Columbia HS boys hoops tops East Side, gears up for Essex County Tournament

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Sophomore guard Nate Kirby scored 15 points and senior forward Earl Hart scored 14 points to lead the Columbia High School boys basketball team to a 53-48 win over Newark East Side on Thursday, Jan. 23, in a Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division game.

Junior guard Jayvon Rogers had 12 points and senior guard Jerry Browne had 10 points for the Cougars.

Kirby also had eight rebounds, Rogers had seven rebounds and six assists and Hart had four rebounds and three assists.

CHS lost to Colonia, 73-48, Friday, Jan. 24, at home. Rogers had 29 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals; Kirby had eight points, five rebounds and three assists; Browne had six points and six rebounds and sophomore guard Zach Alexander had three points. CHS moved to 5-12 overall. Colonia, ranked No. 12 in the state, improved to 15-1.

CHS, seeded 16th, will host No. 17 seed Orange in the Essex County Tournament on Thursday, Jan. 30. The winner will visit top seed Seton Hall Prep on Saturday, Feb. 1.