Roselle Catholic’s Sebastian Robinson elevates for a three-point attempt in the 2nd half. Robinson scored 14 points and made 4 of 6 from three. Teammate Akil Watson led the North with 21 points in the 2023 NJBCA North-South Senior All-Star Game. The duo helped the North All-Stars Edge South. The 109-106 victory at Rutgers Prep on Sunday was the second straight in the series for the North.
RC’s Watson Scores 21 points to Help North Edge South, 109-106.
SOMERSET, NJ – The 2022-23 New Jersey High School Boys’ Basketball Season came to an end on Sunday at Rutgers Prep. The final chapter couldn’t have been written any better with an NJBCA North-South Senior All-Star Game that went down to the wire. Roselle Catholic’s Akil Watson registered a team-high 21 points to help the North All-Stars Edge South (109-106). Dasear Haskins of Camden led all scorers with a game-high 25 in a losing cause for the South All-Stars.
Haskins, who connected on 11 of 21 shots including three treys and four dunks, also pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double. Teaneck’s Tyler Tejada chipped in for the winners with 19 points on 8 of 14 shooting. Tejada, who also threw down two dunks and netted a three, was tied for the North in rebounds with 7. Isaac Hester of Ranney was the hottest shooter on the floor by going 7 of 9 including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc en route to 17 points for the South.
RC’s Robinson Also Chips In
Egg Harbor Township’s D.J. Germann also had a hot hand in a losing cause for the South All-Stars. German, who led Egg Harbor to a state final appearance, finished with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting. Egg Harbor teammate, Jay-Nelly Reyes chipped in with 14 points and 5 rebounds. Watson’s teammate at Roselle Catholic, Sebastian Robinson, chipped in for the North All-Stars with 14 points. Robinson connected on 5 of 10 shooting including 4 of 6 from long distance. Robinson also collected 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
Paterson Eastside’s Bryce Stokes also scored in double figures for the winners with 12 points. Stokes also equaled Tejada with a team-high 7 boards. Stokes shot 4 of 8 from the field including a trey. The North All-Stars made 42 of 93 shots (45.2 percent) from the field including 15 o 39 from beyond the arc (38.5 percent). The South All-Stars connected on 46 of 103 attempts (44.7 percent) overall including 12 of 46 (26.1 percent) from long range. The South All-Stars held a 58-46 advantage in rebounding.
North Edges South Thanks to Three Pointers and Free Throws
Perhaps the most important statistical difference in the game was at the foul line. The North All-Stars made 10 of 15 from the charity stripe for 66.7 percent while the South All-Stars were only 2 of 5 for 40 percent. The North All-Stars outscored the South All-Stars by a margin of 45 to 36 from three, and 10 to 2 from the line. The 17-point differential in those two categories helped the North All-Stars overcome a 68 to 54 deficit in points scored from two-point baskets made.
The North All-Stars also had statistical edges in assists (19-18), steals (14-12), team fouls (7-10), and turnovers (16-19). The South All-Stars held advantages in blocks (7-6) and dunks (5-4) as well as its overall rebounding edge. Eleven different players scored for the North All-Stars including four in double figures. Twelve of the South All-Stars’ thirteen players scored including four in double digits. However, eight of the North’s players scored at least 7 points while only 6 did for the South.
Shorthanded North Overcomes South’s Two Point Scoring
Despite playing without five of its players, the North All-Stars were able to overcome a tough South squad by also making 27 of 54 attempts inside the arc. The South All-Stars connected on 34 of 57 attempts from two-point range. The North All-Stars tabulated a higher assist-to-turnover ratio as well. At one point in the 2nd half, the North All-Stars trailed 82-76 before putting together a 21-5 tear to take a 96-87 lead. The North capped the rally by scoring 15 of 17 including the last 9 unanswered.
The South All-Stars, which utilized full-court pressure throughout much of the game, rallied back with a 19-10 spurt. The South capped the comeback with five straight points to tie the game at 106-106 with about a minute remaining. Reyes capped the run with an and one, and then a steal for a layup to tie the game up. Watson gave the North All-Stars the lead for good by drawing a foul and making one of two. Tejada followed up with two more from the charity stripe for a 109-106 lead with under 10 seconds to play.
South All-Stars Last Second Shot Falls Short
With a chance to tie and force overtime, the South All-Stars came down the floor in the closing seconds, but couldn’t connect on a three-point try from the left wing as time expired. The North, which won last year’s contest more decisively (135-104), has won the last two games. The NJBCA North-South Senior All-Star Game was halted for two years due to COVID. The game was fast-paced and back and forth. Neither team led by more than 9 points although there were only 4 lead changes and 6 ties throughout.
The North All-Stars led for much of the first half. Sparked by threes from Ray Zamloot (Caldwell) and Tejada, the North jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The North’s initial advantage eventually grew to 7 at 13-6 and 15-8. The South All-Stars stormed back through with a 22-14 surge. Highlighted by 9 points from Haskins, a three, and a bucket respectively from Trenton’s Antwan Bridgett and Davontay Hutson. Hester capped the run with his first trey of the game for a 30-29 lead. Columbia’s Jalen Robinson promptly responded with a trey of his own for a 32-30 lead.
North All-Stars Control First Half
Outscoring the South All-Stars by a margin of 28-21 over the remainder of the first half. The North All-Stars led by as many as 8 points on several occasions before going into the intermission with a 58-51 lead. Sebastian Robinson netted 8 of his 14 points during the stretch including two of his game-high four treys on the day. Jalen Robinson, who scored all 9 of his points from long distance, connected on two of his threes in the game over the span.
The North opened the second half with a bucket by Linden’s Elijah Motley to take its largest lead of the game at 60-51. After a South score, Watson got a bucket to put the North back up by 9 at 62-53. The South All-Stars then went on the attack with a 25-11 surge for a 78-73 lead. Leading the charge were Germann and Hester with 6 each. Bridgett chipped in with 5 including a three to knot the game up at 73-73.
North Edges South in Back and Forth Battle
Fighting back again, the North All-Stars scored 9 of the next 13 points to tie the game at 82-82. Zamloot sparked the rally with a three. Seton Hall Prep’s Darrius Phillips then followed with two buckets after a free throw from both Stokes and Donovan McKoy of St. Joseph’s-Montvale. Hester knocked down a trey that briefly gave the South the lead back at 85-82. However, the North eventually retook the lead at 87-85 on two scores by Watson including an and one.
Notre Dame’s Stresser Mathalier tied the game again for the South at 87-87. The deadlock didn’t last long as the North All-Stars scored 9 straight after that. Teaneck’s Tejada scored 6 points on three field goals during the spurt while West Essex’s Joe Ganton added a trey. The South All-Stars responded though with 19 of the next 29 points to tie the game up again at 106-106. Reyes, who scored 10 of his 14 on the game during the rally, sparked the comeback with a three. Haskins added two scores while fellow Camden teammate, Cornelius Robinson added a three.
In the end though, the North All-Stars edge South All-Stars, 109-106. The GMC was represented in the game by St. Joseph’s standout, Josh Ingram. Although Ingram wasn’t able to get into a good offensive flow and only finished with 2 points, he contributed in other areas with 6 rebounds, an assist, and a blocked shot. Ingram also announced that he will be attending Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to continue his academic and basketball career.