This past Thursday, the Montclair Boys Basketball Team defeated West Essex in dominant fashion by a score of 63-37. Both teams struggled in the opening quarter as the game went into the second quarter with a 13-11 lead for West Essex. Montclair found it challenging to create shooting opportunities and dominate the floor against the West Essex defense, often taking unnecessary shots. The Mounties lacked energy and intensity in the opening quarter, often giving the ball away cheaply and playing poor defense.
In the second quarter, Montclair looked like a completely different team. The team played excellent defense, limiting shooting opportunities for West Essex. The Mounties were much more physical and looked comfortable throughout the quarter. Junior Martin Quiros showed impactful leadership in organizing the team’s defense. Quiros played a great second quarter, scoring four points and assisting two times. Montclair looked in control of the game as they went into halftime leading 28-21.
Montclair continued to dominate offensively and defensively in the third quarter. The team put up a great quarter as they scored 15 points in the quarter and limited West Essex to only 5. Senior Noah Hutchinson continued to play well, leading the team in scoring in the third quarter, scoring four points. The Mounties went into the fourth quarter leading 42-26 and were in complete control.
The Mounties were not done yet! Senior Shawn Kirkley took control of the quarter, netting two three-pointers. Kirley got the crowd and the team excited with his clutch fourth-quarter performance. Montclair had a great quarter offensively to put the game out of reach for West Essex, scoring 20 points in total. West Essex showed offensive positives in the fourth quarter, but it was ultimately too late for any comeback. The game fell in the Mounties' favor, winning 63-37 despite a poor first-quarter performance. Junior Jahi Whitney finished the game with 19 points!
Montclair played an excellent game at home to move to 5-4 in their conference. Montclair played incredibly well to win their second consecutive
game and more importantly, move up in the conference standings. The team will hope to continue their winning streak against 6-4 Columbia on Saturday.