South Jersey Group 4: Quarterfinal Preview

<p><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Photo by Courier-Post</span></em></p> <p>The first round of the South Jersey Group 4 tournament certainly did not go as planned. There were some major upsets which has blown up the bracket. Here is what to expect in the wild quarterfinals of the tournament on Wednesday night.</p> <p><strong>9- Williamstown vs. 16- Egg Harbor: 7:00 PM at Williamstown</strong></p> <p>It was the upset of the entire state on Monday night when 16th- seeded Egg Harbor took down No. 1 Toms River North. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/najae-hallenbeck/">[player_tooltip player_id="896636" first="Najae" last="Hallenbeck"]</a> dominated with 34 points and 18 rebounds but it was not enough. Egg Harbor was able to hold <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jakari-spence/">[player_tooltip player_id="896630" first="Jakari" last="Spence"]</a> to just nine points. Carlos Lopez led Egg Harbor with 20 points and Ethan Dodd turned in a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. They trailed by seven heading into halftime, but Egg Harbor outscored their opponent 23-10 in the third quarter to gain control. They will now have to take on Williamstown.</p> <p>Williamstown was another team that took down a higher-seed. Tied going into the fourth quarter, Williamstown outscored Gloucester 14-9 in the final period. Sophomore sensation <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/keon-sabb/">[player_tooltip player_id="850678" first="Keon" last="Sabb"]</a> scored a game-high 27 points including 14 free throws. They will now take on the Cinderella story. This game will come down to whether Egg Harbor can put their amazing first round win behind them. They cannot afford a let down because Williamstown will be ready.</p> <p><strong>4- Cherry Hill East vs. 5- Eastern: 4:00 PM at Cherry Hill East</strong></p> <p>Cherry Hill East trailed after the first quarter but they outscored Shawnee by 21 over the final three quarters. It was an easy win for the fourth-seed. With the top-seed losing early, this opens up the entire bracket and Cherry Hill East is one of those hopeful teams. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/drew-greene/">[player_tooltip player_id="931022" first="Drew" last="Greene"]</a> led the way with 15 points followed by Ryan Greene with 13 points and five assists. </p> <p>It was not as easy for Eastern in round one. Rancocas Valley gave them all they could handle behind 25 points from <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/javontae-jones/">[player_tooltip player_id="929677" first="Javontae" last="Jones"]</a>. In the end, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/noah-klinewski/">[player_tooltip player_id="896459" first="Noah" last="Klinewski"]</a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/zubair-lee/">[player_tooltip player_id="929514" first="Zubair" last="Lee"]</a> were too much. Lee led the way with 17 points and Klinewski finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. This is a new round and this could be the best matchup in the quarterfinals. Eastern is a talented team where everyone knows their role. It would not be surprising to see them move onto the semis after this one.</p> <p><strong>3- Atlantic City vs. 6- Cherokee: 5:30 PM at Atlantic City</strong></p> <p>Atlantic City gained control over Kingsway from the opening tip. They left no doubt in this game. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/stephen-byard/">[player_tooltip player_id="929533" first="Stephen" last="Byard"]</a> scored 26 points to lead the way for Atlantic City. They will now play their second straight at home against Cherokee. It was also a dominant win for Cherokee over Atlantic Tech. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gavin-gibson/">[player_tooltip player_id="896473" first="Gavin" last="Gibson"]</a> got hot from deep and finished with 23 points in the victory.</p> <p>This is a matchup of teams with different styles. And it showed in round one. Cherokee can heat up from deep while Atlantic City likes to run their offense from the inside. Which style will take over? Atlantic City being at home once again will also be a big factor in this one.</p> <p><strong>2- Lenape vs. 7- Clearview: 4:00 PM at Lenape</strong></p> <p>Lenape made quick work of Millville in the first round. With Toms River North out of the picture, Lenape could be viewed as the favorite since they are the two-seed. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/derek-simpson/">[player_tooltip player_id="850667" first="Derek" last="Simpson"]</a> and Anthony Cortese made it look that way. They scored 20 points each in the win. Clearview was another big win in round one. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/justin-mcnichols/">[player_tooltip player_id="896668" first="Justin" last="McNichols"]</a> scored 32 points to lead the way. </p> <p>It is safe to say that McNichols will be the main x-factor for Clearview as they prepare to take on the two-seed. He has been their catalyst all season long and will have to carry them through the tournament. In the end, Lenape might have too much depth with Simpson, Cortese, Connor Kennedy, and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tayvon-gaither/">[player_tooltip player_id="933727" first="Tayvon" last="Gaither"]</a>.</p>