CHRIS KELLY Above, Allentown’s Chris Mazzella takes an off-balance shot during the Redbirds’ win over New Egypt on Monday, while (left) Allentown’s Ron Gonzalez tries to defend against a New Egypt player.
The Allentown High School boys’ basketball team beat up on neighboring New Egypt on Monday, posting an impressive 55-29 win.
Ron Gonzalez scored eight of his game-high 13 points in the third quarter when Allentown grabbed a 38-23 lead. The Redbirds cruised from there, outscoring the Warriors 17-6 in the fourth.
Sophomore Chris Mazzella added 12 points for Allentown, while sophomore Scott Anaker and senior co-captain Charles Rini added nine points each.
The win was an important one for the Redbirds, improving their record to 7-9, with just two games left before the cut-off for the state playoffs on Saturday.
Teams must have at least a .500 record through Saturday’s games in order to qualify for the NJSIAA state sectional tournaments.
Allentown is scheduled to face West Windsor South in a tough road game tonight, and will host Hamilton West on Saturday at noon. The Redbirds need to win both games to qualify for the states for the first time under head coach Craig Parker.
As for the Allentown girls, they improved to 5-11 with a win on Monday, but will not be eligible for the postseason.