Columbia HS boys basketball team reaches ECT quarterfinals

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ  — Jayden Myers had 19 points and Jalen Robinson had 13 points with three steals to lead the sixth-seeded Columbia High School boys basketball team to a 64-57 home win over No. 11 seed Newark Tech on Saturday, Jan. 28, in the first round of the Essex County Tournament.

Shelton Colwell had 9 points with 11 rebounds and three assists, Jalen James had 9 points with five assists, Chris Berry had 6 points with five rebounds and three assists, Jake Blaney had 6 points, and Jared Carlucci had 2 points for the CHS Cougars, who improved to 14-3 overall on the season.

The Cougars will visit No. 3 seed Caldwell High School in the ECT quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 4. The winner will face the winner between No. 2 Arts High School of Newark and No. 7 East Side High School of Newark in the semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 11, at West Orange High School.

Robinson had 28 points, nine assists, six steals and three rebounds, and Myers had 27 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead the Cougars to an 83-72 win over Payne Tech of Newark on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at home.

James had 15 points, three steals and three rebounds; Colwell had 11 points and four rebounds; Carlucci had 1 point and eight rebounds, and Nerlens Jean-Pierre had 1 point and five rebounds.