Montogmery’s Mike Simborski handles the ball in the Group 4 semifinals against Cherry Hill East at Deptford H.S. on March 10, 20206. (Photo: Mike Pavlichko)
It’s something he’s done his entire career, but it’s become even more a key for the Montgomery boys’ basketball team this season.
Senior Ethan Lin knows when he has to score, and when he can let the rest of the team do it’s thing.
Tuesday night down at Deptford High School in the state Group 4 semifinals, it was the latter.
Lin scored just nine points, but he distributed, allowing sophomore Shree Mallavarapu to go off for a career high 23, while fellow soph Mike Simborski added 28 – just three shy of a career high – to power Montgomery to a commanding and dominant 67-37 win over Cherry Hill East, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.
After three lead changes in the first quarter, Montgomery took a 12-8 lead after the first eight minutes, but extended that to 32-18 at the half. Shree and Simborski were big reasons why. Shree was blocking shots, and had two big late first quarter put backs of misses. Simborski did much of the same in the second quarter, and had 15 by the half, while Mallavarapu had 13 at the break.
And in the second half, Monty continued to do no wrong. Every time Cherry Hill East – the other Cougars – had a punch, Montgomery would get them back with a 1-2 combo, and then another haymaker just for good measure.
The win puts Montgomery (26-4) in Saturday’s state Group 4 final at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers, which will tip at 2 pm. The Cougars will have a rematch with North 2 champion Plainfield, an 82-69 winner Tuesday in Elizabeth over East Orange in the other semifinal.
Plainfield beat Monty in last year’s Group 4 final at Rutgers.
Click below for postgame reaction from Montgomery’s Shree Mallavarapu, Mike Simborski and head coach Kris Grundy, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen:
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