Edison senior guard Niko Barnes with his parents Ken and Stacy after scoring his 1,000th point on Monday, February 28, 2022
Winning a 10/5 game in the state tournament is a moderate upset. So many times its about the matchups when you get to states more than the seeds, since different leagues sometimes have different styles. “Upsets” happen frequently.
But Monday night’s 69-57 win for 10th-seeded Edison at 7-seed Scotch Plains-Fanwood was much more monumental for reasons not having anything to do with the state tournament.
The victory put Edison at 19-8 on the season, tying a program record for wins set just two seasons ago. And since the COVID-19 pandemic abbreviated the 2021 season, it’s essentially back-to-back full 19-win seasons for the Eagles.
It was also their first state tournament win since 1979. Put that one in the books.
To top it all off, veteran senior guard Niko Barnes’ 17 points helped make him just the second boys’ player in Edison boys’ basketball history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark. Only Tom KcKenzie – who graduated in 1971 – has more points. He’s the all-time leading scorer in the program at 1,003; Barnes is just one behind.
And he should get that on Wednesday night when the Eagles visit 2nd-seed Westfield, a 60-36 opening round winner over 15-seed Plainfield. Tip-off is set for 7 pm.
Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk about the win and the season with head coach Charlie Mohr and senior guard Niko Barnes: