Cougars Blitz Watchung Hills Early, Cruise to 81–55 Victory

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Montgomery came out flying and never let up.
The Cougars boys varsity basketball team put together a dominant wire-to-wire performance against previously unbeaten Watchung Hills on Friday night, rolling to an 81–55 home win to improve to 2–0 on the young season.

Montgomery exploded for 25 first-quarter points while holding Watchung Hills to just 7, setting the tone with suffocating defense and efficient scoring in transition and the half-court. By halftime, the Cougars had built a 47–24 lead and were firmly in control.

Watchung Hills (now 2–1) mounted brief pushes in the third and fourth quarters, but Montgomery’s balanced attack and poise with the lead kept the Warriors at arm’s length the rest of the way.

Lin erupts for 30 to lead balanced Cougars offense
Guard Ethan Lin delivered a standout performance, pouring in 30 points to lead all scorers. Lin was dangerous at every level of the floor, knocking down four three-pointers and attacking the rim for nine two-point field goals.

He had plenty of help.

• Mike Simborski added 15 points, doing steady work inside the arc and converting three free throws.
• Shriyans Mallavarapu chipped in 11 points, showing touch in the lane and midrange.
• Perimeter specialist Connor Benedict hit three three-pointers and finished with 10 points, stretching the Watchung Hills defense.
• James Kamara contributed 8 points, while Mohamed Ndiaye and Xavier Harrigan each added 4.

Montgomery’s offense was remarkably consistent, putting up 25, 22, 17 and 17 points by quarter and never scoring fewer than 17 in a frame. The Cougars’ ability to share the scoring load and sustain pressure over four quarters proved too much for Watchung Hills to match.

Fast start, firm finish
Montgomery’s opening burst was the difference-maker.

With active hands on defense and quick ball movement leading to clean looks, the Cougars raced to a 25–7 advantage after one. They followed that with a 22–17 second quarter to take a commanding 47–24 lead into the locker room.

Watchung Hills found some rhythm after halftime, outscoring Montgomery 18–17 in the third, but the Cougars still led 64–42 heading to the fourth. Montgomery then matched the Warriors 17–13 in the final period to close out the 26-point victory.

Gibbs leads Watchung Hills
For Watchung Hills, Kalvin Gibbs paced the Warriors with 17 points, showing range with three three-pointers and attacking inside for four more field goals.

Alex Maghradze and Timmy Robertson added 10 points apiece, while Brady Simo hit three threes for 9 points. Robbie Santiago finished with 3, Liam Morris with 3, Charlie Severe with 2, and Sebastian Torres added 1.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com