Robert Aitken Jr.

CRESSKILL − The home-court advantage made the difference.

A sea of black shirts and costumed fans in the student section were so loud and distracting at one point, it forced a desperation shot with seconds still left on the clock.

That loud crowd ended up having a lot to cheer about after Monday’s North 1, Group 1 sectional final as top-seeded Cresskill took down two-time defending champion Paterson Charter, 48-44.

“I can’t thank that crowd enough,” senior Cody Song said. “Without them, we don’t win this game. Seeing the overwhelming support from our school and from our community… I felt the love.”

Junior guard Marko Radovich led all scorers with 14 points, including a pair of key 3-pointers in the second half. The Cougars started slow, allowing the first nine points of the night before climbing back into the game late in the first quarter. Radovich hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds to cut the Lions lead to 11-7 after one quarter. Cresskill took the lead for the first time in the second quarter and led 20-19 at halftime.

Cresskill led by as many as seven points late in the fourth quarter, but Paterson Charter cut the lead down to three at 45-42 with 46 seconds to go. However, a defensive stand and clutch free throws iced the game for the Cougars (19-9).

What it means

Cresskill’s win marks the 14th sectional title in in program history and first since 2018.

Paterson Charter (17-7) was the two-time defending sectional champion with titles in 2022 and 2020. The Lions also went undefeated in the COVID-shortened 2021 season that had no postseason.

Key play

With 26.4 seconds to go and trailing by three, Paterson Charter was inbounding the ball with hopes of hitting a game-tying three pointer. Instead, senior Cody Song got in the way of the pass and forced the first jump ball of the night with the possession arrow pointing toward Cresskill.

“I knew the only place they could go back to was the safety, so I trusted my instincts and went up to catch that ball,” Song said.

The Cougars took over possession, hit a key free throw and iced the game.

Game ball

Junior Jack Hayward has been a key man off the bench all season long for Cresskill. As both teams were dealing blows to one another like a heavyweight fight, it was Hayward who delivered the haymaker late. Hayward scored 11 points, including five key points in the final 90 seconds of regulation.

“Jack coming off the bench was phenomenal,” Cresskill coach Dan Egorow said. “That’s two games in a row that he gave us a jolt off the bench. It sparks us. We see one go and another one go and it just lifted us up.”

A basket and a free throw by Heyward gave Cresskill a seven-point lead late, then Heyward hit two free throws in the final seconds to finish things off.

They said it

“It’s a dream come true. Throughout my Cresskill career, we haven’t won anything so to finally win one and win it at home means the world to me. Nobody can ever take it away from us.” – Cresskill senior Cody Song.

“Being the 1-seed was so important for this entire tournament. We were down and they picked us up. We don’t do it without them.” – Cresskill head coach Dan Egorow