Montgomery upends Ridge, improves to 19-0
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20140211/NJSPORTS0150/302110096/Montgomery-upends-Ridge-improves-19-0
The highly anticipated rematch between Skyland Conference Raritan Division powerhouses Montgomery and Ridge bore little similarity to their Jan. 16 defensive slugfest, but Montgomery’s 62-50 victory on Tuesday night was no less exciting.
Ridge (15-3) jumped out to an early lead behind Derek Lyons, who scored the game’s first five points on his way to a team-leading 16. After a Montgomery (19-0) — which clinched the division title with the win — timeout and a Darron Wallace 3-pointer cut the deficit, Montgomery pulled to within six points at the end of the first period, trailing 19-13.
“They’re an explosive team,” said Montgomery head coach Kris Grundy of the Ridge team, who dropped their second contest to his Cougars this season. “They shoot the ball real well. It was obvious they came out tonight with something to prove.”
The pace slowed considerably in the second period, allowing Montgomery’s defense to cool off Ridge’s high-powered offense, led by Lyons and Dan McCreesh.
Montgomery’s offense began to wake up as the clock moved toward halftime, and the game’s momentum shifted considerably with three minutes to go in the second period, as Alex Miller nailed a 3-pointer to pull the Cougars to within two.
Just two minutes later, Montgomery’s leading scorer Chase Ta, who led the way with 21 points and five assists, sank a foul shot to tie the game at 27. It was the start of a 6-0 run for the Cougars that was capped with another Miller 3-pointer, giving Montgomery a 32-27 lead at the half.
The third quarter began with Ridge attempting to gain the momentum back, as Derek Lyons, who scored 18 points, drained a long 3-pointer in the opening minutes to keep the pressure on and pull the Red Devils to within two, 32-30. Montgomery answered with a steady diet of Ta, who dazzled the crowd with two brilliant spin moves in the paint as well as a pair of assists.
“He’s turned into a heck of a player,” said Ridge head coach Brian Feath of Ta, who led Montgomery in scoring and steals. “He looked real good on those pick-and-rolls tonight, his first step is much more explosive. He was making great decisions, he was getting inside the paint on us.’’
