Kostro Montina of Nottingham goes in for the layup against Delsea in the NJSIAA Group III state semifinal game at Brick Memorial High School
By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com
Mar. 8: Chris Raba wasn’t worried that Delsea hacked a 25-point lead down to two with 1:11 left.
At least, not until he knew about it.
“It got down to two today?” the Baron asked a group of reporters. When told that the answer was yes, Raba smiled. “Oh, I was worried then.”
He did not stay worried, as his Nottingham boys basketball team responded with a 5-0 run to end the game and take a 77-70 victory in the NJSIAA Group III state semifinal game at Brick Memorial High School tonight.
“This means a lot,” said Darell Johnson, who had eight of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. “All we’ve ever been working for is Rutgers, Rutgers, Rutgers. Nothing else really mattered except for Rutgers. It’s great that my senior year I get the chance to fight for a state championship.”
He nearly lost that chance, as Nottingham began to self-destruct against the tenacious, gritty Crusaders (25-6).
Richie Jones takes flight for 2 of his 18 points against Delsea in the NJSIAA Group III state semifinal game at Brick Memorial High School. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
Entering the game with 191 three-pointers, Delsea missed a ton of first-half looks in shooting 8-for-29. Nottingham took advantage and rolled to a 39-20 halftime lead. Brick whittled an 11-0 deficit down to 26-20 before Nottingham ended the half on a 13-2 run, including a four-point binge in the final three seconds.
The Northstars came out looking to bury the South Jersey champs with six straight points to start the third quarter, and they took their biggest lead at 55-30 midway through the period. Delsea kept grinding and got to within 63-45 at quarter’s end but the task seemed too insurmountable.
When Johnson went out with his fourth foul, however, Delsea took full advantage as it began driving the lane to convert lay-ups.
“It was killing me a lot sitting there,” Johnson said. “I’m a player, I like to be on the court. My teammates did a real good job of holding on to the lead while I was on the bench. They held on and didn’t let them come back all the way.”
Johnson re-entered with the score 66-60 and garnered Nottingham’s next six points to make it 72-64. But the Northstars began throwing the ball away and getting it stolen (six fourth-quarter turnovers) and six straight Delsea points made it 72-70 with 1:11 left. It could have been tied had the Crusaders not missed two foul shots during the run.
Nottingham’s Darrell Johnson executes the layup againts Delsea. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
“I don’t know what happened, to be honest,” said Kostro Montina, who led Nottingham with 20 points. “I am speechless. I just think it was the intensity, everybody started getting rowdy, I think that might have messed us up.”
Montina and Richie Jones then teamed to un-mess things. With Delsea in a fullcourt press, Jones dribbled through the pressure up the right sideline, shielding his defender all the way.
Cliff Joseph gets some serious air on against Delsea in the NJSIAA Group III state semifinal game at Brick Memorial High School against Delsea. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
“He ain’t having no chance to get that ball,” Jones said with a grin. “We practice on fullcourt presses, that’s all that is.”
After getting into the frontcourt, Jones whipped a pass underneath to a wide open Montina, who hit a lay-up to relieve a whole lot of pressure.
“I knew he always cuts to the basket so I was just waiting for that,” Jones said.
“They were very aggressive,” Montina said. “I already knew he was gonna pass me the ball and I was ready for it. It was an easy lay-up.”
Delsea then missed a shot and Johnson, who finished with 18, made two free throws with 38 seconds left to raise the advantage to six. Johnson then blocked a shot at the other end and Cliff Joseph hit one of two for his 17th point to clinch it with 23 seconds remaining.
The Nottingham Northstar’s Fans at the NJSIAA Group III state semifinal game at Brick Memorial High School. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
“Toward the end of the game we got a little comfortable and lazy,” Jones said. “We knew we had to finish it off and just win.”
“We got off to a good start, which helped us because in the fourth we didn’t play well for about four or five minutes,” Raba said. “I told the guys at halftime and into the third that the only way they can come back is if we start turning the ball over.”
Ku’Jane Johnson at the foul line for Nottingham. Photo by Michael A. Sabo
Come back they did, although Raba had no idea just how close it got.
“You can ask my guys, I never look at the scoreboard,” he said. “At halftime I have to ask the guys what the score is. I know if we’re winning or losing, but I never know the score.”
And Rutgers has such a nice, big scoreboard hanging right over midcourt for everyone in the RAC to see.
But, as we now know, at least one guy won’t be looking at it.
