Colonia and South Plainfield square off in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals on February 24, 2023. (Photo: Chris Tsakonas)
Despite trailing by ten early, fourth-seed Colonia was able to quickly regain its momentum offensively and take charge in the second half as the Patriots beat South Plainfield 64-45 to move on to the North 2, Group 3 title game against the winner of Payne Tech vs Snyder on Monday night.
The Tigers opened on a 12-2 run in the opening four minutes, but the Patriots (21-8) regained the initiative by ending the half with a 30-9 scoring advantage. After leading by 11 at the half, Colonia built on its lead further in the second half and got the stops they needed to stay in control of the game.
It was a collective effort on offense for the Patriots, as five players finished in double figures – led by junior Jaeden Jones with 16 points. It wasn’t just the juniors and seniors lighting up the scoreboard, either: freshman Aiden Derkack had 11 on the night, while sophomore Zach Smith had 12 on four three pointers. James Curet scored 13, while Anthony Gooden also had 11.
For South Plainfield (23-6), Tareak Williams was the leading scorer, scoring 17 points with 2 three-pointers. Also finishing in double figures was Brandon Dean with 15 points. As a team, the Tigers hit six treys, with four of those six coming in the 12-2 run at the beginning of the game.
Colonia now will play in the North 2, Group 3 final for the second straight year, after winning the title in 2022. They will face either 7-seed Payne Tech or 6-seed Snyder at home Monday night.
Click below for postgame reaction from Colonia’s win in the North 2 Group 3 semifinals, brought to you by the SportsPlex at Metuchen:
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