Tag: Denver Anglin

by Mike Pavlichko

Mgbako, Gill St. Bernard’s just too much for Rutgers Prep, as Knights win 8th SCT title under Sina

When you’ve got multiple players being recruited to play high level college basketball, and another team with some really good, maybe even great players, sometimes it’s just not enough.

That was the case Saturday afternoon at Montgomery High School, where top-seed Gill St. Bernard’s (17-6) was in control for most of the Somerset County Tournament Championship game, as they beat 2-seed Rutgers Prep (22-3) by an 84-63 score, as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Junior Mackenzie Mgbako – being recruited by NCAA blue bloods like Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina – had a monster game. He led all scorers with 29 – including four treys – while Georgetown commit Denver Anglin had 20.

The win was the eighth for Gill St. Bernard’s and Mergin Sina, who won their first together in 2011, another the next year, and five straight from 2015 to 2019 before missing the 2020 final after getting knocked out in the semifinals by Watchung Hills. That was their first year not appearing in the SCT finals under Sina.

Click below for postgame reaction from Gill St. Bernard’s:

Senior guard Denver Anglin

Head coach Mergin Sina

by Mike Pavlichko

Freshman point guard gets the start for Gill St. Bernard’s in big clash with St. Thomas Aquinas

Denver Anglin is out for Gill St. Bernards.

In journalism school, they teach you not to bury the lead, so there it is.

But it still won’t take any shine off what should be a great matchup tonight between two of the Top Four schools in the state of New Jersey, and the top two teams in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top Ten, when No. 2 Gill St. Bernard’s (13-5, No. 3 in the statewide rankings) faces No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (21-1, No. 4 in the statewide rankings) in the headline matchup at the Hearts 2 Hands Invitational at Roselle Catholic High School.

Central Jersey Sports Radio will broadcast the game live, with tipoff set for 7:45, immediately following the St. Joseph-Metuchen vs. Hudson Catholic game, which is scheduled for 6:15. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe will have the call. Click here to listen for free.

Anglin has a wrist injury, and won’t be able to go, which hands the job to freshman Peter Mauro. He’ll still have plenty of players to get it too, including highly-ranked national recruits like junior Mackenzie Mgbako and sophomore Naasir Cunningham.

But Aquinas will be without a standout as well: Terrell Pitts isn’t available with a knee injury, expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks. He was scheduled to have an MRI yesterday.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko talk with Gill St. Bernard’s head coach Mergin Sina:

by Mike Pavlichko

No. 1 Gill St. Bernard’s escapes tough test from Hunterdon Central

Fueled by solid second-half defense, and three-quarters of its points from its top two Division 1 prospects, Gill St. Bernard’s won its season opener Thursday night, beating Hunterdon Centtral 77-64 as heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio, powered by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Junior point guard Denver Anglin scored 17 of his 27 points in the second half, while 6-8 sophomore combo guard Mackenzie Mgbako – ranked Top Ten in his recruiting class nationally – poured in 31.

Each hit a trio of three pointers in the game.

Head coach Mergin Sina missed the game, continuing in COVID protocol that shut Gill St. Bernard’s last week, and led to the postponement of its opening week of the season. His son, assistant coach Jaren Sina, the former standout Gill and Seton Hall point guard, took the reins and won his coaching debut.

Hunterdon Central fell to 1-0.

Listen to the entire game below, with Mike Pavlichko on the call:

by Mike Pavlichko

Anglin, Sina talk Gill’s opening game escape against Hunterdon Central

by Mike Pavlichko

Top-ranked Gill St. Bernard’s scored the first two points of their season opener Thursday night against Hunterdon Central, but the Red Devils scored the next eight.

No matter.

Despite falling behind 8-2 to the defending Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex County Tournament Champions, taking a 7-point lead, and then allowing Central to close the half on a 6-0 run to tie the score at 32, Gill used 17 second half points from 6-2 junior guard Devin Anglin to power its way to a 77-64 win in its season opener on Central Jersey Sports Radio, powered by Bellamy & Son Paving.

Anglin – who has D1 offers on the table from Georgetown, George Washington, Siena, Ole Miss, NJIT and others – finished with 27, including three treys, and was 3-of-3 at the free throw line.

Sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako – who holds offers from even bigger schools, like Auburn, Maryland, Seton Hall, St. John’s, UCLA and Rutgers, and is a Top Ten recruit in his class nationwide0 – had a game-high 31, including four triples.

Central’s Brian Johansson – who sparked the 6-0 first half-ending run all on his own by hitting a three, then after a steal getting fouled while shooting a three and making all three free throws – finished with a team-high 23, including four triples.

Click below to hear postgame reaction from Anglin and interim Gill head coach Jaren Sina. He’s an assistant on his father Mergin Sina’s staff this year, but took the reins Thursday night with his father still in COVID protocol that shut down the entire Gill school last week.

Junior point guard Denver Anglin
Interim Gill head coach Jaren Sina