Orange HS boys’ basketball clinches share of SEC-Colonial Division title; loses in wild 4-overtime game vs. Old Tappan

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ORANGE, NJ – The Orange High School boys’ varsity basketball team clinched a share of the Super Essex Conference-Colonial Division championship with Bloomfield and Verona.

All three teams finished 9-3 in the division. Orange split their two games with Bloomfield and also split its two games with Verona.

The Tornadoes dropped a wild, four-overtime game against Old Tappan, 103-99, Feb. 23, at OHS in a non-conference game. The Tornadoes’ other divisional loss was to West Essex.

Senior Wesley Lafleur had 27 points and 11 assists; senior Rasheed Boyd had 15 points and 13 rebounds; junior Henry Jean-Baptiste had 14 points; junior D’Angelo Blackmand posted eight points and 11 rebounds; junior Mischael Noevil and senior Zahier Childs each had eight points; junior Armand Jacques scored five points; senior Latrell Wilson had four points; and junior Zanety Joseph had two points for the Tornadoes, who moved to an 18-5 record. The Tornadoes’ other non-division was to Barringer in the Essex County Tournament first round.

The Tornadoes, seeded third, will host No. 14 seed Cliffside Park in the first round of the North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 state tournament on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. The winner will face the winner between No. 11 Kennedy-Iselin and No. 6 seed Snyder in the quarterfinals on March 2. The semifinals are March 4 and the final is March 6.