ORANGE, NJ – Giovanni Peterkin and Elijah Thompson each scored nine points to lead the 17th-seeded Orange High School boys varsity basketball team to a 44-40 win over No. 32 seed Glen Ridge in the preliminary second round of the Essex County Tournament Feb. 2.
Rhalik Reid had seven points; Hassan Hester and Rasheed Johnson each had six points and Kyle Robinson had five points for the Tornadoes, who improved to a 5-12 overall record.
Orange advanced to the preliminary third round against No. 16 seed Newark Tech on or by Feb. 7. OHS had a bye in the preliminary first round. Newark Tech had byes in the first and second preliminary rounds. The winner between OHS and Newark Tech will advance to the first round (round of 16) at No. 1 seed Newark East Side, Feb. 9.
In their previous game, the Tornadoes defeated East Orange Campus High School 47-41, Feb. 1 in a Super Essex Conference Liberty Division game at EOCHS
Orange avenged two losses to the Jaguars this season, the first coming in the Joe Silver Holiday tournament in Hillside by a score of 54-53, and the second coming in the OHS M.L.K. Classic on Jan. 21 by a 50-47 score.
EOCHS is the No. 15 seed in the ECT and will host No. 18 seed North Star Academy in the preliminary third round on or by Feb. 7. The Jaguars had byes in the first and second preliminary round. North Star had a bye in the preliminary first round and defeated No. 31 Weequahic, 77-53, in the preliminary second round.
If the Jaguars win their ECT game, they will visit No. 2 seed Immaculate Conception of Montclair in the first round (round of 16) on Feb. 9.