SJ Non-Public A First Round: Union Catholic 63, St. Augustine 51

Union Catholic made the trip down the Turnpike and came away with a road win to extend its season, knocking off St. Augustine Prep with a 63-51 win in the first round of the SJ Non-Public A sectional tournament. The Vikings placed five in double figures led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2342605' first='Trevor' last='Whitaker'] and junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2201962' first='Andrew' last='Iduh'] with 13 apiece. They'll advance to face top seed Paul VI in Saturday's quarterfinals.    Whitaker stepped into a deep 3 in semi-transition on the second possession of the game and confidently knocked it down, proving to be a sign of things to come as the senior would go on to knock down 3 triples en route to a team-high 13 points. The lengthy guard showed off a confident and fluid release both spotting up off the catch and getting into more advanced pullup or stepback looks. He moved the ball with intelligence and showed flashes of polish getting downhill off the bounce. Defensively, he used his length, functional athleticism, and awareness to rack up at least 3 blocks as both an on-ball and help defender. A late-bloomer who'll be 17 until the summertime, Whitaker is still in the early stages of starting to fill out his frame and could benefit from a prep year if a scholarship-level program doesn't scoop him up first.     Union Catholic's leading scorer on the year, Moore took a step back in that department for much of the game but impressed with his playmaking and floor game while helping engineer the win. With a Hermit zone limiting his opportunities to attack north-south or play in ball screens, he used his size to see over the top and help puncture the defense as a passer. He would ultimately be able to get into seams off the dribble to set up dropoff opportunities for his bigs and help establish some first half separation. Moore was also effective crashing down on the glass as a rebounder and navigating screens as an on-ball defender. His reverse alley-oop in the closing minutes added the exclamation point to the win as well. He continues to track as one of the top sophomores in the state.     Facing off with an undersized Hermit frontcourt, Iduh took a bit to get going but ultimately found his groove on his way to a team-high 13 points. After a scoreless first quarter, he would get into a rhythm with a pair of easy looks out of the dunker spot, including an and-one, before adding a smooth jump hook from the block during a second-quarter run that established the Vikings as being in control. He showed strong hands as an effective area rebounder and was a stout presence on the interior defensively. We'd like to see more from him as a passer or floor-spacer if given the opportunity but Iduh's blue-collar approach with his size puts him on clear track for scholarship-level recruitment.     Coming off the bench to give a needed spark of offense in a sluggish opening half, Scott was immediately aggressive on his way to a smooth 12 points. He got going initially from the perimeter, knocking down a pair of first half 3's while showcasing a confident stroke off the catch. Scott mixed it up as well, showing some pace getting into the lane off ball screens and smooth footwork getting to his midrange pullup game. He could improve his decisionmaking and court vision but Scott's natural scoring and shotmaking ability should give him a chance to be coveted at the scholarship level moving forward.     One of the more productive freshmen in the state, Bartley wrapped up his rookie season with a team-high 12 points in a respectable effort despite going down in defeat. The compact lefty showed no signs of being bothered by a bigger and lengthier opposing defense, showing polish getting to his spots off the bounce and elevating into a confident pullup stroke. He knocked down a pair of 3s but also showed his quickness as a driver and ability to take on contact with his compact strength as a finisher. Bartley finishes the year having scored in double figures in 11 of the Hermits' last 12 games, giving him some good momentum heading into the grassroots season.     Not normally known for his scoring, Deguerre found his way into double figures with 11 points. He got the game started with a 3 on the opening possession of the game, also knocking down a pair of shots off the midrange with clear confidence despite a slightly unorthodox release. Deguerre would go on to show some skill as a straight-line driver and finisher with either hand, all while adding energetic contributions as a lengthy defender and vocal leader. He'd make a lot of small-college programs happy as a jack-of-all-trades on the wing who's willing to accept a team-friendly role.

Union Catholic made the trip down the Turnpike and came away with a road win to extend its season, knocking off St. Augustine Prep with a 63-51 win in the first round of the SJ Non-Public A sectional tournament. The Vikings placed five in double figures led by senior guard Trevor Whitaker Trevor Whitaker 6'4" | SG Union Catholic | 2026 State NJ and junior forward Andrew Iduh Andrew Iduh 6'8" | PF Union Catholic | 2027 State NJ with 13 apiece. They'll advance to face top seed Paul VI in Saturday's quarterfinals.