CLARK, NJ- The Arthur L. Johnson High School boys varsity basketball team Crusaders came off two straight road wins against New Providence (75-56) and Roselle Park (83-54) and returned home to host Governor Livingston HS Thursday night. In an intense, back-and-forth matchup, the Crusaders held off the Highlanders by a final score of 67-60.
The Crusaders and Highlanders played a close first quarter, which ended with Governor Livingston senior Kevin Keegan draining a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Highlanders a 17-14 lead after the first eight minutes of play.
The Highlanders sprinted out to a ten-point lead with 3:16 left in the first half, going up 30-20, but the Crusaders went on a 13-2 run to take a 33-32 lead with 1:05 left in the second quarter.
With the game tied at 35, junior George Visconti was fouled just before the first half expired and he drained two free throws to give the Crusaders a 37-35 lead at halftime.
Visconti, who finished the night with 20 points for the Crusaders, provided his thoughts of the gutsy effort from his team.
“I don’t think we had the best day, but we rallied together,” Visconti said. “Ultimately, we played hard and played for each other and when you do that, it results in good things, which was a win for us tonight. We’re just fortunate for that because it wasn’t our best basketball, but it was good for tonight.”
The second half would be a close game for both teams. The teams battled throughout the entire third quarter.
Full Coverage of Johnson Boys Basketball Home Opener Win over Governor Livingston
