Panthers hoops prep for states
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Regardless of how the season ends, this has been quite a turnaround year for the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team.
The Panthers, who won just three games a year ago, earned their 13th win of this season when they topped West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 47-38, on Saturday. But for as great a season as it has been for the Panthers, first-year head coach Paris McLean would like to see his team take it one step further.
”We’d like to make some noise in the state tournament,” said McLean, whose team is seeded sixth in the state Prep B tournament and will open play at Rutgers Prep on Saturday. “It feels good to have 13 wins. But, record aside, you want to win a banner and leave your mark. Records don’t leave their mark, championships leave their mark.”
Whether they win a championship or not, this year’s team has left a mark that basketball is back at PDS. The Panthers opened the season with eight straight wins and, after a mid-season lull, have recovered to take a 13-9 record into Monday’s game at New Egypt.
”We’re bouncing back,” McLean said. “We knew when we looked at the schedule and saw that middle that it was a tough stretch. We were at Bound Brook. We played Paul VI. We let one slip away at Wardlaw. They were some tough games. Of our nine losses, six have been by single digits. Hopefully those close games will help us toward the state tournament.”
Playing in some close games helped on Saturday against North. The Panthers led most of the game, only to see the Knights grab a 35-34 lead with under three minutes to play. But a Joe Rogers three-point shot gave the Panthers the lead back. And they closed the game with a 13-3 run, led by the perfect foul shooting of Antoine Hoppenot and Kenny Holzhammer down the stretch.
”I feel like we have hit a groove and we’re starting to work as a team and stepping up together,” said senior CJ Martino, who scored two points in the win over the Knights. “I feel like we’re at a great place right now. People have stepped up, like Stew Johnson, who had a great game today. That made a world of difference.
”Having played a lot of teams and having had different experienced has helped us become a better team. When we’re all together we’re playing our best, coaching staff and players included.”
Johnson, a 6-foot-6 senior who has seen limited playing time this year, scored a season-high six points in the win. Holzhammer led the Panthers with 16 points, while Rogers added 14.
”With (A.J.) Rubin down, and we’re going to be seeing some big teams in Prep B, we’re trying to work in as many people as we can,” McLean said. “This was a great game for Stew to get some minutes and he responded well. He should have played more this season. He should have had more minutes in practice and if I second guess anything this year, that would be it — get Stew Johnson more minutes.”
Now the Panthers can turn their attention to the Prep B tournament, where they will face Rutgers Prep for the third time. The teams have split two earlier meetings, with each team winning at home.
”We’re happy to play anybody,” Martino said. “Every game we’ve played — Paul VI, Bishop Eustace — we have gone in to win and we’ve come out with close games. We haven’t been blown out all year. Every game has been a close game.
”We haven’t gotten anywhere in the tournament since I have been here. The year before we got to the finals. This year, (McLean) has set us up great to be in that position.”
While the Panthers have their sights set on the Prep B tournament, WW-P North is just trying to get back in the win column. The Knights have lost 17 in a row since opening the season with a win against Allentown.
”We just have to put a whole game together,” said North coach Dale Florio, whose team will play at Trenton today at 5:15 p.m. “The kids have not given up. We still have plenty of games to come. We just need to get one.
”In critical situations, we just don’t take care of the ball. We missed several uncontested layups. Three of our starters spent a lot of time on the bench in foul trouble. We need to execute better down the stretch in some of these games.”
The Knights have been getting closer of late and still have several games left this season to try to reverse their fortunes.