Cougars Sweep the Court: MHS Boys Roll Past Phillipsburg, Girls Dominate Hamilton West
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
Lin’s 28 Points, Barrage of Threes Power Montgomery Past Phillipsburg
SKILLMAN — The Montgomery boys varsity basketball team continued its strong run with a convincing 74–48 victory over Phillipsburg, using an explosive third quarter and red-hot three-point shooting to move to 11–3.
The Cougars held a narrow 16–15 lead after a high-scoring first quarter, then began to pull away with an 18–6 advantage in the second, taking a 34–21 lead into halftime. The game broke open in the third period, when Montgomery outscored Phillipsburg 28–16 behind a flurry of threes and transition baskets to build an insurmountable 62–37 margin.
Ethan Lin led all scorers with 28 points, fueled by six three-pointers and four two-point field goals, while also converting 2 free throws. His shooting stretched the Stateliners’ defense and set the tone for the Cougars’ offense.
Mike Simborski added 18 points, combining strong interior play with two made threes and a pair of free throws. James Kamara scored 10 points, including one three-pointer and three free throws, and Connor Benedict contributed 9 points on three triples.
Montgomery also received contributions from Lalith Kandakurti with 4 points, Mohamed Ndiaye with 3 points, and Shriyans Mallavarapu with 2 points from the line, as 7 Cougars found their way into the scorebook.
Phillipsburg (1–9) had a balanced effort but could not keep pace with Montgomery’s offensive efficiency. Dominic Bracco led the Stateliners with 11 points, including two three-pointers, while Shamari Lavacia added 10. Caleb Clymer and David Pacewicz each scored 6 points, and Christian Martin finished with 4.
Balanced Scoring, Strong Start Lift Cougars Over Hamilton West
SKILLMAN — The Montgomery High School girls varsity basketball team used a dominant opening quarter and a balanced offensive attack to defeat Hamilton West, 34–21, and improve to 6–4 on the season.
Montgomery seized control early, racing out to a 15–1 lead after the first quarter behind aggressive defense and efficient perimeter shooting. Hamilton West settled in during the second period, outscoring the Cougars 10–7 to trim the margin to 22–11 at halftime, but Montgomery answered with a 12–6 edge in the third to restore a comfortable cushion heading into the final quarter.
Aliza Schulberg paced the Cougars with 11 points, knocking down three three-pointers and going 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Anya Saini provided a key spark with 8 points, including a three-pointer and a 1-for-1 mark at the line.
Alia Johnson added 6 points, converting two field goals and going 2-for-2 from the stripe. Sophia Lehmann contributed 3 points on a three-pointer, while Abby Schwartz, Virginia Herring and Cassandra Cuaresma each chipped in 2 points to round out a well-distributed scoring effort.
Hamilton West (3–9) was led by Kimani Harlan, who turned in an impressive all-around performance with 11 points, 14 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 blocks and an assist. Emily Onorati hit a three-pointer and finished with 3 points, while Adisin Smith added 3 points and 4 steals. Zoe Vanselous and Jurieliz Vargas Gutierrez scored 2 points apiece.
Despite being held scoreless in the fourth quarter, Montgomery’s work over the first three periods proved more than enough, as the Cougars’ early surge and consistent defense carried them to a comfortable home victory.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com