Rutgers Prep senior John Kelly holds the 2024 Somerset County Tournament trophy up high after his team beat Montgomery 64-61 to win its second straight title on February 17, 2024. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
How’d they do it?
It wasn’t mirrors, and it wasn’t magic.
In the end, it was defense.
The Rutgers Prep boys’ basketball team won its second straight Somerset County Tournament title Saturday, the top-seeded Argonauts (19-6) beating second-seed Montgomery (21-3) on the Cougars’ home floor, 64-61, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
Rutgers Prep led most of the way, and an eight point halftime lead balooned to 14 in the third with Logan Franz hitting a pair of back-to-back threes and Rocco Loomis adding another.
But Montgomery – behind a raucous “home” crowd – chipped away, chipped away, and chipped away some more, eventually taking a lead in the fourth quarter by four, its first lead since the opening quarter.
Boghdan Bieketov was hitting shots, and even had a three in the fourth quarter. But he was in foul trouble most of the game, and fouled out with 25 seconds left.
The game was decided in other ways, but in the end game, with 19 seconds to go, Myles Parker drove to the hole, made the shot, but it was waved off on a charge. A technical foul was called on Josh Moore, and confusion ensued, but Jacob Canton hit two free throws to give his team a 62-61 lead it would not relinquish.
A pair of John Kelly free throws gave Rutgers Prep a three point lead, with Montgomery still having a shot down three with nine seconds to go. But the Cougars couldn’t get a good look at the basket, and a forced shot was deflected at the buzzer, if it even got off on time.
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