FREEDOM FIGHTERS CHALLENGE CLASSIC: NEWARK EASTSIDE BEATS PATERSON EASTSIDE AT THE BUZZER IN O.T.! DON BOSCO PREP AND HUDSON CATHOLIC ALSO WIN!

Eastside HS Paterson,NJ….. There have been many a great game in the Freedom Fighters Challenge sponsored by the Playaz Basketball Club, but as far as intensity and thrilling moments the Newark Eastside-Paterson Eastside game will go down as one of the best! In a game that went into overtime Senior Jamar Gilbert(right) went coast to coast with 6.2 seconds, pulled up from the three line and buried the game winner to give Newark Eastside a 52-51 win! Paterson Eastside had taken the lead 51-49 on a layup by Junior Shakur Juiston off a feed from Senior Ahmed Dauda with 12 seconds left!  Newark Eastside led most of the tightly played contest and took as much as a 10 point lead early in the 4th quarter, when Paterson Eastside, behind Junior’s Asem Johnson and Aaryn Abrams(left) led a Ghost comeback! Abrams layup, a basket by Junior Marquel Sheffield, a alley-oop dunk from Abrams to Junior Asem Johnson and a Johnson “triple” cut a 41-31 deficit to a 41-40 game! Senior Akbar Hoffman made a free throw and layup to push the lead to 44-40 for Newark Eastside, but an Abrams layup and a follow on a miss by Johnson tied the game at 44 with 49.1 seconds! That was the the score at the end of regulation as neither team could get a good look at the end! The overtime started with Seton Hall commit Ismael Sanogo scoring on a follow and Newark Eastside going up 48-44! Johnson hit a three for Paterson and Sonago made another two freethrows to make it 49-47 and Johnson ‘s short shot tied the game at 49 and set the stage for the final heroics! The three to win it was only the second basket of the game for Gilbert, but the irony of the shot was the young man’s father had just passed away this weekend! Was a fitting ending! Sanogo and Hoffman led Newark Eastside with 14 points with Sanogo also grabbing 12 rebounds! South Alabama commit Abdul Lewis added 10 points and 6 boards for Newark Eastside! Johnson led Paterson Eastside with 23 points and 5 rebounds and Abrams finished with 8 points, 5 assists and 4 steals!

 

 

 

                                                                       HUDSON CATHOLIC   53            PLAINFIELD   42

  Hudson Catholic shook off a shaky start to beat Plainfield 53-42! Junior Nassir Barrino(left) scored 15 points with 5 steals and Junior Adam Traore came off the bench to score 14 points and grab 7 rebounds! Plainfield finished the 1st quarter ahead 14-9, but Hudson Catholic held Plainfield to 2 points in the 2nd quarter to take a 27-16 1st half lead and even though Plainfield kept it close Hudson Catholic never let them get over the top! Plainfield was led by Clarence Hoover(right) with 12 points!

 

 

 

 

 

DON BOSCO PREP   59       KENNEDY   38

Senior Jack Ely scored 16 points as Don Bosco Prep slowly pulled away from Kennedy on it’s way to a 59-38 win! George Washington commit Paul Jorgensen added 9 points and 5 assists and Senior Tom Sweeney and Junior Amani Craddock each chipped in 8 points! Sophomore Alphonso Gee led Kennedy with 21 points!