some bad decisions with the ball and they forced us into a bunch of turnovers. Before you know it, there is a minute left in the game and we’re only up by a point.”

Carroll hit a pair of three-pointers to get the Comets within striking distance. The Jags still held a six-point lead before George made a steal and went the distance. He was fouled while making a lay-up and hit the foul shot to cap the three-point play and cut the East Orange lead in half. After a missed lay-up by the Jags, Williams hit a short jumper inside to trim the lead down to a point, 54-53, with 1:05 to play.

After the front end of a one-and-one was missed, the Comets came down the court with a chance to go ahead. Alex George once again had the ball in his hands with time winding down. His 17-foot jumper touched every part of the rim, but did not go down. East Orange’s Dajuan Williams snatched the rebound and was fouled with 11.8 seconds left. But he also missed the front end of a one-and-one; giving the Comets one last possession to try and win a game that seemed all but over just minutes earlier.

Carroll drove the lane and floated a shot over the outstretched hands of Laury. It was off the mark and teammate Junior Solis grabbed the rebound and put it back up. It was also bounced off the rim and was tapped out. Romaine Wall grabbed it and quickly put up a shot that went in. But the buzzer had already sounded, the shot was waved off, and the Jaguar faithful poured onto the court in celebration.

“We fought back and we had our shots to go ahead, they just didn’t fall,” said Hackensack head coach Scooter Whiting. “We came so close, so close. We gave it everything we had, but this loss is tough to take.”

Laury’s 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks were all team-highs for East Orange (20-7). Mix was also in double-figures with 15 points. Williams and Akeem Cunningham added six points apiece.

The careers of Williams and Carroll came to a disappointing close, but not without solid individual performances. Carroll scored a game-high 19 points for Hackensack (20-9) and Williams added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Wall chipped in with eight points, four steals, three assists, and three rebounds.

“This is the hardest part about coaching and the hardest part about playing the game too,” said Whiting. “We started as a team and we finished as a family. You just never want the season come to an end. Knowing I have to come in here next year and the seniors who worked hard for me for four years and gave it everything they had are not going to be here, it is so difficult emotionally. We had a great season and we accomplished a lot. But it’s all over now, and it’s time to move on.”

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