Despite outplaying North Brunswick most of game, the playoffs came to an end for the Rams.
By: Kyle Moylan
Of all the possible scenarios people could have come up with for this past Tuesday night’s playoff game, what actually happened probably wasn’t even on the list.
Hightstown High, a tremendous boys’ basketball team when it comes to controlling the ball and running the clock, had a seven-point lead and a chance to advance in the Central Jersey Group III playoffs get away from it in the final 3:52 of play.
North Brunswick capitalized on four straight Hightstown turnovers to spark a 14-0 run. North Brunswick then held off a great Hightstown surge in the final 50 seconds of play to emerge with a 43-40 win.
"I can’t even explain what happened," noted Hightstown Coach Don Hess. "We usually don’t turn the ball over."
For most of the contest, it not only was Hightstown’s game Hightstown was playing its game.
Hightstown had a slow, deliberate pace going. It was making smart passes. It was working the ball until a great shot opened up. Former Princeton University Coach Pete Carril would have been proud.
Added to the precision and deliberate offense was a Hightstown defense that was frustrating North Brunswick.
"Hightstown has a great defensive team and they dictated the pace of this game," noted North Brunswick Coach Ed Breheney. "If you get frustrated in the first 10 or 15 seconds of a possession and throw up a shot, it plays right into their hands. I don’t care how good of a defensive team you have, if you keep working the ball, someone will be open."
North Brunswick was clearly getting frustrated in the first quarter. Hightstown held it to just a free throw by Shaheid Williams in the first six minutes of play and led 10-4 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, however, North Brunswick’s Joe Celmer emerged. He produced nine of the first 10 points in the quarter. In fact, it took a three-pointer by Chris Luberto with 15 seconds left in the half to get Hightstown a 14-13 lead at the break.
Celmer continued to be a factor in the third quarter and helped North Brunswick grab a 25-23 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.
"We did a great job on everyone but Celmer," Hess noted.
Rather than panic now that it was down, Hightstown again returned to the deliberate offense and great frustrating defense that had brought it this far.
A little over a minute into the quarter, Kurt Rodgers followed up a missed shot by Karl Burrowes with a basket that tied the game. Erik Franzo added a basket. Nate Kostar was fouled while scoring a basket with 5:35 to play. He tossed in the free throw and Hightstown was up 30-25.
North Brunswick was clearly starting to panic. It turned over the ball and called a timeout with 5:26 to play.
Hightstown took its time and finally got the shot it liked, resulting in a basket from Luberto. Once again, a panicky North Brunswick rushed the ball and was called for traveling.
With 3:52 to play, Hightstown was up 32-25 and had the ball out of bounds.
"We also had four timeouts," Hess added. "All we had to do was hold the basketball. They had to come out and foul you."
Instead, an accidental step out of bounds, a charging call and two passes thrown out of bounds added up to four straight Hightstown turnovers.
North Brunswick didn’t waste any of these opportunities.
"The smarter team won," Hess noted. "They were going to the basket, then popping the ball back up for three-pointers."
Derek Scott scored. Williams scored. Celmer’s three-pointer tied the game with 2:11 to play. A three-pointer by Scott put North Brunswick in the lead with 1:45 left on the clock. Baskets by Williams and Aaron Carter followed as well.
Hightstown was now down 39-32. Kostar got two of those points back, but Celmer responded by making both of his free throws with 36 left on the clock.
Luberto kept Hightstown in the game with a three-pointer, but Celmer again responded with a pair of free throws.
Amazingly, Franzo connected for a three-pointer as well and Hightstown was now down, 43-40, with six seconds remaining as it took its final timeout.
Knowing Hightstown needed a steal or to foul, North Brunswick tried a little misdirection. Celmer started inbounds and then ran out of bounds, took the pass and then inbounded the ball. Before Hightstown could adjust, the final six seconds clicked off.
"That’s an old Princeton play," Hess noted. "Pete Carril used to do it all the time."
This was the type of intelligent and precise play Hess could appreciate. It was the type of play one had grown accustomed to seeing from Hightstown.
"That’s a game we shouldn’t have lost," Hess noted. "It’s a shame because we worked so hard. We had a lot of great wins this season. We got great senior leadership from Kostar, Burrowes, Brown and Franzo. These kids deserve a lot of credit."
They also deserve a chance to redo those three minutes in the fourth quarter.