East Orange Campus HS boys basketball team tops Orange HS in OHS M.L.K. Classic

EAST ORANGE, NJ  — The East Orange Campus High School boys basketball team defeated Orange High School, 52-35, in the 11th annual OHS M.L.K. Classic on Monday, Jan. 20.

Senior guard Izaiah Poole had 21 points and five rebounds and junior forward NyJae Mann Lanier had eight points and 10 rebounds to lead the EOCHS Jaguars, who won their 10th straight game and improved to 13-1 on the season.

Senior forward Justin Singh-Smith had six points and 10 rebounds, senior guard Daveon Davis had five points and five rebounds and senior guard Nasir Owens had five points and three rebounds for EOCHS.

For the OHS Tornadoes, senior forward Elijah Thompson had 10 points and nine rebounds and Hassan Hester had eight points, senior center Kason Smartt had five points and senior forward Nyzeek Mann and senior guard Zakeem Burton each had four points. The Tornadoes lost their second straight  following a five-game winning streak, moving to 7-7 on the season.

In the season opener for both teams, EOCHS defeated OHS, 62-48, at EOCHS Dec. 19.

In earlier action, Singh-Smith had 12 points and 12 rebounds, Poole had nine points and nine rebounds and junior guard Jalen Hammonds had 10 points and four assists in the 52-37 win over North Star on Jan. 14. Two days later, the Jaguars hosted Nutley and won, 67-35. Hammonds had 20 points, 12 steals, three rebounds and three assists, Owens scored 17 points, Poole had 16 points with five rebounds and four assists, Singh-Smith posted six points and 10 rebounds and junior guard Anthony Henderson had six points. EOCHS defeated University, 56-53, Jan. 18, led by Singh-Smith’s 16 points and 10 rebounds and Poole’s 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Hammonds had 11 points, five assists and three steals, Owens had eight points, five rebounds and three assists and Lanier had eight points and six rebounds.

Junior guard Hassan Hester scored 12 points and Thompson had 11 points to lead the Tornadoes to a 52-48 win at Verona on Jan. 16 for their fifth win in a row. Mann had nine points, senior center Giovanni Paterkin had eight points and nine rebounds; senior forward Al’Ky-Juan Green had six points and eight rebounds and Smartt had six points and six rebounds.

The win streak ended with a 54-53 loss to Barringer on Jan. 18 at East Orange Campus.