Atlantic City beats Linden in OT for 2nd straight state title
Last Updated on Monday, March 11, 2013 03:46 pm Written by Bill LeConey Sunday, March 10, 2013 06:52 pm
PISCATAWAY - The Atlantic City boys basketball team showed the true heart of a champion Sunday.
Make that a double champion.
The resilient and determined Vikings got off the mat twice, once at the end of regulation and again in overtime, to beat Linden, 60-54, in OT in a dramatic NJSIAA Group IV Championship Game at Rutgers Athletic Center.
Atlantic City captured its second consecutive state title and third since 2005, all under the demanding but rewarding tutelage of coach Gene Allen.
“It was gut-wrenching at the end,” said senior Dayshawn Reynolds, who made a clutch 3-point shot to tie the game with 33 seconds left in regulation. “Everybody came through for us when we needed it.”
Junior guard Isiah Graves drilled a pair of huge 3-point shots in the extra session, one of which came from at least 30 feet away.
“I just felt confident in my shot,” said Graves, who finished with a team-high 18 points. “Coach yells at me all the time to step in (closer), but it’s just like, if I’m open, I’m going to shoot it.”
Allen was asked if his team’s big-game experience was a factor in Sunday’s game. “Yes and no,” he said. “When Isiah takes a 30-footer, no. But when (Reynolds) comes down and just catches and shoots with a lot of confidence, yes.
“The good thing about this group of young men is that they were never flustered. When they came down with a three-point deficit, we just ran our play. Dayshawn saw an opportunity, and he took the big shot, and that’s what senior leadership is all about.”
And it's not over yet. The Vikings (29-1) are the third seed in the upcoming Tournament of Champions, and will face sixth-seeded Point Pleasant Beach in a quarterfinal game on Wednesday, March 13 (8 p.m.) at the Pine Belt Arena in Toms River. If they win that game, they would face second-seeded St. Joseph of Metuchen in the semifinal round Friday at Monmouth University. St. Joseph, featuring 7-foot-1 Kentucky-bound sophomore sensation Karl Towns, earned a bye into the semifinal round.
The Vikings saw a five-point lead fade away in the latter stages of the fourth quarter Sunday, as Linden guard Josh Carter made some tough shots in traffic. His 3-point play gave the Tigers a 48-45 lead with 48 seconds left. That’s when Reynolds stepped up and calmly sank a 3-point shot to keep the Vikings’ repeat hopes alive.
“It was just one of those moments where you had to be a leader and step up,” said Reynolds, who is heading to Temple University on a football scholarship. “I’m a senior, so I had to take that big shot.”
Atlantic City had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Linden’s Quadry Moore hustled back to knock the ball away from a wide-open Graves on a breakout with seconds left.
Carter opened the overtime with a pretty move to the basket, and Moore also made a tough inside shot for Linden. But each time, Graves responded with 3-point shots to keep Atlantic City afloat.
Montague hit two foul shots, and Dennis White finally nailed down the victory with a short jump shot.
Montague effectively limited Linden’s big man, Moore, despite a 70-pound weight differential.
“It’s a game where you have to be heartless and aggressive,” Montague said. “All season Coach Allen has been preaching mental toughness and the physical toughness that will come with the mental toughness, so at the end of games, all we have to do is dig deep and get it done.”
In a welcome change from their previous two games, the Vikings didn’t fall behind by double-digits early in this one. They led 14-11 after the first quarter, mainly behind the solid inside work of Montague. A field goal by White early in the second opened the lead to five points.
But after Graves drained a 3-point shot to provide a 19-15 lead, the Vikings seemed to lose their composure. Montague picked up a flagrant foul and technical with 2:54 left in the second quarter, and the Vikings went scoreless the rest of the half.
Josh Carter’s rebound and put-back broke a 19-19 tie, and Kennedy made two free throws to give Linden a four-point lead going into the break.
Atlantic City turned up the defensive pressure in the third quarter, scoring the first six points. White scored six points in the quarter, which ended with the Vikings protecting a four-point lead.
Atlantic City has won 18 straight games and 50 of its last 53 overall. Two of those losses came at the hands of top-ranked state powerhouse St. Anthony, which was stunned by Roselle Catholic in the Non-Public B championship on Saturday.
In any case, the Vikings have given their fans – and their coach – quite a ride, with back-to-back comeback victories leading up to Sunday’s emotional title victory.
“This is why these guys are so special,” Allen said. “I’ll probably never have another group like this again. I’ll probably be done by the time another one comes around.”
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