Eastern's Damien Edwards scored a game-high 28 points in the Vikings' 83-66 win over Hightstown in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day showcase at Sterling High School on Monday, January 15, 2024. Chris Baker/D2 Sports Network
SOMERDALE - The Sterling High School basketball program hosted its second annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day showcase. The event featured eight games between 16 teams in two gymnasiums. Teams from Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester and Mercer counties participated in the event.
Here is a game-by-game recap of Monday's event:
Woodbury 60, Williamstown 46:
The Thundering Herd (7-7 record) reached the .500 mark with a 60-46 victory over Williamstown. Woodbury held a 47-27 lead after three quarters and cruised in the fourth quarter. Jasuan Solomon led all scorers with 17 points. R.J. Heigler and Dorian Dunbar added 16 and 10, respectively. Reggie Brown led Williamstown with 13 points. The Braves remained winless.
Deptford 70, Gloucester 67:
The Spartans knocked off former Tri-County Conference rival Gloucester, 70-67. The two teams combined for 22 three-point field goals made. Deptford was responsible for 14 triples. Luke Vilary sank five 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points. Brian Orio drained four triples and charted 14 points. Ryan James led Gloucester with a team-high 17 points and a trio of 3-pointers made. Keegan Cohan sank four three-pointers for the Lions and Kadon Harris posted a double-double. He finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Cherokee 67, Paulsboro 43:
The Chiefs improved their record to 9-4 with a 67-43 win over Paulsboro. Judd Holt posted a game-high 19 points for Cherokee and Louis Galasso added 15. Six out of eight players tallied six or more points for the Chiefs in the contest. Malakhi McKenzie led Paulsboro with 15 points, five assists and one rebound. Jamal Robinson chipped in seven points and nine boards in the loss.
Eastern 83, Hightstown 66:
The Vikings, ranked No. 3 in the latest South Jersey Sports Zone Top 15 high school boys basketball rankings, put on an offensive clinic with a showcase-high 83 points in a 17-point triumph over Hightstown. The Rams kept the margin close before the Vikings showed their offensive prowess and pulled away in the second half. Damien Edwards finished with a game-high 28 points. The senior knocked down four 3-pointers and shot 12-for-14 from the field. Max Portnoy, Kaedon Harper Myricks, and Devin Williams all reached double figures. Coastal Carolina baseball commit Sam Winsett tallied a team-high seven assists. Jason Whitlock tallied a team-high 14 points and seven rebounds for Hightstown in the loss.
Washington Township 63, Atlantic Tech 44:
The Minutemen took an early lead en route to a 63-44 win. Gevon Conrad tallied a game-high 30 points and seven steals for Washington Township. Ethan Hyman added 12 points and seven rebounds. Kade Pekarick finished with a game-high eight rebounds for the Minutemen. Giancarlo Canayunan led Atlantic Tech with 12 points, and La'maj Owens and Abdul Hawkins each poured in nine points.
Clearview 55, Sterling 42:
The Pioneers cruised past the event host for a 55-42 victory. Kaprice Stewart collected a showcase-high 31 points as Clearview earned its sixth win of the campaign. The Pioneers improved their record to 6-6. Clearview sprinted out to a 31-18 lead at halftime. Daulton Phalines scored 12 of his 13 points in the paint and grabbed eight rebounds. The Silver Knights cut the deficit to below 10 points on multiple occasions. Azion Arnett led Sterling with 16 points and Julian Johnson chipped in 11.
Other scores: