NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ- The New Providence High School Pioneers boys varsity basketball team appeared to be riding high, building a lead by as much as 20 points after the third quarter against the Weehawken High School Indians as the teams kicked off play in the state tournament.
The Indians were not ready to concede, scoring 16 straight points to get within six points with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, but ran out of time as the second-seeded Pioneers held off the fifteenth-seeded Indians 61-54 in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 First Round Tuesday night in New Providence.
The New Providence Pioneers (24-3) will host seventh-seeded Shabazz in the quarterfinals round Thursday night at 7 p.m.
As the fourth quarter started, senior Dylan Bedder (28 points, 25 rebounds) gave his team a 58-38 lead with 6:45 left with a basket, but the Indians charged their way back into the game as the Pioneers offense went cold over a four-minute span.
Weehawken’s Jon DeLeon got the scoring surge for the visitors started with a basket before Bedder scored for New Providence. Miguel Rosado scored two straight baskets and Jon Duran drained a three-pointer. Suddenly, with 4:56 left, Weehawken was on a tear, trimming the New Providence lead down to 58-45.
Overall, Weehawken outscored New Providence 18-5 in the fourth quarter.
In the win, the Pioneers know their play in a bid for a sectional tournament run will have to be a lot better than their play on the court.
“We ramped it up at times, but we didn’t ramp it up enough,” New Providence head coach Art Cattano said. “We’re very disappointed in the way we played overall. If we ramp it up, that means we’re not playing hard. [Weehawken] hung in the game, they played well, they made some shots, but we certainly didn’t play to the level of which we’re capable of playing.”
Weehawken kept coming back. With New Providence unable to add more on the scoreboard, Weehawken continued to fight back. Matt Torres knocked down a shot, Rosado drained two free throws and a three-pointer had the lead down to 58-52 with 2:56 left.
In a major moment of adversity, the Pioneers managed to grab the key rebounds and keep the lead from shrinking any further.
“[It was all about] time and possession. We had to take care of the ball and take time off the clock,” Bedder said. “We’ll be fine from there.”
New Providence junior Sean Dillon (17 points, ten rebounds), who was hot from behind the arc on the night in the first half, came up huge in the closing seconds. He drained three of four free throws to seal the deal for his team.
“We just stayed strong,” Dillon said. “I was at the free throw line and missed a couple of free throws, which is on me. I’ve got to take care of that earlier. Our effort was not up to our standards and if we play like that again, we’re going to get beat.”
“We stayed together as a unit and we got out of it,” he added.
