They get to host semifinal Friday in doubleheader with Raider girls
OCEAN CITY – The Red Raiders boys basketball team punched its ticket to a home semifinal game with a 73-50 win over Clearview in the South Jersey Group III sectional quarterfinal game Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Ocean City came out and lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 20 first-quarter points as everyone got in on the action and revved up the home crowd.
“It was a big advantage,” Raider Kori Segich said. “We have a pretty big student section and they were chirping a little bit. It really helps us.”
The Raiders looked like they wanted to match the performance of the girls team, who had just punched their ticket to the semifinals minutes earlier.
“A hundred percent,” Segich said. “Throughout the season it’s always competitive, a little fun with who’s going to make it farther.”
With his team leading 20-8 after the first quarter, Segich took over in the second as he racked up 12 points.
“The beautiful thing is that we really started playing well together once everybody got healthy,” head coach John Bruno said. “That was no excuse, because other guys stepped up and got some minutes. But the biggest improvement is what Kori Segich gives us. We didn’t have him for a long time and he brings that offense we can rely on to give us some points.
“Dylan (Schlatter) handles the ball, Omero (Chevere) shoots the ball well from 3, then we have (Sean) Sakers. We had four guys average in double figures so there’s really not one guy to key on.”
Clearview advanced to the quarterfinal round after defending champion and 2-seed Camden Eastside was pulled from the NJSIAA tournament after a brawl on court with Camden High School during the Camden County Tournament of Champions. (Camden also was pulled from the tournament.)
“Everybody is going to say Clearview got an easy path,” Bruno said, “but you can only play the scheduled games in front of you. They were entitled to play the game.”
However, they were simply overmatched by Ocean City.
“They were young but they played hard,” Bruno said. “But it was a great opportunity to have this atmosphere with the boys and girls double-header. We don’t really get a chance to see the girls play with the schedule we have. So the fact that we have not just one double-header, but we get to have another one on Friday makes it even more exciting.”
The Raiders look like a different team now that they have all their pieces, their 13-12 record not indicative of their talent.
“Our record doesn’t show how good we are,” Segich said. “We had injuries all year. This is really the first time we’ve been healthy. Once we get clicking we’re pretty good. It doesn’t take much to get going and get that back. We finally get to show how good we really are.”
The Raider offense looked sharp throughout as they swung the ball to the right spots and read the defense.
“Everyone shot pretty well,” Segich said. “In the second half we held the ball a little bit and weren’t looking to score as much.”
“We’ve really been sharing the ball well these last few games,” Bruno said. “They’ve been really tough games with teams pressuring us. We didn’t really face pressure tonight but we had too many swings. We were up and then we were down, then we were up and we were down.
“In the playoffs you have to be consistent. That will be what I stress to them tomorrow – you have to be consistent on offense and on defense.”
Indeed the Raider defense was the lone blemish and may have spelled a problem in a tighter match-up.
“We have to be a little bit better on defense,” Bruno said. “I don’t think we played as well as we could have there, but we did well on offense. So as long as we have one or the other it helps.”
“We left too many people open for good shots and gave them open lay-ups,” Seguich said. “We have to work on that.”
Segich led the way with a game-high 20 points, Chevere just behind with 19.
Patrick Grimley joined them in double figures with 10. Schlatter scored 7, Sakers 5, Andrew Karayiannis and Charlie LaBarre 4 each.
JR Gilchrist and Ben McGonigle scored 2 apiece.
Kaprice Stewart paced Clearview with 12, Luke Andres and Daulton Phalines 11 each. Russ Manel added 9 and Rocco Cirone 7.
The Raiders seem to have the right mentality for the moment.
“This group has been really good that way,” Bruno said. “They don’t get too high. That’s been the M.O. the last couple years. When we won our last game, on the way back from Timber Creek it was as if we had lost; they were petty quiet. They don’t get too high after a win and they don’t get too down when we lose. When they come to play, they’re ready to play but they don’t show a whole lot of emotion.”
The Raiders now get to host the No. 11 Absegami Braves, who pulled off a major upset of No. 3 Westhampton Tech, for the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24. It will be a doubleheader as the girls host Westhampton Tech’s girls at 5 p.m.
“Hopefully we have an even bigger student section and we can win and go to the finals,” Segich said.
“It’s just a weird experience to be able to have a home game as the 10-seed in the semis,” Bruno said. “I don’t know how many times that’s ever happened. But, like I said, you can only play what’s in front of you.
“Absegami is playing well – two really big wins with Westhampton Tech and Pemberton. So we’ll have our work cut out for us, but we’re at home with a chance to go to a South Jersey final. That doesn’t come along very often.”
Mainland boys
in S.J. semifinals
The Mainland boys (24-3), the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group III sectional tournament, beat No. 8 Delsea 55-37 to move on to the semifinals Friday.
The Mustangs will host No. 4 Moorestown (21-7) at 4 p.m., part of a doubleheader with the Mainland girls, who will play at 5:30 p.m.
Cohen Cook led the Mustangs with 17 points, Mawali Osunniyi had 15, Tim Travagline 11, Sean Williamson 6, Jamie Tyson 3, Keaon Loewenstern 2 and Stephen Ordille 1.
If the Mustangs and Red Raiders both win their semifinals Friday, they would meet Monday at Mainland in the South Jersey finals.
–STORY By KYLE McCRANE, PHOTOS By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
