Story by Greg Mattura / NorthJersey.com
PHILLIPSBURG – North Jersey’s longest winning streak lives on and so does Paterson Charter’s chance to win its first state title.
The Lions rode a fantastic fourth quarter and pulled away to a 52-36 victory over Glen Ridge in Thursday night’s State Group 1 boys basketball semifinal at Phillipsburg.
Two years ago, Paterson Charter won this semifinal, but COVID led the NJSIAA to halt the state tournament before the final and denied this program the chance to win the championship. Last year, there was no state tournament due to the pandemic.
“It’s great to be in this position, and it’s great to be able to go to Rutgers, which we didn’t have a chance to do two years ago,” Paterson Charter coach Jerry Wimberly said. “The team that we had two years ago is going to come back and ride the bus with us to Rutgers.”
Paterson Charter (30-1) won its 22nd consecutive game on the strength of a 13-0 run in the fourth to extend its lead to a commanding 44-28 lead. The Lions applied heavy pressure on defense and moved the ball quickly on offense to create baskets.
“We woke up and played defense,” Wimberly said. “We did what we always do. That’s our identity.”
Senior Jamir Belfield led Paterson Charter with a game-high 19 points. Senior standout Asim Jones scored 16 despite being saddled with foul trouble. Senior Jahsair Rosa chipped in 11.
Glen Ridge (20-8) controlled the tempo and the first quarter and led, 10-4. A trio of seniors finished with nine points apiece: Carter Koenig, Bryan Moussalo and Michael Cifelli. The Ridgers’ last lead was 23-20 early in the third on a transition layup by senior Ryan O’Neil.
What it means
Paterson Charter advances to Sunday’s Group 1 final at Rutgers. The Lions will face Burlington City at 6 p.m.
Key sequence
Just as important as the 13-0 run in the fourth was the 9-0 run late in the second quarter that provided Paterson Charter with a 20-18 lead. It came with Jones on the bench after he picked up his third foul.
Rosa scored on a putback, and Belfield followed with a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut the Lions’ deficit to 18-16. Belfield then scored on a layup in transition, and Rosa hit a 15-footer for the 20-18 lead.
“I felt bad, but I knew that my team could play without me,” said Jones, whose team last month won its first Passaic County title. “They showed it against Kennedy, against Eastside, they showed it against a lot of teams.”
Key basket
Jones did not enter in the second half until 3:06 remaining in the third, and his 3-pointer with 1:56 in the quarter was critical. It gave the Lions a 29-25 lead and triggered a Glen Ridge timeout.
They said it
“We’re like a boxing match,” Wimberly said. “It takes us a minute to figure it out. Once we figure it out, we put it together.”
Greg Mattura is a sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your phone, sign up for our newsletter and download our app. Email: mattura@northjersey.com Twitter: @gregmattura
