Cougars edged by Trenton in Central Group IV final 59-57
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20140311/NJSPORTS0150/303110058/Montgomery-s-tourney-run-swatted-away-by-Trenton
MONTGOMERY — All season, the Montgomery High School boys basketball team found a way. In the closing moments of Tuesday’s NJSIAA Central Group IV final, the way was blocked—literally.
Senior forward Justin Kovacevich’s layup in traffic got swatted with four seconds left as the Cougars fell to Trenton 59-57 before a raucous packed house of 2,000 fans.
Top-seeded Montgomery clawed back from a 10-point deficit after three quarters, withstanding enormous ball pressure, to set up the decisive sequence. Inbounding under Trenton’s basket with seven seconds left, point guard Chase Ta passed to Kovacevich, but as the 6-foot-5 standout went up in the paint Trenton’s Kenar Gulley got his hand on the ball.
“That’s the look we were going for,” Montgomery coach Kris Grundy said. “Justin sets the up screen and he knows if they hedge he’s sliding right to the basket, which he did. We got him the ball on the block and it didn’t work out.”
That was a rarity for the Cougars, who finished 27-2 due in part to a knack for pulling out close games.
“Everyone gave everything,” Kovacevich said. “We played our hearts out.”
Second-seeded Trenton (26-2) will face South Jersey champ Cherry Hill East in Thursday’s Group IV semifinals. The Tornadoes seized momentum from the start, leading 14-8 after one quarter thanks to five steals and a 12-7 edge on the glass.
After trailing 31-27 at halftime, Montgomery opened the third quarter with an 8-1 run to take a 35-32 lead. Trenton responded with a 15-2 surge to close out the frame and held a 47-37 advantage going into the fourth quarter. The Tornadoes hit two 3-pointers during the spree and six on the game—a high total for them.
“Give them credit,” Grundy said. “They average two threes a game. They hit shots.”
But with Grundy mixing up the defenses—at various times Montgomery played a sagging man, a matchup zone and a 1-3-1—the Cougars threw one last counterpunch. A layup by Ta and a foul shot by Kovacevich got them within two with 1:11 left.
After Trenton big man Brandon George (13 points, nine rebounds) fouled out and guard Derrick Dix missed the front end of a one-and-one with 26 ticks left, Montgomery seemed poised to summon more of its late-game magic.
It wasn’t meant to be.
“I just wanted this game for my seniors and my kids—they’re such a special group,” Grundy said. “I told them in the locker room, ‘It hurts now but when you walk around that school tomorrow and people tell you that you had a great season, they’re not blowing smoke. You had a great season.”
Montgomery, which was seeking its second sectional title to go with the 2010 Central Group IV triumph, set a school record for wins and won the Skyland Conference’s Raritan Division crown.
“It wasn’t about wins,” Kovacevich said. “I loved been playing with these guys day-in and day-out. I’m going to miss it so much.”
Senior guard Naz McKoy scored 23 points to lead Trenton, which posted a 35-24 rebounding advantage
For Montgomery, Ta led the way with 19 points, six steals and four rebounds. The junior handled Trenton’s pressure superbly after the rocky first quarter. Kovacevich scored 13 points, fellow senior forward Greg Tarca netted 10, Tim Youreneff scored 11 and Darron Wallace added four points and seven boards.
Along with Ridge, the Cougars were the last Skyland Conference team standing, something few outsiders predicted back in December.
“No one expected anything out of us going into the season,” Ta said. “I think we proved everyone wrong. That’s a credit to our coaches, our players and everyone’s hard work.”
Montgomery’s Tim Youreneff soars to the basket in the first quarter against Trenton’s Naz Mckoy in the Central Group IV final / JEFF GRANIT/SPECIAL TO THE COURIER NEWS
