Nutley HS boys’ basketball team falls to Cliffside Park in state tourney opener to finish season

NUTLEY – The Nutley High School boys’ basketball team lost to Cliffside Park, 53-35, in the first round of the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 tournament on Monday, Feb. 29 at Cliffside Park.

The Raiders, seeded 12th, ended the season with a 13-14 record.

NHS led 13-10 at the end of the first quarter, but fifth-seeded Cliffside Park rallied with a 13-2 second quarter for a 23-15 halftime lead. Cliffside Park outscored NHS, 15-13, in the third quarter and 15-7 in the fourth quarter.

The Raiders, under head coach Bob Harbison, had special senior class that they will miss. Among those seniors were Will Montgomery, Geoff Bevere, Giancarlo Padilla, Antonio Olivo, Devin Merritt and Devin White.

But the Raiders will return Marty Higgins, who made a strong impact as a freshman, as well as sophomores Anthony Fabiano and Matt Schettino.

Fabiano and Higgins each had 12 points in a 50-43 loss at Metuchen, 50-43, Feb. 25, in the final regular-season game. Olivo had six points and Schettino had five for the Raiders.