Montgomery and Hillsborough play a Skyland Conference crossover game on February 3, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
His father is fighting against Russia, and his starting point guard went to the hospital with a lower leg injury.
Bohdan Biekietov had a lot on his mind coming out of the locker room, and on top of it, No. 4 Montgomery was down 22-18 against rival No. 10 Hillsborough Saturday afternoon.
So what?
He and Jack Fromelt combined for 14 third quarter points, in a decisive stretch that gave Montgomery its first lead of the game, one they’d never surrender, and ride out for a 51-37 victory that should earn the Cougars the No. 2 seed in the Somerset County Tournament when the coaches get together for Monday night’s seeding meeting.
Biekietov finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds for a double-double, and also tallied a mammoth nine blocks.
Hillsborough (11-7) took an early lead and never trailed in the first half, playing sollid defense, and getting a pair of threes from Zion Harrison, and another from Phillip Unangst. But Montgomery (16-2) came out of the locker room hit, getting back-to-back threes from Jack Fromelt, and eight points – including 4-of-4 from the line – from Biekietov.
Once Montgomery took the lead in the third, the Cougars didn’t look back. Hillsborough briefly tied it at 24, but would never take the lead again.
Sophomore point guard Ethan Lin went down to a lower left leg injury in the first half and was taken to the hospital; head coach Kris Grundy said after the game he was headed there next to check on his condition.
Click below for postgame reaction from Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
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