Sunday, January 15, 2012

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Marco Baratta scored a team-high 14 points and was named Player of the Game for Tenafly, which handed Dwight-Englewood its first loss of the season, 52-45, on Sunday.

ENGLEWOOD – Chris Orozco’s status as one of the handful of best players in Bergen County is beyond the debate. The Tenafly senior guard who will play at Division 1 New Hampshire University and is a 30-point night just waiting to happen in any given game. But when Tenafly is at its best as a team is when the Tigers are not a one-man show and when the supporting cast takes a lead role. The obvious comparison is the last two Saturdays.

Last week, Orozco piled up 33 points, but no other Tiger scored more than eight in a two-point loss to a quality out of league opponent in Pascack Hills. This week, in the Public vs. Private High School Challenge at Dwight Morrow High School, Orozco was the third of three Tigers to finish in double figures as Tenafly handed Dwight-Englewood its first loss of the season, 52-45.

Marco Baratta scored a team-high 14 points on his way to Player of the Game honors for Tenafly, Steve Sobo, just no starting to round into form after an ankle injury during football season forced him to miss the first six games of the season, added 12 points and Kyle Hioki (8 points) made two 3-pointers as part of a balanced attack. Orozco checked in with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) as Tenafly improved to 9-2 on the season.

Dwight-Englewood's Wesley Dickinson (35) scored a game-high 21 points to go with 10 rebounds.

“Zach Rush did a great job on defense against Wes [Dickinson], Marco Baratta hit big shots and he went to the offensive boards, he’s getting big defensive rebounds. He did a lot for us and I am glad he got the Most Valuable Player,” said Tenafly head coach Joe Finizio. “Sobo is getting there. He is showing flashes of his old self and Kyle Hioki, in the third quarter, hit a couple of threes. We are starting to put it together and people are starting to understand their roles.”

Tenafly and Dwight-Englewood played a classic in this Showcase last season with the Bulldogs winning on a last second three-pointer. The rematch this time around looked like it was headed for the same type of late game drama as there were eight lead changes and three ties through the first three quarters and neither team built more than a five-point lead through the first 24 minutes. Dwight-Englewood lead 12-11 after one period and by 24-22 at halftime before Sobo hit a three-pointer and Orozco scored inside for a third quarter closing 4-0 spurt that gave Tenafly a 36-33 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

With both teams playing active zone defenses and limiting transition baskets, the game was going to be won or lost in the execution of half court sets or on the glass where Dwight-Englewood figured to have the advantage with Dickinson, a relentless rebounder. But Tenafly’s zone was quick to account for Dickinson and the Dwight-Englewood’s lack of man-to-man pressure left few opportunities for the Bulldogs to get out in the open floor.

Steve Sobo scored 8 points in Tenafly's decisive 11-2 fourth quarter run.

“Wes is the only guy who could have guarded Chris in the open court and to put him all the way out there on Chris would have meant that we would have had no one back on the glass and we would have been asking for foul trouble,” said Goldberger. “Our goal was to be in a tight game late and we were, but they hit some big shots. We said that if we were going to go down, we were going to make their other guys beat us and that is what happened. Sobo and Baratta hit some big shots, so you have to give them credit for that.”

Sobo struck the decisive blow. After Dickinson made a basket to open the fourth quarter to get the Bulldogs to within 36-35, Sobo nailed an NBA-distance three-pointer tho stretch the lead back to four and kick off an 11-2 run that lasted 4:02 and turned the game in Tenafly's favor for good. Sobo scored eight of those 11 points, including making 5 of 6 free throws.

“I missed two months after getting hurt in football and I am slowly getting back. My ankle is still not 100 percent, but when I get in a game I don't even think about it. I just play as hard as can and do my part,” said Sobo. “We are starting to come together as a team, too. We have a lot of different pieces from last year and everyone is starting to step it up right now. We are looking to make a run.”

When Sobo finished off Tenafly's fourth quarter run by making both ends of a one-and-one with 1:09 to play in the game, the Tigers were up 47-37. Dickerson scored 8 of his game-high 21 points in the final minute but Tenafly was able to answer every time as fastbreak baskets by Baratta and Rush kept the Bulldogs at arm's length.

Keion Osbourne finished with 9 points for Dwight-Englewood, which fell to 8-1.

“Being a part of that game against Dwight-Englewood in this tournament last year and to lose that game the way we did, we really wanted to get back out here and win this one,” said Baratta, who made 2 of his 3 three-point attempts and added 8 rebounds to go with his 14 points. “We know that we have to take some of the scoring pressure off of Chris [Orozco] because in every game he has so much pressure on him to score 20 or 30 points. When we score it gives him a reason to have confidence in us and when he shows that confidence in us it lifts us up. It works in a full circle.”

While Tenafly found its balance, Dwight-Englewood got 21 points and 10 rebounds, the usual double-double, from Dickerson, but had no other double digits scorer. Keion Osbourne finished with 9 and Brian Breslin added 7 for the Bulldogs, who shot a combined 18 of 44 from the floor (40.9 percent) in falling to 8-1 on the season.

“We would have loved to have one this game, don't get me wrong, this is one that we would love to have had, but it was a non-league game and it is certainly going to make us stronger for the county tournament,” said Goldberger. “And when we get there, who knows, maybe we will see them again.”

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