Defense, Matt Mignon’s 3-point barrage power Montgomery

MONTGOMERY — Looking like last year’s Central Group IV champions, the Montgomery High School boys basketball team blew out Somerville 65-39 Thursday night at the Cougars’ Den.

The win broke a tie for first place in the Skyland Conference Raritan Division, with Montgomery moving to 4-0. Somerville, having a five-game winning streak snapped, fell to 3-1 in the division.

Matt Mignon led the way with 24 points, all on 3-point shots.

“We haven’t played good basketball until (Thursday),” Cougar coach Kris Grundy said. “We’ve been getting the shots we’ve wanted, but they just weren’t falling. Tonight it all came together.”

Mignon was a perfect example. Against Pennington earlier this week he tossed up eight 3-pointers and missed them all.

“One of my coaches said, “This is what the guys are waiting for.’ A loud gym like this, because this is what it was like all season last year,” Grundy said. “Loud gyms, chaotic, crazy — and my guys rose to the occasion.”

With the departure of several good players from last year’s team, it seemed only a matter of time before many of last year’s role players stepped forward. That time has apparently arrived.

Constant pressure defense and the presence of 6-foot-7 Ryan McCoy in the middle kept Somerville from establishing any rhythm. The result was the Pioneers turning over the ball 12 times during the opening half, when the game got completely out of hand.

McCoy finished with only five points, but he blocked six shots and altered several others.

Somerville wound up making 10 of 46 for a woeful .217shooting percentage.

“Like I say every year, defense is our best offense,” Grundy said. “We were able to get up, pressure the basketball. The coaches did a nice job putting together a nice scouting job. We did a nice job taking away what they wanted to do.”

Mignon, looking like vintage John Stockton, was lights out from the start, spinning 3-pointers like a spider spinning a web. He hit four during the first quarter and had seven by the half.

Colin Geary got into the act by nailing back-to-back 3s to start the second quarter, pushing Montgomery’s lead to 25-9, and the barrage continued right up to the halftime buzzer when Michael Reynolds burried a 3 from the top of the key.

Montgomery, which had lost its past three, was all smiles as it trotted off with a 41-18 lead.

Mignon continued his ridiculous shooting display by starting the second half with a bomb from the top of the key.

Somerville coach Joe D’Allesandro immediately called for time: 44-18 Cougars.

“We kept preaching to the kids: If you want to be champions, if you want to put more numbers up on banners, if you want to get some hardware, then you have to play like a championship team,” Grundy said. “And that means playing with confidence. Know you’re a good team when you step on the floor.”

They probably do now.

Paul Franklin:

pfranklin@njpressmedia.com