East Orange Campus HS boys’ basketball team advances to Essex County Tournament quarterfinals

EAST ORANGE – The sixth-seeded East Orange Campus High School boys’ varsity basketball team defeated 11th-seeded Columbia, 59-45, in the first round of the Essex County Tournament on Feb. 13 at EOCHS.

The Jaguars, who improved to a 12-8 record with their third straight win, will visit University in the quarterfinals on Feb. 20 in Newark. The winner will face the winner between second-seeded Newark East Side and 10th-seeded Montclair in the semifinals doubleheader at West Orange HS on Feb. 23.

In previous action, senior guard Marquise Kindel scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Jaguars edged Bloomfield, 46-45, at home on Feb. 9. Senior forward Arthur Mitchell had 11 points; senior guard Jordan Taylor had 10 points and junior forward Randy Joseph pulled down seven rebounds for the Jaguars, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Kindel had 16 points and 11 rebounds;Taylor had 12 points and Mekhi Chester had 11 points in the 56-54 home win over Barringer on Feb. 11. Mitchell had eight points and junior point guard Syhid Daniels had four points.

The Jaguars, seeded 12th, will visit fifth-seeded Woodbridge in the first round of the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 tournament on March 1. Last season, the Jaguars lost to Paterson Eastside in the Section 1, Group 4 tournament final.

Essex County Tournament

First round

1-Seton Hall Prep defeated 16-Caldwell, 75-39

8-American History defeated 9-Montclair Immaculate Conception, 75-64

5-Newark West Side defeated 12-West Orange, 68-51

4-Newark Central defeated 20-Irvington, 67-60

2-Newark East Side defeated 15-Barringer, 73-54

10-Montclair defeated 7-Bloomfield Tech, 70-51

6-East Orange Campus defeated 11-Columbia, 59-45

3-University defeated 19-North 13th Street Tech, 75-56

Quarterfinals, Feb. 20

8-American History at 1-Seton Hall Prep

5-Newark West Side at 4-Newark Central

10-Montclair at 2-Newark East Side

6-East Orange Campus at 3-University

North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 tournament

First round

March 1

16-J.P. Stevens at 1-Linden

9-Dickinson at 8-Union

12-East Orange Campus at 5-Woodbridge

13-Bayonne at 4-Ridge

14-Watchung Hills at 3-Newark East Side

11-Plainfield at 6-North Hunterdon

10-Franklin at 7-Millburn

15-Bridgewater-Raritan at 2-Westfield