Aidan Derkack – Central Jersey Sports Radio

For the first three minutes of the game no one scored.

And for the last four minutes, it was almost all Colonia.

It took those four extra minutes of overtime – and a career-high 38 points from star sophomore Aiden Derkack – to give the No. 4 Patriots a 66-59 win over No. 4 St. Thomas Aquinas.

The win is a boost to Colonia’s hopes to win the GMC Red Division – and maybe get the GMC Tournament’s top seed – as they improve to 7-3, 4-1 in the the Red. Just as much, it was a blow to St. Thomas Aquinas, which drops to 10-3, and 5-2 in the division, now in fourth place.

In a tight game all the way – no one ever led by double figures. And regulation came down to the wire, as Colonia led 55-52 with 36 seconds left. Trojan freshman Aidan Carter finished through contact to make it 55-54 – but missed the and-one free throw to tie it. Derkack hit one of two free throws after being fouled to go up 56-54 – only for Carter to hit a floater to tie the game at 56 with 12 seconds left.

Derkack traveled with 2.2 to play, but St. Thomas Aquinas threw away the ball off the inbounds to give it back to Colonia. Jaeden Jones – who’d hadn’t played since before Christmas due to a hand injury – missed a game-winning three at the end of regulation, but the Patriots would close out the win with a 10-3 overtime run.

For the Trojans, three players finished in double figures: Aiden Ur led the way with 16 points, while Rinelson Dilone had 13 points and Carter finished with 12.