WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep basketball team won three games last week to extend its winning streak to five games and improve to 11-1.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Pirates hosted East Side at Frank J. Tracey Gymnasium in West Orange. The Pirates defeated the Red Raiders 68-49. They were led by senior Ethan Maynard, who had 22 points. Senior Shawn Lyght scored 14 points, with five rebounds and five assists; senior Darrius Phillips scored 11 points, with eight rebounds and three assists; and senior Jackson Bleecker had 11 points. Senior Isaiah Shoyombo had 7 points and dished out five assists.
On Thursday, Jan. 12, the Pirates traveled to Newark to take on Central and defeated the Blue Devils 66-40. Bleecker scored 20 points with five rebounds, while Lyght scored 15 points with six rebounds and five assists; senior Liam Toohey scored 11 points off the bench; and Maynard scored 10 points with four rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
On Saturday, Jan. 14, the Pirates traveled to Caldwell University in Caldwell to participate in the Dennis Gregory Memorial Classic against Rutgers Prep. The Pirates defeated Rutgers Prep 72-58. They were led by game most valuable player Bleecker, who scored 18 points, with four rebounds. Lyght scored 14 points, with six rebounds and four assists; Shoyombo scored 11 points, with three rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks; Phillips scored 9 points, with eight rebounds and four assists; and sophomore Jayden Harrington scored 9 points, with four assists.
When asked to compare this team to last year’s Essex County Tournament champs, Lyght said, “I think we have more camaraderie 1 through 15 on this team and love being around each other.”
“Everyone likes each other both on and off the court,” Bleecker said. “We trust each other on the court. We have a lot of guys on this team who can make a big basket, and that is great about being part of this group.”
Another aspect about this year’s edition of the Pirates is a couple of sophomores who come off the bench — guard Jayden Harrington, who is very composed on the court, and forward James Dunnemann II with his strong rebounding.