No. 9 Ridge toughs one out at Bound Brook in first game of the New Year

Having joined the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten for the first time this week at No. 9, Ridge had a fresh target on its back to start 2024.

The Red Devils put that ranking and 5-1 record on the line Thursday night, traveling to Bound Brook against a team that has dominated the Valley Division for several years, but is finding it tough adjusting to its move this season to the Skyland Conference’s Raritan Division.

And they came through with a 59-42 win in the end.

It was a tight first half, with Ridge ahead by four after one quarter, and at the half.

For most of the third, Jackson Morrison fought tooth and nail to keep The Brook in it. And he was the only Crusader to score, through most of those right minutes.

And a Jackson layup on a drive with 5:31 to go got Bound Brook within nine. But Ridge extended the lead to 15 on a drive and a quick jumper from Luke Kreitz, and another jumper from Quinn Dashefsky for a mini 6-0 run, that turned into a 10-2 spurt by the 2:55 mark to make it 57-40.

Ridge never looked back over the final three minutes, which saw the Crusaders play perhaps a little more desperately than they needed to, taking some uncharacteristic ill-advised shots, while the Red Devils converted buckets on the other end with ease.

Kreitz, a junior, finished with a game-high 19 points, including two triples.

Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!