Essex County Championship Will Feature Montclair Immaculate vs. Seton Hall Prep
The Essex County Tournament has been cut down from 24 teams to two. There is one final game to be played on Saturday to see who be be crowned champion. Top-seeded Montclair Immaculate was expected to be in the finals…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Essex County Tournament has been cut down from 24 teams to two. There is one final game to be played on Saturday to see who be be crowned champion. Top-seeded Montclair Immaculate was expected to be in the finals and they will be taking on No. 3 Seton Hall Prep.
Zion Bethea has been the heartbeat of Montclair Immaculate all season long and that has not changed in the tournament. He finished with 20 points and seven rebounds in both the quarterfinal matchup against Payne Tech and the semis against East Orange. Bethea is averaging 17.5 points per game as a senior. He is a capable shooter but thrives at getting to the rim and the free throw line. Bethea has not been alone during Montclair Immaculate’s run to the finals.
Amar’e Marshall dominated North Star Academy in round one with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Zakai Zeigler also broke out with 24 points and 10 assists. Marshall continued his strong play with 20 points and eight rebounds against Payne Tech. He has scored in double-figures in nine straight games and has had four double-doubles in that time.
Montclair Immaculate will have to deal with the balanced attack of Seton Hall Prep. In the semi-final victory over No. 2 Irvington, Seton Hall Prep had four players finish in double-figures. Mike Curran led the way with 14 points followed by Giye Jenkins with 13. In the quarterfinals against Columbia, it was Jenkins leading the way with 20 points. Zander Zebrowski finished with 15. In round two, it was Jenkins and Curran once again scoring 17 points each.
Jenkins has been a consistent scorer all season. He has finished in double-figures in all but three games this season. He is a stat sheet filler as he is avraging nearly five rebounds and assists per game. Curran is their No. 1 option. At 6’4, he has the ability to step out and shoot from deep or score down low. Seton Hall Prep will come at defenses from all angles.
Both teams have players who can put the ball in the basket. The star power is stronger for Montclair Immaculate but that will not make Seton Hall Prep shy away. This is going to be a must see matchup on Saturday.