Boys Basketball – Mater Dei Holds On, Ranney Falls at Jump Off

New Year's Jumpoff

At Don Bosco Tech, Paterson

No. 2 Mater Dei Prep 59, Teaneck 55

Senior Kenny Jones scored 16 points to go with eight rebounds and eight assists to claim the game MVP award and lead the Seraphs (5-0) past the Roadrunners (5-3) for their fifth straight win to open the season.

Junior Alex Rice poured in 15 points and senior Kyle Cardaci netted 12 points go with his five rebounds for Mater Dei.

The Seraphs stormed out to a 25-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and led, 49-35, early in the fourth quarter, but Teaneck chipped away behind Ja’Quaye James. The 5-foot-8 senior guard scored 28 points, including the 2,000th point of his high school career – the first Teaneck player to reach the milestone.

James scored his milestone basket with 3:55 left in the game to pull the Roadrunners within 51-48 and hit a running floater to cut the Seraphs lead to one. Mater Dei, however, would not surrender the lead and extended its advantage to 54-50 on a three-point play by Rice off an inbound pass from Jones.

Jones went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line down the stretch to put the game on ice.

Senior Yasin Pretlow scored eight points and senior Adam Afifi added six points and eight rebounds, with both seniors scoring all of their points in the first half.

Montclair Immaculate 69, No. 1 Ranney 61

Syracuse commit and senior guard Jalen Carey scored 28 points and Montclair Immaculate (4-1) spoiled Ranney’s return to N.J. basketball by taking down the top-ranked Panthers.

Junior Bryan Antoine led Ranney (5-2) with 28 points and was named game MVP along with Carey.

Junior Scottie Lewis added 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five blocked shots for Ranney and senior Savior Akuwovo pitched in 12 points and eight rebounds.

Antoine scored eight points in the first 2:26 of the third quarter to stretch what was a one-point Ranney lead at halftime to 39-34. After his team took a timeout, Carey responded with nine points to spearhead a 16-7 Montclair Immaculate run to end the third quarter.

Monday’s game was Ranney’s first since winning the Consolation Bracket of the City of Palms Classic in Florida back on Dec. 23 on a halfcourt shot at the buzzer by Bryan Antoine.