Saturday, January 9, 2010

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Passaic County Tech point guard Aazaad Hinton hit a 3-pointer that gave PCT the lead for good in a 63-61 win that ended Passaic's six-game winning streak.

WAYNE – Passaic County Tech came into the season with high hopes for a banner season. The Bulldogs felt there was enough talent on the roster for them to be competitive in the newly formed NJTCC, but playing well enough to compete against the best teams and being able to beat those teams are often two different conversations.

With losses by less than four points to powerhouses Teaneck, St. Joe’s (Montvale), and Kennedy this season, the Bulldogs knew they were right there. They just needed to find a way to win a close game against a quality opponent to legitimize their place among the elite teams in North Jersey.

Yet another opportunity came on Friday against Passaic, arguably the hottest public school team in North Jersey. Coming off a Jingle Bells Jubilee Holiday Tournament title where they defeated Christian Brothers Academy, Bloomfield Tech, and then Kennedy, the Indians have looked invincible in the early season. But in 32 minutes of action-packed basketball, anything can happen and in this game nearly everything did happen.

Najee Salaam scored a game-high 30 points for Passaic, which fell to 7-2 on the season.

Over the final 14 minutes of play, neither team led by more than four points. A game that had the feel of a state tournament game in March was being played out in the second week of January. With it a one-possession game and the final seconds winding down, it had all the makings of a classic, except for a fantastic finish; one that proved to be more anti-climactic than anything else.

PCT’s Xavier Nieves was clutch at the foul line throughout the fourth quarter to help keep Passaic at bay. The Indians had a chance to either tie the game or win it with a three-pointer, but never got a final shot off and PCT finally achieved the signature win they were searching for with a thrilling 63-61 victory that snapped Passaic’s six-game winning streak.

“That was something high school basketball game,” said PCT head coach Mike Boorman. “I thought we had to dig deep and make some big stops defensively. We also had to play a style we weren’t really used to. But against the top teams, sometimes you have to adapt to the situation and we did that extremely well tonight.”

The PCT gymnasium was packed to the gills and the tempo did not disappoint the crowd with a frenetic pace right from the opening tap. Both teams were clicking offensively in the first quarter until PCT used one shot to get a little breathing room. Brandon James’ fade-away 30-footer at the buzzer put PCT ahead, 24-18.

PCT's Xavier Nieves taking the ball hard to the basket.

The pace slowed down considerably in the second quarter, but that suited PCT just fine as it grabbed a 35-30 halftime lead.

Najee Salaam and Tyshon Pickett have been the big guns all year for Passaic, and they came up huge yesterday as well. Salaam tied the game on a baseline jumper and Pickett’s putback midway through the third quarter gave Passaic its first lead since the opening seconds of the game at 45-43.

PCT guard Aazaad Hinton is not big in height, but hit several huge shots, none bigger than hit three-pointer from the corner that gave PCT the lead for good, 51-50, heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs were able to maintain the lead by doing something they are not accustomed to, slowing the ball down and making Passaic play defense for long stretches. That allowed Nieves to repeatedly get to the charity stripe where he thrived. He hit 7 of 8 free-throws in the fourth quarter, including both ends of a one-and-one to give PCT a 63-60 lead with 1:36 to play.

“The foul line was a place where I got the chance to just relax and hit my shots,” said Nieves. “We had to keep scoring because Passaic wasn’t going to go away. We tried to control the pace by both pushing it when we could and slowing it down when we had to. Whatever it takes to win, that’s what we had to do.”

Passaic's Tyshon Pickett (20) finished with 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Passaic’s best chance to tie game came before its final possession with just under a minute to play. Reginald Pennie hit the front end of a one-and-one, but missed the second shot. Salaam grabbed the rebound, but missed the short putback. Teammate Andre Dixon snatched down the rebound, but also missed a layup and the Bulldogs came away with the ball.

The Indians had one last chance down by two points with 14 seconds left, but a pass was deflected and then knocked around on the perimeter as the Indians never got a final shot off.

“It’s tough to lose, but it’s really tough when you don’t get a shot off at the end,” said Passaic head coach Ken Slappy. “Najee (Salaam) and Tyshon (Pickett) played as well as I could have asked of them. We just didn’t get them enough support. Our role guys have been great for us all year and today, they just didn’t execute. It happens and it’s an experience we will definitely learn from. It’s an experience that will make us grow stronger as a team.”

Salaam had a game-high 30 points and 12 rebounds for Passaic (7-2). Pickett battled through foul trouble to finish with 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Nieves had a solid overall game with 19 points, seven assists, and five rebounds for PCT (6-3). Eleven of Nieves’ 19 points came in the fourth quarter. Hinton added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench. Rasheed Hicks and Wilson Jiminez each chipped in with six points.

The Bulldogs have yet another huge game against a big time opponent on Monday. This time, it is nationally-ranked St. Anthony of Jersey City that they get a shot to prove themselves against. But before taking on the Friars, PCT head coach Mike Boorman just wants his kids to enjoy this hard-fought win.

“Our kids deserve this one after so many close losses already this season,” added Boorman. “I thought we had to switch styles several times throughout this game and we still kept our poise. We had to put on the brakes a little bit, but we never lost our focus. This is a big win for us. Not just because we beat a very good, very big team, but because of how we did it.”

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT OR TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS GAME STORY, PLEASE VISIT 4FeetGrafix.com.