Kingsway's Mikah Hart (3) attempts a left-handed layup against Pitman in the second annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day showcase at Sterling High School in Somerdale, New Jersey on Monday, January 15, 2024. Collin Conway/D2 Sports Network
STAFFORD TOWNSHIP - The Kingsway Regional High School boys' basketball team was in need of a last-second score.
Mikah Hart answered the call.
Following a timeout, the sophomore and younger brother of Villanova guard Hakim Hart navigated the lane to deliver the game-winning, left-handed layup to lift ninth-seeded Kingsway past eighth-seeded Southern, 53-51, in the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs.
The Dragons secured their fifth straight victory to improve their record to 16-11. The Swedesboro program has won eight out of its last nine games under the direction of first-year coach Brian Kuzmick.
Christian Conklin scored a team-high 12 points for Kingsway in the victory. Jadan Martin-Cooper added 11 and Hart finished with 10. The Dragons led by five points after the first quarter and maintained a 23-22 lead at halftime.
Jake Sliwinski led the Rams with a game-high 15 points in the loss and Noah Perna added 14. Cooper Dempsey contributed nine points for Southern and Leo Crowley finished with eight. The Manahawkin program concluded its season with a 16-10 record.
The Dragons won the Tri-County Conference Flight B Tournament and Division title this season. Kingsway finished with a 7-1 TCC Royal Division record. The Dragons will visit top-seeded Lenape in the S.J. Group 4 quarterfinals on Monday. The Indians defeated Kingsway, 61-45, on January 12.