BOGOTA — Bogota has transformed the battle for the NJIC Patriot Division boys basketball title into a fight to the finish.
The Bucs’ highly charged 45-30 victory Tuesday night prevented Park Ridge from clinching the Patriot Division title. The teams share first place heading into their Thursday division finales.
“This is just miraculous,” Bogota coach Jay Mahoney said.
Miraculous because Bogota (17-5 overall, 13-2 Patriot) is in the hunt for a division title and 20-win season minus the services of its best player, senior guard Anthony Ovalle, who’s been sidelined since preseason with a knee injury.
It was Senior Night, though, at Bogota and Ovalle was inserted into the game with 1:42 remaining and the hosts leading, 43-25. Ovalle had the pleasure of dribbling out the final seconds as Mahoney yelled, “No shot! No shot!”
Bogota has a shot at the Patriot crown heading into its Thursday game at Saddle River Day – which it lost to last month, 78-70 – because its defense attacked Park Ridge with a fervor. The Bucs held the Owls to 25 percent shooting from the field (10-for-40).
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/h-s-boys-basketball-bogota-won-t-go-down-without-a-fight-1.1516617
