Sports
West Morris Central Boys Basketball Eliminated from MCT in Close Game
The Highlanders offense struggled throughout the game and some vital opportunities were missed in their loss to Mendham, 42-40.
The West Morris Central Highlanders’ run in the Morris County Tournament came to an end on Saturday in a game that was close until the last few seconds, but it was Mendham that came out on top in the semi-finals, 42-40.
West Morris, a team that has exhibited outstanding shooting throughout the season, had one of their least impressive offensive performances against Mendham. In the first quarter, the Highlanders scored only seven points.
West Morris’ defense made up for its lack of offense, forcing 11 turnovers in the first half alone. The Highlanders scored most of their first half points from turnovers, but, despite successfully stopping Mendham’s offense, West Morris didn’t put up enough points.
Senior Tom Cabarle had the team high with 13 points—his play, along with James D’Angelo’s 11 points, was crucial to keep West Morris close, but they did not generate enough offense to win the game.
In the fourth quarter, Mendham was leading by 10 points, but let their lead slip to only one because of turnovers and mistakes in the last few minutes of play.
Foul throws proved to be crucial in the outcome of the game—Mendham had a chance to take a comfortable lead with less than two minutes left to play, but missed shots kept West Morris in the game. A vital missed free throw, however, by West Morris, with less than six seconds left to play, allowed Mendham to maintain their lead until the final buzzer.
With the loss, the West Morris Central Highlanders are eliminated from the Morris County Tournament, but their season hasn’t finished yet—they will have another chance against Mendham on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Mendham High School at 7 p.m.
