Beverette And Piners Break Chargers With Two 9-0 Runs, 53-36
LAKEWOOD, NJ–For the third time in the last five years, the Spotswood Chargers were playing in the semifinals of the Central Jersey Group II State Tournament. Â For the second straight year, the Chargers had a tough task in front of them with top seeded Lakewood.
The Piners were coming into this game with an 25-2 record, and looking to add to their recent Shore Conference Tournament Championship with a sectional title. Â Lakewood, winner of the Shore Conference’s Class B South Division, was the top seed in Central Jersey Group III last year, where it eventually lost to sectional champ and state finalist, Neptune.
Leading the Piners was Tyrice Beverette, who has been one of the top players in Ocean County and the Shore this season. Â He and the Piners got off to a slow start in this one as they weren’t able to enjoy early success against Spotswood’s 2-3 zone. Â Big man Ben Watson was bottled up inside while Beverette and his teammates, were unable to connect from the perimeter. Â This allowed the Chargers to stay close, but they couldn’t take command because they also struggled from the perimeter.
Despite having a 6-0 edge in points scored from beyond the arc, the Chargers missed often, and Lakewood was usually able to get the rebound, head back the other way, and score in transition. Â The Piners were able to score six points off the fast break in the opening period. Â In the second period, Lakewood made a substitution and inserted Eric Davis into the game, and the move paid dividends. Â First Davis netted two threes in a key 9-0 run that raised the Piners lead from three at the end of the first quarter to 21-9 midway through the second.
Davis’ ability to connect from downtown allowed things to open up for Beverette and the rest of the Piners. Â Beverette, who had just three points early on in the game, finished the first half with six points over the final 2:31 of the second period. Â The result was a 27-16 Lakewood lead going into the intermission. Â Spotswood came out with a purpose to start the second half. Â The Chargers began the third with an 8-2 run including two threes by junior guard, Jake Dadika to pull within five at 29-24. Â However, the Chargers were unable to get any closer than that as Lakewood had another 9-0 run to put the game away.
Beverette sparked the run with two threes from the right side, and then Davis put the exclamation point on the run with a steal at midcourt that he finished off with a thunderous one handed dunk as he was fouled for a three point play, and a 38-24 lead with 1:57 left in the period. Â Lakewood went on to win by a final count of 53-36. Â The two 9-0 runs proved to be the difference in the game. Â Beverette ended up with 24 points while Davis added 10 points. Â Dadika ended up with 13 points while Dalonte Grant chipped in with 11. Â The Chargers outscored the Piners by a margin of 21-12 from beyond the arc, but Lakewood had 17 fast break, or transition points.
Spotswood finished the year at 21-8, which gives the Chargers the most wins under head coach Steve Mate. Â The Chargers reached the GMCT Quarterfinals for the second time since 2010, and finished second in the GMC Blue behind Carteret, a team they lost to twice during the regular season, but defeated in the quarterfinal round of the CJ Group II State Tourney on Wednesday.