EAST ORANGE, NJ — The East Orange High School boys basketball team enjoyed a sensational season.
The Jaguars, under sixth-year head coach Gabe Baltimore, advanced to the championship of the New Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament.
Though the third-seeded Jaguars lost at top-seeded Ridgewood, 57-54, on Friday, March 1, they can certainly savor their memorable campaign.
Entering the game with an eight-game winning streak, the Jaguars led, 21-12, at the end of the first quarter, before Ridgewood rallied with a 17-8 second-quarter showing to tie the game at 29-29 at halftime.
EOCHS outscored Ridgewood, 13-8, in the third quarter to take a 42-37 lead. But Ridewood rallied in the fourth quarter to prevail.
The Jaguars finished the season with a 23-6 overall record.
For EOCHS, senior guard Kaiyri Barkley had 17 points, five rebounds and one assist; freshman guard James Roberts had 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and one assist; junior forward Carlyle Adams had 10 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots; senior guard Eugene Byass posted 10 points, four rebounds and two assists; senior guard Da’maree Dyer added 3 points, two rebounds, three seals and two assists; and senior forward Gavin Jones added 2 points.
In the semifinals, the Jaguars rolled to a 69-25 win over No. 10 seed Passaic on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at home. Jones scored 23 points with 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals; Roberts had 14 points with four rebounds and one steal; Barkley had 11 points, three rebonds, two assists, two blocked shots and one steal; Adams had 7 points, nine rebounds and four assists; Dyer had 3 points, four assists and three steals; junior Alfonso Watts had 3 points; senior forward Melvin Okere had 2 points and three rebounds; junior forward Amir Rosendary had 2 points and one rebound; senior guard Kyree Fisher had two rebounds; junior forward Zechariah Lockett added 1 pont; and freshman guard Stageon King added one assist.
The Jaguars have enjoyed a great run under Coach Baltimore. This was their fifth straight winning season. EOCHS went 24-4 in the 2019-20 season, 13-2 in the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season, 15-9 in the 2021-22 season and 13-11 last season.
This season, the Jaguars advanced to the Essex County Tournament semifinals, but lost to sixth-seeded Seton Hall Prep. The Jaguars then won eight straight games before losing in the sectional final. In the sectional tournament, they defeated No. 14 seed Mount Olive, 72-27, Wednesday, Feb. 21, at home and No. 6 seed Hackensack, 63-49, in the quarterfinals on Monday, Feb. 26, at home before defeating Passaic in the semifinals.
Notes: The previous time they reached the sectional final was in the 2014-15 season, when they lost to Paterson Eastside, 74-64, in North 1, Group 4 at home. The last time the Jaguars won a sectional title was in the 2009-2010 season, when they defeated Paterson Kennedy, 73-65, to win North 1, Group 4. EOCHS then fell to Plainfield, 47-37, in the Group 4 state semifinal to finish with a 17-10 record.
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