EAST ORANGE – The East Orange Campus High School boys’ varsity basketball team’s bid to reach the Essex County Tournament championship game for the second straight year fell short.
The sixth-seeded Jaguars lost to second-seeded Newark East Side, 64-42, in the nightcap of the ECT semifinals doubleheader on Feb. 23 at West Orange High School. Seton Hall Prep, the top seed and defending champion, defeated fifth-seeded West Side in the first semifinal, 61-46.
Senior Jordan Taylor led the Jaguars with nine points on three 3-pointers. Senior Arthur Mitchell had eight points; senior Marquise Kindel had seven; senior Zack Williams and senior Nate Burrell each had four; junior Mekhi Chester had three and junior Anton Lawrence, sophomore Abedel Giura and junior Syhid Daniels each had two for EOCHS, which had its six-game winning streak snapped and moved to a 15-9 record.
The Jaguars lost to Seton Hall Prep in last season’s ECT final.
Seton Hall Prep and East Side will play in the ECT final on Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. at Essex County College.