February 15, 2012

Hoboken's Jalen Williams (far right) pulls down one of his 21 rebounds. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Hoboken at North Bergen Boys Basketball Photo Gallery

NORTH BERGEN – Jalen Williams knew he couldn't have a repeat of last week's performance against North Bergen, when he only scored two points. This time around he had to be a dominant force inside for Hoboken.

The 6-foot-4 senior did just that, finishing with 15 points and 21 rebounds as the Red Wings avenged an overtime loss just seven days earlier and knocked off the host Bruins 68-63 in the first round of the Hudson County Tournament last night.

"I told him since we knew we drew North Bergen that he had to have a big game on the glass," Hoboken head coach Derek Piccini said. "He didn't have to score a point as long as he got rebounds, he would be a major factor and he was."

"Last time we played them I only had two points," Williams said. "I just keep thinking positive and good things will happen. I just tried to come out hungry and help the team as much as I can."

Regardless of who sixth-seeded North Bergen (11-10) put on Williams, the Hoboken big man had his way in the paint.

Williams' dominance on the glass helped create plenty of second and third chance opportunities for the 11th-seeded Red Wings (6-15). As a team Hoboken out-rebounded North Bergen by a 54-27 margin and had 13 points off of offensive rebounds.

Williams snapped a 55-55 tie when he scored on a put-back with 3:57 left in the contest. Two possessions later he would break a 57-all deadlock with a pair of free throws after another offensive rebound, his 10th of the night.

"We didn't rebound the basketball," said North Bergen head coach Kevin Bianco. "We got stops when we needed them, but then we gave them three or four opportunities to score. Sooner or later they'll make a shot when you give them three or four opportunities."

The Bruins' Alex Gil responded with an old-fashioned three-point play to make it 60-59. Hoboken would then take the lead for good on a baseline runner off the glass from Carlos Garcia with 2:20 left.  The senior guard would add five free throws to help seal the win for the Red Wings.

Garcia (11 points, nine rebounds) was one of five Hoboken players to score in double-figures led by Williams' 15. David Martinez buried a trio of 3-pointers en route to a 13-point game. Senior point guard Abe Groomes had 12 points (10 in the second half) and Fabian Quinones came off the bench to score all 10 of his points in the first half.

"(Fabian) hasn't been playing much lately and I put him in because we needed him with Spencer Perez in foul trouble and he really stepped up," Piccini said. "He was not afraid to shoot and he did a great job."

The Red Wings led by as many as 10 points in the second half when North Bergen started to claw back. Logan Santiago's three-point play with 1:19 left in the third would jumpstart a 13-1 run for the Bruins. The poised freshman capped off the five-minute surge with a runner to give North Bergen its first lead since the opening period at 55-53.

Santiago scored seven points during the stretch and had nine of his 12 points in the game's final 9:19.

"He's playing well," Bianco said. "He stepped up in the fourth quarter and he's been doing that all year."

Eddie Garcia led the Bruins with 19 points. Gil, who had 30 points in the first matchup between these two teams, scored 13 points before leaving with a left ankle injury late in the fourth quarter.

Hoboken advances to face No. 3 seed Bayonne in the quarterfinals. The Red Wings dropped an overtime heartbreaker in Bayonne less than two weeks ago and will have another chance to show they are a team that is better than its record and seeding would indicate.

"Right now we're 6-15 and with the way we're playing basketball, I don't think we're a 6-15 team," Piccini said. "I don't think people take us for granted."

Freshman Logan Santiago scored 11 points off the bench for North Bergen. (Photo: Jason Bernstein)

Hoboken at North Bergen Boys Basketball Photo Gallery